繊維リサイクル・リデュース・アップサイクルによる SDGs への取り組み―『ステナイデア2021』研究展示報告―

　「ステナイデア2021」は，2021年3月21日に“身近なごみ問題からエコについて考える”ための国崎クリーンセンター啓発施設「ゆめほたる」にて開催された。当日は，お笑いタレントであり，ごみ清掃員でもあるマシンガンズ滝沢秀一氏による講演会「マシンガンズ滝沢と考えるごみ問題～清掃員から見た景色～」や，日本繊維機械学会フェローであり繊維リサイクル技術研究会委員長の木村照夫名誉教授（京都工芸繊維大学）によるSDGs（持続可能な開発目標）への取り組みとして注目されている繊維リサイクルについての講演会のほかに，我々を含む学会関係者，企業による研究・取組みを紹介した34件のポスター展示，スウィング・ビート・オーケストラが出演するビッグバンドコンサートなどが催された。　本稿では，「ステナイデア」の活動目的と，「ステナイデア2021」の講演内容や，我々がポスター展示をした研究や取組みの内容について報告する

Defecation Habits in Preschoolers Are Associated with Physical Activity: A Cross-Sectional and Isotemporal Substitution Analysis

There is a lack of research on the relationship between defecation habits (DF) and physical activity (PA) in preschoolers. This study aimed to clarify the relationship between sedentary behaviour (SB), PA time, and DF in preschoolers and to estimate the effect of DF replacement in an isotemporal substitution (IS) model. The participants included 166 children (aged 4–6 years) attending childcare facilities. PA was measured using an accelerometer to calculate the daily activity and wearing time for SB, light-intensity physical activity (LPA), and moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA). DF were classified based on defecation frequency and timing. A multinomial logistic regression analysis was used for the IS model. One-way analysis of variance detected significant differences in MVPA between the DF groups (F(2) = 3.12, p < 0.05). According to the analysis results of the IS model, replacing 5 min of SB with MVPA resulted in improved DF (odds ratio [OR], 0.89; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.81–0.97). Conversely, replacing 5 min of MVPA with SB worsened DF (OR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.03–1.23). The findings suggest that PA is associated with DF among preschoolers. It also indicates that replacing SB with MVPA could help improve DF in children

Factors associated with anesthetic satisfaction after cesarean delivery under neuraxial anesthesia

Abstract Introduction Evaluating patient satisfaction with anesthesia is critical for improving their experiences. We investigated perioperative anesthetic satisfaction and associated predictive factors in patients receiving cesarean delivery under neuraxial anesthesia (spinal anesthesia only or combined spinal-epidural anesthesia). Methods This was an institutionally approved retrospective chart review of patients who received cesarean delivery under spinal anesthesia and postoperative evaluation administered by anesthesiologists from January 2009 to December 2013. Multiple pregnancies and patients reporting headache prior to cesarean delivery were excluded. Patients were divided into satisfied and not satisfied groups according to their scores from the 4-point Likert scale. Multivariate analysis was used to identify explanatory factors associated with satisfaction. Results Of 813 patients enrolled, 425 (52.2%) were classified as satisfied. Combined spinal–epidural anesthesia (CSEA) (odds ratio, 3.3; 95% confidence interval, 1.08–10.1) was positively associated with satisfaction. Paresthesia during needle insertion (odds ratio, 0.56; 95% confidence interval, 0.42–0.76), lightning pain during neuraxial anesthesia (odds ratio 0.62; 95% confidence interval, 0.39–0.98), failed block (odds ratio 0.28; 95% confidence interval, 0.09–0.87), and intraoperative use of antiemetic (odds ratio 0.71; 95% confidence interval, 0.53–0.94) were negatively associated with satisfaction. In the 792 patients receiving spinal anesthesia only, the same factors except for CSEA were associated with satisfaction. Conclusions The addition of epidural to spinal anesthesia for cesarean delivery can increase patient satisfaction, whereas paresthesia during needle insertion, lightning pain, failed block, and the use of intraoperative antiemetic were major obstacles to patient satisfaction

