Principal Components of Short-term Variability in Venus' UV Albedo

We explore the dominant modes of variability in the observed albedo at the cloud tops of Venus using the Akatsuki UVI 283-nm and 365-nm observations, which are sensitive to SO2 and unknown UV absorber distributions respectively, over the period Dec 2016 to May 2018. The observations consist of images of the dayside of Venus, most often observed at intervals of 2 hours, but interspersed with longer gaps. The orbit of the spacecraft does not allow for continuous observation of the full dayside, and the unobserved regions cause significant gaps in the datasets. Each dataset is subdivided into three subsets for three observing periods, the unobserved data are interpolated and each subset is then subjected to a principal component analysis (PCA) to find six oscillating patterns in the albedo. Principal components in all three periods show similar morphologies at 283-nm but are much more variable at 365-nm. Some spatial patterns and the time scales of these modes correspond to well known physical processes in the atmosphere of Venus such as the ~4 day Kelvin wave, 5 day Rossby waves and the overturning circulation, while others defy a simple explanation. We also a find a hemispheric mode that is not well understood and discuss its implications.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures, accepted in A&

Early Onset of Daunomycin Cardiotoxicity in a Case of Acute Myelogeneous Leukemia Associated with Sweet's Syndrome

A patient of acute leukemia with Sweet's syndrome who developed heart failure after receiving 107 mg/㎡ daunorubicin was reported. There seemed to be genetic factors of individuals in inducing anthracycline cardiotoxicity. Further study on genetic analysis of such a disease will be necessary for clarification of the genetic factors susceptible to anthracyclines.This work was supported in part by a Grant-in-Aid for Cancer Research from the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture

Focal Functional and Microstructural Changes of Photoreceptors in Eyes with Acute Zonal Occult Outer Retinopathy

Purpose: Acute zonal occult outer retinopathy (AZOOR) is characterized by an acute zonal loss of outer retinal function with minimal ophthalmoscopic changes in one or both eyes. We present a patient with AZOOR whose ultrastructural and functional findings were followed for 8 months. Case: A 22-year-old woman developed an acute central scotoma in her right eye. Her best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 0.5 OD and 1.2 OS. The ophthalmoscopic examinations, fluorescein angiography, and full-field electroretinograms (ERGs) were normal in both eyes. The amplitudes of the multifocal ERGs (mfERGs) were attenuated in the area corresponding to the scotoma. Spectral domain optical coherence tomography showed an absence of both the inner and outer segment (IS/OS) line of the photoreceptors and the cone outer segment tip (COST) line between the IS/OS line and the retinal pigment epithelium. These changes were seen in the area corresponding to the scotoma. One month later, the scotoma disappeared and the BCVA improved to 1.2 OD. The mfERGs increased to almost the same amplitude as the fellow eye. The IS/OS line became discernible but the COST line was still absent. The ophthalmological findings of the right macula remained normal during the 11-month follow-up period. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that the selective loss of the IS/OS and the COST lines is probably the morphological alterations corresponding with the reduced BCVA and the mfERGs in the areas of the visual field defects in the acute phase of AZOOR. But in the recovery phase, only the abnormality of the COST line is a subclinical sign for the disease. These findings should be important in understanding and evaluating the pathological mechanism in other outer retinal diseases

What Affects the Visualization of Prostate Cancer Using MRI in Patients Treated with RARP?

Aim：To assess the index lesions（the largest and clinically significant ones）in cases of surgically confirmed prostate cancer（PCa）using a multi-parametric MRI at 3 tesla and to evaluate the relationships between the clinical-pathological features of index PCas and cancer visualization. Materials and Methods：This retrospective study included 67 patients who had undergone roboticassisted radical prostatectomy. Two radiologists reviewed the MRIs（axial and coronal T2-weighted imaging, diffusion-weighted imaging（DWI）with apparent diffusion coefficient mapping and dynamic contrast enhancement MRI（DCEI））. The patients were divided into 4 groups as follows：detected on all 3 sequences（A）, on 2 of 3 sequences（B）, on 1 of 3 sequences（C）, and on none of them（D）. In all groups, all PCa characteristics were assessed, including the PSA level, Grade Group（GG）based on the Gleason score（GS）, the D’Amico criteria, and the maximum tumour length（TL）of the biopsy specimen. Results：Of the 67 patients, 16 were high-risk according to the D’Amico criteria, and 15 of these 16 high-risk patients（94％）belonged to either Group A or Group B. In addition, the mean TL and GG were longer and higher, respectively, in Group A than in the other groups（p＜0.05）. Furthermore, in Group B, 3 of the 4 high-risk patients（75％）were detected using DWI and DCEI. The lesions detected using DWI and DCEI had higher GSs and were in a higher GG. Conclusion：PCas of pathologically higher grades and clinically higher risk were more readily detectableusing multiple parameters

Solar urticaria: clinical characteristics, treatment effectiveness, long-term prognosis, and QOL status in 29 patients

IntroductionSolar urticaria (SU), a relatively rare skin inflammatory and photosensitivity disease, is often resistant to standard urticaria treatment. Quality of life (QOL) among SU patients has not been extensively explored. This study was performed to clarify the clinical features and effectiveness of therapies (e.g., hardening therapy) for SU and to determine QOL among SU patients.MethodsThe authors examined the characteristics, treatments, and QOL statuses of 29 Japanese SU patients using medical records and a questionnaire approach.ResultsAmong 29 patients, H1 antihistamine therapy (H1) was effective in 22 (75.8%) patients. H2 antihistamine therapy (H2) was effective in three of seven (42.9%) patients. Ultraviolet radiation A (UVA) hardening therapy was effective in eight of nine (88.9%) patients. Visible light (VL) hardening therapy was ineffective in three of three patients. In one patient who underwent both UVA and VL hardening therapy, only UVA hardening therapy was effective. In the questionnaire, 18 patients (90%) reported some improvement compared with disease onset (four had complete remission, six had completed treatment although mild symptoms persisted, and eight were receiving treatment with moderate symptoms), whereas two patients reported exacerbation. Patients in complete remission had a mean disease duration of 4 years, whereas patients not in remission had a mean disease duration of 8.8 years. The mean Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) score for the current status was 7.4. There was a correlation between DLQI and symptom/treatment status. However, neither DLQI and action spectra nor DLQI and treatments exhibited significant differences.DiscussionThe questionnaire revealed current QOL status and long-term prognosis in SU patients. Compared with disease onset, most patients showed improvement when assessed for this study. Both H1 and H2 should be attempted for all SU patients. UVA hardening therapy may be an option for SU patients with an action spectrum that includes UVA

Suppression of Propionibacterium acnes

Purpose. Macrophages serve as sweepers of microbes and inflammation-derived wastes and regulators of inflammation. Some traditional Japanese medicines are reported to have adjuvant effects by modifying macrophages. Our aim was to characterize the actions of jumihaidokuto (JHT) for treatment of skin inflammations including acne vulgaris, in which Propionibacterium acnes has pathogenic roles. Methods. Dermatitis was induced in rat ears by intradermal injection of P. acnes. JHT or prednisolone (PDN) was given orally, and ear thickness and histology were evaluated. The effects of constituents and metabolites of JHT on monocytes were tested by cell-based assays using the human monocytic THP-1 cell. Results. JHT and PDN suppressed the ear thickness induced by P. acnes injection. Histological examinations revealed that JHT, but not PDN, promoted macrophage accumulation at 24 h after the injection. PDN suppressed the macrophage chemokine MCP-1 in the inflamed ears, while JHT did not affect it. The JHT constituents liquiritigenin and isoliquiritin increased expression of CD86 (type-1 macrophage marker) and CD192 (MCP-1 receptor) and enhanced phagocytosis by THP-1. Conclusions. JHT suppressed dermatitis, probably by enhancing type-1 macrophage functions, with an action different from PDN. JHT may be a beneficial drug in treatment of skin inflammation induced by P. acnes

Psychotic-like experiences and poor mental health status among Japanese early teens

Epidemiological studies of psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) have reported that people who had PLEs during childhood or adolescence have higher incidences of schizophrenia spectrum disorders or other psychiatric disorders later in life than people who have not had PLEs. Previous work has shown that approximately 15% of children in the city of Tsu had PLEs. In this study, we sought to confirm the prevalence of PLEs in early teens living in Nagasaki and to elucidate the associations between PLEs and other psychopathological items. To this end, we used a self-report questionnaire to sample approximately 5,000 students (aged 12-15 years) in public junior high schools. Similar to the results of previous studies, the prevalence of PLEs was 16.4%. There was a significant association between PLEs and poor mental health status, which was estimated using a 12-item General Health Questionnaire. Moreover, after controlling for confounding factors, we found a significant association between PLEs and a lack of satisfaction with family relationships and several other psychosocial problems. These results suggest that a relatively large proportion of children with PLEs have behavioral, social, or familial problems, which may facilitate future schizophrenic symptoms

Vaccination and Infection as Causative Factors in Japanese Patients With Rasmussen Syndrome: Molecular Mimicry and HLA Class I

Rasmussen syndrome is an intractable epilepsy with a putative causal relation with cellular and humoral autoimmunity. Almost half of the patients have some preceding causative factors, with infections found in 38.2%, vaccinations in 5.9% and head trauma in 8.9% of Japanese patients. In a patient with seizure onset after influenza A infections, cross-reaction of the patient's lymphocytes with GluRε2 and influenza vaccine components was demonstrated by lymphocyte stimulation test. Database analyses revealed that influenza A virus hemagglutinin and GluRε2 molecules contain peptides with the patient's HLA class I binding motif (HLA − A*0201). The relative risks of HLA class I genotypes for Rasmussen syndrome are 6.1 (A*2402), 6.4 (A*0201), 6.3 (A*2601) and 11.4 (B*4601). The relative risks of HLA class I-A and B haplotypes are infinity (A*2601+B*5401), 21.1 (A*2402+B*1501), 13.3 (A*2402+B*4801) and 5.1 (A*2402+B*5201). Some alleles and haplotypes of HLA class I may be the risk factors in Japanese patients. Cross-reactivity of cytotoxic T lymphocytes may contribute to the processes leading from infection to the involvement of CNS