Acupressure to Reduce Treatment-Related Symptoms for Children With Cancer and Recipients of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

BackgroundWe describe the study design and protocol of a pragmatic randomized controlled trial (RCT) Acupressure for Children in Treatment for a Childhood Cancer (ACT-CC).ObjectiveTo describe the feasibility and effectiveness of an acupressure intervention to decrease treatment-related symptoms in children in treatment for cancer or recipients of a chemotherapy-based hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT).DesignTwo-armed RCTs with enrollment of 5 to 30 study days.SettingTwo pediatric teaching hospitals.PatientsEighty-five children receiving cancer treatment or a chemotherapy-based HSCT each with 1 parent or caregiver.InterventionPatients are randomized 1:1 to receive either usual care plus daily professional acupressure and caregiver delivered acupressure versus usual care alone for symptom management. Participants receive up to 20 professional treatments.Main outcomeA composite nausea/vomiting measure for the child.Secondary outcomesChild's nausea, vomiting, pain, fatigue, depression, anxiety, and positive affect.Parent outcomesDepression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress symptoms, caregiver self-efficacy, and positive affect. Feasibility of delivering the semistandardized intervention will be described. Linear mixed models will be used to compare outcomes between arms in children and parents, allowing for variability in diagnosis, treatment, and age.DiscussionTrial results could help childhood cancer and HSCT treatment centers decide about the regular inclusion of trained acupressure providers to support symptom management

Genetic Tracing of Jatropha

Jatropha curcas L. (Jatropha), a shrub species of the family Euphorbiaceae, has been recognized as a promising biofuel plant for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, recent attempts at commercial cultivation in Africa and Asia have failed because of low productivity. It is important to elucidate genetic diversity and relationship in worldwide Jatropha genetic resources for breeding of better commercial cultivars. Here, genetic diversity was analyzed by using 246 accessions from Mesoamerica, Africa and Asia, based on 59 simple sequence repeat markers and eight retrotransposon-based insertion polymorphism markers. We found that central Chiapas of Mexico possesses the most diverse genetic resources, and the Chiapas Central Depression could be the center of origin. We identified three genetic groups in Mesoamerica, whose distribution revealed a distinct geographic cline. One of them consists mainly of accessions from central Chiapas. This suggests that it represents the original genetic group. We found two Veracruz accessions in another group, whose ancestors might be shipped from Port of Veracruz to the Old World, to be the source of all African and Asian Jatropha. Our results suggest the human selection that caused low productivity in Africa and Asia, and also breeding strategies to improve African and Asian Jatropha. Cultivars improved in the productivity will contribute to expand mass commercial cultivation of Jatropha in Africa and Asia to increase biofuel production, and finally will support in the battle against the climate change

Cognitive behavioral therapy for depression among adults in Japanese clinical settings: a single-group study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Empirical support for cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for treating Japanese patients with major depression is lacking, therefore, a feasibility study of CBT for depression in Japanese clinical settings is urgently required.</p> <p>Findings</p> <p>A culturally adapted, 16-week manualized individual CBT program for Japanese patients with major depressive disorder was developed. A total of 27 patients with major depression were enrolled in a single-group study with the purpose of testing the feasibility of the program. Twenty six patients (96%) completed the study. The mean total score on the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) for all patients (Intention-to-treat sample) improved from 32.6 to 11.7, with a mean change of 20.8 (95% confidence interval: 17.0 to 24.8). Within-group effect size at the endpoint assessment was 2.64 (Cohen's d). Twenty-one patients (77.7%) showed treatment response and 17 patients (63.0%) achieved remission at the end of the program. Significant improvement was observed in measurement of subjective and objective depression severity (assessed by BDI-II, Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology-Self Rated, and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale), dysfunctional attitude (assessed by Dysfunctional Attitude Scale), global functioning (assessed by Global Assessment of Functioning of DSM-IV) and subjective well-being (assessed by WHO Subjective Well-being Inventory) (all p values < 0.001).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our manualized treatment comprised of a 16-week individual CBT program for major depression appears feasible and may achieve favorable treatment outcomes among Japanese patients with major depression. Further research involving a larger sample in a randomized, controlled trial design is warranted.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>UMIN-CTR UMIN000002542.</p

Genetic tracing of Jatropha curcas L. From its mesoamerican origin to the world

Jatropha curcas L. (Jatropha), a shrub species of the family Euphorbiaceae, has been recognized as a promising biofuel plant for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, recent attempts at commercial cultivation in Africa and Asia have failed because of low productivity. It is important to elucidate genetic diversity and relationship in worldwide Jatropha genetic resources for breeding of better commercial cultivars. Here, genetic diversity was analyzed by using 246 accessions from Mesoamerica, Africa and Asia, based on 59 simple sequence repeat markers and eight retrotransposonbased insertion polymorphism markers. We found that central Chiapas of Mexico possesses the most diverse genetic resources, and the Chiapas Central Depression could be the center of origin. We identified three genetic groups in Mesoamerica, whose distribution revealed a distinct geographic cline. One of them consists mainly of accessions from central Chiapas. This suggests that it represents the original genetic group. We found two Veracruz accessions in another group, whose ancestors might be shipped from Port of Veracruz to the Old World, to be the source of all African and Asian Jatropha. Our results suggest the human selection that caused low productivity in Africa and Asia, and also breeding strategies to improve African and Asian Jatropha. Cultivars improved in the productivity will contribute to expand mass commercial cultivation of Jatropha in Africa and Asia to increase biofuel production, and finally will support in the battle against the climate change.Li H, Tsuchimoto S, Harada K, Yamasaki M, Sakai H, Wada N, Alipour A, Sasai T, Tsunekawa A,Tsujimoto H, Ando T, Tomemori H, Sato S, Hirakawa H, Quintero VP, Zamarripa A, Santos P, Hegazy A, Ali AM and Fukui K (2017) GeneticTracing of Jatropha curcas L. from Its Mesoamerican Origin to the World. Front. Plant Sci. 8:1539.doi: 10.3389/fpls.2017.01539

