Tripraseodymium penta­iron(III) dodeca­oxide, Pr3Fe5O12: a synchrotron radiation study

The title compound, penta­iron tripraseodymium dodeca­oxide (PrIG), has an iron garnet structure. There are two Fe site symmetries. One of the Fe atoms is coordinated by six O atoms, forming a slightly distorted octa­hedron, and has site symmetry. The other Fe atom is coordinated by four O atoms, forming a slightly distorted tetra­hedron, and has site symmetry. FeO6 octa­hedra and FeO4 tetra­hedra are linked together by corners. The Pr atom is coordinated by eight O atoms, forming a distorted dodeca­hedron, and has 222 site symmetry. The O atoms occupy the general positions

Trineodymium(III) penta­iron(III) dodeca­oxide, Nd3Fe5O12

The title compound, Nd3Fe5O12 (NdIG), has an iron garnet structure. One of the Fe atoms is coordinated by six O atoms in a slightly distorted octa­hedral geometry and has site symmetry. The other Fe atom is coordinated by four O atoms in a slightly distorted tetra­hedral geometry and has site symmetry. The FeO6 octa­hedron and FeO4 tetra­hedron are linked together by corners. The Nd atom is coordinated by eight O atoms in a distorted dodeca­hedral geometry and has 222 site symmetry. The O atoms occupy general positions

Reduction in the magnitude of serum potassium elevation in combination therapy with esaxerenone (CS‐3150) and sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor in patients with diabetic kidney disease: Subanalysis of two phase III studies

Aims/Introduction: We evaluated the effect of co-administration of esaxerenone and a sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor on the magnitude of serum potassium elevation in Japanese patients with diabetic kidney disease. Materials and Methods: We carried out a prespecified subanalysis of data from two phase III studies: a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in patients with type 2 diabetes and microalbuminuria (J308); and a multicenter, single-arm, open-label trial in patients with type 2 diabetes and macroalbuminuria (J309). Changes in serum potassium levels during the studies and other measures were evaluated according to SGLT2 inhibitor use. Results: In both studies, time-course changes in serum potassium levels, and incidence rates of serum potassium elevation were lower in patients with co-administration of SGLT2 inhibitor in both the placebo and esaxerenone groups than those without the inhibitor. In contrast, time-course changes and mean percentage changes from baseline in urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio, the proportion of patients with albuminuria remission and time-course changes in blood pressure did not change with or without SGLT2 inhibitor, whereas the albumin-to-creatinine ratio and blood pressure were reduced with esaxerenone. The blood glucose-lowering effect of SGLT2 inhibitor was not affected by esaxerenone. Conclusions: In Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes and albuminuria treated with esaxerenone, concomitant use of SGLT2 inhibitor reduced the magnitude of serum potassium elevation without any change of its antihypertensive and albuminuria-suppressing effects. Co-administration of esaxerenone and SGLT2 inhibitor might be a beneficial treatment option for patients with diabetic kidney disease

Immunologic Characterization of HIV-Specific DNA Vaccine

We developed a method for applying HIV-1 DNA vaccine topically in mice. Topical application of DNA vaccine to the skin is useful against infections. To find a less expensive and less cumbersome vaccination method, we administered HIV-1 DNA vaccine to the skin of mice after elimination of keratinocytes using a fast-acting adhesive. HIV-1 DNA vaccine induced high levels of both humoral and cell-mediated immune activity against HIV-1 envelope antigen. A high level of HIV-1-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte response was also observed, and a high level of IFN-γ and IL-4 production was induced by the improved skin application of DNA vaccine. High levels of both HIV-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte and delayed type hypersensitivity in topical application were induced by coadministration of the DNA vaccine with IL-12 expression plasmids and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor expression plasmids. These immune responses were inhibited by intradermal injection of anti-CD11c or anti-I-A/I-E antibody. Therefore, topical administration of DNA vaccine is an effective route, and may be very useful for the prevention of infectious diseases

Relationship between Dietary and Other Lifestyle Habits and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Men

