Prolonged Isolated Soluble Dietary Fibre Supplementation in Overweight and Obese Patients: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials

The prevalence of overweight and obesity is rising rapidly, currently affecting 1.9 billion adults worldwide. Prebiotic dietary fibre supplementation is a promising approach to improve weight loss and reduce metabolic complications in overweight and obese subjects due to modifications of the microbiota composition and function. Previous systematic reviews and meta-analyses addressing similar questions revealed discordant evidence and/or are outdated. We searched MEDLINE, Embase, Google Scholar, and forward and backward citations for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) with isolated soluble dietary fibre supplementation for at least 12 weeks in overweight and obese patients measuring body weight, published through April 2022. We expressed the results as mean differences (MDs) using the random-effects model of the metafor package in R and assessed risk of bias using the Cochrane RoB2 tool. We conducted the study according to the PRISMA guidelines and registered the protocol on PROSPERO (CRD42022295246). The participants with dietary fibre supplementation showed a significantly higher reduction in body weight (MD −1.25 kg, 95% CI −2.24, −0.25; 27 RCTs; 1428 participants) accompanied by a significant decrease in BMI, waist circumference, fasting blood insulin, and HOMA-IR compared to the control group. Certainty of evidence was high, paving the way for the implementation of isolated soluble dietary fibre supplementation into clinical practice.     

Detection and Identification of Single Molecules in Immunology and Immunohematology: Single (solution)-phase Single-molecule FCS

In the Goodpasture experiment, we determined a probability of 99.1% of identifying one single immune complex. Under these conditions, a single molecule event is proven. There exist no instrumental assumptions of our approach on which the experiments themselves, the theoretical background or the conclusion are based on. Our results open up a broad field for analytics and diagnostics in solution, particularly in immunology and immunohematology.     

Ultrasound guided percutaneous ethanol injection of hepatocellular carcinoma

Percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI), as the first minimally invasive ablation method, has now been in use for more than 20 years. Its main indication is the treatment of small hepatocellular carcinomas superimposed on liver cirrhosis. PEI is highly effective for small tumors (<3 cm) with a complete response in 80% of patients. The efficacy for larger tumors (3-5 cm) is lower, with a complete response in 50%. To increase the effect in larger tumors some special techniques have been developed: single session therapy in general anesthesia, "multiple needles insertion", injection in the feeding artery. PEI is a well tolerated therapy, with a very low complication rate. Recurrences, either local or distant, may occur after PEI and can be treated with new sessions. Although it is still considered the standard percutaneous technique in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma, its place is challenged by the new thermal ablative percutaneous techniques, especially radiofrequency ablation.     

Renin-angiotensin axis blockade reduces proteinuria in presymptomatic patients with familial FSGS

Familial and genetic forms of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) are associated with six different mutations in genes affecting the podocyte (NPHS2, ACTN4, CD2AP, WT1, TRPC6, and PLCE1). Immunosuppressive agents are often unsuccessful in treating this condition. Data regarding the efficacy of renoprotection through blockage of the renin-angiotensin axis is lacking. We describe three children from two different families with familial FSGS in whom partial to complete remission of proteinuria was attained through early blockade of the renin-angiotensin axis. In addition, there was no deterioration of renal function. We speculate that presymptomatic patients with normal renal function who have genetic or familial FSGS may benefit from early blockade of the renin-angiotensin axis and that this may also prevent progressive renal disease.     

Animal models used for the evaluation of antiretroviral therapies

Several animal models for the study of HIV/AIDS have been established and characterized and have been widely used to study the pathogenesis of HIV/AIDS as well as vaccine development. The purpose of this study was to review the literature and identify the animal models most frequently used for the evaluation of drugs, drug combinations, plant extracts and drug-plant combinations. Four of these animal models were evaluated namely the SIV model due to its similarities in pathogenesis of disease to humans, the FIV and the LP-BM5 model due to wide availability and the SCID murine model that combines components of both systems. The pathogenesis of disease in each model, application in the evaluation of drugs, drug combinations and plant extracts as well as the inherent advantages and disadvantages of each model are discussed. The LP-BM5 murine AIDS (MAIDS) model with its in vitro equivalent was identified as the animal model, although not identical to HIV/AIDS, most suitable for the rapid and cost effective initial screening of drugs, drug combinations, plant extracts and drug-plant combinations.     

Perception of causality in schizophrenia spectrum disorder

Patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders often maintain deviating views on cause-effect relationships, especially when positive and disorganization symptoms are manifest. Altered perceived causality is prominent in delusional ideation, in ideas of reference, and in the mentalizing ability (theory of mind [ToM]) of patients. Perceiving causal relationships may be understood either as higher order cognitive reasoning or as low-level information processing. In the present study, perception of causality was investigated as a low-level, preattentional capability similar to gestalt-like perceptual organization. Thirty-one patients (24 men and 7 women with mean age 27.7 years) and the same number of healthy control subjects matched to patients with respect to age and sex were tested. A visual paradigm was used in which 2 identical discs move, from opposite sides of a monitor, steadily toward and then past one another. Their coincidence generates an ambiguous, bistable percept (discs either "stream through" or "bounce off" one another). The bouncing perception, ie, perceived causality, is enhanced when auditory stimuli are presented at the time of coincidence. Psychopathology was measured using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. It was found that positive symptoms were strongly associated with increased perceived causality and disorganization with attenuated perceived causality. Patients in general were not significantly different from controls, but symptom subgroups showed specifically altered perceived causality. Perceived causality as a basic preattentional process may contribute to higher order cognitive alterations and ToM deficiencies. It is suggested that cognitive remediation therapy should address both increased and reduced perception of causality.