Choriocarcinoma coexisting with epithelioid trophoblastic tumor of the uterine horn

• We report a choriocarcinoma coexisting with an epithelioid trophoblastic tumor. • Chemotherapy with methotrexate, etoposide, and actinomycin-D was efficacious. • Choriocarcinoma with epithelioid trophoblastic tumor may benefit from chemotherapy

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

Improvement of Cycle Capability of Fe-Substituted Li2S-Based Positive Electrode Materials by Doping with Lithium Iodide

For an attempt to improve the cycle capability of the Li8FeS5 cells, we have prepared LiI-doped Li8FeS5 composite positive electrode materials. The obtained Li8FeS5·xLiI sample cells showed the improved cycle capability, though the initial capacity value decreased with proportional to the mass of LiI. The improved cycle performance was attributable to the suppressed resistance rise of the cells, due probably to the suppression of high-resistive surface precipitates formed by the reaction between the active material and the electrolyte. The dopant LiI would stabilize the local structure against Li extraction/insertion reactions, as well as suppress the reaction with the electrolyte, leading to the improved cycle performance

Detecting temperature and protein denaturation during thermal therapy

[[abstract]]In one aspect, in general, a method is provided for detecting temperature and protein denaturation of a tissue during thermal therapy. The method includes generating a plurality of MR pulse sequences that include a first group of pulse sequences and a second group of pulse sequences, and receiving a plurality of response signals that include a first and second group of response signals in response to the first and second groups of pulse sequences, respectively. A first information associated with a degree of protein denaturation of the tissue is determined based on the first and second groups of response signals. A second information associated with a temperature of the tissue is determined based on at least some of the plurality of response signals

Association between engagement in COVID-19-related work and depressive symptoms among hospital workers in a designated COVID-19 hospital in Japan: a cross-sectional study

Objectives To examine whether engagement in COVID-19-related work was associated with an increased prevalence of depressive symptoms among the staff members working in a designated medical institution for COVID-19 in Tokyo, Japan.Design A cross-sectional study.Setting Data were obtained from a health survey conducted in July 2020 among the staff members of a designated medical institution for COVID-19 in Tokyo, Japan.Participants A total of 1228 hospital workers.Exposure of interest Engagement in COVID-19-related work (qualitatively (ie, the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection at work or affiliation to related departments) as well as quantitatively (ie, working hours)) and job categories.Outcome measures Depressive symptoms.Results There was no significant association between depressive symptoms and engagement in work with potential exposure to SARS-CoV-2 or affiliation to COVID-19-related departments. However, working for longer hours in March/April, when Japan witnessed a large number of infected cases, was significantly associated with depressive symptoms (≥11 hours/day: prevalence ratio (PR)=1.45, 95% CI=1.06 to 1.99, compared with ≤8 hours/day). Nurses were more likely to exhibit depressive symptoms than did doctors (PR=1.70, 95% CI=1.14 to 2.54).Conclusions This study suggests that the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection at work or having an affiliation to related departments might not be linked with a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms among Japanese hospital workers; contrarily, long working hours appeared to increase the prevalence of depressive symptoms

Flow chart of the study.

<p>Flow chart of the study.</p

Clinico-pathological characteristics of the patients.

<p>Clinico-pathological characteristics of the patients.</p

Kaplan-Meier curves for relapse-free survival and overall survival after surgery.

<p>Kaplan-Meier curves for relapse-free survival and overall survival after surgery.</p

Univariate and multivariate analyses of factors associated with relapse-free survival in patients with advanced lower rectal cancer undergoing curative resection.

<p>Univariate and multivariate analyses of factors associated with relapse-free survival in patients with advanced lower rectal cancer undergoing curative resection.</p