Medium-chain triglycerides (8:0 and 10:0) increase muscle mass and function in frail older adults: a combined data analysis of clinical trials

BackgroundThree clinical trials have examined the chronic effects of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) on muscle mass and function in frail older adults (mean age 85 years old). However, significant increases in muscle mass and some muscle function relative to long-chain triglycerides (LCTs) have yet to be shown, possibly due to the small number of participants in each trial.ObjectiveWe re-analyzed these previous clinical trials to clarify whether MCT supplementation can increase muscle mass and function.AnalysisAfter adding post hoc tests to the original report, we compared changes in measurement between the MCT and LCT groups in the first 2 trials and conducted a combined data analysis.MethodsIn a combined data analysis, changes from baseline in measurements at the 3 months intervention in the MCTs- and LCTs-containing groups were assessed by analysis of covariance adjusted for baseline values of each measurement, age, sex, BMI, allocation to trial, habitual intakes in energy, protein, leucine, octanoic acid, decanoic acid, and vitamin D during the baseline period. The Mann–Whitney U test was used to analyze data on right and left knee extension times.ResultsMCT supplementation for 3 months increased muscle function relative to LCT supplementation with and without an L-leucine (1.2 g) and vitamin D (cholecalciferol, 20 μg)-enriched supplement. In a combined data analysis (n = 29 in MCTs, n = 27 in LCTs), relative to supplementation with 6 g LCTs/day, supplementation with 6 g MCTs/day at dinner for 3 months significantly increased body weight (adjusted mean change from baseline: MCTs 1.2 vs. LCTs 0.2 kg, p = 0.023), right arm muscle area (MCTs 1.4 vs. LCTs-0.7 cm2, p = 0.002), left calf circumference (p = 0.015), right-hand grip strength (MCTs 1.6 vs. LCTs 0.3 kg, p = 0.017), right knee extension time (p = 0.021), left knee extension time (p = 0.034), walking speed (p = 0.002), and number of iterations in leg open and close test (p < 0.001) and decreased right triceps skinfold thickness (p = 0.016).ConclusionIn frail older adults, supplementation for 3 months with a low dose (6 g/day) of MCTs (C8:0 and C10:0) increased muscle mass and function. These findings indicate the potential for the practical use of MCTs in daily life in treating sarcopenia

中鎖脂肪酸、ロイシン、ビタミンDによるフレイル高齢者の筋肉、認知機能の改善効果

昭和女子大学201

Endoscopic findings of gastric neoplasms in familial adenomatous polyposis are associated with the phenotypic variations and grades of dysplasia

Patients with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) are at increased risk of developing gastric neoplasms. However, endoscopic findings have not been sufficiently investigated. We investigated the phenotypic expression of gastric adenoma (low-grade dysplasia) and gastric cancer (high-grade dysplasia or carcinoma) in patients with FAP and clarified their relationships to endoscopic findings. Of 29 patients with FAP who underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy between 2005 and 2020, 11 (38%) had histologically confirmed gastric neoplasms, including 23 lesions of gastric adenoma and 9 lesions of gastric cancer. The gastric neoplasms were classified into 3 phenotypes (gastric, mixed, or intestinal type) according to the immunostaining results and evaluated for location (U or M region: upper or middle third of the stomach or L region: lower third of the stomach), color (same as the background mucosa, whitish, or reddish), macroscopic type (elevated, flat, or depressed), background mucosal atrophy (present or absent), fundic gland polyps in the surrounding mucosa (present or absent), and morphologic changes in tumor size. Elevated whitish gastric adenomas were further subdivided by macroscopic type (flat elevated, protruded, or elevated with a central depression) and color (milky- or pinkish-white). The gastric adenomas included gastric (11/23, 48%), mixed (4/23, 17%), and intestinal (8/23, 35%) phenotypes. In contrast, no lesions of gastric cancers showed a gastric phenotype (0/9, 0%), while 5 (56%) and 4 (44%) lesions were intestinal and mixed phenotypes, respectively. Gastric cancers were significantly more likely than gastric adenomas to present as reddish depressed lesions with gastric atrophy. All gastric-type adenomas occurred in non-atrophic mucosa, in mucosa with fundic gland polyps in the periphery, in the U or M region, and as flat elevated or protruded lesions with a milky-white color. Half of the lesions increased in size. Meanwhile, the typical endoscopic features of intestinal-type adenomas included occurrence in the L region and elevated pinkish-white lesions with central depression. None of the intestinal-type adenomas increased in size during the observation period. We believe that these endoscopic features will be useful for the prompt diagnosis and appropriate management of gastric neoplasms in patients with FAP

