Pediatric allergies in Japan: Coronavirus disease pandemic-related risk factors.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic impacted various parts of society, including Japanese children with allergies.

Objective: This study investigated risk factors for pediatric allergic diseases associated with the state of emergency owing to the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan, including during school closures.

Methods: Parents of pediatric patients (0-15 years) with allergies were enrolled and queried regarding the impact of school closure on pediatric allergies compared to that before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Parents' Fears about Hospital Visits and Trait Anxiety in the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Anxiety in parents of children with allergic diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic may impact hospital visits. This study explored the effect of the pandemic on parents' fears about hospital visits and their relationship with their personality traits. A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was conducted between September 2020 and March 2021, with parents of children aged 0-15 years, who regularly visited 24 outpatient facilities for allergic disease.

Progress of Home-Based Food Allergy Treatment during the Coronavirus Disease Pandemic in Japan: A Cross-Sectional Multicenter Survey.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic's impact on food allergy treatment such as home-based oral immunotherapy (OIT) is not known. This cross-sectional, questionnaire-based anonymized survey screened 2500 parents of children with allergic diseases and was conducted in the pediatric outpatient clinics of 24 hospitals. Basic clinical data of the children were collected along with the degree of allergy control, parental anxiety about emergency visits, and the risk of COVID-19 in the first state of emergency.

Standardization of tomato juice tastes using a taste sensor approach.

To enable the taste evaluation of many food samples at a time as well as the comparison of taste evaluation data acquired at different times, a standardization method for taste intensities was developed by a combination of a taste sensor system and a standard solution prepared with taste substances. In the case of tomato juices, citric acid, sucrose, and monosodium glutamate were used as standard taste substances for sourness, sweetness, and umami taste, respectively. Each standard point of the taste intensities was determined using only one standard solution including these standard substances.

Association between fruit and vegetable allergies and pollen-food allergy syndrome in Japanese children: a multicenter cross-sectional case series.

Background: Recently, the prevalence of food allergies during childhood is increasing, with fruits being common allergens. However, data on allergens that cause fruit and vegetable allergies and pollen-food allergy syndrome (PFAS) in childhood are relatively few. This study aimed to examine the allergens in fruit and vegetable allergies in pediatric patients and to determine the association between fruit and vegetable allergies and PFAS.

A Protocol of Infection Control for Mechanical Thrombectomy in Possible COVID-19 Patients: Tokai University COVID-19 Manual.

The crisis of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is causing damage to the social and medical community. However, extreme emergency neuro-interventions such as mechanical thrombectomy still require the healthcare workers to offer the appropriate treatment while preventing further spread of the infection. This article outlines the necessary steps in managing a possible COVID-19 patient starting from patient screening to personnel infection and environmental contamination measures.

Linagliptin Has Wide-Ranging Anti-Inflammatory Points of Action in Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells.

Background: Because of the potential anti-inflammatory effects, linagliptin, a therapeutic dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor, is used as an effective drug for diabetic patients for whom inflammation is a prognosis-related factor. We investigated the anti-inflammatory mechanism of linagliptin using seven markers.

Methods: We pretreated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), with linagliptin and lipopolysaccharide (LPS).

Protective effect of composite earthworm powder against diabetic complications via increased fibrinolytic function and improvement of lipid metabolism in ZDF rats.

Thrombosis is the leading cause of mortality globally. It is not only a complication but also a risk factor for progression of diabetes. However, alternative oral therapies and prophylaxis with less adverse effect for thrombosis have not been well studied.

ApoA1: mimetic peptide reverses adipocyte dysfunction in vivo and in vitro via an increase in heme oxygenase (HO-1) and Wnt10b.

Insulin resistance is a risk factor in the development of type 2 diabetes and is a major cause of atherosclerosis. Reduction in heme oxygenase (HO-1) has been shown to exacerbate vascular dysfunction and insulin resistance in obese mice and involves a decrease in adiponectin levels. Adiponectin is released from mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-derived adipocytes, its levels are decreased in type 2 diabetes.

Extracellular-regulated-kinase 5-mediated renal protection against ischemia-reperfusion injury.

ERK5, a member of the mitogen activated protein kinase, expressed in the kidneys was smaller (∼80kDa) in apparent molecular mass compared to other organs (∼120kDa). A blocking peptide experiment confirmed that the ∼80kDa detected on Western blots was a specific band detected by the anti-ERK5 antibody. Expression of the known ERK5 variants ERK5a, b, c, and T confirmed that none of the known splice variants encoded for the renal-specific ∼80kDa protein.

