Two Species of Koellikerina Medusae (Cnidaria, Hydrozoa, Anthomedusae) from Japan

We fully described two Koellikerina species from shallow waters in Japan with illustrations and photographs. Koellikerina constricta (Menon, 1932), bearing characteristic bell constriction, expands its distribution to Kuchinoerabu Island, Kagoshima Prefecture (northern limit). Koellikerina bouilloni n. sp. is added to eight known species of the genus Koellikerina on the basis of an absence of bell constriction, a colorless body, and the presence of adaxial ocelli, perradial gonads, and a peduncle by examining a specimen from Tanabe Bay, Wakayama Prefecture and 18 specimens formerly collected from Papua New Guinea. Although bell constriction has been criticized as a taxonomic character, we conclude that it is reliable among Koellikerina because all the K. bouilloni specimens at variable developmental stages lack bell constriction and are clearly distinguishable from K. constricta

The relationship between fine rings in the statolith and growth of the cubomedusa Chiropsalmus quadrigatus (Cnidaria: Cubozoa) from Okinawa Island, Japan

Sixty-nine Chiropsalmus quadrigatus medusae were collected from Okinawa Island, Japan, in June-August 2000. The bell height ranged from 2.5 to 97.6 mm. The numbers of fine rings on polished statoliths were counted, and the coefficient of variation for the within-individual counts for the four statoliths was 3.3± 1.9% (mean::tSD, n=17). The slope of the linear regression of the number of rings against collecting date in 61 medusae was near 1.0, suggesting that the statolith rings are daily increments. The relationship between bell height and number of rings fitted a logistic growth curve. And, the relationship between statolith length and number of rings fitted the Gompertz growth curve. A check ring was present at a position of 5-10 rings from the center of each statolith. The backcalculated dates of check ring formation dated mainly from early to mid June, suggesting that the polyp of C. quadrigatus finished the metamorphosis to medusa and the medusa was liberated from a substratum during this period

The intertidal macrobenthic fauna of the Hatakejima Experimental Field, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan, in 2019

ファイル差し替え（2021-05-17）Hatakejima Experimental Field is located in Tanabe Bay, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan, which is composed of Hatakejima Island and Komarujima Islet, connected to the former in low tide. Hatakejima Island was purchased by Kyoto University and was designated as the “Hatakejima Experimental Field” in 1968. The year 2019 marks the 50th year of the long-term surveys that have been formally conducted on the experimental field since 1969 (i.e., the Century of Research Project). We conducted a field survey to record the macrobenthic fauna of the experimental field in 2019. A total of 168 species of 11 phyla were recorded in this survey. In each phylum, the number of species is listed as follows in descending order: Mollusca (78 spp.), Arthropoda (27 spp.), Echinodermata (23 spp.), Annelida (21 spp.), Cnidaria (7 spp.), Porifera (3 spp.), Nemertea (3 spp.), Platyhelminthes (2 spp.), Chordata (2 spp.), Bryozoa (1 sp.), and Hemichordata (1 sp.). We also recorded and discussed the influence of recent environmental changes around the Hatakejima Experimental Field. Tropical sea urchin species disappeared in the winter of 2017–2018 following the large meander of the Kuroshio Current, which led to decreasing water temperatures. The population of the seagrass Zostera japonica drastically decreased on the western sandy shore of the island in 2019, most likely because of two big typhoons in September 2018. We must conduct continuous observations to aid the recovery of seagrass-associated communities and protect the experimental field to keep high biodiversity of macrobenthic fauna in the future

Development of a high-resolution two-dimensional detector-based dose verification system for tumor-tracking irradiation in the CyberKnife system

We aim to evaluate the basic characteristics of SRS MapCHECK (SRSMC) for CyberKnife (CK) and establish a dose verification system using SRSMC for the tumor-tracking irradiation for CK. The field size and angular dependence of SRSMC were evaluated for basic characterization. The output factors (OPFs) and absolute doses measured by SRSMC were compared with those measured using microDiamond and microchamber detectors and those calculated by the treatment planning system (TPS). The angular dependence was evaluated by comparing the SRSMC with a microchamber. The tumor-tracking dose verification system consists of SRSMC and a moving platform. The doses measured using SRSMC were compared with the doses measured using a microchamber and radiochromic film. The OPFs and absolute doses of SRSMC were within ±3.0% error for almost all field sizes, and the angular dependence was within ±2.0% for all incidence angles. The absolute dose errors between SRSMC and TPS tended to increase when the field size was smaller than 10 mm. The absolute doses of the tumor-tracking irradiation measured using SRSMC and those measured using a microchamber agreed within 1.0%, and the gamma pass rates of SRSMC in comparison with those of the radiochromic film were greater than 95%. The basic characteristics of SRSMC for CK presented acceptable results for clinical use. The results of the tumor-tracking dose verification system realized using SRSMC were equivalent to those of conventional methods, and this system is expected to contribute toward improving the efficiency of quality control in many facilities

Bioavailability of prenyl quercetin

Prenyl flavonoids are widely distributed in plant foods and have attracted appreciable attention in relation to their potential benefits for human health. Prenylation may enhance the biological functions of flavonoids by introducing hydrophobic properties in their basic structures. Previously, we found that 8-prenyl naringenin exerted a greater preventive effect on muscle atrophy than nonprenylated naringenin in a mouse model. Here, we aimed to estimate the effect of prenylation on the bioavailability of dietary quercetin (Q). The cellular uptake of 8-prenyl quercetin (PQ) and Q in Caco-2 cells and C2C12 myotube cells was examined. Prenylation significantly enhanced the cellular uptake by increasing the lipophilicity in both cell types. In Caco-2 cells, efflux of PQ to the basolateral side was <15% of that of Q, suggesting that prenylation attenuates transport from the intestine to the circulation. After intragastric administration of PQ or Q to mice or rats, the area under the concentration-time curve for PQ in plasma and lymph was 52.5% and 37.5% lower than that of Q, respectively. PQ and its O-methylated form (MePQ) accumulated at much higher amounts than Q and O-methylated Q in the liver (Q: 3400%; MePQ: 7570%) and kidney (Q: 385%; MePQ: 736%) of mice after 18 d of feeding. These data suggest that prenylation enhances the accumulation of Q in tissues during long-term feeding, even though prenylation per se lowers its intestinal absorption from the diet

Cardiovascular adverse reactions associated with escitalopram in patients with underlying cardiovascular diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundDespite the anticipated efficacy of escitalopram in treating depression and anxiety in individuals with preexisting cardiovascular conditions, persistent concerns regarding its adverse effects have emerged. In this systematic review, we aimed to evaluate the cardiovascular safety profile of escitalopram compared with that of placebo in patients with underlying cardiovascular disease.MethodsWe used a predefined search strategy in PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Embase, International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, and ClinicalTrials.gov to identify studies evaluating adverse cardiovascular reactions to escitalopram in patients with underlying cardiovascular disease. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that provided results on cardiovascular safety outcomes were included. Two independent reviewers screened the abstracts and full texts of the individual studies. The risk of bias was assessed using version 2 of the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials. The certainty of evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach.ResultsThe primary outcomes were the frequency of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), QTc prolongation, and discontinuation of study medication. We identified 5 RCTs with 773 participants who met the inclusion criteria. Escitalopram was not associated with significantly increased risk of MACE (risk ratio [RR] = 1.85; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.80 to 4.26; I2 0%; 5 RCTs; n = 773, moderate certainty of evidence), discontinuation of study medication (RR = 1.03; 95% CI 0.84–1.26; I2 0%; 5 RCTs; n = 773, low certainty of evidence), and QTc prolongation (RR = 1.20; 95% CI 0.76–1.90; I2 0%; 4 RCTs; n = 646, low certainty of evidence).ConclusionEscitalopram does not significantly increase the risk of cardiovascular adverse reactions compared with placebo in patients with underlying cardiovascular disease. However, the presence of wide CIs and the limited number of included studies highlight the need for further studies with larger sample sizes to enhance the precision and reliability of these findings.Systematic review registration: International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews [CRD42022298181]

Genome-wide meta-analysis identifies multiple novel loci associated with serum uric acid levels in Japanese individuals

Gout is a common arthritis caused by elevated serum uric acid (SUA) levels. Here we investigated loci influencing SUA in a genome-wide meta-analysis with 121,745 Japanese subjects. We identified 8948 variants at 36 genomic loci (P<5 × 10–8) including eight novel loci. Of these, missense variants of SESN2 and PNPLA3 were predicted to be damaging to the function of these proteins; another five loci—TMEM18, TM4SF4, MXD3-LMAN2, PSORS1C1-PSORS1C2, and HNF4A—are related to cell metabolism, proliferation, or oxidative stress; and the remaining locus, LINC01578, is unknown. We also identified 132 correlated genes whose expression levels are associated with SUA-increasing alleles. These genes are enriched for the UniProt transport term, suggesting the importance of transport-related genes in SUA regulation. Furthermore, trans-ethnic meta-analysis across our own meta-analysis and the Global Urate Genetics Consortium has revealed 15 more novel loci associated with SUA. Our findings provide insight into the pathogenesis, treatment, and prevention of hyperuricemia/gout

Genome-wide association study revealed novel loci which aggravate asymptomatic hyperuricaemia into gout

Objective The first ever genome-wide association study (GWAS) of clinically defined gout cases and asymptomatic hyperuricaemia (AHUA) controls was performed to identify novel gout loci that aggravate AHUA into gout. Methods We carried out a GWAS of 945 clinically defined gout cases and 1003 AHUA controls followed by 2 replication studies. In total, 2860 gout cases and 3149 AHUA controls (all Japanese men) were analysed. We also compared the ORs for each locus in the present GWAS (gout vs AHUA) with those in the previous GWAS (gout vs normouricaemia). Results This new approach enabled us to identify two novel gout loci (rs7927466 of CNTN5 and rs9952962 of MIR302F) and one suggestive locus (rs12980365 of ZNF724) at the genome-wide significance level (p<5.0×10– 8). The present study also identified the loci of ABCG2, ALDH2 and SLC2A9. One of them, rs671 of ALDH2, was identified as a gout locus by GWAS for the first time. Comparing ORs for each locus in the present versus the previous GWAS revealed three ‘gout vs AHUA GWAS’-specific loci (CNTN5, MIR302F and ZNF724) to be clearly associated with mechanisms of gout development which distinctly differ from the known gout risk loci that basically elevate serum uric acid level. Conclusions This meta-analysis is the first to reveal the loci associated with crystal-induced inflammation, the last step in gout development that aggravates AHUA into gout. Our findings should help to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of gout development and assist the prevention of gout attacks in high-risk AHUA individuals

Racial Exclusion and the Political Economy of the Subprime Crisis

Abstract Th is paper develops a political economic explanation of the 2007-9 US subprime crisis which focuses on one of its central causes: the transformation of racial exclusion in US mortgagemarkets. Until the early 1990s, racial minorities were systematically excluded from mortgagefi nance due to bank-redlining and discrimination. But, then, racial exclusion in credit-markets was transformed: racial minorities were increasingly given access to housing-credit under terms far more adverse than were off ered to non-minority borrowers. Th is paper shows that the emergence of the subprime loan is linked, in turn, to the strategic transformation of banking in the 1980s, and to the unique global circumstances of the US macro-economy. Th us, subprime lending emerged from a combination of the long US history of racial exclusion in credit-markets, the crisis of US banking, and the position of the US within the global economy. From the viewpoint of the capitalist accumulation-process, these loans increased the depth of the fi nancial expropriation of the working class by fi nancial capital. Th e crisis in subprime lending then emerged when subprime loans with exploitative terms became more widespread and were made increasingly on an under-collateralised basis -that is, when housing-loans became not just extortionary but speculative