Effect of matcha green tea on cognitive functions and sleep quality in older adults with cognitive decline: A randomized controlled study over 12 months.

Objective: Lifestyle habits after middle age significantly impact the maintenance of cognitive function in older adults. Nutritional intake is closely related to lifestyle habits; therefore, nutrition is a pivotal factor in the prevention of dementia in the preclinical stages. Matcha green tea powder (matcha), which contains epigallocatechin gallate, theanine, and caffeine, has beneficial effects on cognitive function and mood.

Coronary intervention in chronic total occlusion in left main coronary artery.

An 83-year-old man who had undergone coronary aorta bypass graft surgery 25 years ago required treatment for new-onset worsening angina.

Identification of Plasma Proteins as Biomarkers for Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's Disease Using Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry.

Blood proteins can be used for biomarkers to monitor the progression of cognitive decline, even in the early stages of disease. In this study, we developed a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)-based blood test to identify plasma proteins that can be used to detect mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Using this system, we quantified plasma proteins using isotope-labeled synthetic peptides.

Alphaviruses Detected in Mosquitoes in the North-Eastern Regions of South Africa, 2014 to 2018.

The prevalence and distribution of African alphaviruses such as chikungunya have increased in recent years. Therefore, a better understanding of the local distribution of alphaviruses in vectors across the African continent is important. Here, entomological surveillance was performed from 2014 to 2018 at selected sites in north-eastern parts of South Africa where alphaviruses have been identified during outbreaks in humans and animals in the past.

Impact of coronary bifurcation angle on the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and clinical outcome of coronary bifurcation intervention-A scoping review.

Background: A coronary bifurcation stenting is still a challenging issue due to frequent restenosis and stent thrombosis even with drug-eluting stents. The bifurcation angle (BA) between a main vessel and a side branch is one of the crucial determinants of coronary flow and shear stress that affect the plaque distribution. Previous bench and clinical studies have evaluated the impact of the BA between the proximal main vessel and the side branch (Angle A) and the BA between the distal main vessel and the side branch (Angle B) on the clinical outcomes of bifurcation stenting.

Incidence of Sindbis Virus in Hospitalized Patients With Acute Fevers of Unknown Cause in South Africa, 2019-2020.

Background: Sindbis virus (SINV) is a mosquito-borne alphavirus that is widely distributed worldwide. Little is known about the febrile and neurological disease burden due to SINV in South Africa.

Patients And Methods: Clinical samples of patients with acute febrile disease of unknown cause (AFDUC) were collected through the African Network for Improved Diagnostics, Epidemiology and Management of Common Infectious Agents at three sentinel hospital surveillance sites in South Africa.

Structural brain network correlations with amyloid burden in elderly individuals at risk of Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) has a long preclinical phase during which beta-amyloid accumulates in the brain without cognitive impairment. However, the pattern of brain network alterations in this early stage of the disease remains to be clarified. In this study we examined the relationships between regional brain network indices and beta-amyloid deposits.

Coronary perforation during insertion of a long stent in a severely calcified lesion.

We reported a case that the insertion of a 48-mm-long stent in a calcified coronary lesion after rotational atherectomy led to stent stacking and S-shaped flection, resulting in longitudinal coronary perforation without stent inflation. Its flexibility and length pose a possible risk of deformation inside the vessel during stent insertion.

Feasibility and efficacy of an ultra-short side branch-dedicated balloon in coronary bifurcation stenting.

Background: Side branch (SB) dilation with an ultra-short balloon after main vessel (MV) stenting may minimise stent failure in coronary bifurcation lesions.

Aims: We sought to investigate the feasibility and efficacy of the Glider balloon (GB), a side branch (SB)-dedicated balloon 4 mm in length, in coronary bifurcation stenting.

Methods: In bench testing, stent configuration was examined with micro-focus computed tomography after crossover stenting followed by GB dilation or kissing balloon inflation (KBI).

A case of very late stent thrombosis on the protruded struts at the left main coronary bifurcation.

A previous autopsy study has revealed that malapposed or protruded struts in the coronary bifurcation were a risk factor for very late stent thrombosis (VLST); however, a live clinical case has not yet been reported due to difficulty in observation at the VLST site. In this case, a 56-year-old male patient underwent a zotarolimus-eluting stent implantation in the proximal left anterior descending artery for acute myocardial infarction 3 years previously and had been treated with dual antiplatelet therapy. The patient experienced chest pain and suddenly collapsed due to acute coronary syndrome caused by a huge thrombus in the left main coronary bifurcation.

Excess hydrogen sulfide and polysulfides production underlies a schizophrenia pathophysiology.

Mice with the C3H background show greater behavioral propensity for schizophrenia, including lower prepulse inhibition (PPI), than C57BL/6 (B6) mice. To characterize as-yet-unknown pathophysiologies of schizophrenia, we undertook proteomics analysis of the brain in these strains, and detected elevated levels of Mpst, a hydrogen sulfide (H S)/polysulfide-producing enzyme, and greater sulfide deposition in C3H than B6 mice. Mpst-deficient mice exhibited improved PPI with reduced storage sulfide levels, while Mpst-transgenic (Tg) mice showed deteriorated PPI, suggesting that "sulfide stress" may be linked to PPI impairment.

