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A superfluid cryostat for a 1GHz nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) magnet has been developed. Test results are presented and discussed.

The relationship between the quench and stability of coils to be used in a 1 GHz nuclear magnetic resonance magnet has been studied. One of the coils is made of niobium-tin (NbTi) superconducting wire while the other incorporates a tantalum core. The NbTi coil was energized in a backup field of 13.5 T and 14 T and tested up to 99% of its critical current where the hoop-stress was 226 MPa. The obtained results validate the appropriateness of the design of the 1 GHz NMR magnet.

A Superconducting magnet for a bioreactor system was developed in order to get biotechnical and biomedical responses of microorganism to high magnetic field. The magnet has a horizontal bore, and the field strength at center is 7 tesla at operating current of 120 Amperes. The room-temperature bore diameter is 160mm. Persistent current mode and detachable power leads are adopted. A Cryocooler was installed to cool the radiation shields, which realize at continuous operation for 6 months without the need to resupply liquid helium. The magnetic shields cover the cryostat to minimize the leakage field. Two reactors are installed inside and outside of the bore. Magnetic shields also covered the outside reactor in order to reduce the strength of the magnetic fields less than geomagnetic level. The temperature of reactors are controllable, ranging from 283K to 343K with [+ or -] 0.1K.

A high field magnet system, up to 19 tesla at 1.8K, with magnet bore of 75mm was developed. The magnet consists of [Nb.sub.3]Sn solenoids (3 sections) and NbTi solenoids (2 sections). A Liquid helium vessel is divided into two parts (4.2K upper part and 1.8K lower part) by a fiberglass reinforced plastics separator. The central field is 17 tesla at 4.2K with normal liquid helium and 19 tesla at 1.8K with pressurized superfluid helium. This magnet can be operated in persistent mode and the field stability at that time is less than 10ppm/hour. The field homogeneity is better than 0.1% at 50 mm sphere volume. The stored energy is about 3MJ. A small refrigerator was installed on the top flange of the cryostat to reduce the evaporation rate of liquid helium and to maintain the superconducting magnet at low temperature while pausing. This system is used for the measurement of critical current and other physical properties of superconducting wire and other materials such as high Tc superconductors.

The temperature dependence of magnetic relaxation was determined for a Bi-2212 oxide superconductor as part of a study on the feasibility of constructing superconducting jointed pancake coils. The experiment also examined the conditions for continuous current mode operation at 4.2 K when the coil is used for nuclear magnetic resonance/magnetic resonance imaging purposes. The results showed that a silver-sheathed Bi-2212 superconductor can induce field of 1.6 T at a zero external magnetic field at 4.2 K.

Diet therapy is one of the most important treatments for people with type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, dietary restrictions due to diet therapy may reduce quality of life (QOL). This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the association between diabetes diet-related QOL and dietary fiber intake in 238 people with T2D. The Diabetes Diet-related Quality of Life-Revised version (DDRQOL-9-R) and the brief-type self-administered diet history questionnaire were used to evaluate diabetes diet-related QOL and nutritional intake, respectively. Higher scores of each DDRQOL-9-R subscale means greater satisfaction with diet, perceived merits of diet therapy, and lower burden of diet therapy, which indicates good QOL. The median scores for perceived merits of diet therapy, satisfaction with diet, and burden of diet therapy were 58.3 [41.7-75.0], 75.0 [66.7-91.7], and 66.7 [50.0-75.0] points, respectively. HbA1c levels in people with high perceived merits of diet therapy (7.3 [6.7-7.8] vs. 7.5 [7.1-8.2] %, p = 0.007) and people with high satisfaction with diet (7.3 [6.8-7.8] vs. 7.5 [7.1-8.4] %, p = 0.010) were lower than those without. Dietary fiber intake was higher in people with high perceived merits of diet therapy (11.6 [8.8-16.7] vs. 10.0 [7.9-13.8] g/day, p = 0.010), high satisfaction with diet (11.4 [8.8-16.1] vs. 9.7 [7.8-13.2] g/day, p = 0.007), and low burden of diet therapy (11.8 [8.7-16.5] vs. 9.7 [7.8-12.6] g/day, p = 0.004) than in those without. Dietary fiber intake was related to perceived merits of diet therapy (Odds ratio [OR]1.07 [95%CI: 1.00-1.15], p = 0.049), burden of diet therapy (OR 0.90 [95%CI: 0.82-0.98], p = 0.022), and satisfaction with diet (OR 1.18 [95%CI: 1.09-1.27], p < 0.001) after adjusting for covariates. Dietary fiber intake is associated with diabetes diet-related QOL in people with T2D.

