Mustard gas exposure and mortality among retired workers at a poisonous gas factory in Japan: a 57-year follow-up cohort study.

Objectives: Mustard gas (MG) has been the most widely used chemical warfare agent in the past century. However, few but conflicting data exist on the effects of MG exposure on long-term mortality. We investigated MG-related mortality in retired workers at a poisonous gas factory.

Distribution of coniferin in freeze-fixed stem of Ginkgo biloba L. by cryo-TOF-SIMS/SEM.

To clarify the role of coniferin in planta, semi-quantitative cellular distribution of coniferin in quick-frozen Ginkgo biloba L. (ginkgo) was visualized by cryo time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry and scanning electron microscopy (cryo-TOF-SIMS/SEM) analysis. The amount and rough distribution of coniferin were confirmed through quantitative chromatography measurement using serial tangential sections of the freeze-fixed ginkgo stem.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of hepatitis C virus infection in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Objectives: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is endemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where the prevalence of HCV antibodies (anti-HCV) is reported to range from 0.2% to 13.7%.

Impaired neuronal KCC2 function by biallelic SLC12A5 mutations in migrating focal seizures and severe developmental delay.

Epilepsy of infancy with migrating focal seizures (EIMFS) is one of the early-onset epileptic syndromes characterized by migrating polymorphous focal seizures. Whole exome sequencing (WES) in ten sporadic and one familial case of EIMFS revealed compound heterozygous SLC12A5 (encoding the neuronal K(+)-Cl(-) co-transporter KCC2) mutations in two families: c.279 + 1G > C causing skipping of exon 3 in the transcript (p.

Key role of heat shock protein 90 in leptin-induced STAT3 activation and feeding regulation.

Background And Purpose: Leptin, an important regulator of the energy balance, acts on the brain to inhibit feeding. However, the mechanisms involved in leptin signalling have not yet been fully elucidated. Heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) is a molecular chaperone that is involved in regulating cellular homeostasis.

Metal-Organic Framework-Derived Honeycomb-Like Open Porous Nanostructures as Precious-Metal-Free Catalysts for Highly Efficient Oxygen Electroreduction.

Honeycomb-like porous carbon nanostructures are rationally constructed from a metal-organic framework composite. The unique architecture with uniformly distributed high-density active sites significantly enhances the electrocatalytic performance by increasing the accessible active sites and enhancing mass transport of the gas and electrolyte, rendering the resulting catalyst adequate in reaching the desired catalytic performance afforded by Pt for the oxygen reduction reaction.

Pulmonary Administration of GW0742, a High-Affinity Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Agonist, Repairs Collapsed Alveoli in an Elastase-Induced Mouse Model of Emphysema.

Pulmonary emphysema is a disease in which lung alveoli are irreversibly damaged, thus compromising lung function. Our previous study revealed that all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) induces the differentiation of human lung alveolar epithelial type 2 progenitor cells and repairs the alveoli of emphysema model mice. ATRA also reportedly has the ability to activate peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) β/δ.

[Epidemiology of Hepatitis Virus Infection and Its Control from the Epidemiological Point of View.].

In Japan, hepatitis and liver cancer measures, based on the hepatitis Basic Measures Law, have been pro- moted for 25 years with a focus on advancing the diagnosis, treatment, and inspection. In 2011, the estimated number of people persistently infected with the hepatitis virus in Japan was esti- mated to be about 2.1-2.

Different sensitivity of rituximab-treatment to B-cells between ABO-incompatible kidney and liver transplantation.

A desensitization protocol with rituximab is currently widely used for kidney transplantation (KT) and liver transplantation (LT) across the ABO blood group-incompatible (ABO-I) barrier. However, it remains to be elucidated whether rituximab is equally effective for B-cell and T-cell immune responses in both KT and LT recipients. To clarify these effects of rituximab, we enrolled 46 KT and 77 LT recipients in this study.

The Effect of a Retinoic Acid Derivative on Cell-Growth Inhibition in a Pulmonary Carcinoma Cell Line.

Pulmonary carcinoma is a major cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Because the prognosis remains poor, the development of novel therapeutic approaches is highly desirable. In this study, we investigated the effect of Tamibarotene (Am80), a retinoic acid derivative, on the growth of human lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549.

Successful treatment of prolonged cardiopulmonary arrest of Kounis syndrome during coronary angioplasty.

We experienced a case of Kounis syndrome with cardiopulmonary arrest and severe coronary spasm. A 70-year-old man with cardiac pacemaker and chronic dialysis was treated for angina pectoris of the right coronary artery. After diagnostic coronary angiography of the right coronary artery, optical coherence tomography was performed with contrast medium and low-molecular-weight dextran.

Effect of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate on drug-resistant HBV clones.