Anti-inflammatory effect of bee pollen ethanol extract from Cistus sp. of Spanish on carrageenan-induced rat hind paw edema

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Bee pollen, a honeybee product, is the feed for honeybees prepared themselves by pollens collecting from plants and has been consumed as a perfect food in Europe, because it is nutritionally well balanced. In this study, we aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of bee pollen from <it>Cistus </it>sp. of Spanish origin by a method of carrageenan-induced paw edema in rats, and to investigate the mechanism of anti-inflammatory action and also to elucidate components involved in bee pollen extracted with ethanol.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The bee pollen bulk, its water extract and its ethanol extract were administered orally to rats. One hour later, paw edema was produced by injecting of 1% solution of carrageenan, and paw volume was measured before and after carrageenan injection up to 5 h. The ethanol extract and water extract were measured COX-1 and COX-2 inhibitory activities using COX inhibitor screening assay kit, and were compared for the inhibition of NO production in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. The constituents of bee pollen were purified from the ethanol extract subjected to silica gel or LH-20 column chromatography. Each column chromatography fractions were further purified by repeated ODS or silica gel column chromatography.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The bee pollen bulk mildly suppressed the carrageenan-induced paw edema and the water extract showed almost no inhibitory activity, but the ethanol extract showed relatively strong inhibition of paw edema. The ethanol extract inhibited the NO production and COX-2 but not COX-1 activity, but the water extract did not affect the NO production or COX activities. Flavonoids were isolated and purified from the ethanol extract of bee pollen, and identified at least five flavonoids and their glycosides.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>It is suggested that the ethanol extract of bee pollen show a potent anti-inflammatory activity and its effect acts <it>via </it>the inhibition of NO production, besides the inhibitory activity of COX-2. Some flavonoids included in bee pollen may partly participate in some of the anti-inflammatory action. The bee pollen would be beneficial not only as a dietary supplement but also as a functional food.</p

Collective Thomson scattering with 77, 154, and 300 GHz sources in LHD

Collective Thomson scattering (CTS) is one of attractive diagnostics for measuring locally and directly the fuel temperature and the velocity distribution of fast ions in fusion plasmas. A mega-watt class source of millimeter or sub-millimeter waves is required to detect a weak scattered radiation superimposed on background radiation owing to electron cyclotron emissions (ECEs) from plasmas. Based on electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH) system with the frequencies of 77 GHz and 154 GHz in the Large Helical Device (LHD), the CTS diagnostic system has been developed to measure bulk ion temperatures from a few keV to ∼10 keV and fast ions originated from 180 keV-neutral beam injection in the LHD. The measured CTS spectra and their time evolutions are analyzed with the electrostatic scattering theory. The bulk ion temperatures obtained from CTS spectra increase with the neutral beam injections and decrease with the heating terminated. The velocity map of simulated fast ions explains that the bumps on tail of measured CTS spectra are caused by the co- and counter- fast ions. A new prescription for anisotropic velocity distribution function is proposed. As for 154 GHz bands, the CTS spectrum broadenings for D and H plasmas are distinguished reasonably at the same temperature, and its ion temperatures are comparable to those of the charge exchange recombination spectroscopy. As reactor-relevant diagnostics, a 300 GHz gyrotron and a corresponding receiver system have been implemented in LHD to access high density plasmas with low background ECEs. The recent progress for CTS diagnostics and their spectrum analysis with the probe frequencies of 77 GHz, 154 GHz, and 300 GHz in the LHD experiments is described

Comprehensive assessment of metabolic syndrome among rural Bangladeshi women

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MS), defined as a constellation of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, is one of the fastest growing public health burdens in the Asia-Pacific region. This trend is despite the fact that people in this region are no more overweight than Europeans and Americans. Unfortunately, in South Asia, MS screening has only been performed in a few countries other than Bangladesh. Therefore the present study is designed to conduct a comprehensive screening of MS in Bangladeshi rural women, which includes estimation of prevalence and assessment of risk factor. Methods: A total of 1535 rural Bangladesh women aged ≥ 15 years were studied using a population based crosssectional survey. The prevalence of MS was estimated using NCEP ATP III, modified NCEP ATP III and IDF criteria. Results: The prevalence rates of MS were 25.60 % (NCEP ATP III), 36.68 % (modified NCEP ATP III), and 19.80 % (IDF), as revealed by the present study. Furthermore, based on the NCEP ATP III criteria, 11.60 % of the subjects were found to have excess waist circumference; 29.12 % had elevated blood pressure, 30.42 % had elevated fasting plasma glucose level, 85.47 % had low HDL values and 26.91 % had increased triglyceride values. Low plasma HDL level was found to be the most common abnormality in the target population and elevated waist circumference was the least frequent component. Conclusions: The present study reveals a high prevalence of MS and its associated risk factors in rural Bangladeshi women. These findings are important in that they provide insights that will be helpful in formulating effective public health policy, notably the development of future health prevention strategies in Bangladesh