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Previous studies have reported conflicting results on the clinical impact of alcohol consumption on the glomerular filtration rate (GFR). This retrospective cohort study aimed to assess the dose-dependent association between alcohol consumption and the slope of the estimated GFR (eGFR) in 304,929 participants aged 40–74 years who underwent annual health checkups in Japan between April 2008 and March 2011. The association between the baseline alcohol consumption and eGFR slope during the median observational period of 1.9 years was assessed using linear mixed-effects models with the random intercept and random slope of time adjusting for clinically relevant factors. In men, rare drinkers and daily drinkers with alcohol consumptions of ≥60 g/day had a significantly larger decline in eGFR than occasional drinkers (difference in multivariable-adjusted eGFR slope with 95% confidence interval (mL/min/1.73 m2/year) of rare, occasional, and daily drinkers with ≤19, 20–39, 40–59, and ≥60 g/day: −0.33 [−0.57, −0.09], 0.00 [reference], −0.06 [−0.39, 0.26], −0.16 [−0.43, 0.12], −0.08 [−0.47, 0.30], and −0.79 [−1.40, −0.17], respectively). In women, only rare drinkers were associated with lower eGFR slopes than occasional drinkers. In conclusion, alcohol consumption was associated with the eGFR slope in an inverse U-shaped fashion in men but not in women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We developed a remote continuous air monitoring (RCAM) system. The RCAM system consisted of a personal air monitor and a robot. The personal air monitor (poCAMon, SARAD, Germany) had a 400-mm2 ion-injected silicon detector and a membrane air filter with 25 mmφ. The personal air monitor provides the alpha energy spectra for any measurement time interval. Demonstration measurements were taken underground at the Mizunami Underground Research Laboratory and at a poorly ventilated concrete building. The RCAM system was remotely operated and successfully measured the 222Rn progeny even though the relative humidity was almost 100%. In the measured alpha spectra, the peaks of 218Po (6.0-MeV alpha) and 214Po (7.7-MeV alpha) were clearly identified. Our developed monitor is promising for alpha dust monitoring in a high gamma-ray environment or contaminated areas where a worker cannot safely physically enter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study objective: Short sleep duration is a risk factor of chronic kidney disease, along with cardiovascular diseases and all-cause mortality. Several studies reported that many people sleep longer on weekends than on weekdays, suggesting that they should be compensated for their sleep debt on weekdays on the weekends. Few studies have reported the clinical impact of sleep debt on the kidney. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 5799 employees of Osaka University who visited its Health Care Center for their annual health examinations and answered ≤ 6 h of sleep duration on weekdays. The independent variable was the sleep debt index defined as a gap in self-reported sleep duration (≤ 5, 5–6, 6–7, 7–8, 8–9, and ≥ 9 h) between weekdays and weekends, which was categorized into ≤ 0, + 1, + 2, + 3 and ≥+4. An association between the sleep debt index and a prevalence of proteinuria defined as dipstick proteinuria of ≥ 1 + was assessed using logistic regression models adjusting for clinically relevant factors. Results: More than four-fifths of the subjects had a positive sleep debt index (≤ 0, + 1, + 2, + 3, and ≥+4 recorded for 19%, 36%, 28%, 11%, and 6%, respectively). The multivariable-adjusted logistic regression models showed the sleep debt index ≥ 3 + was significantly associated with the prevalence of proteinuria (sleep debt index ≤ 0, adjusted odds ratio 1.13 [0.77, 1.65]; + 1, 1.00 [reference]; + 2, 1.29 [0.93, 1.79]; + 3, 1.54 [1.02, 2.33]; ≥ + 4, 1.87 [1.15, 3.05]). Conclusions: Sleep debt was associated with the prevalence of proteinuria in a dose-dependent manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Translin and translin‐associated factor X (translin/TRAX) proteins have been implicated in a variety of cellular activities central to nucleic acid metabolism. Accumulating evidence indicates that translin/TRAX complexes participate in processes ensuring the replication of DNA, as well as cell division. Significant progress has been made in understanding the roles of translin/TRAX complexes in RNA metabolism, such as through RNA‐induced silencing complex activation or the microRNA depletion that occurs in Dicer deficiency. At the cellular level, translin‐deficient (Tsn–/–) mice display delayed endochondral ossification or progressive bone marrow failure with ectopic osteogenesis and adipogenesis, suggesting involvement in mesenchymal cell differentiation. In this review, we summarize the molecular and cellular functions of translin homo‐octamer and translin/TRAX hetero‐octamer. Finally, we discuss the multifaceted roles of translin, TRAX, and associated proteins in the healthy and disease states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the recent progress of research and development on transmission technologies for Super Hi-Vision (SHV), which is the form of ultrahigh-definition television (UHDTV) with the highest resolution class. The paper covers the transmission systems for SHV program production and satellite broadcasting. For short-haul transmission, an optical digital interface for video equipment was developed. It wavelength-multiplexes eight 10-Gb/s optical signals. It was experimentally confirmed that the transmission distance was at least 2 km, and that a series connection of the interfaces did not severely deteriorate jitter performance. We are also developing a 120-GHz-band wireless contribution short-haul link consisting of three transmitter/receiver pairs. All three pairs transmit and receive a 10.3-Gb/s signal at the same frequency. Experiments showed that transmission with little crosstalk is possible over a distance of 1.25 km when the receiver spacing is 8 m. A long-haul optical contribution link that we developed can transmit a 24-Gb/s SHV signal over a distance of 260 km by using optical amplifiers and no electronic repeaters. An IP network would be a good choice for long-distance links such as an international live contribution link. Several live IP transmissions of compressed video were conducted. Satellite relay transmission and broadcasting technology is also being developed. In particular, we have developed a QPSK/8PSK wide-band modem that uses LDPC and BCH codes. The modem could transmit 251-Mb/s (QPSK) and 677-Mb/s (8PSK) signals and was used in a live SHV satellite-transmission experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This retrospective study aimed to determine the long-term effects and toxicity of a combined chemotherapeutic regimen of gemcitabine and cisplatin (GC) in the treatment of metastatic urothelial carcinomas (UCs). Seventy-one patients with metastatic UC were treated with GC (gemcitabine 1000 mg/m2 on days 1, 8, and 15 and cisplatin 70 mg/m2 on day 2 every 28 days). The patients were divided into 3 groups: patients who had not undergone prior chemotherapy (group 1), patients who relapsed more than 6 months after being treated with the prior cisplatin-based regimen (group 2), and patients in whom the prior cisplatin-based regimen demonstrated no effect (group 3). The median follow-up was 42 months. In group 1, 20 of the 32 patients (63%) showed an objective response, with 6 achieving a clinically complete response (CR) and 14 a partial response (PR) with GC. Ten of 32 patients (31%) and 1 of 7 patients (14%) showed objective responses in groups 2 and 3, respectively. Patients in group 2 who had previously been treated with regimens other than GC showed a better objective response (58%) than those with GC (15%). The median time to progression in group 1 was 6 months, and the median overall survival was 14 months. In all, the nonhematological toxicities associated with GC were quite mild. Grade 3–4 toxicity was primarily hematological, including anemia (19%), neutropenia (36%), and thrombocytopenia (42%). GC is therefore considered to be a highly effective and well-tolerated regimen with moderate toxicity for the treatment of metastatic UCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a case of sarcomatoid renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Although preoperative computed tomography (CT) scans demonstrated small lung and pleural nodules and mediastinal lymphadenopathy, these findings were not conclusive for metastases. Whole-body fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography and CT (FDG-PET/CT) performed 15 days after right nephrectomy showed intense FDG uptake in the aforementioned lesions (lung and pleural nodules, mediastinal lymph nodes). Unexpectedly, focal increased FDG uptake was found in the right infraspinatus muscle. FDG-PET/CT was considered useful for evaluating distant metastases and thus portending the aggressive nature of sarcomatoid RCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Implementing an IP-friendly transport mechanism in broadcasting systems would enable more convenient multimedia broadcasting applications. The overhead of current multiplexing methods for IP packets that are based on MPEG-2 systems is large, and they are not well suited for efficient transmission of IP packets. We developed an efficient scheme for transporting IP packets over broadcasting channels. The scheme includes compression of IP header information, transmission control signals for listing IP multicast group addresses, and a simple encapsulation. This paper describes the multiplexing scheme and its theoretical overhead. We conducted an experiment on a prototype transmission system that shows our scheme's efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a combined chemotherapy regimen, gemcitabine and cisplatin (GC), in the treatment of advanced urothelial carcinomas. Fifty-five patients with advanced urothelial cancer were treated with GC (gemcitabine 1000 mg/m2 on days 1, 8, and 15; cisplatin 70 mg/m2 on day 2) every 28 days. The median follow-up was 30 months (range, 3 to 57 months). With the GC therapy, 35 of the 55 patients (63.6%) showed an objective