Epidemiology of latent tuberculosis infection in Japan-born and foreign-born children in Japan.

Objective: This study aims to compare the epidemiology of notifications of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) among Japan-born and foreign-born children in Japan between 2010 and 2020, and to assess the language used during LTBI case interviews with parents or caregivers of foreign-born children with LTBI during 2019. Methods: Our study consisted of two parts: (1) an analysis of national data from the Japan Tuberculosis Surveillance (JTBS) system on the epidemiology of LTBI among Japan-born and foreign-born children in Japan, and (2) a survey of staff at public health centres that had registered at least one foreign-born child aged ≤ 14 years with LTBI. Data were extracted from the JTBS system for all children aged ≤ 14 years who were newly notified as having LTBI between 2010 and 2020, and analysed to determine trends, characteristics and treatment outcomes. Staff at relevant public health centres completed a self-administered survey. Results: A total of 7160 Japan-born and 320 foreign-born children were notified as having LTBI between 2010 and 2020. Compared with Japan-born children, foreign-born children notified as having LTBI were more likely to be older, have their mother or sibling as their source of infection and have LTBI detected via a routine school health check. At case interviews, the use of language interpretation services was limited, even when both parents were non-Japanese. No interview was directly conducted with children themselves, not even with school-aged children. Discussion: Foreign-born children and their parents may be unfamiliar with the system of testing for TB infection and the diagnosis of LTBI in Japan in school settings. Public health centres are required to provide education to patients and their families and care that takes into account cultural and linguistic differences. However, the provision of language support during case interviews may need strengthening.

Conformational change of 13C-labeled 47-mer model peptides of Nephila clavipes dragline silk in poly(vinyl alcohol) film by stretching studied by 13C solid-state NMR and molecular dynamics simulation.

For determination of the conformation of irregular sequences in glycine-rich region of the Nephila clavipes spider dragline silk, the combination of 13C selectively labeled model peptides for the typical primary structure and their 13C solid-state NMR observations is very useful (T. Asakura et al. Macromolecules. 51 (2018) 3608-3619). However, spiders produce the fiber through the stretching process in nature and therefore, it is difficult to study conformational change by stretching as mimic using the model peptides because these are generally in the powder form. In this paper, 13C selectively labeled three model peptides, (Glu)4(Ala)6GlyGly12Ala13Gly14GlnGlyGlyTyrGlyGlyLeuGlySerGlnGly25Ala26Gly27ArgGly-GlyLeuGlyGlyGlnGly35Ala36Gly37(Ala)6(Glu)4 with three underlined 13C labeled blocks and their poly(vinyl alcohol) blend films were prepared and the conformational changes of these peptides were monitored by stretching of the films using 13C solid-state NMR. In addition, the molecular dynamics simulation was done to evaluate change in the conformation of the sequence by stretching theoretically. The fractions of ß-sheet of Ala36 and Gly37 residues in glycine-rich region adjacent to the C-terminal (Ala)6 sequence increased significantly by stretching compared with those of other 13C labeled Ala and Gly residues.

Changes in the Local Structure of Nephila clavipes Dragline Silk Model Peptides upon Trifluoroacetic Acid, Low pH, Freeze-Drying, and Hydration Treatments Studied by 13C Solid-State NMR.

The conformational analysis of spider dragline silks is difficult because of the amorphous character of the silks. In this article, the fractions of several conformations were determined for three 47-mer peptides, (Glu)4(Ala)6GlyGly12Ala13Gly14GlnGlyGlyTyrGlyGlyLeuGlySerGlnGly25Ala26Gly27-ArgGlyGlyLeuGlyGlyGlnGly35Ala36Gly37(Ala)6(Glu)4, with three underlined 13C-labeled blocks using a 13C CP/MAS NMR method. The conformations of the 13C-labeled sites change significantly depending on the location of the labeled blocks when treated with trifluoroacetic acid, low pH, and freeze-drying. The conformations of Ala36 and Gly37 residues are strongly influenced by the specific conformation of the (Ala)6 sequence at the C-terminal side, but those of other residues, Ala13 and Gly14, and Ala 26 and Gly27, are basically not influenced by the conformations of (Ala)6. Through hydration of the ß-sheet peptide, sharp peaks with random coil could be observed depending on the position of the residue, and this result could be interpreted via the change in the Ramachandran map obtained from the molecular dynamics simulation.

Sequential occurrence of Graves' disease and immune thrombocytopenic purpura as manifestations of immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome in an HIV-infected patient.

Immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) in HIV-infected patients after initiating antiretroviral therapy usually involves worsening manifestations of overt infectious disease. Here, we describe a sporadic case of a late-diagnosed HIV-positive man who developed Graves' disease as the first noninfectious IRIS followed by immune thrombocytopenic purpura as the second noninfectious IRIS.

Bangle (Zingiber purpureum) Improves Spatial Learning, Reduces Deficits in Memory, and Promotes Neurogenesis in the Dentate Gyrus of Senescence-Accelerated Mouse P8.

