Association between gardening activity and frailty in patients with heart failure

Objective Frailty is common in patients with heart failure (HF). Given that gardening demands regular physical activity and offers therapeutic relaxation benefits, this activity may reduce frailty. We investigated the association between gardening activities and frailty in patients with HF. Methods, patients, or materials Between August 2022 and March 2023, we surveyed patients at risk of HF and those with HF who regularly attended a cardiology outpatient clinic. Gardening activities were defined as the ongoing cultivation of flowers, vegetables, or fruits for more than a year. The questionnaire assessed the presence or absence of gardening activities as well as the frequency, duration per session, years of experience, and scale of such activities. We calculated the frailty index. Frailty was defined as a frailty index of 0.25 or greater. Results Of the 1,277 respondents, 69% engaged in gardening and 35% were frail. After adjusting for multiple confounding factors, gardening activities showed an inverse association with frailty [odds ratio = 0.723, 95% confidence interval (0.533-0.981)]. Moreover, frailty and the frailty index showed an inverse association with more extended and large-scale gardening activities. Conclusion Gardening activities were thus found to be associated with a low prevalence of frailty in patients with HF.

Nut consumption during pregnancy is associated with decreased risk of peer problems in 5-year-old Japanese children

OBJECTIVES

Nuts are nutrient-dense foods rich in unsaturated fatty acids, protein, dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals. The present prebirth cohort study examined the association between maternal nut intake during pregnancy and the risk of childhood behavioral problems in 5-year-old Japanese children.

METHODS

Study subjects were 1199 mother-child pairs. Dietary intake was assessed using a diet history questionnaire. Emotional problems, conduct problems, hyperactivity problems, peer problems, and low prosocial behavior were assessed using the parent-reported version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Adjustments were made for a priori-selected nondietary confounders and potentially related dietary factors.

RESULTS

Compared with mothers who had not eaten nuts during pregnancy, mothers who had eaten nuts had a significantly reduced risk of peer problems in children; the adjusted odds ratio was 0.64 (95% confidence interval: 0.42-0.97). There were no measurable associations between maternal consumption of nuts during pregnancy and the risk of childhood emotional problems, conduct problems, hyperactivity problems, and low prosocial behavior.

CONCLUSIONS

Maternal consumption of nuts during pregnancy may be associated with a decreased risk of peer problems in 5-year-old children.

Asymmetric Brominative Dearomatization of 2-Naphthols Using a Cinchona Alkaloid-Based Organocatalyst

A cinchona alkaloid-based organocatalyst enables asymmetric brominative dearomatization of 2-naphthols, providing the corresponding bromonaphthalenones with high enantioselectivities. The first metal-free reaction can accommodate a variety of functional groups and give useful frameworks bearing a Br-containing tetrasubstituted stereogenic center.

Prospective Multicenter Registry-Based Study on Thyroid Storm: The Guidelines for the Management from Japan are Useful

CONTEXT

The mortality rate in thyroid storm (TS) has been reported to be higher than 10%.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the 2016 guidelines for the management of TS proposed by the Japan Thyroid Association and Japan Endocrine Society.

DESIGN

Prospective registry-based study through a secure web platform.

SETTING

Prospective multicenter registry.

PATIENTS AND MEASUREMENTS

Patients with new-onset TS were registered in the Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap). On day 30 after admission, clinical information and prognosis of each patient were added to the platform. On day 180, the prognosis was described.

RESULTS

This study included 110 patients with TS. The median of Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score was 13, higher than the score in the previous nationwide epidemiological study, 10 (p = 0.001). Nonetheless, the mortality rate at day 30 was 5.5%, approximately half compared with 10.7% in the previous nationwide survey. Lower body mass index, shock and lower left ventricular ejection fraction were positively associated with poor prognosis at day 30, while the lack of fever ≥ 38℃ was related to the outcome. The mortality rate in patients with an APACHE II score ≥12 for whom the guidelines were not followed was significantly higher than the rate in patients for whom the guidelines were followed (50% vs. 4.7%) (p = 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Prognosis seemed better than in the previous nationwide survey, even though disease severity was higher. The mortality rate was lower when the guidelines were followed. Thus, the guidelines are useful for managing TS.

Coffee and caffeine intake reduces risk of ulcerative colitis: a case-control study in Japan

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Although diet is one of the potential environmental factors affecting ulcerative colitis (UC), evidence is not sufficient to draw definitive conclusions. This Japanese case-control study examined the association between the consumption of coffee, other caffeine-containing beverages and food, and total caffeine and the risk of UC.

