Rate of Family Violence Among Patients With Schizophrenia in Japan

Kageyama, M., Yokoyama, K., Nagata, S., Kita, S., Nakamura, Y., Kobayashi, S., & Solomon, P. (2015). Rate of Family Violence Among Patients With Schizophrenia in Japan. Asia Pacific Journal of Public Health, 27(6), pp. 652–660. © 2015 APJPH. DOI: 10.1177/101053951559506

Endogenous androgens diminish food intake and activation of orexin A neurons in response to reduced glucose availability in male rats

Sex steroids modify feeding behavior and body weight regulation, and androgen reportedly augments food intake and body weight gain. To elucidate the role of endogenous androgens in the feeding regulation induced by reduced glucose availability, we examined the effect of gonadectomy (orchiectomy) on food intake and orexin A neuron’s activity in the lateral hypothalamic/perifornical area (LH/PFA) in response to reduced glucose availability (glucoprivation) induced by 2-deoxy-d-glucose (2DG) administration in male rats. Rats (7W) were bilaterally orchiectomized (ORX group) or sham operated (Sham group). Seventeen days after the surgery, food intake response to 2DG (400 mg/kg, i.v.) was measured for 4 h after the infusion. The same experiment was performed for the immunohistochemical examination of c-Fos-expressing orexin A neurons in the LH/PFA and c-Fos expression in the arcuate nucleus (Arc). Food intake induced by glucoprivation was greater in the ORX group than the Sham group, and the glucoprivation-induced food intake was inversely correlated with plasma testosterone concentration. Glucoprivation stimulated c-Fos expression of the orexin A neurons at the LH/PFA and c-Fos expression in the dorsomedial Arc. The number and percentage of c-Fos-expressing orexin A neurons in the LH/PFA and c-Fos expression in the dorsomedial Arc were significantly higher in the ORX group than the Sham group. This indicates that endogenous androgen, possibly testosterone, diminishes the food intake induced by reduced glucose availability, possibly via the attenuated activity of orexin A neuron in the LH/PFA and neurons in the dorsomedial Arc

An evolving story of angiotensin-II-forming pathways in rodents and humans

Abstract Lessons learned from the characterization of the biological roles of Ang-(1-7) [angiotensin-(1-7)] in opposing the vasoconstrictor, proliferative and prothrombotic actions of AngII (angiotensin II) created an underpinning for a more comprehensive exploration of the multiple pathways by which the RAS (renin-angiotensin system) of blood and tissues regulates homoeostasis and its altered state in disease processes. The present review summarizes the progress that has been made in the novel exploration of intermediate shorter forms of angiotensinogen through the characterization of the expression and functions of the dodecapeptide Ang-(1-12) [angiotensin-(1-12)] in the cardiac production of AngII. The studies reveal significant differences in humans compared with rodents regarding the enzymatic pathway by which Ang-(1-12) undergoes metabolism. Highlights of the research include the demonstration of chymase-directed formation of AngII from Ang-(1-12) in human left atrial myocytes and left ventricular tissue, the presence of robust expression of Ang-(1-12) and chymase in the atrial appendage of subjects with resistant atrial fibrillation, and the preliminary observation of significantly higher Ang-(1-12) expression in human left atrial appendages

Failure of Effector Function of Human CD8+ T Cells in NOD/SCID/JAK3−/− Immunodeficient Mice Transplanted with Human CD34+ Hematopoietic Stem Cells

Humanized mice, which are generated by transplanting human CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells into immunodeficient mice, are expected to be useful for the research on human immune responses. It is reported that antigen-specific T cell responses occur in immunodeficient mice transplanted with both human fetal thymus/liver tissues and CD34+ fetal cells, but it remains unclear whether antigen-specific T cell responses occur in those transplanted with only human CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Here we investigated the differentiation and function of human CD8+ T cells reconstituted in NOD/SCID/Jak3−/− mice transplanted with human CD34+ HSCs (hNOK mice). Multicolor flow cytometric analysis demonstrated that human CD8+ T cells generated from the CD34+ HSCs comprised only 3 subtypes, i.e., CD27highCD28+CD45RA+CCR7+, CD27+CD28+CD45RA−CCR7+, and CD27+CD28+CD45RA−CCR7− and had 3 phenotypes for 3 lytic molecules, i.e., perforin(Per)−granzymeA(GraA)−granzymeB(GraB)−, Per−GraA+GraB−, and PerlowGraA+GraB+. These CD8+ T cells failed to produce IFN-γ and to proliferate after stimulation with alloantigens. These results indicate that the antigen-specific T cell response cannot be elicited in mice transplanted with only human CD34+ HSCs, because the T cells fail to develop normally in such mice

The linkage between medical student readiness for interprofessional learning and interest in community medicine

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between medical student readiness for interprofessional learning and interest in community medicine prior to incorporating community-oriented interprofessional education into the curriculum. Methods: A questionnaire was administered to students at Nagasaki University School of Medicine in Japan during each of three consecutive years (N=2244). The Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) was administered in addition to a questionnaire to evaluate interest in community medicine. The Kruskal-Wallis and Steel-Dwass tests were used to determine differencesbetween school years. Correlation between the RIPLS score and interest in community medicine was evaluated with Spearman\u27s rank correlation coefficient. Relationships between RIPLS score and demographic parameters, and interest in community medicine were evaluated with multiple linear regression analysis. Results: Eighty-four percent (1891/2244) of students responded. The RIPLS score was highest in school year 1, followed by year 6, year 5,year 3, and years 4 and 2. Interest in community medicine correlated with the RIPLS score (rs = 0.332, p < 0.001),but less in year 1 (rs = 0.125, p = 0.002) than in other years. RIPLS score was significantly associated with gender, age, school year, interest in community medicine, but not the year that the survey was conducted. Conclusions: Community-oriented interprofessional education has the potential to improve attitudes towards interprofessional learning. When introducing this promising education into the curriculum from year 1, attracting students\u27 interest in community medicine should be considered

Support for UNRWA's survival

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) provides life-saving humanitarian aid for 5·4 million Palestine refugees now entering their eighth decade of statelessness and conflict. About a third of Palestine refugees still live in 58 recognised camps. UNRWA operates 702 schools and 144 health centres, some of which are affected by the ongoing humanitarian disasters in Syria and the Gaza Strip. It has dramatically reduced the prevalence of infectious diseases, mortality, and illiteracy. Its social services include rebuilding infrastructure and homes that have been destroyed by conflict and providing cash assistance and micro-finance loans for Palestinians whose rights are curtailed and who are denied the right of return to their homeland

Virological characteristics of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.2.75 variant

SARS-CoV-2オミクロンBA.2.75株（通称ケンタウロス）のウイルス学的性状の解明. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2022-10-12.The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.2.75 variant emerged in May 2022. BA.2.75 is a BA.2 descendant but is phylogenetically distinct from BA.5, the currently predominant BA.2 descendant. Here, we show that BA.2.75 has a greater effective reproduction number and different immunogenicity profile than BA.5. We determined the sensitivity of BA.2.75 to vaccinee and convalescent sera as well as a panel of clinically available antiviral drugs and antibodies. Antiviral drugs largely retained potency but antibody sensitivity varied depending on several key BA.2.75-specific substitutions. The BA.2.75 spike exhibited a profoundly higher affinity for its human receptor, ACE2. Additionally, the fusogenicity, growth efficiency in human alveolar epithelial cells, and intrinsic pathogenicity in hamsters of BA.2.75 were greater than those of BA.2. Our multilevel investigations suggest that BA.2.75 acquired virological properties independent of BA.5, and the potential risk of BA.2.75 to global health is greater than that of BA.5