Obesity is an important public health problem, particularly among middle-aged women. Type D personality, characterized by negative affectivity and social inhibition, is prevalent among obese and overweight middle-aged women and has been linked to maladaptive health-related behaviors and unhealthy lifestyle. selleck inhibitor Lifestyle interventions based on type D personality could be a first step in combatting obesity in middle-aged women.

To identify the effects of a lifestyle intervention based on type D personality on health-promoting lifestyle behaviors, psychological distress, type D personality, and body composition in overweight and obese middle-aged women.

A total of 36 overweight and obese middle-aged women participated in a quasi-experimental design using a non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest. The experimental group received a total of eight sessions of a lifestyle intervention program based on type D personality over the course of four weeks. Outcomes were measured health-promoting lifestyle behaviors, psychological distress, type D personality, and body composition (body weight, body mass index, body fat, and abdominal fat).

Following the intervention, the experimental group scored significantly higher than the control group for health-promoting lifestyle behaviors, and significantly lower than the control group for psychological distress and type D personality. Body weight and body mass index decreased significantly in the experimental group compared to the control group.

Further research on various intervention programs for overweight and obese middle-aged women is warranted, including lifestyle interventions based on type D personality.

Further research on various intervention programs for overweight and obese middle-aged women is warranted, including lifestyle interventions based on type D personality.The study aimed at exploring the mechanisms behind blood pressure and heart rate changes upon acute altitude exposure utilizing urinary excretion of biochemical factors involved in cardiovascular regulation. The study was conducted on 12 lowlander native male mountain climbers, living at sea level, exposed to altitudes ranging from 1800 to 5147 m above sea level over 4 days, during their ascent to Mount Ararat (Turkey). Blood pressure (measured by oscillometric method), heart rate, and blood oxygen saturation (SpO2 ) were recorded at rest (on awakening before food intake), in hypoxic conditions at 4200 m and at sea level before and after the altitude expedition. In the same study conditions (ie before-during-after the expedition), first-voided urinary samples were collected and assayed for 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α (8-iso-PGF2α ) and asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) determination. Heart rate, and systolic and diastolic blood pressures were higher (P less then .05) at high altitude than at the sea level. Furthermore, both urinary 8-iso-PGF2α and ADMA were significantly elevated (P less then .01) at high altitude and returned to normal levels soon after returning to sea level. A 4-day exposure to high-altitude hypoxia induced a temporary increase in blood pressure and heart rate, confirming previous findings. Blood pressure increase at high altitude was associated with significantly enhanced production of biochemical mediators such as 8-iso-PGF2α, catecholamines, and ADMA, although we could not demonstrate a direct link between these parallel significant changes probably due to the forcefully limited sample size of our study, carried out in challenging environmental conditions at very high altitude.We introduce color-shifting fluorophores that reversibly switch between a green and red fluorescent form through intramolecular spirocyclization. The equilibrium of the spirocyclization is environmentally sensitive and can be directly measured by determining the ratio of red to green fluorescence, thereby enabling the generation of ratiometric fluorescent probes and biosensors. Specifically, we developed a ratiometric biosensor for imaging calcium ions (Ca2+ ) in living cells, ratiometric probes for different proteins, and a bioassay for the quantification of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate.

Neutrocytic ascites, traditionally defined as a polymorphonuclear neutrophil count ≥250/mm

, is infrequently reported during paracenteses to relieve malignant ascites (MA). This study aims to explore new potential diagnostic criteria to discriminate ascitic fluid infection associated with MA and to examine the clinical and laboratory characteristics of neutrocytic ascites.

The investigators retrospectively collected data on paracenteses to relieve MA at the Emergency Department of National Cancer Center, Korea, from January 2014 to February 2017. We analyzed the patients whose ascites fulfilled the traditional criteria for classification as neutrocytic ascites; polymorphonuclear neutrophils ≥250/mm

with no history of either hepatocellular carcinoma or liver cirrhosis.

In total, 1467 patients underwent paracentesis to relieve MA. Excluding 98 follow-up paracenteses cases, 112 cases (8.2%) showed neutrocytic ascites. Of these 112 patients, 27 (24.1%) had positive culture results. Receiver-operating ch polymorphonuclear neutrophil count, with 70% as best cutoff.

To determine the diagnostic accuracy of preoperative T/N stage with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in lower and middle rectal cancer patients and the impacts on clinical decision-making.

A total of 211 patients were recruited from October 2015 to March 2017 in this retrospective study. High-resolution MRI was performed within 2weeks before surgery. Histopathologic results were evaluated for the postoperative T/N stage and the diagnostic accuracy of MRI was assessed according to the postoperative histopathologic results. The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were evaluated for T/N staging and κ values were used to evaluate MRI consistent analysis compared with postoperative histopathologic staging.

The overall MRI diagnostic accuracy was 79.62% for T1-4 staging and 54.50% for N0-2 staging. The κ values were 0.619 and 0.255 for T1-4 and N0-2 staging, respectively. The diagnostic accuracy of MRI for treatment decision-making was 80.57%.

MRI allows a highly accurate preoperative assessment of T stage but only a fairly accurate preoperative assessment of N stage for rectal cancer.