Enterovirus isolation from children with acute respiratory infections and presumptive identification by a modified microplate method

AbstractObjective: To evaluate a modified microplate method, utilizing HEF, HEp-2, Vero, MDCK and newly introduced RD-18S and GMK cell lines, for virus isolation.Methods: From June to October 2001, 723 throat swab specimens taken from children with acute respiratory infections (ARIs) were inoculated onto these cells. To analyze cell sensitivity, we also inoculated 20 serotypes of stocked enteroviruses.Results: During the period, we isolated 40 Coxsackie A2 (CoxA2), 13 CoxA4, 16 CoxA16, 1 CoxB2, 11 CoxB3, 2 CoxB5, 54 echo16, 2 entero7l and 1 polio2. By observing a cell sensitivity pattern with HEF, HEp-2, Vero, RD-18S, and GMK, we could finally differentiate five enterovirus groups: CoxA except for CoxA16, CoxA16/entero7l, CoxB, echovirus, and poliovirus.Conclusions: With this system, the RD-18S cell line enabled us to isolate CoxA virus, except for CoxA16, for the first time. Differentiation of five enterovirus groups by cell sensitivity simplified the specific identification by neutralization test as a presumptive identification. A modified microplate method may be an appropriate cell combination for virus isolation, especially for enteroviruses, and is expected to be used routinely for virologic diagnosis and to clarify the epidemiology of ARI in children

Very low-density lipoprotein-apoprotein CI is increased in diabetic nephropathy: Comparison with apoprotein CIII

Very low-density lipoprotein-apoprotein CI is increased in diabetic nephropathy: Comparison with apoprotein CIII.BackgroundRecent studies have suggested that apoprotein (apo) CI in very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) plays an important role in causing hypertriglyceridemia independent of apo CIII, which is associated with coronary heart disease (CHD). Because the incidence of CHD is increased in diabetic patients and is even higher when diabetic nephropathy is developed, we measured apo CI levels in VLDL from type 2 diabetic patients, with various degree of nephropathy, and compared the results with those for healthy controls or nondiabetic patients with chronic renal failure (CRF).MethodsThis study enrolled healthy control subjects, type 2 diabetic patients with normoalbuminuria, microalbuminuria, overt proteinuria, and CRF on hemodialysis and nondiabetic hemodialyis patients. VLDL (density <1.006) was separated by ultracentrifugation. Then the apo CI, CIII, and B concentrations in VLDL were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).ResultsThe apo CI, CIII, and B concentrations in VLDL were respectively 3-, 2-, and 2-fold higher, respectively, in diabetic patients with overt proteinuria than in controls. Hemodialysis patients with diabetic nephropathy had levels of apo CI, CIII, and B in VLDL that were 2.6-, 2.7- and 2-fold higher, respectively, than those in controls. Nondiabetic hemodialysis patients also had a 2.7-fold higher level of VLDL apo CIII, whereas VLDL apo CI and VLDL apo B were not significantly increased. VLDL apo CI was significantly correlated with VLDL apo B independently of VLDL apo CIII level.ConclusionAn increase of VLDL apo CIII is a prominent feature of dyslipidemia in CRF patients, regardless of whether they are diabetic or nondiabetic, whereas an increase of VLDL apo CI is more specific to diabetic nephropathy and is closely associated with an increase of VLDL particle numbers, a new risk factor for CHD

Prenatal diagnosis of severe mitochondrial diseases caused by nuclear gene defects: a study in Japan

Prenatal diagnoses of mitochondrial diseases caused by defects in nuclear DNA (nDNA) or mitochondrial DNA have been reported in several countries except for Japan. The present study aimed to clarify the status of prenatal genetic diagnosis of mitochondrial diseases caused by nDNA defects in Japan. A comprehensive genomic analysis was performed to diagnose more than 400 patients, of which, 13 families (16 cases) had requested prenatal diagnoses. Eight cases diagnosed with wild type homozygous or heterozygous variants same as either of the heterozygous parents continued the pregnancy and delivered healthy babies. Another eight cases were diagnosed with homozygous, compound heterozygous, or hemizygous variants same as the proband. Of these, seven families chose to terminate the pregnancy, while one decided to continue the pregnancy. Neonatal- or infantile-onset mitochondrial diseases show severe phenotypes and lead to lethality. Therefore, such diseases could be candidates for prenatal diagnosis with careful genetic counseling, and prenatal testing could be a viable option for families

A Shock-Induced Pair of Superbubbles in the High-Redshift Powerful Radio Galaxy MRC 0406-244

We present new optical spectroscopy of the high-redshift powerful radio galaxy MRC 0406$-$244 at redshift of 2.429. We find that the two extensions toward NW and SE probed in the rest-frame ultraviolet image are heated mainly by the nonthermal continuum of the active galactic nucleus. However, each extension shows a shell-like morphology, suggesting that they are a pair of superbubbles induced by the superwind activity rather than by the interaction between the radio jet and the ambient gas clouds. If this is the case, the intense starburst responsible for the formation of superbubbles could occur $\sim 1 \times 10^9$ yr ago. On the other hand, the age of the radio jets may be of the order of $\sim 10^6$ yr, being much shorter than the starburst age. Therefore, the two events, i.e., the starburst and the radio-jet activities, are independent phenomena. However, their directions of the expanding motions could be governed by the rotational motion of the gaseous component in the host galaxy. This idea appears to explain the alignment effect of MRC 0406$-$244.Comment: 4 pages (emulateapj.sty), Fig. 1 (jpeg) + Fig.2 (eps). Accepted for publications in ApJ (Letters

