Effects of Postprandial Body Position on Gastrointestinal Motility, the Autonomic Nervous System and Subjective Comfort

We examined postprandial body positions’ effects on gastrointestinal motility, the autonomic nervous system and subjective comfort, i.e., whether lowering the head after a meal is beneficial for gastrointestinal motility and the prevention of pressure ulcer. We examined 10 healthy subjects and compared 3 body positions: (1) Seated upright. (2) Lying on a bed with the head at 60° and knees up by 20° (60° position). (3) Identical to (2) until post-meal; the head was then lowered to 30° (60°-30° position). Gastrointestinal motility was assessed as gastrointestinal sounds measured by sound-editing software. Digital plethysmography assessed autonomic nerve function as heart rate variability. The pressure ulcer risk was estimated as subjective comfort/discomfort using a visual analog scale. Gastrointestinal sounds increased post-meal. The 60°-30° position showed the highest number of sounds and longest cumulative sound duration. Post-meal, sympathetic activation was suggested in the 60° position, whereas vagal activity was relatively preserved in the 60°-30° position. The 60°-30° position was the most comfortable, and the 60° position was least comfortable. Lowering the head after a meal is beneficial to augment gastrointestinal motility and decrease the pressure ulcer risk. The 60° head-up position increases the pressure ulcer risk

Optimal Timing of Delivery among Low-Risk Women with Prior Caesarean Section: A Secondary Analysis of the WHO Multicountry Survey on Maternal and Newborn Health

ObjectiveTo investigate optimal timing of elective repeat caesarean section among low-risk pregnant women with prior caesarean section in a multicountry sample from largely low- and middle-income countries.DesignSecondary analysis of a cross-sectional study.SettingTwenty-nine countries from the World Health Organization Multicountry Survey on Maternal and Newborn Health.Population29,647 women with prior caesarean section and no pregnancy complications in their current pregnancy who delivered a term singleton (live birth and stillbirth) at gestational age 37–41 weeks by pre-labour caesarean section, intra-partum caesarean section, or vaginal birth following spontaneous onset of labour.MethodsWe compared the rate of short-term adverse maternal and newborn outcomes following pre-labour caesarean section at a given gestational age, to those following ongoing pregnancies beyond that gestational age.Main Outcome MeasuresSevere maternal outcomes, neonatal morbidity, and intra-hospital early neonatal mortality.ResultsOdds of neonatal morbidity and intra-hospital early neonatal mortality were 0.48 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.39–0.60) and 0.31 (95% CI 0.16–0.58) times lower for ongoing pregnancies compared to pre-labour caesarean section at 37 weeks. We did not find any significant change in the risk of severe maternal outcomes between pre-labour caesarean section at a given gestational age and ongoing pregnancies beyond that gestational age.ConclusionsElective repeat caesarean section at 37 weeks had higher risk of neonatal morbidity and mortality compared to ongoing pregnancy, however risks at later gestational ages did not differ between groups

Zika virus infection in pregnancy: a systematic review of disease course and complications

OBJECTIVES: To characterize maternal Zika virus (ZIKV) infection and complement the evidence base for the WHO interim guidance on pregnancy management in the context of ZIKV infection. METHODS: We searched the relevant database from inception until March 2016. Two review authors independently screened and assessed full texts of eligible reports and extracted data from relevant studies. The quality of studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) and the National Institute of Health (NIH) tool for observational studies and case series/reports, respectively. RESULTS: Among 142 eligible full-text articles, 18 met the inclusion criteria (13 case series/reports and five cohort studies). Common symptoms among pregnant women with suspected/confirmed ZIKV infection were fever, rash, and arthralgia. One case of Guillain-Barre syndrome was reported among ZIKV-infected mothers, no other case of severe maternal morbidity or mortality reported. Complications reported in association with maternal ZIKV infection included a broad range of fetal and newborn neurological and ocular abnormalities; fetal growth restriction, stillbirth, and perinatal death. Microcephaly was the primary neurological complication reported in eight studies, with an incidence of about 1% among newborns of ZIKV infected women in one study. CONCLUSION: Given the extensive and variable fetal and newborn presentations/complications associated with prenatal ZIKV infection, and the dearth of information provided, knowledge gaps are evident. Further research and comprehensive reporting may provide a better understanding of ZIKV infection in pregnancy and attendant maternal/fetal complications. This knowledge could inform the creation of effective and evidence-based strategies, guidelines and recommendations aimed at the management of maternal ZIKV infection. Adherence to current best practice guidelines for prenatal care among health providers is encouraged, in the context of maternal ZIKV infection

