29 research outputs found

    Covering properties in countable products, II

    Get PDF
    summary:In this paper, we discuss covering properties in countable products of Čech-scattered spaces and prove the following: (1) If YY is a perfect subparacompact space and {Xn:nω}\{X_n : n\in \omega \} is a countable collection of subparacompact Čech-scattered spaces, then the product Y×nωXnY\times \prod_{n\in \omega }X_n is subparacompact and (2) If {Xn:nω}\{X_n : n\in \omega \} is a countable collection of metacompact Čech-scattered spaces, then the product nωXn\prod_{n\in \omega }X_n is metacompact

    Protective Human Leucocyte Antigen Haplotype, HLA-DRB1*01-B*14, against Chronic Chagas Disease in Bolivia

    Get PDF
    Chronic Chagas disease consists of four different forms categorized on the basis of their clinical manifestations, namely; cardiac, digestive, cardiodigestive and indeterminate. In Latin America, there are 8–10 million seropositive persons who are at risk of, or have already developed serious clinical complications and who have limited access to effective treatment. The cardiac and digestive forms are characterized by tissue damage caused by persistent infection of Trypanosoma cruzi and are thought to be modulated by host immunity. In our large scale screening for chronic Chagas disease in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, hearts and colons of 229 seropositive patients were examined. We found 31.4% of patients had abnormal electrocardiograms (ECGs), 15.7% presented with megacolon, 5.2% had a combination of abnormal ECG and megacolon, and 58.1% were of indeterminate status. Previously, we attempted to ascertain whether parasite genetic polymorphism might account for the differences in clinical manefestations, by analyzing parasite DNA taken from the same study group (with the addition of a further 62 megacolon post-operational patients). We found no relationships between parasite lineages and clinical disease form. The present study reveals that host HLA polymorphisms associate with clinical manifestations of Chagas

    Changes in smoking behavior among victims after the great East Japan earthquake and tsunami

    Get PDF
    Background: In areas affected by the tsunami of the great East Japan Earthquake, smoking behavior may have deteriorated due to high stress and drastic changes in living environment. Surveys were conducted to reveal changes in smoking behaviors among victims. Methods: A population-based random-sample home-visit interview survey of victims in Iwate and Miyagi Prefectures affected by the tsunami disaster was conducted in 2012 (n = 1978), while a population-based nationwide survey was conducted in 2013 (n = 1082). A panel survey in 2014 was conducted with respondents of the 2012 survey (n = 930). Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to reveal factors related to smoking status after the disaster. Results: There was high smoking prevalence of both sexes in the tsunami disaster area (current smoking rate in coastal area, 50.0% for male, 21.4% for female; inland area, 34.7% for male, 7.6% for female). Low prevalence of male quitters was observed (quitter rate in coastal area, 20.8% for male, 8.0% for female; inland area, 23.4% for male, 5.5% for female). The prevalence of nicotine-dependent people assessed by FTND (Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence) in the coastal area was also higher than in the inland area or other areas of Japan. Smoking behavior among victims worsened after the disaster and did not improve 3 years from the disaster. Post-disaster factors related to smoking were living in coastal area, complete destruction of house, and living in temporary housing. Conclusions: Smoking prevalence and the level of nicotine dependence of tsunami victims were still high even 3 years after the disaster. It is important to emphasize measures for smoking control in the disaster areas for an extended time period

    Hemorrhagic Arachnoid Cyst of the Posterior : A Case Report

    No full text
    Arachnoid cysts are reported to be occasionally associated with subdural hematoma or hygroma. Spontaneous disappearances of arachnoid cysts have been reported previously and in was emphasized that rupture of cyst membrane and subdural hematoma or hygroma must be essential for them to disappear. We report herein a case of hemorrhagic arachnoid cyst of the posterior fossa. The hemorrhagic cyst was not accompanied by subdural hematoma or hygroma and gradually reduced in size. A 21-year-old man sustained a cerebral contusion and epidural hematoma of the frontal reglon from a head injury. Computerized tomography scannlng obtained 12 hours after the inJury revealed a hemorrhagic retrocerebellar arachnoid cyst. Magnetic resonance imaging performed on day 21 revealed that the hemorrhagic arachnoid cyst had high intensity on a T1-weighted image and relatively low intensity on a T2- weighted image without subdural hematoma or hygroma. Follow-up CT scans revealed that the hemorrhagic arachnoid cyst had reduced in size. The patient made an almost complete recovery and was discharged with no observable neurologlcal deficits three months after admission. Hemorrhage was not presentin the first few hours after head injury but developed Subsequently, confined strictly to the cystic cavity. This case report provides evidence that disappearance or reduction of arachnoid cysts can occur without the need for subdural hematoma or effusion

    Alcohol Dehydrogenase-1B (rs1229984) and Aldehyde Dehydrogenase-2 (rs671) Genotypes Are Strong Determinants of the Serum Triglyceride and Cholesterol Levels of Japanese Alcoholic Men.

    No full text
    Elevated serum triglyceride (TG) and high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels are common in drinkers. The fast-metabolizing alcohol dehydrogenase-1B encoded by the ADH1B*2 allele (vs. ADH1B*1/*1 genotype) and inactive aldehyde dehydrogenase-2 encoded by the ALDH2*2 allele (vs. ALDH2*1/*1 genotype) modify ethanol metabolism and are prevalent (≈90% and ≈40%, respectively) in East Asians. We attempted to evaluate the associations between the ADH1B and ALDH2 genotypes and lipid levels in alcoholics.The population consisted of 1806 Japanese alcoholic men (≥40 years) who had undergone ADH1B and ALDH2 genotyping and whose serum TG, total cholesterol, and HDL-C levels in the fasting state had been measured within 3 days after admission.High serum levels of TG (≥150 mg/dl), HDL-C (>80 mg/dl), and low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C calculated by the Friedewald formula ≥140 mg/dl) were observed in 24.3%, 16.8%, and 15.6%, respectively, of the subjects. Diabetes, cirrhosis, smoking, and body mass index (BMI) affected the serum lipid levels. Multivariate analysis revealed that the presence of the ADH1B*2 allele and the active ALDH2*1/*1 genotype increased the odds ratio (OR; 95% confidence interval) for a high TG level (2.22 [1.67-2.94] and 1.39 [0.99-1.96], respectively), and decreased the OR for a high HDL-C level (0.37 [0.28-0.49] and 0.51 [0.37-0.69], respectively). The presence of the ADH1B*2 allele decreased the OR for a high LDL-C level (0.60 [0.45-0.80]). The ADH1B*2 plus ALDH2*1/*1 combination yielded the highest ORs for high TG levels and lowest OR for a high HDL-C level. The genotype effects were more prominent in relation to the higher levels of TG (≥220 mg/dl) and HDL-C (≥100 mg/dl).The fast-metabolizing ADH1B and active ALDH2, and especially a combination of the two were strongly associated with higher serum TG levels and lower serum HDL-C levels of alcoholics. The fast-metabolizing ADH1B was associated with lower serum LDL-C levels
    corecore