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The endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2AG) is an important modulator of stress responses. Its level in the brain increases in response to stress, but region-specific effects of stress on brain 2AG are not well known yet. Moreover, green nut oil (GNO), oil extracted from the seeds of Plukenetia volubilis has several health benefits, but its effects on brain 2AG levels are unknown. Therefore, we conducted this study to explore the effects of stress and GNO supplementation on 2AG levels in specific brain regions of senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 (SAMP8). In this study, desorption electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry imaging (DESI-MSI) revealed that water-immersion stress for three days significantly increased 2AG levels in several brain regions of SAMP8 mice, including the hypothalamus, midbrain, and hindbrain. No significant change was observed in the relative abundance of brain 2AG in stress given SAMP8 mice after eighteen days of removing stress load compared to control SAMP8 mice. GNO supplementation also increased brain 2AG in SAMP8 mice without stress load. Additionally, GNO supplementation sustained the increased brain 2AG levels in stress given SAMP8 mice after eighteen days of removing stress load. Among all brain regions, a relatively higher accumulation of 2AG was noted in the hypothalamus, midbrain, and hindbrain of GNO-fed SAMP8. Our data explored the potentiality of GNO supplementation to improve brain 2AG levels which might be used to treat anxiety and depressive behaviors.

In general, it has been recognized that n-3 fatty acids have the effect of suppressing inflammation and deterioration of cognitive ability. In addition, it is reported that a-linolenic acid is partially converted into DHA and EPA in the human body. On the other hand, like linseed oil and perilla oil, green nut oil （GNO） is rich in a-linolenic acid, one of the n-3 fatty acids, but not enough research on green nut oil has been done yet.Therefore, using mice, we investigated the effects of green nut oil intake on fatty acid composition in the liver, erythrocyte membrane, and brain. The result suggested that a-linolenic acid in green nut oil increases DHA and EPA in the bodies of mice. While mice that ingested corn oil （as a contrast） showed a slight decrease in brain DHA in 20-week-old mice as compared with 8-week-old mice, mice that ingested green nut oil showed no significant difference between 8 and 20-week-olds.

Background Recent cross-sectional studies suggest that psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) are associated with depression and anxiety in adolescents. While longitudinal studies have observed that adolescents suffer more severe symptoms of depression/anxiety when PLEs persist, it remains unclear whether depression/anxiety worsens or improves with PLE emergence or remission, respectively. In this prospective school-based study, we investigated the association between longitudinal changes in depression/anxiety and one-year PLE trajectories in adolescence. Methods Nine hundred and twelve adolescents participated in the baseline assessment of PLEs and depression/anxiety; 887 (97.3%) adolescents completed the follow-up assessment one year later. Multilevel analysis was conducted to evaluate the change in depression/anxiety, evaluated using the General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12), during the year according to PLE trajectory, adjusting for baseline depression/anxiety, gender, age, substance use and victimization. Results Sixteen percent of adolescents reported PLEs at baseline, with 56% of them remitting at follow-up. At follow-up, PLEs were experienced by 6.6% of adolescents not experiencing PLEs at baseline (incident PLE group). After adjusting for covariates, GHQ-12 score worsened significantly during the year in students with incident trajectories (regression coefficient for time, α1 = 1.91, 95% CI: 1.04–2.77), but in those showing remission, GHQ-12 score did not significantly improve (α1 = − 0.20, 95% CI: − 0.97–0.56). Conclusions Greater awareness about PLEs and their trajectories in school health care settings may be a key towards the prevention and treatment of adolescent depression and anxiety.

The diagnosis of typhoid fever is a challenge. Aiming to develop a typhoid diagnostic we measured antibody responses against Salmonella Typhi (S. Typhi) protein antigens and the Vi polysaccharide in a cohort of Bangladeshi febrile patients. IgM against 12 purified antigens and the Vi polysaccharide was measured by ELISA in plasma from patients with confirmed typhoid fever (n = 32), other confirmed infections (n = 17), and healthy controls (n = 40). ELISAs with the most specific antigens were performed on plasma from 243 patients with undiagnosed febrile disease. IgM against the S. Typhi protein antigens correlated with each other (rho > 0.8), but not against Vi (rho 0.85, respectively. Applying a dynamic cut-off to patients with undiagnosed febrile disease suggested that 34-58% had an IgM response indicative of typhoid. We evaluated the diagnostic potential of several S. Typhi antigens; our assays give good sensitivity and specificity, but require further assessment in differing patient populations. [Abstract copyright: Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.]

