46 research outputs found
Metabolic Consequences of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonist Shortage: Deterioration of Glycemic Control in Type 2 Diabetes
No full textIn the context of a global shortage of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, we assessed the impact of discontinuing dulaglutide on metabolic control in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Our analysis included data from 69 individuals and revealed a significant deterioration in glycemic control following the discontinuation. Specifically, the average hemoglobin A1c level increased from 7.0%±0.9% to 8.1%±1.4% (P<0.001), and fasting glucose levels rose from 129±31 to 156±50 mg/dL (P<0.001) within 3 months after stopping the medication. Alternative treatments such as dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors and sodium glucose cotransporter- 2 inhibitors were insufficient substitutes, highlighting the essential role of continuous GLP-1 receptor agonist therapy in maintaining metabolic health
Spectral-based automatic labeling and refining of human cortical sulcal curves using expert-provided examples
No full textWe present a spectral-based method for automatically labeling and refining major sulcal curves of a human cerebral cortex Given a set of input (unlabeled) sulcal curves automatically extracted from a cortical surface and a collection of expert-provided examples (labeled sulcal curves), our objective is to identify the input major sulcal curves and assign their neuroanatomical labels, and then refines these curves based on the expert-provided example data, without employing any atlas-based registration scheme as preprocessing In order to construct the example data, neuroanatomists manually labeled a set of 24 major sulcal curves (12 each for the left and right hemispheres) for each individual subject according to a precise protocol We collected 30 sets of such curves from 30 subjects Given the raw input sulcal curve set of a subject, we choose the most similar example curve to each input curve in the set to label and refine the latter according to the former We adapt a spectral matching algorithm to choose the example curve by exploiting the sulcal curve features and their relationship The high dimensionality of sulcal curve data in spectral matching is addressed by using their multi-resolution representations, which greatly reduces time and space complexities Our method provides consistent labeling and refining results even under high variability of cortical sulci across the subjects Through experiments we show that the results are comparable in accuracy to those done manually Most output curves exhibited accuracy values higher than 80%, and the mean accuracy values of the curves in the left and the right hemispheres were 84 69% and 84 58%, respectively (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reservedThis work was supported by Brain Korea Project, the School of Information Technology, KAIST in 2010, by the Korea Science and Engineering Foundation (KOSEF) grant funded by the Korea government (MEST) (2009-0077290), and by the Korea Science and Engineering Foundation (KOSEF) NRL program grant funded by the Korea government (MEST) (R0A-2007-000-20068-0). All opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsoring agencies
Association of vitamin D status with COVID-19 and its severity: Vitamin D and COVID-19: a narrative review
No full text© 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.Vitamin D is associated with biological activities of the innate and adaptive immune systems, as well as inflammation. In observational studies, an inverse relationship has been found between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations and the risk or severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Several mechanisms have been proposed for the role of vitamin D in COVID-19, including modulation of immune and inflammatory responses, regulation of the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system, and involvement in glucose metabolism and cardiovascular system. Low 25(OH)D concentrations might predispose patients with COVID-19 to severe outcomes not only via the associated hyperinflammatory syndrome but also by worsening preexisting impaired glucose metabolism and cardiovascular diseases. Some randomized controlled trials have shown that vitamin D supplementation is beneficial for reducing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 RNA positivity but not for reducing intensive care unit admission or all-cause mortality in patients with moderate-to-severe COVID-19. Current evidence suggests that taking a vitamin D supplement to maintain a serum concentration of 25(OH)D of at least 30 ng/mL (preferred range 40–60 ng/mL), can help reduce the risk of COVID-19 and its severe outcomes, including mortality. Although further well designed studies are warranted, it is prudent to recommend vitamin D supplements to people with vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency during the COVID-19 pandemic according to international guidelines.N
Fundraising Behaviors of Listed Companies in Vietnam: An Estimation of the Influence of Government Ownership
No full textThis study investigates the capital structure and investment activities of listed companies on the Hanoi Securities Exchange and the Ho Chi Minh Securities Exchange in Vietnam. Estimation analysis using panel data covering the four-year period 2006-2009 revealed the following results. (1) Standard corporate financing theories such as trade-off theory and agency cost theory could be appropriate for explaining the capital structure of listed companies in Vietnam. (2) Compared to the fundraising activities of the companies analyzed by Nguyen (2006) and Biger et al. (2008), the fundraising activities of the listed companies were better explained by standard agency cost theory. (3) There are differences between the determinants of long-term fundraising and short-term fundraising of listed companies in Vietnam. (4) The fundraising determinants of state-controlled companies are different from those of other companies; state-controlled companies have an advantage in tapping external debt funds, and their incentive to reduce their tax payments by debt financing is weaker. (5) The companies listed on the Ho Chi Minh Securities Exchange depended less on debt financing than those listed on the Hanoi Securities Exchange. (6) Listed companies in Vietnam face weak incentives to reduce their tax payments by debt financing because the effective corporate tax rate is low. These results imply that the economic reforms (“Doi Moi”) implemented by the Vietnamese government, which aims to create an economic system based on market mechanisms, have achieved some of their goals in terms of fund mobilization and corporate financing. However, our estimation study illustrates several limitations of economic reforms, such as the opaque relationship between state-controlled companies and government banks, financial restrictions on investment activities, and inactive investment of companies that are state-controlled or listed on the Ho Chi Minh Securities Exchange.Corporate Finance, Capital Structure, Transition Economy, Vietnam
Independent association of thigh muscle fat density with vascular events in Korean adults
No full textBackground
We aimed to explore the associations between thigh muscle fat density and vascular events.
