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To detect early left ventricular dysfunction in children with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease using three-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography.

Forty obese children with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease were included as group I. Another 40 obese children without non-alcoholic fatty liver disease of matched age, sex, and weight were included as group II. Forty healthy controls of matched age and sex served as a control group. find more Anthropometric measurements, laboratory investigations, and echocardiographic examinations including three-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography were measured for all included children.

Abnormal lipid profile was detected in children with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Troponin I levels were significantly higher in children with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease compared to obese children without non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and to healthy controls. Three-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography examination revealed a significant reduction of left ventricular global longitudinal strain, circumferential strain, radial strain, and area strain in children with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease inspite of normal left ventricular fraction shortening measured by conventional echocardiography. All strains were negatively correlated with the grade of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is associated with subclinical left ventricular dysfunction. Three-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography can be helpful in identifying early left ventricular dysfunction in children with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease even in the presence of normal left ventricular ejection fraction.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is associated with subclinical left ventricular dysfunction. Three-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography can be helpful in identifying early left ventricular dysfunction in children with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease even in the presence of normal left ventricular ejection fraction.Traditional Mozzarella is a fresh cheese produced in Italian local market without additives that shows a short shelf life of about 5 d. This work tested the use of natural additives (bergamot juice concentrate-BJ and calcium lactate-CL) in preserving liquid for a Mozzarella cheese with the aim to extend its shelf life, regarding the microbial growth and overall cheese quality. Results of qualitative analyses showed that the preserving liquid with the mix of BJ and CL promoted an extension of mozzarella shelf life up to 20 d. A slightly reduced growth of Pseudomonas species was evidenced after 5 d of storage, whereas no inhibition of lactic acid bacteria was observed for the storage period. Moreover, mozzarella cheese packed in mixed preserving liquid possessed better textural properties, evidenced by the lowest proteolysis index measured after 13 d of storage, and a good antioxidant activity.

Factors that facilitate transfer of training in paediatric echocardiography remain poorly understood. This study assessed whether high-variation training facilitated successful transfer in paediatric echocardiography.

A mixed-methods study of transfer of technical and interpretive skill application amongst postgraduate trainees. Trainees were randomised to a low or high-variation training group. After a period of 8 weeks intensive echocardiography training, we video-recorded how trainees completed an echocardiogram in a complex cardiac lesion not previously encountered. Blinded quantitative analysis and scoring of trainee performance (echocardiogram performance, report, and technical proficiency) were performed using a validated assessment tool by a blinded cardiologist and senior cardiac physiologist. Qualitative interviews of the trainees were recorded to ascertain trainee experiences during the training and transfer process.

Sixteen trainees were enrolled in the study. For the cumulative score for all three components tested (echocardiogram performance, report, and technical proficiency), χ2 = 8.223, p = .016, which showed the high-variation group outperformed the low-variation group. Two common themes which assisted in the transfer emerged from interviews are as follows (1) use of strategies described in variation theory to describe abnormal hearts, (2) the use of formative live feedback from trainers during hands-on training.

Training strategies exposing trainees to high-variation training may aid transfer of paediatric echocardiography skills.

Training strategies exposing trainees to high-variation training may aid transfer of paediatric echocardiography skills.Bisphenol A (BPA), which is known to be an endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC), is associated not only with estrogen activity and reproductive toxicity but also with a variety of metabolic disorders. BPA affects glucose tolerance, cholesterol biosynthesis, and fatty acid synthesis. Ginseng is a traditional medicinal plant that has been widely used in East Asia for more than 2000 years, and a number of health effects have been reported. Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) has also been shown to have effects on lipid metabolism and body weight reduction in vivo in obese mice. In this study, we administered BPA and KRG to ovariectomized (OVX) ICR mice. BPA (800 mg/kg/day) and KRG (1.2 g/kg/day) were orally administered to OVX mice for 3 days. KRG inhibited the increase in total fatty acid level by BPA as determined by lipid profiling in the liver of OVX mice. In addition, transcriptome analysis showed that KRG inhibited BPA-induced changes in lipid metabolic process-related genes. Our findings suggest that KRG can regulate BPA-induced changes in lipid metabolism.As current pain management methods cannot effectively control pain among cancer patients, acupuncture has developed as an adjuvant therapy for cancer pain relief. However, the efficacy of acupuncture in treating cancer pain remains controversial. Here, we briefly introduced the development of pain management, analgesic mechanisms, and acupuncture methods. Meanwhile, a comprehensive overview of acupuncture programs was provided in terms of different cancer types, sources, and degrees. Interestingly, acupuncture can treat both tumor-induced pain and therapy-induced pain well among cancer patients. We preliminarily summarized frequently-used acupoints for different types of cancer pain and found that needle retention time was mostly 30 min, and treatment cycle was two weeks. Additionally, clinicians consistently selected Ashi acupoint or bilateral Zusanli acupoint and combined multiple acupuncture methods for different degrees of cancer pain.