METHODS

The study involved 384 UC cases and 665 control subjects. Intake of coffee, decaffeinated coffee, black tea, green tea, oolong tea, carbonated soft drinks, and chocolate snacks was measured with a semiquantitative food-frequency questionnaire. Adjustments were made for sex, age, pack-years of smoking, alcohol consumption, history of appendicitis, family history of UC, education level, body mass index, and intake of vitamin C, retinol, and total energy.

RESULTS

Higher consumption of coffee and carbonated soft drinks was associated with a reduced risk of UC with a significant dose-response relationship (P for trend for coffee and carbonated soft drinks were <0.0001 and 0.01, respectively), whereas higher consumption of chocolate snacks was significantly associated with an increased risk of UC. No association was observed between consumption of decaffeinated coffee, black tea, green tea, or oolong tea and the risk of UC. Total caffeine intake was inversely associated with the risk of UC; the adjusted odds ratio between extreme quartiles was 0.44 (95% confidence interval: 0.29-0.67; P for trend <0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

We confirmed that intake of coffee and caffeine is also associated with a reduced risk of UC in Japan where people consume relatively low quantities of coffee compared with Western countries.

Functional AGXT2 SNP rs180749 variant and depressive symptoms: Baseline data from the Aidai Cohort Study in Japan

No study has shown the relationship between alanine-glyoxylate aminotransferase 2 (AGXT2) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and depressive symptoms. The present case-control study examined this relationship in Japanese adults. Cases and control participants were selected from those who participated in the baseline survey of the Aidai Cohort Study, which is an ongoing cohort study. Cases comprised 280 participants with depressive symptoms based on a Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) score ≥ 16. Control participants comprised 2034 participants without depressive symptoms based on the CES-D who had not been diagnosed by a physician as having depression or who had not been currently taking medication for depression. Adjustment was made for age, sex, smoking status, alcohol consumption, leisure time physical activity, education, body mass index, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes mellitus. Compared with the GG genotype of rs180749, both the GA and AA genotypes were significantly positively associated with the risk of depressive symptoms assessed by the CES-D: the adjusted odds ratios for the GA and AA genotypes were 2.83 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.23-8.24) and 3.10 (95% CI 1.37-8.92), respectively. The TGC haplotype of rs37370, rs180749, and rs16899974 was significantly inversely related to depressive symptoms (crude OR 0.67; 95% CI 0.49-0.90), whereas the TAC haplotype was significantly positively associated with depressive symptoms (crude OR 1.24; 95% CI 1.01-1.52). This is the first study to show significant associations between AGXT2 SNP rs180749, the TGC haplotype, and the TAC haplotype and depressive symptoms.

Smoking and secondhand smoke exposure and carotid intima-media thickness: Baseline data from the Aidai Cohort Study in Japan

INTRODUCTION

Epidemiological evidence regarding the relationship between smoking and secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) has been limited in Asian populations. Employing baseline data from the Aidai Cohort Study, Japan, we evaluated the evidence in this cross-sectional study.

METHODS

Study subjects were 727 men aged 35-88 years and 1297 women aged 34-85 years. Information on smoking, SHS exposure, and confounders was obtained through a self-administered questionnaire. An automated carotid ultrasonography device was used to measure the right and left CIMT. The greatest CIMT measurement in the left or right common carotid artery was considered the maximum CIMT, and a maximum CIMT >1.0 mm was indicative of carotid wall thickening. Age, alcohol consumption, leisure time physical activity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, body mass index, waist circumference, employment, and education level were adjusted at one time.

RESULTS

The prevalence of carotid wall thickening was 13.0%. The prevalence of never smoking was 30.5% in men and 90.1% in women. Among those who had never smoked, the prevalence of never SHS exposure at home and work was 74.3% and 48.2% in men and 38.3% and 56.3% in women, respectively. Active smoking and pack-years of smoking were independently positively related to carotid wall thickening regardless of sex, although the association with current smoking in women was not significant. Independent positive relationships were shown between former smoking and pack-years of smoking and maximum CIMT in men but not in women. No significant relationships were found between SHS exposure at home and work and carotid wall thickening or maximum CIMT in either men or women.

CONCLUSIONS

Active smoking, especially pack-years of smoking, was positively associated with carotid wall thickening in both sexes. Such positive associations with maximum CIMT were found only in men; however, interactions between smoking and sex were not significant.