ゲンダイ キョウイク ニンゲンロン ニオケル カタリ : 「キョウイク ト ニンゲン」 タンキュウ ノ タビ

The main queries in the class Discussion on the Current Education and Humanity are ‘What is humanity?’ and ‘What is education?’ Definite answers to these questions are not expected from the onset. Accordingly, four lecturers explore these themes from different viewpoints, similar to the metaphor of four visually impaired people trying to identify an elephant. This paper presents the findings of the four lecturers ; the observations they compiled while ‘touching’ the elephant−like questions, guided by their own individual research interests and knowledge. The response to the class varied, from criticism that the goals of the lesson appeared too vague or confusing, to positive comments about the opportunity to explore concepts more deeply and the uniqueness of the class. In the lecture of the 2013 academic year, Chikamori talked about support from the anthropological viewpoint, quoting findings from several different research fields. Tanimura shed light on the contrasting difference in the way of looking at children between E.H. Erikson and E. Lévinas. Ota discussed the possibility of development under the adverse conditions which humans face referring to the deconstruction of J. Derrida. Then Hirose introduced the practice of “Steiner Education” and discussed the possibility of application of it in Japanese primary schools based on the views of humanity and education according to R. Steiner. This paper is like an itinerary describing not only the narratives during our journey to explore “Education and Humanity”, but also providing evidence of something tangible which emerged within the individual travelers. It is our hope that answers of one form or another to the questions ; ‘What is education?’ and ‘What is humanity?’ might begin to appear in the process of reading and reflecting on this itinerary

Incidence and outcomes of uterine rupture among women with prior caesarean section: WHO Multicountry Survey on Maternal and Newborn Health

Caesarean section (CS) is increasing globally, and women with prior CS are at higher risk of uterine rupture in subsequent pregnancies. However, little is known about the incidence, risk factors, and outcomes of uterine rupture in women with prior CS, especially in developing countries. To investigate this, we conducted a secondary analysis of the World Health Organization Multicountry Survey on Maternal and Newborn Health, which included data on delivery from 359 facilities in 29 countries. The incidence of uterine rupture among women with at least one prior CS was 0.5% (170/37,366), ranging from 0.2% in high-Human Development Index (HDI) countries to 1.0% in low-HDI countries. Factors significantly associated with uterine rupture included giving birth in medium-or low-HDI countries (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 2.0 and 3.88, respectively), lower maternal educational level (<= 6 years) (AOR 1.71), spontaneous onset of labour (AOR 1.62), and gestational age at birth < 37 weeks (AOR 3.52). Women with uterine rupture had significantly higher risk of maternal death (AOR 4.45) and perinatal death (AOR 33.34). Women with prior CS, especially in resource-limited settings, are facing higher risk of uterine rupture and subsequent adverse outcomes. Further studies are needed for prevention/management strategies in these settings.UNDP/UNFPA/UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction (HRP)World Health Organization (WHO)United States Agency for International Development (USAID)Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of JapanGynuity Health ProjectsJapan Agency for Medical Research and Development, AMEDNatl Res Inst Child Hlth & Dev, Dept Allergy & Clin Immunol, Tokyo, JapanUniv Tsukuba, Dept Global Hlth Nursing, Fac Med, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, JapanNatl Ctr Child Hlth & Dev, Dept Educ Clin Res, Tokyo, JapanSt Lukes Int Univ, Grad Sch Nursing Sci, Global Hlth Nursing, Tokyo, JapanWHO, UNDP UNFPA UNICEF WHO World Bank Special Programm, Dept Reprod Hlth & Res, Geneva, SwitzerlandUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Evidence Based Healthcare Postgrad Programme, Dept Internal Med, Sao Paulo, BrazilMinist Hlth, Family Hlth Bur, Maternal & Child Morbid & Mortal Unit, Colombo, Sri LankaSora No Mori Clin, Yaese, Okinawa, JapanFortis Mem Res Inst, Obstet & Gynecol, Gurgaon, IndiaNatl Ctr Dis Prevent & Control, Dept Hlth, Manila, PhilippinesKochi Univ, Kochi Med Sch, Dept Pediat, Kochi, JapanUniv Abdou Moumouni Niamey, Niamey, NigerAmer Univ Beirut, Beirut, LebanonUniv Nairobi, Obstet & Gynaecol, Sch Med, Nairobi, KenyaUniv Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto Med Sch, Dept Social Med, Sao Paulo, BrazilNatl Ctr Child Hlth & Dev, Dept Hlth Policy, Tokyo, JapanUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Evidence Based Healthcare Postgrad Programme, Dept Internal Med, Sao Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

