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Serum magnesium is the most frequently used laboratory test for evaluating clinical magnesium status. Hypomagnesemia (low magnesium status), which is associated with many chronic diseases, is diagnosed using the serum magnesium reference range. Currently, no international consensus for a magnesemia normal range exists. Two independent groups designated 0.85 mmol/L (2.07 mg/dL; 1.7 mEq/L) as the low cut-off point defining hypomagnesemia. MaGNet discussions revealed differences in serum magnesium reference ranges used by members' hospitals and laboratories, presenting an urgent need for standardization.We gathered and compared serum magnesium reference range values from our institutions, hospitals, and colleagues worldwide.Serum magnesium levels designating "hypomagnesemia" differ widely. Of 43 collected values, only 2 met 0.85 mmol/L as the low cut-off point to define hypomagnesemia. The remainder had lower cut-off values, which may underestimate hypomagnesemia diagnosis in hospital, clinical, and research assessments. Current serum magnesium reference ranges stem from "normal" populations, which unknowingly include persons with chronic latent magnesium deficit (CLMD). Serum magnesium levels of patients with CLMD fall within widely used "normal" ranges, but their magnesium status is too low for long-term health. The lower serum magnesium reference (0.85 mmol/L) proposed specifically prevents the inclusion of patients with CLMD.Widely varying serum magnesium reference ranges render our use of this important medical tool imprecise, minimizing impacts of low magnesium status or hypomagnesemia as a marker of disease risk. To appropriately diagnose, increase awareness of, and manage magnesium status, it is critical to standardize lower reference values for serum magnesium at 0.85 mmol/L (2.07 mg/dL; 1.7 mEq/L).

This study aimed to evaluate the association between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and cognitive impairment and explore the effect modification by the inflammatory status. A total of 4400 community-based participants aged 50–64 years from the Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disease Etiology Research Center were included in this cross-sectional study. NAFLD was identified as the Fatty Liver Index 30 or higher in the absence of excessive alcohol consumption. Cognitive impairment was defined as the total score of the Mini-Mental State Examination (cutoff 24). The inflammatory status was evaluated using white blood cell (WBC) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP). Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed. Stratified analyses by the WBC count (the highest quartile) and the hsCRP level (≥ 1.0 mg/dL vs.

Summary To compare the diagnosis andtreatment rates of osteoporosis and diabetes in Korea, a nationwide database was used. The results showed that although osteoporosis management is improving, it is still lower compared with that of diabetes; thus, further efforts are needed in this regard. Introduction This study aimed to re-evaluate the diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis from the KNHANES 2016–2017 and compare the temporal change of the rate with those of diabetes as another prevalent chronic disease in South Korea. Methods The prevalence of osteoporosis in 2016 was estimated using the previous data classified by age groups (50–59,60–69, and ≥70years) and the 2016 Korean census data. The physician diagnosis and treatment rates of osteoporosis in adults aged ≥50years were estimated using the 2016–2017 KNHANES data. The physician diagnosis and treatment rates of diabetes were evaluated using the KNHANES 2008–2009 and 2016–2017 data. Results The estimated physician diagnosisrate of osteoporosis increased from 29.9% in females and 5.8% in males in 2008–2009 to 62.8% in females and 22.8% in males in 2016–2017. The treatment rate for the estimated total number of patients with osteoporosis increased from 14.4% in females and 3.8% in males in 2008–2009 to 32.2% in females and 9.0% in males in 2016–2017. An increasing trend in the estimated treatment rateof physician-diagnosed osteoporosis patients was not observed (48.3% [2008–2009] vs 51.5% [2016–2017] in females; 42.6% [2008–2009] vs 42.2% [2016–2017] in males). The physician diagnosis and treatment rates of diabetes were considerably better and more stable than those of osteoporosis. Conclusion Osteoporosis management in South Korea is improving but is insufficient compared with diabetes management. More extensive efforts are needed to improve the diagnosis and treatment rates of osteoporosis. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00198-021-05864-z.