The number of individuals with allergic disease has been increasing in recent years. One suspected reason for this increase is excessive consumption of n-6 fatty acids, which are contained at high levels in vegetable oils and meats. In contrast, n-3 fatty acids are believed to have an inhibitory effect on allergic disease. Various foods including blueback fish contain high levels of n-3 fatty acids. Green nut oil（GNO）also contains approximately 50％ α-linoleic acid. Therefore, we investigated the inhibitory effect of GNO on atopic dermatitis. Four-week-old male NC/Nga TndCrlj mice were divided into a GNO-treated group and a corn oil-treated（CO）group and reared for 7 weeks. Once a week, a picryl chloride solution was applied to the backs and auricles of the mice to induce allergic dermatitis. Erythrocyte membrane and liver EPA and DHA contents were significantly higher in the GNO group compared to the CO group, suggesting that the EPA and DHA was converted from α-linoleic acid. Erythrocyte membrane and liver arachidonic acid contents were higher in the CO group. The progress of allergic disease was slower in the GNO group compared to the CO group. Blood serum IgE levels tended to be lower in the GNO group compared to the CO group, suggesting that GNO may have an anti-allergic effect.

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, has significant healthbenefits. Previous studies reported decreased levels of DHA and DHA-containing phosphatidylcholines inthe brain of animals suffering from Alzheimer&rsquo, s disease, the most common type of dementia, furthermore,DHA supplementation has been found to improve brain DHA levels and memory efficiency in dementia. Oilextracted from the seeds of Plukenetia volubilis (green nut oil, GNO) is also expected to have DHA like effectsas it contains approximately 50% &alpha, linolenic acid, a precursor of DHA. Despite this, changes in the spatialdistribution of DHA in the brain of animals with dementia following GNO or DHA supplementation remainunexplored. In this study, desorption electrospray ionization imaging mass spectrometry (DESI-IMS) wasapplied to observe the effects of GNO or DHA supplementation upon the distribution of DHA in the brain ofmale senescence-accelerated mouse-prone 8 (SAMP8) mice, a mouse model of dementia. DESI-IMS revealedthat brain DHA distribution increased 1.85-fold and 3.67-fold in GNO-fed and DHA-fed SAMP8 mice,respectively, compared to corn oil-fed SAMP8 mice. Memory efficiency in SAMP8 mice was also improvedby GNO or DHA supplementation. In summary, this study suggests the possibility of GNO or DHAsupplementation for the prevention of dementia.

To investigate the longitudinal relationship between sleep habits and mental health in adolescents.Multipoint observation data of up to five years were employed from a prospective cohort study of sleep habits and mental health status conducted from 2009 to 2013 in a unified junior and senior high school (grades 7-12) in Tokyo, Japan. A total of 1078 students answered a self-report questionnaire, including items on usual bed and wake-up times on school days, and the Japanese version of the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12).Latent growth model (LGM) analysis, which requires three or more time point data, showed that longitudinal changes in bedtime and GHQ-12 score (or score for depression/anxiety) were significantly and moderately correlated (correlation coefficient = 0.510, p 0.05). Another result of interest was that, using an autoregressive cross-lagged (ARCL) model, bedtime and the depression/anxiety score had reciprocal effects the following year: ie, bedtime significantly affects the following year's depression/anxiety, and vice versa. In addition, the analysis provided estimates of mutually predicted changes: one-hour bedtime delay may worsen the GHQ-12 score by 0.2 points, and one-point worsening of the score may delay bedtime by 2.2 minutes.By using up to five multiple time point data, the present study confirms the correlational and reciprocally longitudinal relationship between bedtime delay and mental health status in Japanese adolescents. The results indicate that preventing late bedtime may have a significant effect on improving mental health in adolescents.

Although effects of sleep duration and physical activity (PA) have been demonstrated on mental health in adolescents, their interactive effect has not been studied. This cross-sectional study first examines this interactive effect on anxiety/depression in adolescents. A total of 983 Japanese students aged 12-17 were studied, using a self-report questionnaire. The interaction of sleep duration and amount of PA and their main effects on anxiety/depression, assessed using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), were investigated employing multiple regression, adjusting for grade and sex. Sleep duration and amount of PA were classified as being adequate or not, according to the duration and amount recommended by the National Sleep Foundation and World Health Organization, respectively. As a result, the interaction between sleep duration and amount of PA and their main effects were statistically significant. GHQ-12 score was significantly better in adolescents with either adequate sleep or adequate PA, not both, than those with neither adequate sleep nor adequate PA. The score, however, seemed no further improved in those with both adequate sleep and PA. The present study suggests that effects of sleep and PA on mental health need to be studied with consideration to their interaction.

