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Microchemical analysis of trace elements in otoliths and bio-mineralised earstones of teleost fishes is an emerging approach to analysing the environmental migratoryand life histories of fish species. The migration history of the three-spine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) collected in western Ireland was examined using calcium (Ca) and strontium (Sr) concentrations in otoliths. The otolith Sr:Ca values fluctuated with the habitat. The habitat use and migration history of G. aculeatus can be categorised into two types, as determined by the mean value and life history transect of the otolith Sr:Ca; that is, freshwater and estuarine residents, whereas there were no anadromous sticklebacks which is believed to be a typical migration pattern in the species. The otolith Sr:Ca profiles of the freshwater resident fishes exhibited constantly low Sr:Ca values, averaging 0.41–0.58 × 10−3 from the core towards the edge. However, the otolith Sr:Ca profiles of the estuarine resident fishes exhibited constantly high Sr:Ca values from the core towards the edge without a clear transition point from low to high Sr:Ca values, as found in the anadromous fish, averaging 1.82–4.26 × 10−3. The present study is the first published confirmation that 100 % of sticklebacks living in coastal habitats in Ireland > have an estuarine resident migratory pattern, constantly residing in marine environments or brackish water throughout their lifespan and not in freshwater environments in Ireland.

Abstract Aging is closely associated with the increased morbidity and mortality of ischemic cardiovascular disease, at least partially through impaired angiogenic capacity. Endothelial cells (ECs) play a crucial role in angiogenesis, and their angiogenic capacity declines during aging. Spermidine is a naturally occurring polyamine, and its dietary supplementation has exhibited distinct anti-aging and healthy lifespan-extending effects in various species such as yeast, worms, flies, and mice. Here, we explore the effects of spermidine supplementation on the age-related decline in angiogenesis both in vitro and in vivo. Intracellular polyamine contents were reduced in replicative senescent ECs, which were subsequently recovered by spermidine supplementation. Our findings reveal that spermidine supplementation improved the declined angiogenic capacity of senescent ECs, including migration and tube-formation, without affecting the senescence phenotypes. Mechanistically, spermidine enhanced both autophagy and mitophagy, and improved mitochondrial quality in senescent ECs. Ischemia-induced neovascularization was assessed using the hind-limb ischemia model in mice. Limb blood flow recovery and neovascularization in the ischemic muscle were considerably impaired in aged mice compared to young ones. Of note, dietary spermidine significantly enhanced ischemia-induced angiogenesis, and improved the blood flow recovery in the ischemic limb, especially in aged mice. Our results reveal novel proangiogenic functions of spermidine, suggesting its therapeutic potential against ischemic disease.

AbstractEye exposure to hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) acid can cause blindness. A 42-year-old man working in a plating operation presented to the emergency department following a workplace incident. He had unintentionally fallen into a tank containing a mixture of 25% Cr(VI) and sulfuric acid (2.0 g/L) at a temperature of approximately 40 °C. The tank dimensions tank were 8 (depth) × 4 (width) × 3 (length) meters. A colleague rescued him from the tank, and he underwent a full body wash at the worksite. Emergency services adequately flushed both eyes with a 0.9% saline solution. He had significant corneal injury; however, no other significant injuries occurred. Upon presentation at the emergency department, the patient underwent a whole-body shower, and both eyes were flushed with 0.9% saline solution. As a treatment for acute chromium poisoning, he received dimercaprol and ascorbic acid. Additionally, he received eye drops for chemical corneal injury. The patient later underwent bilateral corneal transplants for chemical corneal injury but remained nearly blind. We describe a case of severe chemical corneal injury with limbal stem cell deficiency, leading to blindness due to Cr (VI) acid exposure.