Chemokines interact with hepatic resident cells during inflammation and fibrosis. CC chemokine ligand (CCL) 20 has been reported to be important in inflammation and fibrosis in the liver. We hypothesized that visfatin, an adipocytokine, could play a role in hepatic fibrosis via CCL20. We investigated the effect of visfatin on CCL20 in THP-1 human promonocytic cells and examined the molecular mechanisms involved. Following treatment of THP-1 cells with visfatin, CCL20 expression and secretion were assessed. We assessed the intracellular signaling molecules IKK/NF-κB, JAK2/STAT3, MAPKs, and MKK3/6 by western blotting. We treated THP-1 cells with visfatin and signaling inhibitors, and examined CCL20 mRNA and protein levels. To investigate the effect of visfatin-induced CCL20 expression in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), LX-2 cells were co-cultured with the culture supernatant of THP-1 cells with or without anti-CCL20 neutralizing antibodies, and fibrosis markers were examined by RT-PCR and immunoblotting. In THP-1 cells, visfatin increased the CCL20 mRNA and protein levels. visfatin increased the activities of the NF-κB, p38, and MLK3/6 signaling pathways but not those of the JAK2/STAT3 and ERK pathways. Visfatin treatment together with an NF-κB, p38, or MLK3 inhibitor reduced the mRNA and protein levels of CCL20. The visfatin-induced CCL20 increased the expression of fibrosis markers and CCR6 in HSCs. Following neutralization of CCL20, the levels of fibrosis markers and CCR6 were decreased. Visfatin increases the expression of CCL20 via the NF-κB and MKK3/6-p38 signaling pathways in macrophages, and visfatin-induced CCL20 expression promotes the fibrosis markers in HSCs.

Follitropin, an important gonadotropin hormone, participates in vitellogenesis and spermatogenesis. Equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) can induce gonadotropin hormone activity in non-equid species and exhibits a long biological half-life. Here, we report the production, using silkworm larval and pupal systems, of biologically active recombinant hybrid-type follitropins based on the coding sequence of the eCG C-terminal peptide (CTP) between the mature β- and α-chains of eel. The three constructs, rJeFSH, rJeFSH·eCG, and rJeFSH·2xeCG were produced and verified to be N- or O-glycosylated and secreted mature peptides. Although rJeFSH·eCG contains more elaborate O-linked carbohydrate chains than rJeFSH, it elicited no significant in vitro oocyte maturation, which may be a result of insufficient terminal sialylation of its N-and O-linked carbohydrate chains. Then, a hybrid of rJeFSH·2xeCG extended with two eCG CTP. Furthermore, the receptor binding assay revealed potency of rJeFSH and rJeFSH·2xeCG to be a few folds greater than that of rJeFSH·eCG. The findings of this study will be useful for the development of more efficient GTHs in teleosts, including eels, when various modifications with two or more extended eCG CTP produced by silkworm are included.

To evaluate the accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis in pregnant patients and the value of additional diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI). A total of 125 pregnant patients with clinically suspected appendicitis who underwent 1.5 T MRI were enrolled between May 2011 and January 2016. During this period, two radiologists prospectively predicted acute appendicitis on MRI during daily interpretation. We retrospectively reviewed clinical records, and radiological results were correlated with surgical pathology and clinical outcomes. We calculated the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of MRI for diagnosing acute appendicitis. We performed additional DWI between August 2014 and January 2016, and we calculated sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of MRI with or without DWI. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of MRI for acute appendicitis were 100%, 95%, and 96%, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of MRI without DWI (n = 72) vs. with DWI (n = 53) were 100%, 94.7%, and 95.8% versus 100%, 95%, and 96%, respectively. MRI has high accuracy for the diagnosis of acute appendicitis in pregnant patients. Therefore, MRI is recommended for use as a first-line diagnostic test for pregnant patients with clinically suspected appendicitis.

