The role of responsible gambling strategy and gambling passion in the online gamblers' decision-making process: revising the theory of planned behavior.

This study revised the theory of planned behavior (TPB) by incorporating the new concepts of gambling passion and responsible gambling strategy (RGS) to predict gamblers' intention to gamble in online sports betting. The data were collected at the end of March in 2012 through an online gambling website. The findings indicated that the inclusion of two types of gambling passion and two types of RGS explains online gambling intention well. Specifically, out of the original antecedent predictors of TPB, attitude toward online gambling was positively related to harmonious passion. Subjective norm had a positive relationship with both harmonious and obsessive passion. The results also showed that perceived behavioral control does not have a significant effect on the two gambling passions but has a direct and significant influence on behavioral intention. Additionally, the compulsory RGS had a negative effect on obsessive passion, whereas supplementary RGS had concurrent positive impacts on harmonious and obsessive passion. Lastly, the two gambling passions were notable predictors of behavioral intention toward online sports betting.

Modulation of glucose and lipid metabolism by porcine adiponectin receptor 1-transgenic mesenchymal stromal cells in diet-induced obese mice.

BACKGROUND AIMS: Obesity and its associated diseases demand better therapeutic strategies. Regenerative medicine combined with gene therapy has emerged as a promising approach in various clinical applications. Adiponectin (ApN) and its receptors have been demonstrated to play beneficial roles in modulating glucose and lipid homeostasis. In the current study, we tested such an approach by transplanting mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) from porcine ApN receptor (pAdipoR) 1-transgenic mice into high-fat/sucrose diet (HFSD)-fed mice. METHODS: Twenty 6-week-old Friend virus B/NJNarl male mice were randomly assigned into four groups with the control fed a chow diet (chow) and others HFSD for 10 months. The HFSD groups were then intraperitoneally injected once per week for 8 weeks with placebo (200 µL phosphate-buffered saline), wild-type MSC (WT-MSC, 2 × 10(6) cells/200 µL phosphate-buffered saline) or pAdipoR1-transgenic MSC (pR1-tMSC, 2 × 10(6) cells/200 µL phosphate-buffered saline), respectively. Body weights, blood samples, tissue histology, and gene expression and protein levels of metabolism-associated genes were analyzed. RESULTS: Both WT-MSC and pR1-tMSC transplantations restored the messenger RNA expression of AdipoR1, with those of glucose transporter 4 and 5'-adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase catalytic subunit α-1 and protein levels of pyruvate kinase induced by pR1-tMSC in the muscles of HFSD-fed mice. In the liver, both WT-MSC and pR1-tMSC ameliorated HFSD-induced hepatosteatosis, with the gene expression of lipoprotein lipase and hormone-sensitive lipase upregulated by the latter. Lastly, pR1-tMSC transplantation reduced fatty acid synthase mRNA levels in the adipose tissues of HFSD-fed mice. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the modulatory actions of MSC and pR1-tMSC on genes associated with glucose and lipid metabolism and provides insights into its therapeutic application for obesity-associated metabolic complication.

Gold Nanoparticle-Coated ZrO2-Nanofiber Surface as a SERS-Active Substrate for Trace Detection of Pesticide Residue.

Trace detection of common pesticide residue is necessary to assure safety of fruit and vegetables, given that the potential health risk to consumers is attributed to the contamination of the sources. A simple, rapid and effective means of finding the residue is however required for household purposes. In recent years, the technique in association with surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has been well developed in particular for trace detection of target molecules. Herein, gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) were integrated with sol-gel spin-coated Zirconia nanofibers (ZrO2 NFs) as a chemically stable substrate and used for SERS application. The morphologies of Au NPs/ZrO2 NFs were adjusted by the precursor concentrations (_X, X = 0.05⁻0.5 M) and the effect of SERS on Au NPs/ZrO2 NFs_X was evaluated by different Raman laser wavelengths using rhodamine 6G as the probe molecule at low concentrations. The target pesticides, phosmet (P1), carbaryl (C1), permethrin (P2) and cypermethrin (C2) were thereafter tested and analyzed. Au NPs/ZrO2 NFs_0.3 exhibited an enhancement factor of 2.1 × 107, which could detect P1, C1, P2 and C2 at the concentrations down to 10-8, 10-7, 10-7 and 10-6 M, respectively. High selectivity to the organophosphates was also found. As the pesticides were dip-coated on an apple and then measured on the diluted juice containing sliced apple peels, the characteristic peaks of each pesticide could be clearly identified. It is thus promising to use NPs/ZrO2 NFs_0.3 as a novel SERS-active substrate for trace detection of pesticide residue upon, for example, fruits or vegetables.

