Supramolecular Engineering of Amorphous Porous Polymers for Rapid Adsorption of Micropollutants and Solar-Powered Volatile Organic Compounds Management.

Freshwater shortage is becoming one of the most critical global challenges owing to severe water pollution caused by micropollutants and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). However, current purification technology shows slow adsorption of micropollutants and requires an energy-intensive process for VOCs removal from water. In this study, a highly efficient molecularly engineered covalent triazine framework (CTF) for rapid adsorption of micropollutants and VOC-intercepting performance using solar distillation is reported.

Nutritional Management in Adult Patients With Dysphagia: Position Paper From Japanese Working Group on Integrated Nutrition for Dysphagic People.

This position paper prepared by the Japanese Working Group on Integrated Nutrition for Dysphagic People (JWIND) aims to summarize the need for nutritional management in adult patients with dysphagia, the issues that nutrition professionals should address, and the promising approaches as well as to propose a vision for the future of nutritional care for adult patients with dysphagia. JWIND is a joint certification system recognized by the Japan Dietetic Association and the Japanese Society of Dysphagia Rehabilitation; its members are mostly experts known as "Certified Specialist of Registered Dietitian for Dysphagia Rehabilitation." Malnutrition and dysphagia are associated with each other.

Reviews on mechanisms of in vitro antioxidant, antibacterial and anticancer activities of water-soluble plant polysaccharides.

Degenerative diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases, and antimicrobial resistance are becoming prominent health problems needing utmost public health attention. Curative interventions such as the use of pharmaceutical drugs and alternative plant medicines are increasingly being explored. Plant polysaccharides have gained attention for their promising bioactivities such as antioxidant, antimicrobial and anticancer activities.

The Association between Dietary Habits and Periodontal Disease in Young Adult Women.

Dietary habits of middle-aged and elderly individuals affected by periodontal disease (PD) differ from those who are unaffected by it, according to previous reports. However, in young adults, there are only a few reports that show a correlation between nutrient/food intake and PD. Moreover, no report till date has assessed the correlation between dietary habits and PD using a self-administered diet history questionnaire (DHQ).

The Criteria of Thickened Liquid for Dysphagia Management in Japan.

In Japan, the viscosity of thickened liquids is different among hospitals and nursing homes. In order to standardize viscosity of thickened liquids, the dysphagia diet committee of the Japanese Society of Dysphagia Rehabilitation developed the Japanese Dysphagia Diet 2013 (JDD2013). To decide on a definition of thickened liquids, the committee reviewed categories from other countries.

Glucose transporter 5 (GLUT5)-like immunoreactivity is localized in subsets of neurons and glia in the rat brain.

This study aimed at examining the distribution of glucose transporter 5 (GLUT5), which preferentially transports fructose, in the rat brain by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. Small immunoreactive puncta (less than 0.7μm) were sparsely distributed all over the brain, some of which appeared to be associated with microglial processes detected by an anti-ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1 (Iba-1) monoclonal antibody.

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of Eclipta prostrata L. by LC/MS.

Eclipta prostrata L. is one of the Chinese medicinal tonics which are usually used for treating loose teeth, dizziness, tinnitus, hemoptysis, hematuria, and uterine bleeding. However, quality control of this herbal medicine has been not satisfactory.

New therapeutic strategy for amino acid medicine: prophylactic and healing promoting effect of monosodium glutamate against NSAID-induced enteropathy.

We reviewed the effect of monosodium glutamate (MSG) on the development and healing of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)-induced small intestinal lesions in rats. Loxoprofen (60 mg/kg, p.o.

Aggravation by paroxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, of antral lesions generated by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in rats.

Recent clinical studies have suggested a risk of adverse gastric reactions from the concomitant use of selective serotonin (5-HT) reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). We examined the adverse effects of SSRIs on antral lesions produced by indomethacin in rats. Rats fasted for 24 h were refed for 1 h, then administered indomethacin (30 mg/kg s.

Occlusal disharmony in mice transiently activates microglia in hippocampal CA1 region but not in dentate gyrus.

Occlusal disharmony is induced by various conditions such as the loss of teeth and inappropriate vertical dimension of crowns, bridges, or dentures. Occlusal disharmony sometimes causes indefinite complaint syndromes, which may be associated with astrocytic hypertrophy and the reduction of numbers of neuronal somata and their dendritic spines in the hippocampus. Microglia monitors the condition of neurons and responds to their degeneration accompanying with astrocytes.

Profile of heavy metals in some medicinal plants from Ghana commonly used as components of herbal formulations.

The levels of some heavy metals in 27 medicinal plant species from Ghana were studied in order to evaluate their health implications. These plant species, especially those used in the treatment of diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and asthma may require long term usage. The metals were copper, zinc, iron, manganese, nickel and cadmium.

Hypothermic and normothermic ischemia-reperfusion activate microglia differently in hippocampal formation.

Using immunohistochemical methods, we investigated microglial profiles under normothermic ischemia and hypothermic ischemia using an anti-ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1 (Iba-1) antibody. In the early stages of ischemia-reperfusion, Iba-1-immunoreactive microglial cells under normothermic ischemia were characterized by swollen somata with short and thick processes, while fine long-branched processes in greater numbers were seen emanating from microglial somata under hypothermic ischemia. In animals subjected to hypothermic ischemia, immunoreactive microglial areas in the hippocampal CA1 sector were significantly increased after 5 and 8 h of reperfusion when compared with those under normothermic ischemia.

Drebrin (developmentally regulated brain protein) is associated with axo-somatic synapses and neuronal gap junctions in rat mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus.

Drebrin (developmentally regulated brain protein)-like immunoreactivity was investigated in the adult rat mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus (MTN) using light and electron microscope. Intense immunoreactive puncta were observed on the cytoplasmic membrane and within the cytoplasm. The cytoplasm was also faintly immunopositive for drebrin, and thus MTN somata other than multipolar cells were distinguishable from non-MTN somata.

The bite-raised condition in aged SAMP8 mice induces dendritic spine changes in the hippocampal region.

The present study examined the effect of the bite-raised condition on the number of dendritic spines on hippocampal pyramidal cells in SAMP8 mice and related the results with learning ability in a water maze test. Aged mice in the bite-raised condition had reduced learning ability and a lower number of CA1 pyramidal cell dendritic spines. The results suggest that the bite-raised condition exacerbates the age-related spatial learning impairment, and that this may be due to the degeneration of hippocampal dendritic spines.

Soft-diet feeding decreases dopamine release and impairs aversion learning in Alzheimer model rats.

To examine the effects of soft-diet feeding on the dopaminergic system in a model rat for Alzheimer's disease (AD), we measured dopamine release in the hippocampus using a microdialysis approach and assessed learning ability and memory using step-through passive avoidance tests. Furthermore, we immunohistochemically examined the ventral tegmental area (VTA), which is the origin of hippocampal dopaminergic fibers using tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), a marker enzyme for the dopaminergic nervous system. Feeding a soft diet decreased dopamine release in the hippocampus and impaired learning ability and memory in AD model rats in comparison with rats fed a hard diet; however, TH-immunopositive profiles in the VTA seemed not to be notably different between rats fed a soft diet and those fed a hard diet.

Induction of CYP2A5 by pyrazole and its derivatives in mouse primary hepatocytes.

Mouse liver CYP2A5 is induced by several structurally unrelated compounds. In intact mouse liver, pyrazole (PYR) and 4-hydroxypyrazole (4-OH) induce selectively the expression of CYP2A5 while expression of other CYPs is decreased. In this study we exposed mouse primary hepatocytes to PYR, 4-OH, 4-methylpyrazole (4Me; 0.

Distinct responses of mouse hepatic CYP enzymes to corn oil and peroxisome proliferators.

We studied the response of male DBA/2N mouse liver monooxygenases to acute (one-day) and subacute (7-day) exposure to clofibrate, gemfibrozil, and corn oil. The day following a single treatment with clofibrate (200 mg/kg), coumarin 7-hydroxylase (COH) activity decreased significantly (by 70%) with a concomitant decrease in the CYP2A4/5 protein and mRNA levels. The 7-day treatment schedule also decreased COH activity by only by 30%, though the levels of CYP2A4/5 protein and mRNA were still low.

CYP enzymes catalyze the formation of a terminal olefin from 2-ethylhexanoic acid in rat and human liver.

1. The metabolism of 2-ethylhexanoic acid (2-EHA) was studied in rat, mouse and human liver microsomes in vitro. The metabolites of 2-EHA were identified as methylated derivatives by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Regenerative changes in hepatic morphology and enhanced expression of CYP2B10 and CYP3A during daily administration of cocaine.

The effects of daily cocaine administration for up to 14 days were studied in terms of hepatic morphology and the expression of cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes in the mouse liver. Daily intraperitoneal doses of 60 mg/kg of cocaine for 3 days induced severe hepatocellular necrosis in the pericentral zone and decreased activities of CYP1A2, CYP2A4/5, and CYP2Cx. The microsomal CYP2B10 protein content was increased by about 2.

Effects of simulated nuclear fuel particles on the histopathology and CYP enzymes in the rat lung and liver.

We studied both short-term (3 and 30 days) and long-term (3-24 months) effects of simulated nuclear fuel particles (neutron-activated UO2) on the rat lung and liver histopathology and cytochrome P450 (CYP) activities. In the short-term study, after a single intratracheal instillation with neutron-activated particles (administered activity 36 kBq), the lung histology revealed inflammation and a decrease in several lung testosterone hydroxylation levels. Liver exhibited normal histology but hepatic testosterone 7alpha-hydroxylase (T7alphaOH) was decreased by 30% at 3 days treatment with neutron-activated particles (9.

Cytochrome P4502A5 expression and inducibility by phenobarbital is modulated by cAMP in mouse primary hepatocytes.

Factors involved in CYP2A5 expression were studied in mouse liver primary hepatocytes in culture. CYP2A5-mediated coumarin 7-hydroxylase (COH) activity was retained in simple culture conditions for at least 96 hours and the activity was inducible up to 33-fold by phenobarbital (PB). The constitutive activity and inducibility of COH was totally blocked by treatment of hepatocytes with actinomycin D, and short initial treatment with cycloheximide caused superinducibility when co-administered with PB.

Interindividual variability of coumarin 7-hydroxylation in healthy volunteers.

A test designed to estimate the extent and rate of formation of 7-hydroxycoumarin by measuring the urinary excretion of the metabolite in humans after administering 5 mg coumarin was developed. Coumarin was rapidly metabolized after oral administration and more than 95% of the 7OHC formed was excreted in 4 h. The total amount of 7OHC formed was 64 +/- 15% (mean +/- SD, variation 20-100%) of the dose given.

Regulation of the mouse liver cytochrome P450 2B subfamily by sex hormones and phenobarbital.

The sex-dependent expression and inducibility of the cytochrome P450 2B subfamily was studied in DBA/2 and Balb/c mice, and their F1 recombinants, at the mRNA, protein and activity levels. Analysis of poly(A)+ RNA with specific oligonucleotide probes directed to known mRNAs within the mouse 2B subfamily revealed that the levels of P450 2b-10 and 2b-9 mRNAs were co-regulated with two proteins (56 and 53 kDa) detected by a 2B-specific polyclonal antibody. Other mRNAs related to the 2B subfamily were barely or not at all detectable, and did not coincide with protein expression, suggesting that P450s 2b-9 and 2b-10 are the major 2B isoenzymes present in mouse liver.