response, with 7 (12.7%) achieving a clinical complete response (CR) and 28 (50.9%), a partial response (PR). GC therapy had a better impact on metastases in the lung and lymph nodes than on metastases in the liver and bone. Lung and lymph nodes showed objective responses of 64.7% and 65.8%, respectively. Eight of the 20 patients (40.0%) who had previously been treated with other regimens showed an objective response, with 1 achieving a CR and 7 achieving a PR. In the 47 patients with metastasis, the median time to progression was 7.0 months (range, 2 to 49 months), and the median overall survival was 12.0 months (range, 3 to 49 months). The 2-year survival rate was 80.0% in the CR group, while it was 55.1% in the PR group and 10.0% in the progressive disease (PD) group. The toxicities associated with GC, particularly mucositis, anorexia, and alopecia, were quite mild. Grade 3–4 toxicity was primarily hematological, including anemia (27.3%), neutropenia (32.7%), and thrombocytopenia (43.6%). GC is considered to be a highly effective and well-tolerated regimen for the treatment of advanced urothelial carcinomas, with moderate toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Erythroblasts (EBL) are normally not observed in peripheral blood, but may be found in patients suffering from a variety of severe diseases. The detection of EBL in peripheral blood has been shown to be associated with a poor prognosis. However, the clinical significance of peripheral erythroblastosis after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) has not been evaluated. We retrospectively analyzed the records of 161 patients who underwent HSCT at our hospital from June 1995 to October 2001. EBL at any level were detected in 94% of the patients. Forty-four and 11 patients experienced erythroblastosis exceeding 200 and 1,000/ul, respectively. The erythroblast count was higher in patients who died than in the survivors (geometric mean value 184 vs. 100/ul, P  = 0.01). High-level erythroblastosis ( > 1,000/ul) within 180 days after HSCT was associated with an extremely poor prognosis (median survival 22.5 days). Among the possible confounding factors, the use of total body irradiation (RR 2.35, 95% CI 1.22 - 4.54, P  = 0.011) and the disease status before transplantation (RR 2.51, 95% CI 1.15 - 5.49, P  = 0.021) were independent significant factors for erythroblastosis after HSCT. As for post-transplant events, a high EBL concentration was frequently preceded by graft-vs.-host disease, thrombotic microangiopathy, hypoxia, and hematological relapse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The octameric ring protein, Translin, demonstrates marked similarities to the family of helicase enzymes regarding its quaternary organization and dimerization of subunits. Here we show that the level of Translin closely parallels the proliferative state in various cell types. Expression is periodic during the cell cycle, with protein synthesis becoming maximal in the S and mitosis phases, consistent with a role in cell division. Moreover, induced overexpression of Translin was found to accelerate cell proliferation. Confocal microscopic analysis revealed that Translin is localized at the centrosomes at prophase and the mitotic spindle at metaphase, then translocating to the spindle midbodies during cytokinesis. This novel localization is attributable to specific interactions with microtubules of the mitotic spindles, and especially γ-tubulin. The results suggest that Translin participates in processes ensuring the segregation of chromosomes and cytokinesis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract To study the inhibitory effects of calcium phosphate-associated proteins on calcium oxalate crystallization and urinary concentrations of proteins in people who form stones and healthy controls. From 60 L of urine from healthy men, calcium phosphate-associated proteins (α-2-HS-glycoprotein, prothrombin fragment 1 and osteopontin) were obtained. The effects of the proteins on calcium oxalate (CaOx) crystallization were studied with a mixed suspension mixed product removal system. To examine urinary concentrations of the proteins, urine samples were collected from 17 healthy subjects and 15 stone formers and analyzed using anion-exchange chromatography and an enzyme immunoassay. Prothrombin fragment 1 (PTF1) and osteopontin (OPN) had strong inhibitory effects on CaOx crystallization, while α-2-HS-glycoprotein had a mild inhibitory effect. Urinary concentrations of PTF1 and OPN were lower in stone formers than in healthy controls. Low urinary concentrations of PTF1 and OPN might be one of the reasons for stone formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To clarify the changes which occur postoperatively in intravascular fibrinolysis, plasma levels of tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) antigen, the total plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 (PAI-1) antigen, and the t-PA-PAI-1 complexes were assayed in this study. Blood samples were taken the morning before surgery, then at 0, 12, 24, 36, 60, 108, and 156h postoperatively in ten patients who underwent radical surgery