The Population-Attributable Fractions of Small-for-Gestational-Age Births: Results from the Japan Birth Cohort Consortium

A fetal growth restriction is related to adverse child outcomes. We investigated risk ratios and population-attributable fractions (PAF) of small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infants in the Japanese population. Among 28,838 infants from five ongoing prospective birth cohort studies under the Japan Birth Cohort Consortium, two-stage individual-participant data meta-analyses were conducted to calculate risk ratios and PAFs for SGA in advanced maternal age, pre-pregnancy underweight, and smoking and alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Risk ratio was calculated using modified Poisson analyses with robust variance and PAF was calculated in each cohort, following common analyses protocols. Then, results from each cohort study were combined by meta-analyses using random-effects models to obtain the overall estimate for the Japanese population. In this meta-analysis, an increased risk (risk ratio, [95% confidence interval of SGA]) was significantly associated with pre-pregnancy underweight (1.72 [1.42-2.09]), gestational weight gain (1.95 [1.61-2.38]), and continued smoking during pregnancy (1.59 [1.01-2.50]). PAF of underweight, inadequate gestational weight gain, and continued smoking during pregnancy was 10.0% [4.6-15.1%], 31.4% [22.1-39.6%], and 3.2% [-4.8-10.5%], respectively. In conclusion, maternal weight status was a major contributor to SGA births in Japan. Improving maternal weight status should be prioritized to prevent fetal growth restriction.

Pre- and postnatal maternal hair dye use and risk of wheeze and asthma in 5-year-old Japanese children: the Kyushu Okinawa Maternal and Child Health Study

The present study investigated the association between pre- and postnatal maternal hair dye use and the risk of wheeze and asthma in Japanese children aged 5 years. Study participants were 1199 mother-child pairs. Information on the variables under study was obtained using repeated questionnaires completed by parents. Prenatal maternal hair dye use was associated with an increased risk of current wheeze and ever doctor-diagnosed asthma; the adjusted odds ratios (ORs) (95% confidence intervals [CIs]) were 1.44 (1.02-2.02) and 1.51 (1.00-2.25), respectively. Postnatal maternal hair dye use was related to the risk of doctor-diagnosed asthma; the adjusted OR (95% CI) was 1.58 (1.03-2.40). Children who were exposed to maternal hair dye use both prenatally and postnatally had an increased risk of childhood current wheeze and ever doctor-diagnosed asthma; the adjusted ORs (95% CIs) were 1.59 (1.03-2.42) and 1.76 (1.06-2.88), respectively. Our findings suggest that perinatal maternal hair dye use is associated with the risk of wheeze and asthma in children.

Effects of avatar shape and motion on mirror neuron system activity

Humanness is an important characteristic for facilitating interpersonal communication, particularly through avatars in the metaverse. In this study, we explored the mirror neuron system (MNS) as a potential neural basis for perceiving humanness in avatars. Although previous research suggests that the MNS may be influenced by human-like shape and motion, the results have been inconsistent due to the diversity and complexity of the MNS investigation. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effects of shape and motion humanness in avatars on MNS activity. Participants viewed videos of avatars with four different shapes (HumanShape, AngularShape, AbbreviatedShape, and ScatteredShape) and two types of motion (HumanMotion and LinearMotion), and their μ-wave attenuation in the electroencephalogram was evaluated. Results from a questionnaire indicated that HumanMotion was perceived as human-like, while AbbreviatedShape and ScatteredShape were seen as non-human-like. AngularShape's humanity was indefinite. The MNS was activated as expected for avatars with human-like shapes and/or motions. However, for non-human-like motions, there were differences in activity trends depending on the avatar shape. Specifically, avatars with HumanShape and ScatteredShape in LinearMotion activated the MNS, but the MNS was indifferent to AngularShape and AbbreviatedShape. These findings suggest that when avatars make non-human-like motions, the MNS is activated not only for human-like appearance but also for the scattered and exaggerated appearance of the human body in the avatar shape. These findings could enhance inter-avatar communication by considering brain activity.

Cross-Sensory EEG Emotion Recognition with Filter Bank Riemannian Feature and Adversarial Domain Adaptation

Emotion recognition is crucial in understanding human affective states with various applications. Electroencephalography (EEG)-a non-invasive neuroimaging technique that captures brain activity-has gained attention in emotion recognition. However, existing EEG-based emotion recognition systems are limited to specific sensory modalities, hindering their applicability. Our study innovates EEG emotion recognition, offering a comprehensive framework for overcoming sensory-focused limits and cross-sensory challenges. We collected cross-sensory emotion EEG data using multimodal emotion simulations (three sensory modalities: audio/visual/audio-visual with two emotion states: pleasure or unpleasure). The proposed framework-filter bank adversarial domain adaptation Riemann method (FBADR)-leverages filter bank techniques and Riemannian tangent space methods for feature extraction from cross-sensory EEG data. Compared with Riemannian methods, filter bank and adversarial domain adaptation could improve average accuracy by 13.68% and 8.36%, respectively. Comparative analysis of classification results proved that the proposed FBADR framework achieved a state-of-the-art cross-sensory emotion recognition performance and reached an average accuracy of 89.01% ± 5.06%. Moreover, the robustness of the proposed methods could ensure high cross-sensory recognition performance under a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) ≥ 1 dB. Overall, our study contributes to the EEG-based emotion recognition field by providing a comprehensive framework that overcomes limitations of sensory-oriented approaches and successfully tackles the difficulties of cross-sensory situations.