Luteinizing hormone (LH), a gonadotropin hormone (GTH) of the pituitary glycoprotein family, is important in oocyte maturation, ovulation, and spermiation. In this study, we generated a Japanese eel LH (JeLH) with and without the equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) carboxyl-terminal peptides under the control of the polyhedron in the silkworm pupae BES to determine their expression levels, glycosylation profile, and in vitro bioactivity. The target proteins were highly expressed in the pupae hemolymph. Recombinant JeLH·eCG and JeLH were N- or O-glycosylated, as shown by periodic-acid Schiff staining, deglycosidase enzyme treatment, and lectin blot analyses, and showed no significant difference in the in vitro bioactivity. Both single-chain hormones and salmon pituitary extract induced maturation of Japanese eel oocytes in vitro. Recombinant LHs produced in silkworm pupae might be suitable candidates for in vivo experiments, because they can be produced in sufficient amount and can undergo N-glycosylation.

Background Recently, two large randomized controlled trials which only included patients with underlying cardiovascular disease (CVD) or patients at high risk for CVD showed that two sodium glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT-2is) significantly reduced hospitalization for heart failure (hHF), with an early separation in the survival curves for hHF. There were concerns whether SGLT-2i use could protect hHF in patients without CVD and how soon SGLT-2i-treated patients show a lower risk of hHF. Thus, we aimed to evaluate whether the heart failure protective effect of SGLT-2i differs depending on the underlying CVD and the prescription period compared with dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP-4i). Methods We performed a nationwide retrospective observational study to estimate the effect of SGLT-2i on HF. The 59,479 SGLT-2i new-users were matched with same number of DPP-4i new-users through propensity score matching using 53 confounding variables. Kaplan–Meier (K–M) curves and Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were used to estimate the risk of hospitalization for hHF. Results The incidence rates of hHF were 0.83 and 1.13 per 100 person-years in SGLT-2i-treated patients and DPP-4i-treated patients, respectively. The hazard ratios of hHF were 0.66 (95% confidence interval 0.58–0.75) in SGLT-2i-treated patients compared with the DPP-4i-treated patients. Among the patients with underlying CVD, SGLT-2i-treated patients were associated with a lower risk of hHF from 30 days to 3 years after initiating drugs compared with DPP-4i. However, SGLT-2i use only showed a lower risk of hHF with a significant difference 3 years after drug initiation among patients without underlying CVD. Conclusions Our findings suggest that SGLT-2i reduced hHF compared with DPP-4i. A heart failure protective effect of SGLT-2i use vs. DPP-4i use was shown 30 days after initiating the SGLT-2i among patients with established CVD, but this effect appeared later in patients without established CVD. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12933-018-0737-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The selected isolate, Bacillus sp. SW1-1 showed antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria involved in fish diseases, including Edwardsiella tarda, Streptococcus iniae, S. parauberis, Vibrio anguillarum, and V. harveyi. The Maximum bacteriocin production was observed at 30°C after 24 h with brain heart infusion medium (pH 7.0). The bacteriocin SW1-1 was purified by 50% ammonium sulfate precipitation, followed by HiPrep diethylaminoethyl 16/10 FF and Sephacryl S-100 High resolution column chromatography. The substance was characterized as a bacteriocin-like inhibitory substance with a molecular mass of 38 kDa. Bacteriocin SW1-1 was sensitive to the proteolytic action of pepsin, trypsin, chymotrypsin, and protease types I and XIV, and relatively heat labile, despite the fact that bacteriocin activity was still detected after heating at 100°C for 30 min. The activity of bacteriocin SW1-1 was stable in the pH range of 2.0–11.0, and relatively unaffected by organic chemicals. The bacteriocin SW1-1 had a bacteriolytic mechanism, resulting in cell wall degradation of E. tarda. These characteristics indicate that this bacteriocin may be a potential candidate for alternative agent to control important pathogens of fish diseases in aquaculture.

The present study was performed to investigate the innate immune stimulating effects of the polysaccharide fraction (VL-3IIb) from peel of grape (Vitis labrusca). VL-3IIb treatment of peritoneal macrophage produced various cytokines (IL-6, IL-10, and IL-12) in vitro experiment. The intravenous (i.v.) administration of VL-3IIb in mice (100 μg/mouse) significantly augmented cytotoxicity of natural killer (NK) cells against Yac-1 tumor cells. The i.v. administration of VL-3IIb (50–500 μg/mouse) 2 days before tumor inoculation significantly inhibited lung metastasis of colon26-M3.1 carcinoma cells in a dose-independent manner. In addition, the depletion of NK cells by injection of rabbit anti-asialo GM1 serum abolished the inhibitory effect of VL-3IIb on lung metastasis of colon26-M3.1 cells. These results indicate that VL-3IIb has antitumor activity to inhibit tumor metastasis prophylactically, and its antitumor effect is associated with activation of macrophages and NK cells.

Hypopituitarism increases the risks of many cardiovascular conditions and therefore, patients with this disease are more prone to cardiovascular disease. To our knowledge, there have been few studies on carotid artery plaque in male patients with hypopituitarism in assessing cardiovascular risks. The aim of this study was to specifically compare carotid artery plaque while examining other major cardiovascular risk factors between male patients with hypopituitarism and control subjects. Forty male patients aged 30–70 years with hypopituitarism and forty age, sex- matched control subjects were recruited at the Yonsei University Severance Hospital, Seoul, Korea. Carotid intima media thickness (IMT) and atheromatous plaque, anthropometry, lipid profile, and pituitary hormones were assessed. Atheromatous plaque in the carotid arteries was observed more frequently in patients with hypopituitarism than age- and sex-matched control subjects (59.5% vs. 2.5%, P < 0.01) without differences of carotid IMTs. Patients with hypopituitarism also exhibited higher waist circumference, waist to hip ratio, total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol than control subjects. In subgroup analysis in male patients with hypopituitarism including GH deficiency, lower testosterone levels were associated with higher waist circumference (r = 0.446, P = 0.033). In conclusion, hypopituitary males exhibit an increased incidence of carotid artery plaque without differences of carotid IMTs, central obesity and higher total cholesterol level. Lower testosterone levels were associated with central obesity- a strong component of a metabolic syndrome, and unsubstituted testosterone deficiency might be an important cardiovascular risk factor in patients with hypopituitarism.

We investigated the influence of carcass traits on carcass price for Hanwoo cow using multiple regression and path analyses. Data for carcass traits and price were collected on mature Hanwoo cow raised in private farms in Kangwon province that were slaughtered in 2008. A total of 96 animals with the average slaughter age of 51 months were used in the current study. Of the carcass traits studied, marbling score (MAR), dressing percentage (DP), and eye-muscle area (EMA) showed moderate and positive correlations with auction price (AP), while correlation coefficients of meat yield index (MINDEX) with AP were low or even negligible. In multiple regression analyses of AP and carcass price (CP) on cold carcass weight (CWT), back fat thickness (BFT), EMA, MAR, and DP, estimates of R 2 were 69.86 and 85.43%, respectively. Partial regression coefficients for CWT, BFT, EMA, MAR and DP were -0.028, -0.106, 0.107, 0.814, and 0.075 in the equation of AP and 0.561, -0.060, 0.083, 0.590, and 0.051 in the equation of CP. In path analyses, MAR's total contribution on the variation of AP was largest (0.667), and the total contributions of MAR and CWT on the variation of CP were 0.403 and 0.397. The current study suggested that marbling was the most influential trait on the variation of auction price, and marbling and cold carcass weight were critical traits on the variation of carcass price. (Key words : Carcass traits, Carcass price, Multiple regression, Path analyses)