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Prevalence of men with cardiometabolic risk factors (CMRF) is increasing in Japan. Few studies have comprehensively examined the relation between lifestyles and CMRF.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We examined the baseline data from 3,498 male workers ages 19 to 69 years who participated in the high-risk and population strategy for occupational health promotion (HIPOP-OHP) study at 12 large-scale companies throughout Japan. The physical activity of each participant was classified according to the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Dietary intake was surveyed by a semi-quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire. We defined four CMRF in this study as follows: 1) high blood pressure (BP): systolic BP ≥ 130 mmHg, or diastolic BP ≥ 85 mmHg, or the use of antihypertensive drugs; 2) dyslipidemia: high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol concentration < 40 mg/dl, or triglycerides concentration ≥ 150 mg/dl, or on medication for dyslipidemia; 3) impaired glucose tolerance: fasting blood sugar concentration ≥110 mg/dl; 4) obese: a body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m².</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Those who had 0 to 4 CMRF accounted for 1,597 (45.7%), 1,032 (29.5%), 587 (16.8%), 236 (6.7%), and 44 (1.3%) participants, respectively, in the Poisson distribution. Poisson regression analysis revealed that independent factors that contributed to the number of CMRF were age (b = 0.020, P < 0.01), IPAQ (b = -0.091, P < 0.01), alcohol intake (ml/day) (b = 0.001, P = 0.03), percentage of protein intake (b = 0.059, P = 0.01), and total energy intake (kcal)(b = 0.0001, P < 0.01). Furthermore, alcohol intake and its frequency had differential effects.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Alcohol intake, percent protein and total energy intake were positively associated, whereas drinking frequency and IPAQ were inversely associated, with the number of CMRF.</p

Plant viruses and viroids in Japan

An increasing number of plant viruses and viroids have been reported from all over the world due largely to metavirogenomics approaches with technological innovation. Herein, the official changes of virus taxonomy, including the establishment of megataxonomy and amendments of the codes of virus classification and nomenclature, recently made by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses were summarized. The continued efforts of the plant virology community of Japan to index all plant viruses and viroids occurring in Japan, which represent 407 viruses, including 303 virus species and 104 unclassified viruses, and 25 viroids, including 20 species and 5 unclassified viroids, as of October 2021, were also introduced. These viruses and viroids are collectively classified into 81 genera within 26 families of 3 kingdoms (Shotokuvirae, Orthornavirae, Pararnavirae) across 2 realms (Monodnaviria and Riboviria). This review also overviewed how Japan’s plant virus/viroid studies have contributed to advance virus/viroid taxonomy

カエル舌咽神経のNa塩味覚刺激に対する相動性応答の性質

The frog glossopharyngeal nerve responds transiently to relatively high concentrations of Na-salts after rinsing the tongue with 1mM NaCl. In the present study, the properties of the phasic responses of the frog glossopharyngeal nerve to Na-salts were investigated. Cross-adaptation experiments between NaCl and LiCl indicate that NaCl and LiCl were very similar to each other. This is in agreement with the fact that LiCl also gives rise to a good salty in humans. The order of effectiveness of Na-salts was NaCl≒Na acetate (NaAc)>Na gluconate (NaGlu). We found that gluconate^- weakly inhibited the phasic response to Na^+. The modulation by gluconate^-was specific to the phasic response to Na^+, because NaAc and NaGlu have a similar effect on phasic responses to quinine-HCl. Amiloride, an epithelial sodium channel broker, did not affect phasic responses to NaCl at 1.5 min after application of amiloride to the tongue, suggesting that amiloride-sensitive Na^+ channels in the apical membrane are not involved in phasic reponses to Na-salts in the frog glossopharyngeal nerve. Unitary impulses from single sensory units were recorded using the suction electrode method (Kitada, 1978). The latency between onset of stimulation and appearance of the first impulses elicited by 100mM NaCl was average 100 msec. Since the time required for antidromic conduction from the impulse initiation site to the recording site was very short, about 2.4 msec (Sato et al., 1987), it was suggested that the latency obtained here was close to the time between the arrival of the chemical stimulus to the apical membrane and the first impulse in taste fibers. The long latency of impulses in responses to NaCl suggests that cation-channels in the apical membrane are not involved in NaCl taste reception responsible for the phasic response