Unravelling the relation between altruistic cooperativeness trait, smiles, and cooperation: a mediation analysis

Introduction

Human cooperativeness is an important personality trait. However, the mechanism through which people cooperate remains unclear. Previous research suggests that one of the proposed functions of smiling is to advertise altruistic dispositions, leading to successful cooperation. In particular, studies have reported that Duchenne smiles are honest signals of cooperative intent because they are not easy to produce voluntarily. This study aimed to examine the predictive relationships among altruistic cooperativeness traits, Duchenne smiles, and cooperative behavior.

Methods

A total of 90 people were randomly assigned to dyads and filmed while they participated in a ten-minute, unstructured conversation followed by a prisoner's dilemma game to measure their cooperative behaviors. Their smiles during conversations were classified as Duchenne or non-Duchenne. Participants' altruistic dispositions were measured before the conversation began using an anonymous prisoner's dilemma game.

Results

The results of our linear regression analyses support previous findings that individual's Duchenne smiles and their own cooperative behavior are positively correlated. However, when we controlled for altruistic cooperativeness, Duchenne smiles no longer correlated with cooperative behavior. The results of the mediation analyses showed that Duchenne smiles and smile synchrony did not mediate the predictive relationship between altruistic cooperativeness and cooperative behavior.

Discussion

Our results suggest that human cooperative behavior may be predetermined by altruistic cooperativeness. This calls for the reconsideration of the Duchenne smile as an underlying behavioral mechanism that is effective for signaling altruistic cooperative intent.

Classification of mild Parkinson's disease: data augmentation of time-series gait data obtained via inertial measurement units

Data-augmentation methods have emerged as a viable approach for improving the state-of-the-art performances for classifying mild Parkinson's disease using deep learning with time-series data from an inertial measurement unit, considering the limited amount of training datasets available in the medical field. This study investigated effective data-augmentation methods to classify mild Parkinson's disease and healthy participants with deep learning using a time-series gait dataset recorded via a shank-worn inertial measurement unit. Four magnitude-domain-transformation and three time-domain-transformation data-augmentation methods, and four methods involving mixtures of the aforementioned methods were applied to a representative convolutional neural network for the classification, and their performances were compared. In terms of data-augmentation, compared with baseline classification accuracy without data-augmentation, the magnitude-domain transformation performed better than the time-domain transformation and mixed-data augmentation. In the magnitude-domain transformation, the rotation method significantly contributed to the best performance improvement, yielding accuracy and F1-score improvements of 5.5 and 5.9%, respectively. The augmented data could be varied while maintaining the features of the time-series data obtained via the sensor for detecting mild Parkinson's in gait; this data attribute may have caused the aforementioned trend. Notably, the selection of appropriate data extensions will help improve the classification performance for mild Parkinson's disease.

Motion-Binding Property Contributes to Accurate Temporal-Order Perception in Audiovisual Synchrony

Temporal perception in multisensory processing is important for an accurate and efficient understanding of the physical world. In general, it is executed in a dynamic environment in our daily lives. In particular, the motion-binding property is important for correctly identifying moving objects in the external environment. However, how this property affects multisensory temporal perception remains unclear. We investigate whether the motion-binding property influences audiovisual temporal integration. The study subjects performed four types of temporal-order judgment (TOJ) task experiments using three types of perception. In Experiment 1, the subjects conducted audiovisual TOJ tasks in the motion-binding condition, between two flashes, and in the simultaneous condition, in which the two flashes are perceived as simultaneous stimuli without motion. In Experiment 2, subjects conducted audiovisual TOJ tasks in the motion-binding condition and the short and long successive interval condition, in which the two stimuli are perceived as successive with no motion. The results revealed that the point of subjective simultaneity (PSS) and the just-noticeable difference (JND) in the motion-binding condition differed significantly from those in the simultaneous and short and long successive interval conditions. Specifically, the PSS in the motion-binding condition was shifted toward a sound-lead stimulus in which the PSS became closer to zero (i.e., physical simultaneity) and the JND became narrower compared to other conditions. This suggests that the motion-binding property contributes to accurate temporal integration in multisensory processing by precisely encoding the temporal order of the physical stimuli.

Fish and Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Intake and Carotid Intima-Media Thickness in Japan: the Aidai Cohort Study in Yawatahama, Uchiko, Seiyo, and Ainan

AIM

Epidemiological evidence regarding the relationship between fish and fatty acid intake and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) has been limited and inconsistent. The current cross-sectional study investigated this issue using baseline data from the Aidai Cohort Study.

METHODS

Study subjects were 2024 Japanese men and women aged 34-88 years. Right and left CIMT were measured at the common carotid artery using an automated carotid ultrasonography device. Maximum CIMT was defined as the largest CIMT value in either the left or right common carotid artery. Carotid wall thickening was defined as a maximum CIMT value ＞1.0 mm.

RESULTS

The prevalence of carotid wall thickening was 13.0%. In men, intake of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) was independently positively related to the prevalence of carotid wall thickening, while no associations were found between intake of fish and the other fatty acids and carotid wall thickening or maximum CIMT. In women, intake levels of fish, n-3 PUFA, eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, and arachidonic acid were independently inversely associated with carotid wall thickening and intake levels of fish, n-3 PUFA, α-linolenic acid, n-6 PUFA, and linoleic acid were independently inversely associated with the maximum CIMT. No significant relationships were found between intake of total fat, saturated fatty acids, or monounsaturated fatty acids and carotid wall thickening or maximum CIMT regardless of sex.

CONCLUSIONS

In women, higher intake of fish and n-3 and n-6 PUFA may be associated with a lower prevalence of carotid wall thickening and a decrease in maximum CIMT.

Venous Thoracic Outlet Syndrome with an Upper Extremity Deep Vein Thrombosis Caused by a Dislocated Clavicle Fracture: A Case Report

BACKGROUND Clavicle fractures are a relatively common injury, and are not problematic when occurring alone. Venous thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) is generally caused by compression of the subclavian vein between the first rib and oblique muscles, and is often complicated by the presence of upper extremities deep vein thrombosis (UEDVT). Herein, we present a case of venous TOS complicated with UEDVT due to a dislocated clavicle fracture. CASE REPORT A 29-year-old man was injured in a motorcycle accident. The patient's right clavicle was fractured, and the distal part of the fracture had dislocated into his right thorax. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography showed an obstruction of the subclavian vein by the dislocated clavicle and thrombus on the distal side of the obstruction. Anticoagulant therapy was not indicated because of other injuries, such as traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage. No vena cava filter was placed in the superior vena cava owing to the relatively low volume of the thrombus. Alternatively, intermittent pneumatic compression to the right forearm was initiated. On day 6, surgical reduction of the clavicle was performed. The thrombus remained after the reduction. The patient received anticoagulation therapy with heparin followed by oral anticoagulants. The patient was discharged without any complications of UEDVT or bleeding. CONCLUSIONS Venous TOS with UEDVT caused by trauma is rare. Anticoagulation therapy, pneumatic limb compression, and vena cava filter placement should be considered according to the degree of the obstruction and other associated injuries.

Preceding and trailing role-taking in dyad synchronization using finger tapping

In ensembles, people synchronize the timings of their movements with those of others. Players sometimes take on preceding and trailing roles, whereby one's beat is either slightly earlier or slightly later than that of another. In this study, we aimed to clarify whether the division of preceding and trailing roles occurs in simple rhythmic coordination among non-musicians. Additionally, we investigated the temporal dependencies between these roles. We conducted a synchronous-continuous tapping task involving pairs of people, whereby pairs of participants first tapped to synchronize with a metronome. After the metronome stopped, the participants synchronized their taps to their partners' tap timings, which were presented as auditory stimuli. Except in one trial, the pairs involved participants taking on preceding and trailing roles. Compared to the participants taking on the trailing role, those taking on the preceding role demonstrated enhanced phase-correction responses, while those taking on the trailing role significantly adapted their tempos to match those of their partners. As a result, people spontaneously divided into preceding and trailing roles. The preceding participants tended to reduce asynchronies, while the trailing participants tended to match their tempo to their partners'.

Influence of Multimodal Emotional Stimulations on Brain Activity: An Electroencephalographic Study

This study aimed to reveal the influence of emotional valence and sensory modality on neural activity in response to multimodal emotional stimuli using scalp EEG. In this study, 20 healthy participants completed the emotional multimodal stimulation experiment for three stimulus modalities (audio, visual, and audio-visual), all of which are from the same video source with two emotional components (pleasure or unpleasure), and EEG data were collected using six experimental conditions and one resting state. We analyzed power spectral density (PSD) and event-related potential (ERP) components in response to multimodal emotional stimuli, for spectral and temporal analysis. PSD results showed that the single modality (audio only/visual only) emotional stimulation PSD differed from multi-modality (audio-visual) in a wide brain and band range due to the changes in modality and not from the changes in emotional degree. The most pronounced N200-to-P300 potential shifts occurred in monomodal rather than multimodal emotional stimulations. This study suggests that emotional saliency and sensory processing efficiency perform a significant role in shaping neural activity during multimodal emotional stimulation, with the sensory modality being more influential in PSD. These findings contribute to our understanding of the neural mechanisms involved in multimodal emotional stimulation.

