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The side chain dynamics of poly(quinoxaline-2,3-diyl)s (PQXs) are expected to influence their conformation. To investigate these dynamics experimentally, quasielastic neutron scattering (QENS) was performed for PQXs in deuterated tetrahydrofuran (THF-d8) and deuterated 1,1,2-trichloroethane/THF (1,1,2-TCE-d3/THF-d8), in which they formed right-handed and left-handed helical structures, respectively. The mean-square displacement of the PQX side chains in 1,1,2-TCE-d3/THF-d8 was lower than that in THF-d8. Furthermore, QENS complementary studies and molecular dynamics simulations unraveled a coupling between the main-chain and side chain dynamics of PQXs, suggesting the possibility of controlling the main-chain helical chirality through the dynamics of chiral side chains. These insights present a novel strategy for the design of synthetic helical macromolecules with precise chirality control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yusuke Yonenaga,1 Tateaki Naito,2 Taro Okayama,1 Midori Kitagawa,1 Noriko Mitsuhashi,1 Takeshi Ishii,1 Hiroshi Fuseya,1 Toshimi Inano,3 Ayumu Morikawa,4 Miwa Sugiyama,4 Keita Mori,5 Akifumi Notsu,5 Takanori Kawabata,5 Akira Ono,2 Hirotsugu Kenmotsu,2 Haruyasu Murakami,2 Akira Tanuma,6 Toshiaki Takahashi2 1Division of Rehabilitation Medicine, Shizuoka Cancer Center, Nagaizumi-cho, Shizuoka, Japan; 2Division of Thoracic Oncology, Shizuoka Cancer Center, Nagaizumi-cho, Shizuoka, Japan; 3Division of Nutrition, Shizuoka Cancer Center, Nagaizumi-cho, Shizuoka, Japan; 4Division of Nursing, Shizuoka Cancer Center, Nagaizumi-cho, Shizuoka, Japan; 5Clinical Research Center, Shizuoka Cancer Center, Nagaizumi-cho, Shizuoka, Japan; 6Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Juntendo Shizuoka Hospital, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Izunokuni-shi, Shizuoka, JapanCorrespondence: Tateaki NaitoDivision of Thoracic Oncology, Shizuoka Cancer Center, 1007, Shimonagakubo, Nagaizumi-cho, Shizuoka, 411-8777, JapanTel +81-55-989-5222Fax +81-55-989-5783Email t.naito@scchr.jpPurpose: This prospective observational study aimed to explore the influence of physical inactivity during initial chemotherapy on the risk of disability and hospitalization in later life among older patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).Patients and Methods: Patients aged 70 or above who were scheduled to receive first-line chemotherapy for newly diagnosed advanced NSCLC were recruited for the study. An electronic pedometer was used to measure daily steps; based on the change rate (cutoff: − 12.5%) from pretreatment to 12 ± 4 weeks after enrolment, patients were classified as active or inactive. The Barthel Index estimated activities of daily living. We compared disability-free survival time, mean cumulative functions of hospital stays, and medical costs, between the active and inactive groups.Results: Among the 29 patients enrolled, 21 were evaluable. Compared with active patients (n = 11), inactive patients (n = 10) showed shorter disability-free survival (6.4 vs 19.9 months, p < 0.05) and tended to have longer hospital stays (23.7 vs 6.3 days/person) and higher inpatient care cost (¥ 1.6 vs ¥ 0.3 million/person [US$16,000 vs US$3000/person]) during the first year.Conclusion: Physical inactivity during initial chemotherapy may be a risk factor for developing disability and requiring hospitalization in later life for older patients with advanced NSCLC. Our findings may indicate the need for lifestyle interventions with multidisciplinary teams, which include physicians, nurses, and physiotherapists, for older patients with advanced lung cancer during an active cancer treatment. A large-sample-sized study is needed to validate our findings.Keywords: non-small-cell lung cancer, older patients, physical activity, disability-free survival, medical cost, length of hospital stay

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The population of the obese is increasing worldwide. Prevention and improvement of obesity are indispensable for decreasing the risk of metabolic disorders. We have recently shown that obesity and fatty liver are reduced by a plant-derived lactic acid bacterium, Pediococcus pentosaceus LP28 (LP28), in high-fat diet-induced obese mice. The aim of the present clinical study is to prove that LP28 is effective for reducing body fat and body weight, as shown in the experiment using mice. SUBJECTS/METHODS: The clinical trial was carried out as a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study comprising 62 subjects (20-70 years of age, BMI 25-30 kg/[m.sup.2]). These subjects were randomly assigned to three groups that received living LP28, heat-killed LP28 or a placebo powder, administered orally once a day for 12 weeks. RESULTS: Heat-killed LP28 reduced BMI (0.45 kg/[m.sup.2], 95% CI (0.04, 0.86), P = 0.035), body fat percentage (1.11%, (0.39, 1.82), P = 0.002), body fat mass (1.17 kg (0.43, 1.92), P = 0.004) and waist circumference (2.84 cm (0.74, 4.93), P = 0.009) when compared with a placebo group. Fasting plasma glucose, HbA1c, fasting insulin, HOMA-IR and serum lipids levels did not change by either living LP28 or heat-killed LP28 intake. CONCLUSIONS: Heat-killed LP28 displays an antiobesity effect that reduces BMI, body fat and waist circumference, suggesting that the plant-derived lactic acid bacterium LP28 would be a promising preventive of metabolic syndrome. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2016) 70, 582-587; doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2016.17; published online 9 March 2016, INTRODUCTION The numbers of overweight and obese people are now increasing in advanced and emerging nations. The World Health Organization (WHO) indicates that obesity has nearly doubled worldwide since 1980, [...]