Occupational use of cleaning products can cause asthma in healthcare workers but the cleaning agents responsible are not yet known. This study aimed to identify respiratory and other hazards in cleaning products on the National Health Service (NHS) supply chain online catalogue and used in the NHS. Information on cleaning products, their composition, and H-statements that identified hazard characteristics of chemical substances in them was obtained from chemical safety data sheets (SDSs). Furthermore, a quantitative structure-activity relationship model and a published asthmagen list were used to identify potential additional respiratory hazards. 473 cleaning products and 229 substances were identified. SDSs reported only 4 respiratory sensitizers but an additional 51 were suggested by the other 2 methods. In contrast, 25 respiratory irritants were identified using SDSs and only one from the asthmagen list. This comprehensive overview of cleaning agents' hazards has potential use in future risk assessment and epidemiological studies.

Background: Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors are currently used to treat patients with diabetes. Previous studies have demonstrated that treatment with SGLT-2 inhibitors is accompanied by altered metabolic phenotypes. However, it has not been investigated whether the hypothalamic circuit participates in the development of the compensatory metabolic phenotypes triggered by the treatment with SGLT-2 inhibitors. Methods: Mice were fed a standard diet or high-fat diet and treated with dapagliflozin, an SGLT-2 inhibitor. Food intake and energy expenditure were observed using indirect calorimetry system. The activity of hypothalamic neurons in response to dapagliflozin treatment was evaluated by immunohistochemistry with c-Fos antibody. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed to determine gene expression patterns in the hypothalamus of dapagliflozin-treated mice. Results: Dapagliflozin-treated mice displayed enhanced food intake and reduced energy expenditure. Altered neuronal activities were observed in multiple hypothalamic nuclei in association with appetite regulation. Additionally, we found elevated immunosignals of agouti-related peptide neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus. Conclusion This study suggests the functional involvement of the hypothalamus in the development of the compensatory metabolic phenotypes induced by SGLT-2 inhibitor treatment.

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus ) is known to induce apoptosis of host immune cells and impair phagocytic clearance, thereby being pivotal in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis (AD). Adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) exert therapeutic effects against inflammatory and immune diseases. In the present study, we investigated whether systemic administration of ASCs restores the phagocytic activity of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and decolonizes cutaneous S.aureus under AD conditions. AD was induced by injecting capsaicin into neonatal rat pups. ASCs were extracted from the subcutaneous adipose tissues of naïve rats and administered to AD rats once a week for a month. Systemic administration of ASCs ameliorated AD-like symptoms, such as dermatitis scores, serum IgE, IFN-γ+/IL-4+ cell ratio, and skin colonization by S. aureus in AD rats. Increased FasL mRNA and annexin V+/7-AAD+ cells in the PBMCs obtained from AD rats were drastically reversed when co-cultured with ASCs. In contrast, both PBMCs and CD163+ cells bearing fluorescent zymosan particles significantly increased in AD rats treated with ASCs. Additionally, the administration of ASCs led to an increase in the mRNA levels of antimicrobial peptides, such as cathelicidin and β-defensin, in the skin of AD rats. Our results demonstrate that systemic administration of ASCs led to decolonization of S. aureus by attenuating apoptosis of immune cells in addition to restoring phagocytic activity. This contributes to the improvement of skin conditions in AD rats. Therefore, administration of ASCs may be helpful in the treatment of patients with intractable AD.

Extramammary Paget’s Disease (EMPD) is a rare intraepithelial malignancy of apocrine bearing glands, which occur usually in the perianal region, vulva, scrotum, penis and ax-illa. Most of the disease are treated by surgical resection and the prognosis is generally good. Even though recurrent disease, it is usually slowly progressed with good prognosis. Here we describe the case of a 70-year-old male who has presented with initially just as an EMPD component of squamous cell carcinoma in inguinal skin, but he showed recur-rence of EMPD. The disease has progressed rapidly, finally he died of that EMPD in 2 months of recurrence. The purpose of this study is to report the rare case of fulminant disease course of EMPD after recurrence.

Deep learning has recently achieved remarkable results in the field of medical imaging. However, as a deep learning network becomes deeper to improve its performance, it becomes more difficult to interpret the processes within. This can especially be a critical problem in medical fields where diagnostic decisions are directly related to a patient's survival. In order to solve this, explainable artificial intelligence techniques are being widely studied, and an attention mechanism was developed as part of this approach. In this paper, attention techniques are divided into two types: post hoc attention, which aims to analyze a network that has already been trained, and trainable attention, which further improves network performance. Detailed comparisons of each method, examples of applications in medical imaging, and future perspectives will be covered.

Deep learning has recently achieved remarkable results in the field of medical imaging. However, as a deep learning network becomes deeper to improve its performance, it becomes more difficult to interpret the processes within. This can especially be a critical problem in medical fields where diagnostic decisions are directly related to a patient's survival. In order to solve this, explainable artificial intelligence techniques are being widely studied, and an attention mechanism was developed as part of this approach. In this paper, attention techniques are divided into two types: post hoc attention, which aims to analyze a network that has already been trained, and trainable attention, which further improves network performance. Detailed comparisons of each method, examples of applications in medical imaging, and future perspectives will be covered.

Keratoacanthomas (KAs) are epithelial skin tumors characterized by rapid growth and spontaneous regression, with histopathologic features similar to those of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). KA arising after the use of anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD1) and anti-transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) antibody have been reported. The patient in the present case was administered a new anti-cancer drug under clinical trial, which comprised anti-PD-ligand 1 (PD-L1) and anti-TGF-β antibodies. Nine months after the drug was used, a hyperkeratotic nodular lesion appeared on the patient's left arm. As a result of histopathologic examination by excision of the corresponding lesion, it was diagnosed as KA.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of acute kidney injury (AKI) in elderly patients has grown considerably. Age-associated changes in the immune system can be one of the critical factors determining AKI outcomes. This study aimed to investigate the role of senescence of bone marrow (BM)-derived cells in the development of AKI, focusing on the immune response. METHODS: Female 7-week-old C57BL/6 mice were irradiated and treated with BM cells from either 48-week-old or 8-week-old male mice. Ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) was induced, and their functional deterioration, histological tubular damage, and inflammatory responses were compared. For the in-vitro study, lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated cytokine production by BM cells from old and young mice were examined. RESULTS: At 24 hours after IRI, there was no significant difference in the number of circulating immune cells between the mice transplanted with old or young BM cells. However, the mice with old BM cells showed less functional deterioration and histological tubular injury than those with young BM cells. Moreover, macrophage infiltration and renal cytokine interleukin (IL)-12 levels were lower in the mice with old BM cells at 24 hours post-IRI. Consistently, the in vitro study showed that LPS-induced production of cytokines interferon-γ, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, and IL-10 was attenuated in cultured old BM cells, suggesting that age-related functional changes in these cells may lead to reduced inflammation in IRI. CONCLUSION: Immunosenescence could affect the susceptibility and response to renal IRI. Further studies specifically addressing age-related alterations can help in the development of treatment strategies for elderly patients with AKI.
Acute Kidney Injury ; Aged ; Aging ; Animals ; Bone Marrow Cells ; Bone Marrow ; Chemokine CCL2 ; Cytokines ; Female ; Humans ; Immune System ; Immunosenescence ; In Vitro Techniques ; Inflammation ; Interleukin-10 ; Interleukins ; Macrophages ; Male ; Mice ; Prevalence ; Reperfusion Injury

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Elevation of postprandial lipemia characterized by a rise in triglyceride (TG)-rich lipoproteins can increase the risk of atherogenesis. The objective of this study was to investigate postprandial lipemia response to a single dietary fat/sugar load test and monitor beneficial changes induced by the consumption of Platycodi radix (AP) beverage in healthy subjects. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A total of 52 subjects were randomly assigned to either placebo or AP beverage group with a high-fat shake in a randomized controlled crossover trial. Postprandial blood was collected at 0, 1, 2, 4, and 6 h and analyzed for TG and lipoprotein lipase mass. Inhibition of pancreatic lipase was determined in vitro. RESULTS: AP inhibited pancreatic lipase activity in vitro (IC₅₀ = 5 mg/mL). Compared to placebo beverage, AP beverage consumption with a high-fat shake induced significant increase of plasma lipoprotein lipase mass (P = 0.0111, β estimate = 4.2948) with significant reduction in very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) TG concentration (P = 0.038, β estimate = −52.69) at 6 h. Based on significant correlation between high-fat dietary scores MEDFICTS and postprandial TG responses in VLDL (P = 0.0395, r = 0.2127), subgroup analysis revealed that 6 h-postprandial VLDL TG response was significantly decreased by AP consumption in subjects with MEDFICTS ≥ 40 (P = 0.0291, β estimate = −7214). CONCLUSIONS: AP beverage might have potential to alleviate postprandial lipemia through inhibiting pancreatic lipase activity and elevating lipoprotein lipase mass. Subgroup analysis revealed that subjects with high-fat dietary pattern could be classified as responders to AP beverage among all subjects.
Atherosclerosis ; Beverages* ; Healthy Volunteers* ; Hyperlipidemias* ; In Vitro Techniques ; Lipase ; Lipoprotein Lipase ; Lipoproteins* ; Plasma ; Triglycerides