Structural and infrared spectral changes of silicon oxide grains by heat treatments

In order to elucidate the relationship between crystallographic structures of amorphous silicon oxide grains and infrared (IR) spectra, ultrafine grains produced by the gas evaporation method have been studied on the basis of IR spectral measurements and electron microscopic (EM) observations. The shifts and disappearance in the IR absorption peaks of specimen heat-treated in air have been found. The spectral changes have been discussed in the relation with the polymorphism of silica

A Patient with Type 3 Autoimmune Polyglandular Syndrome who Developed Systemic Lupus Erythematosus 8 years after the Diagnosis of Autoimmune Hepatitis

Eight years prior to her present admission, a 61-year-old Japanese woman was diagnosed with autoimmune hepatitis, slowly progressive insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, and chronic thyroiditis; she had been treated with oral prednisolone (PSL). After she suddenly discontinued PSL, she newly developed systemic lupus erythematosus. A combination therapy of oral PSL and intravenous cyclophosphamide resulted in remission. She was finally diagnosed with autoimmune polyglandular syndrome (APS) type 3 (3A ,3B, 3D), complicated with four different autoimmune diseases. Since patients with type 3 APS may present many manifestations over a long period of time, they should be carefully monitored

Possible Clinical Significance of Serum Soluble Interleukin-2 Receptor Level in Primary Bone Lymphoma: Two Case Reports

In two patients with primary bone lymphoma (PBL) treated in our clinic, serum levels of soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) reflected the clinical course. In both cases, sIL-2R levels were high before treatment and normalized with the therapeutic effects of chemotherapy, coinciding with the changes in lactate dehydrogenase levels and radiographic findings. Adding to the recently reported results of the diagnostic ability of sIL-2R in PBL, our case study highlights the clinical significance of serum sIL-2R levels as a tumor marker in PBL cases

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Combined with Action Observation and Electromyographic Biofeedback Training in a Patient with Writer’s Cramp

We present a 47-year-old right-handed woman with a 15-year history of writer’s cramp who was provided with six sessions of cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) combined with observation of writing actions performed by a healthy subject and electromyographic (EMG) biofeedback training to decrease EMG activities in her right forehand muscles while writing for 30 min for 4 weeks. She showed improvement in dystonic posture and writing speed after the intervention. The writing movement and writing speed scores on a writer’s cramp rating scale decreased, along with writing time. Our findings demonstrated that cathodal tDCS combined with action observation and EMG biofeedback training might improve dystonic writing movements in a patient with writer’s cramp

Cord blood BPA and reproductive and thyroid hormone levels of neonates

Background: Bisphenol A (BPA) is widely used and BPA exposure is nearly ubiquitous in developed countries. While animal studies have indicated adverse health effects of prenatal BPA exposure including reproductive dysfunction and thyroid function disruption possibly in sex-specific manner, findings from epidemiological studies have not been enough to proof these adverse effects. Given very limited research on human, the aim of this study was to investigate associations between cord blood BPA levels and reproductive and thyroid hormone levels of neonates and whether associations differed by neonate sex. Methods: Among 514 participants of the Hokkaido study who were recruited from 2002 to 2005 at one hospital in Sapporo, Japan. BPA level in cord blood was determined by ID-LC/MS/MS and the limit of quantification was 0.040 ng/ml. 9 types of reproductive hormone levels in cord blood were measured and thyroid hormone levels were obtained from neonate mass screening test data. 283 subjects those who had both BPA and hormone levels measurements were included for the final analyses. Results: Geometric mean of cord blood BPA was 0.051 ng/ml. After adjustment, BPA level was negatively associated with prolactin (PRL) (β=-0.38). There was an interaction between infant sex and BPA levels on PRL, weak negative association was found in boys (β=-0.12) whereas weak positive association was found in girls (β=0.14). BPA level showed weak positive association with testosterone, estradiol and progesterone levels in boys. No association was found between BPA and thyroid hormone levels. Conclusions: Our findings suggested that fetal BPA levels might be associated with certain reproductive hormone levels of neonate with sex-specific manner, though further investigations are necessary

Relationship between adrenal steroid hormones in cord blood and birth weight : The Sapporo Cohort, Hokkaido Study on Environment and Children's Health

Objectives: We investigated the relationship between steroid hormone levels in cord blood and birth weight. Methods: Among 514 participants in a prospective birth cohort study in Sapporo, the following hormone levels were measured in 294 stored cord blood samples from 135 males and 159 females: androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), cortisol, and cortisone. Birth weight information was obtained from medical records. Results: Androstenedione/DHEA was significantly higher in males than in females, while DHEA was significantly higher in females. Birth weight was significantly higher in males than in females. Regarding cortisone, androstenedione/DHEA, and cortisone/cortisol, a correlation was observed with birth weight in males but not in females. Conclusions: Prenatal adrenal steroids as well as converting enzymes such as 11ß-hydrosteroid dehydrogenase type 2 and 3ß-hydrosteroid dehydrogenase may have an impact on prenatal physical development

Effects of adrenal androgens during the prenatal period on the second to fourth digit ratio in school-aged children

Objectives We investigated the relationship between the levels of adrenal steroid hormones in cord blood and the second to fourth digit ratio (2D/4D), which is regarded as an indirect method to investigate the putative effects of prenatal exposure to androgens, in school-aged children. Materials and methods Of the 514 mother-child pairs who participated in the prospective cohort study of birth in Sapporo between 2002 and 2005, the following adrenal steroid hormone levels in 294 stored cord blood samples (135 males and 159 females) were measured; cortisol, cortisone, androstenedione and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). A total of 190 out of 350 children who were currently school-aged and contactable for this survey sent back photocopies of their palms for 2D/4D measurements. Results 2D/4D in all right hands, left hands, and mean values was significantly lower in males than in females (p < 0.01). DHEA levels were significantly higher in females. A multivariate regression model showed that 2D/4D negatively correlated with DHEA in males only (p < 0.01). No correlations were observed in the other adrenal steroid hormones tested in males or in any adrenal steroid hormones in females. Conclusion DHEA is mainly secreted in large amounts by the adrenal gland and is transformed into active sex-steroid hormones in peripheral tissues. The present study demonstrated that sex differences in digits were influenced by adrenal androgens during the prenatal period, possibly through intracrinological processes for androgen receptors located in fetal cartilaginous tissues