Immune activation of Bio-Germanium in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial with 130 human subjects: Therapeutic opportunities from new insights

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Association between increased visceral fat area and alterations in plasma fatty acid profile in overweight subjects: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Visceral fat accumulation in overweight status has been resulted in changes of fatty acid profiles. The fatty acids profiles can be altered by fatty acid desaturase; the activity of which is highly associated with obesity and other metabolic diseases. We hypothesized that fatty acid composition, desaturase activity, and accumulation of visceral fat are interrelated. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the association between increased visceral fat area and alterations in plasma fatty acid profile in overweight subjects with different amounts of visceral fat. METHODS: Healthy overweight subjects (25.0 kg/m2 ≤ BMI 99.6 cm2). RESULTS: The T3 group showed higher amounts of cis-10-heptadecenoic acid and activity of C16 Δ9-desaturase and C18 Δ9-desaturase and lower activity of Δ5-desaturase than the T1 group. Additionally, the T3 group showed higher amounts of saturated fatty acids, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, monounsaturated fatty acids, palmitoleic acid, oleic acid, n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, linoleic acid, dihomo-γ-linolenic acid, arachidonic acid, n-3 PUFAs, and docosapentaenoic acid than the T1 and T2 groups. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that greater than a certain area (>99.6 cm2) of visceral fat is needed to observe altered levels of individual fatty acid species and desaturase activities. The results suggest that increased activity of C16 Δ9-desaturase and C18 Δ9-desaturase in parallel with decreased Δ5-desaturase activity may be a causative factor in disturbed fatty acid metabolism.ope

A study on major characteristics of offshore support vessel charter contract and its control measures

해양지원선은 해양석유와 가스의 탐사, 개발 그리고 생산에 관련된 프로젝트를 위해서 필요한 선박으로써, 해양프로젝트를 수행하는데 필수적인 요소이다. 해양지원선 없이 해양플랜트와 시추선에서 필요로 하는 자재, 장비의 보급과 인원이송은 수행할 수는 없다. 해양지원선은 해상프로젝트가 수행되는 여러국가의 해상에서 자재, 장비의 보급, 근무인원이송, 비상대응과 구조 그리고 순찰업무 등 다양한 작업을 수행한다. 이에 해양지원선은 프로젝트 수행 시 여러 요인 즉, 해양프로젝트가 발생되는 현지의 선박운항에 관한 법령과 운영환경, 용선주의 요구사항 그리고 운영상의 위험요인등을 고려하여야 한다. 이러한 사항은 선주가 용선계약에 따른 해양지원선의 운영 시 여려 상황에 직면하게 됨을 보여주며, 선주는 이러한 것들을 고려하여 용선주와의 용선계약에 반영하여야 한다. 이에 따라 선주는 직면하게 될 여러 상황을 사전에 확인하고 그에 대한 관리방안의 수립이 요구된다. 특히 해양지원선의 용선계약에 영향을 주는 각 특성을 확인하고 그에 대한 분석을 통해서 적합한 관리방안의 수립이 필요하며, 이를 위해 해양지원선 용선계약에 대한 연구가 수행되어져야 한다. 일반적으로 해양지원선 용선계약은 일반선박의 정기용선계약과 유사하지만, 해양지원선의 운영목적과 환경 그리고 요구사항은 일반선박과는 상이하므로 기존의 정기용선계약과는 또 다른 특성을 가지고 있으며, 이를 기반으로 별도의 “BIMCO SUPPLYTIME"이라는 계약서 양식을 해양지원선 시장에서 사용하고 있다. ⅵ 본 연구를 통하여 선주가 해양지원선의 용선계약 시 고려해야 할 용선계약에 영향을 미치는 주요 특성과 그에 따른 관리방안을 분석, 확인하고자 한다. 먼저 해양지원선 용선계약과 관련된 일반선박의 정기용선계약에 대한 선행연구사례를 살펴 정기용선계약에 영향을 미치는 주요 요인을 알아보고, 국내에서 수행된 해양지원선과 관련된 유사연구사례에 대해서 분석할 것이다. 그리고 해양지원선 용선계약에 대해서 면밀히 검토하여, 주요한 특성을 확인하고 그에 따른 관리방안을 수립, 제안하고자 한다. 이를 통해 해양지원선 용선계약에 영향을 미치는 주요 특성을 정의하고, 이를 관리하기 위한 방안을 수립, 제안하는 것과 함께 선주는 본 연구에서 확인된 해양지원선 용선계약의 특성을 기반으로 해양지원선 용선시장을 면밀히 관찰, 분석하여, 차후 용선계약 시 예상되는 각 종 이슈와 문제점들에 대해서 적극적으로 대처할 수 있을 것이다.제 1장 서론 1 1.1 연구의 배경과 목적 1 1.2 선행연구 분석 2 1.3 연구의 방법과 구성 8 제 2장 해양지원선 시장의 현황과 구조 10 2.1 해양지원선 종류 10 2.2 해양지원선 시장의 구성 13 2.3 해양지원선 시장의 주요 참여자 18 2.4 해양지원선 용선 시 요구사항 23 제 3장 정기용선계약과 해양지원선 용선계약의 특성 분석 29 3.1 정기용선계약 29 3.2 해양지원선 용선계약 32 3.3 정기용선계약과 해양지원선 용선계약의 특성 비교 분석 43 제 4장 해양지원선 용선계약 주요 특성과 관리방안 46 4.1 유가변동 리스크에 대한 대응 47 4.2 현지통화와 환리스크에 대한 대응 60 4.3 운영지역의 환경과 작업범위 62 4.4 로컬콘텐츠 64 4.5 테러와 안전에 대한 리스크 66 제 5장 결론 68 참고문헌 70Maste