Reciprocal Effects of Oxidative Stress on Heme Oxygenase Expression and Activity Contributes to Reno-Vascular Abnormalities in EC-SOD Knockout Mice.

Heme oxygenase (HO) system is one of the key regulators of cellular redox homeostasis which responds to oxidative stress (ROS) via HO-1 induction. However, recent reports have suggested an inhibitory effect of ROS on HO activity. In light of these conflicting reports, this study was designed to evaluate effects of chronic oxidative stress on HO system and its role in contributing towards patho-physiological abnormalities observed in extracellular superoxide dismutase (EC-SOD, SOD3) KO animals.

Case of cheilitis granulomatosa associated with apical periodontitis.

The etiology of cheilitis granulomatosa is unknown. In some cases, rapid improvement and/or complete elimination of swelling of the lips after dental treatment has been reported. Here, we describe another case of improvement following dental treatment.

Highly liver-specific heme oxygenase-1 induction by interleukin-11 prevents carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity.

Heme oxygenase (HO)-1, the rate-limiting enzyme in heme catabolism, can be induced in response to various oxidative stimuli, and its induction is thought to be critical in the cellular defense against oxidative tissue injuries. Carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4)) treatment of rats causes lipid peroxidation of cell membranes and produces massive hepatic injury. We previously demonstrated that HO-1 induction following CCl(4) treatment is an essential part of the cellular defense against the CCl(4)-inducible toxic changes.

Increased heme catabolism in critically ill patients: correlation among exhaled carbon monoxide, arterial carboxyhemoglobin, and serum bilirubin IXalpha concentrations.

It has been reported that exhaled carbon monoxide (CO) concentrations and arterial carboxyhemoglobin (CO-Hb) concentration in blood may be increased in critically ill patients. However, there was no study that examined correlation among amount of CO in exhaled air, CO-Hb concentrations in erythrocytes, and bilirubin IXalpha (BR) in serum, i.e.

Three-dimensional demonstration of total anomalous pulmonary venous return with contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography.

A newborn male was hospitalized for a heart murmur and severe cyanosis after his birth. Echocardiography showed an abnormal vein crossing below the diaphragm; total anomalous pulmonary venous return (TAPVR, Darling type III) was suspected. A contrast-enhanced 3-dimensional magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) was performed on the 6th day after his birth to assess pulmonary vein stenosis.

Electric-field-induced conductance switching in FeCo Prussian blue analogues.

FeCo Prussian blue analogues, which are known as typical molecule-based magnets, exhibited abrupt conductance switching by applying a high electric field as well as by varying the temperature. The current density versus electric field (J-E) curves of FeCo Prussian blue with Rb cations in interstitial sites shows so-called negative resistance effects at electric fields higher than the threshold voltage. This means that the FeCo Prussian blue analogues are multiproperty materials in the sense that their conducting, magnetic, and optical properties can be reversibly controlled by certain external stimuli.

The indirect pathogenicity of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia.

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia has at least two inducible beta-lactamases, L1 and L2, which can hydrolyze almost all classes of beta-lactam antimicrobial agents. This study was done to verify the indirect pathogenicity of S. maltophilia that could promote the growth of other beta-lactam agent-susceptible bacteria in a mixed culture.

An abrupt spin transition based on short S...S contacts in a novel Fe(II) complex whose ligand contains a 1,3-dithiole ring.

The first preparation of an Fe(II) spin-crossover complex including a 1,3-dithiole ligand is reported. Crystal analyses of both the low- and the high-temperature phases reveal that short S..

MR angiography and CT angiography of the artery of Adamkiewicz: noninvasive preoperative assessment of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm.

It is important to identify the artery of Adamkiewicz in patients with thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm to aid in surgical planning and to prevent postoperative paraplegia or paraparesis. However, the artery of Adamkiewicz is difficult to visualize and impossible or very dangerous to evaluate with selective intercostal or lumbar angiography. The feasibility, advantages, and limitations of magnetic resonance (MR) angiography and computed tomographic (CT) angiography in the preoperative assessment of the artery of Adamkiewicz were evaluated in 30 patients with thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm.