scholarly journals Comparison of Gut Microbiota between Sasang Constitutions

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bong-Soo Kim ◽  
Hyo Sang Bae ◽  
Chi-yeon Lim ◽  
Mi Jeong Kim ◽  
Jae-gu Seo ◽  
...  

The Sasang constitutional medicine has long been applied to diagnose and treat patients with various diseases. Studies have been conducted for establishment of scientific evidence supporting Sasang Constitutional (SC) diagnosis. Recent human microbiome studies have demonstrated individual variations of gut microbiota which can be dependent on lifestyle and health conditions. We hypothesized that gut microbial similarities and discrepancies may exist across SC types. We compared the difference of gut microbiota among three constitutions (So-Yang, So-Eum, and Tae-Eum), along with the investigation of anthropometric and biochemical parameters. Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes were predominant phyla in all SC types. The median plot analysis suggested that Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes appeared more abundant in SE and TE, respectively, in the male subjects of 20–29 years old. At the genus level,BifidobacteriumandBacteroidesmanifested the difference between SE and TE types. For anthropometry, body weight, body mass index, and waist circumference of the TE type were significantly higher than those of the other types. Overall, findings indicated a possible link between SC types and gut microbiota within a narrow age range. Further investigations are deemed necessary to elucidate the influences of age, gender, and other factors in the context of SC types and gut microbiota.

1979 ◽  
Vol 25 (8) ◽  
pp. 1394-1398 ◽  
Author(s):  
A W Jones

Abstract The inter- and intra-individual components of variation in the saliva/blood alcohol ratio have been calculated from experiments with 48 male subjects after they drank 0.72 g of ethanol per kilogram of body weight as neat whisky after a short fast. Saliva and blood ethanol profiles were monitored at 30--60 min intervals for up to 7 h after intake. The analytical component of variation inherent in an estimate of the saliva/blood alcohol ratio, expressed as coefficient of variation, was 1.75%. I calculated saliva/blood ethanol ratios for each subject at each sampling time by taking the antilogarithm of the difference (log saliva alcohol--log blood alcohol). The mean ratio between 60 and 360 min after drinking was 1.077 (n = 336) with 95% confidence limits of 1.065 and 1.088. Moreover, the individual ratios showed no systematic variation throughout the absorption, distribution, and elimination phases of ethanol metabolism. Using a two-way analysis of variance and allowing for analytical sources of variation, I determined that the inter- and intra-subject variance components were 53 and 47% of the total biological variation. The saliva/blood alcohol ratio during ethanol metabolism, determined once in a single individual, had a biologically derived coefficient of variation of 10%.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiromitsu Kobayashi ◽  
Chorong Song ◽  
Harumi Ikei ◽  
Takahide Kagawa ◽  
Yoshifumi Miyazaki

Autonomic responses to urban and forest environments were studied in 625 young male subjects. The experimental sites were 57 forests and 57 urban areas across Japan. The subjects viewed the landscape (forest or urban environment) for a period of 15 min while sitting on a chair. During this period, heart rate variability (HRV) was monitored continuously. The results were presented as histograms and analyzed with special reference to individual variations. Approximately 80% of the subjects showed an increase in the parasympathetic indicator of HRV (lnHF), whereas the remaining subjects showed a decrease in the parasympathetic activity. Similarly, 64.0% of the subjects exhibited decreases in the sympathetic indicator of HRV (ln[LF/HF]), whereas the remaining subjects showed opposite responses. Analysis of the distribution of HRV indices (lnHF and ln[LF/HF]) demonstrated the effect of forest environments on autonomic activity more specifically than the conventional analysis based on the difference in mean values.


