[Changes in Attitudes to Medical Care among Pharmacy Pharmacists before and after the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Questionnaire Survey].

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a major negative effect on the number of patients visiting pharmacies in Japan. The decrease in pharmacy visits during the pandemic compared with the pre-pandemic period may have increased the likelihood of adverse health outcomes; thus, it is important that pharmacy pharmacists take measures to prevent health disadvantages. In this study, we distributed a questionnaire survey to 104 pharmacy pharmacists (mainly in Kagoshima and Kumamoto Prefectures), and investigated changes in the extent of implementation and perceptions of measures considered necessary to protect patients' health between the pre-pandemic and pandemic period.

Questionnaire survey on pharmacists' roles among non- and health care professionals in medium-sized cities in Japan.

Although the scope of pharmacists' work has expanded in Japan, people's perception of this is unclear. To contribute to medical care together with non- and health care professionals, clarifying the perceptions of these groups is important to best utilize pharmacist professionals. We conducted a cross-sectional questionnaire survey among non-health care professionals (n = 487) and nurses (n = 151), medical doctors (n = 133), and pharmacists (n = 204) regarding the work of pharmacists.

Knowledge and Awareness of Human Papillomavirus Vaccination and Cervical Cancer among Men and Women in Japan: A Questionnaire Survey.

Background: In many advanced countries other than Japan, the incidence and mortality rates of cervical cancer, which is mainly caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, are decreasing probably due to the high rate of HPV vaccination and cervical cancer screening. In Japan, these rates are on the rise owing to the stagnation of vaccination and low screening rate. To improve these situations, active promotion of HPV vaccination and screening is required.

A Splice Switch in SIGIRR Causes a Defect of IL-37-Dependent Anti-Inflammatory Activity in Cystic Fibrosis Airway Epithelial Cells.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a hereditary disease typically characterized by infection-associated chronic lung inflammation. The persistent activation of toll-like receptor (TLR) signals is considered one of the mechanisms for the CF hyperinflammatory phenotype; however, how negative regulatory signals of TLRs associate with CF inflammation is still elusive. Here, we showed that the cell surface expression of a single immunoglobulin interleukin-1 receptor (IL-1R)-related molecule (SIGIRR), a membrane protein essential for suppressing TLRs- and IL-1R-dependent signals, was remarkably decreased in CF airway epithelial cells compared to non-CF cells.

The Binding of Aripiprazole to Plasma Proteins in Chronic Renal Failure Patients.

The binding of drugs to plasma protein is frequently altered in certain types of renal diseases. We recently reported on the effects of oxidation and uremic toxins on the binding of aripiprazole (ARP) to human serum albumin. In our continuing investigations, we examined the binding of ARP to plasma pooled from patients with chronic renal dysfunction.

Consistency between patients and families in recognizing cancer chemotherapy side effects: A questionnaire survey.

Background: Although the side effects of cancer chemotherapy impair a patient's quality of life, family members' awareness of side effects may relieve patient anxiety and distress.

Aim: We investigated whether patients and their families were consistent in recognizing the occurrence and severity of symptomatic side effects of chemotherapy treatment for cancer.

Methods And Results: This was a prospective observational study.

A Comparison of the Frequency of Prescription and Pharmacy Revisits between Baloxavir Marboxil and Neuraminidase Inhibitors in Influenza-Infected Pediatric Patients during the 2019-2020 Influenza Season.

The novel anti-influenza virus agent baloxavir marboxil is a selective inhibitor of an influenza cap-dependent endonuclease. Although a single oral dose in tablet form of baloxavir marboxil is expected to improve drug compliance and rapidly reduce viral titers for pediatric patients with influenza, there is a concern that baloxavir marboxil-resistant influenza A variants could be generated. In this study, we investigated the frequency of prescription and pharmacy revisits for baloxavir marboxil at an outpatient clinic compared with that of neuraminidase inhibitors in pediatric patients with influenza.

Hoxa13 regulates expression of common Hox target genes involved in cartilage development to coordinate the expansion of the autopodal anlage.

To elucidate the role of Hox genes in limb cartilage development, we identified the target genes of HOXA11 and HOXA13 by ChIP-Seq. The ChIP DNA fragment contained evolutionarily conserved sequences and multiple highly conserved HOX binding sites. A substantial portion of the HOXA11 ChIP fragment overlapped with the HOXA13 ChIP fragment indicating that both factors share common targets.

Adult Recurrence of Kawasaki Disease Mimicking Retropharyngeal Abscess.

Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute, self-limited vasculitis of unknown etiology that occurs predominantly in young children (≤5 years of age). We herein report the case of an 18-year-old Japanese man with a history of incomplete KD during infancy; later, despite an initial diagnosis of retropharyngeal abscess, he was ultimately diagnosed with retropharyngeal edema associated with recurrent KD. Adult-onset or recurrent KD is an uncommon event, and retropharyngeal edema is a rare manifestation of this disease.

Lipopolysaccharide decreases single immunoglobulin interleukin-1 receptor-related molecule (SIGIRR) expression by suppressing specificity protein 1 (Sp1) via the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)-p38 pathway in monocytes and neutrophils.

Single immunoglobulin interleukin-1 receptor-related molecule (SIGIRR) is one of the immunoglobulin-like membrane proteins that is crucial for negative regulation of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and interleukin-1 receptor. Despite the importance of understanding its expression and function, knowledge is limited on the regulatory mechanism in the epithelial tissues, such as the liver, lung, and gut, where its predominant expression is originally described. Here, we found expression of SIGIRR in non-epithelial innate immune cells, including primary peripheral blood monocytes, polymorphonuclear neutrophils, monocytic RAW264 cells, and neutrophilic-differentiated HL-60 cells.

Heatstroke in patients with Parkinson's disease.

We present two Parkinson's disease (PD) patients, who experienced heatstroke. Both patients manifested central nervous system dysfunction with elevated core temperature. Despite adequate lowering of the body temperature, multiorgan-dysfunction syndrome including encephalopathy, rhabdomyolysis, acute renal failure, acute respiratory failure, and disseminated intravascular coagulopathy was noted in one patient, leading to permanent neurologic damage.

Identification of the occipito-pontine tract using diffusion-tensor fiber tracking in adult-onset adrenoleukodystrophy with topographic disorientation.

X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy is a severe and progressive neurodegenerative disease caused by the peroxisomal transporter ATP-binding cassette, subfamily D, member 1 gene mutations. The defect of this gene product results in accumulation of very-long-chain fatty acids in organs and serum, central demyelination, and peripheral axonopathy. Although there are different magnetic resonance (MR) findings which reflect various phenotypes in adrenoleukodystrophy, some cases present with specific symmetrical occipital white-matter lesions.

Rescue from respiratory dysfunction by transduction of full-length dystrophin to diaphragm via the peritoneal cavity in utrophin/dystrophin double knockout mice.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an inherited severe muscle wasting disorder with, thus far, no effective therapy. DMD causes respiratory and cardiac failure as well as muscle wastage. Among the various symptoms, respiratory insufficiency is a major cause of death in DMD patients at about 20 years of age.

Muscle fiber type-predominant promoter activity in lentiviral-mediated transgenic mouse.

Variations in gene promoter/enhancer activity in different muscle fiber types after gene transduction was noticed previously, but poorly analyzed. The murine stem cell virus (MSCV) promoter drives strong, stable gene expression in hematopoietic stem cells and several other cells, including cerebellar Purkinje cells, but it has not been studied in muscle. We injected a lentiviral vector carrying an MSCV-EGFP cassette (LvMSCV-EGFP) into tibialis anterior muscles and observed strong EGFP expression in muscle fibers, primary cultured myoblasts, and myotubes isolated from injected muscles.

A reversible lesion of the corpus callosum splenium with adult influenza-associated encephalitis/encephalopathy: a case report.

Introduction: Influenza virus-associated encephalitis/encephalopathy is a severe childhood illness with a poor prognosis. Adult case reports are rare and, to date, there have been no reports of adults with a mild subcortical encephalopathy with reversible lesions of the corpus callosum splenium.

Case Presentation: A previously healthy 35-year-old man presented with acute progressive tetraplegia, transcortical motor aphasia and a mild decrease in his consciousness during his recovery after receiving oseltamivir phosphate treatment, and influenza type A antiviral medication.

Regions downstream from the WW domain of dystrophin are important for binding to postsynaptic densities in the brain.

In order to investigate the mechanism of dystrophin localization in the central nervous system (CNS), we generated adenovirus vectors that contained minidystrophin or truncated minidystrophin cDNA. We infected a primary neuronal culture derived from mdx mouse hippocampus with these viruses. Minidystrophin was observed along the plasma membrane as punctate dots or very short segments.

Mdx respiratory impairment following fibrosis of the diaphragm.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a progressive muscle-wasting disease that causes respiratory or cardiac failure and results in death at about 20 years of age. An animal model of DMD, the mdx mouse, is commonly used to estimate dystrophic pathology. The pathological features of limb muscles are relatively mild, however the diaphragm is severely affected and exhibits a degenerative pattern similar to that observed in human DMD.

Transduction of full-length dystrophin to multiple skeletal muscles improves motor performance and life span in utrophin/dystrophin double knockout mice.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a fatal, progressive, muscle-wasting disease caused by defects in the dystrophin. No viral vector except the helper-dependent adenovirus vector (HDAdv) can package 14-kilobase (kb) full-length dystrophin complementary DNA (cDNA), and HDAdv is considerably safer than old-generation adenovirus vectors because of the large-size deletion in its genome. We have generated HDAdv that carries myc-tagged murine full-length dystrophin cDNA (HDAdv-myc-mFLdys).

Effective repetitive dystrophin gene transfer into skeletal muscle of adult mdx mice using a helper-dependent adenovirus vector expressing the coxsackievirus and adenovirus receptor (CAR) and dystrophin.

Background: The helper-dependent adenovirus (HDAd) vector is less immunogenic and has a larger cloning capacity of up to 37 kb enough to carry the full-length dystrophin cDNA. However, high and long-term expression of dystrophin transduced to mature muscle still remains difficult. One of the main reasons for this is that the expression of the coxsackievirus and adenovirus receptor (CAR) is very low in mature muscle.

Pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration initially presenting as postural tremor alone in a Japanese family with homozygous N245S substitutions in the pantothenate kinase gene.

We describe a 24-year-old Japanese woman with pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration (PKAN) whose only early symptom was postural tremor in the right hand at around 18 years of age, leading to a diagnosis of essential tremor at age 21. Although she was treated with arotinolol hydrochloride and clonazepam, she gradually progressed to extrapyramidal and pyramidal signs several years later. T2-weighted magnetic resonance images (MRI) showed bilaterally marked hypointensity with a central region of hyperintensity in the globus pallidus, or the so-called "eye-of-the-tiger" sign.

Cre/loxP-mediated adenovirus type 5 packaging signal excision demonstrates that core element VI is sufficient for virus packaging.

Previous analyses have demonstrated that packaging of the adenovirus type 5 (Ad5) genome is dependent on at least seven cis-acting elements, called AI to AVII, which are located in the left-end region of the genome. These elements have different packaging efficiencies, and without AI through AV, viral DNA cannot be packaged. Here we report the identification of the cis-acting Ad5 packaging domain in vivo by using the Cre/loxP system.