トレハロース論争

トレハロース論争

「トレハロース問題」の真相、「感染症の原因に」論文は矛盾だらけ“という記事が回ってきたので読んでみました。当該論文や関連記事へのリンクも付いているので、とてもよくまとまった記事という意味では参考になります。

論調としては、(1)トレハロースの利用とDC菌の流行のタイミングが合わない、(2)トレハロース自体は天然にも存在する物質であり、米国での摂取量も多いとは言えない、(3)トレハロースを欧米よりも多く摂取している日本では強毒性のCD菌の流行は起きていない、(4)マウスへの投与実験からの結論に問題がある、ということを述べており、先に紹介したトレハロース製造会社からの見解をさらに詳しくしたものとなっています。

しかしながら、もともとのNature論文で述べられているような分子レベルの解析については触れられていません。一番のポイントは、マウスへの実験ではなくて、培養実験です。トレハロースの存在下で正常型のCD菌を培養すると、トレハロースを利用できるような変異体の菌が生じる、という点が問題なのです。また、上記記事によれば、トレハロース製造会社の動物実験データにおいて、トレハロースは腸内でグルコースという糖に分解されるということなのですが、Nature論文では、通常の食事を摂るヒトの腸内(より正確にはイレオストミーより採取した液中)でトレハロースが検出されるとなっています。

つまり、Nature論文は食品としてのトレハロースの安全性を問題にしているのではなくて、由来が天然であれ合成されたものであれ、トレハロースにより菌が変異して強毒性の株が現れるという、一種の進化メカニズムがあるということを指摘しているのです。これは、従来、抗生物質の使用によって耐性菌が生じるという考え方が一般的であったところに、他の可能性もあることを示していることになります。

トレハロースの摂取を(天然であれ合成されたものであれ)少なくすることによって、CD菌による腸炎の症状を軽減できるのかどうかについては、臨床的な研究も必要でしょう。

詳しくは、西川伸一先生の一般向けYahooブログと、さらに専門家向けのブログを参考にして頂くのが良いと思います。

論文紹介:食品に添加されたトレハロースがクロストリジウムの流行の原因だった

1月7日:食物中のトレハロースがクロストリジウム強毒株進化を促進した(Natureオンライン版掲載論文)

図は元のNature論文のFig. 6を転載しました。上段はCD菌のRT027という変異株に関する最初の報告やアウトブレイク、下段はRT078株について、PubMedという医学関係データベースより作成したものとのこと。

(2018年2月15日大隅典子の仙台通信より転載)

www.huffingtonpost.jp/noriko-osumi/trehalose_a_23362002/

Kurioses Detail im Porträt: Was verbirgt sich unter Barack Obamas Hand?

Kurioses Detail im Porträt: Was verbirgt sich unter Barack Obamas Hand?
Hat er es auch gesehen? Ex-Präsident Barack Obama und sein offizielles Gemälde.

  • Michelle und Barack Obama hängen seit Kurzem in Öl gemalt in der National Portrait Gallery in Washington
  • Doch einigen Menschen ist nun ein Kuriosum auf dem neuen Porträt des ehemaligen US-Präsidenten aufgefallen

“Ziemlich scharf”, war die erste Reaktion Barack Obamas auf die Enthüllung der offiziellen Gemälde von ihm und seiner Frau Michelle

Tatsächlich sind die von den Künstlern Kehinde Wiley und Amy Sherald angefertigten Porträts äußerst ungewöhnlich. Statt traditionell-erhabenen Ölmalereien im historischen Stil wurden die Obamas von den beiden Malern in modernen Stilen angefertigt. 

Doch nicht nur der sticht bei den Gemälden ins Auge. Denn aufmerksame Beobachter haben auf dem Porträt des ehemaligen US-Präsidenten ein kurioses Detail entdeckt. 

Barack Obamas sechster Finger

Es geht um Obamas Hand. Genauer gesagt: Die linke Hand.

Auf dem Porträt des Ex-Präsidenten liegt sie locker leger auf dem rechten Arm Obamas auf. Doch bei genauem Hinsehen offenbart sich, dass mit der Präsidentenhand etwas nicht ganz stimmt. 

► Denn es sieht so aus, als hätte Obama an seiner linken Hand sechs Finger

Obama has six fingers pic.twitter.com/q7p30hOhdx

— Comfortably Smug (@ComfortablySmug) February 14, 2018

Schuld an dem optischen Kuriosum ist ein Schatten, den Kehinde Wiley auf die linke Hand des ehemaligen US-Präsidenten gemalt hat.

Dieser verläuft links des kleinen Fingers der linken Hand Obamas – und erweckt so den Eindruck, dass sich darunter noch ein weiterer Finger verbirgt

Mehr zum Thema: Barack Obama sagt, Frauen sollten die Welt regieren, weil “Männer einige Probleme haben”

Anspielung auf “Fake News”? 

