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Background: Although sedentary behavior is a risk factor of cardiometabolic diseases and mortality, little information is available about a clinical impact of occupational sedentary behavior on chronic kidney disease (CKD). Methods: The present retrospective cohort study included 10,212 workers of a national university in Japan who underwent annual health checkups between April 2006 and March 2013. Main exposure of interest was self-reported occupational sedentary behavior at the baseline visit. The outcome was the incidence of proteinuria defined as dipstick urinary protein of 1 + or more. The association between sedentary workers and the incidence of proteinuria was assessed using Cox proportional hazards models adjusting for clinically relevant factors, including television viewing time, the major home sedentary behavior. Results: During median 4.8 years (interquartile range 2.1–7.9) of the observational period, the incidence of proteinuria was observed in 597 (12.0%) males and 697 (13.3%) females. In males, sedentary workers were identified as a significant predictor of proteinuria (multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio of non-sedentary and sedentary workers: 1.00 [reference] and 1.35 [1.11–1.63]), along with longer television viewing time (< 30 min, 30–60 min, 1–2 h, 2–3 h, and > 3 h/day: 1.15 [0.93–1.42], 1.00 [reference], 1.24 [1.00–1.53], 1.41 [1.03–1.93], and 1.77 [1.13–2.76]), whereas not daily exercise time. In females, neither sedentary workers nor television viewing time was associated with the incidence of proteinuria. Conclusions: In conclusion, male sedentary workers were at high risk of proteinuria. Occupational sedentary behavior may be a potentially modifiable target for the prevention of CKD.

The L X-ray photons emitted by transuranic (TRU) elements are expected to be useful for developing nondestructive TRU monitors. Energy spectra of L X-rays emitted by 241Am, 238Pu and 239Pu sources were measured by a transition edge sensor (TES) microcalorimeter, which allowed precise peak identification with high energy resolution. In the measurements using the TES microcalorimeter, the full width at half-maximum energy resolution was 62.6 eV at 17.222 keV for 239Pu source, 62.5 eV at 17.222 keV for 238Pu source and 60.9 eV at 17.751 keV for 241Am source. This study demonstrates the separation of 241Am and plutonium isotopes by L X-ray spectroscopy using a TES microcalorimeter.

In this study, we aimed to compare the effects of low- and high-quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on cardioprotection by induced hypothermia (IH) at 34°C and examine whether extracellular signal–regulated kinase or endothelial nitric oxide synthase mediates this cardioprotection. Left ventricle infarct sizes were evaluated in six groups of rat hearts (n = 6) following Langendorff perfusion and triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining. Controls underwent 30 min of global ischemia at 37°C, followed by 10 min of simulated low- or high-quality CPR reperfusion and 90 min of reperfusion at 75 mmHg. The IH groups underwent IH at 34°C during reperfusion. The U0126 group received U0126 (60 M)—an extracellular signal–regulated kinase inhibitor—during reperfusion at 34°C. The L-NIO (N5-(1-iminoethyl)-L-ornithine dihydrochloride) group received L-NIO (2 M)—an endothelial nitric oxide synthase inhibitor—5 min before global ischemia at 37°C to the end of reperfusion at 34°C. Infarct size did not significantly differ between the control and IH groups receiving low-quality CPR. However, IH with high-quality CPR reduced the infarct size from 47.2 ± 10.2 to 26.0 ± 9.4 (P= 0.005). U0126 reversed the IH-induced cardioprotection (45.9 ± 9.4, P= 0.010), whereas L-NIO had no significant effect. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation quality affects IH-induced cardioprotection. Extracellular signal–regulated kinase may mediate IH-induced cardioprotection.

We proposed a new microcalorimetric detector with four single-electron transistor (SET) read-out circuits to act as a real-time position-sensitive radiation detector with a spatial resolution of 100 nm. The proposed detector has micro- calrimeters in a two layer configuration, where the top and second layers work for position and energy determination, respectively. The position sensitive layer has four SETs that work as thermometers to decide the radiation incident position by the differences in SET temperatures caused by the heat flow in the layer. We investigated the SET performance and the heat flow in the substrate at cryogenic temperatures and, in addition, estimated the noise of the SET through simulation studies. It was founded that a temperature resolution of 10 mK could be achieved by using a pico-ammeter with a precision of 5.0 × 10−9S. We successfully designed a detector configuration that would achieve the spatial and time resolution of 100 nm and 8 μs, respectively.

ABSTRACTThe establishment of an optimal noninvasive method for diagnosing invasive aspergillosis (IA) is needed to improve the management of this life-threatening infection in patients with hematological disorders, and a number of noninvasive tests for IA that target different fungal components, including galactomannan, (1?3)-ß-d-glucan (BDG), and AspergillusDNA, have been developed. In this study, we prospectively evaluated the diagnostic potential of three noninvasive tests for IA that were used in a weekly screening strategy: the double-sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for galactomannan (Platelia Aspergillus), a real-time PCR assay for AspergillusDNA (GeniQ-Asper), and an assay for BDG (ß-glucan Wako). We analyzed 149 consecutive treatment episodes in 96 patients with hematological disorders who were at high risk for IA and diagnosed 9 proven IA cases, 2 probable IA cases, and 13 possible invasive fugal infections. In a receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, the area under the ROC curve was greatest for ELISA, using two consecutive positive results (0.97; P= 0.036 for ELISA versus PCR, P= 0.055 for ELISA versus BDG). Based on the ROC curve, the cutoff for the ELISA could be reduced to an optical density index (O.D.I.) of 0.6. With the use of this cutoff for ELISA and cutoffs for PCR and BDG that give a comparable level of specificity, the sensitivity/specificity/positive predictive value/negative predictive value of the ELISA and the PCR and BDG tests were 1.00/0.93/0.55/1.00, 0.55/0.93/0.40/0.96, and 0.55/0.93/0.40/0.96, respectively. In conclusion, among these weekly screening tests for IA, the double-sandwich ELISA test was the most sensitive at predicting the diagnosis of IA in high-risk patients with hematological disorders, using a reduced cutoff of 0.6 O.D.I.

An approximately 120-amino acid domain present generally at the NH2termini, termed the POZ domain, is highly conserved in various proteins with zinc finger DNA binding motifs. We have isolated a novel protein sharing homology with the POZ domain of a number of zinc finger proteins, including the human BCL-6 protein. By using a binding site selection technique (CAST), a high affinity binding site of the protein was determined to be (A/C)ACATCTG(G/T)(A/C), containing the E box core sequence motif. The protein was shown to repress transcription from a promoter linked to its target sequences and was hence named RP58 (RepressorProtein with a predicted molecular mass of 58kDa). Immunogold electron microscopic study revealed that almost all RP58 is localized in condensed chromatin regions. These observations demonstrate for the first time that a protein mediating a sequence-specific transcriptional repression associates with highly condensed chromatin. We suggest that RP58 may be involved in a molecular link between sequence-specific transcriptional repression and the organization of chromosomes in the nucleus.

DNA binding proteins, for the most part, function as dimers or tetramers which recognize their target sequences. Here we show that Translin, a novel single‐stranded DNA end binding protein, forms a ring‐shaped structure conserved throughout evolution and that this structure is responsible for its DNA binding activity. Point mutations at Leu184and Leu191in the leucine zipper motif of human Translin resulted in loss of the multimeric structure and abrogation of DNA binding. Point mutations at R86, H88, H90to T86, N88, N90in one of the basic regions, however, completely inhibited the DNA binding activity without affecting the multimeric structure. These results support the view that the DNA binding domain of Translin is formed in the ring‐shaped structure in combination with its basic region (amino acids 86–97) polypeptides.

In a 38-year-old man, severe heat stroke caused disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) associated with significantly elevated plasma plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 levels. Investigation of the effects of hyperthermia on coagulation and fibrinolysis showed, in apparent conflict with previous reports, a time lag between the initial hypercoagulable and hyperfibrinolytic response (within 24 hr) and hypofibrinolysis shown by a disproportionate increase of PAI-1 (after 24 h), which possibly occurs in correspondence with the recovery of vascular endothelial integrity. The patient was discharged without sequelae although computed tomography (CT) scans indicated the likelihood of venous infarction or posterior inferior cerebellar artery area infarction secondary to DIC.

Abstract: 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.

