Complete Remission of Human Parvovirus B19 Associated Symptoms by Loxoprofen in Patients with Atopic Predispositions

Two cases of women in their thirties with past histories of atopic dermatitis and allergic rhinitis developed a low grade fever, followed by a butterfly-shaped erythema, swelling of their fingers, and polyarthralgia. Despite such symptoms that overlap with those of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the diagnostic criteria for SLE were not fulfilled. Due to positive results for human parvovirus B19 (HPV-B19) IgM antibodies in the serum, diagnoses of HPV-B19 infection were made in both cases. Although acetaminophen failed to improve their deteriorating symptoms, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), loxoprofen, completely removed the symptoms immediately after the administration. In those cases, since the patients were predisposed to atopic disorders, an increased immunological response based on the lymphocyte hypersensitivity was likely to be involved in the pathogenesis. The immunomodulatory property of NSAID was thought to repress such lymphocyte activity and thus provided a rapid and sustained remission of the disease

Synoviolin is a Novel Pathogenic Factor of Arthropathy and Chronic Inflammation

Inflammation is classical pathogenic concept, but still very crucial for understanding many disorders even in twenty-first century. The purpose of inflammation is to eliminate the damaged tissues and to initiate tissue repair. By contrast, chronic inflammation leads to intractable diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), atherosclerosis, cancer, diabetes mellitus, and obesity. We recently cloned synoviolin, an E3 ubiquitin ligase, as an overexpressing molecule in rheumatoid synovium and has been verifying its critical roles in RA, inflammatory cytokine signaling, and fibrosis. Moreover, synoviolin-deficient mice exhibited severe anemia caused by defective nursing activity of erythrocytes in the fetal liver. This phenomenon resembles of RA that accelerates nursing activity. Our data indicate a close relationship between embryogenesis and RA. We successfully discovered synoviolin inhibitors, LS-101 and LS-102. These drugs have inhibitory effects to synoviolin in vitro and in vivo. We are now proceeding with the optimization of small compounds, and we hope our research will lead to the development of a new therapy for RA and fibrosis and other synoviolin-related diseases

Studies on PTH-Amino Acids by High Voltage Filter Paper Electrophoresis

PTH-amino acids were synthesized by EDMAN\u27s method. PTH-amino acids were studied by high voltage filter paper electrophoresis under various conditions. The results of the electrophoresis were investigated by the ultraviolet ray. By the electrophoresis at 2000 V with pH 6 buffer, acid PTHamino acids and basic PTH-amino acids were distinctly detected, and PTHasparatic acid and PTH-asparagine, PTH-glutamic acid and PTH-glutamine were respectively confirmed. The neutral PTH-amino acids were detected by the electrophoresis with pH 4 or pH 2 or pH 1 buffer. The results of these experiments are discussed

Perspective Chapter: The Japanese Coal Mining Industry Reconsidered: From Mechanized Longwall Mining to Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage

This chapter investigates the role of the Japanese coal mining industry in global coal mining development. In the twenty-first century, the Japanese coal mining industry was a marginal contributor to global production, with an annual domestic production of only 750,000 tons. However, as explained below, Japan has contributed to clean coal technologies and coal mining. The combination of chock shields and a double-ended ranging drum shearer is one of the major mechanized longwall mining systems worldwide. It was developed by the Taiheiyo Coal Mining Company in Japan in the mid-1960s and subsequently spread among major coal-producing countries. Japanese coal production systems and clean coal technologies have been transferred to Asian countries since the late-1980s. Currently, carbon dioxide capture and storage system in a mine under the seabed is being implemented by the Kushiro Coal Mine Company which succeeded the mine of Taiheiyo. In addition, Japan has developed technologies for coal-fired power plants to burn coal more efficiently and contains the world’s most efficient ultra-supercritical coal-fired power plants. Furthermore, the world’s largest Integrated Coal Gasification Combined Cycle power plants started operating to reconstruct Fukushima and reduce carbon emissions

The Hydrogen Burning Turn-off of RS Ophiuchi 2006

We report a coordinated multi-band photometry of the RS Oph 2006 outburst and highlight the emission line free y-band photometry that shows a mid-plateau phase at y ~ 10.2 mag from day 40 to day 75 after the discovery followed by a sharp drop of the final decline. Such mid-plateau phases are observed in other two recurrent novae, U Sco and CI Aql, and are interpreted as a bright disk irradiated by the white dwarf. We have calculated theoretical light curves based on the optically thick wind theory and have reproduced the observed light curves including the mid-plateau phase and the final sharp decline. This final decline is identified with the end of steady hydrogen shell-burning, which turned out the day ~80. This turnoff date is consistent with the end of a supersoft X-ray phase observed with Swift. Our model suggests a white dwarf mass of 1.35 \pm 0.01 M_\sun, which indicates that RS Oph is a progenitor of Type Ia supernovae. We strongly recommend the y-filter observation of novae to detect both the presence of a disk and the hydrogen burning turn-off.Comment: to appear in ApJL, 4 pages including 4 figure

Poorer prognosis with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid-dependent pseudothrombocytopenia: a single-center case-control study.

In ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA)-dependent pseudothrombocytopenia (PTCP), automated platelet counts are lower than actual counts because of EDTA-induced aggregation. Factors contributing to the incidence of EDTA-PTCP are unknown, and no study has assessed the prognosis of EDTA-PTCP patients. This retrospective study assessed characteristics in EDTA-PTCP patients and matched controls to determine differences in prognosis. A retrospective case-control study was designed. From the University of Tokyo Hospital database, we identified patients diagnosed with EDTA-PTCP between 2009 and 2012, and performed 1:2 case:control matching for age and sex. A control group of sex- and age-matched patients was selected at random from the same database. We investigated differences in the frequency of complications, medication history, and blood transfusion history between the groups at the time of blood collection. Prognosis was evaluated using multivariate Cox regression analysis adjusting for age, sex, autoimmune disease, liver disease, and malignant tumor. We identified 104 EDTA-PTCP patients and 208 matched controls. The median age was 69.0 years (interquartile range: 54-76), with men comprising 51%. EDTA-PTCP patients had a higher frequency of malignant tumor and a lower frequency of hypertension and diabetes than controls. After adjustment for background factors, prognosis of EDTA-PTCP patients was significantly poorer than controls (hazard ratio, 11.8; 95% confidence intervals, 2.62-53.54). In conclusion, EDTA-PTCP patients had higher mortality, and EDTA-PTCP may need to be recognized as an indicator of worse prognosis

Amelogenin Stimulates Bone Sialoprotein (BSP) Expression Through Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 Response Element and Transforming Growth Factorâ β1 Activation Element in the Promoter of the BSP Gene

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/141420/1/jper1482.pd