103 research outputs found
The establishment of the food safety commission (FSC) and its role in relation to boiling spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in Japan
After the detection of the first case of bovine spongiformencephalopathy (BSE) in Japan, severalmeasures
were introduced to protect public and animal health. Those measures included BSE testing of
all cattle slaughtered for human consumption with a rapid test, removal of specified risk materials
(SRM), enhancement of surveillance, and feed ban. In addition, the Food Safety Basic Law was enforced
and the Food Safety Commission (FSC) was established in July 2003 to strengthen the function of the
government in food safety. In December 2004, the first case of BSE was detected in the United States,
and the Japanese government suspended importation of beef from the US to Japan, causing a new
trade issue between the two countries. This article outlines how the Japanese government addressed
the domestic BSE issues and bilateral trade issues in consultation with the FSC.Après la détection du premier
cas d'encéphalopathie spongiforme bovine (ESB) au Japon, plusieurs mesures ont été prises
pour protéger la santé publique et animale. Elles comprennent le dépistage de l'ESB, par un
test rapide, de tous les bovins abattus pour la consommation humaine, le retrait des
matériels à risques spécifiés (MRS), le renforcement de la surveillance et l'interdiction
des farines de viandes et d'os. En outre, la Loi fondamentale sur la sécurité alimentaire a
été appliquée et la Commission de la sécurité sanitaire des aliments (CSSA) a été créée en
juillet 2003 pour conseiller le gouvernement en matière de sécurité alimentaire. En décembre
2004, suite au premier cas d'ESB détecté aux Etats-Unis, le gouvernement japonais a suspendu
l'importation de viande bovine qui en provenait, provoquant un nouveau problème commercial
entre les deux pays. Cet article décrit la façon dont le gouvernement japonais, après
consultation de la CSSA, a contrôlé, au plan national, la situation relative à l'ESB et les
relations commerciales bilatérales
Cloning, expression, crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis of a human condensin SMC2 hinge domain with short coiled coils
Kawahara, K., Nakamura, S., Katsu, Y., Motooka, D., Hosokawa, Y., Kojima, Y., Matsukawa, K., Takinowaki, H., Uchiyama, S., Kobayashi, Y., Fukui, K. & Ohkubo, T. (2010). Acta Cryst. F66, 1067-1070
Structural basis for dimer formation of human condensin structural maintenance of chromosome proteins and its implications for single-stranded DNA recognition
Eukaryotic structural maintenance of chromosome proteins (SMC) are major components of cohesin and condensins that regulate chromosome structure and dynamics during cell cycle. We here determine the crystal structure of human condensin SMC hinge heterodimer with ∼30 residues of coiled coils. The structure, in conjunction with the hydrogen exchange mass spectrometry analyses, revealed the structural basis for the specific heterodimer formation of eukaryotic SMC and that the coiled coils from two different hinges protrude in the same direction, providing a unique binding surface conducive for binding to single-stranded DNA. The characteristic hydrogen exchange profiles of peptides constituted regions especially across the hinge-hinge dimerization interface, further suggesting the structural alterations upon single-stranded DNA binding and the presence of a half-opened state of hinge heterodimer. This structural change potentially relates to the DNA loading mechanism of SMC, in which the hinge domain functions as an entrance gate as previously proposed for cohesin. Our results, however, indicated that this is not the case for condensins based on the fact that the coiled coils are still interacting with each other, even when DNA binding induces structural changes in the hinge region, suggesting the functional differences of SMC hinge domain between condensins and cohesin in DNA recognition.Susumu Uchiyama, Kazuki Kawahara, Yuki Hosokawa, Shunsuke Fukakusa, Hiroya Oki, Shota Nakamura, Yukiko Kojima, Masanori Noda, Rie Takino, Yuya Miyahara, Takahiro Maruno, Yuji Kobayashi, Tadayasu Ohkubo, Kiichi Fukui. Structural Basis for Dimer Formation of Human Condensin Structural Maintenance of Chromosome Proteins and Its Implications for Single-stranded DNA Recognition. Journal of Biological Chemistry, Volume 290, Issue 49, 2015, Pages 29461-29477. https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.M115.670794
The Radio to Infrared Emission of Very High Redshift Gamma-Ray Bursts: Probing Early Star Formation through Molecular and Atomic Absorption Lines
We evaluate the broadband afterglow emission of very high redshift gamma-ray
bursts (GRBs) using standard relativistic blastwave models with both forward
and reverse shock components. For a broad range of parameters, a generic
property for GRBs at redshifts 5--30 is that the emission peaks in the
millimeter to far-infrared bands with milli-Jansky flux levels, first at a few
hours after the burst due to the reverse shock, and then again for several days
afterwards with somewhat lower flux due to the forward shock. The radio,
submillimeter and infrared continuum emission should be readily detectable out
to z \ga 30 by the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA), Extended Very Large
Array (EVLA), Square Kilometer Array (SKA) and other facilities. For relatively
bright bursts, spectroscopic measurements of molecular and atomic absorption
lines due to ambient protostellar gas may be possible. Utilizing models of
primordial protostellar clouds, we show that under certain conditions,
appreciable absorption may be caused by HD rotational transitions even in
metal-free environments. After sufficient metal enrichment, absorption from CO
rotational transitions and [OI] fine-structure transitions can also become
strong. With appropriate observing strategies in combination with optical
telescopes, ALMA and/or SKA may be able to detect such lines, offering a unique
probe of physical conditions in individual Pop III and early Pop II star
forming regions. We also remark on potential near-infrared absorption features
due to electronic transitions of H.Comment: MNRAS, in press; 16 pages, 11 figure
Why Are Outcomes Different for Registry Patients Enrolled Prospectively and Retrospectively? Insights from the Global Anticoagulant Registry in the FIELD-Atrial Fibrillation (GARFIELD-AF).
