Improvement in chrono-nutrition is associated with robust weight loss outcomes: An extension of the feasibility study.

Previously we had demonstrated the development and feasibility of an integrated chrono-nutrition weight reduction program among non-shift workers with morning and evening chronotypes. In this current paper, we described the association between the changes in chrono-nutrition practice and weight loss outcomes upon completing the weight reduction program. A total of 91 overweight/obese non-shift workers participated in the 12-week integrated chrono-nutrition weight reduction program (Age: 39.6 ± 6.3 y; 74.7% women; BMI: 31.2 ± 4.5 kg/m2). All the assessments including anthropometry, dietary, sleep habits, physical activity, and process of change were measured during pre- and post-intervention. Participants who had lost ≥3% of their body weight were categorized as satisfactory weight loss outcome, and those who did not achieve 3% weight loss were categorized as unsatisfactory weight loss. The satisfactory weight loss had greater daily percent energy intake during earlier in the day from protein (Mean difference (MD): +3.2%, 95% CI: 1.6, 4.9, p < .001) and smaller intake from fat during later in the day (MD: -2.6%, 95% CI: -5.1, -0.1, p = .045), earlier last mealtime (MD: -49.5 min, 95% CI: -86.5, -12.6, p = .009) and midpoint of eating (MD: -27.3 min, 95% CI: -46.3, -8.2, p = .006), shorter eating window (-0.8 h, 95% CI: -1.4, -0.1, p = .031) and greater reduction in night eating syndrome score (MD: -2.4, 95% CI: -4.3, -0.5, p = .015) compared to unsatisfactory weight loss outcome. After accounting for potential confounders, the temporal pattern of energy, protein, and fat intake were associated with greater odds of achieving a satisfactory weight loss. The findings suggest a promising role of chrono-nutrition as one of the strategies in weight reduction intervention.

Biogenic platinum from agricultural wastes extract for improved methanol oxidation reaction in direct methanol fuel cell.

Platinum is the most commonly used catalyst in fuel cell application. However, platinum is very expensive, thus limits the commercialisation of fuel cell system due to the cost factor. This study introduces a biosynthesis platinum from plant extracts that can reduce the cost of platinum production compared to the conventional method and the hazardous during the production of the catalyst. The biogenic platinum was tested on a Direct Methanol Fuel Cell. Advanced biogenic of Pt nano-cluster was synthesized through a novel and facile of one-pot synthesis bio-reduction derived from natural source in the form of plant extracts as reducing agent. Several selected plant extracts drawn from agricultural waste such as banana peel, pineapple peels and sugarcane bagasse extracts were comparatively evaluated on the ability of phytochemical sources of polyphenols rich for the development of single-step synthesis for Pt NPs. Notably, the biogenic Pt NPs from sugar cane bagasse has superior electro-catalytic activity, the enhanced utilization efficiency of Pt and appreciable stability towards methanol oxidation reaction, whose ECSA value approximates 94.58 m2g-1, mass activity/specific activity (398.20 mAmg-1/0.8471 mA/cm2 Pt) which greater than commercial Pt black (158.12 mAmg-1/1.41 mA/cm2 Pt).

Nanostructured Pd-Based Electrocatalyst and Membrane Electrode Assembly Behavior in a Passive Direct Glycerol Fuel Cell.

The aim of this study was to synthesize, characterize, and observe the catalytic activity of Pd1Au1 supported by vapor-grown carbon nanofiber (VGCNF) anode catalyst prepared via the chemical reduction method. The formation of the single-phase compounds was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Rietveld refinement analysis, which showed single peaks corresponding to the (111) plane of the cubic crystal structure. Further analysis was carried out by field emission scanning emission microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), nitrogen adsorption/desorption measurements, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The electrochemical performance was examined by cyclic voltammetry tests. The presence of mesoporous VGCNF as support enables the use of a relatively small amount of metal catalyst that still produces an excellent current density (66.33 mA cm-2). Furthermore, the assessment of the kinetic activity of the nanocatalyst using the Tafel plot suggests that Pd1Au1/VGCNF exerts a strong electrocatalytic effect in glycerol oxidation reactions. The engineering challenges are apparent from the fact that the application of the homemade anode catalyst to the passive direct glycerol fuel cell shows the power density of only 3.9 mW cm-2. To understand the low performance, FESEM observation of the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) was carried out, examining several morphological defects that play a crucial role and affect the performance of the direct glycerol fuel cell.