To characterize the macrophage stimulating polysaccharide in grape (Vitis labrusca) peels, the active crude polysaccharide (VL-3) has been fractionated from the hot-water extract of grape peels. A macrophage stimulating polysaccharide-rich fraction (VL-3IIb-1-1) was purified from VL-3 by 3 successive column chromatographies on DEAE-Sepharose CL-6B, Sepharose CL-6B, and Sephacryl S-300. VL-3IIb-1-1 was eluted as a single peak on high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and its molecular weight was estimated to be 194 kDa. VL-3IIb-1-1 consisted mainly of Ara and Gal in addition to uronic acid (GalA+GlcA) (molar ratio 1.00:0.81:0.72). Methylation analysis indicated that VL-3IIb-1-1 consisted mainly of terminal Araf, 4- or 5-linked Ara, 2,4-branched Rha, 6- or 3,4- or 3,6-branched Gal, and 3,4,6-branched Glc. Single radial gel diffusion also indicated that VL-3IIb-1-1 showed an intermediate reactivity with β-glucosyl-Yariv antigen. In addition, oral administration of VL-3IIb enhanced the stimulatory responses of macrophage stimulating activity ex vivo. Therefore, VL-3IIb-1-1 purified from grape peels is suggested to be pectic polysaccharide with arabino-3,6-galactan, and it is assumed that VL-3IIb-1-1 plays an important role for expression of its activity.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the comparative effects of feeding of grape seed oil (GSO), soybean oil (SO), and lard on plasma lipid profile in rats. Lard fed diets increased body weight gain in rats and resulted in negative effects on lipoprotein metabolism. However, the GSO fed rats had a significant reduction in total cholesterol (TC, 60.6 mg/dL), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC, 16.8 mg/dL), and atherogenic index (AI, 0.9), and the ratio of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC) to TC (0.5) was significantly higher than those of SO and lard groups. These data suggest that GSO supplementation has significant health benefits through favorable alterations in plasma lipid profiles compared to SO and lard fed rats. GSO may be good dietary oil and may provide health benefits in hyperlipidemia and related complications.

We report on the 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18F-FDG-PET) findings in a case of adrenocortical oncocytoma, a rare tumor of the adrenal gland with the literature review of other imaging findings including ultrasonography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging. To our knowledge, there have been no reports published in the English literature about 18F-FDG-PET findings in adrenocortical oncocytoma.

The current study performed the growth of BaTiO3 thin film on p-Si substrate by using RF-Magnetron sputtering system and the effects of thickness and particle size of the thin film on several structural characteristics of thin film were investigated. Initially, the interrelationship between the thickness and particle size of thin film was elucidated. Based upon the results obtained, the systematic study was made to evaluate the influences of particle size of BaTiO3 thin film on crystal quality, crystal structure, lattice parameter, tetragonality, and stress. In case of BaTiO3 thin film made of specific particle size less than 45 nm as in the current study, the XRD peak at (200) and Raman’s 630 cm−1 band, both typical for cubic BaTiO3, were observed at room temperature. In addition, the lattice parameter was increased and the tetragonality was decreased with the decrease of particle size. It was thus found that the particle size of that range could lead to the formation of cubic crystal structure even at room temperature. It was also shown that the decease of particle size results in the reduction of the stress applied to thin film. It was therefore demonstrated for the first time in this study that one can determine the room temperature crystal structure of BaTiO3 thin film simply by controlling its particle size.

