Expert consensus on hospitalization for assessment: a survey in Japan for a new forensic mental health system

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In Japan, hospitalization for the assessment of mentally disordered offenders under the Act on Medical Care and Treatment for the Persons Who Had Caused Serious Cases under the Condition of Insanity (the Medical Treatment and Supervision Act, or the MTS Act) has yet to be standardized.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We conducted a written survey that included a questionnaire regarding hospitalization for assessment; the questionnaire consisted of 335 options with 9 grades of validity for 60 clinical situations. The survey was mailed to 50 Japanese forensic mental health experts, and 42 responses were received.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>An expert consensus was established for 299 of the options. Regarding subjects requiring hospitalization for assessment, no consensus was reached on the indications for electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) or for confronting the offenders regarding their offensive behaviors.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The consensus regarding hospitalization for assessment and its associated problems were clarified. The consensus should be widely publicized among practitioners to ensure better management during the hospitalization of mentally disordered offenders for assessment.</p

Scores of Child–Pugh Classification Impact Overall Survival After Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Primary and Metastatic Liver Tumors

BackgroundStereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) delivers high-dose radiation to tumor tissues in few fractions, thereby reducing radiation damage to at-risk organs. There are more potential effects of SBRT owing to the higher biological equivalent dose delivered. Herein, we retrospectively analyzed its effectiveness and toxicity at our institution.MethodsData from patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC; n = 10) and liver metastases (n = 10) who underwent SBRT (total dose of 30–50 Gy in 5–10 fractions) between 2013 and 2016 were analyzed. Adverse events were recorded at the end of RT, 6 months after treatment, or upon death. Overall survival (OS) was calculated according to the biological effective dose (BED α/β = 10) and liver function (Child–Pugh [CP] classification 5 or 6 vs. 7 or 8) after SBRT, using Kaplan–Meier analyses.ResultsOf the 20 patients, 6 declined the CP classification score after SBRT; grade 3 adverse events were not seen in any patient. A higher OS rate was seen in patients receiving a higher BED and in those with better CP classification after SBRT. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis yielded a median OS of 401 days and 1- and 2-year OS of 45% and 15%, respectively.ConclusionThe higher BED was significantly associated with tumor control, and there were no differences in the tumor control rate between HCC and metastatic tumors. Changes in CP scores after SBRT also affected the survival rate. Good liver function may permit multiple rounds of SBRT

Space Environment Effects of Ionizing Radiation on Seed Germination and Growth

An initial limited set of tests of germination rate and seed growth in a controlled environment have identified statistically significant differences between control samples and seed flown in a Russian LEO research flight. Most significantly, average seed germination of space borne seeds was 2 days less than the 6 days for the control seeds. Modification of the seed coat leading to enhanced rate of water uptake, as a result of radiation from the space environment or abrasion due to launch vibrations, is hypothesized to cause early germination. High school students will conduct growth tests on seeds exposed to simulated space environments. The effects of ionizing radiation up to 1 kGy are being studied using a biological exposure test chamber designed by Tsukuba students used in the USU MPG Space Survivability Test (SST) chamber. The SST is a test facility designed to mimic space environments to test environmental-induced modifications to small satellites, or in this case, biological samples. Additional seeds will be exposed to a vibration profile on a shaker table designed to simulate the extreme conditions during flight. Understanding observed space environment effects are important in design of long duration missions, such as to Mars, where food growth is essential. * Supported by USU STARS! GEAR UP partnership. # Partially funded by Japan Student Services Organizatio

Epidemiological Study of Lipoprotein (a) in Okinawa

A study of serum levels of lipoprotein (a) (Lp (a)) was performed among 217 normal adults including 135 men and 82 women in the northern part of Okinawa. Ages of the subjects ranged from 24 to 76 with an average of 49 years. Concentrations of Lp (a) in blood were measured by sandwich ELISA. The average Lp (a) concentration was 20.7 mg/ dl and the peak of the distribution of serum Lp (a) concentration ranged from 10 to 15 mg/dl. A greater number of people in the investigated area tended to show a higher level of serum concentration of Lp (a) than those in any other prefectures in Japan, although there was no significant relationship between serum level of lipoprotein (a), total cholesterol, triglyceride, age or gender in healthy subjects

