Estimation of chronological age for sporophyte maturation in three semi-evergreen ferns in Hokkaido

To elucidate the life cycle time schedule of semi-evergreen ferns at natural sites in Sapporo, the chronological age for sporophyte maturation was estimated from the increase in the number of veins (NV, number of midrib branches) from overwintered to newly expanded leaves. The measurements were conducted on populations ofPolystichum braunii, Polystichum tripteron andDryopteris crassirhizoma at altitudes of 50–650 m on Mt. Teine to compare the interspecific maturation age of sporophytes. The mean age for sporophyte maturation was estimated to be 7.6 yr forP. braunii, 16.5 yr forP. tripteron and 12.6 yr forD. crassirhizoma. The minimum ages (1% fertility rate) for sporophyte maturation ofP. braunii, P. tripteron andD. crassirhizoma were 5.8, 11.0 and 7.9 yr, respectively. The maturation age was shortest forP. braunii and longest forP. tripteron. The maturation age of a species thus seems to differ according to altitude and habitat, and that of the present three species seems to be influenced by the geographical location of the species distribution. Contribution No. 3315 from the Institute of Low Temperature Science, Hokkaido University.     

Eimeria tenella,E. necatrix,E. acervulina,and E. maxima: Anticoccidial activity of 1,6-dihydro-6-oxo-2-pyrazinecarboxylic acid 4-oxide

The anticoccidial activity of an orotic acid analog, 1,6-dihydro-6-oxo-2-pyrazinecarboxylic acid 4-oxide (carboxyemimycin), was tested in battery experiments, utilizing 9-day-old Single-Comb White Leghorn cockerels. Carboxyemimycin, at 125 ppm and more in feed, exhibited marked anticoccidial activities against Eimeria tenella, E. necatrix, E. acervulina, and E. maxima. High doses of carboxyemimycin—up to 1000 ppm—did not cause any reduction in weight gains. The battery and in vitro studies with delayed and restricted medications revealed that carboxyemimycin affected the development of E. tenella in first and second generation schizogony and in gametogony.     

Overexpression of Peroxiredoxin 4 Affects Intestinal Function in a Dietary Mouse Model of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

BackgroundAccumulating evidence has shown that methionine- and choline-deficient high fat (MCD+HF) diet induces the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), in which elevated reactive oxygen species play a crucial role. We have reported that peroxiredoxin 4 (PRDX4), a unique secretory member of the PRDX antioxidant family, protects against NAFLD progression. However, the detailed mechanism and potential effects on the intestinal function still remain unclear.ConclusionOur present data provide the first evidence of the beneficial effects of PRDX4 on intestinal function in the reduction of the severity of NAFLD, by ameliorating oxidative stress-induced local and systemic injury. We can suggest that both liver and intestine are spared, to some degree, by the antioxidant properties of PRDX4.     

A questionnaire survey regarding the support needed by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Yogo</Emphasis> teachers to take care of students suspected of having eating disorders (second report)

Background

The lowering of the age of onset and chronicity have been key problems related to eating disorders (EDs). As the proportion of teens in the estimated onset ages has increased, it has become important to detect students with EDs and to clarify how they can be supported. Though epidemiological surveys of Yogo teachers (school nurse/health science teachers) have been conducted to inquire about the number of such students, none of these were done according to ED type based on DSM-5. Thus, we conducted a wide area survey in Japan with the goal of proposing a better framework of support for Yogo teachers in their efforts to care for students with EDs.

Methods

A questionnaire survey organized by ED type (based on DSM-5) was administered to Yogo teachers working at elementary/junior high/senior high/special needs schools in four prefectures of Japan in 2015, and 1,886 responses were obtained. Based on the results, the encounter rates (the proportion of Yogo teachers who had encountered a student with an ED) were calculated, and factors that could affect the rates were examined by logistic regression analysis.

Results

The order of the encounter rates of the ED types was as follows: Anorexia Nervosa (AN)?>?Bulimia Nervosa (BN)?>?Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)?>?Binge Eating Disorder (BED)?>?Others. The factors significantly affecting the rates were “location, school type, number of students, experience years, and AN knowledge” for AN, “school type, experience years, and BN knowledge” for BN, “school type, experience years, and BED knowledge” for BED, “location, experience years, and ARFID knowledge” for ARFID, and “school type, experience years, and Others knowledge” for Others.

Conclusions

Because the encounter rate of AN was the highest, providing support for AN would be the most effective. Moreover, one factor that affected the encounter rate of all ED types was ED knowledge. In addition to this, senior high schools had the highest encounter rates for AN, BN and BED, and special needs schools had the highest rates for Others. These findings imply that, in order to detect and support ED students at an early stage, it is necessary to offer knowledge of the most prevalent ED types to Yogo teachers at the corresponding school type.