SAHG, a comprehensive database of predicted structures of all human proteins

Most proteins from higher organisms are known to be multi-domain proteins and contain substantial numbers of intrinsically disordered (ID) regions. To analyse such protein sequences, those from human for instance, we developed a special protein-structure-prediction pipeline and accumulated the products in the Structure Atlas of Human Genome (SAHG) database at http://bird.cbrc.jp/sahg. With the pipeline, human proteins were examined by local alignment methods (BLAST, PSI-BLAST and Smith–Waterman profile–profile alignment), global–local alignment methods (FORTE) and prediction tools for ID regions (POODLE-S) and homology modeling (MODELLER). Conformational changes of protein models upon ligand-binding were predicted by simultaneous modeling using templates of apo and holo forms. When there were no suitable templates for holo forms and the apo models were accurate, we prepared holo models using prediction methods for ligand-binding (eF-seek) and conformational change (the elastic network model and the linear response theory). Models are displayed as animated images. As of July 2010, SAHG contains 42 581 protein-domain models in approximately 24 900 unique human protein sequences from the RefSeq database. Annotation of models with functional information and links to other databases such as EzCatDB, InterPro or HPRD are also provided to facilitate understanding the protein structure-function relationships

Large-scale identification and characterization of alternative splicing variants of human gene transcripts using 56 419 completely sequenced and manually annotated full-length cDNAs

We report the first genome-wide identification and characterization of alternative splicing in human gene transcripts based on analysis of the full-length cDNAs. Applying both manual and computational analyses for 56 419 completely sequenced and precisely annotated full-length cDNAs selected for the H-Invitational human transcriptome annotation meetings, we identified 6877 alternative splicing genes with 18 297 different alternative splicing variants. A total of 37 670 exons were involved in these alternative splicing events. The encoded protein sequences were affected in 6005 of the 6877 genes. Notably, alternative splicing affected protein motifs in 3015 genes, subcellular localizations in 2982 genes and transmembrane domains in 1348 genes. We also identified interesting patterns of alternative splicing, in which two distinct genes seemed to be bridged, nested or having overlapping protein coding sequences (CDSs) of different reading frames (multiple CDS). In these cases, completely unrelated proteins are encoded by a single locus. Genome-wide annotations of alternative splicing, relying on full-length cDNAs, should lay firm groundwork for exploring in detail the diversification of protein function, which is mediated by the fast expanding universe of alternative splicing variants

On the origin and evolution of the asteroid Ryugu: A comprehensive geochemical perspective

Presented here are the observations and interpretations from a comprehensive analysis of 16 representative particles returned from the C-type asteroid Ryugu by the Hayabusa2 mission. On average Ryugu particles consist of 50% phyllosilicate matrix, 41% porosity and 9% minor phases, including organic matter. The abundances of 70 elements from the particles are in close agreement with those of CI chondrites. Bulk Ryugu particles show higher δ18O, Δ17O, and ε54Cr values than CI chondrites. As such, Ryugu sampled the most primitive and least-thermally processed protosolar nebula reservoirs. Such a finding is consistent with multi-scale H-C-N isotopic compositions that are compatible with an origin for Ryugu organic matter within both the protosolar nebula and the interstellar medium. The analytical data obtained here, suggests that complex soluble organic matter formed during aqueous alteration on the Ryugu progenitor planetesimal (several 10’s of km), <2.6 Myr after CAI formation. Subsequently, the Ryugu progenitor planetesimal was fragmented and evolved into the current asteroid Ryugu through sublimation

The whole blood transcriptional regulation landscape in 465 COVID-19 infected samples from Japan COVID-19 Task Force

「コロナ制圧タスクフォース」COVID-19患者由来の血液細胞における遺伝子発現の網羅的解析 --重症度に応じた遺伝子発現の変化には、ヒトゲノム配列の個人差が影響する--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2022-08-23.Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a recently-emerged infectious disease that has caused millions of deaths, where comprehensive understanding of disease mechanisms is still unestablished. In particular, studies of gene expression dynamics and regulation landscape in COVID-19 infected individuals are limited. Here, we report on a thorough analysis of whole blood RNA-seq data from 465 genotyped samples from the Japan COVID-19 Task Force, including 359 severe and 106 non-severe COVID-19 cases. We discover 1169 putative causal expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) including 34 possible colocalizations with biobank fine-mapping results of hematopoietic traits in a Japanese population, 1549 putative causal splice QTLs (sQTLs; e.g. two independent sQTLs at TOR1AIP1), as well as biologically interpretable trans-eQTL examples (e.g., REST and STING1), all fine-mapped at single variant resolution. We perform differential gene expression analysis to elucidate 198 genes with increased expression in severe COVID-19 cases and enriched for innate immune-related functions. Finally, we evaluate the limited but non-zero effect of COVID-19 phenotype on eQTL discovery, and highlight the presence of COVID-19 severity-interaction eQTLs (ieQTLs; e.g., CLEC4C and MYBL2). Our study provides a comprehensive catalog of whole blood regulatory variants in Japanese, as well as a reference for transcriptional landscapes in response to COVID-19 infection

DOCK2 is involved in the host genetics and biology of severe COVID-19

「コロナ制圧タスクフォース」COVID-19疾患感受性遺伝子DOCK2の重症化機序を解明 --アジア最大のバイオレポジトリーでCOVID-19の治療標的を発見--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2022-08-10.Identifying the host genetic factors underlying severe COVID-19 is an emerging challenge. Here we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) involving 2, 393 cases of COVID-19 in a cohort of Japanese individuals collected during the initial waves of the pandemic, with 3, 289 unaffected controls. We identified a variant on chromosome 5 at 5q35 (rs60200309-A), close to the dedicator of cytokinesis 2 gene (DOCK2), which was associated with severe COVID-19 in patients less than 65 years of age. This risk allele was prevalent in East Asian individuals but rare in Europeans, highlighting the value of genome-wide association studies in non-European populations. RNA-sequencing analysis of 473 bulk peripheral blood samples identified decreased expression of DOCK2 associated with the risk allele in these younger patients. DOCK2 expression was suppressed in patients with severe cases of COVID-19. Single-cell RNA-sequencing analysis (n = 61 individuals) identified cell-type-specific downregulation of DOCK2 and a COVID-19-specific decreasing effect of the risk allele on DOCK2 expression in non-classical monocytes. Immunohistochemistry of lung specimens from patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia showed suppressed DOCK2 expression. Moreover, inhibition of DOCK2 function with CPYPP increased the severity of pneumonia in a Syrian hamster model of SARS-CoV-2 infection, characterized by weight loss, lung oedema, enhanced viral loads, impaired macrophage recruitment and dysregulated type I interferon responses. We conclude that DOCK2 has an important role in the host immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection and the development of severe COVID-19, and could be further explored as a potential biomarker and/or therapeutic target