Acute Cardiac Failure in a Pregnant Woman due to Thyrotoxic Crisis

Introduction. Cardiac failure during pregnancy is usually related to preeclampsia/eclampsia, rarely to hyperthyroidism. While hyperthyroidism can easily lead to hypertensive cardiac failure and may harm the fetus, it is sometimes difficult to distinguish hyperthyroidism from normal pregnancy. Case Presentation. We encountered a case of 41-year-old pregnant woman with hypertensive cardiac failure. Because we initially diagnosed as pre-eclampsia/eclampsia, Caesarian section was performed. However, her symptoms still persisted after delivery. After thyroid function test results taken on the day of admission were obtained on the fourth day, we could diagnose that her cardiac failure was caused by thyrotoxic crisis. Conclusions. Hypertensive cardiac failure due to hyperthyroidism during pregnancy is rare and difficult to diagnose because of similar presentation of normal pregnancy. However, physicians should be aware of the risks posed by hyperthyroidism during pregnancy

Involvement of Reactive Oxygen Species in Sonodynamically Induced Apoptosis Using a Novel Porphyrin Derivative

In this study, we investigated the induction of apoptosis by ultrasound in the presence of the novel porphyrin derivative DCPH-P-Na(I). HL-60 cells were exposed to ultrasound for up to 3 min in the presence and absence of DCPH-P-Na(I), and the induction of apoptosis was examined by analyzing cell morphology, DNA fragmentation, and caspase-3 activity. Reactive oxygen species were measured by means of ESR and spin trapping technique. Cells treated with 8 &#956;M DCPH-P-Na(I) and ultrasound clearly showed membrane blebbing and cell shrinkage, whereas significant morphologic changes were not observed in cells exposed to either ultrasound or DCPH-P-Na(I) alone. Also, DNA ladder formation and caspase-3 activation were observed in cells treated with both ultrasound and DCPH-P-Na(I) but not in cells treated with ultrasound or DCPH-P-Na(I) alone. In addition, the combination of DCPH-P-Na(I) and the same acoustical arrangement of ultrasound substantially enhanced nitroxide generation by the cells. Sonodynamically induced apoptosis, caspase-3 activation, and nitroxide generation were significantly suppressed by histidine. These results indicate that the combination of ultrasound and DCPH-P-Na(I) induced apoptosis in HL-60 cells. The significant reduction in sonodynamically induced apoptosis, nitroxide generation, and caspase-3 activation by histidine suggests active species such as singlet oxygen are important in the sonodynamic induction of apoptosis. These experimental results support the possibility of sonodynamic treatment for cancer using the induction of apoptosis.</p

Targeted next-generation sequencing for detection of PIK3CA mutations in archival tissues from patients with Klippel–Trenaunay syndrome in an Asian population

Abstract Background Klippel–Trenaunay syndrome (KTS) is a rare slow-flow combined vascular malformation with limb hypertrophy. KTS is thought to lie on the PIK3CA-related overgrowth spectrum, but reports are limited. PIK3CA encodes p110α, a catalytic subunit of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) that plays an essential role in the PI3K/AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway. We aimed to demonstrate the clinical utility of targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) in identifying PIK3CA mosaicism in archival formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues from patients with KTS. Results Participants were 9 female and 5 male patients with KTS diagnosed as capillaro-venous malformation (CVM) or capillaro-lymphatico-venous malformation (CLVM). Median age at resection was 14 years (range, 5–57 years). Median archival period before DNA extraction from FFPE tissues was 5.4 years (range, 3–7 years). NGS-based sequencing of PIK3CA achieved an amplicon mean coverage of 119,000x. PIK3CA missense mutations were found in 12 of 14 patients (85.7%; 6/8 CVM and 6/6 CLVM), with 8 patients showing the hotspot variants E542K, E545K, H1047R, and H1047L. The non-hotspot PIK3CA variants C420R, Q546K, and Q546R were identified in 4 patients. Overall, the mean variant allele frequency for identified PIK3CA variants was 6.9% (range, 1.6–17.4%). All patients with geographic capillary malformation, histopathological lymphatic malformation or macrodactyly of the foot had PIK3CA variants. No genotype–phenotype association between hotspot and non-hotspot PIK3CA variants was found. Histologically, the vessels and adipose tissues of the lesions showed phosphorylation of the proteins in the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, including p-AKT, p-mTOR, and p-4EBP1. Conclusions The PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in mesenchymal tissues was activated in patients with KTS. Amplicon-based targeted NGS could identify low-level mosaicism from low-input DNA extracted from FFPE tissues, potentially providing a diagnostic option for personalized medicine with inhibitors of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway