Impact of physical performance on prognosis among patients with heart failure: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: This study aimed to clarify the relationship between physical performance and prognosis of patients with heart failure using a meta-analysis given the inconsistencies in published studies regarding the same.

Methods: A total of 22 studies with 10,368 patients were included in this review. Hazard ratios were used for analysis, while meta-analysis was performed using the inverse-variance method.

Study on the correlation between age and changes in mosquito bite response.

Mosquito bite reactions consist of an immediate response characterized by an erythema and a wheal, which peaks at 20 min, and a delayed response characterized by a papule and/or an erythema, which peaks at 24 h. Mosquito bite reactions progress from stage I to stage V as an individual is repeatedly bitten as follows: stage I, neither immediate nor delayed reaction; stage II, delayed reaction; stage III, both immediate and delayed reaction; stage IV, immediate reaction; and stage V, neither immediate nor delayed reaction. In 1985, we conducted a cross-sectional study that demonstrated a positive association between age and stage in response to an Aedes albopictus bite among 162 healthy volunteers.

Two cases of eruptive pseudoangiomatosis induced by mosquito bites.

Eruptive pseudoangiomatosis is a skin eruption characterized by millet-sized erythema with an anemic halo appearing on exposed body areas. Insect bites, particularly mosquito bites, have been reported as one of the causes of eruptive pseudoangiomatosis. We experienced two cases of eruptive pseudoangiomatosis and the eruption was seen on the face and upper extremities of two women aged 48 and 77 years old.

Flexibility and strictness in functional replacement of domain III of cry insecticidal proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis.

Cry1C, one of the lepidopteran-specific insecticidal proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis, exhibits potent cytotoxicity against Sf9, an insect cell line. Cry1Aa and Cry4A, which are lepidopteran- and dipteran-specific insecticidal proteins, respectively, show no cytotoxicity against Sf9. When domain III of Cry1C was replaced with that of Cry1Aa or Cry4A, the hybrid Cry1C protein retained the cytotoxicity.

A study of cross-reactions between mango contact allergens and urushiol.

The allergens causing mango dermatitis have long been suspected to be alk(en)yl catechols and/or alk(en)yl resorcinols on the basis of observed cross-sensitivity reactions to mango in patients known to be sensitive to poison ivy and oak (Toxicodendron spp.). Earlier, we reported the 3 resorcinol derivatives: heptadecadienylresorcinol (I), heptadecenylresorcinol (II) and pentadecylresorcinol (III); collectively named 'mangol', as mango allergens.