Impact of the Visceral Fat Area Measured by Dual Impedance Method on the Diagnostic Components of Metabolic Diseases in a Middle-aged Japanese Population.

Objective The aim of this study was to examine the associations between the visceral fat area (VFA) and the subcutaneous fat area (SFA) as estimated by the dual impedance method with a body composition monitor (BCM) and the diagnostic components of metabolic syndrome in a middle-aged Japanese population. Methods The subjects included 303 men (average age 51.3±9.

Comparison of the Modified-Hodge test, Carba NP test, and carbapenem inactivation method as screening methods for carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae.

We compared three screening methods for carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae. While the Modified-Hodge test and Carba NP test produced false-negative results for OXA-48-like and mucoid NDM producers, the carbapenem inactivation method (CIM) showed positive results for these isolates. Although the CIM required cultivation time, it is well suited for general clinical laboratories.

[Pharmacological characteristics of drugs targeted on calcium-sensing receptor.-properties of cinacalcet hydrochloride as allosteric modulator].

Calcimimetics act as positive allosteric modulators of the calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR), thereby decreasing parathyroid hormone (PTH) secretion from the parathyroid glands. On the other hand, negative allosteric modulators of the CaSR with stimulatory effect on PTH secretion are termed calcilytics. The calcimimetic cinacalcet hydrochloride (cinacalcet) is the world's first allosteric modulator of G protein-coupled receptor to enter the clinical market.

Effectual detection of group B streptococci with reduced penicillin susceptibility (PRGBS) by commercially available methicillin-resistant-Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)-selective agar.

We evaluated the feasibility and efficacy of a commercially available methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)-selective agar, chromID(™) MRSA, to detect group B streptococci with reduced penicillin susceptibility (PRGBS) in this study. The results showed 72.4% (21/29) sensitivity and 98.

Unveiling the Biosynthetic Pathway of the Ribosomally Synthesized and Post-translationally Modified Peptide Ustiloxin B in Filamentous Fungi.

The biosynthetic machinery of the first fungal ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptide (RiPP) ustiloxin B was elucidated through a series of gene inactivation and heterologous expression studies. The results confirmed an essential requirement for novel oxidases possessing the DUF3328 motif for macrocyclization, and highly unique side-chain modifications by three oxidases (UstCF1F2) and a pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP)-dependent enzyme (UstD). These findings provide new insight into the expression of the RiPP gene clusters found in various fungi.

Genetic Diversity in Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis Isolates from Patients with Invasive and Noninvasive Infections in a Japanese University Hospital (2014-2015).

Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis (SDSE) isolates with β-hemolysis and carbohydrate groups G or C are increasingly recovered from invasive infections in Japan. The aim of this study was to determine the epidemiological characteristics of SDSE isolates circulating locally among patients with invasive and noninvasive infections.

Expression of ustR and the Golgi protease KexB are required for ustiloxin B biosynthesis in Aspergillus oryzae.

Ustiloxin B, originally isolated from the fungus Ustilaginoidea virens, is a known inhibitor of microtubule assembly. Ustiloxin B is also produced by Aspergillus flavus and is synthesized through the ribosomal peptide synthesis pathway. In A.

Effect of Discontinuation of Prednisolone Therapy on Risk of Cardiac Mortality Associated With Worsening Left Ventricular Dysfunction in Cardiac Sarcoidosis.

Prednisolone (PSL) therapy is the gold standard treatment in patients with cardiac sarcoidosis (CS). However, clinicians often have difficulty in deciding whether to discontinue PSL therapy in long-term management. Sixty-one consecutive patients with CS were divided into 2 groups based on the discontinuation of PSL during the median follow-up period of 9.

Class of cyclic ribosomal peptide synthetic genes in filamentous fungi.

Ustiloxins were found recently to be the first example of cyclic peptidyl secondary metabolites that are ribosomally synthesized in filamentous fungi. In this work, two function-unknown genes (ustYa/ustYb) in the gene cluster for ustiloxins from Aspergillus flavus were found experimentally to be involved in cyclization of the peptide. Their homologous genes are observed mainly in filamentous fungi and mushrooms.

Effect of Polydextrose Intake on Constipation in Japanese Dialysis Patients: A Triple-Blind, Randomized, Controlled Trial.

The objective of the present study was to evaluate bowel habits induced by ingestion of 10 g polydextrose (PDX) fed to Japanese hemodialysis (HD) patients. This was a randomized, placebo-controlled, triple-blind, parallel-group controlled, 8-wk study. A total of 50 HD outpatients capable of self-management (51-79 y of age) were recruited at H Clinic, Japan.

Apolipoprotein A-V concentration in preterm infants.

Background: Fetal organs require much lipid for growth, but the cord blood had low TG concentrations, compared to adult serum. We investigated the association between the concentration of apolipoprotein A-V (apoA-V) and lipid profile in cord blood and neonatal serum.

Objective: ApoA-V was identified as an important determinant of plasma triglyceride concentrations.

Applicability assessment of ceramic microbeads coated with hydroxyapatite-binding silver/titanium dioxide ceramic composite earthplus™ to the eradication of Legionella in rainwater storage tanks for household use.

Water environments appear to be the habitats of Legionella species. Legionellosis is considered as a preventable illness because bacterial reservoirs can be controlled and removed. Roof-harvested rainwater has attracted significant attention not only as a groundwater recharge but also as a potential alternative source of nonpotable water.

Creating a specialist protein resource network: a meeting report for the protein bioinformatics and community resources retreat.

During 11-12 August 2014, a Protein Bioinformatics and Community Resources Retreat was held at the Wellcome Trust Genome Campus in Hinxton, UK. This meeting brought together the principal investigators of several specialized protein resources (such as CAZy, TCDB and MEROPS) as well as those from protein databases from the large Bioinformatics centres (including UniProt and RefSeq). The retreat was divided into five sessions: (1) key challenges, (2) the databases represented, (3) best practices for maintenance and curation, (4) information flow to and from large data centers and (5) communication and funding.

Regional Differences in Prevalence of Macrolide Resistance among Pediatric Mycoplasma pneumoniae Infections in Hokkaido, Japan.

Recently, macrolide-resistant (MR) Mycoplasma pneumonia appeared, and prevalence of macrolide resistance among M. pneumoniae infections varies by country. However, reports on regional differences in the prevalence of MR M.

Two leptin genes and a leptin receptor gene of female chub mackerel (Scomber japonicus): Molecular cloning, tissue distribution and expression in different obesity indices and pubertal stages.

Leptin is a hormone produced by fat cells that regulates the amount of fat stored in the body and conveys nutritional status to the reproductive axis in mammals. In the present study we identified two subtypes of leptin genes (lepa and lepb) and a leptin receptor gene (lepr) from chub mackerel (Scomber japonicus) and there gene expression under different feeding conditions (control and high-feed) and pubertal development stages was analyzed using quantitative real-time PCR. The protein lengths of LepA, LepB and LepR were 161 amino acids (aa), 163 aa and 1149 aa, respectively and both leptin subtypes shared only 15% similarity in aa sequences.

Klotho/FGF23 Axis in CKD.

The sequential bone disorders, serum parameter abnormalities and vascular calcification that are associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have come to be generally known as CKD-mineral bone disorder (MBD). Klotho, a causative protein of aging, and fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23), a bone-derived phosphaturic factor, have been reported to be involved in CKD-MBD, and their relationship to the pathophysiology of this disease is gradually being elucidated. Klotho functions as a cofactor of FGF receptors and has been reported to cause FGF23 action and specificity in the kidney.

Absence-like seizures and their pharmacological profile in tottering-6j mice.

We previously showed that recessive ataxic tottering-6j mice carried a base substitution (C-to-A) in the consensus splice acceptor sequence linked to exon 5 of the α1 subunit of the Cav2.1 channel gene (Cacna1a), resulting in the skipping of exon 5 and deletion of part of the S4-S5 linker, S5, and part of the S5-S6 linker in domain I of the α1 subunit of the Cav2.1 channel.

Self-awareness of fast eating and its impact on diagnostic components of metabolic syndrome among middle-aged Japanese males and females.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to examine the association between subjects with self-awareness of fast eating and diagnostic components of metabolic syndrome in Japanese middle-aged male and female.

Patients And Methods: Subjects consisted of 3208 males (average age 50.6 years) and 2055 females (average age 50.

Ceftibuten-containing agar plate for detecting group B streptococci with reduced penicillin susceptibility (PRGBS).

Penicillins remain first-line agents for treatment of group B Streptococcus (Streptococcus agalactiae; GBS) infections; however, several reports have confirmed the existence of GBS with reduced penicillin susceptibility (PRGBS). Because no selective agar plates for detection of PRGBS are available to date, in this investigation, we developed the selective agar plate for detection of PRGBS. We used 19 genetically well-confirmed PRGBS isolates and 38 penicillin-susceptible GBS isolates identified in Japan.

Association Between Basal Thinning of Interventricular Septum and Adverse Long-Term Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Cardiac Sarcoidosis.

Background: Basal thinning of the interventricular septum (IVS) is an important diagnostic feature of cardiac sarcoidosis (CS), but its long-term prognostic significance remains unclear.

Methods And Results: We examined 74 consecutive patients who were diagnosed with CS. Basal IVS thickness at a point located 10 mm from the aortic annulus was measured.

Effect of Corticosteroid Therapy on Long-Term Clinical Outcome and Left Ventricular Function in Patients With Cardiac Sarcoidosis.

Background: Cardiac involvement is the worst prognostic determinant in patients with sarcoidosis, but the long-term prognostic significance of corticosteroid therapy for cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) remains unclear.

Methods And Results: We examined 83 consecutive patients diagnosed with CS. Patients were divided into 2 groups based on the presence or absence of corticosteroid therapy at diagnosis.

Key challenges for the creation and maintenance of specialist protein resources.

As the volume of data relating to proteins increases, researchers rely more and more on the analysis of published data, thus increasing the importance of good access to these data that vary from the supplemental material of individual articles, all the way to major reference databases with professional staff and long-term funding. Specialist protein resources fill an important middle ground, providing interactive web interfaces to their databases for a focused topic or family of proteins, using specialized approaches that are not feasible in the major reference databases. Many are labors of love, run by a single lab with little or no dedicated funding and there are many challenges to building and maintaining them.

Comparative Analysis of Penicillin-Susceptible and Non-Susceptible Isolates of Group B Streptococci by Multilocus Sequence Typing.

Since Group B Streptococcus (GBS, Streptococcus agalactiae) clinical isolates are believed to be uniformly susceptible to β-lactams, penicillin G has been used as the first-line agent for the prevention and treatment of GBS infections. However, the existence and characteristics of GBS isolates with reduced penicillin susceptibility (PRGBS) have recently been reported in Japan. Moreover, the sequence type (ST) 458 is predominant among the PRGBS in Japan.

Japanese neonate with congenital chloride diarrhea caused by SLC26A3 mutation.

Congenital chloride diarrhea (CCD) beginning in utero is a rare autosomal recessive inherited disorder characterized by impairment of Cl(-) /HCO3 (-) exchange in an otherwise normal distal ileum and colon. Life-long secretory diarrhea is caused by mutations in solute carrier family 26, member 3, (SLC26A3), which disrupt epithelial Cl(-) /HCO3 (-) transport in the ileum and colon. Although 55 mutations in SLC26A3 have been identified throughout the world, few Japanese cases have been confirmed on genetic analysis.