Public Library of Science Acta Medica Okayama 1932-6203 18 2 2023 Evaluation of calculation processes of apparent diffusion coefficient subtraction method (ASM) imaging EN Majd Barham Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences Masahiro Kuroda Radiological Technology, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Okayama University Yuuki Yoshimura Radiological Technology, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Okayama University Kentaro Hamada Radiological Technology, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Okayama University Abdullah Khasawneh Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences Kohei Sugimoto Radiological Technology, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Okayama University Kohei Konishi Radiological Technology, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Okayama University Nouha Tekiki Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences Irfan Sugianto Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences Babatunde O. Bamgbose Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences Hinata Ishizaka Radiological Technology, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Okayama University Yudai Shimizu Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences Yuki Nakamitsu Radiological Technology, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Okayama University Wlla E. Al-Hammad Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences Ryo Kamizaki Radiological Technology, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Okayama University Akira Kurozumi Central Division of Radiology, Okayama University Hospital Toshi Matsushita Central Division of Radiology, Okayama University Hospital Seiichiro Ohno Central Division of Radiology, Okayama University Hospital Junichi Asaumi Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences A number of restricted diffusion (RD) imaging techniques, such as diffusion kurtosis (DK) imaging and Q space imaging, have been developed and proven to be useful for the diagnosis of diseases, including cerebral gliomas and cerebrovascular infarction. In particular, apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) subtraction method (ASM) imaging has become available recently as a novel RD imaging technique. ASM is based on the difference between the ADC values in an image pair of two ADC maps, ADC basic (ADCb) and ADC modify (ADCm), which are created from diffusion-weighted images taken using short and long effective diffusion times, respectively. The present study aimed to assess the potential of different types of ASM imaging by comparing them with DK imaging which is the gold-standard RD imaging technique. In the present basic study using both polyethylene glycol phantom and cell-containing bio-phantom, three different types of ASM images were created using different calculation processes. ASM/A is an image calculated by dividing the absolute difference between ADCb and ADCm by ADCb several times. By contrast, ASM/S is an image created by dividing the absolute difference between ADCb and ADCm by the standard deviation of ADCb several times. As for positive ASM/A image (PASM/A), the positive image, which was resultant after subtracting ADCb from ADCm, was divided by ADCb several times. A comparison was made between the types of ASM and DK images. The results showed the same tendency between ASM/A in addition to both ASM/S and PASM/A. By increasing the number of divisions by ADCb from three to five times, ASM/A images transformed from DK-mimicking to more RD-sensitive images compared with DK images. These observations suggest that ASM/A images may prove useful for future clinical applications in RD imaging protocols for the diagnosis of diseases. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Public Library of Science Acta Medica Okayama 1932-6203 18 2 2023 Diarrhea and related personal characteristics among Japanese university students studying abroad in intermediate- and low-risk countries EN Michiyo Yamakawa Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Toshihide Tsuda Department of Human Ecology, Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University Keiko Wada Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu University Chisato Nagata Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu University Etsuji Suzuki Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Despite an increasing number of students studying abroad worldwide, evidence about health risks while they are abroad is limited. Diarrhea is considered the most common travelers' illness, which would also apply to students studying abroad. We examined diarrhea and related personal characteristics among Japanese students studying abroad. Japanese university students who participated in short-term study abroad programs between summer 2016 and spring 2018 were targeted (n = 825, 6-38 travel days). Based on a 2-week-risk of diarrhea (passing three or more loose or liquid stools per day) among travelers by country, the destination was separated into intermediate- and low-risk countries. After this stratification, the associations between personal characteristics and diarrhea during the first two weeks of their stay were evaluated using logistic regression models. Among participants in intermediate-risk countries, teenagers, males and those with overseas travel experience were associated with an elevated risk of diarrhea; the odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) were 2.42 (1.08-5.43) for teenagers (vs. twenties), 1.93 (1.08-3.45) for males (vs. females) and 2.37 (1.29-4.33) for those with overseas experience (vs. none). Even restricting an outcome to diarrhea during the first week did not change the results substantially. The same tendency was not observed for those in the low-risk countries. Teenage students, males and those with overseas travel experience should be cautious about diarrhea while studying abroad, specifically in intermediate-risk countries. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Public Library of Science Acta Medica Okayama 1932-6203 18 2 2023 Fucosyltransferase 8 (FUT8) and core fucose expression in oxidative stress response e0281516 EN Yuki Kyunai Department of Applied Chemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Engineering, Okayama University Mika Sakamoto National Institute of Genetics, ROIS Mayuko Koreishi Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University Yoshio Tsujino Graduate School of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Kobe University Ayano Satoh Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University GlycoMaple is a new tool to predict glycan structures based on the expression levels of 950 genes encoding glycan biosynthesis-related enzymes and proteins using RNA-seq data. The antioxidant response, protecting cells from oxidative stress, has been focused on because its activation may relieve pathological conditions, such as neurodegenerative diseases. Genes involved in the antioxidant response are defined within the GO:0006979 category, including 441 human genes. Fifteen genes overlap between the glycan biosynthesis-related genes defined by GlycoMaple and the antioxidant response genes defined by GO:0006979, one of which is FUT8. 5-Hydroxy-4-phenyl-butenolide (5H4PB) extracted from Chinese aromatic vinegar induces the expression of a series of antioxidant response genes that protect cells from oxidative stress via activation of the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2-antioxidant response element pathway. Here, we show that FUT8 is upregulated in both our RNA-seq data set of 5H4PB-treated cells and publicly available RNA-seq data set of cells treated with another antioxidant, sulforaphane. Applying our RNA-seq data set to GlycoMaple led to a prediction of an increase in the core fucose of N-glycan that was confirmed by flow cytometry using a fucose-binding lectin. These results suggest that FUT8 and core fucose expression may increase upon the antioxidant response. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.