2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 190-195
Author(s):  
Feridoun Parnia ◽  
Javad Yazdani ◽  
Parisa Fakour ◽  
Farhang Mahboub ◽  
Seyyed Mahdi Vahid Pakdel

Background.Dental implants are utilized with an ever-increasing rate. One of the causes of abutment screw loosening has been identified as inadequate preload. The objective behind this study was to compare the maximum hand-generated torque for tightening abutment screws by professors and postgraduate dental students using a digital torquemeter with 0.1 N/cm precision. Methods.In a laboratory study conducted in Dental Implant Department of Faculty of Dentistry, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, the maximum hand-generated torque for tightening abutment screws by professors and postgraduate dental students was investigated, using a digital torquemeter with 0.1 N/cm precision. Results.The participants consisted of 36 (41.9%) females and 50 (58.1%) males, totaling 86 participants, of whom 45 (46.87%) and 41 (53.13%) were university professors and postgraduate dental students, respectively. The mean age of the participants was 33.4±10.2 years with an age range of 25‒60 years; 50 (58.1%) participants were in the 25‒34-year, 23 (26.7%) in the 35‒47-year, and 13 (15.1%) in the 48‒60-year age range. The mean age of professors and postgraduate dental students was 41±8.3 and 25.1±3.3 years, respectively. The means of maximum torques generated by female and male professors were 14.3±3 and 20.8±4.2, respectively. The means of maximum torques generated by female and male postgraduate dental students were 14.7±3.4 and 18.7±4.3, respectively. Statistical analyses showed no significant differences between the mean maximum torques generated by professors and postgraduate dental students (P=0.051). Conclusion. In the present study, the mean maximum torque generated by professors was higher than that generated by postgraduate dental students. However, the difference was not statistically significant. The mean maximum torque generated by male subjects was significantly higher. No interaction was seen between the studied groups and sex. However, there was a statistically significant difference between the mean maximum torques generated in different age ranges; i.e., the maximum torque generated in the 25‒34-year age range was lower than that in the other two age groups. Finally, the effect of age range on the mean maximum torque was similar in both groups.


1996 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 32
Author(s):  
L. A. Hale

Introduction: The peripheral sensations of pain and temperature are so closely linked anatomically1 that often only one is assessed during the physiotherapy examination of a neurologically impaired patient. The assumption is made that they would either both be affected or both be normal. Usually pain perception is evaluated as it is the quicker and easier of the two tests. However, could it be possible that pain sensibility be normal, yet temperature abnormal? This scenario could have dire consequences for the patient, as the therapist would neglect to warn the patient or his/her care giver of the possibility of burning themselves, for instance, when climbing into too hot a bath, or sitting too close to a heater. A pilot study investigated the validity of this assumption in subjects having sustained a cerebral vascular accident (CVA).Procedure: The pain and temperature perceptions of twenty-two acute (less than three months prior) CVA patients were assessed. Pain was assessed using the pin prick method, and temperature, using hot and cold test-tubes on both sides of the body in thirteen different areas2,3.Results :There were fifteen female and seven male subjects tested, nine of whom had right CVA's, while thirteen had sustained left CVA's. Eight of the subjects had normal sensation, and ten had both pain and temperature decreased. Four of the subjects (all left CVA's) reported a normal perception to pain, but this was decreased as compared to temperature, especially to heat.Discussion: The results were in keeping with those of Samuelsson et al4. However, the study requires more stringent inclusion criteria, for example a smaller age range as the appreciation of sensation may decrease with age, and a larger sample in order to determine the difference between left and right CVA's. Only middle cerebral artery territory strokes should be included. Unfortunately the nature of the assessment of sensation requires that the subject be able to understand the test and be able to communicate their reply, thus aphasic subjects, both receptive and expressive would have to be excluded. Follow-up studies may have to be included, as sensation perception may improve with time following a CVA1.Conclusion: Although there was not conclusive evidence these two sensations may be affected by a CVA, there were examples of when it did occur.  perhaps it is incumbent on physiotherapists to warn all their clients of the possibility and consequences of a loss of temperature sensation, even if pain perception appears normal.