Chitosan-assisted differentiation of porcine adipose tissue-derived stem cells into glucose-responsive insulin-secreting clusters.

The unique advantage of easy access and abundance make the adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) a promising system of multipotent cells for transplantation and regenerative medicine. Among the available sources, porcine ADSCs (pADSCs) deserve especial attention due to the close resemblance of human and porcine physiology, as well as for the upcoming availability of humanized porcine models. Here, we report on the isolation and conversion of pADSCs into glucose-responsive insulin-secreting cells. We used the stromal-vascular fraction of the dorsal subcutaneous adipose from 9-day-old male piglets to isolate pADSCs, and subjected the cells to an induction scheme for differentiation on chitosan-coated plates. This one-step procedure promoted differentiation of pADSCs into pancreatic islet-like clusters (PILC) that are characterized by the expression of a repertoire of pancreatic proteins, including pancreatic and duodenal homeobox (Pdx-1), insulin gene enhancer protein (ISL-1) and insulin. Upon glucose challenge, these PILC secreted high amounts of insulin in a dose-dependent manner. Our data also suggest that chitosan plays roles not only to enhance the differentiation potential of pADSCs, but also to increase the glucose responsiveness of PILCs. Our novel approach is, therefore, of great potential for transplantation-based amelioration of type 1 diabetes.

Rapid regression of cystoid macular edema associated with cytomegalovirus retinitis in adult acute myeloid leukemia by intravitreal methotrexate combined with oral valganciclovir: A case report with comparison of binocular outcome.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis is a late complication of organ and hematopoietic stem cell transplant, the risk of which depends on the degree of immunosuppression. With the institution of preemptive ganciclovir therapy early after transplant, most patients survive episodes of life-threatening CMV infection during the early months (usually the first 3 months) after transplant and hence late onset of CMV disease, such as CMV retinitis, is being recognized more frequently. Direct involvement of the macula or optic head remains the leading cause of visual loss in patients with CMV retinitis, but there are few studies investigating the management of this condition. Herein, we present the case of 28-year-old man who had acute myeloid leukemia and developed CMV retinitis with bilateral cystoid macular edema and optic swelling in the right eye 6 months after bone marrow transplant. He received treatment with intravitreal methotrexate in the right eye in combination with oral valganciclovir. Visual acuity improved 1 month after four weekly injections of intravitreal methotrexate 400 µg/0.1 mL. Resolved disc swelling and regression of macular edema were also observed. By comparing binocular outcome, we present our findings and discuss the possible efficacy and safety of this treatment with respect to regression of anatomical damage and improvement in visual acuity.

Enhanced amelioration of high-fat diet-induced fatty liver by docosahexaenoic acid and lysine supplementations.