Gut möglich, dass Wiley eigentlich nur den Handballen Obamas andeuten wollte.

► Oder war der Fingerschatten doch ein absichtlicher Trick des Künstlers, wie es viele Nutzer auf Twitter nun vermuten?

Vielleicht, so vermutet es der deutsche Journalist Gordon Repinski, war der Fehler mit dem sechsten Finger Obamas gar kein Fehler – sondern “ein subtiler Hinweis auf alternative Fakten”

Im offiziellen #Obama-Porträt hat sich ein kurioser Fehler eingeschlichen. Ein subtiler Hinweis auf alternative Fakten? #SechsFingert.co/16CnFFCGj2

— Gordon Repinski (@GordonRepinski) February 14, 2018

www.huffingtonpost.de/entry/barack-obama-detail-prasidentenportrait_de_5a84a2abe4b0058d556597da

Mind Your Language: A Guide To Talking About Mental Health

Mind Your Language: A Guide To Talking About Mental Health
We all know someone who has described themselves as ‘feeling bipolar’ or ‘a bit OCD’. While it might seem harmless, this throwaway language is actually making it harder for people to receive the mental health support they need, warns Bupa and Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England.

A survey by the organisations found almost half (49%) of people have used words such as schizophrenic and psychotic to incorrectly describe themselves. Women were more likely to misuse mental health descriptors when talking about themselves, while men and those aged under 35 were most likely to use the same phrases as an insult.

Cal Strode, a spokesperson for the Mental Health Foundation, says the difference in how men and women use mental health descriptors is interesting, particularly when you look at “the wider cultural influences that are likely at play”.

“For instance, the internalisation of having their feelings and behaviours invalidated in a patriarchal culture can lead to self-stigmatising language for women,” he explains. “For men, the influence of rigid toxic masculinity within a patriarchal culture can lead to burying of emotions through the mask of humour and insults.”

Using language in this way is not just a sign of a negative effect of patriarchal culture, it also has an impact on how we feel about seeking help.

Pablo Vandenabeele, clinical director for Mental Health at Bupa UK, says despite seeing a positive change to people’s attitudes to mental health over the past 20 years, more needs to be done to tackle misused language because “if terms for mental health are regularly being used in a negative way, it can make it more difficult for someone to feel comfortable having an honest and important conversation about their condition, potentially delaying the time it takes for them to seek medical help.”

So what words shouldn’t you be using?

There are two areas which need improvement. Firstly, taking mental health terms out of context or using them colloquially to describe yourself or others and secondly, how we talk about people with mental health.

Bupa and MHFA’s survey found schizophrenic and psychotic were deemed the most offensive terms when used out of context, with special needs falling closely behind. Describing others as autistic and bipolar was also considered harmful.

Making light of conditions can also be damaging and, according to Strode, perpetuate simplistic stereotypes. “The burden of dispelling these stereotypes can often fall on the people living with them and feel exhausting,” he adds.

Examples of this could include:

:: Using ‘bipolar’ to describe a mood swing.

:: Using ‘schizo’ to describe a person’s reaction or personality.

:: Using ‘that’s mental’ to describe something outrageous.

:: Saying you’re ‘depressed’ if you feel a bit sad.

:: Using ‘OCD’ to describe the fact you’re neat and tidy.

:: Using ‘psycho’ to describe a person you dislike.

The language we use when talking and writing about mental health is equally important. Time To Change has shared a set of guidelines for journalists which are also useful for members of the public. Do not call someone a ‘psycho’ or ‘schizo’, it advises, instead refer to them as ‘a person who has experienced psychosis’ or ‘a person who has schizophrenia’.

Other words which aren’t acceptable include ‘lunatic’, ‘nutter’, ‘unhinged’, ‘maniac’ and ‘mad’. If you’re talking or writing about someone with a mental illness you could say: someone who ‘has a diagnosis of’ is ‘currently experiencing’ or ’is being treated for’.

Lastly, antidepressants shouldn’t be labelled ‘happy pills’. They are simply antidepressants, medication or prescription drugs.

Changing the way we talk about mental health can only have positive repercussions in society. Bupa and MHFA’s survey revealed more than half of UK adults (53%) believe that people are more aware of mental health conditions than they were five years ago. And the more awareness there is, the fewer barriers there will be for those who need to access help.

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/how-to-talk-about-mental-health-without-offending-people_uk_5a841e01e4b02b66c513b889

Gus Kenworthy and Steve-O are Tenting Together and Having a Hilarious Bromance: WATCH

Gus Kenworthy and Steve-O are Tenting Together and Having a Hilarious Bromance: WATCH
Gus Kenworthy tent

Gus Kenworthy (in addition to the PyeongChang Olympics) is competing on Ultimate Expedition, a new reality series for YouTube Red in which celebrities attempt to climb Mount Tocllaraju, a massive peak in the Peruvian Andes.