Objective To determine the diagnostic accuracy of three rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for typhoid fever in febrile hospitalised patients in Bangladesh.

Melioidosis is an important cause of community-acquired infection in Southeast Asia and northern Australia. Studies from endemic countries have demonstrated differences in the epidemiology and clinical features among children diagnosed with melioidosis. This suggests that local data are needed to determine the risk factors and outcome in specific areas.This was a retrospective study of all children admitted to Likas Women's and Children Hospital, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, with a blood or clinical sample positive for Burkholderia pseudomallei from 2001 to 2012.Of 28 children with confirmed melioidosis, 27 records were reviewed including 11 (41%) children with thalassemia major. Twenty of the children had bacteremia, and 16 (59%) had a fatal outcome. Six children had chronic disease, and none died. Empiric use of antibiotics not specific for B. pseudomallei was associated with increased risk of death (P.001). The annual incidence of melioidosis in children with thalassemia major from 2001 to 2010 was 140 per 100 000/year vs 0.33 per 100 000/year for other children (P.001). After institution of iron chelation therapy in 2010, no child with thalassemia major was diagnosed with melioidosis in 2011 or 2012.Pediatric melioidosis in Sabah is associated with a high proportion of bacteremia and death. Thalassemia major was a major risk factor for melioidosis among children from 2001 to 2010, but infections decreased markedly from 2011 to 2012 after universal availability of iron chelation therapy. Inappropriate empiric therapy was associated with an increased risk of death.

To make effective use of bell peppers Capsicum annuum L. `grossum' produced in Ibaraki Prefecture that do not meet fresh market standards, the bell peppers were processed into a freezable paste and the residual ascorbic acid was measured. Residual ascorbic acid in paste made from yellow, orange, or red bell peppers with attached skin was approximately 90%, and no substantial decrease was observed relative to fresh bell peppers. Meanwhile, residual ascorbic acid in paste produced first by heating the peppers in an oven toaster and then removing the skins was approximately 60%. Although this represents a 40% reduction relative to fresh bell peppers, these results indicate that there is sufficient potential for utilizing bell pepper paste for cooking or in processed foods depending on how it is used.

Salmonella Typhi is the causative agent of typhoid. Typhoid is diagnosed by blood culture, a method that lacks sensitivity, portability and speed. We have previously shown that specific metabolomic profiles can be detected in the blood of typhoid patients from Nepal (Näsström et al., 2014). Here, we performed mass spectrometry on plasma from Bangladeshi and Senegalese patients with culture confirmed typhoid fever, clinically suspected typhoid, and other febrile diseases including malaria. After applying supervised pattern recognition modelling, we could significantly distinguish metabolite profiles in plasma from the culture confirmed typhoid patients. After comparing the direction of change and degree of multivariate significance, we identified 24 metabolites that were consistently up- or down regulated in a further Bangladeshi/Senegalese validation cohort, and the Nepali cohort from our previous work. We have identified and validated a metabolite panel that can distinguish typhoid from other febrile diseases, providing a new approach for typhoid diagnostics. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.15651.001

Green nuts are the fruiting bodies of members of the genus Plukenetia, which is endemic to the tropical rainforests of Peru and cultivated in tropical rainforests elsewhere. The fruit contains seeds from which green nut oil, also known as Inca Inchi oil, can be extracted by cold pressing. Since the elevation of the tropical rainforests in Peru extend from 400 to 2000m, it is possible that the fats and oils yielded by seeds of Plukenetia species may differ according to the elevation at which they are cultivated. We therefore investigated the physicochemical properties of the fats and oils extracted from green nuts cultivated at mean elevations of 400 to 500m and at 1600m. The aim of the study is to identify additional uses for these fats and oils and to explore more effective means of consuming the fatty acids they contain. The results showed that, compared to green nuts cultivated at high-elevation sites, those cultivated at low-elevation sites contained lower levels of -linolenic acid and higher levels of - and -tocopherol and polyphenols, which protect the oils against oxidation. In addition, the nuts harvested at lower elevations exhibited greater resistance to heating and UV exposure. Thus, oil extracted from the seeds of green nuts harvested from low-elevation sites has superior culinary and storage characteristics.

