Previously, we reported that Lactobacillus gasseri BNR17 (BNR17), a probiotic strain isolated from human breast milk, inhibited increases in body weight and adipocyte tissue weight in high-sucrose diet-fed Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats and reduced glucose levels in type 2 diabetes mice. In the current study, we conducted further experiments to extend these observations and elucidate the mechanism involved. C57BL/6J mice received a normal diet, high-sucrose diet or high-sucrose diet containing L. gasseri BNR17 (109 or 1010 CFU) for 10 weeks. The administration of L. gasseri BNR17 significantly reduced the body weight and white adipose tissue weight regardless of the dose administered. In BNR17-fed groups, mRNA levels of fatty acid oxidation-related genes (ACO, CPT1, PPARα, PPARδ) were significantly higher and those of fatty acid synthesis-related genes (SREBP-1c, ACC) were lower compared to the high-sucrose-diet group. The expression of GLUT4, main glucose transporter-4, was elevated in BNR17-fed groups. L. gasseri BNR17 also reduced the levels of leptin and insulin in serum. These results suggest that the anti-obesity actions of L. gasseri BNR17 can be attributed to elevated expression of fatty acid oxidation-related genes and reduced levels of leptin. Additionally, data suggested the anti-diabetes activity of L. gasseri BNR17 may be to due elevated GLUT4 and reduced insulin levels.

BackgroundLactobacillus gasseri BNR17 is a type of probiotic strain isolated from human breast milk. A study was reported regarding the fact that BNR17 was an inhibitor of obesity and diabetic activities in the human body through previous animal experiments. This study was furthered to investigate the effect of BNR17, a probiotic strain isolated from human breast milk, on obese and overweight adults.MethodsSixty-two obese volunteers aged 19 to 60 with body mass index ≥ 23 kg/m2 and fasting blood sugar ≥ 100 mg/dL participated in a placebo controlled, randomized, and double-blind trial. For 12 weeks, 57 participants were given either placebo or BNR17 and were tested by measuring body fat, body weight, various biochemical parameters, vital signs, and computed tomography at the start of the study and at weeks 4, 8, and 12. The subjects assumed usual daily activities without having to make behavioral or dietary modifications during the course of the study.ResultsAt the 12th week, a slight reduction in body weight was noted in the BNR17 group, but there were no significant weight changes between groups. Decrease of waist and hip circumferences in the BNR17 group was more pronounced than those in the placebo group. The two groups had no special or severe adverse reactions.ConclusionDespite there being no change in behavior or diet, administration of only the supplement of BNR17 reduced weight and waist and hip circumference. However, there were no significant differences between the two groups. These findings warrant a subsequent longer-term prospective clinical investigation with a large population.

I n 2015, approximately 137 million patients presented to the emergency department (ED) in the United States (43.3 visits per 100 persons) (1). Respiratory diseases were the second most common primary diagnosis in these patients, accounting for 9.8% of all visits (1). Chest radiography is the first-line examination for the evaluation of various thoracic diseases (2-8). The number of chest radiographs per ED visit increased by 81% between 1994 and 2014, suggesting an increasing dependency on chest radiographs (9). The interpretation of chest radiographs is a challenging task, requiring experience and expertise. Previous studies have reported suboptimal performance in the interpretation of chest radiographs by ED physicians compared with expert radiologists (10-13). In addition, the American College of Radiology recommends that qualified radiologists be available to interpret all radiographs obtained in the ED (14). However, there is a practical limitation with regard to the full-time availability of expert radiologists, especially for after-hours coverage. In a 2014 survey (15), 73% of the academic radiology departments in the United States did not provide overnight coverage by faculty. Thus, for after-hours ED coverage, a computer-aided detection system for clinically relevant findings on chest radiographs may help improve the quality of radiographic interpretation and overall turnaround time. Recently, deep learning (DL) algorithms with medical image analysis systems have been evaluated for retinal fundus photographs (16,17), pathologic images (18), and

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This study provides a better understanding on the cellular uptake mechanisms of the liposomes, which could contribute significantly to development of liposome-based drug delivery systems.