Serum levels of proteins involved in amyloid-β clearance are related to cognitive decline and neuroimaging changes in mild cognitive impairment.

Introduction: Amyloid-β (Aβ) clearance is important for damage prevention in Alzheimer's disease. We investigated the utility of Aβ clearance proteins as biomarkers for mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

Methods: Serum apolipoprotein (apo) A-I, compliment protein C3 (C3), transthyretin, and cholesterol levels were measured in 273 subjects, and we analyzed the relationship between these levels and brain atrophy and cerebral blood flow in 63 clinically diagnosed mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease, and nondemented disease control subjects.

Strong and frequent T-cell responses to the minor allergen Phl p 12 in Spanish patients IgE-sensitized to Profilins.

Background: Profilins are dominant pan-allergens known to cause cross-sensitization, leading to clinical symptoms such as pollen-food syndrome. This study aimed to determine the T-cell response to Phl p 12 in profilin-sensitized patients, by measuring the prevalence, strength and cross-reactivity to clinically relevant profilins.

Methods: The release of Phl p allergens from pollen was determined by mass spectrometry and immunochemistry.

Environmental Surveillance for Noroviruses in Selected South African Wastewaters 2015-2016: Emergence of the Novel GII.17.

Norovirus (NoV) GII.4 is the predominant genotype associated with gastroenteritis pandemics and new strains emerge every 2-3 years. Between 2008 and 2011, environmental studies in South Africa (SA) reported NoVs in 63% of the sewage-polluted river water samples.

The structure of the mite allergen Blo t 1 explains the limited antibody cross-reactivity to Der p 1.

The Blomia tropicalis (Blo t) mite species is considered a storage mite in temperate climate zones and an important source of indoor allergens causing allergic asthma and rhinitis in tropical and subtropical regions. Here, we report the crystal structure of one of the allergens from Blo t, recombinant proBlo t 1 (rproBlo t 1), determined at 2.1 Å resolution.

Immunoproteomic analysis of house dust mite antigens reveals distinct classes of dominant T cell antigens according to function and serological reactivity.

Background: House dust mite (HDM) allergens are a common cause of allergy and allergic asthma. A comprehensive analysis of proteins targeted by T cells, which are implicated in the development and regulation of allergic disease independent of their antibody reactivity, is still lacking.

Objective: To comprehensively analyse the HDM-derived protein targets of T cell responses in HDM-allergic individuals, and investigate their correlation with IgE/IgG responses and protein function.

Amyloid-β sequester proteins as blood-based biomarkers of cognitive decline.

Introduction: There are no blood-based biomarkers for cognitive decline in aging, or mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Cumulative evidence suggests that apolipoproteins, complement system, and transthyretin are involved in AD pathogenesis by sequestration of amyloid β. However, there is no clinical study to assess the utility of "sequester proteins" in risk assessment and/or diagnosis of MCI and AD.

Serum protein isoform profiles indicate the progression of hepatitis C virus-induced liver diseases.

Biomarkers that enable an accurate diagnosis of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-induced liver diseases are necessary to prevent subsequent patient morbidity and suffering from the onset of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In particular, the identification of novel biomarkers for liver cirrhosis (LC) will be an important new diagnostic tool since more than 70% of HCV-induced LCs are destined to develop into HCC. In our current study, we performed a search for new serological protein biomarkers of HCV-induced chronic hepatitis (CH), LC and HCC, using two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE).

Allergen structures and epitopes.

Human type 1 hypersensitivity diseases such as allergic rhinoconjunctivitis are characterized by allergen-specific IgE antibodies produced in allergic individuals after allergen exposure. IgE antibodies bound to receptors on the surface of effector cells trigger an allergic response by interacting with three-dimensional (conformational) epitopes on the allergen surface. Crystal structures are available for complexes of antibody specifically bound to five allergens, from birch pollen, bee venom, cockroach, cow's milk and timothy grass pollen.

Apolipoprotein A-IV is a candidate target molecule for the treatment of seasonal allergic rhinitis.

Background: Allergic rhinitis is a global health problem that causes major illnesses and disability worldwide. Allergen-specific immunotherapy (SIT) is the only available treatment that can alter the natural course of allergic disease. However, the precise mechanism underlying allergen-SIT is not well understood.

FOXO1 and TCF7L2 genes involved in metastasis and poor prognosis in clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

The goal of this study was to identify genes related to the metastasis of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (CRCC). We analyzed copy number alterations in renal tissue specimens of patients with CRCC patients with or without metastasis by using high-resolution single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) arrays and then integrated these data with gene expression profiling data obtained using oligonucleotide microarrays. The expression levels of target genes were determined by quantitative real-time RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) with an independent tumor set.

Alpha-1-antitrypsin and complement component C7 are involved in asthma exacerbation.

Asthma is the most common chronic disorder in childhood and asthma exacerbation is an important cause of childhood morbidity and hospitalization. Allergic responses are known to be biased toward T-helper type 2 in asthmatics; however, the pathogenesis of asthma is not simple, and our understanding of the disease mechanism remains incomplete. The aim of the present study was to identify protein expression signatures that reflect acute exacerbation of asthma.