A pathway of neuregulin-induced activation of cofilin-phosphatase Slingshot and cofilin in lamellipodia

Cofilin mediates lamellipodium extension and polarized cell migration by stimulating actin filament dynamics at the leading edge of migrating cells. Cofilin is inactivated by phosphorylation at Ser-3 and reactivated by cofilin-phosphatase Slingshot-1L (SSH1L). Little is known of signaling mechanisms of cofilin activation and how this activation is spatially regulated. Here, we show that cofilin-phosphatase activity of SSH1L increases ∼10-fold by association with actin filaments, which indicates that actin assembly at the leading edge per se triggers local activation of SSH1L and thereby stimulates cofilin-mediated actin turnover in lamellipodia. We also provide evidence that 14-3-3 proteins inhibit SSH1L activity, dependent on the phosphorylation of Ser-937 and Ser-978 of SSH1L. Stimulation of cells with neuregulin-1β induced Ser-978 dephosphorylation, translocation of SSH1L onto F-actin–rich lamellipodia, and cofilin dephosphorylation. These findings suggest that SSH1L is locally activated by translocation to and association with F-actin in lamellipodia in response to neuregulin-1β and 14-3-3 proteins negatively regulate SSH1L activity by sequestering it in the cytoplasm

How the Space Environment Affects Seed Germination and Growth

Understanding observed space environment effects on biological organisms such seeds are important in design of long duration space missions, such as to those planned for Mars, where appropriate storage and growth of food resources is essential. Evaluation of the effects of the real and simulated space environment on seed germination and growth in space is the purpose of this research. Preliminary tests of germination rate and growth of radish seeds in a controlled environment have identified statistically significant differences between control samples and seeds flown for 30 days in low earth orbit on the Bion M-1 launch capsule Russian research flight in 2013. Most significantly, average germination of space exposed radish seeds was 2 days less than the 6 days observed for the control seed group. Seed coats of the control group, space-exposed, and vibration-exposed seed were also inspected by LHS and USU students for physical changes. Observed changes in both the space-exposed and vibration-exposed seeds coats included the production of proteins presumably related to defense of the embryo from soil pathogens during seed germination. Previous research by others has shown production of anti-fungal proteins in radish seed coats is initiated by disturbance. Effects to germination rate from ionizing radiation up to 1 kGy were studied. Radiation exposure occurred with a custom biological exposure test chamber designed by Tsukuba students for the USU Materials Physics Group Space Survivability Test (SST) chamber, which is designed to mimic low-earth and geosynchronous orbital environments. * USU STARS! GEAR UP partnership # Partially funded by Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO), and University of Tsukub

Intratracheal trimerized nanobody cocktail administration suppresses weight loss and prolongs survival of SARS-CoV-2 infected mice

新型コロナウイルスを中和するアルパカ抗体 --マウス実験で有効性を確認--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2023-02-17.BACKGROUND: SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants are highly resistant to vaccine-induced immunity and human monoclonal antibodies. METHODS: We previously reported that two nanobodies, P17 and P86, potently neutralize SARS-CoV-2 VOCs. In this study, we modified these nanobodies into trimers, called TP17 and TP86 and tested their neutralization activities against Omicron BA.1 and subvariant BA.2 using pseudovirus assays. Next, we used TP17 and TP86 nanobody cocktail to treat ACE2 transgenic mice infected with lethal dose of SARS-CoV-2 strains, original, Delta and Omicron BA.1. RESULTS: Here, we demonstrate that a novel nanobody TP86 potently neutralizes both BA.1 and BA.2 Omicron variants, and that the TP17 and TP86 nanobody cocktail broadly neutralizes in vitro all VOCs as well as original strain. Furthermore, intratracheal administration of this nanobody cocktail suppresses weight loss and prolongs survival of human ACE2 transgenic mice infected with SARS-CoV-2 strains, original, Delta and Omicron BA.1. CONCLUSIONS: Intratracheal trimerized nanobody cocktail administration suppresses weight loss and prolongs survival of SARS-CoV-2 infected mice