Background: Various cardiovascular diseases cause acquired von Willebrand syndrome (AVWS), which is characterized by a decrease in high-molecular-weight (large) von Willebrand factor (VWF) multimers. Mitral regurgitation (MR) has been reported as a cause of AVWS. However, much remains unclear about AVWS associated with MR., Objectives: To evaluate VWF multimers in MR patients and examine their impact on clinical characteristics., Methods: Moderate or severe MR patients ( n  = 84) were enrolled. VWF parameters such as the VWF large multimer index (VWF-LMI), a quantitative value that represents the amount of VWF large multimers, and clinical data were prospectively analyzed., Results: At baseline, the mean hemoglobin level was 12.9 ± 1.9 g/dL and 58 patients (69.0%) showed loss of VWF large multimers defined as VWF-LMI < 80%. VWF-LMI in patients with degenerative MR was lower than in those with functional MR. VWF-LMI appeared to be restored the day after mitral valve intervention, and the improvement was maintained 1 month after the intervention. Seven patients (8.3%) had a history of bleeding, 6 (7.1%) of whom had gastrointestinal bleeding. Gastrointestinal endoscopy was performed in 23 patients (27.4%) to investigate overt gastrointestinal bleeding, anemia, etc. Angiodysplasia was detected in 2 of the 23 patients (8.7%)., Conclusion: Moderate or severe MR is frequently associated with loss of VWF large multimers, and degenerative MR may cause more severe loss compared with functional MR. Mitral valve intervention corrects the loss of VWF large multimers. Gastrointestinal bleeding may be relatively less frequent and hemoglobin level remains stable in MR patients., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Introduction: A reduced salt intake is a vital lifestyle modification in the management of hypertension. Initiatives aimed at decreasing the intake of salt are based on the preference by humans for a salt taste. Salt intake behavior appears to be affected by the balance between attraction to a low salt taste and aversion to a high salt taste. However, aversion to a high salt taste has not yet been quantitively investigated in both healthy individuals and patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD)., Methods: Assessments of gustatory and aversion thresholds for salt, bitter, sour, and sweet tastes were performed using a stimulant-impregnated test strip in healthy subjects and patients with CKD., Results: In a pilot taste test of 125 healthy subjects, the number of participants with an aversive reaction increased at higher salt concentrations. The threshold for normal taste perception was arbitrarily defined as 10% NaCl, with 47.2% of healthy subjects displaying an aversive reaction. In taste tests performed by 70 patients with CKD, 10% were unable to recognize a salt taste, even at the highest concentration (20% NaCl), suggesting a significant impairment in taste perception in patients with CKD. Only 15.7% of patients with CKD exhibited a normal aversion to NaCl, whereas 78.6% showed the complete loss of aversion to salt., Conclusion: The present results confirmed the anticipated aversive response to a high salt taste in humans and demonstrated its impairment in patients with CKD, implying that patients with CKD have reduced resistance to a high salt intake., (© 2024 International Society of Nephrology. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: Severe aortic stenosis (AS) causes acquired von Willebrand syndrome by the excessive shear stress-dependent cleavage of high molecular weight multimers of von Willebrand factor (VWF). While the current standard diagnostic method is so-called VWF multimer analysis that is western blotting under nonreducing conditions, it remains unclear whether a ratio of VWF Ristocetin co-factor activity (VWF:RCo) to VWF antigen levels (VWF:Ag) of <0.7, which can be measured with an automated coagulation analyzer in clinical laboratories and is used for the diagnosis of hereditary von Willebrand disease., Objectives: To evaluated whether the VWF:RCo/VWF:Ag is useful for the diagnosis of AS-induced acquired von Willebrand syndrome., Methods: VWF:RCo and VWF:Ag were evaluated with the VWF large multimer index as a reference, which represents the percentage of a patient's VWF high molecular weight multimer ratio to that of standard plasma in the VWF multimer analysis., Results: We analyzed 382 patients with AS having transaortic valve maximal pressure gradients of >30 mmHg, 27 patients with peripheral artery disease, and 46 control patients free of cardiovascular disease with osteoarthritis, diabetes, and so on. We assumed a large multimer index of <80% as loss of VWF large multimers since 59.0% of patients with severe AS had the indices of <80%, while no control patients or patients with peripheral artery disease, except for 2 patients, exhibited the indices of <80%. The VWF:RCo/VWF:Ag ratios, measured using an automated blood coagulation analyzer, were correlated with the indices (r s  = 0.470, P  < .001). When the ratio of <0.7 was used as a cut-off point, the sensitivity and specificity to VWF large multimer indices of <80% were 0.437 and 0.826, respectively., Conclusion: VWF:RCo/VWF:Ag ratios of <0.7 may indicate loss of VWF large multimers with high specificity, but low sensitivity. VWF:RCo/VWF:Ag ratios in patients with AS having a ratio of <0.7 may be useful for monitoring the loss of VWF large multimers during their clinical courses., (© 2023 The Author(s).)

Background: Insulin resistance, which is closely associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), is a cause of sarcopenia and people with T2DM have a high risk of sarcopenia. Keeping good oral condition by dental care is important for people with T2DM. Keeping good oral condition by dental care is important for people with T2DM. This study has investigated the association between dental care or oral conditions and sarcopenia in people with T2DM., Methods: Dental care and oral conditions were evaluated based on a self-reported questionnaire. Individuals with both low handgrip strength and low skeletal muscle mass index were diagnosed with sarcopenia., Results: Among 266 people with T2DM, the proportions of sarcopenia, not having a family dentist, not having a toothbrushing behavior, poor chewing ability, and use of complete dentures were 18.0%, 30.5%, 33.1%, 25.2%, and 14.3%, respectively. The proportions of sarcopenia in people not having a family dentist (27.2% vs. 14.1%, p = 0.017), those with poor chewing ability (26.9% vs. 15.1%, p = 0.047), and use of complete dentures (36.8% vs. 14.9%, p = 0.002) were higher than those in people without. The proportion of sarcopenia in people without toothbrushing behavior tended to be higher than that in people with toothbrushing behavior (25.0% vs. 14.6%, p = 0.057). Not having a family dentist (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 2.48 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.21-5.09], p = 0.013), poor chewing ability (adjusted OR 2.12 [95% CI: 1.01-4.46], p = 0.048), and use of complete dentures (adjusted OR 2.38 [95% CI: 1.01-5.99], p = 0.046) were related to the prevalence of sarcopenia., Conclusions: This study revealed that dental care and oral conditions were associated with the prevalence of sarcopenia., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Objectives: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which has a close relationship with type 2 diabetes (T2D), is related to salt intake in the general population. In contrast, the relationship between salt intake and the presence of NAFLD in patients with T2D has not been clarified., Methods: Salt intake (g/day) was assessed using urinary sodium excretion, and a high salt intake was defined as an intake greater than the median amount of 9.5 g/day. Hepatic steatosis index (HSI) ≥ 36 points was used to diagnosed NAFLD. Odds ratios of high salt intake to the presence of NAFLD were evaluated by logistic regression analysis., Results: The frequency of NAFLD was 36.5% in 310 patients with T2D (66.7 ± 10.7 years old and 148 men). The patients with high salt intake had a higher body mass index (25.0 ± 4.0 vs. 23.4 ± 3.8 kg/m 2 , p < 0.001) than those with low salt intake. HSI in patients with high salt intake was higher than that in patients with low salt intake (36.2 ± 6.2 vs. 34.3 ± 5.5 points, p = 0.005). In addition, the presence of NALFD in patients with high salt intake was higher than that in patients with low salt intake (44.5% vs. 28.4%, p = 0.005). High salt intake was associated with the prevalence of NAFLD [adjusted odds ratio, 1.76 (95% confidence interval: 1.02-3.03), p = 0.043]., Conclusion: This cross-sectional study revealed that salt intake is related to the prevalence of NAFLD in patients with T2D., Competing Interests: YH received personal fees from Novo Nordisk Pharma Ltd., Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corp., Kowa Company Ltd., Sanofi K.K., Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd., and Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd. outside of the submitted work. HO received grant support from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science and personal fees from Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd., Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd., Novo Nordisk Pharma Ltd., MSD K.K., Kyowa Hakko Kirin Company Ltd., Kowa Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Eli Lilly Japan K.K., Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Kissei Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Sanofi K.K., and Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation. NN received grant support from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS KAKENHI grant numbers: 19K23999 and 20K16158) and the Japan Food Chemical Research Foundation, and personal fees from Novo Nordisk Pharma Ltd. and Kowa Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. TOs received grants from Combi Corporation and personal fees from Toa Eiyo Corp., Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corp., Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd., Novo Nordisk Pharma Ltd., Nippon Boehringer Ingelheim Co., Ltd., Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd., Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd., MSD K.K., Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Kowa Pharma Co., Ltd., Eli Lilly Japan K.K., and AstraZeneca K.K., outside of the submitted work. TS received personal fees from Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co., Ltd., Astellas Pharma Inc., Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Co., Kowa Pharma Co., Ltd., Sanofi K.K., Taisho Toyama Pharma Co., Ltd., Kissei Pharma Co., Ltd., MSD K.K., Novo Nordisk Pharma Ltd., Ono Pharma Co., Ltd., Eli Lilly Japan K.K., and Takeda Pharma Co., Ltd., outside the submitted work. EU received grant support from the Japanese Study Group for Physiology and Management of Blood Pressure, Astellas Foundation for Research on Metabolic Disorders (grant number: 4024), Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Mishima Kaiun Memorial Foundation, and personal fees from Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd., Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation, Nippon Boehringer Ingelheim Co., Ltd., Sanofi K.K., Kowa Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd., Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co., Ltd., AstraZeneca K.K., Novo Nordisk Pharma Ltd., Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Taisho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd., and MSD K.K. outside of the submitted work. The donated fund laboratory of diabetes therapeutics is an endowment department supported by an unrestricted grant from Taiyo Kagaku Co., Ltd., Taisho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., and Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. MH received grants from Yamada Bee Farm, Oishi Kenko Inc., Nippon Boehringer Ingelheim Co., Ltd., AstraZeneca K.K., and Ono Pharma Co., Ltd. and personal fees from Eli Lilly, Japan, Sanofi K.K., Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd., Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd., Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corp., AstraZeneca K.K., Ono Pharma Co., Ltd., and Kowa Pharma Co., Ltd., outside the submitted work. MF received grants from Eli Lilly, Japan, K.K., Nippon Boehringer Ingelheim Co., Ltd., Sanwa Kagagu Kenkyusho Co., Ltd., Oishi Kenko Inc., MSD K.K., Kowa Pharma Co., Ltd., Kissei Pharma Co., Ltd., Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd., Ono Pharma Co. Ltd., Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corp., Abbott Japan Co., Ltd., Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd., Johnson & Johnson K.K. Medical Co., Astellas Pharma Inc., Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd., Novo Nordisk Pharma Ltd., Yamada Bee Farm, Taisho Pharma Co., Ltd., Terumo Corp., Takeda Pharma Co., Ltd., Tejin Pharma Ltd., Sanofi K.K., Nippon Chemiphar Co., Ltd., and TERUMO CORPORATION, and personal fees from Astellas Pharma Inc., Nippon Boehringer Ingelheim Co., Ltd., Sanwa Kagaku Kenkyusho Co., Ltd., MSD K.K., Mochida Pharma Co., Ltd., Eli Lilly Japan K.K., Kissei Pharma Co., Ltd., AstraZeneca K.K., Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corp., TERUMO CORPORATION, Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd., Bayer Yakuhin, Ltd., Takeda Pharma Co., Ltd., Teijin Pharma Ltd., Ono Pharma Co., Ltd., Taisho Pharma Co., Ltd., Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd., Abbott Japan Co., Ltd., Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd., Arkray Inc., Medtronic Japan Co., Ltd., Novo Nordisk Pharma Ltd., Kowa Pharma Co., Ltd., Nipro Corp., and Sanofi K.K., outside of the submitted work. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Takahashi, Hashimoto, Kaji, Sakai, Kawate, Okamura, Kitagawa, Okada, Nakanishi, Majima, Osaka, Senmaru, Ushigome, Hamaguchi and Fukui.)

Objectives: To investigate the relationship between dietary fiber intake and skeletal muscle mass, body fat mass, and muscle-to-fat ratio (MFR) among men and women with type 2 diabetes (T2D)., Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 260 men and 200 women with T2D. Percent skeletal muscle mass (%) or percent body fat mass (%) was calculated as (appendicular muscle mass [kg] or body fat mass [kg]/body weight [kg]) × 100. MFR was calculated as appendicular muscle mass divided by body fat mass. Information about dietary fiber intake (g/day) was obtained from a brief-type self-administered diet history questionnaire., Results: Dietary fiber intake was correlated with percent body fat mass ( r = -0.163, p = 0.021), percent skeletal muscle mass ( r = 0.176, p = 0.013), and MFR ( r = 0.157, p = 0.026) in women. However, dietary fiber intake was not correlated with percent body fat mass ( r = -0.100, p = 0.108), percent skeletal muscle mass ( r = 0.055, p = 0.376), and MFR ( r = 0.065, p = 0.295) in men. After adjusting for covariates, dietary fiber intake was correlated with percent body fat mass (β = 0.229, p = 0.009), percent skeletal muscle mass (β = 0.364, p < 0.001), and MFR (β = 0.245, p = 0.006) in women. Further, dietary fiber intake was related to percent skeletal muscle mass (β = 0.221, p = 0.008) and tended to be correlated with percent body fat mass (β = 0.148, p = 0.071) in men., Conclusion: Dietary fiber intake was correlated with skeletal muscle mass, body fat mass, and MFR among women with T2D., Competing Interests: YH received personal fees from Novo Nordisk Pharma Ltd., Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corp., Kowa Company Ltd., Sanofi K.K., Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd., and Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd., outside of the submitted work. HO received grant support from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, and personal fees from Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd., Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd., Novo Nordisk Pharma Ltd., MSD K.K., Kyowa Hakko Kirin Company Ltd., Kowa Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Eli Lilly Japan K.K., Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Kissei Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Sanofi K.K., and Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation. NN received grant support from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS KAKENHI grant numbers: 19K23999 and 20K16158) and the Japan Food Chemical Research Foundation, and personal fees from Novo Nordisk Pharma Ltd., and Kowa Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. TOs received grants from Combi Corporation, and personal fees from Toa Eiyo Corp., Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corp., Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd., Novo Nordisk Pharma Ltd., Nippon Boehringer Ingelheim Co., Ltd., Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd., Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd., MSD K.K., Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Kowa Pharma Co., LTD., Eli Lilly Japan K.K., and AstraZeneca K.K., outside of the submitted work. TS received personal fees from Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co., Ltd., Astellas Pharma Inc., Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Co., Kowa Pharma Co., Ltd., Sanofi K.K., Taisho Toyama Pharma Co., Ltd., Kissei Pharma Co., Ltd., MSD K.K., Novo Nordisk Pharma Ltd., Ono Pharma Co., Ltd., Eli Lilly Japan K.K., and Takeda Pharma Co., Ltd., outside of the submitted work. EU received grant support from the Japanese Study Group for Physiology and Management of Blood Pressure, Astellas Foundation for Research on Metabolic Disorders (grant number: 4024), Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Mishima Kaiun Memorial Foundation, and personal fees from Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd., Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation, Nippon Boehringer Ingelheim Co., Ltd., Sanofi K.K., Kowa Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd., Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co., Ltd., AstraZeneca K.K., Novo Nordisk Pharma Ltd., Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Taisho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd., and MSD K.K., outside of the submitted work. Donated Fund Laboratory of Diabetes therapeutics is an endowment department, supported with an unrestricted grant from Taiyo Kagaku Co., Ltd., Taisho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., and Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. MH received grants from Yamada Bee Farm, Oishi Kenko Inc., Nippon Boehringer Ingelheim Co., Ltd., AstraZeneca K.K., and Ono Pharma Co., Ltd., and personal fees from Eli Lilly, Japan, Sanofi K.K., Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd., Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd., Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corp., AstraZeneca K.K., Ono Pharma Co., Ltd., and Kowa Pharma Co., Ltd., outside of the submitted work. MA received personal fees from Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Kowa Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., AstraZeneca K.K., Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Abbott Japan Co., Ltd., Novo Nordisk Pharma Ltd., Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., and Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd., outside of the submitted work. MY received personal fees from Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd., Kowa Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co., Ltd., Kowa Company, Limited, Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd., Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., AstraZeneca PLC, and MSD K.K., outside of the submitted work. MF received grants from Eli Lilly, Japan, K.K., Nippon Boehringer Ingelheim Co., Ltd., Sanwa Kagagu Kenkyusho Co., Ltd., Oishi Kenko Inc., MSD K.K., Kowa Pharma Co., Ltd., Kissei Pharma Co., Ltd., Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd., Ono Pharma Co. Ltd., Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corp., Abbott Japan Co., Ltd., Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd., Johnson & Johnson K.K. Medical Co., Astellas Pharma Inc., Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd., Novo Nordisk Pharma Ltd., Yamada Bee Farm, Taisho Pharma Co., Ltd., Terumo Corp., Takeda Pharma Co., Ltd., Tejin Pharma Ltd., Sanofi K.K., Nippon Chemiphar Co., Ltd., and TERUMO CORPORATION, and personal fees from Astellas Pharma Inc., Nippon Boehringer Ingelheim Co., Ltd., Sanwa Kagaku Kenkyusho Co., Ltd., MSD K.K., Mochida Pharma Co., Ltd., Eli Lilly Japan K.K., Kissei Pharma Co., Ltd., AstraZeneca K.K., Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corp., TERUMO CORPORATION, Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd., Bayer Yakuhin, Ltd., Takeda Pharma Co., Ltd., Teijin Pharma Ltd., Ono Pharma Co., Ltd., Taisho Pharma Co., Ltd., Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd., Abbott Japan Co., Ltd., Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd., Arkray Inc., Medtronic Japan Co., Ltd., Novo Nordisk Pharma Ltd., Kowa Pharma Co., Ltd., Nipro Corp., and Sanofi K.K., outside of the submitted work. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Takahashi, Hashimoto, Kaji, Sakai, Kawate, Okamura, Okada, Kitagawa, Nakanishi, Majima, Osaka, Senmaru, Ushigome, Asano, Hamaguchi, Yamazaki and Fukui.)

