Intercorrelations of lipoprotein subfractions and their covariation with lifestyle factors in healthy men

So far, little is known about the effect of nutrition and lifestyle on the composition of circulating lipoprotein subfractions. In the current study, we measured the correlations among physical activity, nutrient intake, smoking, body-mass index (BMI), and age with the concentration of triglycerides, cholesterol, phospholipids, and apolipoproteins (ApoA1, ApoA2 and ApoB) in subfractions of LDL and HDL in 265 healthy working men. Concentrations of cholesterol, phospholipids, and ApoB in small, dense atherogenic LDL particles (sdLDL) correlated negatively (p<0.001) with those of cholesterol, phospholipids, and ApoA1 in HDL2, respectively. Age correlated positively with sdLDL while increasing BMI correlated with an atherogenic shift of cholesterol, phospholipids, and ApoB from large, buoyant LDL (lbLDL) to sdLDL and decreasing concentrations of HDL2 constituents. Physical activity and alcohol intake correlated negatively with sdLDL constituents and positively with HDL2 components. Consumption of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) correlated with a lower ratio of sdLDL to HDL2 cholesterol. A favorable lipoprotein subfraction profile linked to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease in men was associated with physical activity, moderate alcohol consumption, and dietary intake of MUFA, which might be exploited in future interventions for prevention of age- and BMI-associated atherogenic shifts of lipoprotein subfractions.     

Suture pulley countertraction method reduces procedure time and technical demand of endoscopic submucosal dissection among novice endoscopists learning endoscopic submucosal dissection: a prospective randomized ex vivo study

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Hydrolysis and absorption of glucose polymers from rice compared with corn in chronic diarrhea of infancy.

Because rice remains the most available carbohydrate in developing countries, where chronic diarrhea is most prevalent, we compared the in vitro hydrolysis and clinical tolerance of rice glucose polymer with those of corn glucose polymer. Rice glucose polymer hydrolysis to D-glucose and short-chain polymers (polymers with two to four glucose units and those with five or more units) was similar to that for corn glucose polymers during incubation with saliva or duodenal aspirates. However, rice glucose polymers yielded more short-chain products than corn glucose polymers during incubation with pooled mucosal homogenates (p less than 0.01). In vivo tolerance testing of 16 infants with chronic diarrhea confirmed that rice glucose polymers were well tolerated and, compared with corn glucose polymers, achieved a higher maximal increase of serum glucose concentration (36.6 +/- 7.3 vs 27.6 +/- 10.3 mg/dl; p less than 0.02), a shorter time to peak serum glucose concentration (34.0 +/- 10.2 vs 52.5 +/- 25.7 minutes; p less than 0.02), and a greater area under the serum glucose response curve at 30 minutes (538 +/- 131 vs 1035 +/- 501 cm; p less than 0.02). We conclude that rice glucose polymers are rapidly hydrolyzed in vitro and in vivo and are more rapidly absorbed than are corn glucose polymers in children with chronic diarrhea.     

Vitamin D deficiency, pancreatic and small intestinal enzyme development in rats

Maternal vitamin D deficiency has been shown to lead to reduced body weights in developing rat pups. To evaluate the effects of vitamin D deficiency alone both in dams and pups during the perinatal age on the ontogeny of gastrointestinal enzymes, female weanling rats (3 weeks of age) were divided into three groups. Groups I and II were fed a control (vitamin-D-replete) diet. Group II were fed a vitamin-D-deficient diet. Six weeks afterward they were mated with normal male rats while continuing on their respective diets until sacrifice. Only rats that delivered their pups on the same day from each group were brought into the study. Litter sizes of groups I and II were adjusted to 10, while group III was adjusted to 13 such that the rate of growth paralleled that of group II. At 19 days after birth, all dams and pups were sacrificed. There were no differences in the calcium and phosphorus contents in breast milk obtained from dams of each group. The serum calcium concentration of pups from group II (vitamin-D-deficient) was lower than the other groups. Body weights of pups from groups II and III were significantly lower than those of group I. The mucosal weight, total mucosal protein, mucosal DNA, sucrase, and maltase activities from groups II and III were similar, but lower than group I. Pancreatic weight, total pancreatic protein, DNA, amylase, and lipase activities from groups II and III were also similar, but lower than group I. Vitamin D deficiency was confirmed in both dams and pups from group II.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Improved inspection of the lateral pharyngeal recess using cone-beam computed tomography in the upright position

Objectives  To evaluate the structure of the lateral pharyngeal recess (LPR) and surrounding structures in computed tomography (CT) images obtained from subjects in the supine and upright positions. Methods  Six subjects were evaluated using cone-beam CT (CBCT) in the upright position, and with a four-row multidetector helical CT (MDCT) in the supine position. All of the voxel sizes were adjusted to 0.3 × 0.3 × 0.3 mm³ in the x, y, z coordinate system. The posterior nasal spine and basion were used as references. The LPR and surrounding structures were measured and compared in the two different modalities. Results  In 83% of the cases, the LPR was deeper when the position was changed from supine to upright. Conclusions  Our results suggest that imaging of the LPR using CBCT with the subject in the upright position is superior to that using MDCT with the subject in the supine position.     

Do various imaging modalities provide potential early detection and diagnosis of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw? A review

Objective:Patients with medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) often visit their dentists at advanced stages and subsequently require treatments that greatly affect quality of life. Currently, no clear diagnostic criteria exist to assess MRONJ, and the definitive diagnosis solely relies on clinical bone exposure. This ambiguity leads to a diagnostic delay, complications, and unnecessary burden. This article aims to identify imaging modalities’ usage and findings of MRONJ to provide possible approaches for early detection.Methods:Literature searches were conducted using PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane Library to review all diagnostic imaging modalities for MRONJ.Results:Panoramic radiography offers a fundamental understanding of the lesions. Imaging findings were comparable between non-exposed and exposed MRONJ, showing osteolysis, osteosclerosis, and thickened lamina dura. Mandibular cortex index Class II could be a potential early MRONJ indicator. While three-dimensional modalities, CT and CBCT, were able to show more features unique to MRONJ such as a solid type periosteal reaction, buccal predominance of cortical perforation, and bone-within-bone appearance. MRI signal intensities of vital bones are hypointense on T₁WI and hyperintense on T₂WI and STIR when necrotic bone shows hypointensity on all T₁WI, T₂WI, and STIR. Functional imaging is the most sensitive method but is usually performed in metastasis detection rather than being a diagnostic tool for early MRONJ.Conclusion:Currently, MRONJ-specific imaging features cannot be firmly established. However, the current data are valuable as it may lead to a more efficient diagnostic procedure along with a more suitable selection of imaging modalities.