Impact of the Omicron Strain on Febrile Convulsions Requiring Hospitalization in Children: A Single-Center Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: The emergence of the Omicron strain of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) at the end of December 2021 has drastically increased the number of infected children in Japan, along with the number of children with febrile convulsions, but its clinical impact is unclear. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We compared the frequency of SARS-CoV-2 infection in children hospitalized with febrile convulsions with the frequency of SARS-CoV-2 infection in children with fever and respiratory symptoms without convulsions. RESULTS: In 2021 and 2022, 49 and 58 children required emergency hospitalization for febrile convulsions (FC group) with status epilepticus or cluster spasms, in which 24 and 38 children underwent a Filmarray® respiratory panel test (FA test), respectively, and others received a quantitative antigen test for SARS-CoV-2. In 2022, only six patients tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 (10.3%, 6/58). As a reference group, 655 children aged <10 years who underwent the FA test for fever and respiratory symptoms during the same period were investigated, and 4 (1.8%, 4/223) and 42 (9.7%, 42/432) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in 2021 and 2022, respectively. Rhinovirus/enterovirus (RV/EV) was the most frequently detected virus (40.3%, 264/655), followed by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) (18.9%, 124/655) and parainfluenza virus 3 (PIV3) (7.8%, 51/655). There was no significant difference in the trend of detected viruses between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The frequency and severity of febrile convulsions requiring hospitalization associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection of the Omicron strain may be similar to that of other respiratory viruses in children.

Direct Surface Patterning of Microscale Well and Canal Structures by Photopolymerization of Liquid Crystals with Structured Light.

Precise control of the surface topographies of polymer materials is key to developing high-performance materials and devices for a wide variety of applications, such as optical displays, micro/nanofabrication, photonic devices, and microscale actuators. In particular, photocontrolled polymer surfaces, such as photoinduced surface relief, have been extensively studied mainly through photochemical mass transport. In this study, we propose a novel method triggering the mass transport by photopolymerization of liquid crystals with structured light and demonstrate the direct formation of microscale well and canal structures on the surface of polymer films. The wells and canals with depths of several micrometers and high aspect ratios, which are 10 times larger than those of previously reported structures, were found to be aligned in the center of non-irradiated areas. Furthermore, such well and canal structures can be arranged in two dimensions by designing light patterns. Real-time observations of canal structure formation reveal that anisotropic molecular diffusion during photopolymerization leads to a directed molecular alignment and subsequent surface structure formation. We believe that our proposed approach to designing microscale surface topographies has promising applications in advanced optical and mechanical devices.

CENP-B promotes the centromeric localization of ZFAT to control transcription of noncoding RNA.

The centromere is a chromosomal locus that is essential for the accurate segregation of chromosomes during cell division. Transcription of noncoding RNA (ncRNA) at the centromere plays a crucial role in centromere function. The zinc-finger transcriptional regulator ZFAT binds to a specific 8-bp DNA sequence at the centromere, named the ZFAT box, to control ncRNA transcription. However, the precise molecular mechanisms by which ZFAT localizes to the centromere remain elusive. Here we show that the centromeric protein CENP-B is required for the centromeric localization of ZFAT to regulate ncRNA transcription. The ectopic expression of CENP-B induces the accumulation of both endogenous and ectopically expressed ZFAT protein at the centromere in human cells, suggesting that the centromeric localization of ZFAT requires the presence of CENP-B. Coimmunoprecipitation analysis reveals that ZFAT interacts with the acidic domain of CENP-B, and depletion of endogenous CENP-B reduces the centromeric levels of ZFAT protein, further supporting that CENP-B is required for the centromeric localization of ZFAT. In addition, knockdown of CENP-B significantly decreased the expression levels of ncRNA at the centromere where ZFAT regulates the transcription, suggesting that CENP-B is involved in the ZFAT-regulated centromeric ncRNA transcription. Thus, we concluded that CENP-B contributes to the establishment of the centromeric localization of ZFAT to regulate ncRNA transcription.

Growth Suppression of Cancer Spheroids With Mutated KRAS by Low-toxicity Compounds from Natural Products.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Among compounds from natural products selectively suppressing the growth of cancer spheroids, which have mutant (mt) KRAS, NP910 was selected and its derivatives explored. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The area of HKe3 spheroids expressing wild type (wt) KRAS (HKe3-wtKRAS) and mtKRAS (HKe3-mtKRAS) were measured in three-dimensional floating (3DF) cultures treated with 18 NP910 derivatives. The 50% cell growth inhibition (GI50) was determined by long-term 3DF (LT3DF) culture and nude mice assay. RESULTS: We selected NP882 (named STAR3) as the most effective inhibitor of growth of HKe3-mtKRAS spheroids with the least toxicity among NP910 derivatives. GI50s of STAR3 in LT3DF and nude mice assay were 6 µM and 30.75 mg/kg, respectively. However, growth suppression by STAR3 was observed in 50% of cell lines independent of KRAS mutation, suggesting that the target of STAR3 was not directly associated with KRAS mutation and KRAS-related signals. CONCLUSION: STAR3 is a low-toxicity compound that inhibits growth of certain tumour cells.

Duodenal chemosensory system: enterocytes, enteroendocrine cells, and tuft cells.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The gut barrier serves as the primary interface between the environment and host in terms of surface area and complexity. Luminal chemosensing is a term used to describe how small molecules in the gut lumen interact with the host through surface receptors or via transport into the subepithelial space. In this review, we have summarized recent advances in the understanding of the luminal chemosensory system in the gastroduodenal epithelium consisting of enterocytes, enteroendocrine, and tuft cells, with particular emphasis on how chemosensing affects mucosal protective responses and the metabolic syndrome. RECENT FINDINGS: Recent single-cell RNA sequencing provides detailed cell type-specific expression of chemosensory receptors and other bioactive molecules as well as cell lineages; some are similar to lingual taste cells whereas some are gut specific. Gut luminal chemosensing is not only important for the local or remote regulation of gut function, but also contributes to the systemic regulation of metabolism, energy balance, and food intake. We will discuss the chemosensory mechanisms of the proximal intestine, in particular to gastric acid, with a focus on the cell types and receptors involved in chemosensing, with emphasis on the rare chemosensory cells termed tuft cells. We will also discuss the chemosensory functions of intestinal ectoenzymes and bacterial components (e.g., lipopolysaccharide) as well as how they affect mucosal function through altering the gut-hormonal-neural axis. SUMMARY: Recent updates in luminal chemosensing by different chemosensory cells have provided new possibilities for identifying novel molecular targets for the treatment of mucosal injury, metabolic disorders, and abnormal visceral sensation.

Onset of Arterial and Venous Thrombosis and Safety of Antithrombic Therapy in Patients with Gastrointestinal Cancer.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to clarify the onset of arterial and venous thrombosis and the safety of antithrombic therapy in patients with gastrointestinal cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In a retrospective cohort study of adults aged ≥ 18 years, 1187 patients with gastrointestinal cancer were admitted to our hospital between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2017. We investigated the incidence of arterial thromboembolism (ATE) and venous thromboembolism (VTE) and serious bleeding following antithrombotic therapy. RESULTS: In the 1187 patients diagnosed with gastrointestinal cancer, VTE occurred in 4.5% of cases and ATE in 2.8% of cases, and in 7.2% of cases overall. Among 239 patients who received antithrombotic therapy, the combination antithrombotic therapy group (n = 43), such as dual antiplatelet therapy, had more major bleeding events than the monotherapy group (n = 196; 49% vs. 17%, p < 0.01). DISCUSSION: In our gastroesophageal cancer patients, arterial thrombosis occurred more frequently than venous thrombosis (17/393, 4.3% vs. 9/393, 2.3%, respectively). This result may be affected by chemotherapy or radiation therapy and needs further analysis. CONCLUSION: The risk of ATE also needs to be considered in gastrointestinal cancer patients. Combination therapy with antithrombotics increases bleeding events, so it is necessary to determine the risk of thrombosis as well as bleeding.

The effect of adolescents' image of parents on children's self-image and mental health.

BACKGROUND: Parents as caregivers are one of the most influential agents of socialisation/emotional stability in the lives of children, but the parent-child relationship is hardly conflict-free: occasional distress that affects mental health is known to occur. The present study examines the effect of adolescents' perception of their parents on the child's own self-image/mental health. METHOD: Seven hundred and thirty-one (731) junior high school adolescents, living with their parents in the Ibaraki area of Japan, participated in the study. The self-esteem and self-denial scales assessed adolescents' self-image, while the trait-anxiety and depression tools rated mental health. The adolescents' perception of parents was measured with two tools: a checklist of negative/positive descriptive adjectives of parents, and the Perceived Emotional Support from Family scale. The structural equation modelling (SEM) of the study hypothesis was constructed and analysed by the AMOS statistics. RESULTS: Adolescents' image of their parents affected the children's self-image and mental health. A positive adolescent image of parents elicited a positive adolescent self-image, leading to a marked reduction in mental distress among children. The model outcome was applicable to boys and girls. CONCLUSIONS: A positive image of parents enhanced adolescents' self-image, and facilitated psychological wellbeing in children, irrespective of their sex.