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• Serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) level was increased in patients with myocarditis. • IL-6 was expressed in inflammatory cells of cardiac tissue with myocarditis. • Higher serum IL-6 level was correlated with severe clinical course in myocarditis. • Increased serum IL-6 level reflects myocardial injury and cardiac dysfunction. Numerous basic studies have shown a relationship between interleukin-6 (IL-6) and the development or severity of myocarditis. However, there has been no study in which the effect of IL-6 levels in patients with myocarditis was evaluated. We enrolled control patients (n = 12) and consecutive patients with acute myocarditis (n = 13), including lymphocytic, eosinophilic, and giant cell myocarditis, and investigated the pathological and clinical effects of IL-6 on human myocarditis. The serum IL-6 level in patients with myocarditis (16.7 [9.9, 103.8] pg/mL) was significantly higher than that in the control patients (1.4 [1.0, 1.9] pg/mL) (P <0.001). Immunohistochemical analysis showed that IL-6 was expressed in infiltrating inflammatory cells of endomyocardial biopsy samples from all patients with myocarditis. Moreover, the log-transformed value of serum IL-6 level showed significant positive correlations with serum creatine kinase (CK) level, CK-MB level, peak CK level, peak CK-MB level and C-reactive protein level (all P ≤ 0.005) and a negative correlation with the left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (p = 0.014). We divided the patients with myocarditis into a low IL-6 group (9.9 [4.5, 14.2] pg/dL, n = 7) and a high IL-6 group (108.9 [51.1, 130.9] pg/dL, n = 6). The degree of infiltration of IL-6-expressing inflammatory cells in myocardial samples obtained from patients in the high IL-6 group was significantly more severe than that in samples obtained from patients in the low IL-6 group. Furthermore, patients in the high IL-6 group significantly more frequently received catecholamine therapy (P = 0.005), venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (P = 0.029), and artificial respirator support (P = 0.021) in the acute phase of myocarditis. The results suggest that there is a strong impact of IL-6 on cardiac injury and dysfunction in patients with myocarditis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the international symposium on “Regional Applications and Nexus of the Ocean Health Index” at The University of Tokyo in Japan in July 2015, a range of experts, practitioners and researchers discussed the potential for assessing the current state of ocean health at different scales, as well as changes over time. Discussions focused on how the successful assessment and implementation of projects aimed at fostering ocean health and resilient coastal ecosystems strongly depends on a multi-stakeholder approach and local leadership. In addition, recent examples of regional independent assessments conducted using the Ocean Health Index were introduced, with an accompanying explanation of how the Index goals can be adjusted, specified or weighted in line with a local context or policy direction. This manuscript introduces key points raised during the symposium as well as relevant supplementary materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is the study on safety and quality improvement technique for construction and maintenance of building facilities. In this paper, the tendency of accidents in building facilities for the past ten years is discussed. Among workers’ accidents in Japan, which occur in the environment of extreme temperature, vibration induced white fingers (VWF) or Raynaud's phenomenon observed during particular works in the cold region and the occurrence condition of fatal accidents by heatstroke in the hot sultry region are summarized. Finally, it is about the prevention measures for heatstroke in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Carcinosarcomas of the gallbladder are rare tumors that are characterized by malignant epithelial and mesenchymal components, and preoperative diagnosis of carcinosarcoma of the gallbladder remains difficult. Case Report: We recently encountered a case of carcinosarcoma of the gallbladder with osteoid and chondroid differentiation, manifesting as cholangitis due to hemobilia. Conclusion: Preoperative computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging indicated the cause of cholangitis and provided qualitative information regarding the two components of the tumor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The epileptogenic activities induced by histamine H1 antagonists in amygdala-kindled rats were studied in comparison with activities in nonkindled rats (sham rats). Intraperitoneal injection of pyrilamine, diphenhydramine and ketotifen resulted in behavioral and electroencephalogram (EEG)-detected seizures in amygdala-kindled rats at doses which caused no or negligible seizures in sham rats. On the other hand, loratadine and cetirizine caused no behavioral or EEG seizures in either amygdala-kindled or sham rats even at a dose of 40 mg/kg. In conclusion, first-generation H1 antagonists likely elicit epileptogenic activity in amygdala-kindled rats more potent than that in sham rats. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In recent DI diesel engines designed to achieve high output and meet future exhaust regulation, the pilot injection control using a common-rail injection system is adopted. In this research, we developed visualization equipment for pilot combustion behavior of non-luminous flame to clarify the influence of pilot injection parameters (timing and quantity) on engine performance. As a result of this analysis, we clarified the influence of pilot injection parameters on pilot-main combustion and found the optimum pilot injection controlling method. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective Although lanthanum deposition in the stomach has been most frequently reported to occur as white lesions, no study has investigated whether the white lesions observed during esophagogastroduodenoscopy are truly lanthanum-related. Here, we retrospectively investigated the amount of lanthanum in endoscopic biopsy specimens. Methods We reviewed four patients showing gastric white spots or annular whitish mucosa in the gastric white lesions (Bw) and peripheral mucosa where the white substance was not endoscopically observed (Bp) during biopsy. We also reviewed three patients with diffuse whitish mucosa and three patients with no whitish lesions. We performed scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry to quantify the lanthanum elements (wt%) in the biopsy specimens. Results The amount of lanthanum in the Bw ranged from 0.15–0.31 wt%, whereas that of Bp was 0.00–0.13 wt%. The difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The amount of lanthanum in the Bw, endoscopically presented with white spots or annular whitish mucosa, was significantly higher than that of no whitish lesions (0.05–0.14 wt%, P < 0.05). The amount of lanthanum was also higher in the diffuse whitish mucosa (0.21–0.23 wt%) compared with no whitish lesions (P < 0.01). Conclusions This study is the first to reveal that pathological lanthanum deposition corresponds to the endoscopically observed white lesions in the gastric mucosa. Therefore, during esophagogastroduodenoscopy, physicians should pay attention to possible presence of white lesions in patients treated with oral lanthanum carbonate to ensure prompt identification of associated issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) remains a major late complication of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT). In a previous study, impaired thymic negative selection of the recipients permitted the emergence of pathogenic T cells that cause chronic GVHD using MHC class II-deficient (H2-Ab1 KO) B6 into C3H model and CD4+ T cells isolated from chronic GVHD mice caused chronic GVHD when administered into the secondary recipients. In this study, we evaluated the kinetics of regulatory T cell (Treg) reconstitution in wild type B6 into C3H model. After myeloablative conditioning, host Tregs disappeared rapidly, followed by expansion of Tregs derived from the donor splenic T cell inoculum. However, the donor splenic T cell–derived Treg pool contracted gradually and was almost completely replaced by newly generated donor bone marrow (BM)-derived Tregs in the late post-transplantation period. Next, we compared the effects of cyclosporine (CSA) and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors on Treg reconstitution. Administration of CSA significantly impaired Treg reconstitution in the spleen and thymus. In contrast, BM-derived Treg reconstitution was not impaired in mTOR inhibitor-treated mice. Histopathological examination indicated that mice treated with CSA, but not mTOR inhibitors, showed pathogenic features of chronic GVHD on day 120. Mice treated with CSA until day 60, but not mTOR inhibitors, developed severe chronic GVHD followed by adoptive transfer of the pathogenic CD4+ T cells isolated from H2-Ab1 KO into C3H model. These findings indicated that long-term use of CSA impairs reconstitution of BM-derived Tregs and increases the liability to chronic GVHD. The choice of immunosuppression, such as calcineurin inhibitor-free GVHD prophylaxis with mTOR inhibitor, may have important implications for the control of chronic GVHD after BMT. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]