Fabrication and Characterization of New Composite Tio2 Carbon Nanofiber Anodic Catalyst Support for Direct Methanol Fuel Cell via Electrospinning Method.

Platinum (Pt) is the common catalyst used in a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC). However, Pt can lead towards catalyst poisoning by carbonaceous species, thus reduces the performance of DMFC. Thus, this study focuses on the fabrication of a new composite TiO2 carbon nanofiber anodic catalyst support for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) via electrospinning technique. The distance between the tip and the collector (DTC) and the flow rate were examined as influencing parameters in the electrospinning technique. To ensure that the best catalytic material is fabricated, the nanofiber underwent several characterizations and electrochemical tests, including FTIR, XRD, FESEM, TEM, and cyclic voltammetry. The results show that D18, fabricated with a flow rate of 0.1 mLhr-1 and DTC of 18 cm, is an ultrafine nanofiber with the smallest average diameter, 136.73 ± 39.56 nm. It presented the highest catalyst activity and electrochemical active surface area value as 274.72 mAmg-1 and 226.75m2 g-1PtRu, respectively, compared with the other samples.

Enhanced performance of a novel anodic PdAu/VGCNF catalyst for electro-oxidation in a glycerol fuel cell.

This study presents a novel anodic PdAu/VGCNF catalyst for electro-oxidation in a glycerol fuel cell. The reaction conditions are critical issues affecting the glycerol electro-oxidation performance. This study presents the effects of catalyst loading, temperature, and electrolyte concentration. The glycerol oxidation performance of the PdAu/VGCNF catalyst on the anode side is tested via cyclic voltammetry with a 3 mm2 active area. The morphology and physical properties of the catalyst are examined using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy. Then, optimization is carried out using the response surface method with central composite experimental design. The current density is experimentally obtained as a response variable from a set of experimental laboratory tests. The catalyst loading, temperature, and NaOH concentration are taken as independent parameters, which were evaluated previously in the screening experiments. The highest current density of 158.34 mAcm-2 is obtained under the optimal conditions of 3.0 M NaOH concentration, 60 °C temperature and 12 wt.% catalyst loading. These results prove that PdAu-VGCNF is a potential anodic catalyst for glycerol fuel cells.

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the lung: a case report and literature review.

Introduction. Mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) of the lung is a rare form of lung cancer that is classified into low grade and high grade based on histological features. Surgical resection is the primary treatment for low-grade MEC with excellent outcomes, while high-grade MEC is a more aggressive form of malignancy. Clinical Case. We report a case of a 46-year-old woman who presented with dyspnea on exertion. Imaging studies revealed a mass involving the right upper lobe bronchus. Bronchoscopy, surgical resection, and pathological examination revealed a low-grade MEC with tumor-free margins. No adjuvant treatment was given. Discussion. Primary pulmonary MEC is a rare type of lung cancer with only few reported cases. This patient illustrates a typical presentation for low-grade MEC wherein surgical resection is considered curative. In contrast, high-grade MEC is a more aggressive malignancy with a poorer outcome. The role of targeted therapy directed against EGFR or a novel CRTC1-MAML2 fusion protein expressed in some high-grade tumors is yet to be determined.

Sleep-disordered breathing in patients with Parkinson's disease.

INTRODUCTION: There are limited studies reporting the frequency of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) in Parkinson's disease (PD), and the figures quoted are variable, ranging from 2.5 to 66 percent. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and types of SBD in PD patients attending the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre neurology clinic, and the correlation between the subjective sleep symptoms using the Parkinson's disease sleep scale (PDSS) and the objective measurements using polysomnography (PSG). METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study involving 46 PD patients over a period of six months. The patients' demographic data, Hoehn and Yahr staging and PDSS scores were collected. The patients were then subjected to overnight PSG using the Somnomedic system. RESULTS: There were 27 male and 19 female patients with a mean age of 64.0+/-9.7 years. 29 were Chinese, 15 Malay and 2 Indian. The mean duration of illness was 5.8+/-4.3 years. The mean PDSS score was 120.3+/-13.5. SDB was found in 54.6 percent of the patients (apnoeahypopnoea index [AHI] 5 and above), with 27.3 percent having moderate and severe SDB (AHI 15 and above). The median AHI was 6.7 (range 0-40.4). The prevalence of SDB in PD patients based on the AHI cutoffs were 27.3 percent for mild, 18.2 percent for moderate and 9.1 percent for severe. There were statistically significant positive correlations between the AHI and the neck circumference and between the AHI and the waist-hip ratio. There was no significant correlation between the AHI and PDSS, or the AHI and disease severity. CONCLUSION: There was a high prevalence of SBD in our PD patients, which was comparable to other studies. Obstructive sleep apnoea was the dominant type of SBD. There was no correlation between the subjective sleep symptoms using the PDSS and the objective measurements using PSG.

