Improvement of Glucose Metabolism in Patients with Impaired Glucose Tolerance or Diabetes by Long-Term Administration of a Palatinose-Based Liquid Formula as a Part of Breakfast

A palatinose-based liquid formula (palatinose-formula), suppresses postprandial plasma glucose and insulin levels in healthy men. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of long-term palatinose-formula ingestion on glucose metabolism in patients with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) or type 2 diabetes. Two patients with IGT and 7 patients with type 2 diabetes participated in the palatinose-formula and dextrin-based liquid formula (dextrin-formula) loading test and long-term palatinose-formula administration study. After a 3-month control period, palatinose-formula (1046 kJ) was ingested daily by patients as a part of breakfast for 5 months. In the loading test, palatinose-formula suppressed postprandial plasma glucose and insulin levels and areas under the curve compared with those after dextrin-formula ingestion. In the long-term study, glycated hemoglobin levels (after 3 months and 5 months of treatment) and serum 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine levels (after 5 months of treatment) were markedly decreased comparing with those at baseline. Intake of 1046 kJ palatinose-formula as a part of breakfast over a long-term period may be effective for improvement of glucose metabolism in patients with IGT or type 2 diabetes

The Anti-Obesity Effect of the Palatinose-Based Formula Inslow is Likely due to an Increase in the Hepatic PPAR-α and Adipocyte PPAR-γ Gene Expressions

Abdominal obesity is a principal risk factor in the development of metabolic syndrome. Previously, we showed that a palatinose-based liquid formula, Inslow/MHN-01, suppressed postprandial plasma glucose level and reduced visceral fat accumulation better than the standard formula (SF). To elucidate the mechanism of Inslow-mediated anti-obesity effect, expression levels of genes involved in the glucose and lipid metabolism were compared in Inslow- and SF-fed rats. Both fasting plasma insulin level and average islet sizes were reduced in the Inslow group. We also found less abdominal fat accumulation and reduced hepatic triacylglycerol content in the Inslow group. Expression of the β-oxidation enzymes and uncoupling potein-2 (UCP-2) mRNAs in the liver of the Inslow group were higher than the SF group, which was due to a concomitant higher expression of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-α mRNA in the former. Furthermore, expression of the UCP-2 and adiponectin mRNAs in the epididymal fat were higher in the Inslow group than the SF group, and were stimulated by a concomitant increase of the PPAR-γ gene expression in the former. These results strongly suggested that the anti-obesity effect of Inslow was due to an increase in the hepatic PPAR-α and adipocyte PPAR-γ gene expressions

Impacts of El Nino Southern Oscillation on the Global Yields of Major Crops

The monitoring and prediction of climate-induced variations in crop yields, production and export prices in major food-producing regions have become important to enable national governments in import-dependent countries to ensure supplies of affordable food for consumers. Although the El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) often affects seasonal temperature and precipitation, and thus crop yields in many regions, the overall impacts of ENSO on global yields are uncertain. Here we present a global map of the impacts of ENSO on the yields of major crops and quantify its impacts on their global-mean yield anomalies. Results show that El Nino likely improves the global-mean soybean yield by 2.15.4 but appears to change the yields of maize, rice and wheat by -4.3 to +0.8. The global-mean yields of all four crops during La Nina years tend to be below normal (-4.5 to 0.0).Our findings highlight the importance of ENSO to global crop production

Detectability of colorectal neoplasia with fluorine-18-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography and computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT)

The purpose of this study was to analyze the detectability of colorectal neoplasia with fluorine-18-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT). Data for a total of 492 patients who had undergone both PET/CT and colonoscopy were analyzed. After the findings of PET/CT and colonoscopy were determined independently, the results were compared in each of the six colonic sites examined in all patients. The efficacy of PET/CT was determined using colonoscopic examination as the gold standard. In all, 270 colorectal lesions 5 mm or more in size, including 70 pathologically confirmed malignant lesions, were found in 172 patients by colonoscopy. The sensitivity and specificity of PET/CT for detecting any of the colorectal lesions were 36 and 98%, respectively. For detecting lesions 11 mm or larger, the sensitivity was increased to 85%, with the specificity remaining consistent (97%). Moreover, the sensitivity for tumors 21 mm or larger was 96% (48/50). Tumors with malignant or high-grade pathology were likely to be positive with PET/CT. A size of 10 mm or smaller [odds ratio (OR) 44.14, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 11.44-221.67] and flat morphology (OR 7.78, 95% CI 1.79-36.25) were significant factors that were associated with false-negative cases on PET/CT. The sensitivity of PET/CT for detecting colorectal lesions is acceptable, showing size- and pathology-dependence, suggesting, for the most part, that clinically relevant lesions are detectable with PET/CT. However, when considering PET/CT for screening purposes caution must be exercised because there are cases of false-negative results

Increasing early insulin secretion compensate adequately for hepatic insulin resistance in CCl4-induced cirrhosis rats

A number of recent publications have reported an increased frequency prevalence of glucose intolerance with hyperinsulinemia in liver cirrhosis. The aim of this work was to detect, in CCl4-induced liver cirrhosis rat, the presence and starting point of muscle and liver insulin resistance. Eighteen rats received intraperitoneal injection of 2 ml of soybean oil containing of CCl4 twice a week for 20 weeks. We executed standard oral glucose tolerance and clamp study to evaluate systemic insulin resistance. Hepatic glucose uptake was much lower in CCl4 group than that in control group, but peripheral glucose uptake was not decreased in this study. In contrast, early-phase insulin secretion was enhanced in CCl4 rat using oral glucose load during clamp methods. These data suggested that increased early insulin secretion compensate adequately for hepatic insulin resistance in rats. However there was a report that peripheral glucose uptake was decreased in the case of human liver cirrhosis, which was formed in the course of time. In a chronic condition, this may be associated with reduced insulin content and developed systemic insulin resistance in liver cirrhosis. Then a long term observation study will be required to examine the presence of muscle insulin resistance in liver cirrhosis

A New Fatigue Model for Titanium-Nickel-Cupper Shape Memory Alloy Subjected to Superelastic Cyclic Deformation

We proposed a new model, "series-parallel combined model", for the fatigue of Ti-Ni-Cu shape memory alloy subjected to superelastic cyclic deformation in order to clarify a fatigue of shape memory alloy due to the cyclic phase transformation. Our model is based on the detailed observation of the stress-strain behavior during the one cycle superelastic deformation, considering together the peculiar fatigue caused by Lüders deformation type of cyclic phase transformation. The model was used to predict the fatigue crack origin in the fracture surface. The predictions showed that fatigue life was governed by the failure of the earliest transformed martensite phase. For the purpose of proving the credibility of the model, the fatigue tests were carried out by using our original machine, which was made attentively so as not to change the given nominal strain amplitude and generate the bending deformation of the specimen due to the irrecoverable strain. The fatigue life curve showed the peculiar strain amplitude dependence, and had the peculiar strain amplitude region where the decrease of fatigue life with increasing the given strain amplitude did not occur under either of the conditions able to generate the phase transformation in the parent phase. The fatigue origins of the entire specimens exist in the central region of the fracture surface. The multi-fatigue cracks were observed in the region of origins and ran axially. The transverse cracks among the multi-fatigue cracks propagate from the central region into the surrounding regions. The prediction by our new model was found to agree well with experimental results and the detailed fracture surface observation by electron microscopy