Managers' awareness of mental health measures for their employees in small and medium-sized enterprises in a depopulated mountainous area in Japan: A qualitative study.

The local economy is often supported by small and medium-sized enterprises. There is a need to consider effective promotion methods for mental health measures in these enterprises in depopulated mountainous areas. It is important to understand managers' awareness when considering effective mental health measures in these enterprises.

Gravitational separation of Cs contaminated soil in Fukushima environment: Density dependence of Cs activity and application to volume reduction.

Behavior of radiocesium in Fukushima after its deposition is mainly controlled by mobility of soil components, of which the density is one of the parameters governing the mobility; however, little information is available on the density of soil components associated with radiocesium in environment. Furthermore, the reduction of the volume of radiocesium-contaminated soil in the interim storage is highly demanded. In this study, we developed a gravitational separation method using a sodium polytungstate (SPT) solution combined with size fractionation to understand the relation between Cs activity and the density of surface soil components and evaluate the feasibility of the method for the volume reduction of the contaminated soil.

Pufferfish (Tetraodon cutcutia) Sampled from a Freshwater River Serves as an Intermediate Reservoir of a Sucrose Nonfermenting Variant of Vibrio cholerae PS-4.

We describe the genomic characteristics of Vibrio cholerae strain PS-4 that is unable to ferment sucrose on a thiosulfate citrate bile salt sucrose (TCBS) agar medium. This bacterium was isolated from the skin mucus of a freshwater pufferfish. The genome of strain PS-4 was sequenced to understand the sucrose nonfermenting phenotype.

Evaluation of efflux pump inhibitors of MexAB- or MexXY-OprM in Pseudomonas aeruginosa using nucleic acid dyes.

Background: Increased expression of efflux pumps is an important mechanism of antibiotic resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and treatment with inhibitors of active efflux pumps seems an attractive strategy to combat with multidrug resistance. Assays using ethidium bromide (EtBr), which accumulates by binding to nucleic acids, are often employed to assess the efficacy of efflux pump inhibitors (EPIs). However, few studies have reported on assays using other nucleic acid dyes.

Migration and psychotic experiences in the Tokyo Teen Cohort.

Background: Immigration has been shown to be associated with an increased risk for psychotic experiences, with similar effect sizes for first-generation and second-generation migration (i.e., children whose parents had migrated).

Correction: Synthesis of glycerolipids containing simple linear acyl chains or aromatic rings and evaluation of their Mincle signaling activity.

Correction for 'Synthesis of glycerolipids containing simple linear acyl chains or aromatic rings and evaluation of their Mincle signaling activity' by Takanori Matsumaru , , 2019, , 711-714, DOI: 10.1039/C8CC07322H.

Addition of Chk1 inhibitor and BMP4 cooperatively promotes retinal tissue formation in self-organizing human pluripotent stem cell differentiation culture.

Background: The BMP signaling pathway plays a key role in growth, differentiation and patterning during neural development. Recent work on the generation of a self-organization of three-dimensional retinal organoid (3D-retina) from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) revealed that addition of recombinant human BMP4 (rhBMP4) promotes retinal differentiation in the early neural differentiation stage. For clinical application, efficient differentiation from hPSCs to retinal cells with minimal numbers of off-target non-retinal cells is desirable.

Volatilization of BC control rods in Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactors during meltdown: B-Li isotopic signatures in cesium-rich microparticles.

Boron carbide control rods remain in the fuel debris of the damaged reactors in the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, potentially preventing re-criticality; however, the state and stability of the control rods remain unknown. Sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe analyses have revealed B-Li isotopic signatures in radioactive Cs-rich microparticles (CsMPs) that formed by volatilization and condensation of Si-oxides during the meltdowns. The CsMPs contain 1518-6733 mg kg of B and 11.

The association of reproductive history with hypertension and obesity according to menopausal status: the J-MICC Study.

Previous studies have reported that the number of pregnancies and childbirths affected the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). However, the influence of reproductive history on hypertension and obesity, which are important risk factors for CVDs, is still unclear. Moreover, this association may vary depending on menopausal status.

A Genetic modification that reduces ON-bipolar cells in hESC-derived retinas enhances functional integration after transplantation.

Pluripotent stem cell (PSC)-derived retinal sheet transplanted can form structured photoreceptor layers, contact with host bipolar cells, and transmit light signals to host retinas. However, a major concern is the presence of graft bipolar cells that may impede host-graft interaction. In this study, we used human ESC-retinas with the deletion of () gene to achieve the reduced graft ON-bipolar cells after xenotransplantation into end-stage retinal degeneration model rats.

Identification of a Cowden syndrome patient with a novel PTEN mutation and establishment of patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells.

Cowden syndrome (CS) is an autosomal dominant inherited disorder characterized by multiple hamartomas in various organs such as the mucosa, skin, and gastrointestinal tract. Patients with CS are at high risk for breast and thyroid cancers. Phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) is a tumor suppressor gene that negatively regulates the AKT pathway, and PTEN mutations are known to be the major causes of this syndrome.

Piperine, an active ingredient of white pepper, suppresses the growth of multidrug-resistant toxigenic Vibrio cholerae and other pathogenic bacteria.

