Indoor particle counts during Asian dust events under everyday conditions at an apartment in Japan.

[Objective]Asian dust storms originating from arid regions of Mongolia and China are a well-known springtime phenomenon throughout East Asia. Evidence is increasing for the adverse health effects caused by airborne desert dust inhalation. Given that people spend approximately 90 % of their time indoors, indoor air quality is a significant concern. The present study aimed to examine the influence of outdoor particulate matter (PM) levels on indoor PM levels during Asian dust events under everyday conditions. [Methods]We simultaneously monitored counts of particles larger than 0.3, 0.5, 1, 2, and 5 μm using two direct-reading instruments (KC-01D1 airborne particle counter; Rion), one placed in an apartment room and another on the veranda, under everyday conditions before and during an Asian dust event. We also examined how indoor particle counts were affected by opening a window, crawling, and air purifier use. [Results]An Asian dust event on 24 April 2012 caused 50- and 20-fold increases in PM counts in outdoor and indoor air, respectively. A window open for 10 min resulted in a rapid increase of indoor PM counts up to 70 % of outside levels that did not return to baseline levels after 3 h. An air purifier rapidly reduced PM counts for all particle sizes measured. [Conclusions]It is important to account for occupant behavior, such as window-opening and air purifier use, when estimating residential exposure to particulate matter

Engineered Heart Tissue: A Novel Tool to Study the Ischemic Changes of the Heart In Vitro

Background: Understanding the basic mechanisms and prevention of any disease pattern lies mainly on development of a successful experimental model. Recently, engineered heart tissue (EHT) has been demonstrated to be a useful tool in experimental transplantation. Here, we demonstrate a novel function for the spontaneously contracting EHT as an experimental model in studying the acute ischemia-induced changes in vitro. Methodology/Principal Findings: EHT was constructed by mixing cardiomyocytes isolated from the neonatal rats and cultured in a ring-shaped scaffold for five days. This was followed by mechanical stretching of the EHT for another one week under incubation. Fully developed EHT was subjected to hypoxia with 1 % O2 for 6 hours after treating them with cell protective agents such as cyclosporine A (CsA) and acetylcholine (ACh). During culture, EHT started to show spontaneous contractions that became more synchronous following mechanical stretching. This was confirmed by the increased expression of gap junctional protein connexin 43 and improved action potential recordings using an optical mapping system after mechanical stretching. When subjected to hypoxia, EHT demonstrated conduction defects, dephosphorylation of connexin-43, and down-regulation of cell survival proteins identical to the adult heart. These effects were inhibited by treating the EHT with cell protective agents. Conclusions/Significance: Under hypoxic conditions, the EHT responds similarly to the adult myocardium, thus making EHT a promising material for the study of cardiac functions in vitro

SAHG, a comprehensive database of predicted structures of all human proteins

Most proteins from higher organisms are known to be multi-domain proteins and contain substantial numbers of intrinsically disordered (ID) regions. To analyse such protein sequences, those from human for instance, we developed a special protein-structure-prediction pipeline and accumulated the products in the Structure Atlas of Human Genome (SAHG) database at http://bird.cbrc.jp/sahg. With the pipeline, human proteins were examined by local alignment methods (BLAST, PSI-BLAST and Smith–Waterman profile–profile alignment), global–local alignment methods (FORTE) and prediction tools for ID regions (POODLE-S) and homology modeling (MODELLER). Conformational changes of protein models upon ligand-binding were predicted by simultaneous modeling using templates of apo and holo forms. When there were no suitable templates for holo forms and the apo models were accurate, we prepared holo models using prediction methods for ligand-binding (eF-seek) and conformational change (the elastic network model and the linear response theory). Models are displayed as animated images. As of July 2010, SAHG contains 42 581 protein-domain models in approximately 24 900 unique human protein sequences from the RefSeq database. Annotation of models with functional information and links to other databases such as EzCatDB, InterPro or HPRD are also provided to facilitate understanding the protein structure-function relationships

