Molecular dynamics study of tridymite.

Structural changes in tridymite have been investigated by molecular dynamics simulation. Two thermal processes were carried out, one cooling from the high-temperature hexagonal structure of tridymite (HP-tridymite) and the other heating from the low-temperature monoclinic structure of tridymite (MX1-tridymite). The former process showed that HP, LHP (low-temperature hexagonal structure), OC (orthorhombic structure with 222 symmetry) and OP (orthorhombic structure with 222 symmetry)-like structures appeared in sequence.

Expression of a Recombinant Nucleocapsid Protein of Rift Valley Fever Virus in Vero Cells as an Immunofluorescence Antigen and Its Use for Serosurveillance in Traditional Cattle Herds in Zambia.

The open reading frame of the nucleocapsid protein (NP) of Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) strain MP12 was cloned and expressed in Vero E6 cells. The recombinant NP (rNP)-expressing cells were used as antigens for an indirect immunofluorescent antibody assay (IFA). The rNP-based IFA and RVFV-infected Vero E6 cell (authentic antigen)-based IFA showed similar IFA profiles with immune rabbit serum, which was prepared by immunization with rNP expressed using a baculovirus vector.

Taxonomy of the order Mononegavirales: update 2018.

In 2018, the order Mononegavirales was expanded by inclusion of 1 new genus and 12 novel species. This article presents the updated taxonomy of the order Mononegavirales as now accepted by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) and summarizes additional taxonomic proposals that may affect the order in the near future.

Tick-borne haemoparasites and Anaplasmataceae in domestic dogs in Zambia.

Tick-borne diseases (TBDs), including emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, are important threats to human and animal health worldwide. Indeed, the number of reported human and animal infectious cases of novel TBD agents has increased in recent decades. However, TBDs tend to be neglected, especially in resource-limited countries that often have limited diagnostic capacity.

A Critical Domain of Ebolavirus Envelope Glycoprotein Determines Glycoform and Infectivity.

Ebolaviruses comprises 5 species that exert varying degrees of mortality/infectivity in humans with Reston ebolaviruses (REBOV) showing the lowest and Zaire ebolaviruses (ZEBOV) showing the highest. However, the molecular basis of this differential mortality/infectivity remains unclear. Here, we report that the structural features of ebolavirus envelope glycoproteins (GPs) and one of their counter receptors, macrophage galactose-type calcium-type lectin (MGL/CD301), play crucial roles in determining viral infectivity.

A phase I, open-label, single-dose micro tracer mass balance study of C-labeled ASP7991 in healthy Japanese male subjects using accelerator mass spectrometry.

ASP7991 is a calcimimetic that acts on the calcium-sensing receptor on parathyroid cell membranes and suppresses parathyroid hormone (PTH) secretion in the treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism. The mass balance and metabolite profile of [C]ASP7991 were investigated in six healthy male subjects after a single oral dose of [C]ASP7991 [1 mg, 18.5 kBq (500 nCi)] in solution.

Intraoperative frozen section diagnosis of bile duct margin for extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

Aim: To evaluate the usefulness of frozen section diagnosis (FSD) of bile duct margins during surgery for extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (CCA).

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 74 consecutive patients who underwent surgery for extrahepatic CCA from 2012 to 2017, during which FSD of bile duct margins was performed. They consisted of 40 distant and 34 perihilar CCAs (45 and 55 bile duct margins, respectively).

Resolution of Infliximab-Refractory Nivolumab-Induced Acute Severe Enterocolitis After Cyclosporine Treatment in a Patient with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

BACKGROUND Enterocolitis is an immune-related adverse event associated with nivolumab treatment. Although intravenous corticosteroids and infliximab are recommended as a first-line and second-line therapy, respectively, there is no established treatment for severe enterocolitis that is refractory to these drugs. CASE REPORT A 62-year-old male with non-small cell lung cancer, with multiple brain metastasis, received nivolumab as the eighth-line chemotherapy for his disease.

Partition Function and Configurational Entropy in Non-Equilibrium States: A New Theoretical Model.

A new model of non-equilibrium thermodynamic states has been investigated on the basis of the fact that all thermodynamic variables can be derived from partition functions. We have thus attempted to define partition functions for non-equilibrium conditions by introducing the concept of pseudo-temperature distributions. These pseudo-temperatures are configurational in origin and distinct from kinetic (phonon) temperatures because they refer to the particular fragments of the system with specific energies.

The Role of Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans as an Attachment Factor for Rabies Virus Entry and Infection.

Rabies virus (RABV) is the causative agent of fatal neurological disease. Cellular attachment is the initial and essential step for viral infections. Although extensive studies have demonstrated that RABV uses various target cell molecules to mediate infection, no specific molecule has been identified as an attachment factor for RABV infection.

Characterization of field infectious bursal disease viruses in Zambia: evidence of co-circulation of multiple genotypes with predominance of very virulent strains.

Infectious bursal disease (IBD) is a highly contagious, immunosuppressive disease of chickens and causes substantial economic losses to the poultry industry globally. This study investigated the genetic characteristics and pathological lesions induced by IBD viruses (IBDVs) that were associated with 60 suspected outbreaks in chickens during 2015-2016 in Lusaka Province, Zambia. Nucleotide sequences of VP2 hypervariable region (VP2-HVR) (n = 38) and part of VP1 (n = 37) of Zambian IBDVs were phylogenetically analysed.

[A Case Report of Inguinal Malignant Lymphoma after Surgery for Hepatocellular Carcinoma].

An 81-year-old woman was followed up for hepatitis C from 1994. Sheh ad a previous history of hypertension and appendicitis. In October 2014, the patient underwent subsegmentectomy(S8)and cholecystectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)(T2N0M0, Stage II ).

[A Resected Case of the Vaginal Metastasis from Rectal Cancer].

The vaginal metastasis from colorectal cancer has rarely been reported. Here, we report a resected case of the vaginal metastasis from rectal cancer. A 51-year-old woman underwent radical hysterectomy and bilateral oophorectomy for uterus cancer.

First molecular detection and genetic characterization of Coxiella burnetii in Zambian dogs and rodents.

Coxiella burnetii, the causative agent of Q fever, is a zoonotic pathogen associated with sylvatic or domestic transmission cycles, with rodents being suspected to link the two transmission cycles. Infection and subsequent disease in humans has historically been associated with contact with infected livestock, especially sheep. However, recently there have been reports of Q fever outbreaks associated with contact with infected rodents and dogs.

Ebola virus requires a host scramblase for externalization of phosphatidylserine on the surface of viral particles.

Cell surface receptors for phosphatidylserine contribute to the entry of Ebola virus (EBOV) particles, indicating that the presence of phosphatidylserine in the envelope of EBOV is important for the internalization of EBOV particles. Phosphatidylserine is typically distributed in the inner layer of the plasma membrane in normal cells. Progeny virions bud from the plasma membrane of infected cells, suggesting that phosphatidylserine is likely flipped to the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane in infected cells for EBOV virions to acquire it.

Analysis of mainland Japanese and Okinawan Japanese populations using the precision ID Ancestry Panel.

We typed 165 AIMs in 49 mainland Japanese and 47 Okinawa Japanese using the Precision ID Ancestry Panel (Thermo Fisher Scientific). None of the 165 SNPs showed significant deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in the mainland Japanese. One SNP (rs3943253) showed significant deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in Okinawa Japanese.

Influenza A Virus M2 Protein: Roles from Ingress to Egress.

Influenza A virus (IAV) matrix protein 2 (M2) is among the smallest , hence extensively studied, ion channel proteins. The M2 ion channel activity is not only essential for virus replication, but also involved in modulation of cellular homeostasis in a variety of ways. It is also the target for ion channel inhibitors, i.

