Factors Predicting the Quality of Life of University Students in Japan Amidst COVID-19: A Cross-Sectional Study

Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, classes and club activities in Japanese universities have been canceled; this may increase students’ perceived stress and adversely affect their quality of life. This study investigated the factors that influence Japanese university students’ quality of life during the pandemic. An online questionnaire collating data related to demographic characteristics, the perceived stress scale (PSS), sense of coherence (SOC), number of social supports, and quality of life (Short Form Health Survey; SF-8) was distributed to university students. Participants were divided into two groups: those who entered university before (seniors) and after (juniors) the onset of the pandemic. Their scores on the two sub-domains (physical and mental) of the SF-8 were evaluated. Multiple regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with the composite mental summary of the SF-8. Regression analysis indicated that the predictor model of the composite mental summary differed between juniors and seniors. Among seniors, the composite mental summary was significantly indicated by the composite physical summary (b = 0.549, p < 0.0001) and PSS (b = 0.422, p < 0.0001). Among juniors, it was significantly indicated by the composite physical summary (b = 0.531, p < 0.0001), PSS (b = 0.390, p < 0.0001), and number of social supports (b = −0.148, p = 0.006). The factors associated with quality of life differed between seniors and juniors. Universities must provide opportunities for students to find more friends, especially for juniors who have limited socialization opportunities owing to the pandemic

通気による縦隔気腫の1例

通気後に頸部皮下気腫および縦隔気腫を来した46歳男性症例について報告した.通気中に疼痛を訴えた場合は粘膜下気腫等の合併症を考慮し,通気を中止すべきである.We report a 46-year-old man who developed mediastinal emphysema after catheterization of the eustachian tube. It is necessary to perform tubal ventilation therapy with care in patients aged 50 years or older due to the risk of complications. Furthermore, it is necessary to consider the possibility of complications when tubal catheterization causes pain

通気による縦隔気腫の1例

通気後に頸部皮下気腫および縦隔気腫を来した46歳男性症例について報告した.通気中に疼痛を訴えた場合は粘膜下気腫等の合併症を考慮し,通気を中止すべきである.We report a 46-year-old man who developed mediastinal emphysema after catheterization of the eustachian tube. It is necessary to perform tubal ventilation therapy with care in patients aged 50 years or older due to the risk of complications. Furthermore, it is necessary to consider the possibility of complications when tubal catheterization causes pain

Direct interaction between metastasis-associated protein 1 and endophilin 3

AbstractThe yeast two-hybrid system was used to search for partners of mouse metastasis-associated protein 1 (Mta1). Screening of a cDNA library prepared from mouse embryo yielded positive clones coding for endophilin 3. The site of interaction was suggested to be the SH-3-binding domain of Mta1 and SH-3 domain of endophilin 3. This interaction was confirmed by GST pull-down assay in vitro and immunoprecipitation in vivo. The Mta1 and endophilin 3 transcripts were highly expressed in testis and brain. But, Mta1 localized mainly in nucleus and to a lesser extent in cytoplasm while endophilin 3 localized mainly in cytoplasm. If Mta1 functions in cytoplasm, it might be involved in the regulation of endocytosis mediated by endophilin 3

Bubble Liposomes and Ultrasound Exposure Improve Localized Morpholino Oligomer Delivery into the Skeletal Muscles of Dystrophic <i>mdx</i> Mice

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a genetic disorder that is caused by mutations in the DMD gene that lead to an absence of functional protein. The <i>mdx</i> dystrophic mouse contains a nonsense mutation in exon 23 of the dystrophin gene; a phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomer (PMO) designed to skip this mutated exon in the mRNA induces dystrophin expression. However, an efficient PMO delivery method is needed to improve treatment strategies for DMD. We previously developed polyethylene glycol (PEG)-modified liposomes (Bubble liposomes) that entrap ultrasound contrast gas and demonstrated that the combination of Bubble liposomes with ultrasound exposure is an effective gene delivery tool <i>in vitro</i> and <i>in vivo</i>. In this study, to evaluate the ability of Bubble liposomes as a PMO delivery tool, we tested the potency of the Bubble liposomes combined with ultrasound exposure to boost the delivery of PMO and increase the skipping of the mutated exon in the <i>mdx</i> mouse. The results indicated that the combination of Bubble liposomes and ultrasound exposure increased the uptake of the PMO targeting a nonsense mutation in exon 23 of the dystrophin gene and consequently increased the PMO-mediated exon-skipping efficiency compared with PMO injection alone, leading to significantly enhanced dystrophin expression. This increased efficiency indicated the potential of the combination of Bubble liposomes with ultrasound exposure to enhance PMO delivery for treating DMD. Thus, this ultrasound-mediated Bubble liposome technique may provide an effective, noninvasive, nonviral method for PMO therapy for DMD muscle as well as for other muscular dystrophies