Regarding university students' experiences of symptoms of depersonalization : From the relationships with interpersonal stressors and mental health <Article>

This study examined the effects that status of interpersonal stressors and frequency of interpersonal stressors have on the experience of symptoms of depersonalization, including the factor of mental health status. A questionnaire survey was administered to 364 university students, and the results demonstrated that the frequency of interpersonal stressors had an effect on the students' experiences of symptoms of depersonalization. It was also demonstrated that a higher frequency of interpersonal conflict as a stressor significantly increases the experience of symptoms of depersonalization called "uncomfortable feeling for body sensation and others" for the group with lower mental health status, when compared to the group with higher mental health status. Because interpersonal conflict has a stronger impact on the individual compared to interpersonal dislocation and interpersonal failure, it can be estimated that people with a lower mental health status perceive it more intensely, and that it can become a strong stressor. Furthermore, it was suggested that the frequency of interpersonal dislocation can become a trigger for an experience of symptoms of depersonalization present with an uncomfortable feeling for self, and the frequency of interpersonal conflict can become a trigger for an experience of symptoms of depersonalization present with an uncomfortable feeling for the external world

Relation between the serum albumin level and nutrition supply in patients with pressure ulcers : retrospective study in an acute care setting

This retrospective study examined the validity of the commonly used serum albumin level as an indicator of nutrition status of patients with pressure ulcer(s), particularly because the serum albumin level is affected by various factors and may not be specific to malnutrition. Specifically, we investigated whether nutrition supply or inflammation affects the serum albumin level in 82 patients with pressure ulcers(s) (29 in whom pressure ulcer was present upon admission and 53 in whom pressure ulcer developed after hospital admission). Serum albumin levels, blood test including C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and blood count, caloric intake, and depth and healing of pressure ulcers were compared between various subgroups of patients. Serum albumin levels correlated with red blood cell counts and hemoglobin and CRP levels but not with caloric intake. The correlation with CRP before and after several weeks of pressure ulcer treatment was negative. The serum albumin level upon admission was higher in patients in whom the ulcer healed than in those in whom it did not heal as well as in patients who were discharged than in those who died in the hospital. The serum albumin level appears to reflect inflammation, wound healing, and disease severity rather than nutrition supply in patients with pressure ulcer

Quantitative monitoring of single nucleotide mutations by allele-specific quantitative PCR can be used for the assessment of minimal residual disease in patients with hematological malignancies throughout their clinical course

BackgroundMonitoring of minimal residual disease (MRD) in patients with hematological malignancies is important for evaluating the patients\u27 therapeutic response and risk of relapse. Single nucleotide mutations associated with leukemogenesis can be considered as applicable MRD markers.MethodsWe developed an allele-specific quantitative polymerase chain reaction (AS-qPCR) for FLT3 2503G > T, KIT 2446G > T, and KIT 2447A > T and compared the change in the expression levels of the FLT3 or KIT mutations assessed by AS-qPCR to those of the RUNX1–RUNX1T1 fusion gene and WT1 by conventional quantitative PCR.ResultsThe AS-qPCR using primers including template-mismatched nucleotide or template-mismatched nucleotide plus locked nucleic acid substituted nucleotide provided higher selectivity for mutant nucleotides. The change in the expression levels of the FLT3 or KIT mutations at the time of relapse and just after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation correlated well with that of the RUNX1–RUNX1T1 fusion gene and WT1. Moreover, during complete remission, only AS-qPCR could detect low-level expression of residual mutations.ConclusionsThe AS-qPCR for analyzing single nucleotide mutations contributes to the monitoring of MRD in patients without recurrent fusion gene throughout the clinical course and thus broadens the spectrum of patients in whom MRD can be monitored

Medical Treatment of Echinococcus multilocularis and New Horizons for Drug Discovery: Characterization of Mitochondrial Complex II as a Potential Drug Target

As an efficient drug for alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is still not available, new chemotherapy targets are necessary. The mitochondrial respiratory chain may be a good drug candidate because parasite respiratory chains are quite different from those of mammalian hosts. For example, Ascaris suum possesses an NADH‐fumarate reductase system (fumarate respiration) that is highly adapted to anaerobic environments such as the small intestine. It is composed of mitochondrial complex I (NADH‐ubiquinone reductase), complex II (succinate‐ubiquinone reductase), and rhodoquinone. We previously demonstrated that fumarate respiration is also essential in E. multilocularis. Quinazoline, a complex I inhibitor, inhibited growth of E. multilocularis larvae in vitro. These results indicate that fumarate respiration could be a target for E. multilocularis therapy. In the current chapter, we focused on complex II, which is another component of this system, because quinazoline exhibited strong toxicity to mammalian mitochondria. We evaluated the molecular and biochemical characterization of E. multilocularis complex II as a potential drug target. In addition, we found that ascofuranone, a trypanosome cyanide‐insensitive alternative oxidase inhibitor, inhibited E. multilocularis complex II at the nanomolar order. Our findings demonstrate the potential development of targeted therapy against Echinococcus complex II