for thoracic esophageal cancer. The plasma levels of the t-PA and total PAI-1 antigens, and the t-PA-PAI-1 complexes were then measured by enzyme immunoassay. The plasma t-PA and total PAI-1 levels increased significantly in the immediate postoperative period, the percent increase of the latter being much greater than that of the former. Moreover, the calculated free t-PA antigen level was decreased throughout the postoperative period, suggesting postoperative hypofibrinolysis. The platelet count and neutrophil elastase level were significantly correlated with the free t-PA antigen level at r = 0.630, P < 0.001, and r = -0.447, P < 0.01, respectively. The results of this study indicated that postoperative hypofibrinolysis caused by the increased synthesis of PAI-1 may enhance postoperative hypercoagulability, and this may lead to the development of organ damage. Thus, the concentration of the PAI-1 antigen may be a potentially important index for the prediction of postoperative illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A case of advanced gastric cancer associated with acute myelocytic leukemia (AML) is reported. Synchronous double malignancies of gastric cancer and AML are very rare. Combination chemotherapy (BHAC-DMP) was used as the method for induction and consolidation therapy for AML and a complete remission was obtained. However, it failed to show any therapeutic effect on the gastric cancer. A radical subtotal gastrectomy was performed with lymphadenectomy. During the postoperative course, both respiratory failure and severe thrombocytopenia progressed. Fortunately, the patient responded well to mechanical ventilation and the administration of heparin. She was discharged on day 52 after surgery, and no sign of recurrence of either gastric cancer or AML has been observed over the one-year period following the gastrectomy. In principle, in order to achieve a good prognosis, a radical resection should be carried out for gastric cancer associated with AML. However, chemotherapy for AML might make the patient vulnerable to surgical stress, although we could not demonstrate any concrete evidence which could prove the impairment of host immunity in this case. It is, therefore, possible that not only the relapse of AML but also the impairment of host immunity may cause some other difficulties during the post-gastrectomy course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is widely accepted that patients with aortic aneurysm (AA) show a higher incidence of peptic ulcers than those without. However, the pathogenesis of peptic ulcers associated with AA remains obscure. We measured the gastric mucosal blood flow (GMBF) endoscopically and also determined the gastric mucosal prostaglandin (PG) levels of these AA patients to investigate the mechanism behind gastric ulcer formation. Moreover, we investigated the consumption coagulopathy (CC) of AA responsible for inducing the hemorrhage from ulcers. The GMBF values of 7 AA cases, taken at the antrum, angle and corpus, were significantly decreased compared with those of control cases, while the PGE levels of the gastric mucosa were also significantly reduced. With regard to CC, the serum levels of fibrinogen or platelets were significantly lower than those of the control group. These results indicate that the decrease in GMBF, followed by the reduction in endogenous PG, might contribute to the gastric ulcer formation in AA patients, and that CC associated with AA could be an important factor causing the hemorrhage from these ulcers. AA patients should therefore be treated with focusing attention on the possibility of an associated ulcer and ulcer bleeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although multiple studies have revealed a close association of skipping breakfast with cardiometabolic diseases, few studies have reported its association with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Furthermore, there is scant reporting on the clinical impacts that skipping lunch and dinner has on cardiometabolic diseases and CKD. This retrospective cohort study, including 5439 female and 4674 male workers of a national university in Japan who underwent annual health checkups between January 2005 and March 2013, aimed to assess an association of frequencies of breakfast, lunch, and dinner with incidence of proteinuria (dipstick urinary protein ≥1+). The incidence of proteinuria was observed in 763 (14.0%) females and 617 (13.2%) males during the median 4.3 and 5.9 years of the observational period, respectively. In females, skipping breakfast as well as skipping dinner, but not lunch, were associated with the incidence of proteinuria (adjusted hazard ratios of breakfast frequency of "every day", "sometimes", and "rarely": 1.00 (reference), 1.35 (1.09–1.66), and 1.54 (1.22–1.94), respectively; those of dinner frequency of "every day" and "≤sometimes": 1.00 (reference) and 1.31 (1.00–1.72), respectively). However, no association was observed in male workers. Skipping breakfast and skipping dinner were identified as risk factors of proteinuria in females, but not in males. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]