Two new cave Hyleoglomeris species (Glomerida, Glomeridae) from northern Vietnam.

Two new glomerid species from caves in Cao Bang Province, Northern Vietnam, namely, Hyleoglomerishalang Kuroda, Nguyen & Eguchi, sp. nov. and Hyleoglomerisalba Nguyen, Kuroda & Eguchi, sp. nov., are described. The former is characterized by a distinct body color pattern; telopods with a large, quadrate, medially concave, sparsely setose, central syncoxital lobe; and syncoxital horns approximately 1.5-2.0 times as long as the lobe. The latter is distinguished by its completely troglobiotic form without eyes, an unpigmented body, and a roundly triangular syncoxital lobe of telopods. An identification key is also provided for the cave glomerids of Vietnam.

Mushroom extract inhibits ultraviolet B-induced cellular senescence in human keratinocytes.

Mushrooms possess various bioactivities and are used as nutritional supplements and medicinal products. Twenty-nine bioactive components have been extracted recently from mushrooms grown in Nepal. In this study, we evaluated the ability of these mushroom extracts to augment SIRT1, a mammalian SIR2 homologue localized in cytosol and nuclei. We established a system for screening food ingredients that augment the SIRT1 promoter in HaCaT cells, and identified a SIRT1-augmenting mushroom extract (number 28, Trametes versicolor). UVB irradiation induced cellular senescence in HaCaT cells, as evidenced by increased activity and expression of cellular senescence markers including senescence-associated ß-galactosidase, p21, p16, phosphorylated p38, and γH2AX. Results clearly showed that the mushroom extract (No. 28) suppressed the ultraviolet B irradiation-induced cellular senescence in HaCaT cells possibly through augmenting SIRT1 expression.

The clinical features of patients suffering from psychogenic non-epileptic seizures with or without epileptic seizures.

Objective: We investigated the clinical characteristics of pediatric psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES). Methods: We studied 15 children and adolescents with PNES, who were divided into 3 groups : 1) a group with epilepsy (7 patients), 2) a group without epilepsy and mental retardation (MR) (7 patients), and 3) a group with MR (1 patient), according to the guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of PNES established by the Japan Epilepsy Society. Results: Remission of epilepsy and PNES was achieved in only 2 patients in the group with epilepsy. In the group without epilepsy and MR, antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) could be discontinued entirely in all the patients, however, the treatment for PNES could be completed in only one patient. Treatment of epilepsy and PNES could be completed in the one patient with MR. Conclusions: It is important for pediatric neurologists to explain the good news to the parents of children in the group without epilepsy or MR, that the patient does not have epilepsy and does not require treatment with AEDs. For the group with MR, understanding should be encouraged about the development of the child. Because treatment is difficult in the group with epilepsy and PNES, cooperation among the pediatric neurologists, pediatric psychiatrists and clinical psychologists is more important.

[Intelligence of hemiplegic children: an association with epilepsy and the laterality of the lesion].

We studied thirty-one children with hemiplegia to elucidate the relationship of intelligence, the laterality of a lesion, and epilepsy, in these children. We investigated the influences of the age at the onset of the seizures, the number of anti-convulsants, and the duration of medication, on the DQ/FIQ. The results indicated a significantly higher DQ/FIQ and VIQ for right hemiplegic children than for left hemiplegic children. But the PIQ of the patients with either a left or right hemiplegia was not significantly different. A significantly higher DQ/FIQ, VIQ, and PIQ was also revealed for the children without epilepsy. In addition, there was also a tendency that the DQ/FIQ of children who suffered from epilepsy before the age of one year was lower than that of children who suffered from epilepsy after the age of one year. The present results provide evidence which supports the crowding hypothesis.