Characterizing and Predicting nvPM Size Distributions for Aviation Emission Inventories and Environmental Impact.

Concerns about civil aviation's air quality and environmental impacts have led to recent regulations on nonvolatile particulate matter (nvPM) mass and number emissions. Although these regulations do not mandate measuring particle size distribution (PSD), understanding PSDs is vital for assessing the environmental impacts of aviation nvPM. This study introduces a comprehensive data set detailing PSD characteristics of 42 engines across 19 turbofan types, ranging from unregulated small business jets to regulated large commercial aircraft. Emission tests were independently performed by using the European and Swiss reference nvPM sampling and measurement systems with parallel PSD measurements. The geometric mean diameter (GMD) at the engine exit strongly correlated with the nvPM number-to-mass ratio (N/M) and thrust, varying from 7 to 52 nm. The engine-exit geometric standard deviation ranged from 1.7 to 2.5 (mean of 2.05). The study proposes empirical correlations to predict GMD from N/M data of emissions-certified engines. These predictions are expected to be effective for conventional rich-burn engines and might be extended to novel combustor technologies if additional data become available. The findings support the refinement of emission models and help in assessing the aviation non-CO2 climate and air quality impacts.

Predictive ability of novel volumetric and geometric indices derived from dual-energy X-ray absorptiometric images of the proximal femur for hip fracture compared with conventional areal bone mineral density: the Japanese Population-based Osteoporosis (JPOS) Cohort Study.

Areal BMD (aBMD) from DXA is not a sufficiently accurate predictor of fracture. Novel volumetric BMD derived from 3D modeling of the hip from DXA images significantly improved the predictive ability for hip fracture relative to aBMD at the femoral neck, but not aBMD at the total hip. INTRODUCTION: To clarify whether volumetric and geometric indices derived from novel three-dimensional (3D) modeling of the hip using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometric (DXA) images improve hip fracture prediction relative to areal bone mineral density (aBMD). METHODS: We examined 1331 women who had completed the baseline survey and at least one follow-up survey over 20 years (age 40-79 years at baseline). Each survey included aBMD measurement at the hip by DXA. Volumetric and geometric indices of the hip at baseline and the 10-year follow-up were estimated from DXA images using a 3D modeling algorithm. Incident hip fractures during the 20-year follow-up period were identified through self-report. Cox proportional hazards regression models allowing for repeated measurements of predictors and outcomes were constructed, and their predictive ability for hip fracture was evaluated using areas under receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) and net reclassification improvement (NRI) over aBMD at the femoral neck (FN) and total hip (TH) as references. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 19.8 years, 68 incident hip fractures were identified (2.22/1000 person-years). A significantly larger AUC of trabecular volumetric BMD (vBMD) at the total hip (AUC = 0.741), femoral neck (AUC = 0.748), and intertrochanter (AUC = 0.738) and significant NRI (0.177, 0.149, and 0.195, respectively) were observed compared with FN-aBMD (AUC = 0.701), but not TH-aBMD. CONCLUSIONS: vBMD obtained from 3D modeling using routinely obtained hip DXA images significantly improved hip fracture risk prediction over conventional FN-aBMD, but not TH-aBMD. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The Japanese Population-Based Osteoporosis (JPOS) Cohort Study was retrospectively registered as UMIN000032869 in the UMIN Clinical Trials Registry on July 1, 2018.

Incident fracture associated with increased risk of mortality even after adjusting for frailty status in elderly Japanese men: the Fujiwara-kyo Osteoporosis Risk in Men (FORMEN) Cohort Study.

Frail elderly individuals have elevated risks of both fracture and mortality. We found that incident fractures were associated with an increased risk of death even after adjusting for pre-fracture frailty status as represented by physical performance tests and laboratory tests for common geriatric diseases in community-dwelling elderly Japanese men. INTRODUCTION: While fractures reportedly increase the risk of mortality, frailty may complicate this association, generating a false-positive result. We evaluated this association after adjusting for pre-fracture levels of frailty. METHODS: We examined 1998 community-dwelling ambulatory men aged ≥65 years at baseline in the Fujiwara-kyo Osteoporosis Risk in Men Study for frailty status as represented by activities of daily living (ADL), physical performance tests (grip strength, one-foot standing balance with eyes open, timed 10-m walk), and laboratory sera tests. Participants were then followed for 5 years for incident clinical fractures and death. Effects of incident fracture on death were determined by Cox proportional hazards model with the first fracture during follow-up as a time-dependent predictor and with frailty status indices as covariates. RESULTS: We identified 111 fractures in 99 men and 138 deaths during the follow-up period (median follow-up, 4.5 years). Participants with incident fractures did not have significantly worse frailty statuses, but did show a significantly higher cumulative mortality rate than those without fractures (p = 0.0047). Age-adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of death for incident fracture was 3.57 (95 % confidence interval: 2.05, 6.24). When adjusted for physical performance, this decreased to 2.77 (1.51, 5.06), but remained significant. The HR showed no significant change when adjusted for laboratory test results (3.96 (2.26, 6.94)). Exclusion of deaths within the first 24 months of follow-up did not alter these results. CONCLUSION: Incident clinical fracture was associated with an elevated risk of death independently of pre-fracture levels of frailty in community-dwelling elderly men.

Monocyte CD64 expression as a novel biomarker for the disease activity of systemic lupus erythematosus.

OBJECTIVE: Interferon alpha (IFN-α) is a key cytokine associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). IFN-α induces the expression of CD64 on monocytes (mCD64). Although enhanced mCD64 expression has been reported in patients with SLE, it has never been assessed quantitatively. The aim of this study was to investigate whether or not mCD64 expression correlates with SLE disease activity. METHODS: The mCD64 expression levels were assessed quantitatively in 40 patients with active or inactive SLE by using flow cytometry. The mCD64 expression levels were subsequently compared with the SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI) and levels of existing SLE activity biomarkers, such as anti-DNA antibody, complements, and so on. RESULTS: The mCD64 expression was significantly higher in active disease than in inactive disease SLE (median molecules/cell, interquartile range: 34,648, 8174-24,932 and 20,865, 6357-21,503, respectively; p < 0.001). The levels of mCD64 expression strongly correlated with SLEDAI (r = 0.68, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The mCD64 expression is a simple and useful biomarker for evaluating disease activity in patients with SLE.

Trabecular bone score may improve FRAX® prediction accuracy for major osteoporotic fractures in elderly Japanese men: the Fujiwara-kyo Osteoporosis Risk in Men (FORMEN) Cohort Study.

UNLABELLED: FRAX® is widely used to evaluate fracture risk of individuals in clinical settings. However, FRAX® prediction accuracy is not sufficient, and improvement is desired. Trabecular bone score, a bone microarchitecture index, may improve FRAX® prediction accuracy for major osteoporotic fractures in community-dwelling elderly Japanese men. INTRODUCTION: To improve fracture risk assessment in clinical settings, we evaluated whether the combination of FRAX® and Trabecular Bone Score (TBS) improves the prediction accuracy of major osteoporotic fractures (MOFs) in elderly Japanese men compared to FRAX® alone. METHODS: Two thousand and twelve community-dwelling men aged ≥65 years completed the Fujiwara-kyo Osteoporosis Risk in Men (FORMEN) Baseline Study comprising lumbar spine (LS) and femoral neck areal bone mineral density (aBMD) measurements, and interviews regarding clinical risk factors required to estimate 10-year risk of MOF (hip, spine, distal forearm, and proximal humerus) using the Japanese version of FRAX® (v.3.8). TBS was calculated for the same vertebrae used for LS-aBMD with TBS iNsight software (v.2.1). MOFs that occurred during the follow-up period were identified by interviews or mail and telephone surveys. Prediction accuracy of a logistic model combining FRAX® score and TBS compared to FRAX® alone was evaluated by area under receiver-operating characteristic curves (AUCs), as well as category-free integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) and net reclassification improvement (NRI). RESULTS: We identified 22 men with MOFs during 8140 person-years (PY) of follow-up among 1872 men; 67 men who suffered from fractures other than MOFs were excluded. Participants with MOFs had significantly lower TBS (p = 0.0015) and higher FRAX® scores (p = 0.0089) than those without. IDI and NRI showed significant improvements in reclassification accuracy using FRAX® plus TBS compared to FRAX® alone (IDI 0.006 (p = 0.0362), NRI 0.452 (p = 0.0351)), although no difference was observed in AUCs between the two. CONCLUSIONS: TBS may improve MOF prediction accuracy of FRAX® for community-dwelling elderly Japanese men.

Greater milk intake is associated with lower bone turnover, higher bone density, and higher bone microarchitecture index in a population of elderly Japanese men with relatively low dietary calcium intake: Fujiwara-kyo Osteoporosis Risk in Men (FORMEN) Study.

UNLABELLED: The effects of milk intake on bone health are not clear in elderly Asian men with low dietary calcium intake. This study showed that greater milk intake is associated with lower bone turnover, higher bone density, and higher bone microarchitecture index in community-dwelling elderly Japanese men. INTRODUCTION: The consumption of milk or dairy products is widely recommended for maintaining bone health regardless of gender or age. However, little evidence exists on the beneficial effects of milk intake on bone health in elderly Japanese men characterized with relatively low dietary calcium intake. Here we examined whether or not greater milk intake was associated with lower bone turnover, higher bone density, and stronger bone microarchitecture in community-dwelling elderly Japanese men. METHODS: Interviews were conducted to obtain information on medical history and lifestyle, including the amount of habitual milk intake, nutrient intake calculations based on a 1-week food diary, and measurements of areal bone mineral density (aBMD) at the lumbar spine (LS), total hip (TH), and femoral neck (FN) by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA), trabecular bone score (TBS) using DXA images at LS, and biochemical markers of bone turnover in sera. Participants with a history of diseases or medications that affect bone metabolism, or with missing data, were excluded from the analysis. RESULTS: The median intake of milk in the 1479 participants (mean age, 73.0 ± 5.1 years) was one glass of milk per day. Bone turnover markers showed a decreasing trend (p < 0.05) and aBMD at TH (p = 0.0019) and FN (p = 0.0057) and TBS (p = 0.0017) showed increasing trends with greater milk intake after adjusting for demographic and behavioral confounding factors. This association was attenuated after further adjusting for nutrient intake, in particular, calcium intake. CONCLUSIONS: Greater milk intake was associated with lower bone turnover, higher aBMD, and higher TBS in community-dwelling elderly Japanese men.

Serum undercarboxylated osteocalcin levels are inversely associated with glycemic status and insulin resistance in an elderly Japanese male population: Fujiwara-kyo Osteoporosis Risk in Men (FORMEN) Study.

SUMMARY: Recent animal studies have demonstrated that undercarboxylated osteocalcin upregulates insulin secretion via osteoblast-insulin signaling. However, it remains unclear whether such a pathway exists in humans. This study showed that serum undercarboxylated osteocalcin levels were inversely associated with fasting plasma glucose, hemoglobin A(1c), and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) levels in community-dwelling elderly Japanese men. INTRODUCTION: Undercarboxylated osteocalcin (ucOC) was reported to increase insulin secretion and improve glucose tolerance via osteoblast-insulin signaling in animal-based studies. Whether this pathway also exists in humans is unknown. We aimed to clarify whether serum ucOC levels are associated with glycemic status and insulin resistance in the general Japanese population. METHODS: We included 2,174 Japanese men (≥65 years) who were able to walk without aid from others and lived at home in four cities of Nara Prefecture. We excluded participants with a history of diseases or medications that affect bone metabolism, other than type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Fasting plasma glucose, glycated hemoglobin A(1c), and HOMA-IR levels were determined as outcome measures. RESULTS: Of the 1,597 participants included in the analysis, both intact OC (iOC) and ucOC levels showed significant inverse correlations with all outcome measures, even after adjusting for potential confounders. Mean values of outcome measures showed a significant decreasing trend with higher quintiles of iOC or ucOC after adjusting for confounders. This trend remained significant for ucOC quintiles after further adjustment for iOC levels, but was not significant for iOC quintiles after adjusting for ucOC levels. These results were attenuated, but still apparent, after excluding participants receiving drug therapy for T2DM. CONCLUSIONS: Levels of ucOC, but not iOC, were inversely associated with glycemic index and insulin resistance in a population of Japanese men. These findings will need to be confirmed with longitudinal studies.

Association between vitamin K intake from fermented soybeans, natto, and bone mineral density in elderly Japanese men: the Fujiwara-kyo Osteoporosis Risk in Men (FORMEN) study.

SUMMARY: A cross-sectional analysis of 1,662 community dwelling elderly Japanese men suggested that habitual natto intake was significantly associated with higher bone mineral density (BMD). When adjustment was made for undercarboxylated osteocalcin levels, this association was insignificant, showing the natto-bone association to be primarily mediated by vitamin K. INTRODUCTION: Low vitamin K intake is associated with an increased risk of hip fracture, but reports have been inconsistent on its effect on BMD. Our first aim was to examine the association between BMD and intake of fermented soybeans, natto, which contain vitamin K1 (20 µg/pack) and K2 (380 µg/pack). Our second aim was to examine the association between undercarboxylated osteocalcin (ucOC), a biomarker of vitamin K intake, and BMD to evaluate the role of vitamin K in this association. METHODS: Of the Japanese men aged ≥65 years who participated in the baseline survey of the Fujiwara-kyo Osteoporosis Risk in Men study, 1,662 men without diseases or medications known to affect bone metabolism were examined for associations between self-reported natto intake or serum ucOC levels with lumbar spine or hip BMD. RESULTS: The subjects with greater intake of natto showed significantly lower level of serum ucOC. Analysis after adjustment for confounding variables showed an association of greater intake of natto with both significantly higher BMD and lower risk of low BMD (T-score < -1 SD) at the total hip and femoral neck. This association became insignificant after further adjustment for ucOC level. CONCLUSION: Habitual intake of natto was associated with a beneficial effect on bone health in elderly men, and this association is primarily due to vitamin K content of natto, although the lack of information on dietary nutrient intake, including vitamin K1 and K2, prevented us from further examining the association.

Impact of smoking on bone mineral density and bone metabolism in elderly men: the Fujiwara-kyo Osteoporosis Risk in Men (FORMEN) study.

UNLABELLED: Our cross-sectional analysis of 1,576 men aged ≥65 years examined smoking effects on bone status. Number of smoking years was associated with decreased bone mineral density (BMD), after adjusting for age, height, weight, and number of cigarettes smoked daily. Smoking did not affect biochemical marker serum values for bone turnover. INTRODUCTION: The impact of smoking on bone status in men has not been conclusively established. We examined how smoking and its cessation influence bone status and metabolism in men. METHODS: We analyzed 1,576 men among a baseline survey of Japanese men aged ≥65 years, the Fujiwara-kyo Osteoporosis Risk in Men study, conducted during 2007-2008. RESULTS: Lumbar spine (LS) BMD values among never, former, and current smokers were 1.045 ± 0.194, 1.030 ± 0.189, and 1.001 ± 0.182 g/cm(2) (P = 0.005), respectively, while total hip (TH) BMD values were 0.888 ± 0.120, 0.885 ± 0.127, and 0.870 ± 0.124 (P = 0.078), respectively. The significant trend for LS BMD remained after adjusting for the covariates; age, height, weight, physical activity, milk consumption, and drinking habit (P = 0.036). Among never and ever (current and former) smokers, LS and TH BMD decreased with the number of pack years or the number of smoking years, respectively, adjusted for those covariates. Among ever smokers, LS and TH BMD decreased with the number of smoking years after adjusting for age, height, weight, and number of cigarettes smoked daily. Smoking did not reveal significant effect for serum osteocalcin or tartrate resistant acid phosphatase isoenzyme 5b. CONCLUSION: The impact of smoking on bone status is mainly associated with the number of smoking years in elderly men.

Relationship between distance of schools from the nearest municipal waste incineration plant and child health in Japan.

In Japan, the main source of dioxins is incinerators. This study examined the relationship between the distance of schools from municipal waste incineration plants and the prevalence of allergic disorders and general symptoms in Japanese children. Study subjects were 450,807 elementary school children aged 6-12 years who attended 996 public elementary schools in Osaka Prefecture in Japan. Parents of school children completed a questionnaire that included items about illnesses and symptoms in the study child. Distance of each of the public elementary schools from all of the 37 municipal waste incineration plants in Osaka Prefecture was measured using geographical information systems packages. Adjustment was made for grade, socioeconomic status and access to health care per municipality. Decreases in the distance of schools from the nearest municipal waste incineration plant were independently associated with an increased prevalence of wheeze, headache, stomach ache, and fatigue (adjusted odds ratios [95% confidence intervals] for shortest vs. longest distance categories =1.08 [1.01-1.15], 1.05 [1.00-1.11], 1.06 [1.01-1.11], and 1.12 [1.08-1.17], respectively). A positive association with fatigue was pronounced in schools within 4 km of the second nearest municipal waste incineration plant. There was no evident relationship between the distance of schools from such a plant and the prevalence of atopic dermatitis or allergic rhinitis. The findings suggest that proximity of schools to municipal waste incineration plants may be associated with an increased prevalence of wheeze, headache, stomach ache, and fatigue in Japanese children.

Cross-sectional study of allergic disorders in relation to familial factors in Japanese adolescents.

AIM: The roles of heredity and the household environment in the development of allergic disorders are not clearly established. This study examined the relationship between selected familial factors and the prevalence of symptoms of wheeze, atopic eczema and rhinoconjunctivitis in Japanese adolescents. METHODS: Study subjects were 5539 students aged 12-15 y in Suita City. A questionnaire ascertained gender, grade, number of older siblings, maternal age at childbirth, smoking in the household, domestic pets and parental history of allergy, as well as signs and symptoms of allergy in the previous 12 mo. The latter were based on diagnostic criteria from the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood. RESULTS: Male gender was independently associated with an increased prevalence of wheeze and a decreased prevalence of atopic eczema. The prevalence of rhinoconjunctivitis, but not wheeze or atopic dermatitis, significantly increased with advancing grade. A significant inverse dose-response relationship between the number of older siblings and the prevalence of rhinoconjunctivitis, but not wheeze or atopic dermatitis, was observed. Maternal age at childbirth, smoking in the household and domestic pets were not apparently related to any of the allergic disorders. A positive maternal allergic history was more evidently associated with an increased prevalence of wheeze and rhinoconjunctivitis, but not atopic eczema, than a positive paternal allergic history. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that the factors associated with allergic disorders in Japan are largely the same as those already identified in Western populations.

Breastfeeding and the prevalence of symptoms of allergic disorders in Japanese adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Environmental factors acting early in life are key determinants of the incidence of allergic disease. Whether breastfeeding is protective against allergic disorders remains controversial. OBJECTIVE: The present cross-sectional study examined the relationship between feeding patterns in the first 3 months of life and the prevalence of symptoms of wheeze, atopic eczema, and rhinoconjunctivitis during the past 12 months in Japanese adolescents. METHODS: The subjects were 5614 of 9008 students (62%) aged 12-15 years from all public junior high schools in Suita, Japan in 2001. This study used the diagnostic criteria of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood. Adjustment was made for gender, grade, number of older siblings, and parental history of allergy. RESULTS: Feeding pattern was unrelated to the prevalence of wheeze or rhinoconjunctivitis. The prevalence of atopic eczema was significantly higher in children who had been breastfed than in artificial milk feeders (adjusted odds ratios = 1.40 and 1.56, 95% confidence intervals: 1.01-1.98 and 1.13-2.22 for mixed milk intake and breastfeeding only vs. artificial milk consumption, respectively; P = 0.01 for linear trend). When children were divided according to a positive or negative allergic history in at least one parent, an increased prevalence of atopic eczema associated with breastfeeding was found in children with a negative parental allergic history compared with those with a positive parental allergic history. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that breastfeeding may be associated with an increased prevalence of atopic eczema, especially among children without a parental history of allergy.

Trends in the prevalence of atopic dermatitis in school children: longitudinal study in Osaka Prefecture, Japan, from 1985 to 1997.

BACKGROUND: The authors have carried out questionnaire surveys of health symptoms in school children (aged 7-12 years) in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. In this study, the geographical distribution of and trends in the prevalence of atopic dermatitis were evaluated. OBJECTIVES: To assess the relationship between the prevalence of atopic dermatitis in children and the environmental factors, and to estimate future changes of the prevalence of atopic dermatitis. METHODS: A total of seven population surveys were carried out at 2-year intervals between 1985 and 1997 in a total of about 4 million primary school children (460 000-740 000 per survey). RESULTS: The lifetime prevalence of atopic dermatitis increased from 15.0% in 1985 to 24.1% in 1993 but levelled off thereafter. According to the school year, the prevalence was higher in lower-year pupils. However, the prevalence stopped rising earlier in lower-year pupils and began to decrease in 1997 in first- to third-year pupils. The prevalence according to areas was significantly correlated negatively with air pollution and positively with the income index. According to the income classes, the prevalence increased until 1993 but levelled off thereafter in all classes, which reduced the differences among the classes. CONCLUSIONS: The increase of the prevalence of atopic dermatitis in school children stopped in 1993 in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. It is conceivable that the prevalence had reached the saturation level.

Ca(2+)-dependent enhancement of [3H]noradrenaline uptake in PC12 cells through calmodulin-dependent kinases.

Ca(2+)-dependent regulation of [3H]noradrenaline ([3H]NA) uptake through the NA transporter was studied using PC12 cells. Preincubation for 10 min in the presence of 0.3-10 mM ca2+ in Krebs-Ringer (KR) buffer induced marked enhancement of the uptake (at 1 mM Ca2+, 6.6 times greater than that observed in the absence of Ca2+), which reflected both an increase in Vmax and a decrease in K(m) of the uptake process. Preincubation with 1 mM Ca2+ also induced a significant increase in the Bmax and Kd of [3H]desipramine binding. The uptake was still enhanced after washing cells with Ca(2+)-free buffer following preincubation with 1 mM Ca2+. 1-[N, O-bis(5-Isoquinolinesulfonyl)-N-methyl-L-tyrosyl]-4-phenylpiperazine (KN-62), 2-[N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-N-(4-methoxybenzenesulfonyl)]amino-N-(4-c hlo rocinnamyl) -N-methylbenzylamine (KN-93) (inhibitors of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase II), N-(6-aminohexyl)-5-chloro-1-naphthalenesulonamide (W-7) (a calmodulin antagonist), wortmannin (a myosin light chain kinase inhibitor) significantly reduced Ca(2+)-dependent enhancement of the uptake. Mycalolide B (an inhibitor of actin-myosin interaction) also inhibited the enhancement. Although calphostin C (a protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor) did not affect the enhancement, 12-o-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) inhibited the uptake. A synthetic peptide with a sequence (KKVIYKFFS579 IRGSLW) contained in the intracellular COOH-terminal domain of a rat NA transporter was phosphorylated by purified brain Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II. These results suggest that Ca(2+)-dependent enhancement of the [3H]NA uptake in PC12 cells are mediated by activation of calmodulin-dependent protein kinases, probably through stimulation of translocation of the NA transporter to the plasma membrane and/or direct phosphorylation of the transporter itself.

Development of a simple high-performance capillary electrophoretic method with on-line mode in capillary derivatization for the determination of spermidine.

A new high-performance capillary electrophoretic (HPCE) method with an on-line mode in-capillary derivatization (ICD) procedure for determinations of some amines using 20 mmol/L sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) - 2 mmol/L o-phthalaldehyde (OPA) - 2 mmol/L N-acetylcysteine (NAC) - 20 mmol/L phosphate-borate buffer [9] has previously been shown. Although this technique offers direct fluorescence detection of free amines without any derivatization procedures before or after HPCE separation, the presence of spermidine (Spd) is difficult to detect due to low fluorescence intensity. The purpose of this study is to improve the detection sensitivity of Spd by reoptimizing this method with regard to the run buffer; the reoptimized method was applied to the determination of Spd in human plasma. To enhance the fluorescence intensity of the Spd signal, it is effective to use the run buffer in the presence of both beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD: 8.8 mmol/L) and NAC at high concentration (16 mmol/L). By contrast, the intensity was remarkably decreased when SDS was used in the presence of beta-CD. After ultrafiltrating (UF) spiked human plasma with Spd, UF plasma was directly analyzed using the reoptimized method. Spd peak was detected and separated from the other peaks of blank plasma. The present method gave good linearity (r = 0.999), reproducibility (3.85% coefficient of variation at 5 micromol/L level; n = 10) and specificity. The detection limit and lower limit of quantitation is for 0.2 micromol/L and 1 micromol/L, respectively.

[Actual conditions of help and support of childcare in families with multiple birth children].

A mailed questionnaire survey was conducted on a population of 705 mothers of twins, 96 mothers of triplets, 7 mothers of quadruplets and 2 mothers of quintuplets to study the actual conditions of help and support of childcare in the families with multiple birth children. The following results were obtained. 1) In this study, 90.6% of the mothers of twins, 89.6% of the mothers of triplets, 100.0% of the mothers of quadruplets and 100.0% of the mothers of quintuplets had at least one relative and friend from whom they received practical help and regular support. However, 5.8% of the mothers of twins and 8.3% of the mothers of triplets did not have others from whom they received help and support. 2) Lack of time to take care of the other children was reported by approximately 90% of mothers with twins who did not have others from whom they received help and support for childcare. 3) Mothers who did not receive help and support from others for childcare reported severe fatigue, compared to mothers who received help and support from others: mothers of twins, especially reported severe mental fatigue and mothers of triplets or more, severe physical fatigue. 4) Mothers of twins who had no way to alleviate stress reported severe physical and mental fatigue, compared to mothers who had ways to alleviate stress. Mothers of triplets or more showed a similar tendency as mothers of twins. These mothers alleviated stress by talking with other mothers of multiple birth children, friends, their maternal mother or their husband.

Possible involvement of calmodulin-dependent kinases in Ca(2+)-dependent enhancement of [3H]5-hydroxytryptamine uptake in rat cortex.

Effects of Ca2+ on [3H]5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) uptake into rat cortical synaptosomes were studied. The uptake was enhanced in the presence of Ca2+ in Krebs-Ringer medium and the uptake at 0.3-5 mM Ca2+ was 2.4-2.7 times greater than that observed in the absence of Ca2+. The maximal increase at the concentration of 1 mM Ca2+ was achieved after 2 min preincubation. Ca(2+)-dependent enhancement of the [3H]5-HT uptake reflected an increase in Vmax of the uptake process. However, Kd and Bmax values for [3H]paroxetine were not significantly changed in the presence of 1 mM Ca2+ compared with Ca(2+)-free condition. On the other hand, uptake was still enhanced after synaptosomes were washed with Ca(2+)-free after preincubation with 1 mM Ca2+. Staurosporine (a protein kinase C inhibitor) and wortmannin (a myosin light chain kinase inhibitor) did not affect Ca(2+)-dependent enhancement of the uptake, whereas 1-[N,O-bis(5-isoquinolinesulfonyl)-N-methyl-L-tyrosyl]-4-phenylpiperazin e (KN-62, an inhibitor of Ca2+ /calmodulin-dependent kinase II) and N-(6-aminohexyl)-5-chloro-1-naphthalenesulfonamide hydrochloride (W-7, a calmodulin antagonist) significantly reduced it. Moreover, L-type, but not P- or N-type, voltage-dependent Ca(2+)-channel blockers suppressed enhancement of the uptake. These results indicate that Ca(2+)-dependent enhancement of [3H]5-HT uptake is mediated by activation of calmodulin-dependent protein kinases, suggesting a possibility of calmodulin-dependent regulation of in vivo 5-HT uptake.

[Trends in the prevalence rate of wheezing in school children].

Questionnaire surveys of children in all public primary schools in Osaka Prefecture have been conducted every other year from 1975 to 1993 (10 times in total). The number of schools ranged from 848 to 1,009 and those of the pupils from 514,656 to 871,008 (7,128,443 in total responded to each survey). 1. The prevalence rate of wheezing was 3.0 +/- 0.1% which was almost constant during the period, 1975-1983 and thereafter increased to reach 4.7% in 1993. The rate for 1st-graders was highest early in the period, but the rate increased with grade since about 1985, resulting in a lack of prevalence difference among the 1st to 5th graders. 2. Their persistent conditions of wheezing were investigated according to the individual questionnaires. The increase in the prevalence rate from 1985 was found to be caused by the lowering in the remission rate of wheezing in addition to the increases in persistent states and new developments of the symptoms. 3. Aiming to clarify the correlation between the prevalence rate and the air pollution in their places of residence, the prevalence rate was compared among various areas. The rates were slightly higher in the business and industry area than the residential ones in the suburbs, but increase in the prevalence rate from 1985 was commonly found in the respective areas.

Ca(2+)-dependent enhancement of [3H]dopamine uptake in rat striatum: possible involvement of calmodulin-dependent kinases.

We studied effects of Ca2+ in the incubation medium on [3H]dopamine ([3H]DA) uptake by rat striatal synaptosomes. Both the duration of the preincubation period with Ca2+ (0-30 min) and Ca2+ concentration (0-10 mM) in Krebs-Ringer medium affected [3H]DA uptake by the synaptosomes. The increase was maximal at a concentration of 1 mM Ca2+ after a 10-min preincubation (2.4 times larger than the uptake measured without preincubation), which reflected an increase in Vmax of the [3H]DA uptake process. On the other hand, [3H]DA uptake decreased rapidly after addition of ionomycin in the presence of 1 mM Ca2+. The Ca(2+)-dependent enhancement of the uptake was still maintained after washing synaptosomes with Ca(2+)-free medium following preincubation with 1 mM Ca2+. Protein kinase C inhibitors did not affect apparently Ca(2+)-dependent enhancement of the uptake, whereas 1(-)[N,O-bis(1,5-isoquinolinesulfonyl)-N-methyl-L- tyrosyl]-4-phenylpiperazine (KN-62; a Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase II inhibitor) and wortmannin (a myosin light chain kinase inhibitor) significantly reduced it. Inhibitory effects of KN-62 and wortmannin appeared to be additive. N-(6-Aminohexyl)-5-chloro-1-naphthalenesulfonamide hydrochloride (W-7; a calmodulin antagonist) also remarkably inhibited the enhancement. These results suggest that Ca(2+)-dependent enhancement of [3H]DA uptake is mediated by activation of calmodulin-dependent protein kinases.