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Osteopontin (OPN) was initially described as a protein involved in bone metabolism, but the roles played by OPN in the immune system and allergic reactions have attracted increasing attention. Here, we clarify the OPN-related dynamics of severe cutaneous adverse drug reactions, and assess whether the OPN level has utility for classifying such reactions and serving as a biomarker of severity. Serum OPN levels in patients with drug-induced hypersensitivity syndrome/drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DIHS/DRESS), Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis (SJS/TEN) and erythema multiforme-type drug reaction (EM-DR) were quantified by ELISA. The OPN sources were analyzed by dual immunofluorescence assay of DIHS, SJS/TEN and EM-DR biopsy specimens. The serum OPN levels of DIHS/DRESS patients (489.1 ± 37.0 ng/mL) and SJS/TEN patients (508.5 ± 47.8 ng/mL) were significantly higher compared with controls (314.4 ± 14.3 ng/mL; p 0.001). After treatment, the serum OPN level of DIHS/DRESS patients decreased to that of controls. In addition, OPN levels in DIHS/DRESS patients and SJS/TEN patients were higher than in patients with EM-DR (Mann-Whitney U test, p 0.05). However, when the Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare the OPN levels among the three groups of patients, the difference was not significant (p = 0.055). Dual immunofluorescence assay revealed that T lymphocytes and macrophages were the main OPN sources in DIHS, SJS/TEN and EM-DR patients. These data suggest that the OPN level can be used to evaluate the severity of inflammation in patients experiencing drug reactions.

Purpose: To investigate whether the topical administration of ripasudil ophthalmic solution enhances aqueous outflow in the episcleral vein of the human eye.Design: Two-sequence, prospective, randomized, double-blind, crossover trial.Participants: Sixteen eyes of 16 healthy participants were recruited in this study.Methods: Participants were randomized into one of the two crossover sequences to the instillation of ripasudil or the control drug, latanoprost, followed by a washout period of more than 2 days, and crossed over to the alternative instillation. The aqueous columns in the episcleral veins were recorded using a video capture system connected to a slit-light microscope (hemoglobin video imaging) before and 2 and 8 h after the instillation.Primary Outcome Measure: Comparisons between ripasudil and latanoprost for the changes of the aqueous column width after the instillation.Results: Two hours after the instillation, the ripasudil group had significantly greater dilation of the aqueous column width than the latanoprost group. Eight hours after the instillation, the ripasudil group had significantly greater dilation of the aqueous column width than the latanoprost group.Conclusions: Hemoglobin video imaging revealed the dilation of the aqueous column width in the episcleral veins of the human eye after the instillation of ripasudil ophthalmic solution.

The cyanobacterium, Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, was the first photosynthetic organism whose genome sequence was determined in 1996 (Kazusa strain). It thus plays an important role in basic research on the mechanism, evolution, and molecular genetics of the photosynthetic machinery. There are many substrains or laboratory strains derived from the original Berkeley strain including glucose-tolerant (GT) strains. To establish reliable genomic sequence data of this cyanobacterium, we performed resequencing of the genomes of three substrains (GT-I, PCC-P, and PCC-N) and compared the data obtained with those of the original Kazusa strain stored in the public database. We found that each substrain has sequence differences some of which are likely to reflect specific mutations that may contribute to its altered phenotype. Our resequence data of the PCC substrains along with the proposed corrections/refinements of the sequence data for the Kazusa strain and its derivatives are expected to contribute to investigations of the evolutionary events in the photosynthetic and related systems that have occurred in Synechocystis as well as in other cyanobacteria.

A 5-year-old girl with metatropic dysplasia was scheduled for an operation of posterior cervical fusion. This disease is a rare skeletal dysplasia characterized by long trunk and short limbs and severe scoliosis. As she had been suspected to have a difficult airway, we attempted fiberoptic intubation with a nasopharyngeal airway to prevent airway obstruction. The nasopharyngeal airway ensured a patent airway sufficient oxygenation, and anesthesia. Thus, it was possible to perform a fiberoptic intubation via the opposite nostril with no adverse event. The combination of a nasopharyngeal airway and fiberoptic guided tracheal intubation is a reliable and safe procedure for small children with metatropic dysplasia and difficult airway.

We present an efficient method to extract inner shells of double-wall carbon nanotubes (DWCNTs) in liquid phase. The extraction of inner from outer shells is achieved by cutting the DWCNTs with vigorous sonication in water containing surfactants. The extracted shells are perfectly isolated single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and can be separated using density gradient ultracentrifugation. Statistical analysis using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy reveals that the enrichment of SWCNTs with narrow diameter (0.62−1.0 nm) up to 100% is achieved from highly pure DWCNTs. Furthermore, the (5,4) SWCNTs, which have the diameter of 0.62 nm, are concentrated. Our findings provide a novel way to obtain very narrow, highly isolated SWCNTs with ultraclean surface that have not been obtained in conventional synthesis methods.

Há uma prática, por parte da indústria da comunicação de adotar estratégias baseadas na exploração dos cinco sentidos do homem, a fim de conseguir a atenção do consumidor e persuadi-lo na compra das marcas anunciadas. Assim, este artigo, de cunho exploratório, objetiva mostrar correlações dos cinco sentidos do homem com formas persuasivas de comunicação e estímulo ao consumo, utilizando, para tal, referencial teórico. A exploração dos cinco sentidos na mídia é um recurso presente tanto na publicidade como em formas de promoção no ponto-de-venda. Conhecer essa dinâmica é familiarizar-se com um recurso que proporciona vantagem competitiva para anunciantes e alternativas para todos os setores da comunicação mercadológica.