     

Serum Creatinine Modifies Associations between Body Mass Index and Mortality and Morbidity in Prevalent Hemodialysis Patients

Background

High body mass index (BMI) is paradoxically associated with better outcomes in hemodialysis (HD) patients. This study aimed to examine whether serum creatinine (Cr), a marker of muscle mass, could modify the association between BMI, and mortality and morbidity in prevalent HD patients.

Methods

A retrospective study was conducted using a nationwide database from the registry of the Japanese Society for Dialysis Therapy. A total of 119,099 patients were selected (age: 65±12 years; median time on HD: 5.6 years; male: 62%), and we examined the association of basal BMI with mortality and morbidity after a 1-year period. Patients were stratified either by BMI into 4 groups or by serum Cr levels into 3 tertiles. Odds ratio (OR) [95% confidence interval] was calculated by multivariate logistic regression analysis.

Results

Higher BMI did not predict a higher 1-year total mortality. However, when we stratified the patients by serum Cr levels, the risk of cardiac death became significantly higher in obese patients with the lowest Cr levels, in both males (OR 2.82 [1.51–5.27], p<0.01) and females (OR 2.00 [1.03–3.90], p<0.05). The risk of new cerebral infarction was also higher in obese male patients within the lowest Cr tertile. In contrast, there was a significantly lower risk of cardiac, cerebrovascular, and infection-related death in non-obese patients with higher levels of Cr. Higher serum Cr was also related to a lower risk of cardiovascular events and hip fracture in non-obese HD patients.

Conclusions

The obesity paradox was found to be present in HD patients only when obesity was defined by BMI. Decreased serum Cr levels were found to be positively associated with clinical poor outcomes in all BMI groups. Thus, irrespective of BMI, the evaluation of serum Cr levels is important to predict mortality and morbidity in patients receiving regular HD.     

Isolation and partial characterization of proteoglycans from rice bran

Extraction of rice bran with hot water, followed by removal of protein and starch, yielded a proteoglycan. Successive fractionation of this proteoglycan by salting out with ammonium sulfate and by DEAE-Sephadex column chromatography yielded several fractions shown to be homogeneous by disc electrophoresis. Treatment of the fractions with alkali and a proteolytic enzyme has shown that the polysaccharide and protein of the proteoglycan are most probably linked through an O-glycosyl linkage through hydroxyproline.     

Associations between glutathione S-transferase π Ile105Val and glyoxylate aminotransferase Pro11Leu and Ile340Met polymorphisms and early-onset oxaliplatin-induced neuropathy

Purpose: Although the risk of oxaliplatin-induced neuropathy depends on cumulative oxaliplatin dose, susceptibility to this adverse event differs greatly among patients. In this study, we investigated the associations between oxaliplatin-induced neuropathy and the following polymorphisms: glutathione S-transferase π (GSTP1) Ile¹⁰⁵Val, and glyoxylate aminotransferase (AGXT) Pro¹¹Leu and AGXT Ile³⁴⁰Met. Experimental design: Eighty-two Japanese patients with histologically confirmed colorectal cancer who received at least six cycles of the modified FOLFOX6 (m-FOLFOX6) regimen were enrolled. To minimize differences in cumulative oxaliplatin dose between patients, oxaliplatin-induced neuropathy was evaluated using an oxaliplatin-specific scale during the 2-week period after completion of the sixth cycle of treatment. Results: Forty-four patients developed grade 2/3 oxaliplatin-induced neuropathy. There were more patients carrying at least one GSTP1¹⁰⁵Val allele among the group with grade 2/3 neuropathy (18/44, 41%) than among the group with grade 1 neuropathy (9/38, 24%), although the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.098). There were similar numbers of patients carrying at least one AGXT¹⁰⁵Met allele in the grade 2/3 neuropathy (7/44, 16%) and grade 1 neuropathy groups (5/38, 13%; P = 0.725). The AGXT¹¹Leu allele was not found in any of our patients or controls. Conclusions: We found no significant association between oxaliplatin-induced neuropathy and the GSTP1 Ile¹⁰⁵Val and AGXT Ile³⁴⁰Met polymorphisms. Given that no AGXT¹¹Leu allele was found among our study population (n = 177), evaluating this polymorphism in Japanese patients in future studies is likely to be uninformative.     

Purification and Characterization of a DNA Topoisomerase I from Bifidobacterium breve

The monoacylation of (η⁶-1,2-benzenedimethanol)tricarbonylchromium (2) by vinyl acetate, palmitate and benzoate, alcoholysis of the corresponding diesters of 2 in n-butanol, and acylation of (η⁶-benzyl alcohol) tricarbonylchromium by (±)-vinyl 2-phenoxypropanoate and 2-phenylpropanoate were accomplished with lipase P (from P. fluorescens) and lipase CC (from C. cylindracea) to give optically active organometallic esters. Their configurations indicated that the stereoselectivity of each of these two lipases was in marked contrast. An active site model for them is proposed.