含糖酸化鉄注射液の長期投与でFGF23関連低リン血症性骨軟化症を来たしたクローン病の１例

症例は50歳代，男性．クローン病で２年前に右半結腸切除術，小腸部分切除を施行．術後に他院にてアダリムマブを導入され，クローン病は臨床的寛解の状態であった．４か月前より下肢を中心とした疼痛が出現した．アダリムマブによる薬剤起因性ループスあるいは腸炎性関節炎を疑い，２か月前よりアダリムマブ投与を中止し，プレドニゾロンの内服を開始するも改善を認めなかった．血液検査にて，低リン血症と高アルカリフォスファターゼ血症を認め，精査治療目的で当院に紹介入院となった．骨塩定量検査にて骨密度の低下を，骨シンチグラフィーで疼痛を認める骨への多発取り込みを認め，骨軟化症と診断した．血清のfibroblast growth factor 23（FGF23）が175pg/ml と高値であり，入院前まで定期的に使用されていた含糖酸化鉄注射液による，FGF23関連低リン血症性骨軟化症と診断した．含糖酸化鉄注射液投与を中止し，リン製剤とビタミンD 製剤の投与を開始したところ，徐々に低リン血症と高アルカリフォスファターゼ血症の改善を認めた．その後の経過は良好で，FGF23値は徐々に低下を示し，下肢を中心とした疼痛は軽快し，退院した．長期的に含糖酸化鉄注射液を投与する場合は，FGF23関連低リン血症の早期発見のため，血中リン濃度を定期的に測定する必要がある．The case is a man in his 50s. He underwent operations of right half colon resection and small intestine segmental resection due to Crohn’s disease two years ago. After surgery, Adalimumab was introduced in other hospital, and he was a state of the clinical remission in Crohn’s disease. The sharp pain mainly on lower limbs develops from four months ago. We doubted drug origin-related lupus with Adalimumab or enteritis-related joint pain. Therefore, we stopped Adalimumab injection and started internal use of the prednisolone, however the symptoms did not improve and had continued for two months.Laboratory test showed hypophosphatemia and hyperphosphatasemia and then he was transported to our hospital. Bone mineral quantity showed bone salt decrease and bone scan showed increased uptakes in multiple bones. Fibroblast growth factor23 (FGF23) of the serum was high (175pg/ml), and we diagnosed him FGF23-mediated hypophosphatemic osteomalasia induced by prolonged administration of saccharated ferric acid.Saccharated ferric acid has regularly been used until hospitalization. After stopping the ferric acid injection, and taking phosphorus and vitamin D, hypophosphatemia and hyperphosphatasemia was gradually improved. FGF23 level gradually reduced, and the sharp pain mainly on lower limbs was relieved, and it became a discharge. Regular measurement of serum phosphorus concentration is necessary for early detection of the FGF23-related hypophosphatemia in patients with long term use of saccharated ferric acid

川崎医科大学附属病院におけるバルーン小腸内視鏡検査の現状 : 325症例の解析結果を含めて

バルーン小腸内視鏡(balloon assisted endoscopy; BAE)は,従来困難であった小腸の検査・治療に有用な検査法である.当院では,2004年にダブルバルーン小腸内視鏡(double balloon endoscopy; DBE)を導入し,2012年6月現在,234症例(延べ325症例;シングルバルーン小腸内視鏡[single balloon endoscopy; SBE]2例を含む)経験した.症例の内訳は,男性127例,女性107例で,平均年齢は62.6歳であった.主訴は,原因不明の消化管出血(obscure gastrointestinal bleeding; OGIB)症例が143例(61.1%)と最多であった.基礎疾患は心血管障害47例(20.1%)が最多で,抗血小板・抗凝固療法を施行している症例は53例(22.6%)にみられた.経口的アプローチは325症例中158例で,経肛門的アプローチは167例,経口的,経肛門的アプローチを両方施行された症例は56例あった.病変は78例(24.0%)に検出され,その内訳は,びらん及び潰瘍性病変23例(29.5%),腫瘍性病変22例(28.2%),血管性病変21例(26.9%)であった.また,外科的切除,内視鏡的止血術等の治療を58例(74.4%)に施行した.BAE により小腸疾患の診断・治療が大きく進歩した.しかしながら,一方で手技が煩雑な点,患者の身体的侵襲も少なくなく合併症を有する点が欠点として挙げられる.そのため,各種小腸疾患の診断,治療に対しては,個々の患者の状況により,BAEとカプセル内視鏡(capsule endoscopy; CA)とを使い分けていくことが重要である.Balloon assisted endoscopy (BAE) is a novel endoscopic technique developed to investigate small bowel diseases (SBDs). BAE has been installed from 2004 in Kawasaki Medical School Hospital. Since then, 234 patients (107 female, 117 male; mean age 62.6 years) with suspected or known SBDs underwent BAE, and we have performed a total of 325 consecutive BAE procedures. The most common indication for BAE was an obscure gastrointestinal bleeding. Cardiovascular disease was the most major coexisting disease (47 patients, 20.1%), and 53 patients (22.6%) were prescribed anti-platelet and/or anticoagulant therapy. One hundred and fifty eight patients were treated BAE via the oral approach, 167 patients were performed via the anal approach, and 56 patients were treated via the dual approach. The overall diagnostic yield was 24.0% (78/325 cases). Among the 78 cases, there were 23 erosions/ulcerations, 22 tumors, 21 angiovascular lesions, and other SBDs. The subsequent treatments, such as endoscopic therapy and surgical therapy were performed following the BAE procedure in 74.4% (58/78) of cases. BAE is a useful tool that not only allows diagnostic workup of SBDs, but also makes it possible to carry out therapeutic intervention. On the other hand, we should make careful decisions of indications for BAE, because it\u27s an invasive and complex procedure and the examination requires substantial time to complete