Hypercalcemia is generally caused by primary hyperparathyroidism, malignancies, and drugs. Herein, we report a case of severe hypercalcemia due to drowning in hot springs. A 55-year-old woman was found floating in a public bath at a hotel and was admitted to a nearby hospital. The patient was intubated because of hypoxia and shock, and noradrenaline was titrated. Computed tomography revealed bilateral aspiration pneumonia. Blood tests revealed hypercalcemia (serum total calcium [Ca]: 18.7 mg/dL). Hyperparathyroidism, malignancy, and drug-related factors were ruled out as the causes of hypercalcemia. In addition, the public bath in which the patient drowned contained high concentrations of Ca. We concluded that the reason for hypercalcemia was accidental ingestion of the hot spring water containing a high concentration of Ca through the gastrointestinal tract. In the case of drowning and hypercalcemia, the cause may be clarified by examining the components that were accidentally swallowed.

Abstract The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), remains to spread worldwide. COVID-19 is characterized by the striking high mortality in elderly; however, its mechanistic insights remain unclear. Systemic thrombosis has been highlighted in the pathogenesis of COVID-19, and lung microangiopathy in association with endothelial cells (ECs) injury has been reported by post-mortem analysis of the lungs. Here, we experimentally investigated the SARS-CoV-2 infection in cultured human ECs, and performed a comparative analysis for post-infection molecular events using early passage and replicative senescent ECs. We found that; (1) SARS-CoV-2 infects ECs but does not replicate and disappears in 72 hours without causing severe cell damage, (2) Senescent ECs are highly susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection, (3) SARS-CoV-2 infection alters various genes expression, which could cause EC dysfunctions, (4) More genes expression is affected in senescent ECs by SARS-CoV-2 infection than in early passage ECs, which might causes further exacerbated dysfunction in senescent ECs. These data suggest that sustained EC dysfunctions due to SARS-CoV-2 infection may contribute to the microangiopathy in the lungs, leading to deteriorated inflammation and thrombosis in COVID-19. Our data also suggest a possible causative role of EC senescence in the aggravated disease in elder COVID-19 patients.

ABSTRACT Although diabetic peripheral neuropathy is the most common diabetic microangiopathic complication, several other neuropathy syndromes can occur in the context of diabetes. We describe a rare case of polyneuropathy associated with diabetic ketoacidosis in a patient with new‐onset type 1 diabetes. A 42‐year‐old man with diabetic ketoacidosis was admitted to our hospital with complications of respiratory and renal failure requiring mechanical ventilation and hemodialysis, respectively. After diabetic ketoacidosis improved from the critical state, he developed upper‐ and lower‐limb paralysis with sensory disturbances and pain, as well as right facial paralysis, left recurrent nerve paralysis, and left hypoglossal nerve paralysis. Autonomic nerve function was also impaired. As the pathophysiology, prevention, and treatment of polyneuropathy associated with diabetic ketoacidosis are unclear, the neurologic function of patients with diabetic ketoacidosis should be closely monitored.

Abstract Background Yamakagashi venom is a prothrombin activator, leading to disseminated intravascular coagulation. We report a fatal case of severe coagulopathy from head trauma assumed to be caused by a yamakagashi bite. Case presentation An 80-year-old man fell and developed systemic tonic–clonic convulsions. Head computed tomography revealed brain contusion and acute subdural hematoma. Physical examination revealed two bite marks with persistent bleeding on the right lower leg. The patient stated that he had been bitten by some creature 3 days prior, but the bite was left untreated. Laboratory tests showed fibrinogen levels below the detection limit. Although eighteen units of fresh frozen plasma were administered for coagulopathy, fibrinogen levels did not improve. He died about 18 h after a head injury. Conclusion In this case of a yamakagashi bite with active bleeding due to trauma, early administration of yamakagashi antivenom should be considered to control coagulopathy.