Author(s):  
Shirley Siew ◽  
Philip Troen ◽  
Howard R. Nankin

Testicular biopsies were obtained from six young male subjects (age range 24-33) who complained of infertility and who had clinical evidence of oligospermia. This was confirmed on histological examination which showed a broad spectrum from profound hypospermatogenesis to relatively normal appearing germinal epithelium. Thickening of the tubular walls was noted in half of the cases and slight peritubular fibrosis in one. The Leydig cells were reported as normal or unremarkable.Transmission electron microscopy showed that the thickening of the supporting tissue of the germinal epithelium was caused more by an increase in the thickness of the layers of the lamina propria than of the tubular wall itself. The changes in the basement membrane of the tubular wall consisted mostly of a greater degree of infolding into the tubule and some reduplication which gave rise to a multilayered appearance.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 94-94
Author(s):  
Deborah Finkel ◽  
Per Bulöw ◽  
Pia Bulöw ◽  
Monika Wilińska ◽  
Cristina Joy Torgé ◽  
...  

Abstract As part of the process of de-institutionalizing the Swedish mental health care system, a reform was implemented in 1995 moving responsibility for social support for people with severe mental illness (SMI) from the county to social services in the municipalities. In many ways, older people with SMI were neglected in this changing landscape of psychiatric care. To investigate possible generational differences in support experiences, two nonoverlapping cohorts were created from surveys conducted every fifth year between 1996 and 2011 in one middle-sized municipality in the south of Sweden, aiming to detect the needs for social support. Cohort 1 includes everyone detected at the 1996 survey aged 65 and 79 years (N = 92). Cohort 2 includes individuals first detected at the 2011 survey who were aged 65 to 79 (N = 104). Results indicates significant differences between the two cohorts in diagnosis, reflecting changes over time in diagnostic tendencies. Cohort 1 was on average 10 years older than Cohort 2, even within the restricted age range. After correcting for age, there were no differences between the two cohorts in education, functioning (CAN and GAF), or marital status. Although Cohort 1 experienced more days of institutionalization than Cohort 2 (median = 424.5 days vs. 382 days), the difference was not statistically significant. Cohort 2 had significantly higher additional subsidies and disposable income, as well as significantly higher income from other sources after retirement. Results indicate the changing demands that older adults with SMI will place on care systems.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 1381
Author(s):  
Hun-Ju Yu ◽  
Meng-Ni Chuang ◽  
Chiao-Lun Chu ◽  
Pei-Lin Wu ◽  
Shu-Chen Ho ◽  
...  

Kawasaki disease (KD) is a systemic vasculitis that primarily affects children under the age of 5 years old. The most significant complication is coronary artery lesions, but several ocular manifestations have also been reported. Recently, one study revealed an increasing incidence of myopia among KD patients. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the difference in myopic incidence between Kawasaki disease (KD) patients treated with aspirin and intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG). Materials and methods: We carried out a nationwide retrospective cohort study by analyzing the data of KD patients (ICD-9-CM code 4461) from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) during the period of 1996–2013. Results: A total of 14,102 diagnosed KD were found in Taiwan during the study period. After excluded missing data, treatment strategy and age distribution, a total of 1446 KD patients were enrolled for analysis including 53 of which received aspirin (without IVIG) and 1393 of which were treated with IVIG. Patients who had myopia, astigmatism, glaucoma, cataract, etc. prior to their KD diagnosis were excluded. The age range was 0 to 6 years old. According to the cumulative curves, our results demonstrated that the myopic incidence in the IVIG group was significantly lower than the aspirin group (hazard ratio: 0.59, 95% confidence intervals: 0.36~0.96, p = 0.02). Treatment with IVIG for KD patients may have benefit for myopia control. Conclusion: Compared to aspirin, IVIG may decrease the myopic risk in KD patients. However, it needs further investigation including clinical vision survey of myopia due to the limitations of this population-based study.


