Generalised Acanthosis Nigricans in Childhood with Short Stature Associated with Poor Response to Growth Hormone Provocation

Acanthosis nigricans (AN) is a skin disorder characterised by skin hyperpigmentation and thickening, especially in the intertriginous regions. AN is usually classified as either malignant, benign, obesity-associated, syndromic, unilateral, acral, drug-induced and mixed (1). A generalised form of AN frequently occurs together with internal malignancy in adult patients, but it is rare in childhood (2-7). Here, we report a paediatric case of generalised AN associated with short stature accompanied with decreased growth hormone levels.ArticleACTA DERMATO-VENEREOLOGICA. 94(4):486-487 (2014)journal articl

Five-point Likert scaling on MRI predicts clinically significant prostate carcinoma

Background: To clarify the relationship between the probability of prostate cancer scaled using a 5-point Likert system and the biological characteristics of corresponding tumor foci. Methods: The present study involved 44 patients undergoing 3.0-Tesla multiparametric MRI before laparoscopic radical prostatectomy. Tracing based on pathological and MRI findings was performed. The relationship between the probability of cancer scaled using the 5-point Likert system and the biological characteristics of corresponding tumor foci was evaluated. Results: A total of 102 tumor foci were identified histologically from the 44 specimens. Of the 102 tumors, 55 were assigned a score based on MRI findings (score 1: n = 3; score 2: n = 3; score 3: n = 16; score 4: n = 11 score 5: n = 22), while 47 were not pointed out on MRI. The tracing study revealed that the proportion of >0.5 cm3 tumors increased according to the upgrade of Likert scores (score 1 or 2: 33 %; score 3: 68.8 %; score 4 or 5: 90.9 %, χ2 test, p 7 also increased from scale 2 to scale 5 (scale 2: 0 %; scale 3: 56.3 %; scale 4: 72.7 %; 5: 90.9 %, χ2 test, p = 0.0001). On using score 3 or higher as the threshold of cancer detection on MRI, the detection rate markedly improved if the tumor volume exceeded 0.5 cm3 (<0.2 cm3: 10.3 %; 0.2-0.5 cm3: 25 %; 0.5-1.0 cm3: 66.7 %; 1.0 < cm3: 92.1 %). Conclusions: Each Likert scale favobably reflected the corresponding tumor’s volume and Gleason score. Our observations show that “score 3 or higher” could be a useful threshold to predict clinically significant carcinoma when considering treatment options

Structure-Function Mapping: Variability and Conviction in Tracing Retinal Nerve Fiber Bundles and Comparison to a Computational Model

PURPOSE. We evaluated variability and conviction in tracing paths of retinal nerve fiber bundles (RNFBs) in retinal images, and compared traced paths to a computational model that produces anatomically-customized structure-function maps. METHODS. Ten retinal images were overlaid with 24-2 visual field locations. Eight clinicians and 6 naïve observers traced RNFBs from each location to the optic nerve head (ONH), recording their best estimate and certain range of insertion. Three clinicians and 2 naïve observers traced RNFBs in 3 images, 3 times, 7 to 19 days apart. The model predicted 108 ONH sectors relating to each location. Variability and repeatability in best estimates, certain range width, and differences between best estimates and model-predictions were evaluated. RESULTS. Median between-observer variability in best estimates was 278 (interquartile range [IQR] 208-388) for clinicians and 338 (IQR 228-508) for naïve observers. Median certain range width was 308 (IQR 148-458) for clinicians and 758 (IQR 458-1808) for naïve observers. Median repeatability was 108 (IQR 58-208) for clinicians and 158 (IQR 108-298) for naïve observers. All measures were worse further from the ONH. Systematic differences between model predictions and best estimates were negligible; median absolute differences were 178 (IQR 98-308) for clinicians and 208 (IQR 108-368) for naïve observers. Larger departures from the model coincided with greater variability in tracing. CONCLUSIONS. Concordance between the model and RNFB tracing was good, and greatest where tracing variability was lowest. When RNFB tracing is used for structure-function mapping, variability should be considered

Is Caffeine Intake Associated With Urinary Incontinence in Japanese Adults?

Objectives: To investigate whether caffeine intake is associated with urinary incontinence (UI) among Japanese adults. Methods: A total of 683 men and 298 women aged 40 to 75 years were recruited from the community in middle and southern Japan. A validated food frequency questionnaire was administered face-to-face to obtain information on dietary intake and habitual beverage consumption. Urinary incontinence status was ascertained using the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form. Results: Mean daily caffeine intake was found to be similar between incontinent subjects (men 120 mg, women 94 mg) and others without the condition (men 106 mg, women 103 mg), p=0.33 for men and p=0.44 for women. The slight increases in risk of UI at the highest level of caffeine intake were not significant after adjusting for confounding factors. The adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence interval) were 1.36 (0.65 to 2.88) and 1.12 (0.57 to 2.22) for men and women, respectively. Conclusions: No association was evident between caffeine intake and UI in middle-aged and older Japanese adults. Further studies are required to confirm the effect of caffeine in the prevention of UI

Web-Based Content on Diet and Nutrition Written in Japanese: Infodemiology Study Based on Google Trends and Google Search

The increased availability of content of uncertain integrity obtained through the internet is a major concern. To date, however, there has been no comprehensive scrutiny of the fitness-for-purpose of web-based content on diet and nutrition. This cross-sectional study aims to describe diet- and nutrition-related web-based content written in Japanese, identified via a systematic extraction strategy using Google Trends and Google Search. We first identified keywords relevant for extracting web-based content (eg, blogs) on diet and nutrition written in Japanese using Google Trends. This process included identification of 638 seed terms, identification of approximately 1500 pairs of related queries (top) and search terms, the top 10% of which were extracted to identify 160 relevant pairs of related queries (top) and search terms, and identification of 107 keywords for search. We then extracted relevant web-based content using Google Search. The content (N=1703) examined here was extracted following a search based on 107 keywords. The most common themes included food and beverages (390/1703, 22.9%), weight management (366/1703, 21.49%), health benefits (261/1703, 15.33%), and healthy eating (235/1703, 13.8%). The main disseminators were information technology companies and mass media (474/1703, 27.83%), food manufacturers (246/1703, 14.45%), other (236/1703, 13.86%), and medical institutions (214/1703, 12.57%). Less than half of the content (790/1703, 46.39%) clearly indicated the involvement of editors or writers. More than half of the content (983/1703, 57.72%) was accompanied by one or more types of advertisement. The proportion of content with any type of citation reference was 40.05% (682/1703). The themes and disseminators of content were significantly associated with the involvement of editors or writers, accompaniment with advertisement, and citation of reference. In particular, content focusing on weight management was more likely to clearly indicate the involvement of editors or writers (212/366, 57.9%) and to be accompanied by advertisement (273/366, 74.6%), but less likely to have references cited (128/366, 35%). Content from medical institutions was less likely to have citation references (62/214, 29%). This study highlights concerns regarding the authorship, conflicts of interest (advertising), and the scientific credibility of web-based diet- and nutrition-related information written in Japanese. Nutrition professionals and experts should take these findings seriously because exposure to nutritional information that lacks context or seems contradictory can lead to confusion and backlash among consumers. However, more research is needed to draw firm conclusions about the accuracy and quality of web-based diet- and nutrition-related content and whether similar results can be obtained in other major mass media or social media outlets and even other languages. [Abstract copyright: ©Kentaro Murakami, Nana Shinozaki, Nana Kimoto, Hiroko Onodera, Fumi Oono, Tracy A McCaffrey, M Barbara E Livingstone, Tsuyoshi Okuhara, Mai Matsumoto, Ryoko Katagiri, Erika Ota, Tsuyoshi Chiba, Yuki Nishida, Satoshi Sasaki. Originally published in JMIR Formative Research (https://formative.jmir.org), 16.11.2023.