영국 금융주의 규모요인에 대한 연구

학위논문 (석사)-- 서울대학교 대학원 : 경영학과 재무·금융전공, 2016. 8. 조성욱.Since the 2008 Global Financial Crisis, global efforts have been collected together to prevent such catastrophe from negatively influencing the entire economy such as designating and regulating the Systemically Important Financial Institutions. Following the methodologies by Gandhi and Lustig (2015), this paper attempts to uncover firstly whether there is a new size anomaly in UK financial stocks and construct a new size factor that can explain the size anomaly found. By way of construction, the new size factor uncovers the common variation and the industry specific risks found in financial companies. Lastly, the results show industry-specific government guarantees that protect the largest financial institutions.Chapter 1. introduction 3 Chapter 2. Prior studies 5 Chapter 3. Data and methodology 8 Chapter 4. Size effect in UK financial stock returns 12 Chapter 5. New size factor in UK financial stock returns 16 Chapter 6. On tail risk pricing and the government 24 Chapter 7. Conclusion 27 References 40Maste

Unusual metastases from differentiated thyroid cancers: A multicenter study in Korea

Background Although infrequent, distant metastasis from differentiated thyroid cancer is the main cause of mortality in patients and mostly involves the lung, bone, and brain. Distant metastases to other sites in differentiated thyroid cancer patients are rare, thus, the clinical course of unusual metastases has not been adequately researched. In the present study, the clinico-pathological findings and treatment outcomes of unusual metastases in differentiated thyroid cancer patients in Korea were evaluated. Patients and methods We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of differentiated thyroid cancer patients with unusual metastases in four Korean tertiary hospitals (Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, Asan Medical Center, Busan National University Hospital, Severance Hospital). Unusual metastases were diagnosed using (1) cytology or histology and/or (2) imaging studies including fluorodeoxyglucose F 18 positron emission tomography/computed tomography and/or iodine 131 whole body scans with simultaneously elevated serum levels of thyroglobulin. The pathological findings of primary thyroid cancer, diagnostic method for unusual metastases, and treatment responses of unusual metastases were examined. Results In all, 25 unusual metastatic foci of 19 patients were analyzed; 13 patients (68.4%) had papillary thyroid carcinoma including 4 follicular variant papillary thyroid carcinomas. The median time interval between the first diagnosis of primary thyroid cancer and unusual metastases diagnosis was 110 months (11.0-138.0 months). Only 4 patients (21.1%) had synchronous unusual metastases and 6 patients (31.6%) were symptomatic. Unusual metastases included 19 metastases to solid organs (6 to kidney, 5 to liver, 4 to pancreas, 3 to adrenal gland, and 1 to ovary) and 6 to the skin and muscles. Unusual metastases were pathologically proven in 10 patients (52.6%) and 11 of 16 patients (68.8%) who received iodine 131 whole body scans had radioiodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer. Among 5 patients treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors, 4 treated with lenvatinib showed stable disease or a partial response at the first treatment response. Six patients (31.6%) died due to disease progression during the median 20.0-month follow-up period (11.0-55.0 months). Conclusion Unusual metastases from differentiated thyroid cancer are thought to be underestimated due to disease rarity and their metachronous nature with other distant metastases. The most of unusual metastases in differentiated thyroid cancer patients are existed with usual distant metastasis and clinical outcomes of those could not be significantly different from the prognosis of usual distant metastasis.ope

Thyroid Stimulating Hormone Reference Range and Prevalence of Thyroid Dysfunction in the Korean Population: Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2013 to 2015 (Endocrinol Metab 2017;32:106-14, Won Gu Kim et al.)

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Effect of weight loss on circulating fatty acid profiles in overweight subjects with high visceral fat area: a 12-week randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND: Significant associations between visceral fat and alterations in plasma fatty acids have been identified in overweight individuals. However, there are scant data regarding the relationships of the visceral fat area (VFA) with the plasma fatty acid profiles and desaturase activities following weight loss. We investigated the effect of weight loss with mild calorie restriction on the circulating fatty acid profiles and desaturase activities in nondiabetic overweight subjects with high VFA. METHODS: Eighty overweight subjects with high VFA (L4 VFA >/=100 cm(2)) were randomized into the 12-week mild-calorie-restriction (300 kcal/day) or control groups. RESULTS: Comparison of the percent of body weight changes between groups revealed that the weight-loss group had greater reductions in body weight. The VFA decreased by 17.7 cm(2) from baseline in the weight-loss group (P < 0.001). At follow-up, the weight-loss group showed greater reductions in serum triglycerides, insulin, and HOMA-IR than the control group. Significantly greater reductions in total saturated fatty acids, palmitic acid, stearic acid, total monounsaturated fatty acids, palmitoleic acid, oleic acid, eicosadienoic acid, and dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid levels were detected in the weight-loss group compared with the control group after adjusting for baseline values. Following weight loss, C16 Delta9-desaturase activity was significantly decreased and Delta5-desaturase activity was significantly increased, and the changes were greater in the weight-loss group than in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that mild weight loss improves abdominal obesity, overall fatty acid profiles, and desaturase activities; therefore, mild calorie restriction has potential health benefits related to obesity-related diseases in overweight subjects with high VFA. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT02992639. Retrospectively registered 11 December 2016.ope

Sex-specific genetic influence on thyroid-stimulating hormone and free thyroxine levels, and interactions between measurements: KNHANES 2013-2015