Background: Retrospective and prospective observational studies are designed to reflect real-world evidence on clinical practice, but can yield conflicting results. The GARFIELD-AF Registry includes both methods of enrolment and allows analysis of differences in patient characteristics and outcomes that may result. Methods and Results: Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and ≥1 risk factor for stroke at diagnosis of AF were recruited either retrospectively (n = 5069) or prospectively (n = 5501) from 19 countries and then followed prospectively. The retrospectively enrolled cohort comprised patients with established AF (for a least 6, and up to 24 months before enrolment), who were identified retrospectively (and baseline and partial follow-up data were collected from the emedical records) and then followed prospectively between 0-18 months (such that the total time of follow-up was 24 months; data collection Dec-2009 and Oct-2010). In the prospectively enrolled cohort, patients with newly diagnosed AF (≤6 weeks after diagnosis) were recruited between Mar-2010 and Oct-2011 and were followed for 24 months after enrolment. Differences between the cohorts were observed in clinical characteristics, including type of AF, stroke prevention strategies, and event rates. More patients in the retrospectively identified cohort received vitamin K antagonists (62.1% vs. 53.2%) and fewer received non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (1.8% vs . 4.2%). All-cause mortality rates per 100 person-years during the prospective follow-up (starting the first study visit up to 1 year) were significantly lower in the retrospective than prospectively identified cohort (3.04 [95% CI 2.51 to 3.67] vs . 4.05 [95% CI 3.53 to 4.63]; p = 0.016). Conclusions: Interpretations of data from registries that aim to evaluate the characteristics and outcomes of patients with AF must take account of differences in registry design and the impact of recall bias and survivorship bias that is incurred with retrospective enrolment. Clinical Trial Registration: - URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier for GARFIELD-AF (NCT01090362)
Risk profiles and one-year outcomes of patients with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation in India: Insights from the GARFIELD-AF Registry.
BACKGROUND: The Global Anticoagulant Registry in the FIELD-Atrial Fibrillation (GARFIELD-AF) is an ongoing prospective noninterventional registry, which is providing important information on the baseline characteristics, treatment patterns, and 1-year outcomes in patients with newly diagnosed non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). This report describes data from Indian patients recruited in this registry. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 52,014 patients with newly diagnosed AF were enrolled globally; of these, 1388 patients were recruited from 26 sites within India (2012-2016). In India, the mean age was 65.8 years at diagnosis of NVAF. Hypertension was the most prevalent risk factor for AF, present in 68.5% of patients from India and in 76.3% of patients globally (P < 0.001). Diabetes and coronary artery disease (CAD) were prevalent in 36.2% and 28.1% of patients as compared with global prevalence of 22.2% and 21.6%, respectively (P < 0.001 for both). Antiplatelet therapy was the most common antithrombotic treatment in India. With increasing stroke risk, however, patients were more likely to receive oral anticoagulant therapy [mainly vitamin K antagonist (VKA)], but average international normalized ratio (INR) was lower among Indian patients [median INR value 1.6 (interquartile range {IQR}: 1.3-2.3) versus 2.3 (IQR 1.8-2.8) (P < 0.001)]. Compared with other countries, patients from India had markedly higher rates of all-cause mortality [7.68 per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval 6.32-9.35) vs 4.34 (4.16-4.53), P < 0.0001], while rates of stroke/systemic embolism and major bleeding were lower after 1 year of follow-up. CONCLUSION: Compared to previously published registries from India, the GARFIELD-AF registry describes clinical profiles and outcomes in Indian patients with AF of a different etiology. The registry data show that compared to the rest of the world, Indian AF patients are younger in age and have more diabetes and CAD. Patients with a higher stroke risk are more likely to receive anticoagulation therapy with VKA but are underdosed compared with the global average in the GARFIELD-AF. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION-URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01090362
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