Evaluation of the Effect of Increased Arterial Stiffness on Ejection Performance and Pulmonary Arterial Pressure in Primary Mitral Regurgitation and Prediction of Ejection Fraction after Surgery: Analysis Using Wave Intensity

Mitral regurgitation (MR) is a common valvular disorder that has important health consequences. Surgical therapy is associated with reduced long-term mortality in elder patients. Several guidelines exist regarding when and in whom to perform mitral valve surgery, but they are controversial. It is essential to obtain preoperative indices that are promising for predicting postoperative left ventricular function and right ventricular pressure correctly. In aged MR patients, various hemodynamic conditions are presumed to be the causes of higher rate of mortality. In addition, aging causes increase in arterial stiffness. Therefore, it is also important to consider the effects of increased arterial stiffness on hemodynamics in MR. This review was written on the basis of our studies of wave intensity and will focus on the effects of increased arterial stiffness with a specific emphasis on wave intensity, which provides quantitative information about hemodynamic interaction between the ventricle and the arterial system

Hansen\u27s disease (leprosy) in Japan, 1947-2020: an epidemiologic study during the declining phase to elimination

Objectives: Leprosy, or Hansen’s disease was a major public health problem in Japan in the early 20th century. Today, the number of new cases has decreased significantly. We aimed to investigate the trends of leprosy in Japan over the past 73 years and the challenges faced in recent years. Methods: We assessed the data on newly registered cases of leprosy from 1947 to 2020. Results: A total of 10,796 newly registered cases of leprosy were reported during the study period, of which 7573 were registered in mainland Japan, 2962 in Okinawa, and 250 were of foreign origin. Most autochthonous cases were born before 1950 in mainland Japan and before 1975 in Okinawa. The number of nonautochthonous cases surpassed that of autochthonous cases in 1992. Nonautochthonous cases orig- inated from 26 countries, particularly Brazil and the Philippines. Three cases of antimicrobial resistance have been detected among nonautochthonous cases since 2004. Conclusion: Our data suggest that ongoing transmission of leprosy likely ceased in the 1940s in mainland Japan and in the 1970s in Okinawa. With the recent rise of nonautochthonous cases with globalization, continuous surveillance and effort s to maint ain leprosy services within the country are necessary even after reaching the state of elimination

イイダコ(Octopus ocellatus)卵由来の赤血球凝集素について

Hemagglutinating activity was found in extract from Octopus ocellatus eggs. The hemagglutinin was partially purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation and DEAE anion exchange chromatography. DT300, a 300 mM NaCl-eluted fraction from DEAE column, possessed Ca^-dependent hemagglutinating activity on rabbit erythrocytes at concentrations from 0.47 to 30 μg/mL. Protein bands over 200 kDa were observed in DT300 on sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. On the other hand, ruthenium red staining gave an obvious single band on a cellulose acetate membrane. The protein and carbohydrate contents of DT300 were 24% and 2%, respectively. DT300-induced hemagglutination was inhibited by fetuin, asialofetuin, heparin, and DNA but not by heparan sulfate and mono- or oligosaccharides tested. This activity was resistant to heat and protease digestion. These results indicate that the active component having C-type lectin-like activity from octopus eggs may not be composed of protein