Human Translin is a novel DNA end binding protein that specifically recognizes consensus sequences at the breakpoint junctions in chromosomal translocations, mostly involving immunoglobulin (Ig)/T-cell receptor gene segments, in human lymphoid neoplasms. We have recently cloned a full-length human Translin cDNA using peptide sequence information obtained from the purified protein. From comparisons of the amino acid sequences in humans and other vertebrates, we conclude that Translin has been highly conserved during evolution, especially at the leucine zipper motif and the basic region, which is thought to be the DNA binding domain. Analysis of the human and mouse Translin genes revealed that they have identical genomic structures consisting of six exons, five introns, and a GC-rich upstream region.In situhybridization and physical mapping of somatic cell hybrids allowed localization of the gene to human chromosome 2q21.1.

Translin is a DNA binding protein which specifically binds to consensus sequences at breakpoint junctions of chromosomal translocations in many cases of lymphoid malignancies. To investigate its functional significance at such recombination hotspots, we examined whether Translin interacts with other proteins using a yeast two‐hybrid system and identified an associated 33 kd protein partner, TRAX, with extensive amino acid homology. The TRAX protein was established to contain bipartite nuclear targeting sequences in its N‐terminal region, suggesting a possible role in the selective nuclear transport of Translin protein lacking any nuclear targeting motifs.

We have identified a novel gene, Translin, encoding a protein which specifically binds to consensus sequences at breakpoint junctions of chromosomal translocations in many cases of lymphoid malignancies. The encoded protein, Translin, is a previously undescribed type with no significant similarity to known proteins. In the native form, Translin polypeptides form a multimeric structure which is responsible for its DMA binding activity. Nuclear localization of Translin is limited to lymphoid cell lines, raising the intriguing possibility that nuclear transport of Translin is regulated in a physiologically significant way such that active nuclear transport is associated with the lymphoid specific process known as Ig/TCR gene rearrangement.

Abstract: 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 PGE2 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.

Translin is a DNA binding protein which specifically binds to consensus sequences at breakpoint junctions of chromosomal translocations in many cases of lymphoid malignancies. To investigate its functional significance at such recombination hotspots, we examined whether Translin interacts with other proteins using a yeast two-hybrid system and identified an associated 33 kd protein partner, TRAX, with extensive amino acid homology. The TRAX protein was established to contain bipartite nuclear targeting sequences in its N-terminal region, suggesting a possible role in the selective nuclear transport of Translin protein lacking any nuclear targeting motifs.

Antiserum was obtained from rabbits immunized with a highly purified preparation of urinary trypsin inhibitor (UTI) conjugated with rabbit serum albumin. Anti-UTI antibody did not cross-react with antibody against inter-α-trypsin inhibitor (Iαl) as determined by immunodiffusion against human plasma. A highly sensitive enzyme immunoassay was developed for the determination of UTI-related antigens (UTIR) in plasma, urine and cancer tissues. The level of UTIR correlated with UTI activity in urine. UTIR levels in urine and plasma did not change with age, but UTIR levels were higher in the stomach cancer tissue than in the surrounding stomach mucosa. UTIR levels did not correlate with Iαl levels in the plasma of patients with stomach cancer, thus the increase was not considered due to the contamination of circulating Iαl in the cancer tissues.

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 atr = 0.630,P < 0.001, andr = -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.

The frequency of “talk and deteriorate” in the emergency department (ED), subsequent deterioration of patients with seemingly “mild” head injury at the time of presentation, is summarized. Among the 1,073 patients with minor head injury treated in the last 5 years, five patients (0.5%) deteriorated in the ED. All of the five patients had experienced transient loss of consciousness (LOC) before presentation. Deterioration had occurred during treatment of trivial associated injuries in four-fifths of the cases. Computed tomography (CT) scans revealed four acute epidural hematomas and one cerebellar contusion. Retrospectively, immediate brain CT shortly after their arrival may have revealed the presence of traumatic intracranial hematomas before deterioration. Although routine use of CT scans in patients with mild head injury has been controversial, the authors conclude that CT scans shouldbe taken if patients have experienced transient LOC to prevent or reduce the occurrence of deteriolation in ED. (Am J Emerg Med 2000;18:810-811. Copyright © 2000 by W.B. Saunders Company)

Electronic absorption spectra for saturated solutions of Na in HMPA–THF mixtures with HMPA mole fractions 0.39–0.061 exhibit only a band for Na−. A log–log plot of maximum absorbance vs. HMPA concentration has led to a numerical value 3 for the number of HMPA molecules solvating a Na−ion.

The cation selectivity on a Prussian Blue (PB) modified electrode in propylene carbonate was examined by means of a quartz crystal microbalance. It was found that the selectivity coefficient of Na+versus Li+on the PB film was about 15.