Proof-of-Principle Experiment for Testing Strong-Field Quantum Electrodynamics with Exotic Atoms: High Precision X-Ray Spectroscopy of Muonic Neon

To test bound-state quantum electrodynamics (BSQED) in the strong-field regime, we have performed high precision x-ray spectroscopy of the 5g-4f and 5f- 4d transitions (BSQED contribution of 2.4 and 5.2 eV, respectively) of muonic neon atoms in the low-pressure gas phase without bound electrons. Muonic atoms have been recently proposed as an alternative to few-electron high-Z ions for BSQED tests by focusing on circular Rydberg states where nuclear contributions are negligibly small. We determined the 5g_{9/2}- 4f_{7/2} transition energy to be 6297.08±0.04(stat)±0.13(syst)  eV using superconducting transition-edge sensor microcalorimeters (5.2-5.5 eV FWHM resolution), which agrees well with the most advanced BSQED theoretical prediction of 6297.26 eV.

Easily Switchable 18π-, 19π-, and 20π-Conjugation of Diazaporphyrin Double-Pincer Bispalladium Complexes

Ni^II 3,7,13,17-tetrapyridyl-5,15-diazaporphyrin serves as a double tridentate ligand to Pd^II ions to provide a pincer-type bispalladium complex. Electrochemical analysis revealed that the bispalladium complex shows excellent ability to accept electrons and reversible redox properties due to the coordination of the two cationic Pd^II centers to the meso-nitrogen atoms. We isolated and characterized one- and two-electron reduction species of the bispalladium complex. The 20π antiaromatic nature of the two-electron reduction species was confirmed by ¹ H NMR spectroscopy, UV/Vis-near-IR (NIR) absorption spectra, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. X-ray diffraction revealed highly twisted structures for the bispalladium complexes regardless of the oxidation state.

Formation and evolution of carbonaceous asteroid Ryugu: Direct evidence from returned samples

Samples of the carbonaceous asteroid Ryugu were brought to Earth by the Hayabusa2 spacecraft. We analyzed 17 Ryugu samples measuring 1 to 8 millimeters. Carbon dioxide-bearing water inclusions are present within a pyrrhotite crystal, indicating that Ryugu's parent asteroid formed in the outer Solar System. The samples contain low abundances of materials that formed at high temperatures, such as chondrules and calcium- and aluminum-rich inclusions. The samples are rich in phyllosilicates and carbonates, which formed through aqueous alteration reactions at low temperature, high pH, and water/rock ratios of <1 (by mass). Less altered fragments contain olivine, pyroxene, amorphous silicates, calcite, and phosphide. Numerical simulations, based on the mineralogical and physical properties of the samples, indicate that Ryugu's parent body formed ~2 million years after the beginning of Solar System formation.

Functional AGXT2 SNP rs37369 Variant Is a Risk Factor for Diabetes Mellitus: Baseline Data From the Aidai Cohort Study in Japan

OBJECTIVES

The relationship between alanine-glyoxylate aminotransferase 2 (AGXT2) single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and diabetes mellitus (DM) has not been investigated. Therefore, we performed a case-control study to examine this relationship.

METHODS

The study subjects included 2,390 Japanese men and women aged 34 to 88 years. In total, 190 cases were defined as having a fasting plasma glucose level ≥126 mg/dL, having a glycated hemoglobin ≥6.5% or currently using diabetic medication. The 2,200 remaining participants served as control subjects.

RESULTS

Compared with study subjects with the CC genotype of AGXT2 SNP rs37369, those with the TT, but not CT, genotype had a significantly increased risk of DM: the adjusted odds ratio (OR) for the TT genotype was 1.83 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04 to 3.47). AGXT2 SNPs rs37370 and rs180749 were not significantly associated with the risk of DM. The CTA haplotype of rs37370, rs37369 and rs180749 was significantly positively associated with the risk of DM (crude OR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.56), whereas the CCA haplotype was significantly inversely related to DM (crude OR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.27 to 0.95). The multiplicative interaction between AGXT2 SNP rs37369 and smoking status with regard to the risk of DM was not significant (p=0.32 for interaction).

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first study to show significant associations between AGXT2 SNP rs37369, the CTA haplotype, and the CCA haplotype and DM. No interaction with regard to the risk of DM was observed between rs37369 and smoking.

