306 research outputs found
Causes of Kawasaki Disease—From Past to Present
Kawasaki disease (KD) is a multisystem vasculitis that primarily affects the coronary arteries of young children. The causes of KD remain a mystery. It is suspected that some sort of infectious agent is involved because KD has epidemicity and seasonality. That said, the incidence of the disease is high among Japanese people, so it can be speculated that the hosts may have some sort of genetic characteristic that leaves them susceptible to KD. Various theories regarding the etiology have been asserted, such as the infectious vasculitis theory, autoantigen theory, superantigen theory, and RNA virus theory; however, none of them have been able to overcome this epidemicity. Taking into consideration the knowledge gained from previous reports, the best scenario explaining the pathogenesis is “individuals with certain genetic backgrounds are affected by microorganisms which trigger KD.” In this article, the pathogenesis of KD is discussed with a focus on the microorganisms mentioned above, along with the previous and current hypotheses as well as my own opinion
Emergent limits of an indirect measurement from phase transitions of inference
Measurements are inseparable from inference, where the estimation of signals
of interest from other observations is called an indirect measurement. While a
variety of measurement limits have been defined by the physical constraint on
each setup, the fundamental limit of an indirect measurement is essentially the
limit of inference. Here, we propose the concept of statistical limits on
indirect measurement: the bounds of distinction between signals and noise and
between a signal and another signal. By developing the asymptotic theory of
Bayesian regression, we investigate the phenomenology of a typical indirect
measurement and demonstrate the existence of these limits. Based on the
connection between inference and statistical physics, we also provide a unified
interpretation in which these limits emerge from phase transitions of
inference. Our results could pave the way for novel experimental design,
enabling assess to the required quality of observations according to the
assumed ground truth before the concerned indirect measurement is actually
performed
Ca II K Spectral Study of an Emerging Flux Region using Domeless Solar Telescope in Hida Observatory
A cooperative observation with Hida observatory and Hinode satellite was
performed on an emerging flux region. The successive Ca II K spectro-heliograms
of the emerging flux region were taken by the Domeless Solar Telescope of Hida
observatory. Hinode observed the emerging flux region with Ca II H and Fe I
Stokes IQUV filtergrams. In this study, detailed dynamics and temporal
evolution of the magnetic flux emergence was studied observationally. The event
was first detected in the photospheric magnetic field signals. 3 minutes later,
the horizontal expansion of the dark area was detected. And then, 7 minutes
later than the horizontal expansion, the emerging loops were detected with the
maximal rise speed of 2.1 km/s at chromospheric heights. The observed dynamics
of emerging magnetic flux from the photosphere to the upper chromosphere is
well consistent with the results of previous simulation works. The gradual
rising phase of flux tubes with a weak magnetic strength was confirmed by our
observation.Comment: 14 pages, 7 figure
Effect of Suplatast Tosilate on Antileukotriene Non-Responders with Mild-to-Moderate Persistent Asthma
ABSTRACTBackgroundImmunomodulatory therapy has been recently introduced for the management of asthma. Suplatast tosilate (ST), a new immune-modifying drug, is known to improve the airway function by inhibiting the release of Th-2 cytokines. However, its efficacy as a controller listed in the guideline, Global Initiative for Asthma 2005 has not been established. In this study we investigated the role of ST in leukotriene receptor antagonist (LTRA) non-responders with mild-to-moderate persistent asthma before initiating corticosteroids inhalation therapy.MethodsThis was a prospective open-level clinical trial. LTRAs was given to 41 patients with asthma for 4 weeks and clinical efficacy was assessed using daily symptom scores. The 10 patients, aged 2.5-8.5 years, who failed to show clinical improvement, were defined as LTRA non-responders. After a 1-week washout period, the efficacy of ST was investigated and compared with LTRA non-responders for the following 4 weeks.ResultsLTRA non-responders showed a significant improvement in the average symptom score, peak expiratory flow, use of rescue medication and the proportion of symptom-free days with ST therapy.ConclusionsST is a good choice for patients who have failed to respond to LTRAs. ST should therefore be added to the list of treatment options for such patients
Ruxolitinib altered IFN-β induced necroptosis of human dental pulp stem cells during osteoblast differentiation
Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the role of ruxolitinib in the interferon beta (IFN-β) mediated osteoblast differentiation using human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs).
Design: hDPSCs from five deciduous teeth of healthy patients were stimulated by adding human recombinant IFN-β protein (1 or 2 ng/ml) to the osteogenic differentiation induction medium. Substrate formation was determined using Alizarin Red staining, calcium concentration, and osteoblast marker expression levels. Ruxolitinib was used to inhibit the Janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of transcription (JAK-STAT) pathway. Apoptosis was detected using terminal deoxynucleotidyl nick-end labeling (TUNEL) staining, and necroptosis was detected using propidium iodide staining and phosphorylated mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein (pMLKL) expression.
Results: In the IFN-β-treated group, substrate formation was inhibited by a reduction in alkaline phosphatase (ALP) expression in a concentration-dependent manner. Although the proliferation potency was unchanged between the IFN-β-treated and control groups, the cell number was significantly reduced in the experimental group. TUNEL-positive cell number was not significantly different; however, the protein level of necroptosis markers, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and pMLKL were significantly increased in the substrate formation. Cell number and ALP expression level were improved in the group administered ruxolitinib, a JAK-STAT inhibitor. Additionally, ruxolitinib significantly suppressed IL-6 and pMLKL levels.
Conclusion: Ruxolitinib interfered with the IFN-β-mediated necroptosis and osteogenic differentiation via the JAK-STAT pathway
Comparison of Total Laparoscopic Hysterectomy with Abdominal Total Hysterectomy in Patients with Benign Disease: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Background: The present study aimed to determine whether total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH) is being implemented safely and appropriately compared with abdominal total hysterectomy (ATH) in our hospital. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed clinical records of 102 patients who underwent total hysterectomy for benign gynecological disease at Japanese Red Cross Yamaguchi Hospital from January 2017 to August 2018. We examined periods of hospital stay, operation time, blood loss, weight of the uterus, frequency of perioperative complications, and the duration from the first visit to the date of surgery. P < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant indicated statistical significance. Results: TLH and ATH were performed in 55 (53%) and 47 (46%) cases, respectively. The TLH group had significantly longer total operation time [133 (82-205) min vs. 87 (57-155) min, P < 0.0001], lesser blood loss [5 (5-35) g vs. 100 (10-820) g, P < 0.0001], shorter hospital stay [7 (5-14) days vs. 10 (9-26) days, P < 0.0001], and lighter uterine weight [206 (27-658) g vs. 554 (79-2284) g, P < 0.0001] than the ATH group. The frequency of perioperative complications did not differ between the two groups (3.5% vs. 8.0%, P = 0.4103). Conclusion: TLH had a longer operation time and a lesser excised uterine weight, but it had less intraoperative blood loss, shorter hospital stay, and no difference in perioperative complication frequency when compared with ATH
Characteristics of infants born to mothers with autoimmune disorders
POSTER PRESENTATION21st European Pediatric Rheumatology (PReS) Congress / 17-21 September 2014 / Belgrade, Serbi
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