Metal-based nanoparticles (NPs) have been extensively studied for dose enhancement applications in radiation therapy. This study investigated the utility of such NPs for image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT). Phantom images of gold NPs (AuNPs) and titanium peroxide NPs (TiOxNPs) with different concentrations were acquired using IGRT modalities, including cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). AuNPs induced strong contrast enhancement in kV energy CBCT images, whereas TiOxNPs at high concentrations showed weak but detectable changes. The results indicated that these NPs can be used to enhance IGRT images as well as dose enhancement for treatment purposes., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2021 The Authors.)

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine the association between the geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI) and the prevalence of sarcopenia in people with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Having both low handgrip strength (<28 kg for men and <18 kg for women) and low skeletal muscle mass index (<7.0 kg/m 2 for men and <5.7 kg/m 2 for women) was diagnosed as sarcopenia. GNRI was estimated by the formula as below: GNRI = (1.489 × serum albumin level [g/L]) + (41.7 × [current body weight (kg)/ideal body weight (kg)]). Participants were dichotomized on the basis of their GNRI scores (GNRI < 98, low; or GNRI ≥ 98, high). Among 526 people (301 men and 225 women) with T2DM, the proportions of participants with sarcopenia and low GNRI were 12.7% ( n = 67/526) and 5.1% ( n = 27/526), respectively. The proportion of sarcopenia in participants with low-GNRI was higher than that with high GNRI (44.4% [ n = 12/27] vs. 11.0% [ n = 55/499], p < 0.001). The GNRI showed positive correlations with handgrip strength ( r = 0.232, p < 0.001) and skeletal muscle mass index ( r = 0.514, p < 0.001). Moreover, low GNRI was related to the prevalence of sarcopenia (adjusted odds ratio, 4.88 [95% confidence interval: 1.88-12.7], p = 0.001). The GNRI, as a continuous variable, was also related to the prevalence of sarcopenia (adjusted odds ratio, 0.89 [95% confidence interval: 0.86-0.93], p < 0.001). The present study revealed that low GNRI was related to the prevalence of sarcopenia.

Salt intake is often estimated by the amount of sodium excreted in urine, and miso has been reported to increase it. This cross-sectional study investigated the relationship between obesity and high estimated salt intake with and without habitual miso consumption. Estimates of salt intake (g/day) were calculated using urinary sodium excretion, and a high estimated intake was defined as greater than the median amount of 9.5 g/day. Participants were divided into four groups based on estimated salt intake and miso consumption. Among 300 people, the proportions of obesity were 77.8% ( n = 14/18), 40.2% ( n = 53/132), 26.0% ( n = 33/127), and 34.8% ( n = 8/23) in the (+/-), (+/+), (-/+), and (-/-) groups of high estimated salt intake/habitual miso consumption, respectively. Compared with the (+/-) group, the adjusted odds ratios for obesity were 0.07 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.02-0.26, p < 0.001), 0.16 (95% CI: 0.03-0.76, p = 0.022), and 0.14 (95% CI: 0.04-0.51, p = 0.003) in the (-/+), (-/-), and (+/+) groups, respectively. The presence of obesity was not much higher in people with high estimated salt intake with habitual miso consumption than that in people without. Clinicians should be aware that miso consumption promotes salt excretion, which may lead to an apparently higher estimated salt intake than actual.