Association between parental occupations, educational levels, and household income and children's psychological adjustment in Japan

OBJECTIVES

Most research on the association between parental or family socio-economic status and psychological adjustment in children has been performed mainly in Western countries, while there is limited evidence of such research in Asian countries. We examined the association of parental occupation and educational levels and household income with children's psychological adjustment in Japan.

STUDY DESIGN

This was a cross-sectional study.

METHODS

Study subjects were 6329 children aged 3 years. Children's psychological adjustment was assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire.

RESULTS

Compared with having an unemployed father, having a father who worked in an administrative and managerial or clerical job was associated with a lower prevalence of peer problems. Compared with having an unemployed mother, having a mother who worked in the professional and engineering, sales, service, or manufacturing process area was associated with a lower prevalence of low prosocial behaviors, whereas having a mother who worked in the clerical, service, or manufacturing process area was associated with an increased prevalence of emotional problems. Having a mother who worked in a clerical area was associated with a higher prevalence of conduct problems. Higher paternal and maternal educational levels were inversely associated with the prevalence of conduct problems and hyperactivity but were positively associated with low prosocial behaviors. A higher household income was inversely associated with the prevalence of emotional problems, conduct problems, and hyperactivity.

CONCLUSION

Parental occupation, educational levels, and household income may affect children's psychological adjustment in Japan.

Sex differences in the association between smoking exposure and prevalence of wheeze and asthma in 3-year-old children

OBJECTIVE

We examined independent and joint associations between prenatal and postnatal smoking exposure and the prevalence of wheeze and asthma among 3-year-old Japanese children. Sex differences were also investigated.

METHODS

Smoking exposure, allergic symptoms, and potential confounding factor data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Wheeze was defined on the basis of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood criteria. Physician-diagnosed asthma was considered to be present if a physician had diagnosed the child with asthma any time before the survey was administered.

RESULTS

There were 6402 pediatric participants in this study. Maternal smoking throughout pregnancy and household smoking exposure during the first year of life were associated with an increased prevalence of wheeze among girls but not boys (adjusted odds ratio (OR) [95% CI] = 2.00 [1.13-3.42] and 1.34 [1.07-1.68], respectively). Girls exposed to both prenatal maternal smoking and postnatal household smoking exposure had a significantly higher prevalence of wheeze and physician-diagnosed asthma compared with girls without these exposures (adjusted OR [95% CI] = 2.06 [1.39-3.01] and 1.86 [1.01-3.26], respectively). No association was observed between perinatal smoking exposure and the prevalence of wheeze or asthma among boys. Significant interactions between sex and smoking exposure affecting wheeze and asthma were also found (p for interaction = 0.0003 and 0.01, respectively).

CONCLUSION

We found a positive association between perinatal smoking exposure and the prevalence of wheeze and asthma only among girls. Effects of perinatal smoking exposure on wheeze and asthma might be sex specific. Further research is required.

Tryptophan intake is related to a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms during pregnancy in Japan: baseline data from the Kyushu Okinawa Maternal and Child Health Study

OBJECTIVE

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid wholly derived from diet. While the majority of tryptophan is degraded through the kynurenine pathway into neuroactive metabolites like quinolinic acid and kynurenic acid, a small proportion of ingested tryptophan is metabolized into the neurotransmitter serotonin. The current cross-sectional study in Japan examined the association between tryptophan intake and depressive symptoms during pregnancy.

METHODS

Study subjects were 1744 pregnant women. Dietary intake during the preceding month was assessed using a self-administered diet history questionnaire. Depressive symptoms were defined as a score ≥ 16 on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Adjustment was made for age, gestation, region of residence, number of children, family structure, history of depression, family history of depression, smoking, secondhand smoke exposure at home and at work, employment, household income, education, body mass index, and intake of saturated fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid plus docosahexaenoic acid, calcium, vitamin D, and isoflavones.

RESULTS

The prevalence of depressive symptoms during pregnancy was 19.2%. After adjustment for confounding factors, higher tryptophan intake was independently inversely associated with the prevalence of depressive symptoms during pregnancy: the adjusted prevalence ratios (95% confidence intervals) for depressive symptoms during pregnancy in the first, second, third, and fourth quartiles of tryptophan intake were 1 (reference), 0.99 (0.76-1.28), 0.94 (0.71-1.25), and 0.64 (0.44-0.93), respectively (p for trend = 0.04).

CONCLUSIONS

Higher estimated tryptophan intake was cross-sectionally independently associated with a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms during pregnancy in Japanese women.

Perinatal maternal depressive symptoms and risk of behavioral problems at five years

BACKGROUND

Evidence on the association between perinatal maternal depression and children's behavioral development is limited. We investigated the association between maternal depressive symptoms during pregnancy and postpartum and the risk of childhood behavioral problems using data from a birth cohort study.

