Influence of Finishing/Polishing Procedures on the Surface Texture of Two Resin Composites

This study compared surface roughness and gloss produced by different finishing/polishing procedures for two resin composites, Clearfil AP-X (AP-X) and Estelite Σ (ES). A total of 70 composite discs (n=35 for each resin composite) were prepared and divided at random into seven finishing/polishing groups (n=5): glass-pressed control; using a super-fine-grit diamond bur (SF); using CompoMaster (CM) after SF-finishing (SF+CM); using White Point (WP) after SF-finishing (SF+WP); using CM after SF+WP-finishing (SF+WP+CM); using Stainbuster (SB) after SF-finishing (SF+SB); and using CM after SF+SB-finishing (SF+SB+CM). After the finishing/polishing procedures, average surface roughness (Ra) and surface gloss (Gs(60°)) of all specimens were assessed with a surface profilometer and specimen gloss meter, respectively. Glass-pressed controls for both AP-X and ES composites showed the best surface finish in terms of both Ra and Gs(60°). SF-finishing produced the roughest surface and led to almost complete loss of gloss. While additional polishing with CM reduced Ra and increased Gs(60°), the additional finishing effect of WP or SB between SF-finishing and CM-polishing was not found for either AP-X or ES

SIRIUS Project. IV. The formation history of the Orion Nebula Cluster driven by clump mergers

The Orion Nebula Cluster (ONC) is an excellent example for understanding the formation of star clusters. Recent studies have shown that ONC has three distinct age populations and anisotropy in velocity dispersions, which are key characteristics for understanding the formation history of the ONC. In this study, we perform a smoothed-particle hydrodynamics/$N$-body simulation of star cluster formation from a turbulent molecular cloud. In this simulation, stellar orbits are integrated using a high-order integrator without gravitational softening; therefore, we can follow the collisional evolution of star clusters. We find that hierarchical formation causes episodic star formation that is observed in the ONC. In our simulation, star clusters evolve due to mergers of subclumps. The mergers bring cold gas with the clumps into the forming cluster. This enhances the star formation in the cluster centre. The dense cold gas in the cluster centre continues to form stars until the latest time. This explains the compact distribution of the youngest stars observed in the ONC. Subclump mergers also contribute to the anisotropy in the velocity dispersions and the formation of runaway stars. However, the anisotropy disappears within 0.5 Myr. The virial ratio of the cluster also increases after a merger due to the runaways. These results suggest that the ONC recently experienced a clump merger. We predict that most runaways originated from the ONC have already been found, but walkaways have not.Comment: 15 pages, 21 figures, and 3 tables, accepted for MNRA

Ameliorative effect of propolis on insulin resistance in Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats

Propolis is known to have abundant bioactive constituents and a variety of biological activities. To investigate the effect of Brazilian propolis on insulin resistance, 10-week-old Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats, a non-insulin-dependent type 2 diabetic model, were treated for 4 weeks with propolis (100 and 300 mg/kg, p.o.) or vehicle (control). Propolis treatment significantly decreased the plasma levels of insulin and insulin resistance index (Homeostasis Model Assessment-Insulin Resistance; HOM-IR), without affecting blood glucose levels and tended to lower systolic blood pressure compared with the control. In isolated and perfused mesenteric vascular beds of OLETF rats, propolis treatment resulted in significant reduction of sympathetic nerve-mediated vasoconstrictor response to periarterial nerve stimulation (PNS) and tended to increase calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) nerve-mediated vasodilator response to PNS compared with in vehicle-treated OLETF rats. However, propolis treatment did not significantly affect the vasoconstrictor and vasodilator response to noradrenaline, CGRP, acetylcholine, and sodium nitroprusside. These results suggest that propolis could be an effective and functional food to prevent development of insulin resistance

Inhibitory Effects of Chlorella Extract on Airway Hyperresponsiveness and Airway Remodeling in a Murine Model of Asthma

Chlorella extract （CE） has been shown to induce production of T helper-1 cytokines, and regulate serum IgE levels in animal models of asthma. We aimed to evaluate whether CE could inhibit ovalbumin （OVA）-induced airway hyperresponsiveness （AHR） and airway remodeling in a murine model of asthma. Balb/c mice were allocated to four groups: a control group （no OVA exposure, not given CE）, a CE group （no OVA exposure, given CE）, an asthma group （sensitized/challenged with OVA, not given CE） and a CE＋asthma group （sensitized/challenged with OVA, given CE）. In the asthma and CE＋asthma groups, mice were sensitized with OVA on day 0 and day 12, and then challenged with OVA on three consecutive days. In the CE and CE＋asthma groups, the mice were given feed containing 2％ CE. We assessed AHR to methacholine, and analyzed bronchoalveolar lavage fluid （BALF）, serum, lung tissue and spleen cells. Administration of CE was associated with significantly lower AHR in OVA-sensitized and challenged mice. CE administration was also associated with marked reduction of total cells, eosinophils and T helper-2 cytokines （IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13） in BALF. In addition, administration of CE significantly decreased the numbers of periodic acid-Schiff （PAS）-positive cells in OVA-sensitized and challenged mice. Administration of CE also directly suppressed IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13 production in spleen cells of OVA-sensitized and challenged mice. These results indicate that CE can partly prevent AHR and airway remodeling in a murine model of asthma