2013 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-72
Author(s):  
Jennie Smith ◽  
Tim Pring ◽  
Debbie Sell

Objective: To investigate the impact of the phonetic content of two sentence sets on speech outcomes, specifically the effects of nasal phonemes. Method: Audio-video recordings of a consecutive series of 15 participants (age range 4–22 years), with cleft palate (syndromic or non-syndromic), with and without velopharyngeal dysfunction were taken. Participants repeated Sentence Set 1 (with nasals across sentences) and Sentence Set 2 (without nasals except the three nasal target sentences) during a routine speech recording. Two experienced Specialist Speech and Language Therapists, blinded to the study’s purpose, analyzed participants’ speech using the Cleft Audit Protocol for Speech-Augmented (CAPS-A). On day 1, recordings included Sentence Set 1. On day 2, 23 days later, recordings included Sentence Set 2. Main results: The difference between Sentence Set 1 and Sentence Set 2 ‘total scores’ (sum of scores on all CAPS-A parameters) was significant. The Pearson Product Moment showed high correlation. A Wilcoxon test revealed a significant difference between Sets 1 and 2 on the hypernasality parameter, and this alone accounted for the significant difference in total scores. Conclusion: The inclusion or exclusion of nasal consonants in the sentence set significantly affected perceptual ratings of hypernasality but none of the other CAPS-A parameters, highlighting the need for further investigation into perceptual nasality ratings.


2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (S1) ◽  
pp. S504-S505
Author(s):  
C. Cotta ◽  
G. Jesus ◽  
V. Vila Nova ◽  
C. Moreira

IntroductionThere is growing evidence of the importance of nutrition in mental disorders. Gut microbiota, influenced by environmental factors such as diet and stress, has been proposed as one of the players on a dynamic called gut-brain axis, which is thought to have an influence on behaviour and mental health.Objectives and aimsTo summarize recent evidence on the topic, and its potential role in psychiatric interventions.MethodsThe authors review updated literature collected from online scientific databases.ResultsThe development of the brain itself has been shown to be influenced by the gut microbiome. Research demonstrates that the composition of the microbiota has influence on behaviour through neuroendocrine and other neuroactive messengers production by the bacteria within the gut lumen. Studies in germ-free animals, animals exposed to bacterial infections, probiotic suplements or antibiotic drugs suggest a role for the gut microbiota in the regulation of anxiety, mood, cognition and pain. The gut microbiome has been implicated in brain disorders including anxiety and depression, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and autism.ConclusionsThe treatment of mental disorders is usually based on pharmacological and psychotherapeutic interventions, and little attention is given to dietary interventions. The emerging field of research focused on the human microbiome suggests an important role for the gut microbiota in influencing brain development, behaviour and mood in humans, and points new strategies for developing novel therapeutics for mental disorders.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.


2021 ◽  
pp. tobaccocontrol-2020-056316
Author(s):  
Lauren Kass Lempert ◽  
Stella Bialous ◽  
Stanton Glantz

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued orders in July 2020 authorising Philip Morris Products S.A. to market its heated tobacco product (HTP) IQOS inside the USA with claims that it reduces exposure to some dangerous substances. FDA’s ‘reduced-exposure’ orders explicitly prohibit the marketing of IQOS with claims that IQOS will reduce harm or the risk of tobacco-related diseases. Under US law, FDA’s IQOS orders are problematic because FDA disregarded valid scientific evidence that IQOS increases exposure to other dangerous toxins and that Philip Morris Products S.A. failed to demonstrate that consumers understand the difference between reduced-exposure and reduced-harm claims. Unfortunately, both ‘reduced-exposure’ and ‘reduced-harm’ are classified as ‘modified risk tobacco products’ under US law. Exploiting this confusion, Philip Morris International used the FDA decision as the basis for marketing and public relations campaigns outside the USA to press governments to reverse policies that ban or regulate the sales and marketing of HTPs, including IQOS. Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control should reject tobacco companies’ unsubstantiated explicit or implied claims of reduced harm associated with HTPs and resist Philip Morris International’s and other companies’ calls to relax HTP regulations based on the FDA’s actions. Instead, parties should adopt policies aligned with the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control when dealing with HTPs and other novel tobacco products.


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