Dermoscopy of Rippled Pattern Sebaceoma

A 77-year-old Japanese woman presented a dome-shaped pinkish nodule on the scalp. Dermoscopy demonstrated yellowish homogeneous ovoid areas with translucent whitish veil and arborizing vessels. No association with Muir-Torre syndrome was found. Histopathology revealed a smooth-bordered neoplasm in the dermis with partial connection to the epidermis. The tumor was composed mainly of germinative cells. The tumor focally showed a typical “rippled pattern”. There were only a few vacuolated cells suggesting sebaceous differentiation. These cells were highlighted with adipophilin antibody. No nuclear atypia or mitotic figures were observed. We regarded the neoplasm as sebaceoma. Dermoscopy demonstrated clearly visualized yellowish homogeneous ovoid areas. This feature usually corresponds to dermal conglomerations of the cells with sebaceous differentiation. However, this case histopathologically showed only limited area with sebaceous differentiation. We presented a case of rippled-pattern sebaceoma and described its dermoscopic features. This was the first report referring to the dermoscopic features of sebaceoma

Anemia among freshmen of a faculty of physical education : Risk factors among female students

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the frequency of anemia and to explore risk factors related to anemia among female students at admission. Methods: Participants were 2,361 freshmen in a faculty of physical education from 2008 to 2011. Risk factors for anemia were examined in 577 female students out of 2,361 students in total. Rates of anemia and iron storage depletion were examined in both male and female students, and risk factors for anemia were examined in a multiple logistic regression model. Results: The rate of anemia （less than 12 g/dl of hemoglobin） was 0.1% among males, 6.1% among females, and 1.7% among both sexes. The rate of anemia （less than 13 g/dl of hemoglobin） was 0.6% among males, 31.0% among females, and 8.0% among both sexes. The rate of ion storage depletion was 2.9% among males, 31.0% among females, and 25.3% among both sexes. A multiple logistic regression model indicated that sFe levels, TIBC, and CK levels were significant factors related to anemia among female students. Conclusion: The rate of anemia was 0.6% among male students（ defined as hemoglobin <13 g/dl） and 6.1% among female students（ defined as hemoglobin <12 g/dl） at admission. Results indicated that risk factors related to anemia in female students were an iron deficiency and elevated CK due to excessive exercise

Selection of regional factors associated with low birthweight in Japan

Background　Babies with low birthweight have potential physical and mental disadvantages.Purpose　The purpose of this study was to determine the social and demographic variables (SDVs) related to the low birthweight rate (LBWR) in Japan using a combination of the correlation coefficient (CC) and coefficient of determination (R2)．Methods　We obtained 704 variables from 13 statistical tables in the SDVs of the 2017 e-Stat database of Japan. We calculated the CCs between the LBWR and the 704 variables in each Japanese prefecture. Of the original 704 variables, 21 were selected, as the CCs between the LBWR and variables were ≥0.4. We conducted multiple regression analysis between the LBWR and these 21 variables to obtain a list of 21 explanatory variables in ascending order by p-value. We also repeated the multiple regression analysis 21 times to obtain the R2 and adjusted R2.Results　The median LBWR was 9.5%, the maximum was 11.5%, the minimum was 8.2%, and the mean was 9.5% among 47 prefectures. Only the variable amount of saving per household” exhibited statistical significance (p＝0.048)， and its R2 and R2adj were 0.164 and 0.149, respectively. The R2 was 0.669 (88.3% of the maximum)， and the R2adj was 0.610 (95.3% of the maximum) and the maximum in seven explanatory variables that reached the plateau.Conclusion　The combination of CCs and R2 indicated that the LBWR was significantly related to the regional factor “amount of savings per household,” as determined from the social and demographic database in Japan

The mechanism of SO2 -induced stomatal closure differs from O3 and CO2 responses and is mediated by nonapoptotic cell death in guard cells.

Plants closing stomata in the presence of harmful gases is believed to be a stress avoidance mechanism. SO2 , one of the major airborne pollutants, has long been reported to induce stomatal closure, yet the mechanism remains unknown. Little is known about the stomatal response to airborne pollutants besides O3 . SLOW ANION CHANNEL-ASSOCIATED 1 (SLAC1) and OPEN STOMATA 1 (OST1) were identified as genes mediating O3 -induced closure. SLAC1 and OST1 are also known to mediate stomatal closure in response to CO2 , together with RESPIRATORY BURST OXIDASE HOMOLOGs (RBOHs). The overlaying roles of these genes in response to O3 and CO2 suggested that plants share their molecular regulators for airborne stimuli. Here, we investigated and compared stomatal closure event induced by a wide concentration range of SO2 in Arabidopsis through molecular genetic approaches. O3 - and CO2 -insensitive stomata mutants did not show significant differences from the wild type in stomatal sensitivity, guard cell viability, and chlorophyll content revealing that SO2 -induced closure is not regulated by the same molecular mechanisms as for O3 and CO2 . Nonapoptotic cell death is shown as the reason for SO2 -induced closure, which proposed the closure as a physicochemical process resulted from SO2 distress, instead of a biological protection mechanism

Cooling effect on buildings by the roof greening at Research Institute for Bioresources, Okayama University

Roof greening is known to be environmentally friendly technology. Recently developed new roof greening systems, such as the thin-layer/Excel soil© system and the wetland type greening system, were tested at the roof top of buildings of Research Institute for Bioresources, Okayama University. After a multi-year test, these new systems have been established during high-temperature and less-rainfall summer seasons in the south Okayama region. Data indicated that roof greening effectively reduced the temperature of the concrete surface (more than 10°C). The room temperature under the green roof was also reduced both in a stock room (up to 6°C) and in an office room (about 2°C). We also provided the estimation indicating that this roof greening is useful for the decrease in CO(2) emission through the reduction of the electric power for air-conditioning in the summer