Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by chronic systemic inflammation causing progressive joint damage that can lead to lifelong disability. The pathogenesis of RA ...involves a complex network of various cytokines and cells that trigger synovial cell proliferation and cause damage to both cartilage and bone. Involvement of the cytokines tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6 is central to the pathogenesis of RA, but recent research has revealed that other cytokines such as IL-7, IL-17, IL-21, IL-23, granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), IL-1β, IL-18, IL-33, and IL-2 also play a role. Clarification of RA pathology has led to the development of therapeutic agents such as biological disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors, and further details of the immunological background to RA are emerging. This review covers existing knowledge regarding the roles of cytokines, related immune cells and the immune system in RA, manipulation of which may offer the potential for even safer and more effective treatments in the future.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
COVID-19 is spreading worldwide, causing various social problems. The aim of the present study was to verify the reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale ...(FCV-19S) and to ascertain FCV-19S effects on assessment of Japanese people's coping behavior. After back-translation of the scale, 450 Japanese participants were recruited from a crowdsourcing platform. These participants responded to the Japanese FCV-19S, the Japanese versions of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HADS) and the Japanese versions of the Perceived Vulnerability to Disease (PVD), which assesses coping behaviors such as stockpiling and health monitoring, reasons for coping behaviors, and socio-demographic variables. Results indicated the factor structure of the Japanese FCV-19S as including seven items and one factor that were equivalent to those of the original FCV-19S. The scale showed adequate internal reliability (α = .87; ω = .92) and concurrent validity, as indicated by significantly positive correlations with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS; anxiety, r = .56; depression, r = .29) and Perceived Vulnerability to Disease (PVD; perceived infectability, r = .32; germ aversion, r = .29). Additionally, the FCV-19S not only directly increased all coping behaviors (β = .21 - .36); it also indirectly increased stockpiling through conformity reason (indirect effect, β = .04; total effect, β = .31). These results suggest that the Japanese FCV-19S psychometric scale has equal reliability and validity to those of the original FCV-19S. These findings will contribute further to the investigation of various difficulties arising from fear about COVID-19 in Japan.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Catalysts supported on CeO2 were prepared using various Ru precursors. The H2-TPR profile of the catalyst was obtained beginning at −70 °C for the first time, and a previously unreported reduction ...peak was observed at approximately 50 °C. The lower peak temperature was associated with a higher ammonia synthesis activity.
In large-scale waste water treatment plants, the aerobic biochemical reactor is the most important process, where the oxygen supply into the microorganisms often limits the overall waste water ...treatment rate. On the other hand, several kinds of microbubble distributors have been developed to enrich the oxygen dissolution in water. Therefore, the application of microbubbles for a waste water treatment system was investigated in this study.
The oxygen absorption performance of typical microbubble generators was compared with typical bubble generators. To evaluate each bubble generator, the liquid-phase volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient, gas hold-up and power consumption per unit liquid volume were measured in a bubble column attached to each bubble generator. All the microbubble generators allowed the oxygen to dissolve faster than the typical aerators. The spiral liquid flow type microbubble generator had the highest oxygen transfer coefficient even at a low air flow rate although it used more energy than the typical distributors.
To improve an industrial waste water treatment system, a novel aeration system utilizing a spiral liquid flow type microbubble generator was proposed in this study. The present system has some advantages such as compact size, portability and fast oxygen dissolution rate. To ensure the performance for organic waste water treatment, the effects of the aeration rate, dissolved oxygen concentration and device properties on the specific consumption rate of model organic waste were investigated. For the novel aeration system, the most suitable conditions to treat organic waste were found.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
No previous study has histopathologically investigated whether a meningioma capsule presents with tumor cells. We investigated which types of tumor capsules (TCs) included tumor cells to help ...intraoperatively determine those TCs that do not need to be removed and have a low recurrence risk. We investigated 22 specimens of 14 newly diagnosed meningiomas from February 2011 to June 2021. The capsules were classified into three types: TC, capsule-like thickened arachnoid membrane (CAM), and extended membrane (EM). Capsule properties were scored by hardness (soft = 1, medium = 2, hard = 3) and transparency (high = 1, medium = 2, low = 3). The hardness, transparency, and score sums were compared between capsules with and without tumor invasion in the CAM and EM types. The mean follow-up duration was 40.6 months, and there was only one recurrence in a remote location from the residual capsule. Nine capsules were classified as TC, seven as CAM, and six as EM. The tumor cells invaded 88.9% of TCs, 42.9% of CAMs, and 50% of EMs. The hardness, transparency, and score sums for CAMs with tumor invasion were lower than those for CAMs without tumor invasion, although not significant (P = 0.114, P = 0.114, P = 0.057, respectively). A thickened TC or soft and highly transparent CAM indicated a high risk for tumor cell invasion; thus, such cases require a careful and long-term follow-up. Hard and low transparent residual CAMs may have had a low risk for tumor invasion; therefore, leaving such capsules that tightly adhere to the eloquent cortex can be theoretically justified to avoid damaging the brain surface.
Few therapeutic options exist for gemcitabine-resistant pancreatic cancer. In this study, we investigated the anti-cancer effects of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl (HMG)-CoA reductase inhibitors and ...bisphosphonates in pancreatic cancer cell lines (SUIT-2 and MIA PaCa-2) which show poor responses to gemcitabine, established through long-term culture in nutrient-deprived or gemcitabine-containing media. Under the nutrient-deprived condition, IC50s for statins and bisphosphonates decreased and those for gemcitabine increased compared with those under normal conditions. In cells cultured long-term with gemcitabine, although IC50s for gemcitabine increased, those for statins and bisphosphonates either slightly increased or remained unchanged. Thus, these drugs may be effective against pancreatic cancer cells which show poor responses to gemcitabine.
Background
Although peritoneal lavage cytology often serves as a sensitive method to detect free cancer cells in the abdominal cavity, some patients experience peritoneal recurrence despite negative ...cytology. The aim of this study was to evaluate mRNAs in peritoneal lavage fluid as potential markers for predicting the peritoneal recurrence of gastric cancer (GC).
Methods
Peritoneal lavage fluid samples were obtained during surgery conducted on 187 patients with GC and from 30 patients with non-malignant disease (controls). The mRNA levels of nine candidate markers were quantified, and analysis of a receiver-operating characteristic curve compared their accuracies. The cutoff was defined as the highest value of the controls.
Results
Synaptotagmin XIII (
SYT13
) and carcinoembryonic antigen (
CEA
) mRNA levels were analyzed further.
SYT13
levels were significantly associated with shorter peritoneal recurrence-free survival (PRFS) and overall survival. Among patients with negative peritoneal lavage cytology, those positive for either
SYT13
or
CEA
mRNA experienced significantly shorter peritoneal recurrence-free survival compared with those with negative fluid (hazards ratio HR 4.21,
P
= 0.0114; HR 3.53;
P
= 0.0426, respectively). Univariate analysis revealed that
SYT13
and
CEA
mRNA levels were significant predictors of peritoneal recurrence. Positive levels of both
SYT13
and
CEA
mRNA demonstrated the highest HR for peritoneal recurrence (HR 12.27,
P
= 0.0064). Multivariable analysis revealed that
SYT1
3 positivity was a significant independent prognostic factor (HR 3.69; 95% confidence interval, 1.18–12.74;
P
= 0.0246).
Conclusions
Combined measurement of
SYT13
and
CEA
mRNA levels in peritoneal lavage fluid could serve as a promising approach to predict peritoneal recurrence of GC.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OBVAL, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Oxaliplatin has been used as a first choice for colorectal, gastric and pancreatic cancer, but it induces peripheral neuropathies. Dimethyl fumarate (DMF) is an oral drug for multiple sclerosis with ...neuroprotective effects on oxidative stress. Using both in vivo and in vitro models, we investigated the effects of DMF on oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy and other side effects, as well as on the anti-tumor activity of oxaliplatin. Repeated intraperitoneal injection of 4 mg/kg oxaliplatin (twice per week for 4 weeks) caused mechanical allodynia (as revealed by the von Frey tests), cold hyperalgesia (as revealed by the acetone tests), and axonal degeneration in the sciatic nerve of rats. Co-administration of oral DMF (200 mg/kg, five times per week for 4 weeks) relieved oxaliplatin-induced mechanical allodynia but not cold hyperalgesia, and ameliorated axonal degeneration. In addition, DMF did not exacerbate oxaliplatin-induced body weight loss or bone marrow suppression, such as reduction in red blood cells, white blood cells, neutrophils and lymphocytes. Furthermore, DMF did not inhibit the anti-tumor activity of oxaliplatin in any cultured cancer cell line (C26, mouse colon carcinoma; HCT116, human colon carcinoma; MKN45, human gastric adenocarcinoma; MIA PaCa-2, human pancreatic carcinoma) or C26-bearing mice. These results suggest that DMF prevents oxaliplatin-induced mechanical allodynia and axonal degeneration without affecting the anti-tumor activity of oxaliplatin. Therefore, DMF may be useful for managing oxaliplatin-induced chronic peripheral neuropathy.
The anticancer agents including oxaliplatin, paclitaxel, and bortezomib cause severe peripheral neuropathy. The Kampo medicine Sokeikakketsuto (SOKT) has been widely used to treat several types of ...pain. In this study, the analgesic effects of SOKT on oxaliplatin-, paclitaxel-, and bortezomib-induced peripheral neuropathy were investigated in rat models. Rats were treated with oxaliplatin (4 mg/kg, intraperitoneally (i.p.), twice a week for four weeks), paclitaxel (4 mg/kg, i.p., twice a week for two weeks), or bortezomib (0.2 mg/kg, i.p., twice a week for two weeks). SOKT (0.3 or 1.0 g/kg) or duloxetine hydrochloride (30 mg/kg, as a positive control) was administered orally after neuropathy developed. Mechanical allodynia and cold hyperalgesia were assessed using the von Frey test and the acetone test, respectively. These tests were performed immediately before and 30, 60, 90, and 120 min after the administration of the drugs. Repeated treatment of oxaliplatin induced mechanical allodynia and cold hyperalgesia. A single administration of SOKT (1 g/kg, per os (p.o.)), as well as duloxetine, temporarily reversed both the mechanical allodynia and the cold hyperalgesia. Repeated administration of paclitaxel and bortezomib also induced the mechanical allodynia. SOKT and duloxetine reversed the mechanical allodynia caused by bortezomib, but not by paclitaxel. SOKT might have the potential to become a new drug to relieve the symptom of oxaliplatin- or bortezomib-induced peripheral neuropathy.
Characterizing the sensitivity of a static random access memory (SRAM) to single-event upset (SEU) is an essential task for assuring its soft-error reliability. However, this task often imposes a ...burden because it usually requires many cycles of accelerator-based irradiation tests. A model recently proposed is a very simple exponential-type equation but has strong potential to reduce the burden because of its capability to predict SEU cross sections in various conditions. The aim of the present study is to revisit the model in terms of threshold parameters called threshold linear energy transfer (LET or <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">L </tex-math></inline-formula>) and critical charge. Although these threshold parameters are widely used as key parameters that describe whether an SEU occurs or not, they are not seen in the model. This article explores such missing threshold parameters, suggesting that they successfully appear by introducing a factor of five to the original expression.
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