Non-caloric artificial sweeteners (NASs) provide sweet tastes to food without adding calories or glucose. NASs can be used as alternative sweeteners for controlling blood glucose levels and weight gain. Although the consumption of NASs has increased over the past decade in Japan and other countries, whether these sweeteners affect the composition of the gut microbiome is unclear. In the present study, we examined the effects of sucralose or acesulfame-K ingestion (at most the maximum acceptable daily intake (ADI) levels, 15 mg/kg body weight) on the gut microbiome in mice. Consumption of sucralose, but not acesulfame-K, for 8 weeks reduced the relative amount of Clostridium cluster XIVa in feces. Meanwhile, sucralose and acesulfame-K did not increase food intake, body weight gain or liver weight, or fat in the epididymis or cecum. Only sucralose intake increased the concentration of hepatic cholesterol and cholic acid. Moreover, the relative concentration of butyrate and the ratio of secondary/primary bile acids in luminal metabolites increased with sucralose consumption in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that daily intake of maximum ADI levels of sucralose, but not acesulfame-K, affected the relative amount of the Clostridium cluster XIVa in fecal microbiome and cholesterol bile acid metabolism in mice.
Ureteral injury can occur during total laparoscopic hysterectomy. This report documents our experience in using the nearinfrared ray catheter (NIRC), a newly developed fluorescent ureteral catheter made of material that contains a fluorescent dye to improve visualization of the ureters. We have used the device in 3 patients between 40 and 50 years of age (mean, 46.3 § 4.5 years) undergoing total laparoscopic hysterectomy and bilateral salpingectomy for uterine myomas. The time of catheter insertion ranged from 4 minutes and 9 seconds to 10 minutes and 57 seconds. A number of intraoperative procedures were performed near the ureters, namely, identification and ligation of the uterine arteries, dissection of the cardinal ligament, incision of the vaginal canal, and suturing of the vaginal stump. The abovementioned fluorescent ureteral catheter appears green on a monitor when illuminated by near-infrared light, and this facilitated real-time confirmation of the ureter positions, increasing surgical safety. The patients were followed up for 6 months postoperatively, and no urinary tract infection or injury was found. Prophylactic use of the fluorescent ureteral catheter may improve visualization of the ureters in patients considered to be at high risk of ureteral injury, such as those expected to exhibit ureteral deviation due to severe adhesions or an enlarged uterus and when the surgeon has little experience in laparoscopic surgery.
Background: The purpose of this study was to determine the comparability of follicle diameters measured using a pocket-size transabdominal ultrasound (TAUS) device that produces images for self-assessment versus those measured using a conventional transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) device. The pocket-sized device is fitted with a probe that can be connected to an electronic tablet for patient use and outputs follicle images for patient review.Methods: A prospective study was performed in 25 women (50 follicles) who underwent in vitro fertilization (IVF)/intracytoplasmic sperm injection between November 2019 and March 2020 to treat infertility. Patients were first provided with guidance from a doctor; then, they used the probe attached to the pocket-sized TAUS device to acquire the follicle images. The doctor then measured the follicle diameter using a TVUS device and compared the measurements with those obtained by viewing the images taken by the patient. The transverse cross-sectional follicle diameter measured on transabdominal images was defined as the abdominal transverse (AT) diameter. The sagittal and coronal cross-sectional follicle diameters measured on transvaginal images were defined as the vaginal sagittal (VS) and vaginal coronal (VC) diameters, respectively. The mean values of each parameter and the variance ratio of the difference between the TAUS and TVUS measurements were evaluated.Results: The results showed that the difference between AT-VS in the two imaging types was -0.382 mm (95% CI: -1.097-0.333 mm, P=0.288), whereas the difference between AT-VC was 0.342 mm (95% CI: -0.345-1.029 mm, P=0.322), and that between VS-VC was 0.724 mm (95% CI: 0.152-1.296 mm, P=0.014). The variance ratios for the differences between the TAUS and TVUS measurements and for the differences between the two TVUS cross-sectional measurements were σAT-VS2/σVS-VC2=1.56 and σAT-VC2/σVS-VC2=1.44, respectively.Conclusion(s): Despite the presence of some differences in precision due to differences in the method of imaging when patients performed follicular self-measurement using pocket-sized devices, there was little scattering. Therefore, this method can be used to measure follicle diameter at a precision that presents no issues at the clinical level.Trial Registration: Medical Park Shonan (2019001, 25 October 2019)
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.