The purpose of this study was to investigate the immunological and physical characteristics of IgM-λ type M-protein from patients who were measured low in the turbidimetric immunoassay (TIA) IgM ...assay without error codes for high concentration to determine the cause of the false low levels and to clarify the mechanism of their occurrence.
Materials were IgM patient samples and 8 serum samples from other IgM M-protein patients as controls. Patient samples were assayed by the TIA method, in which five manufacturers and six models (two reagent manufacturers) share the principle, and the BN ProSpec method (nephelometric method), which has a different principle. Dilution linearity tests, IgG addition experiments, isoelectric point electrophoresis, and hydrophobic chromatography were performed on patients and subjects. In addition, the binding capacity of γ-globulin by BIACORE was also examined.
The reaction curve of the patient IgM curved downward when the concentration of IgM exceeded 20 g/L, and no error code was obtained. In the measurement by the TIA method of five manufacturers and six models, patient IgM was measured at a false low level with no error code obtained in undiluted dilution by any of the instruments and reagents, but could be measured without any problem by the nephelometric method. In addition, in the patient IgG addition experiment, only patient IgM showed a false low level under high IgG concentration. Furthermore, the binding capacity of patient IgM to γ-globulin (IgG) by BIACORE was significantly higher than that of the control IgM-type M protein.
Patient IgM has an affinity (binding capacity) for IgG and forms an IgM-IgG complex under conditions of high IgG concentration. It was speculated that this complex inhibited the reaction with the anti-IgM antibody and the absorbance of the second reaction did not increase, suggesting a false low.
Crocodylians are ectothermic animals, and their past distribution has been greatly influenced by changing climate since their Cretaceous origin. The Pliocene-Pleistocene witnessed a contraction of ...the crocodylian latitudinal ranges due to rapid cooling with superimposed pronounced orbital-scale climate oscillations. However, a chronologically-continuous record of the geographically marginal populations of crocodylians is yet to be provided for this time interval, and crocodylian response to such climatic changes is poorly known. This study describes a partial crocodylian skeleton from the Middle Pleistocene of Osaka, Japan, diagnosed as Toyotamaphimeia cf. machikanensis, on the basis of character comparisons, including ontogenetic skull shape change, and consideration of the reconstruction error in the holotype of T. machikanensis. Pliocene-Pleistocene record of fossil crocodylians in the Kinki, Tokai, and Kanto districts of Japan extends from ~3.5 Ma to ~0.3 Ma. The paleotemperature estimates for the crocodylian-bearing horizons indicate that late Early–Middle Pleistocene crocodylians in the Kinki district of Japan were living near their lower thermal limit. During the glacial periods, they might have moved to the southern extremity of Japan or locally became extinct from Japan, while re-expanding their range after the end of glacial periods.
•A tomistomine crocodylian Toyotamaphimeia cf. machikanensis is described from the Pleistocene of Japan.•The Plio-Pleistocene crocodylian record of Japan was thoroughly compiled.•Japanese Plio-Pleistocene crocodylians were living near their lower thermal limit.
Background Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a common mental disorder in adolescents and young adults. Early intervention and support could help prevent the development of full-blown SAD. Considering ...that adolescents with social anxiety symptoms do not prefer face-to-face sessions due to their fear of communicating with therapists, internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (ICBT) was implemented. Objective This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of complete self-help ICBT for subthreshold SAD in high school and college students with no history of mental disorders. Methods A multicenter randomized controlled trial designed to demonstrate the objective was conducted from December 2022 to October 2023. Participants were students enrolled at 6 universities and 1 high school. The intervention was a complete self-help ICBT and consisted of 10 text-based sessions that taught cognitive behavioral therapy techniques for social anxiety in youths and young adults. The comparison was a no-treatment condition (control group), which was randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio by a computer program. A total of 2 psychological scales were used to assess the severity of social anxiety, and 1 psychological scale each was used to measure symptoms of depression, general anxiety, and quality of life. Results In total, 77 students were enrolled as study participants. Through the randomization procedure, 38 participants were included in the intervention group, and 39 patients were included in the control group. Results from the analysis of covariance with depression as covariates showed that the participants in the intervention group had significantly reduced symptoms of social anxiety, depression, and general anxiety compared to the control group. The response rate was 61% (19/31) in the intervention group and 24% (9/38) in the control group: odds ratio (OR) 4.97 (95% CI 1.61-16.53; P=.003) in the Fisher exact test. The recovery rate was 68% (21/31) in the intervention group and 34% (13/38) in the control group: OR 3.95 (95% CI 1.32-12.56; P=.008). The OR for the remission ratio was 2.01 (95% CI 0.64-6.60; P=.20) and for the risk of worsening was 0.23 (95% CI 0.002-1.33; P=.10), but no significant difference was observed. Conclusions The results of this randomized controlled trial show that fully unguided ICBT improves subthreshold SAD in adolescents and young adults. Interpretation of the effectiveness in preventing SAD that meets the diagnostic criteria is limited by sample size and the follow-up period. Future studies should include more extended observations and larger sample sizes in high-risk populations. Trial Registration UMIN-CTR UMIN000050064; https://center6.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000057035
The measurement of free hemoglobin (free Hb) in blood is crucial for assessing the risk of organ damage in patients with hemolytic diseases. However, the colorimetric method, commonly used in ...clinical practice, does not distinguish between free Hb and the hemoglobin-haptoglobin complex (Hb-Hp) in the blood, instead reflecting the total Hb level. Although size-exclusion high-performance liquid chromatography (SEC-HPLC) can specifically measure free Hb, its clinical use is limited by long assay times. Here, we developed a novel assay method for the rapid quantification of free Hb in serum, distinguishing it from Hb-Hp, using a latex agglutination immunoturbidimetric assay (LATIA). This method could be used to measure free Hb in sera in the range of 1–100 μg/mL in approximately 15 min using an automatic biochemistry analyzer. Using Hb-spiked serum samples from healthy adults, there was a high correlation with Hb levels determined using the newly developed method and SEC-HPLC, indicating a high specificity for free Hb. This novel assay can be used to monitor levels of free Hb in patients with various hemolytic diseases and to design therapeutic strategies based on measured values. However, further studies are required to assess its clinical performance.