Allergic asthma is characterized by infiltration of eosinophils, elevated Th2 cytokine levels, airway hyperresponsiveness, and IgE. In addition to eosinophils, mast cells, and basophils, a variety of cytokines are also involved in the development of allergic asthma. The pivotal role of eosinophils in the progression of the disease has been a subject of controversy. To determine the role of eosinophils in the progression of airway inflammation, we sensitized and challenged BALB/c wild-type (WT) mice and eosinophil-deficient ΔdblGATA mice with ovalbumin (OVA) and analyzed different aspects of inflammation. We observed increased eosinophil levels and a Th2-dominant response in OVA-challenged WT mice. In contrast, eosinophil-deficient ΔdblGATA mice displayed an increased proportion of mast cells and a Th17-biased response following OVA inhalation. Notably, the levels of IL-33, an important cytokine responsible for Th2 immune deviation, were not different between WT and eosinophil-deficient mice. We also demonstrated that mast cells induced Th17-differentiation via IL-33/ST2 stimulation in vitro. These results indicate that eosinophils are not essential for the development of allergic asthma and that mast cells can skew the immune reaction predominantly toward Th17 responses via IL-33 stimulation.

PurposeTo assess the effect of computer-aided detection (CAD) of brain metastasis (BM) on radiologists’ diagnostic performance in interpreting three-dimensional brain magnetic resonance (MR) imaging using follow-up imaging and consensus as the reference standard.Materials and methodsThe institutional review board approved this retrospective study. The study cohort consisted of 110 consecutive patients with BM and 30 patients without BM. The training data set included MR images of 80 patients with 450 BM nodules. The test set included MR images of 30 patients with 134 BM nodules and 30 patients without BM. We developed a CAD system for BM detection using template-matching and K-means clustering algorithms for candidate detection and an artificial neural network for false-positive reduction. Four reviewers (two neuroradiologists and two radiology residents) interpreted the test set images before and after the use of CAD in a sequential manner. The sensitivity, false positive (FP) per case, and reading time were analyzed. A jackknife free-response receiver operating characteristic (JAFROC) method was used to determine the improvement in the diagnostic accuracy.ResultsThe sensitivity of CAD was 87.3% with an FP per case of 302.4. CAD significantly improved the diagnostic performance of the four reviewers with a figure-of-merit (FOM) of 0.874 (without CAD) vs. 0.898 (with CAD) according to JAFROC analysis (p < 0.01). Statistically significant improvement was noted only for less-experienced reviewers (FOM without vs. with CAD, 0.834 vs. 0.877, p < 0.01). The additional time required to review the CAD results was approximately 72 sec (40% of the total review time).ConclusionCAD as a second reader helps radiologists improve their diagnostic performance in the detection of BM on MR imaging, particularly for less-experienced reviewers.

This study analyzed the effectiveness of suprascapular nerve block under ultrasonographic guidance in patients with perishoulder pain. Patients with perishoulder pain were enrolled in the study and were randomly divided into 2 groups. In the first group of 25 patients (12 men and 13 women), nerve block was applied under ultrasonographic guidance. Mean patient age in this group was 55.1 years. In the control group, 25 patients (11 men and 14 women) underwent nerve block without ultrasonographic guidance; mean patient age was 51.6 years. Degree of pain was assessed using a visual analog scale (VAS) and shoulder function was evaluated using the Constant shoulder score (CSS) before the nerve block, immediately following the procedure, and 1 month after the procedure. There was no statistically significant difference between the 2 groups in VAS score and CSS before the procedure (P>.05). Immediately after the procedure, both the study and control groups revealed significantly improved VAS and CSS patterns (P<.05). However, the study group showed better VAS and CSS patterns than the control group at 1-month follow-up (P<.05). No complications occurred in the study group. In the control group, there were 2 cases of arterial punctures and 3 cases of direct nerve injury with neurological deficit for 2 months. Ultrasonography-guided suprascapular nerve injection is a safe, accurate, and useful procedure compared to the blind technique.