Culture and emotion perception: comparing Canadian and Japanese children's and parents' context sensitivity.

Prior research on the perception of facial expressions suggests that East Asians are more likely than North Americans to incorporate the expressions of background figures into their judgment of a central figure's emotion (Masuda et al. in J Pers Soc Psychol 94:365-381, 2008b). However, little research has examined this issue in the context of developmental science, especially during joint sessions where parents engage in a task in front of their 7-8-year-old children.

Characterization of a Novel Bat Adenovirus Isolated from Straw-Colored Fruit Bat (Eidolon helvum).

Bats are important reservoirs for emerging zoonotic viruses. For extensive surveys of potential pathogens in straw-colored fruit bats () in Zambia, a total of 107 spleen samples of in 2006 were inoculated onto Vero E6 cells. The cell culture inoculated with one of the samples (ZFB06-106) exhibited remarkable cytopathic changes.

Association between α-Klotho and Deep White Matter Lesions in the Brain: A Pilot Case Control Study Using Brain MRI.

Background: The anti-aging protein, α-Klotho, may be involved in cognitive decline and has potential as a surrogate marker that reflects dementia. However, the role of α-Klotho in the brain has not been sufficiently investigated.

Objective: Here, we investigated the association between α-Klotho and cognitive decline that is associated with cerebral deep white matter lesions (DWMLs).

The Influence of Hepatic and Renal Impairment on the Pharmacokinetics of a Treatment for Herpes Zoster, Amenamevir (ASP2151): Phase 1, Open-Label, Single-Dose, Parallel-Group Studies.

Introduction: Amenamevir (ASP2151) is a nonnucleoside human herpesvirus helicase-primase inhibitor that was approved in Japan for the treatment of herpes zoster (shingles) in 2017. This article reports the results of two clinical trials that investigated the effects of renal and hepatic impairment on the pharmacokinetics of amenamevir.

Methods: These studies were phase 1, open-label, single-dose (oral 400 mg), parallel-group studies evaluating the pharmacokinetics, safety, and tolerability of amenamevir in healthy participants and participants with moderate hepatic impairment and mild, moderate, and severe renal impairment.

Pharmacokinetics and Safety of Amenamevir in Healthy Subjects: Analysis of Four Randomized Phase 1 Studies.

Introduction: Amenamevir (ASP2151) is a nonnucleoside antiherpesvirus compound available for the treatment of varicella-zoster virus infections. In this article we summarize the findings of four phase 1 studies in healthy participants.

Methods: Four randomized phase 1 studies investigated the safety and pharmacokinetics of single and multiple doses of amenamevir, including the assessment of age group effect (nonelderly vs elderly), food effect, and the relative bioavailability of two formulations.

Fatal Intracranial Aneurysms and Dissections Causing Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: An Epidemiological and Pathological Analysis of 607 Legal Autopsy Cases.

Background: There are no detailed reports, in terms of epidemiology and pathology, on intracranial aneurysms and on dissections that were found in unexpected fatal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) cases. In this report we analyzed, based on large-sized medicolegal autopsy cases, the detailed epidemiology and pathological aspects of both lesions.

Methods: We analyzed 607 autopsy cases of unexpected fatal SAHs including 496 aneurysms and 111 dissections.

Endobronchial brachytherapy with curative intent: the impact of reference points setting according to the bronchial diameter.

Endobronchial brachytherapy (EBB) is an effective treatment for endobronchial tumors. However, bronchial toxicity caused by over-irradiation remains problematic. To decrease bronchial toxicity, we developed a source-centralizing applicator for EBB.

Deaths Associated With Brotizolam Poisoning From a Single Drug Overdose: Four Reported Cases.

Brotizolam is a short-acting hypnotic in the benzodiazepine family, and fatal poisonings by an overdose of brotizolam are rare. This report describes 4 cases of deaths associated with brotizolam poisoning from a single drug overdose. The ages ranged from 51 to 90 years, and the postmortem interval between death and tissue sampling was 1.