Emergence and rapid spread of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria including Vibrio cholerae are a global public health issue. Much attention has been paid to natural compounds, such as spices and herbs to find novel antimicrobial compounds as they are considered to be cheaper alternatives to develop as a drug. Here, we show that methanol extract of white pepper could inhibit the growth of V.

Cancer immunotherapy using artificial adjuvant vector cells to deliver NY-ESO-1 antigen to dendritic cells in situ.

NY-ESO-1 is a cancer/testis antigen expressed in various cancer types. However, the induction of NY-ESO-1-specific CTLs through vaccines is somewhat difficult. Thus, we developed a new type of artificial adjuvant vector cell (aAVC-NY-ESO-1) expressing a CD1d-NKT cell ligand complex and a tumor-associated antigen, NY-ESO-1.

Sonographically Measured Adipose Tissue Thickness Correlates with Laboratory Test Abnormalities Reflecting Metabolic State in Elderly Women.

Accumulation of adipose tissue progresses to metabolic diseases. Sonography is a convenient modality for measuring the thickness of adipose tissue. The present study aimed to clarify the site of adipose tissue thickness that correlated best with laboratory test values reflecting metabolic abnormalities.

Selective suppression of IL-10 transcription by calcineurin in dendritic cells through inactivation of CREB.

Myeloid cells play a pivotal role in immune responses against bacterial and fungal infection. Among innate immune receptors, C-type lectin receptors (CLRs) can induce a wide spectrum of cytokines through immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motifs (ITAMs)-mediated signaling pathways. Dendritic cells (DCs) produce IL-10 through CLR stimulation; however, the regulatory mechanism of IL-10 expression has not been elucidated.

Developing a Hybrid Platform for Emergency Remote Education of Nursing Students in the Context of COVID-19.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many nursing students are being taught remotely. Remote learning has drawbacks, such as decreased motivation for learning and difficulties conveying the instructor's intentions. Strategies that compensate for the shortcomings of remote learning should be identified.

Kyushu and Okinawa Population Study (KOPS): a large prospective cohort study in Japan.

Purpose: The Kyushu and Okinawa Population Study (KOPS) was established to investigate gene-environmental interactions in non-communicable diseases in Japan. Besides collecting blood samples and anthropometric measurements, we also obtained medical histories, psychological status and lifestyle habits, including physical activities and dietary patterns.

Participants: KOPS is a community-based prospective cohort study and consists of participants from four southwestern areas in Japan.

Function and Inhibitory Mechanisms of Multidrug Efflux Pumps.

Multidrug efflux pumps are inner membrane transporters that export multiple antibiotics from the inside to the outside of bacterial cells, contributing to bacterial multidrug resistance (MDR). Postgenomic analysis has demonstrated that numerous multidrug efflux pumps exist in bacteria. Also, the co-crystal structural analysis of multidrug efflux pumps revealed the drug recognition and export mechanisms, and the inhibitory mechanisms of the pumps.

Longitudinal Bidirectional Relationships Between Maternal Depressive/Anxious Symptoms and Children's Tic Frequency in Early Adolescence.

Previous studies have revealed an association between maternal depressive/anxious symptoms and children's tics. However, the longitudinal relationships between these symptoms remain unclear. We examined the longitudinal relationships between maternal depressive/anxious symptoms and children's tic frequency in early adolescence with a population-based sample.

Psychotic experiences predict subsequent loneliness among adolescents: A population-based birth cohort study.

Background: Cross-sectional studies have suggested that the occurrence of psychotic experiences is associated with loneliness in the general adolescent population. However, there has been a scarcity of prospective longitudinal studies on this topic.

Methods: We investigated the longitudinal association between the presence of psychotic experiences and loneliness among adolescents using data from a population-based birth cohort study (Tokyo Teen Cohort; N = 3171).

The role of bullying victimization in the pathway between autistic traits and psychotic experiences in adolescence: Data from the Tokyo Teen Cohort study.

Autistic traits are associated with psychotic experiences in adolescence; however, the mechanisms underlying this relationship are not well understood. Prior research indicates that bullying victimization increases the risk of psychotic experiences in general adolescent populations, and autistic youth are at higher risk of being bullied than their non-autistic peers. Using longitudinal data from general population adolescents aged 10-14 in the Tokyo Teen Cohort study, we tested the hypothesis that bullying is responsible for the association between autistic traits and psychotic experiences in adolescence.

Arthroscopic Saucerization With Inside-Out Repair and Anterocentral Shift of a Discoid Lateral Meniscus With Retention of Adequate Volume of Residual Meniscus.

Abstract: Preservation of the meniscus has been shown to influence the progression of osteoarthritic changes in the knee. Discoid lateral meniscus (DLM) is classified on the basis of the presence and location of instability resulting from deficient capsular attachments. Recently, meniscal stabilization after saucerization was recommended in cases of DLM to preserve the meniscus shape and avoid the progression of osteoarthritis.

Identification of a familial cleidocranial dysplasia with a novel RUNX2 mutation and establishment of patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells.

Cleidocranial dysplasia (CCD) is an autosomal dominant hereditary disease associated with the gene RUNX2. Disease-specific induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have emerged as a useful resource to further study human hereditary diseases such as CCD. In this study, we identified a novel CCD-specific RUNX2 mutation and established iPSCs with this mutation.