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Objectives: The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the discrepancies between bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and computed tomography (CT) in assessing skeletal muscle mass and identifying low muscle mass in patients with colorectal cancer. Methods: This study recruited 137 patients with colorectal cancer from February 2028 to December 2023. CT scans were analyzed at the Lumbar 3 vertebral level to determine the area of skeletal muscle, which was then utilized to estimate whole-body skeletal muscle mass. [BIA] was also employed to measure skeletal muscle. Both skeletal muscle mass values [kg] were divided by height2 [m2] to calculate the skeletal muscle index [SMI, kg/m2], denoted as SMI-CT and SMI-BIA, respectively. Results: The median age was 69.8 + 9.5 years, with the sex ratio being 88/49 [male/female]. Whereas more than one-third of the patients were classified as malnourished based on the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition GLIM-CT criteria using L3-SMI [n = 36.5%], fewer patients were classified as malnourished based on GLIM-BIA using SMI-BIA [n = 19.0%]. According to the CT analysis [low SMI-L3], 52 [38.0%] patients were diagnosed as having poor muscle mass, whereas only 18 [13.1%] patients were identified as having low muscle mass using BIA [low SMIBIA]. The measured SMI showed a positive association with SMI-CT in all patients [r = 0.63, p < 0.001]. Using Bland–Altman evaluation, a significant mean bias of 0.45 + 1.41 kg/m2 [95% CI 0.21–0.70; p < 0.001] between SMI-BIA and SMI-CT was reported. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated to detect poor muscle mass using SMI-BIA with CT as the gold standard. The area under the curve (AUC) for SMI-BIA in identifying poor muscle mass was 0.714 (95% CI: 0.624–0.824), with a good cut-off value of 8.1 kg/m2, yielding a sensitivity of 68.3% and a specificity of 66.9%. Conclusions: BIA generally overestimates skeletal muscle mass in colorectal cancer patients when contrasted to CT. As a result, BIA may underestimate the prevalence of poor muscle mass and malnutrition according to the GLIM criteria in this patient population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) are a group of man-made organic chemicals known as chlorinated hydrocarbons. PCBs were banned in 1979 due to its toxicity and persistence in the environment. Variations of PCBs were determined in soils and plants. Degradation of PCB Aroclors and congener patterns were investigated from known contaminated site at a former Military Air Base. PCB concentrations ranged between 17 - 1,040 µg L-1 at 0 - 0.5 m depth, between 36 - 898 µg L-1 at 1.0 - 1.5 m depth, between 20 - 73 µg L-1 at 4 m depth and 21 µg L-1 at 8 m depth. There is also a negative correlation between the mean of the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) of PCBs versus the sampling depth. Linear regression analyses were used to determine the correlation of the factors such as depth, Octanol/Water Partition Coefficient (Kow) and solubility affected Soil/Water Distribution Coefficient (Kd). Effects were found only when the soil depth is at 0.3 - 0.5 m (at 95% confidence level). Kd is positively correlated with Kow while Kd has some level of negative correlation with solubility. No effect was found at 1.0 - 1.5 m, 4.0 m, and 8.0 m. Organic Carbon/Water Partition Coefficient (Koc) showed high results exceeding the log Koc criteria of 4.5; as a result, this is now a matter of concern on the potential adverse effects of the substance on terrestrial organisms within its vicinity.

(1) Background: The aim was to validate an AI-based system compared to the classic method of reading ultrasound images of the rectus femur (RF) muscle in a real cohort of patients with disease-related malnutrition. (2) Methods: One hundred adult patients with DRM aged 18 to 85 years were enrolled. The risk of DRM was assessed by the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM). The variation, reproducibility, and reliability of measurements for the RF subcutaneous fat thickness (SFT), muscle thickness (MT), and cross-sectional area (CSA), were measured conventionally with the incorporated tools of a portable ultrasound imaging device (method A) and compared with the automated quantification of the ultrasound imaging system (method B). (3) Results: Measurements obtained using method A (i.e., conventionally) and method B (i.e., raw images analyzed by AI), showed similar values with no significant differences in absolute values and coefficients of variation, 58.39–57.68% for SFT, 30.50–28.36% for MT, and 36.50–36.91% for CSA, respectively. The Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) for reliability and consistency analysis between methods A and B showed correlations of 0.912 and 95% CI [0.872–0.940] for SFT, 0.960 and 95% CI [0.941–0.973] for MT, and 0.995 and 95% CI [0.993–0.997] for CSA; the Bland–Altman Analysis shows that the spread of points is quite uniform around the bias lines with no evidence of strong bias for any variable. (4) Conclusions: The study demonstrated the consistency and reliability of this new automatic system based on machine learning and AI for the quantification of ultrasound imaging of the muscle architecture parameters of the rectus femoris muscle compared with the conventional method of measurement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) (rs3138167) is a polymorphism that has been associated with metabolic disorder in obese subjects and its effect on the metabolic response after a dietary intervention has not been evaluated. Objective: our aim was to analyze the effects of the rs3138167 on metabolic changes secondary to weight loss with a hypocaloric diet with a Mediterranean pattern. Method: one thousand and eight Caucasian obese patients were evaluated. Before and after 12 weeks on a hypocaloric diet with Mediterranean pattern, an anthropometric evaluation and a biochemical analysis were performed. The statistical analysis was performed as a dominant model (CC vs. CT + TT). Results: the values of insulin, HOMA-IR and resistin were higher in T allele carriers than non-T allele carriers in pre- and post-intervention time. In non-T allele carriers, resistin, insulin, HOMA-IR, triglycerides and C-reactive protein levels decreased. The improvement was statistically superior in non-T allele carriers; resistin (-1.2 ± 0.2 ng/dl; p = 0.02), triglycerides (-18.3 ± 4.3 mg/dl; p = 0.02), C-reactive protein (-2.6 ± 0.3 mg/dl; p = 0.02), insulin -4.4 ± 1.9 mUI/l; p = 0.02) and HOMA-IR (-2.1 ± 0.7; p = 0.03). Conclusion: we report an association of rs3138167 with a worse metabolic response (insulin, HOMA-IR, triglyceride and C-reactive protein) in T allele carriers after weight loss with a hypocaloric diet with Mediterranean pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The potential influence of a Mediterranean diet (MD) on PhA values has been little researched. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between adherence of a MD and PhA on adult sample population with obesity and metabolic syndrome. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in 331 patients with obesity and metabolic syndrome. Anthropometrics' data (weight, height, body mass index, and waist circumference), bioelectrical bioimpedance (BIA) parameters (resistance reactance, PhA, fat mass [FM], fat-free mass [FFM], skeletal muscle mass [SMM]), and biochemical parameters were recorded. Dietary intakes with a 3-day written food records and MD adherence with a validated 14-item questionnaire were evaluated. Patients were divided into two groups by median value of PhA. Results: Percentage of patients with high MD adherence (score >7) in high PhA group was 77.2% and in low PhA group was 41.4% (odds ratio 1.91, 95% CI = 1.27–3.54; p = 0.01). Total fat intake (saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats), protein intake, and cholesterol intake were higher in high PhA group than low PhA group. Total score of MD was higher in high PhA than low PhA group (3.5 ± 1.1 points; p = 0.04). FFM (3.3 ± 0.9 kg; p = 0.01), FFM index (3.9 ± 1.1 kg/m2; p = 0.01), SMM (4.6 ± 1.2 kg; p = 0.01) and SMM index (3.3 ± 0.7 kg/m2; p = 0.03) were higher in subjects of high adherence of MD group than subjects of low adherence. FM (−3.2 ± 1.1 kg; p = 0.03) was lower in subjects with good adherence to MD. MD score (Beta 1.71, CI 95% 1.06–2.16), FFM (Beta 3.99, CI 95% 1.87–7.16), and SMM (Beta 4.21, CI 95% 1.76–8.19) remained in the multivariate model. Conclusion: We concluded that a high adherence to a MD in subjects with obesity and metabolic syndrome is associated with values of PhA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]