EARLIER: Gus Kenworthy and Steve-O Went on an International Dog Rescue Expedition: WATCH

The out Olympian has been camping out with Jackass comic Steve-O, and the two have been getting to know each other very well. Kenworthy says he’s had the pleasure of waking up to Steve-O’s farts and the sound of him jerking off inside his sleeping bag.

Hear about their adventure following a stand-up worthy monologue from Kenworthy about their tent life.

And don’t miss the first of three videos Kenworthy made with his Olympic sponsor Samsung. The clip, “Roots”, focuses on Kenworthy’s family and home in Telluride, Colorado. The town revolves around the mountains and ski industry yet it had never sent a local to the Olympics until Kenworthy.

The post Gus Kenworthy and Steve-O are Tenting Together and Having a Hilarious Bromance: WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.


Gus Kenworthy and Steve-O are Tenting Together and Having a Hilarious Bromance: WATCH

‘Trauma’ Episode 3 Review: 9 Moments That Nearly Made Our Heart Stop During The Finale

‘Trauma’ Episode 3 Review: 9 Moments That Nearly Made Our Heart Stop During The Finale
Having been penned by ‘Doctor Foster’ creator Mike Barlett, we knew the ‘Trauma’ finale would deliver, and sure enough, it didn’t disappoint. 

The final 60 minutes of ITV’s latest thriller were proper heart-in-mouth TV, in the same way both series finales of ‘Doctor Foster’ had been before it.

Not only did we finally find out if Jon was telling the truth about his conduct during Alex’s operation, but there was a stand-out performance from lead star John Simm, whose portrayal of a distraught and grieving father pushed to the limit is sure to be recognised in the awards stakes.

Here’s nine moments he and his fellow stars kept us on the edge of our seats during the dramatic conclusion…

When Alana invited Dan in the house

After turning up on Jon’s doorstep at the end of the last episode, we wondered if Dan would go for brute force or charm to get in the Allerton family house. When he went for the latter, we prayed Alana would simply shut the door on him.

Unfortunately, she didn’t – a decision she soon came to regret…

When Alana spotted her phone was missing

At the climax of one of Mike Barlett’s signature long scenes (our all time favourite obviously being *that* ‘Doctor Foster’ dinner party), Alana twigged Jon had stolen her phone, before he quickly cut off the landline and pulled a knife out on her, leaving us questioning what he would do to her.

Although, we have to say, we’d probably never needed a commercial break more.

When Lisa arrived home and found Dan on the doorstep

In a scene that mimicked the earlier one with Alana, Dan managed to pull the wool over Lisa’s eyes, and trick her into becoming one of his hostages.

Having not known what he’d done to Alana at this point, we feared the worst for Lisa as she begun an impromptu psychiatric session.

When Jon got the message from Dan telling him to come home or Lisa was dead

Jon faced the biggest race home of his life, and we can only imagine how painful that traffic jam was.

At this point, Lisa wasn’t sure about the level of danger she was in, but that soon became all too clear when he pulled the knife on her.

Our relief when we discovered he hadn’t killed Alana

Luckily, our heart rates were given a rest when it was revealed Dan had simply threatened Alana to stay quiet upstairs.

But when it looked as if the teen was about to persuade him to give up on the situation, Jon walked through the door to make everything 10 times worse.

When Jon admitted he had made a mistake

The moment we’d been waiting the whole of the last three episodes for came when Jon admitted he had made a mistake while operating on Alex’s son.

However, it remained unclear if this admission of guilt was genuine, or an attempt to save Alana, whose jugular Dan currently had a knife next to.

When Dan raised the knife above Alana’s head

We totally thought she was a goner.

When Dan encouraged Jon to pick up the knife and stab him

With Dan having spared Alana, there was a tense showdown between the two men, where Dan attempted to goad Jon into stabbing him. For a moment, it looked like he might go through with it, but ultimately he decided to kick the shit out of him instead. 

When Jon walked into Dan’s hospital room

At this point, we thought Jon had come to finish off the job, but he sat down and confirmed the truth – that he had messed up during Alex’s operation.

While Dan certainly didn’t seem to get initial closure from the moment, we later saw a vision of Alex appear in front of him, seemingly giving him what he needed to move on.

Meanwhile, while it looked like Jon would be spared his job, he had lost the thing that mattered the most to him – the trust of his daughter.

‘Trauma’ is available to watch in its entirety on the ITV Hub now.

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/trauma-episode-3-final-review-itv-adrian-lester-john-simm_uk_5a844dfee4b0cf0675208d2d