Display omitted
•A latex agglutination immunoturbidimetric assay was developed for free Hb measurement.•The method distinguished free Hb from the hemoglobin-haptoglobin complex.•Hb levels determined using the LATIA method and SEC-HPLC were highly correlated.
Fecal calprotectin (Fcal) as well as the fecal immunochemical test (FIT) are useful biomarkers for detecting activity and mucosal healing in inflammatory bowel diseases. Here, we report the ...performance of simultaneous measurements of Fcal and FIT for ulcerative colitis (UC) patients using the newly-developed latex agglutination turbidimetric immunoassay (LATIA) system.
Fcal and hemoglobin were measured by the LATIA system in 152 UC patients who underwent colonoscopy. Fcal was also quantified with a conventional enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Fecal markers were evaluated in conjunction with the mucosal status of UC, which was assessed via the Mayo endoscopic subscore (MES) classification.
The LATIA system could quantify calprotectin and hemoglobin simultaneously with the same fecal samples within 10 minutes. The values of the Fcal-LATIA closely correlated with those of the Fcal-ELISA (Spearman rank correlation coefficient, r=0.84; P<0.0001). The values of Fcal for each assay and the FIT all significantly correlated with the MESs (Spearman rank correlation coefficient, Fcal-LATIA: r=0.58, Fcal-ELISA: r=0.55, and FIT: r=0.72). The mucosal healing predictability (determined by an MES of 0 alone) of the Fcal-LATIA, Fcal-ELISA, and FIT-LATIA with the cutoffs determined by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was 0.79, 0.78, and 0.92 for sensitivity, respectively, and 0.78, 0.69, and 0.73 for specificity, respectively.
The performance of the novel Fcal-LATIA was equivalent to that of the conventional Fcal assay. Simultaneous measurements with FITs would promote the clinical relevance of fecal biomarkers in UC.
ABSTRACT Background: Liver transplantation is the treatment of choice for patients with terminal liver disease. The Balance of Risk Score (BAR), Survival Outcomes Following Liver Transplantation ...(SOFT) and Donor Risk Index (DRI) scores are predictive systems for post-transplant survival. Aim: To evaluate the most accurate score and the best cutoff point for each predictor in the brazilian population. Method: Retrospective cross-sectional study of 177 patients. Data on the recipient, donor and transplant were analyzed and the prognostic scores BAR, SOFT and DRI were calculated for each transplant. To determine the BAR and SOFT cutoff points associated with death in three months, ROC curves were adjusted. Results: The best cutoff point for BAR was 9 points with an area under the ROC curve=0.69 and for SOFT it was 12 points with an area under the ROC curve=0.73. The DRI score did not discriminate survival (p = 0.139). Conclusion: The SOFT score proved to be better than BAR for survival analysis post-hepatic transplantation and the DRI was not effective.
RESUMO Racional: Transplante hepático é tratamento de escolha para pacientes com doença hepática terminal. Os escores Balance of Risk Score (BAR), Survival Outcomes Following Liver Transplantation (SOFT) e o Donor Risk Index (DRI) são sistemas preditores de sobrevida após o transplante. Objetivo : Avaliar o escore de maior acurácia e o melhor ponto de corte de cada preditor na população brasileira. Método : Estudo retrospectivo transversal de 177 pacientes. Foram analisados dados sobre o receptor, doador e o transplante e calculados os escores prognósticos BAR, SOFT e DRI para cada transplante. Para a determinar os pontos de corte de BAR e SOFT, associados a óbito em três meses, foram ajustadas curvas ROC. Resultados : O melhor ponto corte para BAR foi 9 pontos com área sob a curva ROC=0,69 e para SOFT foi 12 pontos com área sob a curva ROC=0,73. O escore DRI não discriminou a sobrevida (p=0,139). Conclusão: O escore SOFT mostrou-se melhor do que o BAR para análise de sobrevida pós-transplante hepático, e o DRI não foi efetivo.
The fecal immunochemical test for hemoglobin (FIT), which detects lower gastrointestinal bleeding, is widely accepted for population-based colorectal cancer (CRC) screening programs. However, the FIT ...screening process has not been standardized yet, and standardizing the pre-analytical phase and establishing an external quality assurance (EQA) program compliant with ISO requirements is urgently needed. Although there have been various attempts to establish EQA materials suitable for FIT, no materials have yet been reported to have sufficient uniformity and acceptable immunochemical stability of hemoglobin (Hb). The Health Care Technology Foundation (HECTEF; Tokyo Japan) is now developing a ready-to-use artificial stool containing Hb and an internal standard, glycerol. Accordingly, we verified the adaptability and efficacy of this material for the evaluation of the specimen collection phase of FIT. This material uniformly contained both Hb and glycerol. The glycerol allowed us to estimate the weight of the collected artificial stool and to correct the Hb concentration with the estimated weight. Furthermore, the stability of both Hb and glycerol were confirmed to be sufficient for an EQA material under appropriate storage, in-use, repeated freeze-thaw, and heated conditions. These in-house performance characteristics suggest that HECTEF artificial stool is acceptable as an EQA material for FIT.
•The in-house evaluation confirmed the HECTEF artificial stool is applicable as a surveillance material for the fecal immunochemical test for Hb (FIT).•The artificial stool uniformly contained hemoglobin (Hb) as well as glycerol as an internal standard.•The efficacy of weight correction of the Hb concentration using the internal standard was confirmed using an available sample collection device.•The stability of Hb and glycerol in the material were confirmed under appropriate storage, in-use, repeated freeze-thaw, and heated conditions.
Our previous studies on the fruit body lectin of Pleurotus cornucopiae revealed the existence of three isolectins, composed of two homodimers and one heterodimer of 16- and 15-kDa subunits. In this ...study, two genes encoding the lectins were cloned and characterized. Both genes encoded 144 amino acids and only 5 amino acids were different within the coding region, but the nucleotide sequences of the 5′-upstream and 3′-downstream regions differed extensively. Southern hybridization with gene-specific probes showed that one gene encoded the 16-kDa and the other encoded the 15-kDa subunit. Functional lectins were synthesized in Escherichia coli under the direction of these genes. On SDS-PAGE, the recombinant lectins showed the same banding patterns as the native lectins. In amino acid sequence, these lectins showed extensive similarity with the lectin from a nematode-trapping ascomycete fungus, Arthrobotrys oligospora, suggesting that the lectins might also function in capturing nematodes.
The aim of this paper is to consider the concept of “Shakai Kagaku (Social Sciences)” prior to 1923. Yasutaka Ichinokawa examines the concept of “The Social” in his book Shakai (The Social) (2006). ...He insists that (1) the phrase “Shakai Kagaku” was not popular in Japan before 1923, and (2) this phrase was used to mean the bundling of sociology, law, politics, economics, and so on, only after 1923, in keeping with the use of such terminology in Marxism. In this paper, Ichinokawa’s claims are examined by looking at the history of sociology and the concept of “Shakai Kagaku” in the writings of Sakae Osugi, an anarchist in the Taisho era. An examination of the above revealed the following: First, in the Taisho era, a distinction was not made between “Shakai Kagaku” and “Shakaigaku (sociology).” In so-called synthetic sociology, “Shakaigaku” meant the highest conception of the social sciences. In the history of sociology, in pre-1923 Japan, “Shakai Kagaku” was a phrase which occupied a position critical to synthetic sociology. Second, under the influence of anarchists such as P. Kropotkin and M. Bakounine, Osugi’s concept of “Shakai Kagaku” had been used to criticize the sciences prior to 1923. Moreover, their movements influenced Shinjinkai (an association antecedent to the Social Science Society). However, little light was shed on their attempts because their movements were suppressed.
The aim of this paper is to consider the concept of "Shakai Kagaku (Social Sciences)" prior to 1923. Yasutaka Ichmokawa examines the concept of "The Social" in his book Shakai (The Social) (2006). He ...insists that (1) the phrase "Shakai Kagaku" was not popular in Japan before 1923, & (2) this phrase was used to mean the bundling of sociology, law, politics, economics, & so on, only after 1923, in keeping with the use of' such terminology in Marxism. In this paper, Ichinokawa's claims are examined by looking at the history of sociology & the concept of "Shakai Kagaku" in the writings of Sakae Osugi, all anarchist in the Taisho era. An examination of the above revealed the following: First, in the Taisho era, a distinction was not made between "Shakai Kagaku" & "Shakaigaku (sociology)." In so-called synthetic sociology, "Shakaigaku" meant the highest conception of the social sciences. In the history of sociology, in pre-1923 Japan, "Shakai Kagaku" was a phrase which occupied a position critical to synthetic sociology. Second, under the influence of anarchists such as P. Kropotkin & M. Bakounine, Osugi's concept of "Shakai Kagaku" had been used to criticize the sciences prior to 1923. Moreover, their movements influenced Shinjinkai (an association antecedent to the Social Science Society). However, little light was shed on their attempts because their movements were suppressed. Adapted from the source document.
PDF