Cold-pressed oil from the seeds of Plukenetia volubilis L. (green nut oil, GNO) has been shown to be rich in n-3 fatty acid content, similar to flaxseed and perilla oils. These fatty acids are readily oxidized at high temperatures and under UV irradiation, limiting their potential applications. We therefore set out to clarify the physicochemical properties of green nuts. In addition, to explore means of the degradation process, we investigated the oxidation characteristics of GNO and the effects of oxidation on fatty acids. Results showed that GNO was stable up to 140 degrees C and exhibited greater UV resistance than the other oils. This may be related to the 10% lower alpha-linolenic acid content of GNO, compared to the other oils, as well as the presence of gamma- and delta-tocopherols. GNO was capable of tolerating a certain degree of heat processing.

Background Fever is a common cause of admission to hospital in Bangladesh but causative agents, other than malaria are, not routinely investigated; enteric fever is thought to be common. Methods Adults and children admitted to Chittagong Medical College Hospital with a temperature of ≥38.0oC were investigated in detail using a blood smear for malaria, a blood culture, real-time PCR to detect Salmonella Typhi, S. Paratyphi A and other pathogens in blood and CSF and NS1 anatigen dengue ELISA. Results We enrolled 300 patients with fever that were malaria smear negative between January and June 2012: 156 children (aged ≤15 years) and 144 adults with a median (interquartile range) age of 13 (5-31) years and median (IQR) duration of illness before admission of five (2-8) days. Clinical syndromes included: enteric fever in 52 patients (17.3%), lower respiratory tract infection in 48 patients (16.0%), non-specific febrile illness in 48 patients (16.0%), a CNS infection in 37 patients (12.3%), urinary sepsis in 23 patients (7.7%), an upper respiratory tract infection in 21 patients (7.0%), and diarrhea or dysentery in 21 patients (7.0%). Despite a negative microscopy malaria was still suspected in seven patients. S. Typhi was detected in blood by culture or PCR in 34/56 (65.4%) of patients in which typhoid was suspected. Rickettsia typhi and Orientia tsutsugamushi were detected by PCR in two and one patient respectively and two patients were dengue NS1 antigen positive. Twenty-nine (9%) patients died during their hospital admission: 15/160 (9.4%) of children and 14/144 (9.7%) adults; 2/56 (3.6%) patients with enteric fever, 5/48 (10.4%) patients with lower respiratory tract infections, and 12/36 (33.3%) patients with encephalitis/meningitis. Conclusion Enteric fever was responsible for nearly one in five admissions to this hospital in Chittagong, Bangladesh with non-malaria fever with the diagnosis confirmed in two thirds. Lower respiratory tract infections and CNS infections were also common. The etiology of CNS infections in this location merits more detailed study due to the high mortality rate.

Whether or not the oral intake of metals such as aluminium (Al) and zinc (Zn) is a risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been a matter of controversy. Lack of AD pathology in patients with Al encephalopathy indicates Al does not cause AD. On the other hand, some epidemiological studies have suggested high Al increases the occurrence of AD. Our purpose is to test if high Al in drinking water is a risk factor for AD. We administered Al and Zn in drinking water to Tg2576, a transgenic mouse model for amyloid β-protein (Aβ) deposition with the Aβ precursor protein (AβPP) mutations (K670N/M671L), and Tg2576/tau(P301L), a model for Aβ and tau deposition. Deionized water was given to the control Tg2576 and Tg2576/tau. After administration for 4-10 months of approximately 100 mg/kg body weight Al or Zn per day, we were not able to find by quantitative immunohistochemical analyses differences in the deposition of Aβ and tau between the treated and untreated groups. Nor did the Al or Zn treatment affect the amount of soluble Aβ and Aβ*56, an Aβ oligomer, measured by ELISA or immunoblot. The oral intake of excess Al or Zn does not accelerate AD pathology in the transgenic mouse models for Aβ and tau accumulation. Such results do not seem to support the notion that excessive oral intake of Al or Zn is a risk factor for AD.

Aim: Studying what factors and behaviours to work on may be a key to develop the effective prevention of future mental disorder in both high-risk and general young subjects. This study aimed to investigate whether twins are more vulnerable to mental health problems including psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) than singletons and what factors on lifestyle and social environment are associated with poor mental health. Methods: Subjects comprised 341 Japanese high-school students (173 males and 168 females) including 62 twins. We examined PLEs, general psychological distress, length and regularity of sleep, domestic violence, being bullied and other environmental factors using questionnaires including the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). The variables were compared between twins and singletons. Whether variables on lifestyle and social environment affect PLEs and GHQ-12 scores were studied by logistic regression. Results: Significant difference was observed in PLEs and GHQ-12 between twins and singletons. Experiencing PLEs was negatively associated with being a twin (OR = 0.293, 95% CI = 0.101–0.847) and length of sleep (OR = 0.685, 95% CI = 0.519–0.903). GHQ-12 > 4 was significantly associated with irregular sleep schedule (OR = 3.042, 95% CI = 1.818–5.090), being bullied (OR = 3.677, 95% CI = 1.317–10.266) and having no people to confide in (OR = 2.615, 95% CI = 1.249–5.475). Conclusion: Poor mental health status including experiencing PLEs might be less frequent in twins than in singletons. Problems in sleep length, its schedule and human relationships were significantly associated with mental health in high-school students as we hypothesized. Early identification programmes and mental health education focused on these factors may be helpful.

Objective To determine the diagnostic accuracy of three rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for typhoid fever in febrile hospitalised patients in Bangladesh. Methods Febrile adults and children admitted to Chittagong Medical College Hospital, Bangladesh, were investigated with Bact/Alert® blood cultures and real‐time PCR to detect Salmonella enterica Typhi and Paratyphi A and assays for Rickettsia, leptospirosis and dengue fever. Acute serum samples were examined with the LifeAssay (LA) Test‐it™ Typhoid IgM lateral flow assay detecting IgM antibodies against S. Typhi O antigen, CTKBiotech Onsite Typhoid IgG/IgM Combo Rapid‐test cassette lateral flow assay detecting IgG and IgM antibodies against S. Typhi O and H antigens and SD Bioline line assay for IgG and IgM antibodies against S. Typhi proteins. Results In 300 malaria smear‐negative febrile patients [median (IQR) age of 13.5 (5–31) years], 34 (11.3%) had confirmed typhoid fever: 19 positive by blood culture for S. Typhi (three blood PCR positive) and 15 blood culture negative but PCR positive for S. Typhi in blood. The respective sensitivity and specificity of the three RDTs in patients using a composite reference standard of blood culture and/or PCR‐confirmed typhoid fever were 59% and 61% for LifeAssay, 59% and 74% for the CTK IgM and/or IgG, and 24% and 96% for the SD Bioline RDT IgM and/or IgG. The LifeAssay RDT had a sensitivity of 63% and a specificity of 91% when modified with a positive cut‐off of ≥2+ and analysed using a Bayesian latent class model. Conclusions These typhoid RDTs demonstrated moderate diagnostic accuracies, and better tests are needed.

We studied the impact of heating on the aluminium ion (Al(NO3)3) binding amount of IDF (insoluble dietary fiber) and SDF (soluble dietary fiber) fractions extracted by the modified Prosky method from 14 kinds of food after different heat treatments. Al binding of unheated IDF was high in edible burdock, carrot, cabbage and hijiki. Heating marginally raised the Al binding amount of aloe and okra, but the other samples showed a tendency for the Al binding amount to fall when heated. Al binding of unheated SDF was extremely high in aloe, which has a high mucilage content, followed by okra and eggplant. Whereas non-mucilaginous foods had lower binding capacities when heated, the binding capacities of such viscous foods as aloe, okra, and moroheiya were increased by microwaving.

SDF (soluble dietary fiber) and IDF (insoluble dietary fiber) fractions were extracted from 14 different foods by the modified Prosky method. Ion exchange chromatography with DEAE cellulose was employed to examine each of the fractionated sugars. Aloe fractions were further subjected to gel chromatography to examine the effect of heating on molecular weight. The SDF fractions of anhydrous samples of okra, cabbage, celery, bitter gourd, and carrot were large when autoclaved, while that of aloe was largest when unheated, and those of eggplant, edible burdock, Japanese radish, hijiki, and nameko were large when microwaved. The SDF fractions of moroheiya and okra included acid polysaccharides in large quantities, and acid polysaccharides increased further with autoclaving. The SDF fraction of celery did not show as pronounced a tendency for heat-induced increase of acid sugar. IR analysis confirmed that heating affected the functional groups of this fraction.

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) for chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) with a reduced-intensity conditioning regimen can be expected to lead to less therapy-related mortality and late-onset impairment, whereas it has also been reported to increase the risk of unsustained mixed donor chimerism and late rejection after transplantation. Herein, we report a 4-year-old boy with CGD who was successfully treated with unrelated bone marrow transplantation with a reduced-intensity conditioning regimen (RIC). Fludarabine-based RIC, 4 Gy of total body irradiation, 120 mg/kg of cyclophosphamide, and 125 mg/m(2) of fludarabine, was adopted for transplantation, followed with 8.9 x 10(8)/kg mononucleated donor cells infused without T-cell depletion. Although hematopoietic engraftment was rapidly obtained by day +17, he developed unstable donor chimerism. After tacrolimus withdrawal, the patient showed grade III acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), and subsequently reached full donor chimerism by day +61. Twelve months post-transplant, the patient has remained well with stable and durable engraftment, 100% donor chimerism, and normal superoxide production, without the requirement of donor lymphocyte infusions (DLI).

Polyphenols distributed widely in vegetables, fruits, wine and teas are likely to have beneficial effects on human health, because of their antioxidative activities. Therefore we studied the efficiency of the polyphenol absorption in vitro using the human intestinal epithelial cell line, Caco-2. Caco-2 cells are being widely used as an in vitro model for human intestinal absorption potential. For the absorption experiments, Caco-2 cells were grown in 12-well culture plates (FALCON)at 37℃ under 5% CO_2-95% air atmosphere and constant humidity. The culture medium was changed every other day. After culturing for 2 weeks and removal of the medium, the cells were rinsed 3-4 times with phosphate buffer saline (PBS, pH7.4). PBS alone was added to the plate part, and polyphenol containing PBS to the insert part, and both parts were kept at room temperature for 1-4 hours. The ten kinds of polyphenols tested were D(+)-catechin, catechol, chlorogenic acid, quercetine, rutin, pyrogallol, EGCG, ECG, EC, and EGC. The polyphenols transferred from the insert to the plate were assayed by Folin-Dennis method. There were significant differences among various polyphenols in the efficiency of the intestinal absorption of polyphenols, when Caco-2 cells were employed. The quantity of polyphenol absorption was influenced by their concentrations in PBS. The absorption efficiency of chlorogenic acid was the highest among the 10 polyphenols tested. The ten kinds of polyphenols tested showed no corelation between their molecular weights and the quantity absorbed.

アルミニウムイオン(Al3+)はシュウ酸やポリフェノールと結合しやすく,これらの食品成分と結合したものは体外に排出されやすいと考えられるが,食品には複数の有機酸やポリフェノールが含まれる場合が多い.そこで有機酸を順次2種類ずつ混在させ,そこにアルミニウムイオンを添加することにより,どの有機酸に優先的に結合するかを調べた.また有機酸とポリフェノールを混在させ,アルミニウム結合におよぼす両者の影響について検討した.(1) 5種の有機酸のなかではクエン酸,シュウ酸,リンゴ酸,酒石酸,酢酸の順にアルミニウム結合量は多く,クエン酸の結合力は他に優先した.(2) シュウ酸とポリフェノールが共存すると,各々の合計量よりアルミニウム結合量は多くなった.(3) ポリフェノールにリンゴ酸,クエン酸およびアルミニウムイオンを加えた混合溶液にシュウ酸を添加するとアルミニウム結合量は増加した.

緑茶,紅茶,ウーロン茶浸出液およびインスタントコーヒー溶液に含まれるアルミニウムの体内吸収の可能性を,イオン化率の点から検討した.まず各試料溶液の総アルミニウムを原子吸光分光光度計で定量し,クロムアズロールS吸光光度法でアルミーウムイオン量を測定した.また両者の値からイオン化率を求めた.クロロゲン酸およびカテキンの定量は高速液体クロマトグラフィーで行った.pH調整しなかった場合の緑茶,紅茶浸出液,インスタントコーヒー溶液のアルミニウムはイオン化せず,ウーロン茶のみが10～20%イオン化した.pH 1.8に調整し37℃で1または3時間振盪するとウーロン茶のイオン化率は約5～10%上昇し,インスタントコーヒー溶液のアルミニウムは約半分がイオン化した.それに対して緑茶と紅茶のアルミニウムはpH調整後振盪してもイオン化しなかった.これは緑茶や紅茶に多く含まれる(-)-エピガロカテキンガレート,(-)-エピカテキンガレートを中心とするカテキンとアルミニウムが強固に結合している可能性が高いことを示唆した.従って緑茶や紅茶を摂取してもアルミニウムは吸収されず,体外に排出される可能性が高いものと推察される.

アルミニウムの体内吸収および蓄積の可能性をしらべるため,食品中のアルミニウムの定量とその人胃のpH条件でのイオン化率を測定した.用いた試料は市販の野菜,果実,きのこ類およびヒジキなどの22種とし,これらの食品を水道水と蒸留水で洗浄した後細断またはすりおろして凍結乾燥した.この凍結乾燥試料を湿式分解しフレームレス原子吸光分光光度計でアルミニウム量を測定した.また同乾燥試料を蒸留水又はpH 2の塩酸酸性下で1または3時間振盪した後吸引ろ過し,ろ液中のアルミニウムイオン量をクロムアズロールS吸光光度法で測定した.また全アルミニウム量とイオン量からイオン化率を求めた.アルミニウム含有量はホウレンソウ,コマツナ,シュンギクの有色葉菜に多くそれぞれ乾燥物1gあたり687, 222, 117μgと高い値を示した.海の植物であるヒジキには,乾燥物1gに201μg含まれていた.果実類ではキーウィフルーツが22μgと最も高く,他の果実の3-4倍のアルミニウム値を示した.アルミニウムイオン化率はコマツナ,ホウレンソウ,シュンギクにおいて低く,なかでもコマツナはpH 2の塩酸酸性下で3時間振り混ぜてもイオン化率は12%と極めて低かった.それに対してキュウリ,タマネギは塩酸溶液において80-100%と高いイオン化率を示した.果実類ではスイカがpH 2で100%近い値であったが,その他の果実ではほぼ50%以下のイオン化率だった.

Whether or not the oral intake of metals such as aluminium (Al) and zinc (Zn) is a risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been a matter of controversy. Lack of AD pathology in patients with Al encephalopathy indicates Al does not cause AD. On the other hand, some epidemiological studies have suggested high Al increases the occurrence of AD. Our purpose is to test if high Al in drinking water is a risk factor for AD. We administered Al and Zn in drinking water to Tg2576, a transgenic mouse model for amyloid β-protein (Aβ) deposition with the Aβ precursor protein (AβPP) mutations (K670N/M671L), and Tg2576/tau(P301L), a model for Aβ and tau deposition. Deionized water was given to the control Tg2576 and Tg2576/tau. After administration for 4-10 months of approximately 100 mg/kg body weight Al or Zn per day, we were not able to find by quantitative immunohistochemical analyses differences in the deposition of Aβ and tau between the treated and untreated groups. Nor did the Al or Zn treatment affect the amount of soluble Aβ and Aβ*56, an Aβ oligomer, measured by ELISA or immunoblot. The oral intake of excess Al or Zn does not accelerate AD pathology in the transgenic mouse models for Aβ and tau accumulation. Such results do not seem to support the notion that excessive oral intake of Al or Zn is a risk factor for AD.

Studying what factors and behaviours to work on may be a key to develop the effective prevention of future mental disorder in both high-risk and general young subjects. This study aimed to investigate whether twins are more vulnerable to mental health problems including psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) than singletons and what factors on lifestyle and social environment are associated with poor mental health.Subjects comprised 341 Japanese high-school students (173 males and 168 females) including 62 twins. We examined PLEs, general psychological distress, length and regularity of sleep, domestic violence, being bullied and other environmental factors using questionnaires including the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). The variables were compared between twins and singletons. Whether variables on lifestyle and social environment affect PLEs and GHQ-12 scores were studied by logistic regression.Significant difference was observed in PLEs and GHQ-12 between twins and singletons. Experiencing PLEs was negatively associated with being a twin (OR = 0.293, 95% CI = 0.101-0.847) and length of sleep (OR = 0.685, 95% CI = 0.519-0.903). GHQ-124 was significantly associated with irregular sleep schedule (OR = 3.042, 95% CI = 1.818-5.090), being bullied (OR = 3.677, 95% CI = 1.317-10.266) and having no people to confide in (OR = 2.615, 95% CI = 1.249-5.475).Poor mental health status including experiencing PLEs might be less frequent in twins than in singletons. Problems in sleep length, its schedule and human relationships were significantly associated with mental health in high-school students as we hypothesized. Early identification programmes and mental health education focused on these factors may be helpful.