大学院新入生を対象としたサポートグループによる支援の試み

大学院生は在学年数が短いため，入学初期に早く環境に適応することが重要となる。近年，大学院新入生に「他大学出身者」，「社会人」，「留学生」の割合が増え，大学の環境に適応するには課題が多い。本学では，ピアサポートルームの活動の一環として，大学院生の早期適応を支援するためのサポートグループ活動を実施した。本研究では，その実践活動の内容と効果について検討した。その結果，サポートグループに参加した大学院新入生は，緊張-不安，疲労，混乱，抑うつ-落ち込みなどのネガティブな感情（日本語版POMS 短縮版）が軽減された。また，他大学出身の新入生において，抑うつ-落ち込みの程度が低減するとともに，大学への所属感が高まったことが示唆された。Graduate school programs are short term, so it is important for first-year graduate students to adapt to the environment as soon as they begin their first semester. As part of peer support activities, we conducted support group activities to assist in early adaptation of new graduate students. In this paper, we examined the effect of the support group. We found that the first-year graduate students who joined the support group had reduced negative emotions (POMS shortened version) such as anxiety, fatigue, confusion, and depression. In addition, depression in students transferring from other universities was reduced and the sense of belonging to the university had increased

Epigenetic biomarkers for prediction of sensitivity to chemotherapeutic drugs in multiple myeloma

Multiple myeloma continues to be a lethal malignancy despite the development of treatments such as high-dose chemotherapy combined with stem cell transplantation. Multiple myeloma arises through an accumulation of multiple genetic anges, including immunoglobulin gene rearrangements involved in Cyclin D. The main difficulties in multiple myeloma treatments are drug-resistance. DNA methylation of the5\u27 CpG islands of genes is often found in multiple myeloma. To screen for he genes involved in tumorigenesis of multiple myeloma, which are silenced by DNA methylation, we performed cDNA microarray analysis using multiple myeloma cell lines treated with demethylating agent5-aza-2-deoxycytidine (DAC), and entified RASD1, a dexamethasone (Dex)-inducible gene, as one of the targets of epigenetic changes. Inactivation of RASD1 was found to correlate with resistance to Dex, and treatment of multiple myeloma cells with DAC restored sensitivity to Dex. These findings suggest the involvement of epigenetic gene silencing in multiple myeloma progression and drug-resistance, and the usefulness of demethylation therapy for multiple myeloma treatment. Furthermore, DNA methylation can be an epigenetic biomarker for multiple myeloma

Effect of Environmental Change while Climbing Mt. Daisen on Forced Vital Capacity and Forced Expiratory Volume % in Young Women

The aim of the present study was to clarify the effects of environmental change while climbing Mt. Daisen on forced vital capacity and forced expiratory volume % in young women in summer. Seven healthy Japanese women (age: 22.6 ± 4.2 years) volunteered to climb Mt. Daisen (1,709m), located in Tottori prefecture, in August. Participants\u27 expiratory forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume % (FEV_%) and arterial oxygen saturation (SpO_2) were measured at 4 points (Ground: 10m, Rest point: 780m, Summit: 1,709m, Goal point: 780m). The measurements were conducted soon after the subjects\u27 arrival at each point. The degree of dyspnea sensation was measured at Ground, Rest point, Goal point and at each station. There were no significant changes in FVC. FEV_% at the summit was significantly lower than at the Ground and Rest point. No significant differences were found in SpO_2 at each measuring point. The degree of dyspnea sensation at each station soon after the subjects\u27 arrival was significantly higher than those at the Rest point. The results of this study indicated mild airway contraction induced by stresses on the respiratory system from increasing exercise intensity during an ascent of Mt. Daisen

Two Relapsed Stage III Childhood Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma Patients with NPM-ALK Fusion in Bone Marrow from Initial Diagnosis

Childhood anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) accounts for approx. 10–30 of cases of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and the ALCL99 study reported 60–75 disease-free survival; however, a relatively high relapse rate was observed (25–30 ). We report 2 patients with Stage III ALCL who relapsed 6–18 months after the end of ALCL99 chemotherapy. A retrospective molecular analysis identified the nucleophosmin (NPM)-anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) fusion gene in the first diagnostic bone marrow samples taken from both patients. However, antibodies against the ALK protein appeared to be relatively low in the serum of both patients (×100 and ×750). An increase in chemotherapy intensity may be beneficial if Stage III ALCL patients are shown to be NPM-ALK chimera-positive in the first diagnostic bone marrow sample

Two Relapsed Stage III Childhood Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma Patients with NPM-ALK Fusion in Bone Marrow from Initial Diagnosis

Childhood anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) accounts for approx. 10–30 of cases of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and the ALCL99 study reported 60–75 disease-free survival; however, a relatively high relapse rate was observed (25–30 ). We report 2 patients with Stage III ALCL who relapsed 6–18 months after the end of ALCL99 chemotherapy. A retrospective molecular analysis identified the nucleophosmin (NPM)-anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) fusion gene in the first diagnostic bone marrow samples taken from both patients. However, antibodies against the ALK protein appeared to be relatively low in the serum of both patients (×100 and ×750). An increase in chemotherapy intensity may be beneficial if Stage III ALCL patients are shown to be NPM-ALK chimera-positive in the first diagnostic bone marrow sample