Bangle (Zingiber purpureum) is a tropical ginger that is used as a spice in Southeast Asia. Phenylbutenoid dimers isolated from Bangle have exhibited neurotrophic effects in primary cultured rat cortical neurons and PC12 cells. Furthermore, chronic treatment with phenylbutenoid dimers enhances hippocampal neurogenesis in olfactory bulbectomized mice. In this study, we investigated the effects of Bangle extract on behavior and hippocampal neurogenesis in vivo. SAMP8 mice, which are an established model for accelerated aging, with age-related learning and memory impairments, were given a Bangle-containing diet for 1 month, and subsequent behavioral tests and immunohistochemistry for Ki67, a proliferating cell marker, were performed. We found that the Bangle-containing diet improved spatial learning and memory deficits in the Morris water maze and significantly increased the numbers of Ki67-positive cells in the dentate gyrus of the SAMP8 mice. In addition, the Bangle extract exhibited a neurotrophin-like activity as indicated by the induction of neurite sprouting in PC12 cells. Our results suggest that Bangle is beneficial for the prevention of age-related progression of cognitive impairment.

Synthesis of the ABC ring system of Jiadifenin via Pd-catalyzed cyclizations.

An efficient route toward the central ABC system of jiadifenin has been developed using two key Pd-catalyzed cyclizations. A protic solvent-activated Mizoroki-Heck reaction was used to construct the C(9) quaternary carbon and the A ring. A cascading Tsuji-Trost cyclization/lactonization sequence was employed to establish the BC ring system and the C(5,6) stereochemistry.

Ingrown nails and pachyonychia of the great toes impair lower limb functions: improvement of limb dysfunction by medical foot care.

BACKGROUND: Painful feet and lower limb dysfunction are risk factors for falling. Toenail deformities are common disorders in elderly people, but the relationship between nail deformities and lower limb function remains unclear. The aims of the present study were to assess the impairment of lower limb function in patients with deformities of the great toe and to determine whether foot care treatment is beneficial in reducing the risk of falling. METHODS: Functional tests of the lower extremities were performed in 263 adults, including patients with any of hallux valgus, ingrown nail, or pachyonychia, and volunteers. Fifty-five subjects with nail disorders of the great toe received medical foot care treatment. RESULTS: The presence of ingrown nail, pachyonychia, or tenderness of the great toe was significantly correlated with impaired postural performance and reduced muscular strength as assessed by functional tests. Medical foot care markedly reduced pain levels in the great toe and improved scores on functional tests of the lower extremities. CONCLUSIONS: Toenail disorders of the great toe cause dysfunction of the lower extremities and are likely to increase the risk of falling in daily life. Foot care management of toenail disorders has the potential to improve functional abilities in daily life, particularly in elderly individuals.

Relationship between expression of drug-resistance factors and drug sensitivity in normal human renal proximal tubular epithelial cells in comparison with renal cell carcinoma.

The relationship between the expression level of putative drug resistance factors and sensitivity to anticancer drugs in human normal renal proximal tubule epithelial cells (RPTEC) and 3 kinds of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) cells, VMRC-RCW (RCW), OS-RC-2 (OS2), TUHR14TKB (14TKB), was examined. RPTEC exhibited high expression of P-glycoprotein (Pgp), gamma-glutamyl cysteine synthetase (gammaGCS) and cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (II) (CDDP) resistance-related gene 9 (CRR9), low expression of vacuolar ATPase (V-ATPase) and no expression of multidrug resistance-associated protein 1 (MRP1). 14TKB exhibited high expression of gammaGCS and CRR9, low expression of Pgp and V-ATPase, and no expression of MRP1. OS2 showed high expression of CRR9, low expression of Pgp, gammaGCS and MRP1, and no expression of V-ATPase. RCW exhibited high expression of Pgp, MRP1 and CRR9 and low expression of gammaGCS and V-ATPase. The level of expression of the resistance factors varied among the cells. GST activity and GST-pi expression level of each cell were correlated, and there were high levels in OS2 and RPTEC. When the cytotoxicity of anticancer drugs against each cell was measured at 96 h, the sensitivity to CDDP and Doxorubicin (DXR) in RPTEC and RCW was lower than that in the other cells. Sensitivity to DXR was enhanced by treatment with the Pgp inhibitor, Verapamil, in proportion to the Pgp expression level, and the sensitivity to CDDP was increased by the gammaGCS inhibitor, Buthionine sulfoximine, in proportion to the gammaGCS expression level (corresponding to GSH content). Although a significant increase in sensitivity to CDDP was not observed by treatment of RCC with the V-ATPase inhibitor, Bafilomycin, the sensitivity to DXR in Bafilomycin-treated cells increased about 2-fold. However, no relation between drug sensitivity and V-ATPase expression was observed. The features (such as degree of resistance) varied among the RCC cell lines manifesting many resistance factors or to the contrary, lacking or having lowered resistance factors in comparison with normal cells. Therefore, it is necessary in clinical cancer chemotherapy to determine and measure the level of expression of each resistance factor in respective tumor tissue.