First Data Release of the Hyper Suprime-Cam Subaru Strategic Program

The Hyper Suprime-Cam Subaru Strategic Program (HSC-SSP) is a three-layered imaging survey aimed at addressing some of the most outstanding questions in astronomy today, including the nature of dark matter and dark energy. The survey has been awarded 300 nights of observing time at the Subaru Telescope and it started in March 2014. This paper presents the first public data release of HSC-SSP. This release includes data taken in the first 1.7 years of observations (61.5 nights) and each of the Wide, Deep, and UltraDeep layers covers about 108, 26, and 4 square degrees down to depths of i~26.4, ~26.5, and ~27.0 mag, respectively (5sigma for point sources). All the layers are observed in five broad bands (grizy), and the Deep and UltraDeep layers are observed in narrow bands as well. We achieve an impressive image quality of 0.6 arcsec in the i-band in the Wide layer. We show that we achieve 1-2 per cent PSF photometry (rms) both internally and externally (against Pan-STARRS1), and ~10 mas and 40 mas internal and external astrometric accuracy, respectively. Both the calibrated images and catalogs are made available to the community through dedicated user interfaces and database servers. In addition to the pipeline products, we also provide value-added products such as photometric redshifts and a collection of public spectroscopic redshifts. Detailed descriptions of all the data can be found online. The data release website is https://hsc-release.mtk.nao.ac.jp/.Comment: 34 pages, 20 figures, 7 tables, moderate revision, accepted for publication in PAS

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

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

The Hyper Suprime-Cam SSP survey: Overview and survey design

Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) is a wide-field imaging camera on the prime focus of the 8.2-m Subaru telescope on the summit of Mauna Kea in Hawaii. A team of scientists from Japan, Taiwan, and Princeton University is using HSC to carry out a 300-night multi-band imaging survey of the high-latitude sky. The survey includes three layers: the Wide layer will cover 1400 deg2 in five broad bands (grizy), with a 5 σ point-source depth of r ≈ 26. The Deep layer covers a total of 26 deg2 in four fields, going roughly a magnitude fainter, while the UltraDeep layer goes almost a magnitude fainter still in two pointings of HSC (a total of 3.5 deg2). Here we describe the instrument, the science goals of the survey, and the survey strategy and data processing. This paper serves as an introduction to a special issue of the Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan, which includes a large number of technical and scientific papers describing results from the early phases of this survey

“Industrious Revolution” Revisited: A Variety of Diligence Derived from a Long-Term Local History of Kuta in Kyô-Otagi, a Former County in Japan

Jan de Vries revised Akira Hayami’s original theory of the “Industrious Revolution” to make the idea more applicable to early modern commercialization in Europe, showcasing the development of the rural proletariat and especially the consumer revolution and women’s emancipation on the way toward an “Industrial Revolution.” However, Japanese villages followed a different path from the Western trajectory of the “Industrious Revolution,” which is recognized as the first step to industrialization. This article will explore how a different form of “industriousness” developed in Japan, covering medieval, early modern, and modern times. It will first describe why the communal village system was established in Japan and how this unique institution, the self-reliance system of a village, affected commercialization and industrialization and was sustained until modern times. Then, the local history of Kuta Village in Kyô-Otagi, a former county located close to Kyoto, is considered over the long term, from medieval through modern times. Kuta was not directly affected by the siting of new industrial production bases and the changes brought to villages located nearer to Kyoto. A variety of diligent interactions with living spaces is introduced to demonstrate that the industriousness of local women was characterized by conscience-driven perseverance

Influence of &ldquo;Face-to-Face Contact&rdquo; and &ldquo;Non-Face-to-Face Contact&rdquo; on the Subsequent Decline in Self-Rated Health and Mental Health Status of Young, Middle-Aged, and Older Japanese Adults: A Two-Year Prospective Study

This study aims to identify the independent influence of face-to-face contact (FFC) and non-face-to-face contact (NFFC) on the subsequent decline in self-rated health and mental health status by age. A total of 12,000 participants were randomly selected among residents in the study area, and 1751 of them responded to both the 2016 and 2018 mail surveys. The participants were subsequently classified into three age groups (25&ndash;49: Young adults; 50&ndash;64: Mid-aged adults; and 65&ndash;84: Older adults). Social contact was assessed by computing the frequencies of FFC and NFFC. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed the risk of social contact on the decline in self-rated health and World Health Organization-Five Well-Being Index. Both FFC and NFFC were significantly associated with maintaining mental health; however, the impacts of FFC on mental health were more significant than that of NFFC among older adults and young adults. Compared with the no contact group, FFC was significantly associated with maintaining self-rated health in mid-aged adults. The influence of FFC and NFFC on health differed by age group