Long-term follow-up of production of IgM and IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 among patients with COVID-19

The patients diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019 （COVID-19） produce IgM and IgG antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 （SARS-CoV-2）. However, the frequency and duration of antibody production still need to be fully understood. In the present study, we investigated the duration of antibody production after SARS-CoV-2 infection. The patients diagnosed with COVID-19 were monitored over twelve months for the production of SARS-CoV-2 IgM and IgG antibodies, and the characteristics of these patients were examined. Forty-five patients diagnosed with COVID-19 were enrolled, and thirty-four patients were followed up until they tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 IgM and IgG antibodies or up to twelve months after the date of a negative SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction （PCR） result. The positivity rates of SARS-CoV-2 IgM and IgG antibodies were 27.3％ and 68.2％ when SARS-CoV-2 PCR was negative, 20.6％ and 70.6％ after one month, 8.8％ and 52.9％ after three months, and 0.0％ and 14.7％ after six months, respectively. Moreover, we compared patients with milder conditions who did not require oxygen administration with those with severe conditions which required oxygen administration. The positivity rate of SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies was significantly higher in patients with severe conditions than in those with milder conditions on the date of a negative SARS-CoV-2 PCR result and after one month and three months, but not after six months. Patients with more severe COVID-19 produced more SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies. Moreover, it is suggested that the duration of IgG antibody production is independent of COVID-19 severity

内視鏡的ドレナージが有効であった胃壁膿瘍を合併した胃迷入膵の１例

　症例は30歳代女性．３日前から心窩部痛が出現し，徐々に増悪してきたため当院を受診した．血液検査でWBC 15,120/μl，CRP 2.95mg/dl と炎症反応上昇を認め，腹部超音波検査で胃幽門前庭部前壁に約3.5cm の粘膜下腫瘍様隆起を認めた．腫瘍内部はechogenic particles の混在する液体の貯留を認めた．腹部造影CT 検査では，胃前庭部から胃体部前壁にリング状の造影効果を伴う著明な壁肥厚を認めた．以上より胃壁膿瘍と診断した．胃前庭部前壁の弾性硬のやや発赤した粘膜下腫瘍様隆起に対して，超音波内視鏡下穿刺術（EUS-FNA）を行った．粘稠な白色液体の流出を認め，膿瘍を示唆する所見であった．絶食・点滴・抗生剤投与による保存的加療を施行後，速やかに腹部症状は消失し，EUS-FNA 施行後５日目に退院した．４か月後，病変は上部内視鏡検査で頂部に陥凹を有する腫瘍に形態変化を認め，さらに縮小傾向であった．また，腹部超音波検査では粘膜下層内に約５mm 大の嚢胞性領域とそれに接する約４mm 大の境界不明瞭な低エコー域，不整な固有筋層の肥厚を認め，胃迷入膵の所見であった．以上より，胃壁膿瘍を合併した胃迷入膵と診断した．現在，再発なく当科で経過観察中である．胃壁膿瘍を合併した胃迷入膵の報告は非常に稀であり，貴重な症例と考えられた．　Here, we report a case of gastric wall abscess in aberrant pancreas. A 30-yearold woman visited our hospital for epigastric pain. Routine hematological examination showed increased white blood cell count and biochemical tests revealed elevated C reactive protein levels. Abdominal ultrasound revealed a submucosal tumor that appeared as a hypoechoic heterogenous mass in the stomach. Abdominal computed tomography revealed a thickened gastric wall with a low-density area. This mass was diagnosed as a gastric wall abscess, which was treated with endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration and conservative therapy with antibiotics. The patient’s pain resolved after the treatment. Four months after the episode, follow-up examinations showed that the submucosal tumor had changed to a small submucosal mass with depression. This lesion was diagnosed as an aberrant pancreas. Thus, the final diagnosis was a gastric wall abscess in the aberrant pancreas. This patient was followed up for one year following this episode with no incidence of recurrence

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