Methods
A total of 3,595 adults (mean age, 57.2 years; women, 1,715 [47.7%]) without baseline cardiovascular events from the Korean Atherosclerosis Study-2 were included. Muscle and fat area at the mid-thigh level were measured by computed tomography (CT) using the following Hounsfield Unit range: 0–30 for low density muscle (LDM); 31–100 for normal density muscle (NDM); and − 250 to − 50 for fat.
Results
During a median follow-up period of 11.8 (4.3–13.9) years, vascular events occurred in 11.6% of men and 5.9% of women. Individuals with vascular events had a larger LDM area (men: 48.8 ± 15.5 cm2 vs. 44.6 ± 14.5 cm2; women: 39.4 ± 13.2 cm2 vs. 35.0 ± 11.8 cm2, both P < 0.001) compared with those who did not have vascular events during the follow-up of at least 5 years. The LDM/NDM ratio was also independently associated with vascular events after adjusting for cardiometabolic risk factors. Moreover, the LDM/NDM ratio improved the prognostic value for vascular events when added to conventional risk factors.
Conclusions
The current study suggests that a higher thigh muscle fat infiltration is associated with an increased risk of developing vascular events among Korean adults
Effective control of a severely progressive recurrent respiratory papillomatosis with repetitive cryotherapy
No full textAdditional file 1 of Independent association of thigh muscle fat density with vascular events in Korean adults
No full textSupplementary Material
A Position Paper on Lipoprotein(a) From the Lipoprotein(a) Task Force of the Korean Society of Lipid and Atherosclerosis: Current Evidence, Clinical Applications, and Future Directions
No full textComparison of Prevailing Insulin Regimens at Different Time Periods in Hospitalized Patients: A Real-World Experience from a Tertiary Hospital
No full textBACKGROUND: Prevailing insulin regimens for glycemic control in hospitalized patients have changed over time. We aimed to determine whether the current basal-bolus insulin (BBI) regimen is superior to the previous insulin regimen, mainly comprising split-mixed insulin therapy. METHODS: This was a single tertiary center, retrospective observational study that included non-critically ill patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who were treated with split-mixed insulin regimens from 2004 to 2007 (period 1) and with BBI from 2008 to 2018 (period 2). Patients from each period were analyzed after propensity score matching. The mean difference in glucose levels and the achievement of fasting and preprandial glycemic targets by day 6 of admission were assessed. The total daily insulin dose, incidence of hypoglycemia, and length of hospital stay were also evaluated. RESULTS: Among 244 patients from each period, both fasting glucose (estimated mean±standard error, 147.4±3.1 mg/dL vs. 129.4±3.2 mg/dL, P<0.001, day 6) and preprandial glucose (177.7±2.8 mg/dL vs. 152.8±2.8 mg/dL, P<0.001, day 6) were lower in period 2 than in period 1. By day 6 of hospital admission, 42.6% and 67.2% of patients achieved a preprandial glycemic target of <140 mg/dL in periods 1 and 2, respectively (relative risk, 2.00; 95% confidence interval, 1.54 to 2.59), without an increased incidence of hypoglycemia. Length of stay was shorter in period 2 (10.23±0.26 days vs. 8.70±0.26 days, P<0.001). CONCLUSION: BBI improved glycemic control in a more efficacious manner than a split-mixed insulin regimen without increasing the risk of hypoglycemia in a hospital setting