The aim of this prospective cohort study was to examine the relationships between the intakes of various vitamins and the loss of muscle mass in older people with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). The change in skeletal muscle mass index (SMI, kg/m 2 ) (kg/m 2 /year) was defined as follows: (SMI at baseline (kg/m 2 ) - SMI at follow-up (kg/m 2 ))/follow-up period (year). The rate of SMI reduction (%) was calculated as follows (the change in SMI (kg/m 2 /year)/SMI at baseline (kg/m 2 )) × 100. The rate of SMI reduction ≥ 1.2% was considered as the loss of muscle mass. Among 197 people with T2DM, 47.2% of them experienced the loss of muscle mass at the 13.7 ± 5.2 month follow-up. Vitamin B1 (0.8 ± 0.3 vs. 0.8 ± 0.3 mg/day, p = 0.031), vitamin B12 (11.2 ± 8.3 vs. 13.4 ± 7.5 μg/day, p = 0.049), and vitamin D (16.5 ± 12.2 vs. 21.6 ± 13.0 μg/day, p = 0.004) intakes in people with the loss of muscle mass were significantly lower than those without. Vitamin D intake was related to the loss of muscle mass after adjusting for sex, age, exercise, alcohol, smoking, body mass index, SMI, glucagon-like peptide-1 agonist, sodium glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor, insulin, HbA1c, creatinine, energy intake, and protein intake (adjusted odds ratio 0.93, 95% confidence interval: 0.88-0.97, p = 0.003). This study showed that vitamin D intake was related to the loss of muscle mass in older people with T2DM. Vitamin B12 intake tended to be related to the loss of muscle mass, although vitamin A, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin C, and vitamin E intake were not related.

Insulin resistance is a risk of sarcopenia, and the presence of sarcopenia is high in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). It has been reported that habitual miso soup consumption was associated with lower insulin resistance. However, the association between habitual miso consumption and the presence of sarcopenia in patients with T2DM, especially sex difference, was unclear. In this cross-sectional study, 192 men and 159 women with T2DM were included. Habitual miso consumption was defined as consuming miso soup regularly. Having both low skeletal muscle mass index (<28.64% for men, <24.12% for women) and low adjusted hand grip strength (<51.26% for men, <35.38% for women) was defined as sarcopenia. The proportions of sarcopenia were 8.7% in men and 22.6% in women. The proportions of habitual miso consumption were 88.0% in men and 83.6% in women. Among women, the presence of sarcopenia was lower in the group with habitual miso consumption (18.8% versus 42.3%, p = 0.018); however, there was no association between habitual miso consumption and the presence of sarcopenia in men. Habitual miso consumption was negatively associated with the presence of sarcopenia in women (adjusted odds ratio (OR), 0.20 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.06-0.62), p = 0.005) but not in men. This study indicated that habitual miso consumption was associated with the presence of sarcopenia in women but not in men.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), often complicated by type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), is reported to be associated with diet habits, including eating speed, in the general population. However, the association between eating speed and NAFLD in patients with T2DM, especially sex difference, has not been reported so far. This cross-sectional study included 149 men and 159 women with T2DM. Eating speed was evaluated by a self-reported questionnaire and divided into three groups: fast, moderate, and slow eating. Nutrition status was evaluated by a brief-type self-administered diet history questionnaire. NAFLD was defined as the hepatic steatosis index ≥36 points. Body mass index and carbohydrate/fiber intake in the fast-eating group were higher than those in the slow-eating group in men, whereas this difference was absent in women. In men, compared with eating slowly, eating fast had an elevated risk of the presence of NAFLD after adjusting for covariates (odds ratio (OR) 4.48, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.09-18.5, p = 0.038). In women, this risk was not found, but fiber intake was found to be negatively associated with the presence of NAFLD (OR 0.85, 95% Cl 0.76-0.96, p = 0.010). This study indicates that eating speed is associated with the presence of NAFLD in men but not in women.

