Major liver resection reduces nonprotein respiratory quotient and increases nonesterified fatty acid at postoperative day 14 in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

Background & aims: We reported decreased nonprotein respiratory quotient (npRQ) after liver resection in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, whether liver resection volume affects energy metabolism in these patients is unclear. We aimed to examine the relationship between liver resection and energy metabolism indices. Methods: NpRQ was measured in 53 patients with HCC and seven with at the pre- and postoperative days. Patients were classified into four groups: Minor-lowICG group (n = 17): minor (subsegment or less) resection and low indocyanine green retention rate at 15 min (ICGR15) (<15%); Minor-highICG group (n = 18): minor resection and high ICGR15 (≥15%) and Major-lowICG group (n = 18): major (lobe) resection and low ICGR15 (<15%). We investigated dietary intake and blood biochemistry at energy measurement. The difference in npRQ and nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA) pre- and post-hepatectomy was shown as ΔnpRQ and ΔNEFA, respectively. Results: Compared with the preoperative values, npRQ significantly decreased in the Minor-highICG and Major-lowICG groups and NEFA significantly increased in the Major-lowICG group at postoperative day 14. In single regression analysis, ΔnpRQ significantly correlated with HCV infection and ΔNEFA with resection volume, HCV infection, and ICGR15. In multiple regression analysis, ΔNEFA significantly correlated with resection volume after adjusting for age, etiology, and ICGR15. Conclusions: These results suggest that postoperative nutritional recovery is slower in major resection than in minor resection patients. Hence, nutritional care to prevent starvation is needed in major resection patients

Slow Magnetic Relaxation of Lanthanide(III) Complexes with a Helical Ligand

Isostructural Ln(III) mononuclear complexes [Ln(NO3)2L]PF6·MeCN (Ln = Nd, Tb, or Dy; L denotes a helical hexa-dentate ligand) were synthesized, and their slow magnetic relaxation behavior was investigated. In these complexes, oblate-type Ln(III) ions are located in an axially stressed ligand field with two nitrate anions, and can exhibit single-molecule magnet (SMM) behavior. Field-induced SMM behavior was observed for Nd(III) and Dy(III) complexes under an applied bias DC field of 1000 Oe

Light Lanthanide Complexes with Crown Ether and Its Aza Derivative Which Show Slow Magnetic Relaxation Behaviors

Two sets of isostructural Ln­(III) mononuclear complexes, [Ln­(NO₃)₃­(18-crown-6)] (Ln = Ce (<b>1</b>), Pr (<b>2</b>), and Nd (<b>3</b>)) and [Ln­(NO₃)₃­(1,10-diaza-18-crown-6)] (Ln = Ce (<b>4</b>), Pr (<b>5</b>), and Nd (<b>6</b>)), were synthesized, and their slow magnetic relaxation behavior was investigated. Since Ln­(III) ions are located in an axially stressed ligand field in both sets of complexes, they can exhibit single-molecule magnet (SMM) behavior owing to the oblate-type electronic distributions of the ground sublevels found in Ce­(III), Pr­(III), and Nd­(III). Field-induced slow magnetic relaxation was observed for Ce­(III) and Nd­(III) complexes <b>1</b>, <b>3</b>, <b>4</b>, and <b>6</b> under an applied bias dc field of 1000 Oe, whereas no slow relaxation was observed for Pr­(III) complexes <b>2</b> and <b>5</b>. The slow magnetic relaxation behavior of <b>1</b>, <b>3</b>, <b>4</b>, and <b>6</b> was correlated with the even-numbered <i>J</i>_<i>z</i> sublevels of Ce­(III) and Nd­(III) ions, known as the Kramers system

Simultaneous Quantification of Epstein-Barr Virus, Cytomegalovirus, and Human Herpesvirus 6 DNA in Samples from Transplant Recipients by Multiplex Real-Time PCR Assay

We developed a multiplex real-time PCR assay using 6-carboxyfluorescein, 6-carboxy-4′,5′-dichloro-2′,7′-dimethoxyfluorescein, and carbocyanine 5-labeled probes to simultaneously quantify Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), and human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) DNA. When previously tested and stored DNA samples were examined, results of the multiplex real-time PCR assay were as sensitive and specific as those of a single real-time PCR assay. The multiplex assay was used to quantify the EBV, CMV, and HHV-6 DNA in 46 transplant recipients. A total of 303 whole-blood and plasma specimens were collected and analyzed. According to the results of the multiplex assay, the detection rates for viral DNA in whole blood and plasma were 23.8% and 5.9% for EBV, 11.2% and 5.3% for CMV, and 12.5% and 2.0% for HHV-6, respectively. All forms of viral DNA were detected more frequently in whole blood than in plasma. During the symptomatic period, EBV DNA was detected in all whole-blood specimens but not in all plasma specimens. Furthermore, the EBV DNA load in whole blood was higher during the symptomatic period than during the asymptomatic period, whereas the EBV DNA load in plasma was similar for both periods. These results demonstrate that whole blood is more suitable for the quantification of EBV DNA in transplant patients. However, a cutoff value with clinical relevance still needs to be determined