BACKGROUND: Although a wide range of genetic influences on thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxine (fT4) levels have been reported, sex differences in the genetic influences have not been well described. METHODS: We assessed TSH and fT4 levels in 2,250 subjects without thyroid peroxidase antibody, with data obtained from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (KNHANES) conducted from 2013 to 2015. Using variance decomposition methods, the variation of TSH and fT4 levels was divided into genetic and environmental components common to both sexes, and to males and females separately. The genetic correlation between TSH and fT4 levels was also assessed in both sexes, and in males and females separately. RESULTS: Narrow-sense heritability for TSH and fT4 were 54% and 56%, respectively. Sex-specific heritability for TSH levels was significantly higher in females than in males (75% and 41%, respectively; p = 0.037). Heritability for fT4 levels was not significantly different between males and females (62% and 52%, respectively; p = 0.335). TSH and fT4 levels showed a negative genetic correlation in females (ρg = -0.347, p = 0.040) after regressing out the influences of environmental covariates, but this correlation was not present in males (ρg = -0.160, p = 0.391). CONCLUSIONS: The genetic influences on individual TSH levels were more prominent in females than in males. In addition, female-specific pleiotropy between TSH and fT4 might be a clue that this stronger genetic influences in females would mainly affect thyroid function per se, rather than other TSH-related factors that do not primarily trigger the negative feedback loop between TSH and fT4.ope

Changes in the Diagnostic Efficiency of Thyroid Fine-Needle Aspiration Biopsy during the Era of Increased Thyroid Cancer Screening in Korea

Purpose The volume of thyroid cancer screening and subsequent thyroid fine-needle aspiration (FNA) have rapidly increased in South Korea. We analyzed the thyroid cancer diagnoses/thyroid FNA ratio according to the annual number of FNA to evaluate changes in the diagnostic efficiency of FNA. Materials and Methods This was a nationwide population-based retrospective cohort study. The overall thyroid cancer diagnoses/thyroid FNA ratio and annual incremental thyroid cancer diagnoses/incremental thyroid FNA ratio were indirectly calculated using data obtained from the Korea Central Cancer Registry database and the Korean National Health Insurance Service claims database from 2004 to 2012. Pearson correlation analyses were performed to evaluate the strength of linear associations between variables. Results The number of thyroid FNA increased from 28,596 to 177,805 (6.2-fold increase) from 2004 to 2012. The overall thyroid cancer diagnoses/thyroid FNA ratio decreased from 36.5% in 2004 to 25.1% in 2012 and was negatively correlated to the number of FNA (R= -0.977, p < 0.001). The annual incremental thyroid cancer diagnoses/incremental thyroid FNA ratios (range, 15.3% to 30.7%) were always lower than the overall thyroid cancer diagnoses/thyroid FNA ratio in each year and also worsened according to the increase in the number of FNA (R=-0.853, p=0.007). Conclusion The diagnostic performance of both overall and annual incremental thyroid FNA worsened, whereas the number of thyroid FNA procedures increased. More sophisticated indications for FNA are required to improve its diagnostic efficiency, considering the increased burden of screening-detected thyroid nodules.ope

Thyroid Isthmus Length and Iodine Turnover as Predictors of Successful Radioactive Iodine Therapy in Patients with Graves' Disease

Radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy is an effective treatment option for Graves' disease. However, predicting treatment failures after RAI therapy remains controversial. The objective of this study was to investigate the factors associated with the success rate of RAI therapy for treatment of Graves' hyperthyroidism. Thyroid functional outcome, pre-RAI ultrasonographic features, and clinical parameters were evaluated retrospectively in 98 patients followed up for at least 12 months after RAI (mean RAI dose was 11.7 ± 1.8 mCi). Hypothyroidism was achieved in 59 patients (60.2%), and euthyroidism in 16 patients (16.3%), while 23 patients (23.5%) remained hyperthyroid. Age, sex, body mass index, pre-RAI thyroid function, or thyroid-stimulating immunoglobulin levels were not associated with treatment outcome. Length of thyroid isthmus (p = 0.028) and 2- to 24-hour iodine uptake ratios (p = 0.002) were significantly associated with treatment failure, which was defined as a persistent hyperthyroid status after RAI therapy. Patients with a longer isthmus had a higher risk of remaining hyperthyroid, with a threshold for isthmus length of 5.2 mm, with a sensitivity of 69.6% and specificity of 70.3% for treatment success. Measuring the length of the thyroid isthmus can be a simple and useful way to predict RAI treatment outcome.ope