Microbiological Investigation of the Iron-Containing Floculent Mats in Various Deep Sea Environments

Conference abstract (August 14-19, 2011, Goldschmidt 2011 in Prague, Czech Republic)http://www.godac.jamstec.go.jp/darwin/cruise/natsushima/nt10-13_leg2/ehttp://www.godac.jamstec.go.jp/darwin/cruise/yokosuka/yk10-10/

各地の深海底に存在する褐色変色域での微生物調査

BE11-P72ポスター要旨 / ブルーアース2011（2011年3月7日～8日, 東京海洋大学品川キャンパス）http://www.godac.jamstec.go.jp/darwin/cruise/natsushima/nt05-18/ehttp://www.godac.jamstec.go.jp/darwin/cruise/natsushima/nt10-06_leg2/ehttp://www.godac.jamstec.go.jp/darwin/cruise/natsushima/nt10-13_leg2/ehttp://www.godac.jamstec.go.jp/darwin/cruise/yokosuka/yk10-10/

Effects of sequential winning vs. losing on subsequent gambling behavior: analysis of empirical data from casino baccarat players

Problem gambling is characterized by intense urges to repeatedly engage in gambling and is highly deleterious to individuals’ financial and social well-being. A fundamental issue in problem gambling is how repeated and risky betting behavior varies as a function of outcome history. We used empirical data on gamblers playing baccarat, one of the most popular casino games, to examine the effects of sequential winning versus losing on subsequent gambling behavior. Specifically, we analyzed data from 7, 935, 566 games played by 3, 986 players at a land-based casino to examine changes in the betting amount and in the rate of betting on hands with different dividend rates according to prior consecutive wins or losses. The results revealed that the bet amount in baccarat gradually increased according to streak length, and this effect was more pronounced after sequential winning than after sequential losing. The proportions of multiple bets, including ‘longshots’ – hands with low winning percentages and high dividend rates – decreased after sequential losing but increased after sequential winning. The present study, as the first attempt to analyze a large dataset on baccarat betting, indicates that gamblers shift their gambling behavior to be more reckless after experiencing consecutive wins more than consecutive losses

Differences in removal rates of virgin/decayed microplastics, viruses, activated carbon, and kaolin/montmorillonite clay particles by coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, and rapid sand filtration during water treatment

One of the main purposes of drinking water treatment is to reduce turbidity originating from clay particles. Relatively little is known about the removal of other types of particles, including conventionally sized powdered activated carbon (PAC) and superfine PAC (SPAC), which are intentionally added during the treatment process; microplastic particles; and viruses. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a preliminary investigation in full-scale water treatment plants and then studied the removal of these particles during coagulation-flocculation, sedimentation, and rapid sand filtration (CSF) in bench-scale experiments in which these particles were present together. Numbers of all target particles were greatly decreased by coagulation-flocculation and sedimentation (CS). Subsequent rapid sand filtration greatly reduced the concentrations of PAC and SPAC but not the concentrations of viruses, microplastic particles, and clay particles. Overall removal rates by CSF were 4.6 logs for PAC and SPAC, 3.5 logs for viruses, 2.9 logs for microplastics, and 2.8 logs for clay. The differences in removals were not explained by particle sizes or zeta potentials. However, for clays, PAC and SPAC, for which the particle size distributions were wide, smaller particles were less efficiently removed. The ratios of both clay to PAC and clay to SPAC particles increased greatly after rapid sand filtration because removal rates of PAC and SPAC particles were about 2 logs higher than removal rates of clay particles. The trend of greater reduction of PAC concentrations than turbidity was confirmed by measurements made in 14 full-scale water purification plants in which residual concentrations of PAC in treated water were very low, 40–200 particles/mL. Clay particles therefore accounted for most of the turbidity in sand filtrate, even though PAC was employed. The removal rate of microplastic particles was comparable to that of clays. Sufficient turbidity removal would therefore provide comparable removal of microplastics. We investigated the effect of mechanical/photochemical weathering on the removal of microplastics via CSF. Photochemical weathering caused a small increment in the removal rate of microplastics during CS but a small reduction in the removal rate of microplastics during rapid sand filtration; mechanical weathering decreased the removal rate via CS but increased the removal rate via rapid sand filtration. The changes of removal of microplastics might have been caused by changes of their zeta potential