A low-GI diet is associated with a short-term improvement of glycaemic control in Asian patients with type 2 diabetes.

AIMS: The aim of this study is to compare the efficacy of low glycaemic index (GI) vs. conventional carbohydrate exchange (CCE) dietary advice on glycaemic control and metabolic parameters in patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: A total of 104 patients with type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned to either a low GI (GI) or CCE dietary advice over a 12-week period. The primary end-point was glycaemic control as assessed by glycated haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), fructosamine level and plasma glucose. The secondary end-points were anthropometric measurements and metabolic parameters that include blood pressure, lipid profile and insulin levels. The oral antidiabetic medications remained unchanged throughout the duration of the study. RESULTS: A low-GI diet was associated with significant changes in the fructosamine level (DeltaGI = -0.20 +/- 0.03; DeltaCCE = -0.08 +/- 0.03 mmol/l, p < 0.01) and waist circumference (DeltaGI group = -1.88 +/- 0.30 cm; DeltaCCE group: -0.36 +/- 0.4 cm, p < 0.05) at week 4. At week 12, the changes in fasting glucose (DeltaGI = -0.03 +/- 0.3; DeltaCCE = 0.7 +/- 0.3 mmol/l; p < 0.05) and waist circumference (DeltaGI = -2.35 +/- 0.47 cm; DeltaCCE group = -0.66 +/- 0.46 cm; p < 0.05) in the GI group was significantly lower than the CCE group. With the low-GI diet, the changes in postprandial glycaemia at time 0, 60, 150 and 180 min after consuming the standard test meal was lower than with the CCE diet (p < 0.05). No significant differences were found between the groups for the remaining parameters that were measured. CONCLUSIONS: Use of a low-GI diet resulted in significant changes of serum fructosamine level, plasma glucose and waist circumference in Asian patients with type 2 diabetes over a 12-week period compared with those following a CCE diet. The effect on HbA1c and other metabolic parameters was not significantly different between the two study groups but the improvement within the GI group was more pronounced and of clinical benefit.

Nutritional Status among Chinese Preschoolers in Subang Jaya, Selangor.

A nutritional status study was carried out among Chinese preschoolers (4- 6 years old) residing in Subang Jaya, Selangor. 91 preschoolers (48 boys and 43 girls) of Chinese descent participated in the study. Anthropometric measurements such as weight and height were taken and compared with the NCHS reference. Food habits and demographic background were also evaluated. The results indicated that the prevalence of underweight, wasting and stunting was 2% respectively, while the prevalence of overweight was 3%. Food habits data showed that most preschoolers consumed the daily main meals and snack once a day. Fruits were consumed between three to four times per week. Food items preferred by these preschoolers were milk, fish and fruits. In general, preschoolers in this study favoured foods, which were deep fried rather than steamed or roasted. Correlation analysis showed that there was no significant relationship between income, education of parents and anthropometric index (weight for age, height for age and weight for height). The nutritional status of these preschool children in Subang Jaya was satisfactory.

Immunosuppressive medication associated with leishmanial antibodies in adults residing in an endemic focus of infantile visceral leishmaniasis--a case/control study.

In a focus of infantile visceral leishmaniasis in Al Agamy (Alexandria), Egypt, adults were found by radioimmune assay to have leishmanial antibodies. This finding was unexpected, and an explanation was sought. Seropositive adults and age- and sex-matched seronegative controls were interviewed to ascertain possible predisposing risk factors. Ten of 16 seropositive individuals were taking corticosteroids compared to one of 22 seronegative individuals (P = 0.0002). Two seropositive individuals (one woman and one man) were taking phenylbutazone, and two women were taking female sex hormones. The association between immunosuppressive medication and leishmanial seropositivity suggests that acquired changes in host population immunocompetence may significantly alter age-specific seroprevalence of leishmanial antibodies.