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A large number of children with developmental disorders like autism spectrum disorder (ASD), learning disabilities, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder have high anxiety. It has also been shown that the high anxiety has harmful effects on them, directly and indirectly. In this study, we conducted a survey on community samples on the level of anxiety of children with developmental disorders in Japan that had hardly been studied so far, and compared them with the anxiety in children in a general population sample in previous studies. Analysis on the 203 participants showed that children with developmental disorders have high anxiety as compared to children as in previous studies in other countries. Particularly children with ASD had a higher anxiety compared with children with developmental disorders without ASD.

In recent years, there is growing evidence of associations between antibodies against myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) and several phenotypes of acute inflammatory demyelinating diseases such as acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM), optic neuritis, brainstem, and cerebral cortical encephalitis, called MOG antibody associated disorders (MOGAD). Monophasic course is known in about half of cases especially in pediatric onset ADEM and optic neuritis, mainly in cases with transient positivity of MOG antibody. Pathological features of MOGAD are considered as acute demyelinating lesions with CD4 dominant cell infiltrations, the deposition of humoral immunity, perivascular inflammation and perivenous demyelination, which is distinct from multiple sclerosis. Now the diagnosis of MOGAD is based on the international panel criteria of MOGAD launched in 2023, which the diagnostic frameworks are three parts, including MOGAD‐specific clinical features, MOG antibody positivity, and the exclusion of other diseases. The prognosis of MOGAD patients is considered relatively mild, but the problem is refractory relapsing cases. For its prevention, there are no approved drugs, but oral tapering corticosteroids, immunosuppressants such as azathioprine and mycophenolic mofetil, rituximab, and the maintenance intravenous immunoglobulin are recommended, and now there are a few clinical trials of promising biological drugs already approved in other neurological disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For two adjacent buildings connected by a joint damper, an inverse problem is formulated based on the pole allocation method in control theory. The structural system is simplified as a two-degrees-of-freedom (2-DOF) lumped-mass damped shear model. The unified governing equation, which expresses the relationship between an assigned control target and the structural parameters for an earthquake-resistant building, seismically isolated building, or passively controlled building, is extended to structural control using a joint damper. The introduced equation automatically constrains the variations in the structural parameters under the assigned modal properties. The integration of the pole allocation method and fixed-point theory directly estimates the additional damping effect on the target buildings from the optimum capacity of the joint damper, which improves the trial-and-error steps at the preliminary design stage. The past fixed-point theories do not provide the additional damping effect but the optimum damping coefficient of the joint damper. The present study directly links the additional damping with the damping of the joint damper. Numerical examples are used to verify the theoretical integration using a 20-DOF building model wherein two 10-DOF models are connected by a joint damper between the top lumped masses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychological well-being (PWB) encompasses the positive aspects of mental health, such as hedonic wellbeing (experience of enjoyment and pleasure), eudaimonic wellbeing (experience of self-actualization), and life satisfaction (global evaluation of quality of life). Japanese teachers suffer from poor PWB with a high incidence of mental health problems. Despite the potentially significant impact of poor Japanese teachers' PWB on their students' PWB, these associations have remained largely unexplored. The present study investigated if teacher PWB has any relationship with student PWB and if teacher-student relationship, students' abilities for resilience, and classroom climate mediate the teacher and student PWB relationship, with 46 teachers and 1,256 children aged 8–12 years from Japanese schools. A multilevel mediation analysis revealed an indirect positive relationship between Japanese teacher life satisfaction and Japanese student hedonic and eudaimonic wellbeing mediated by students' abilities for resilience. There was no relationship between teacher and student hedonic and eudaimonic wellbeing. Nonetheless, the findings still imply that promoting teacher life satisfaction may contribute to the promotion of student hedonic and eudaimonic wellbeing. Future researchers could investigate if a school-based intervention targeted at both Japanese teachers and students would more effectively promote PWB among students than would such interventions aimed only at students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key Clinical Message: Even in a country where vancomycin–resistant enterococcus is rare, multidrug‐resistant organism precautions are necessary when admitting patients with a history of medical exposure in other countries. On admission, screening is necessary and if infection is confirmed, a multidisciplinary approach involving different specialists is required. The patient was a 49‐year‐old Japanese female living in the United States. Total pelvic exenteration for cervical carcinoma, Miami pouch formation, and ileostomy had been performed in the United States. She returned to Japan to undergo postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy. Fever and abdominal pain occurred 42 days after surgery. She consulted the fever outpatient clinic, and a diagnosis of urinary retention‐associated acute renal failure and pyelonephritis was made. We detected vancomycin‐resistant enterococcus on urine/blood culture 5 days after admission. Infection control measures were implemented, and the ward was closed for 3 days. We administered linezolid, which was effective for pyelonephritis and bacteremia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several hundred disease-causing mutations are currently known in domestic dogs. Breeding management is therefore required to minimize their spread. Recently, genetic methods such as direct-to-consumer testing have gained popularity; however, their effects on dog populations are unclear. Here, we aimed to evaluate the influence of genetic testing on the frequency of mutations responsible for canine degenerative myelopathy and assess the changes in the genetic structure of a Pembroke Welsh corgi population from Japan. Genetic testing of 5,512 dogs for the causative mutation in superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) (c.118G>A (p.E40K)) uncovered a recent decrease in frequency, plummeting from 14.5% (95/657) in 2019 to 2.9% (24/820) in 2022. Weir and Cockerham population differentiation (F ST) based on genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of 117 selected dogs detected the SNP with the highest F ST located in the intron of SOD1 adjacent to the c.118G>A mutation, supporting a selection signature on SOD1. Further genome-wide SNP analyses revealed no obvious changes in inbreeding levels and genetic diversity between the 2019 and 2022 populations. Our study highlights that genetic testing can help inform improved mating choices in breeding programs to reduce the frequency of risk variants and avoid inbreeding. This combined strategy could decrease the genetic risk of canine degenerative myelopathy, a fatal disease, within only a few years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: DNA methylation analysis might identify prognostic CpG sites in CHOP‐treated dogs with multicentric high‐grade B‐cell lymphoma (MHGL) with heterogenous prognosis. Objective: To identify prognostic CpG sites of MHGL through genome‐wide DNA methylation analysis with pyrosequencing validation. Animals: Test group: 24 dogs. Validation group: 100 dogs. All client‐owned dogs were diagnosed with MHGL and treated with CHOP chemotherapy. Methods: Cohort study. DNA was extracted from lymph node samples obtained via FNA. Genome‐wide DNA methylation analysis using Digital Restriction Enzyme Analysis of Methylation (DREAM) was performed on the test group to identify differentially methylated CpG sites (DMCs). Bisulfite pyrosequencing was used to measure methylation status of candidate DMCs in the validation group. Median survival times (MST) were analyzed using Kaplan‐Meier (log‐rank) product limit method. Results: DREAM analyzed 101 576 CpG sites. Hierarchical clustering of 16 262 CpG sites in test group identified group with better prognosis (MST = 55‐477 days vs 10‐301 days, P =.007). Volcano plot identified 1371 differentially methylated CpG sites (DMCs). DMC near the genes of FAM213A (DMC‐F) and PHLPP1 (DMC‐P) were selected as candidates. Bisulfite‐pyrosequencing performed on validation group showed group with methylation level of DMC‐F < 40% had favorable prognosis (MST = 11‐1072 days vs 8‐1792 days, P =.01), whereas group with the methylation level combination of DMC‐F < 40% plus DMC‐P < 10% had excellent prognosis (MST = 18‐1072 days vs 8‐1792 days, P =.009). Conclusion and Clinical Importance: Methylation status of prognostic CpG sites delineate canine MGHL cases with longer MST, providing owners with information on expectations of potential improved treatment outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large number of children with developmental disorders like autism spectrum disorder (ASD), learning disabilities, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder have high anxiety. It has also been shown that the high anxiety has harmful effects on them, directly and indirectly. In this study, we conducted a survey on community samples on the level of anxiety of children with developmental disorders in Japan that had hardly been studied so far, and compared them with the anxiety in children in a general population sample in previous studies. Analysis on the 203 participants showed that children with developmental disorders have high anxiety as compared to children as in previous studies in other countries. Particularly children with ASD had a higher anxiety compared with children with developmental disorders without ASD., Author(s): Yuma Ishimoto [sup.1] , Takahiro Yamane [sup.2] , Yuki Matsumoto [sup.3] Author Affiliations: (Aff1) 0000 0001 0663 5064, grid.265107.7, Teacher Education Center, Tottori University, , 4-101 Minami, Koyama-cho, 680-8550, [...]