Cleavage of Toll-Like Receptor 9 Ectodomain Is Required for In Vivo Responses to Single Strand DNA

Mouse toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) is an endosomal sensor for single-stranded DNA. TLR9 is transported from the endoplasmic reticulum to endolysosomes by a multiple transmembrane protein Unc93 homolog B1, and proteolytically cleaved at its ectodomain. The structure of TLR9 and its biochemical analyses have shown that the proteolytic cleavage of TLR9 ectodomain enables TLR9-dimerization and TLR9 activation. However, the requirement of TLR9 cleavage in vivo has not been studied. We here show that the 13 amino acids deletion at the cleavage site made TLR9 resistant to proteolytic cleavage. The deletion mutation in the Tlr9 gene impaired TLR9-dependent cytokine production in conventional dendritic cells from the mutant mice. Not only in vitro, in vivo production of inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IL-12p40), chemokine (CCR5/RANTES), and type I interferon (IFN-α) induced by administration of TLR9 ligand was also impaired. These results demonstrate that the TLR9 cleavage is required for TLR9 responses in vivo

市販弱アルカリ性洗剤の性能評価

The detergencies of four commercial washing powders formulated mainly with LAS or soap with or without AE, were compared at 30~60℃ in reference to those of the main components. Under the suggested usages, the surfactant components contained in the respective powders differed by 9 times. The detergencies were found to differ by 30%.Some discussions were added for the mechanism of the detergency that the effects of surfactant penetration into the soil lipid layer and of transference of the lipid into the micelle of surfactant

Design and baseline characteristics of the finerenone in reducing cardiovascular mortality and morbidity in diabetic kidney disease trial

Background: Among people with diabetes, those with kidney disease have exceptionally high rates of cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality and progression of their underlying kidney disease. Finerenone is a novel, nonsteroidal, selective mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist that has shown to reduce albuminuria in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) while revealing only a low risk of hyperkalemia. However, the effect of finerenone on CV and renal outcomes has not yet been investigated in long-term trials. Patients and Methods: The Finerenone in Reducing CV Mortality and Morbidity in Diabetic Kidney Disease (FIGARO-DKD) trial aims to assess the efficacy and safety of finerenone compared to placebo at reducing clinically important CV and renal outcomes in T2D patients with CKD. FIGARO-DKD is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, event-driven trial running in 47 countries with an expected duration of approximately 6 years. FIGARO-DKD randomized 7,437 patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate >= 25 mL/min/1.73 m(2) and albuminuria (urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio >= 30 to <= 5,000 mg/g). The study has at least 90% power to detect a 20% reduction in the risk of the primary outcome (overall two-sided significance level alpha = 0.05), the composite of time to first occurrence of CV death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, or hospitalization for heart failure. Conclusions: FIGARO-DKD will determine whether an optimally treated cohort of T2D patients with CKD at high risk of CV and renal events will experience cardiorenal benefits with the addition of finerenone to their treatment regimen. Trial Registration: EudraCT number: 2015-000950-39; ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02545049

Establishment of a metabolic pathway to introduce the 3-hydroxyhexanoate unit into LA-based polyesters via a reverse reaction of β-oxidation in Escherichia coli LS5218

New lactate (LA)-based terpolymers, P[LA-co-3-hydroxybutyrate (3HB)-co-3-hydroxyhexananoate (3HHx)]s, were produced in recombinant Escherichia coli LS5218 harboring three genes encoding LA-polymerizing enzyme (LPE), propionyl-coenzyme A (CoA) transferase (PCT) and (R)-specific enoyl-CoA hydratase (PhaJ4). When the recombinant LS5218 was grown on glucose with the feeding of butyrate, 3HB-CoA and 3HHx-CoA were supplied, probably via reverse reactions of the β-oxidation pathway and PhaJ4. LPE copolymerized the two monomers with LA-CoA, which was generated by PCT, to yield the terpolymers. Gas chromatography analysis revealed that the terpolymers consisted of 2.7 to 34 mol% LA, 38 to 81 mol% 3HB and 17 to 33 mol% 3HHx units, which can be varied depending on the butyrate concentration fed in the medium. In addition, 1H-13C COSY NMR analysis provided evidence for a linkage between LA and 3HHx units in the polymer