Magnetism in f electron superlattices

We analyze antiferromagnetism in $f$ electron superlattices. We show that the competition between the Kondo effect and the RKKY interaction in $f$ electron materials is modified by the superlattice structure. Thus, the quantum critical point which separates the magnetic phase and the Fermi liquid phase depends on the structure of the $f$ electron superlattice. The competition between the Kondo effect and the RKKY interaction is also reflected in the magnetic interlayer coupling between different $f$ electron layers. We demonstrate that in the case of weak Kondo effect the magnetic interlayer coupling behaves similar to other magnetic heterostructures without Kondo effect. However, close to the quantum phase transition, the dependence of the interlayer coupling on the distance between the $f$ electron layers is modified by the Kondo effect. Another remarkable effect, which is characteristic for $f$ electron superlattice, is that the magnetic interlayer coupling does vanish stepwise depending on the distance between different $f$ electron layers. As a consequence, the quantum critical point depends also stepwise on this distance

Clinical, radiological, and biochemical characteristics in patients with diseases mimicking polymyalgia rheumatica

To find out clues to differentiate between polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) and other diseases that mimic PMR. We studied Japanese patients with PMR (n = 7), pseudogout (n = 1), remitting seronegative symmetrical synovitis with pitting edema (RS3PE) syndrome (n = 1), and post-infectious polyarthritis (n = 1). The distribution of inflammation in patients was evaluated using a gallium-67 scintigraphy. We measured serum C-reactive protein (CRP), matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in patients before and after treatment. Further, we compared the clinical course of PMR with that of other diseases that mimic PMR. Patients with pseudogout, RS3PE syndrome, post-infectious polyarthritis manifested similar changes in scintigraphic findings and serum CRP, MMP-3, and VEGF levels to PMR before the treatment. A significant reduction in serum CRP levels at one week after use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is a good clue to differentiate pseudogout and post-infectious polyarthritis from PMR. Chondrocalcinosis in the radiographs of joints is also effective to differentiate pseudogout from PMR. A small reduction of CRP levels after NSAIDs use and promptly ameliorated CRP and symptoms by a low-dose steroid therapy, which was commonly observed in patients with PMR, were also found in a patient with RS3PE syndrome. Pitting edema of the back of hands and gallium uptake in metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joints were useful to differentiate RS3PE syndrome from PMR. In conclusion, pseudogout, RS3PE syndrome, post-infectious polyarthritis should be included in the spectrum of diseases mimicking PMR. A promptly decreased serum CRP level by NSAIDs is a good clue to differentiate pseudogout and post-infectious polyarthritis from PMR. Pitting edema of the back of hands and symmetric gallium uptake in MCP joints are characteristic for RS3PE syndrome

Myositis, Vasculitis, Hepatic Dysfunction in Adult-Onset Still's Disease

Although hepatic dysfunction is common in adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD), sometimes it is difficult to differentiate hepatic dysfunction due to AOSD itself from drug-induced hepatic dysfunction. Further, myalgia often occurs in patients with AOSD; however, AOSD patients complicated with myositis are rare. We report a 43-year-old Japanese man with AOSD who developed myositis and hepatic dysfunction which were deteriorated by multiple nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and were dramatically ameliorated by a low-dose steroid therapy. A skin biopsy of salmon pink rash which is characteristic for AOSD showed leukocytoclastic vasculitis, and the markers for vasculitis, plasma von Willebrand factor, and vascular endothelial growth factor levels were elevated in this patient, suggesting an association between AOSD and systemic vasculitis

Antihypertensive effects of astaxanthin

Astaxanthin is a biological antioxidant naturally found in a wide variety of aquatic living organisms, and has shown various pharmacological activities, such as anti-inflammatory and antidiabetic activities. A recent study reported that the administration of astaxanthin induced a significant reduction in blood pressure and delayed the incidence of stroke in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats, suggesting that astaxanthin also has antihypertensive effect. In a study using aortic rings of spontaneously hypertensive rats, astaxanthin induced a significant reduction of the contractile responses of the aorta to α-adrenergic receptor agonist and angiotensin II, which may contribute to the antihypertensive effect of astaxanthin. In a histopathological study, astaxanthin decreased coronary artery wall thickness compared with the control, indicating the possibility that astaxanthin ameliorates hypertension-induced vascular remodeling. Astaxanthin has anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antihypertensive, and antioxidative activities; therefore, we should perform further studies to elucidate an antiatherogenic effect of astaxanthin

A 90-day Feeding Toxicity Study of l-Serine in Male and Female Fischer 344 Rats

A subchronic feeding study of l-serine (l-Ser) was conducted with groups of 10 male and 10 female Fischer 344 rats fed a powder diet containing 0, 0.06, 0.5, 1.5 or 5.0% concentrations of l-Ser for 90 days. There were no toxicologically significant, treatment-related changes with regards to body weight, food intake, water intake or urinalysis data. In several of the hematology, serum biochemistry and organ weight parameters, significant changes were observed between some of the treated groups and the controls. All these changes, however, were subtle and lacked any corresponding pathological findings. In addition, the increased or decreased values remained within the range of the historical control values. In fact, histopathological assessment revealed only sporadic and/or spontaneous lesions. In conclusion, the no-observed-adverse-effect-level (NOAEL) for l-Ser was, therefore, determined to be at least a dietary dose of 5.0% (2765.0 mg/kg body weight/day for males and 2905.1 mg/kg body weight/day for females) under the present experimental conditions

Transplantation of a human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived airway epithelial cell sheet into the middle ear of rats

[Introduction] Early postoperative regeneration of the middle ear mucosa is essential for the prevention of postoperative refractory otitis media and recurrent cholesteatoma. As a means for intractable otitis media management, we focused on human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived airway epithelial cells (AECs), which have been used in upper airway mucosal regeneration and transplantation therapy. In this study, we transplanted hiPSC-derived AECs into the middle ear of immunodeficient rats. [Methods] Following the preparation of AEC sheets from hiPSCs, the bilateral middle ear mucosa of X-linked severe combined immunodeficient rats was scraped, and the AEC sheets were transplanted in the ears unilaterally. [Results] Human nuclear antigen (HNA)-positive ciliated cells were observed on the transplanted side of the middle ear cavity surface in three of six rats in the 1-week postoperative group and in three of eight rats in the 2-week postoperative group. No HNA-positive cells were found on the control side. The percentage of HNA-positive ciliated cells in the transplanted areas increased in the 2-week postoperative group compared with the 1-week group, suggesting survival of hiPSC-derived AECs. Additionally, HNA-positive ciliated cells were mainly located at sites where the original ciliated cells were localized. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that the transplanted AECs contained cytokeratin 5- and mucin 5AC-positive cells, indicating that both basal cells and goblet cells had regenerated within the middle ear cavity. [Conclusions] The results of this study are an important first step in the establishment of a novel transplantation therapy for chronic otitis media