Background Pentoxifylline is a methylxanthine derivative with significant anti-inflammatory, anti-fibrotic, and anti-proliferative properties. Studies have shown that pentoxifylline may have renoprotective effects in patients with diabetic nephropathy. However, most of these studies were limited by small sample sizes. Therefore, we investigated whether pentoxifylline could reduce proteinuria in patients with diabetic nephropathy and residual proteinuria who received an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) or an angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB). We also studied the effects of pentoxifylline on glycemic control, insulin resistance, and inflammatory parameters. Methods This was a prospective, randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-center study. A total of 174 patients with type 2 diabetes and albuminuria (>30 mg/g of creatinine) who were taking the recommended dosage of ACEI or ARB for > 6 months and receiving conventional therapy for diabetes were randomly assigned to receive pentoxifylline (1200 mg, daily; n = 87) or a placebo (n = 87) for 6 months. The endpoints were the effects of pentoxifylline on proteinuria, renal function, glucose control, and inflammatory parameters. Results The percentage changes in proteinuria from baseline in the pentoxifylline and placebo groups were a decrease of 23 % and 4 %, respectively (p = 0.012). In addition, significant reductions in fasting plasma glucose, glycated hemoglobin, and insulin resistance according to the homeostasis model assessment were observed in the pentoxifylline group compared to those in the placebo group. However there was no significant difference in serum tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α between the groups. Conclusions Pentoxifylline therapy reduced proteinuria and improved glucose control and insulin resistance without significant change of serum TNF-α in patients with type 2 diabetic nephropathy. Therefore, pentoxifylline is a potential therapeutic alternative for treating diabetes and diabetic nephropathy. Trial registration NCT01382303

Adsorption amounts of solvent vapors such as n-hexane, toluene, and MEK on two commercial activated carbons (SLG-2PS and X-7000) were measured experimentally using a quartz spring balance connected with a high vacuum system. Single-species equilibrium data show typical type II isotherms, which are most frequently encountered in separation processes. Equilibrium data obtained at relative vapor pressures less than 0.3 were fitted to four well-known isotherms such as Langmuir, Freundlich, Sips, and Dubinin-Astakov (D-A) equations. All isotherm equations were found to describe experimental equilibrium data satisfactorily. Only the Langmuir equation was not proper to fit the equilibrium data of solvent vapors on SLG-2PS. In order to evaluate the adsorption energy distribution of the solvent vapors on activated carbons, a simple model based on the condensation approximation (CA) approach was applied. According to the result, it was proven that two carbons have energetically heterogeneous surfaces.

A sliding friction-and-wear test for silicon nitride (Si3N4) was conducted using a ball-on-disk specimen configuration. The material used in this study was HIPed silicon nitride. The tests were carried out from room temperature to 1000 °C using self-mated silicon nitride couples in laboratory air. The worn surfaces were observed by SEM and the debris particles from the worn surfaces were analyzed for oxidation by XPS. The normal load was found to have a more significant influence on the friction coefficient of the silicon nitride than an elevated temperature. The specific wear rate was found to decrease along with the sliding distance. The specific wear rate at 29.4 N and 1000 °C was 292 times larger than that at room temperature. The main wear mechanism from room temperature to 750 °C was caused by brittle fracture, whereas from 750 to 1000 °C the wear mechanism was mainly influenced by the oxidation of silicon nitride due to the increased temperature. The oxidation of silicon nitride at a high temperature was a significant factor in the wear increase.

Hydrocarbon adsorber is considered as a promising technology to reduce cold start HCs in automotive exhaust gas. In this study, three in-line adsorber systems were tried to reduce the cold start emission. To check the basic characteristics of adsorber converters, surface areas, TPD and TPA were examined after a hydrothermal aging. Also idle engine bench was used to find the adsorption and desorption capabilities of the adsorber systems at cold start. Finally a practicability of the adsorber systems for the LEV achievement was checked with FTP test on a 2.0 D M/T vehicle. The results of this study indicate that hydrocarbon adsorber system is one of the promising passive technologies to meet the ULEV regulation.

In this study, we have cloned a partial cDNA of 620 bases encoding a vitellogenin gene of rockfish (rfVTG), Sebastes schlegeli. The expression levels of rfVTG mRNA increased 48 h after the 4-nonylphenol (NP) treatment (10 mg/kg BW) in both sexes. On the other hand, the mRNA levels of rfVTG increased 48 h in males and 12 h in females after injection when higher dose (25 mg/kg BW) of 4-NP was applied. It suggested that 4-NP induced VTG gene expression in both male and female immature rockfish. Therefore, the cloned rfVTG cDNA in this study can be used as a tool for monitoring endocrine disruptors in rockfish.