Sequential Treatment by Antiviral Drugs Followed by Immunosuppressive Agents for COVID-19 Patients with Hematological Malignancy.

Background: The detailed treatment regimen of COVID-19 patients with hematological malignancies has been unclear, and some fatalities have occurred, although combination therapy with antiviral agents and corticosteroids has been established for moderate to severe COVID-19 patients.

Case Series: Case 1 was a 57-year-old woman who had malignant lymphoma and received CHOP therapy with obinutuzumab, and case 2 was a 70-year-old-man who had myeloma and received molecular targeted therapy with weekly corticosteroid. In both cases, SARS-CoV-2 genes and antigens were detected from their nasal swabs, and treatment was started for moderate to severe COVID-19.

Development and validation of the Cancer Knowledge Scale for the general population: An item response theory approach.

Objective: To develop and validate a new measure of cancer knowledge for members of the general population who have never been diagnosed with cancer.

Methods: Initially, 20 items were generated to measure cancer knowledge. After expert refinement and cognitive interviews, 11 items remained and were completed by 1,076 adults with no history of cancer.

Cancer disclosure to friends: Survey on psychological distress and perceived social support provision.

Objective: To determine the factors associated with the degree of distress experienced by patients with cancer before disclosing their cancer diagnosis to a friend and their perceptions of social support upon disclosure.

Methods: Adult patients with cancer participated in a cross-sectional Internet-based survey on their behaviour when disclosing their diagnosis to a selected friend, degree of distress before this disclosure and perceived social support upon disclosure.

Results: Of 473 eligible respondents, around half were middle-aged (40-59 years) and around half were men.

Remifentanil for sedation and analgesia during awake division of tongue flap in children: a report of two cases.

Background: The tongue flap is an accepted treatment method for cleft palate repair. Orotracheal or nasotracheal intubation using a fiberoptic scope is preferred for the division of the tongue flap. We report two cases of tongue flap division in which the patients received adequate sedation and analgesia without tracheal intubation.

A cross-sectional observation of effect of exposure to N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) on workers' health.

This study was aimed at clarifying the effect of exposure to N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) on workers' health. Fifteen male NMP-exposed workers and 15 referent male workers were recruited for this study. Exposure concentrations were assessed by determining NMP in the breathing zones and urinary NMP.

A secreted type of beta1,6 N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase V (GnT-V), a novel angiogenesis inducer, is regulated by gamma-secretase.

Glycosyltransferases are present in the Golgi apparatus in a membrane-bound form and are released from cells after cleavage by certain proteases. Beta1,6-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase V (GnT-V), which is cleaved and secreted from the cells, is involved in the biosynthesis of beta1-6GlcNAc branching on N-glycans and has been implicated in tumor progression and metastasis. We recently reported that a secreted type of GnT-V (soluble GnT-V) itself could promote angiogenesis, which is completely different from its original function as a glycosyltransferase, and this might play a role in tumor invasion.

Structure and function of lipid rafts in human activated T cells.

Lipid rafts, specialized membrane microdomains enriched in sphingolipids and cholesterol, have been shown to function as signaling platforms in T cells. Surface raft expression is known to be increased in human T cells upon activation, and this increased raft expression may account for efficient signaling capability and decreased dependency for co-stimulation in effector and/or activated T cells. However, raft-mediated signaling ability in activated T cells remains to be clarified.