Background & Aims: Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) has been approved for chronic hepatitis B treatment, and favorable susceptibility of hepatitis B virus (HBV) has been indicated. However, differences in TDF susceptibility among HBV genotypes and drug-resistant strains are unclear. In this study, TDF susceptibilities between genotypes A and C were evaluated in vitro and in vivo using several drug-resistant HBV clones.

De novo KCNB1 mutations in infantile epilepsy inhibit repetitive neuronal firing.

The voltage-gated Kv2.1 potassium channel encoded by KCNB1 produces the major delayed rectifier potassium current in pyramidal neurons. Recently, de novo heterozygous missense KCNB1 mutations have been identified in three patients with epileptic encephalopathy and a patient with neurodevelopmental disorder.

Identification of a New Type of Covalent PPARγ Agonist using a Ligand-Linking Strategy.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) is a ligand-activated transcription factor that plays an important role in adipogenesis and glucose metabolism. The ligand-binding pocket (LBP) of PPARγ has a large Y-shaped cavity with multiple subpockets where multiple ligands can simultaneously bind and cooperatively activate PPARγ. Focusing on this unique property of the PPARγ LBP, we describe a novel two-step cell-based strategy to develop PPARγ ligands.

Association of the forced oscillation technique with negative expiratory pressure in COPD.

Expiratory flow limitation (EFL) during tidal breathing is common in patients with severe COPD, and a major determinant of dynamic hyperinflation and exercise limitation. The negative expiratory pressure (NEP) technique has been the gold standard to detect EFL, while the forced oscillation technique (FOT) has also been reported to detect it. However, the association of FOT with NEP is not fully understood.

Hepatitis E Virus in Cambodia: Prevalence among the General Population and Complete Genome Sequence of Genotype 4.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a growing public health problem in many countries. In this study, we investigated HEV seroprevalence among the general population in the Siem Reap province, Cambodia, and performed HEV genetic analysis with the aim to develop an HEV prevention strategy. This seroepidemiological cross-sectional study conducted from 2010 to 2014 included 868 participants from four different locations in Siem Reap province, Cambodia.

Beneficial effects of a cardiac support device on left ventricular remodeling after posterior myocardial infarction: an evaluation by echocardiography, pressure-volume curves and ventricular histology.

Purpose: Posterior myocardial infarction (MI) can induce LV remodeling and ischemic mitral regurgitation (IMR). The protective effects of a cardiac support device (CSD) against LV remodeling and IMR after posterior MI have been poorly documented.

Methods: Posterior MI was induced by ligation of the left circumflex coronary artery in beagle dogs.

Tuning of intramolecular charge transfer properties and charge distributions in ferrocene-appended catechol derivatives by chemical substitution.

In this study, we report intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) properties and charge distributions in a series of FcC derivatives (FcC = 4-ferrocenylcatecholate where Fc = ferrocene and C = catecholate). This series consists of a previously reported complex FcV (4-ferrocenylveratrole) and newly synthesized complexes FcA (4-ferrocenylcatechol bis(acetate) and Pt((t)Bu2bpy)(FcC) ((t)Bu2bpy = 4,4'-di-tert-butyl-2,2'-dipyridyl). An electrochemical analysis of Pt((t)Bu2bpy)(FcC) using cyclic voltammetry revealed two well-defined, reversible waves which were assigned to the sequential oxidation of the Pt((t)Bu2bpy)(C) and Fc moieties.

Theoretical lessons for increasing algal biofuel: Evolution of oil accumulation to avert carbon starvation in microalgae.

Microalgae-derived oil is considered as a feasible alternative to fossil-derived oil. To produce more algal biomass, both algal population size and oil accumulation in algae must be maximized. Most of the previous studies have concentrated on only one of these issues, and relatively little attention has been devoted to considering the tradeoff between them.

Toward Homogenization of Heterogeneous Metal Nanoparticle Catalysts with Enhanced Catalytic Performance: Soluble Porous Organic Cage as a Stabilizer and Homogenizer.

Organic molecular cage (CC3-R) with intrinsically porous skeleton is used as a support for immobilizing Rh nanoparticles (NPs) in an ultrasmall size of ∼1.1 nm for the first time. The CC3-R with the unique characteristic of high solubility can be utilized to homogenize the heterogeneous catalyst in solution.

Cost-effectiveness of the introduction of low-dose CT screening in Japanese smokers aged 55 to 74 years old.

The validity of low-dose CT screening for lung cancer in heavy smokers was supported by the results of National Lung Screening Trials (NLST) conducted in the U.S.A.

Estimated numbers of patients with liver disease related to hepatitis B or C virus infection based on the database reconstructed from medical claims from 2008 to 2010 in Japan.

Aim: To estimate the number of patients with liver-related diseases classified by hepatitis viruses (HBV, HCV) based on the information from re-coded medical claims including several diagnosed diseases.

Methods: We analyzed reimbursement data provided by health insurance societies for 2.1 million individuals during 2008-2010.