Skeletal muscle structural lipids improve during weight-maintenance after a very low calorie dietary intervention

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The objective was to investigate in a group of obese subjects the course in skeletal muscle phospholipid (SMPL) fatty acids (FA) during a 24-weeks weight maintenance program, which was preceded by a successful very low calorie dietary intervention (VLCD). Special focus was addressed to SMPL omega-3 FA, which is a lipid entity that influences insulin action.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Nine obese subjects (BMI = 35.7 ± 1.0 kg/m²), who had completed an 8 weeks VLCD (weight-loss = -9.7 ± 1.6 kg, P < 0.001), had obtained skeletal muscle biopsies (vastus lateralis) before and after a dietician-guided 24-weeks weight-maintenance program (-1.2 ± 1.5 kg, P = ns). SMPL FA composition was determined by gas liquid chromatography. During the preceding VLCD, insulin sensitivity (HOMA-IR) and glycemic control (HbA1c) improved but no change in SMPL omega-3 FA was observed. During the weight-maintenance program five subjects received the pancreas lipase inhibitor Orlistat 120 mg t.i.d. versus placebo.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>HOMA-IR and HbA1c stabilized and SMPL total omega-3 FA, docosahexaenoic acid and ratio of n-3/n-6 polyunsaturated FA increased by 24% (P < 0.01), 35% (P < 0.02) and 26% (P < 0.01), respectively, whereas saturated and monounsaturated FA did not change. Plasma total-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol, which decreased during the VLCD, reverted to pre-VLCD levels (P < 0.01). Orlistat therapy was associated with weight-loss (P < 0.05), trends for better glycemic control (P = 0.15) and greater increase in SMPL docosahexaenoic acid (P = 0.12) but similar reversal of plasma cholesterols compared to placebo.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The data are consistent with the notion that greater SMPL omega-3 FA obtained during a weight-maintenance program may play a role for preserving insulin sensitivity and glycemic control being generated during a preceding VLCD.</p

Spray drying of fenofibrate loaded nanostructured lipid carriers

AbstractThe conversion of aqueous dispersion of nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) into dry powder by spray drying could be a useful approach to render NLCs with better physical chemical stability than the aqueous dispersion. In this study, aqueous NLC dispersion containing fenofibrate was converted into dry, easily reconstitutable powder using spray drying. A central composite face centered design (CCFD) was used to investigate the influence of the ratio of lipid to protectant (mannitol and trehalose) and crystallinity of spray-dried powder on the particle size, yield and residual moisture content of the dried powder. A linear relationship (R2 = 0.9915) was established between the crystalline content of the spray-dried powders against the ratio of mannitol to trehalose from 3:7 to 10:0 (w/w). Spray drying of NLC aqueous dispersion using a mannitol and trehalose mixture resulted in an increase in particle size of the NLCs after reconstitution in water as compared to that in the initial aqueous dispersion. The decrease in crystallinity of the dry powder by reducing the ratio of mannitol to trehalose could improve the reconstitution of the NLCs in water. However the yield and residual moisture content of dry powder decreased with an increase in the ratio of mannitol to trehalose. Lipid nanoparticles were able to retain the drug incorporation and the prolonged drug release profile after spray drying. The experimental model was robust, and suggested that spray drying is a viable technique for the conversion of NLCs into dry powder

Design of Mobile Communication Indoor Distribution System

With the development of economy, the improvement of people's living standard has been increasing and theconstruction of buildings is becoming more demanding. These buildings are large in scale and of good quality andhave a strong shielding effect on mobile phone signals. In the middle of the large-scale buildings, undergroundshopping malls, underground parking and other environments, the mobile communication signal is weak hence thephone cannot be used normally and forming a mobile communication blind area and shadow area. In the middlefl oor, due to the surrounding diff erent base station signal overlap, the ping-pong eff ect, frequent switching of mobilephones and even dropped calls are seriously aff ecting the normal use of mobile phones. In the building's higher fl oors,due to the height of the base station antenna, it has abnormal coverage and there is also mobile communication blindspot. In addition, in some buildings, although the phone can answer normal call but the user density, base stationchannel congestion and mobile phone line is diffi cult. In particular, the network coverage, capacity and quality ofmobile communication are the key factors for operators to gain competitive advantage. Network coverage, networkcapacity and network quality fundamentally refl ects the mobile network service level and is the theme of all mobilenetwork optimization work. The indoor coverage system is produced under this background. According to the relevantstatistics in some areas of indoor traffi c in the total traffi c accounted for a higher proportion. Therefore, strengtheningthe indoor coverage is of great signifi cance to improve the quality of mobile communication

Evaluation of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on health service utilization in China: A study using auto-regressive integrated moving average model

BackgroundThe outbreak of COVID-19 in early 2020 presented a major challenge to the healthcare system in China. This study aimed to quantitatively evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on health services utilization in China in 2020.MethodsHealth service-related data for this study were extracted from the China Health Statistical Yearbook. The Auto-Regressive Integrated Moving Average model (ARIMA) was used to forecast the data for the year 2020 based on trends observed between 2010 and 2019. The differences between the actual 2020 values reported in the statistical yearbook and the forecast values from the ARIMA model were used to assess the impact of COVID-19 on health services utilization.ResultsIn 2020, the number of admissions and outpatient visits in China declined by 17.74 and 14.37%, respectively, compared to the ARIMA model’s forecast values. Notably, public hospitals experienced the largest decrease in outpatient visits and admissions, of 18.55 and 19.64%, respectively. Among all departments, the pediatrics department had the greatest decrease in outpatient visits (35.15%). Regarding geographical distribution, Beijing and Heilongjiang were the regions most affected by the decline in outpatient visits (29.96%) and admissions (43.20%) respectively.ConclusionThe study’s findings suggest that during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, one in seven outpatient services and one in six admissions were affected in China. Therefore, there is an urgent need to establish a green channel for seeking medical treatment without spatial and institutional barriers during epidemic prevention and control periods

Critical Role of AKT in Myeloma-induced Osteoclast Formation and Osteolysis

Abnormal osteoclast formation and osteolysis are the hallmarks of multiple myeloma (MM) bone disease, yet the underlying molecular mechanisms are incompletely understood. Here, we show that the AKT pathway was up-regulated in primary bone marrow monocytes (BMM) from patients with MM, which resulted in sustained high expression of the receptor activator of NF-κB (RANK) in osteoclast precursors. The up-regulation of RANK expression and osteoclast formation in the MM BMM cultures was blocked by AKT inhibition. Conditioned media from MM cell cultures activated AKT and increased RANK expression and osteoclast formation in BMM cultures. Inhibiting AKT in cultured MM cells decreased their growth and ability to promote osteoclast formation. Of clinical significance, systemic administration of the AKT inhibitor LY294002 blocked the formation of tumor tissues in the bone marrow cavity and essentially abolished the MM-induced osteoclast formation and osteolysis in SCID mice. The level of activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4) protein was up-regulated in the BMM cultures from multiple myeloma patients. Adenoviral overexpression of ATF4 activated RANK expression in osteoclast precursors. These results demonstrate a new role of AKT in the MM promotion of osteoclast formation and bone osteolysis through, at least in part, the ATF4-dependent up-regulation of RANK expression in osteoclast precursors