Fatty liver disease is the most common pathological condition in the liver. Here, we generated high-fat diet-(HFD-) induced nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in mice and tested the effects of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and lysine during a four-week regular chow (RC)feeding. Our results showed that 1% lysine and the combination of 1% lysine + 1% DHA reduced body weight. Moreover, serum triglyceride levels were reduced by 1% DHA and 1% lysine, whereas serum alanine transaminase activity was reduced by 1% DHA and 1% DHA + 0.5% lysine. Switching to RC reduced hepatic lipid droplet accumulation, which was further reduced by the addition of DHA or lysine. Furthermore, the mRNA expressions of hepatic proinflammatory cytokines were suppressed by DHA and combinations of DHA + lysine, whereas the mRNA for the lipogenic gene, acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 (ACC1), was suppressed by DHA. In the gonadal adipose tissues, combinations of DHA and lysine inhibited mRNA expression of lipid metabolism-associated genes, including ACC1, fatty acid synthase, lipoprotein lipase, and perilipin. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that, in conjunction with RC-induced benefits, supplementation with DHA or lysine further ameliorated the high-fat diet-induced NAFLD and provided an alternative strategy to treat, and potentially prevent, NAFLD.

Porcine adiponectin receptor 1 transgene resists high-fat/sucrose diet-induced weight gain, hepatosteatosis and insulin resistance in mice.

Adiponectin and its receptors have been demonstrated to play important roles in regulating glucose and lipid metabolism in mice. Obesity, type II diabetes and cardiovascular disease are highly correlated with down-regulated adiponectin signaling. In this study, we generated mice overexpressing the porcine Adipor1 transgene (pAdipor1) to study its beneficial effects in metabolic syndromes as expressed in diet-induced obesity, hepatosteatosis and insulin resistance. Wild-type (WT) and pAdipor1 transgenic mice were fed ad libitum with a standard chow diet (Chow) or a high-fat/sucrose diet (HFSD) for 24 weeks, beginning at 6 to 7 weeks of age. There were 12 mice per genetic/diet/sex group. When challenged with HFSD to induce obesity, the pAdipor1 transgenic mice resisted development of weight gain, hepatosteatosis and insulin resistance. These mice had lowered plasma adiponectin, triglyceride and glycerol concentrations compared to WT mice. Moreover, we found that (indicated by mRNA levels) fatty acid oxidation was enhanced in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue, and liver lipogenesis was inhibited. The pAdipor1 transgene also restored HFSD-reduced phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase 1 (Pck1) and glucose transporter 4 mRNA in the adipose tissues, implying that the increased Pck1 may promote glyceroneogenesis to reduce glucose intolerance and thus activate the flux of glyceride-glycerol to resist diet-induced weight gain in the adipose tissues. Taken together, we demonstrated that pAdipor1 can prevent diet-induced weight gain and insulin resistance. Our findings may provide potential therapeutic strategies for treating metabolic syndromes and obesity, such as treatment with an ADIPOR1 agonist or activation of Adipor1 downstream targets.

Docosahexaenoic acid suppresses the expression of FoxO and its target genes.

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, has previously been shown to ameliorate obesity-associated metabolic syndrome. To decipher the mechanism responsible for the beneficial effects of DHA on energy/glucose homeostasis and the metabolic syndrome, 30 weaned cross-bred pigs were randomly assigned to three groups and fed ad libitum with a standard diet supplemented with 2% of beef tallow, soybean oil or DHA oil for 30 days, and the gene expression profile of various tissues was evaluated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The DHA-supplemented diets reduced the expression of forkhead box O transcription factor (FoxO) 1 and FoxO3 in the liver and adipose tissue. DHA treatments also decreased the expression of FoxO1 and FoxO3 in human hepatoma cells, SK-HEP-1 and human and porcine primary adipocytes. In addition, DHA also down-regulated FoxO target genes, such as microsomal triacylglycerol transfer protein (MTP), glucose-6-phosphatase, apolipoprotein C-III (apoC-III) and insulin-like growth factor binding-protein 1 in the liver, as well as reduced total plasma levels of cholesterol and triacylglycerol in the pig. Transcriptional suppression of FoxO1, FoxO3, apoC-III and MTP by DHA was further confirmed by reporter assays with each promoter construct. Taken together, our study indicates that DHA modulates lipid and glucose homeostasis in part by down-regulating FoxO function. The down-regulation of genes associated with triacylglycerol metabolism and very low density lipoprotein assembly is likely to contribute to the beneficial effects of DHA on the metabolic syndrome.