Inhibiting p53-dependent apoptosis by inhibitors of p53 is an effective strategy for preventing radiation-induced damage in hematopoietic lineages, while p53 and p21 also play radioprotective roles in the gastrointestinal epithelium. We previously identified some zinc(II) chelators, including 8-quinolinol derivatives, that suppress apoptosis in attempts to discover compounds that target the zinc-binding site in p53. We found that 5-chloro-8-quinolinol (5CHQ) has a unique p53-modulating activity that shifts its transactivation from proapoptotic to protective responses, including enhancing p21 induction and suppressing PUMA induction. This p53-modulating activity also influenced p53 and p53-target gene expression in unirradiated cells without inducing DNA damage. The specificity of 5CHQ for p53 and p21 was demonstrated by silencing the expression of each protein. These effects seem to be attributable to the sequence-specific alteration of p53 DNA-binding, as evaluated by chromatin immunoprecipitation and electrophoretic mobility shift assays. In addition, 5-chloro-8-methoxyquinoline itself had no antiapoptotic activity, indicating that the hydroxyl group at the 8-position is required for its antiapoptotic activity. We applied this remarkable agonistic activity to protecting the hematopoietic and gastrointestinal system in mouse irradiation models. The dose reduction factors of 5CHQ in total-body and abdominally irradiated mice were about 1.2 and 1.3, respectively. 5CHQ effectively protected mouse epithelial stem cells from a lethal dose of abdominal irradiation. Furthermore, the specificity of 5CHQ for p53 in reducing the lethality induced by abdominal irradiation was revealed in Trp53 -KO mice. These results indicate that the pharmacologic upregulation of radioprotective p53 target genes is an effective strategy for addressing the gastrointestinal syndrome. Mol Cancer Ther; 17(2); 432-42. ©2017 AACR See all articles in this MCT Focus section, "Developmental Therapeutics in Radiation Oncology.", (©2017 American Association for Cancer Research.)

Background and Objectives: There exist many studies in Western countries dealing with pediatric nutritional assessment on admission, but those in Asian countries are comparatively limited. This study aimed at clarifying the prevalence of undernutrition in 3 Japanese pediatric hospitals, especially focusing on their different characteristics., Methods and Study Design: Study participants included 313 patients aged 1-17 years admitted to a tertiary hospital (175 patients), an acute-care hospital (99 patients), or a rehabilitation hospital (39 patients). On admission, body height, weight, and serum albumin were measured. BMI was calculated by dividing the weight (kg) by the square of height (m). Patients exhibited undernutrition on account of BMI z-score <-2, weight-for-height (W/H) <90%, height-for-age (H/A) <95%, or albumin <3.5 g/dL., Results: The overall prevalence of undernutrition was 53.0%. Among 4 nutritional measures, the prevalence was highest in H/A (33.9%), followed by W/H (26.8%), BMI z-score (17.6%) and albumin (12.8%). A rehabilitation hospital exhibited significantly higher prevalence than that in a tertiary- or acute-care hospital. By the classification of International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems-10, neurological diseases and congenital anomalies showed higher prevalence among the disease categories which had the number of enrolled patients more than twenty., Conclusions: This study indicates that hospital characteristics and inpatient disease categories are important in the admission evaluation of the likelihood of undernutrition. These observations require consideration by hospital physicians in paediatric nutritional diagnosis and management.

NVL (nuclear VCP-like protein), a member of the AAA-ATPase family, is known to exist in two forms with N-terminal extensions of different lengths in mammalian cells. Here, we show that they are localized differently in the nucleus; NVL2, the major species, is mainly present in the nucleolus, whereas NVL1 is nucleoplasmic. Mutational analysis demonstrated the presence of two nuclear localization signals in NVL2, one of which is shared with NVL1. In addition, a nucleolar localization signal was found to exist in the N-terminal extra region of NVL2. The nucleolar localization signal is critical for interaction with ribosomal protein L5, which was identified as a specific interaction partner of NVL2 on yeast two-hybrid screening. The interaction of NVL2 with L5 is ATP-dependent and likely contributes to the nucleolar translocation of NVL2. The physiological implication of this interaction was suggested by the finding that a dominant negative NVL2 mutant inhibits ribosome biosynthesis, which is known to take place in the nucleolus.