Despite the police preventing special fraud victimisation of older adults, both the number of cases and the amount of damage have remained high in Japan. ‘Special fraud’, in Japan, is a crime in which victims are tricked by fraudsters who through phone or postcards impersonate the victims’ relatives, employees and other associates, to dupe the victims of their cash or other valuables. The number of recognised cases of special fraud has been turned to increase in 2021. Although police or consumer affairs administrations have been conducting all-encompassing enlightenment or public education for prevention, it is also necessary to reach out to those who are vulnerable to fraud. In this study, we determine the psychosocial characteristics of victims of special fraud in Japanese older adults. We analysed the age, gender, education, residential status, household satisfaction, risk perception and scam vulnerability scale of 56 older adults aged 60 years or older (mean age: 79.34 ± 7.51 years, 49 women) who had been victims of special fraud and 99 older adults aged 60 years or older (mean age: 77.73 ± 5.69 years, 61 women) who had never been victims of special fraud. The study found that the victimised older adults were more likely to be females who live alone and go out less frequently than the non-victimised older adults. The total scores of the scam vulnerability scale were higher among the elderly victims of special fraud compared to those who had never been scammed, suggesting that the psychosocial characteristics of victims of special fraud among older adults are being female, living alone, going out infrequently, having high confidence against fraud victimisation and responding quickly to phone calls and unknown visitors. Therefore, government agencies or family members should take care of older women who meet these characteristics to reduce their contact with fraudsters.

This study reviews recent literature on interoception directing decision-making in Alzheimer's disease (AD). According to the somatic marker hypothesis, signals from the internal body direct decision-making and involve the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). After reviewing relevant studies, we summarize the brain areas related to interoception and decision-making (e.g., vmPFC, hippocampus, amygdala, hypothalamus, anterior cingulate cortex, and insular cortex) and their roles in and relationships with AD pathology. Moreover, we outline the relationship among interoception, the autonomic nervous system, endocrine system, and AD pathology. We discuss that impaired interoception leads to decreased decision-making ability in people with AD from the perspective of brain neural underpinning. Additionally, we emphasize that anosognosia or reduced self-awareness and metacognition in AD are remarkably congruent with the malfunction of the autonomic nervous system regulating the interoceptive network. Furthermore, we propose that impaired interoception may contribute to a loss in the decision-making ability of patients with AD. However, there still exist empirical challenges in confirming this proposal. First, there has been no standardization for measuring or improving interoception to enhance decision-making ability in patients with AD. Future studies are required to better understand how AD pathology induces impairments in interoception and decision-making.

Research on elderly financial exploitation has mostly focused on financial abuse that occurs in families and other types of trusted relationships. As such, little is known about financial frauds and scams perpetrated by strangers. Financial fraud and scam prevention activities for older adults must be promoted, for which the correlation between the psychological, social, and cognitive characteristics of their vulnerability needs to be determined. The present study aimed to determine whether cognitive decline is a risk factor for scam vulnerability in older adults. Thus, we created a scam vulnerability scale for older adults with cognitive decline and analyzed the data to reveal the correlation between them, including inhibition and executive function. We conducted an interview survey with 50 older adults with cognitive decline (average age: 79.42 years, SD: 5.44) and 51 older adults without cognitive decline (average age: 76.12 years, SD: 5.82). The interview survey included the scam vulnerability scale, psychosocial questionnaires, and neuropsychological tests. The scale included six items with a four-point Likert scale based on a previous study. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that lower scores on the Japanese version of the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale–Cognitive Subscale (ADAS-Jcog; indicating higher general cognitive function) correlated with higher scam vulnerability in the cognitive decline group (β = −0.46, p < 0.001). In addition, men were found to be more vulnerable in both groups (cognitive decline group: β = −0.29, p = 0.015, cognitive non-decline group; β = −0.32, p = 0.018). Inhibition and executive function were found not to correlate significantly with scam vulnerability. These results suggest that mild cognitive decline correlates with higher scam vulnerability, whereas moderate to severe cognitive decline correlates with lower vulnerability, possibly because it makes understanding the scam attempt itself difficult. Older adults with mild cognitive decline and their families, particularly those visiting elderly care or outpatient facilities, should be notified of the scam vulnerability of older clients using the ADAS-Jcog score as an index to help them avoid victimization.

The environmental monitoring survey using this organisms was called “Caddisfly Watch” and this activity has involved both scientists and local people for collecting them.A simple method is needed for the continuous monitoring of radiocesium (137Cs) contamination in riverine environments after the 2011 accident at the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) in Japan. In a program called “Caddisfly Watch”, we used larvae of the caddisfly Stenopsyche marmorata (Trichoptera: Stenopsychidae) to monitor the spatial distribution and estimate effective half-life (Teff) of 137Cs pollution in riverine environments. Caddisfly larvae showed that the highest concentration of 137Cs among several aquatic organisms and no apparent variation between growth stage. In addition, caddisfly larvae reflected 137Cs concentrations in suspended particulate matter in their gut, and that showed no seasonal variation, better reproducibility, and significant correlation with those in sediment. Results indicate that caddisfly larvae can be used as a biological sampler of suspended particulate matters. The Teff values of 137Cs concentrations in caddisfly larvae estimated by single component decay function model showed significant fit. The Teff values in Kuma, Maeda, downstream Niida, upstream Niida, Ohkawa, and Ukedo river showed 2.8, 5.7, 3.1, 6.7, 0.6, and 4.8 years (34, 68, 38, 80, 6.9, and 58 months), respectively. The results of declining trend in this study were similar to those in previous reported in Fukushima. Further continuous observations using this simple approach of “Caddisfly Watch” make it possible to predict the future of the contamination with radioactive Cs in the river environment.

Interoceptive accuracy refers to the ability to consciously perceive the physical condition of the inner body, including one’s heartbeat. In younger adults, interoceptive accuracy is correlated with insular and orbitofrontal cortical connectivity within the salience network (SN). As interoceptive accuracy and insular cortex volume are known to decrease with aging, we aimed to evaluate the correlation between SN connectivity and interoceptive accuracy in older adults. 27 older adults (mean age, 77.29 years, SD = 6.24; 19 female) underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging, followed by a heartbeat counting task and neuropsychological test. We evaluated the correlation between interoceptive accuracy and SN connectivity with age, sex, cognitive function, and total gray matter volume as covariates. Region of interest-to-region of interest analyses showed that interoceptive accuracy was positively correlated with the functional connectivity (FC) of the left rostral prefrontal cortex with the right insular, right orbitofrontal, and anterior cingulate cortices [F(6,16) = 4.52, false discovery rate (FDR)-corrected p < 0.05]. Moreover, interoceptive accuracy was negatively correlated to the FC of the left anterior insular cortex with right intra-calcarine and visual medial cortices (F(6,16) = 2.04, FDR-corrected p < 0.10). These findings suggest that coordination between systems, with a positive correlation between left rostral prefrontal cortex and the SN and a negative correlation between left insular cortex and vision-related exteroceptive brain regions, is important for maintaining interoceptive accuracy in older adults.

To obtain biocontrol agents for suppression of food-deteriorating fungi during storage of agricultural products, bacteria producing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) with strong antifungal activity were screened and isolated from various environmental samples. Among 136 bacterial isolates, strain TM-R showed the strongest and broadest antifungal activity. Based on physiological and genetical characterization, the bacterium was identified as Bacillus pumilus. The effects of VOCs produced by the bacterium, which was grown on four types of agar media (nutrient, Trypto-Soya, Luria–Bertani, and TM Enterprise), were examined against six species of fungi (Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus niger, Cladosporium cladosporioides, Curvularia lunata, Fusarium oxysporum, and Penicillium italicum) in both small- and large-scale tests (plate and 12-L tests, respectively). In the plate test, the bacterium markedly suppressed the mycelial growth of five fungi (Alternaria alternata, Cladosporium cladosporioides, Curvularia lunata, F. oxysporum, and P. italicum) but promoted the growth of Aspergillus niger. In the 12-L test, the degree of growth inhibitiondecreased; however, the bacterium grown on TMEA still exhibited the strongest inhibition, especially against P. italicum (growth inhibition rate of 93%). Surprisingly, the growth of Aspergillus niger was promoted even more strongly (−36%) by the bacterium on TMEA than in the plate test (−9%). Twenty-two of 32 VOCs detected by GC-MS were identified using three databases (NIST 2011, AromaOffice, and AroChemBase). The species and concentration of detected VOCs differed greatly among growth media. To identify causative antifungal VOCs, we estimated the correlation between growth inhibition of P. italicum by the bacterium grown on each of the four media vs. the relative abundance of individual VOCs. As a result, four VOCs (methyl isobutyl ketone, ethanol, 5-methyl-2-heptanone, and S-(−)-2-methylbutylamine) were determined to be the predominant antifungal VOCs. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to specify causative antifungal VOCs using such an approach.

Dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP)-4 is responsible for the degradation of several peptides that contain an alanine or proline at the penultimate position or position P1. DPP-4 inhibitors (DPP-4is) have protective effects against type-2 diabetes and several metabolic disorders.In the present study, we examined the effects of des-fluoro-sitagliptin (DFS), a DDP-4i, on body adiposity and levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-α, PPAR-γ coactivator-1 (PGC-1), and uncoupling proteins (UCPs) in mice with diet-induced obesity.Treatment with DFS dose-dependently decreased the weight of white adipose tissue and serum levels of glucose, compared with controls, without influencing food intake (P

Purpose: Intravenous (IV) sedation is commonly used in dentistry. However, no report has yet been published regarding age, hypertension, and antihypertensive drugs during implant surgery and their relationship with changes in blood pressure (BP) and heart rate in implant surgery under IV sedation with propofol and midazolam. Materials and Methods: Medical records of 252 patients who underwent implant surgery were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were classified into four groups according to their age (in years) and hypertension status: A = ≤ 64, no hypertension; B = ≥ 65, no hypertension; C = ≤ 64, hypertension; or D = ≥ 65, hypertension. Hypertensive patients were further characterized by their antihypertensive medications: E = calcium channel blockers (CCBs), F = angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), G = CCBs+ARBs, or H = no medication. IV sedation was administered in two stages. After midazolam injection to prevent angialgia, propofol was infused at the rate of 4 mg/kg/h, followed by a dose reduction. Systolic and diastolic BP and heart rate were recorded before, during, and after surgery. Results: Systolic BP increased significantly after patients were draped in groups A, C, and D, with group D showing the most pronounced increase. Sedatives decreased BP in all groups. Diastolic BP in group F decreased significantly compared to group H after induction and before infiltration of local anesthetic. After infiltration, systolic BP decreased more significantly in group G than in group H. Intraoperative hypotension was observed in 25% of patients. The incidence of intraoperative hypertension in group D was markedly higher than in group A (23% vs 4%). Conclusion: IV sedation using midazolam and propofol reduces hypertensive risks during implant surgery. Nevertheless, care must be taken, especially in older hypertensive patients and in hypertensive patients on ARBs or ARBs+CCBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ventricular rupture is a complication of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) that results in hemopericardium and cardiac tamponade and has a high mortality rate. Most cases involve the left ventricular free wall, and there have been few previous reports of solitary right ventricular free wall rupture. This report is of a case of fatal right ventricular free wall rupture during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for inferior acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Case Report: A 76-year-old woman underwent emergency coronary angiography following inferior AMI. During angiography and attempted percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), sudden onset of cardiac arrest occurred due to cardiac tamponade. Blood was drained from the pericardium by pericardiocentesis. Despite of advanced cardiac support, the patient died. The post mortem findings showed a solitary right ventricular free wall rupture due to inferior myocardial infarction. Conclusions: A rare case is presented of right ventricular free wall rupture following AMI that occurred during PCI. This case demonstrates that early diagnosis and management are required to prevent patient mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Rare disease Background: Isolated dissection of a mesenteric artery is very rare and usually presents with acute gastrointestinal symptoms. There have been previously published reports on the isolated dissection of the superior mesenteric artery. However, isolated dissection of the inferior mesenteric artery is rare. Case Report: A 43-year-old man presented with sudden onset of lower abdominal pain. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) imaging confirmed isolated dissection of the inferior mesenteric artery. To prevent exacerbation of the dissection, his systolic blood pressure was controlled to <140 mmHg, and his progress was observed for ten days while in hospital during which time the dissection stabilized. There was no extension of the dissection. After three years, the dissection had healed and did not recur. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first case report of isolated dissection of the inferior mesenteric artery that resolved spontaneously. This case shows the importance of blood pressure control in the management of arterial dissection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Unusual clinical course. Background: As primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has been commonly performed for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), we rarely encounter ventricular septal rupture (VSR), which is one of the mechanical complications of AMI. However, the associated mortality rate is still very high unless treated appropriately. Case Report: We encountered a very rare case of VSR that was considered to have occurred during primary PCI for AMI. The manifestation of sudden coronary flow disturbance may correspond with the emergence of VSR. We introduced a veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) system for sudden hemodynamic instability. As a result, the existence of VSR under the operation of the ECMO system led to unusual hemodynamics in the heart, but the vital signs were stabilized by ECMO. VSR was surgically treated and the patient fully recovered without any neurological or physical sequelae. Conclusions: Although we now encounter markedly fewer mechanical complications of AMI in this era of primary PCI, we should always be conscious of its possibility in the acute phase of myocardial infarction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of the present study was to investigate the age-specific prognostic factors in patients who underwent gastrectomy for gastric cancer. Methods: The medical records of 366 patients with gastric cancer who underwent surgical resection at our hospital between January 2007 and December 2014 were retrospectively reviewed. Of the 366 patients, 117 were aged 75 years or older and 249 were aged 74 years or younger. All factors that were identified as significant using univariate analysis were included in the multivariate analysis. Results: The median follow-up duration was 52.9 months (range, 1.0-117.5 months). We found that in patients aged 75 years or older, postoperative complications and the extent of cancer were independent prognostic factors of overall survival and disease-free survival. In contrast, in patients aged 74 years or younger, only the lymph node status and postoperative chemotherapy were independent prognostic factors for overall survival and disease-free survival, respectively. Conclusions: Pathological outcomes and postoperative complications are important prognostic factors for survival in patients aged 75 years or older with gastric cancer, whereas pathological outcomes and postoperative chemotherapy are important prognostic factors for survival in patients aged 74 years or younger. Because the prevention of postoperative complications may contribute to improvements in the prognosis of elderly patients with gastric cancer, we suggest that it is necessary to consider limited surgery instead of radical surgery, depending on the patient's general condition and co-morbidities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Implant Dentistry is the property of Lippincott Williams & Wilkins and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Bulletin of Portuguese / Japanese Studies is the property of Centro de Historia de Alem-Mar and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Establishment of a nitrogen-fixing symbiosis between legumes and rhizobia not only requires sufficient photosynthate, but also the sensing of the ratio of red to far red (R/FR) light. Here, we show that R/FR light sensing also positively influences the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis of a legume and a non-legume through jasmonic acid (JA) and strigolactone (SL) signaling. The level of AM colonization in high R/FR light-grown tomato and Lotus japonicus significantly increased compared with that determined for low R/FR light-grown plants. Transcripts for JA-related genes were also elevated under high R/FR conditions. The root exudates derived from high R/FR light-grown plants contained more (+)-5-deoxystrigol, an AM-fungal hyphal branching inducer, than those from low R/FR light-grown plants. In summary, high R/FR light changes not only the levels of JA and SL synthesis, but also the composition of plant root exudates released into the rhizosphere, in this way augmenting the AM symbiosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]