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Ken Satoh,1 Kan Nagasawa,1 Noriko Takebe,1 Hirofumi Kinno,1 Masaharu Shozushima,1 Ken Onodera,1 Tomoyasu Oda,1 Yutaka Hasegawa,1 Jo Satoh,2 Yasushi Ishigaki1 1Division of Diabetes, Metabolism and Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Iwate Medical University, Yahaba, Japan; 2Department of Diabetes, Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Wakabayashi Hospital, Sendai, JapanCorrespondence: Yasushi Ishigaki, Division of Diabetes, Metabolism and Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Iwate Medical University, 2-1-1 Idai-Dori, Yahaba, Iwate, 028-3695, Japan, Tel +81 19 613 7111, Fax +81 19 907 8270, Email ishigaki@iwate-med.ac.jpAims/Introduction: Adiponectin is generally regarded as a beneficial molecule, protecting against insulin resistance and atherosclerosis, and its serum levels are low in individuals with obesity as well as in those with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). However, several clinical studies have shown associations between high adiponectin values and major health concerns. These conflicting findings are termed the “adiponectin paradox”. Similarly, these paradoxical adiponectin elevations were observed in patients with diabetic microvascular complications. This cross-sectional study aimed to identify differences in factors, including adiponectin, related to diabetic vascular complications between non-obese and obese patients.Materials and Methods: Study patients with T2DM were non-obese (n=197) or obese (n=197), matched by a propensity score model adjusted with age and gender. Independent factors for each of the microvascular complications were determined using multivariate logistic regression analyses.Results: The prevalence of nephropathy was high in obese T2DM patients. In addition to long diabetes duration, elevated adiponectin was a common characteristic of patients with microvascular complications. Logistic regression analyses for microvascular complications revealed adiponectin to be highly related to retinopathy (odds ratio [OR], 1.138; 95%confidence intervals [CI], 1.004– 1.289, p< 0.001), nephropathy (OR, 1.192; CI, 1.077– 1.319, p< 0.001) and neuropathy (OR, 1.217; CI, 1.071– 1.384, p< 0.001), in non-obese patients. In contrast, the association between adiponectin values and complications was modest in obese patients.Conclusion: Adiponectin regulation in response to vascular damage differed between non-obese and obese patients, suggesting that adiponectin regulation is compromised by fat accumulation. Assuming that paradoxical elevation of adiponectin in vascular damage is a compensatory response, we speculate that responsive upregulation might be insufficient in obese patients. These newly-recognized differences in adiponectin values might lead to novel insights into adiponectin regulation and our understanding of the adiponectin paradox.Keywords: diabetic complications, obesity, adiponectin

Noriko Takebe,1,2 Kozo Tanno,2,3 Hideki Ohmomo,2 Mari Hangai,1,2 Tomoyasu Oda,1 Yutaka Hasegawa,1,2 Nobuyuki Takanashi,2,3 Ryohei Sasaki,2,4 Atsushi Shimizu,2 Akira Sasaki,5 Kiyomi Sakata,2,3 Makoto Sasaki,2 Yasushi Ishigaki1,2 1Division of Diabetes, Metabolism and Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Iwate Medical University, Yahaba, Japan; 2Iwate Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Iwate Medical University, Yahaba, Japan; 3Department of Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, Iwate Medical University, Yahaba, Japan; 4Department of Human Sciences, Center for Liberal Arts and Sciences, Iwate Medical University, Yahaba, Japan; 5Department of Surgery, Iwate Medical University, Yahaba, JapanCorrespondence: Yasushi IshigakiDivision of Diabetes, Metabolism and Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Iwate Medical University, 2-1-1 Idai-Dori, Yahaba, Iwate, 028-3695, JapanTel +81 19 613 7111Fax +81 19 907 8270Email ishigaki@iwate-med.ac.jpPurpose: It is unclear what kind of modifiable lifestyle factors are associated with long-time weight gain in adulthood. To clarify the lifestyle behavior related to body weight gain since the age of 20 years, we explored the lifestyle risk factor, independently associated with excessive weight gain after 20 years of age as compared to those in subjects with a stable weight, with matching of age, gender, and the current body mass index (BMI).Patients and Methods: From baseline data of a general population-based cohort study, we designed a cross-sectional analysis collecting individual data of medical health check-ups and a questionnaire related to lifestyle, including amount of sleep, frequency of eating breakfast, average times per day engaged in walking and sitting in the prior year, and smoking habits. These data were compared between the subjects with weight gain ≥ 10kg (n=3601) and < 10kg (n=3601) after age 20, matched by a propensity score model which included current BMI, age and gender. We used multivariable logistic regressions to assess the lifestyle factor’s association with high weight gain.Results: Participants who gained ≥ 10 kg were significantly more likely to sleep < 5 hours or ≥ 9 hours per night, skip breakfast, engage in walking < 1 hour per day, and sit ≥ 5 hours per day than those who gained < 10kg. Multivariable logistic regressions analyses showed that, with adjusting for potential confounder, the lifestyles with the positive association with high weight gain were skipping breakfast (OR 1.252; 95% CI 1.053– 1.489, vs regularly), long sleeping duration (9 hours/day≤ OR 1.613; 95% CI 1.018– 2.557 vs 5≤-< 7 hours/day), and former smoker (OR 1.163; 95% CI 1.008– 1.343 vs never smoker), while walking duration was negatively associated with high weight gain. Furthermore, despite similar current BMI, participants with weight gain ≥ 10kg had significantly higher values for waist circumference, blood pressure, HbA1c, LDL-C, triglycerides, and hepatic enzyme levels than those with weight gain < 10kg. Similarly, the prevalence rates of hypertension, dyslipidemia, metabolic syndrome (MetS), and former smoker were higher in the participants with weight gain ≥ 10kg.Conclusion: Major weight gain after 20 years of age was associated with unfavorable lifestyle factors and greater waist circumference, possibly leading to elevated risk for MetS and other non-communicable diseases. These findings highlight the importance of maintaining both weight at age 20 and a favorable lifestyle throughout adulthood.Keywords: metabolic syndrome, physical activity, skipping breakfast, sleep duration, waist circumference, weight gain

We have fabricated ferromagnetic Fe-oxide nanoparticles as a candidate of hysteresis-loss heating materials used for hyperthermia and thermoablation and examined heating abilities. The coercivities were controlled in a range between 50 Oe and 240 Oe. The temperature-rising characteristics were examined for randomly oriented solid nanoparticles by applying a 17-kHz ac magnetic field with an amplitude up to 550 Oe. A temperature rising rate [DELTA]/[DELTA]t was proportional to the square of the peak magnetic field Ho in the lower Ho region; however, the relation dose not hold at higher [H.sub.o]. The maximum loss power was obtained to be 4 W/g, which is smaller than the value expected from the minor loop experiment (13.7 W/g). The reason for small heating capability is discussed. Index Terms--Hyperthermia, hysteresis loss, iron oxide, magnetite, nanoparticle, thermoablation.

Characteristics of laser-produced ZnO plasmas are investigated by spectroscopic observations. The ablation dynamics and recombination process in vacuum or gas atmospheres (helium or oxygen) are studied on the basis of atomic physics.