Association between mental health and bone mass among community-dwelling adults: Nagasaki Islands Study on bone health

Osteoporosis and its related fractures are important public health issues. This study examined the association between the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6) and low bone mass in middle-aged community-dwelling men and women. A crosssectional study was nested in a prospective observational study of 1,101 participants (median age: 57 [49-62] years in men and 58 [50-62] years in women) residing in a rural city in western Japan. Participants were recruited during medical check-ups in 2016 and 2017 from the community-dwelling population. The bone mass of the calcaneus was evaluated using quantitative ultrasound. Of the participants, 56 men (14.9%) and 144 women (19.9%) had a bone mass of less than 70% of the mean of young adults. Univariate analysis revealed that there was a trend toward lower body mass index (BMI) and higher prevalence of low bone mass with an increase in K6 scores in men but not in women. Logistic regression analysis, adjusting for possible confounders(age, BMI, smoking, drinking habits, exercise habits, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension), showed significant associations between the K6 scores and low bone mass (odds ratio (OR) = 2.66 for the men with 5 to 12 points of K6, OR = 7.51 for men with ≥ 13 of K6, not for women). We showed an association between psychological distress and low bone mass independent of cofounders among community-dwelling middle-aged men but not women. This suggests that healthy mental health in middle-aged men may be a possible target for the prevention of consequent osteoporosis or fragile bone fractures

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In 1992 the World Health Organization advocated that follicular keratocysts, which may envelop an adjacent unerupted tooth, be classified as an entity different from dentigerous cysts in the classification of odontogenic cysts. However after follicular keratocysts were distinguished from dentigerous cysts, follicular keratocysts have still been erroneously reported as dentigerous cytsts with a keratinizing lining. This reviews Japanese cases of follicular keratocysts, including two cases occurring at the maxilla that have been diagnosed at this hospital

Acquired resistance to the rice blast in transgenic rice accumulating the antimicrobial peptide thanatin

Thanatin is an antimicrobial peptide with a strong and wide-ranging antimicrobial spectrum, including certain species of fungi and Gram-negative and -positive bacteria. To evaluate the application of thanatin to the generation of disease-resistant plants, we introduced a synthetic thanatin gene into rice. Several transformants that expressed the introduced gene showed significant level of antimicrobial activity. The substances showing antimicrobial activity were partially purified from these transformants and their properties were determined. The molecule with characteristics similar to those of native thanatin on the elution pattern in HPLC analysis had an identical molecular mass to that of native molecule. It should also be noted that the transformant acquired a sufficient level of resistance to the rice blast fungus, Magnaporthe oryzae, presumably due to the repressive activity of thanatin to its initial stage of infection. This result demonstrates that thanatin has antifungal activity for M. oryzae and that the introduction of the thanatin gene into rice is effective in generating a plant resistant to rice blast disease

Comparison of F1 and F2 generations of commercial hybrid maize

Foram conduzidos dois ensaios na Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, RS, com o objetivo de comparar o desempenho das gerações F1 e F2 dos híbridos duplos comerciais de milho (Zea mays L.) Agroceres 28, Agroceres 64-A, Cargill 408, Cargill 501, Cargill 511 e Pioneer 3212, em dois níveis de adubação NPK. No ano agricola 1987/88 foi cultivada parte da geração F1 para obtenção da geração F2. No ano agrícola 1988/89 foi feita a comparação das duas gerações. O delineamento utilizado foi fatorial 2 x 6 em parcelas subdivididas, em blocos ao acaso com quatro repetições. Nas parcelas foram estabelecidos os níveis de adubação, e nas sub-parcelas foram alocadas as gerações F1 e F2 de cada um dos seis híbridos. A geração F1 apresentou maiores valores do que a F2 para população final, altura da planta, altura de inserção da espiga e número de espigas/planta, independentemente do nível de adubação. Houve redução média de 12,5% no rendimento de grãos com o cultivo da F2. As características do grão mostraram variação similar nas duas gerações.Two experiments were carried out at the Federal University of Santa Maria, RS, Brazil, aiming to compare F1 and F2 grain yields of commercial maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids Agroceres 28, Agroceres 64-A, Cargill 408, Cargill 501, Cargill 511 and Pioneer 3212; two NPK fertilizer levels were used. During 1987/88 growing.season part of F1 was grown in order to obtain the F2 generation and in 1988/89 the two generations were compared. The experimental design was a 2x6 factorial split plot design in which the fertilizer levels formed the main plots and o F1 and F2 generations of the hybrids were the sub-plots. F1 had higher values than F2 for final population, plant height, height of first cob and numbers of cobs per plant regardless of fertilizer levels. F2 generation had a 12,5% lower grain yield than F1. There were no differences in grain characteristics among generations

Different renoprotective effects of luseogliflozin depend on the renal function at the baseline in patients with type 2 diabetes: A retrospective study during 12 months before and after initiation.

AimsThe safety and efficacy, particularly, the factors associated with the renal prognosis, were assessed over 12 months after the initiation of luseogliflozin therapy in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes and renal impairment.MethodsIn total, 238 patients treated with luseogliflozin (2.5 mg, once daily) were studied as the safety analysis set. Two hundred and two subjects whose medication was continued over 12 months were investigated as the full analysis set. The subjects were divided into 3 groups based on the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR): high eGFR (n = 49), normal eGFR (n = 116) and low eGFR (n = 37) groups.ResultsThe body weight, systolic blood pressure, HbA1c and urinary protein excretion gradually decreased from baseline in all eGFR groups. While the eGFR was significantly reduced from baseline in the high and normal eGFR groups, the eGFR did not significantly differ over time in the low eGFR group. There was no marked difference in the frequency of adverse events that were specific for SGLT2 inhibitors among the 3 groups in the safety analysis set.ConclusionsLuseogliflozin can preserve the renal function in the medium term in patients with type 2 diabetes and renal impairment without an increase in specific adverse events