鶴の子大豆を用い,その食物繊維(DF)をPROSKY法および変法,SOUTHGATE法により定量した.PROSKY法の原法と変法ではTDFの値に有意差は認められず,ほぼ一致する値となった.2G2～2G5まで5種類のフィルターを用いて生大豆を定量したところ,特に2G2の場合SDFの変動係数が大きいことがわかった.また2G2および2G3ではSDFの若干の流出が認められた.2G4や2G5では,濾過操作に時間がかかるという欠点があった.また2G2と,2G3および2G3.5の値の間には有意差が認められ,これらのことから,常法のように2G2を使用することには問題があり,2G3.5程度のフィルターを使用することが望ましいと言える.また乾熱大豆をPROSKY変法で定量したところ,生大豆と比較して有意にIDFが減少し,SDFが増加していることがわかった.これは乾熱処理によって多糖が低分子化または水溶性化されたことによるものと推測された.SOUTHGATE法では非セルロース多糖類のヘキソース定量の検量線にガラクトースを用いたところ,そのTDFはPROSKY法およびその変法のTDFとほぼ等しい値を示した.大豆の場合,非セルロース区分中のヘキソース定量にはガラクトースを検量線に用いることが望ましいと考えられる.またこの比色法よりも,構成糖を直接測定できるGLCやHPLCがより有効であると考えられた.PROSKY変法のIDF区分とSDF区分をさらにSOUTHGATE法で分画したところ,IDF中の非セルロースは生大豆の約13%であり,ヘキソース,ペントース,ウロン酸の順に多く含まれていた.IDF中のセルロース区分は約5%で,そのほとんどがヘキソースであり,SDF区分は大部分が非セルロースであることを確認した.また乾熱大豆においてIDFが減少しSDFが増加したのは,乾熱処理によって,IDF区分のうち非セルロース多糖類区分を主とする成分の低分子化,または水溶性化が起こったものと考えられたが,その詳細については今後さらに検討する必要がある.

This project presents an interactive game which makes you feel unseen existences through only indirect information such as their shadows, sounds and weights. In this game, "INVISIBLE" goblins are sneaking around and you can only see their shadows. Your mission is to capture them with a special vacuum, chasing their shadows.

Derivatives of pisiferic acid (2), an antibiotic found in Chamaecyparis pisifera var. plumosa, were tested for antibacterial activities against Proteus vulgaris, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis. As structural factors for the activities, the C-10 COOH and/or C-12 OH were estimated to be the most important factors. In the mode of action of the pisiferic acid species on the bacterial macromolecule, peptidoglycan synthesis was predominantly inhibited in B. subtilis, while nonspecific inhibition was observed in P. vulgaris.

Twenty-eight derivatives of pisiferic acid ( 1 ), an antifungal constituent of Chamaecyparis pisifera var. plumosa against Pyricularia oryzae , were prepared and tested for activity. The size of the substituents at C-10 and C-12, as well as the presence and electronegativity of the constituent oxygen atoms, were inferred to be structural determinants for the activity of pisiferic acid derivatives. A computer graphic comparison between the derivatives and probenazole ( 35 ) (a commercial antifungal agent of the fungus) revealed the similarity of the size and location of the oxygen-containing substituents, which was supported by the similar mode of action of 1 and 35 .

An investigation was carried out on Okinawan plants to find antibacterial compounds against a human skin bacterium, Staphylococcus epidermidis, which causes acne vulgaris. A medicinal plant, Elaeagnus glabra, showed significant activity, and (—)-epigallocatechin (27) was isolated from the plant as an antibacterial constituent against the bacterium. Twenty-six flavonoids related to 27 were tested for the activity, galangin (7) being the most active species. Although a structure-activity study was attempted, no clear structural factor was deduced.

1. Periplanone A (PA) and periplanone B (PB), the sex pheromones of the American cockroach, were isolated from the filter paper shelters dirtied by 11,500 females of the insect and their faeces. 2. PA whose structure was confirmed to be a germacratrienone oxide structure was a rather stable compound. 3. In order to verify the genuineness of PA, its receptor participation was examined by DS-EAG method. 4. PA was revealed to participate with the corresponding specific pheromone receptor.

Periplanones A (24 μg) and B (15 μg), the sex pheromones of the American cockroach, were isolated from the materials derived from 11500 females. The structure of periplanone A was elucidated to be (1Z,5E,7S*,10R*)-10(14)-epoxy-1,4(15),5-germacratrien-9-one. Either pheromone was revealed to participate with the corresponding sex pheromone receptor.

(1987). Antifungal Activity of Fatty Acids against Pyricularia oryzae Related to Antifungal Constituents of Miscanthus sinensis. Agricultural and Biological Chemistry: Vol. 51, No. 12, pp. 3403-3405.