METHODS

Study subjects were 1199 mother-child pairs. Maternal depressive symptoms were assessed with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale during pregnancy and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale at 4 months postpartum. Children's behavioral development at 5 years of age was assessed with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire.

RESULTS

Compared with children whose mothers did not experience depressive symptoms during pregnancy, those whose mothers did experience depressive symptoms during pregnancy had increased risk of emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity, peer problems, and low prosocial behavior. Maternal depressive symptoms at around 4 months postpartum were associated with increased risk of childhood emotional problems. Compared with children whose mothers did not experience depressive symptoms during the perinatal period, those whose mothers did experience depressive symptoms both during pregnancy and postpartum had a fivefold increased risk of childhood emotional symptoms and a threefold increased risk of peer problems.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that perinatal maternal depression is associated with behavioral problems in children.

IMPACT

Several epidemiological studies in Western countries have examined the association between perinatal maternal depression and children's behavioral development, yet the results are conflicting and inconclusive. There is limited evidence on this topic in Asia. In our study using data from a prospective pregnancy birth cohort, maternal depressive symptoms around 4 months postpartum were associated with an increased risk of emotional symptoms in children aged 5 years. Children whose mothers had exhibited depressive symptoms both during pregnancy and postpartum had a fivefold increased risk of childhood emotional symptoms and a threefold increased risk of peer problems.

Maternal calcium intake during pregnancy and childhood blood pressure: the Kyushu Okinawa Maternal and Child Health Study

PURPOSE

Evidence regarding the relationship between maternal calcium intake during pregnancy and childhood blood pressure is limited and inconsistent. The present prebirth cohort study examined this issue in Japanese children aged 6 years.

METHODS

Subjects were 854 mother-child pairs. Maternal intake during pregnancy was assessed with a validated diet history questionnaire. A research technician measured systolic and diastolic blood pressures at home in children aged 6 years using an electronic sphygmomanometer. Analysis of covariance was used to calculate adjusted means of systolic and diastolic blood pressures according to maternal calcium intake during pregnancy.

RESULTS

Maternal calcium intake during pregnancy was not related to systolic blood pressure in children. On the other hand, compared with children of mothers whose calcium intake during pregnancy was in the lowest quartile, those of mothers whose calcium intake during pregnancy was in the highest quartile had 2.8 mmHg lower adjusted mean diastolic blood pressure (95% confidence interval: 0.3-5.3 mmHg, P for trend = .009).

CONCLUSIONS

Higher maternal calcium intake during pregnancy may be associated with a decrease in diastolic, but not systolic, blood pressure in Japanese children aged 6 years.

Universal association between depressive symptoms and social-network structures in the workplace

An unhealthy communication structure at a workplace can adversely affect the mental health of employees. However, little is known about the relationship between communication structures in the workplace and the mental health of employees. Here, we evaluated the face-to-face interaction network among employees (N = 449) in a variety of real-world working environments by using wearable devices and investigated the relationship between social network characteristics and depressive symptoms. We found that the cohesive interaction structure surrounding each individual was negatively correlated with depressive symptoms: a universal relationship regardless of occupation type. This correlation was evident at the group scale and was strongly related to active interactions with abundant body movement. Our findings provide a quantitative and collective perspective on taking a systematic approach to workplace depression, and they suggest that the mental health of employees needs to be addressed systematically, not only individually.

IL12B rs6887695 polymorphism and interaction with alcohol intake in the risk of ulcerative colitis in Japan

BACKGROUND

The interleukin (IL)-23/Th17 pathway plays a critical role in ulcerative colitis (UC). The IL-12p40 subunit, which is shared by IL-23 and IL-12, is encoded by the IL12B gene. The current case-control study investigated the association between IL12B SNP rs6887695 and the UC risk.

METHODS

There were 384 cases within 4 years of UC diagnosis and 661 controls who were enrolled. Adjustments were made for sex, age, pack-years of smoking, alcohol consumption, history of appendicitis, family history of UC, education level, and body mass index.

RESULTS

Subjects with the GG IL12B SNP rs6887695 genotype had a significantly increased risk of UC compared with those with the CC genotype (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.60; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08-2.36). This positive association was also significant using the additive and recessive models (AOR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.03-1.52; AOR, 1.50; 95% CI, 1.08-2.09, respectively). An independent inverse relationship was observed between ever alcohol consumption and the UC risk in those with the CC genotype while no significant association was found in those with at least one G allele (P for interaction = 0.0008).

CONCLUSIONS

IL12B SNP rs6887695 was significantly associated with UC. The influence of alcohol consumption might rely on rs6887695.

Stepwise N-Methylation of Ruthenium and Cobalt 5,15-Diazaporphyrins: Post-Functionalization of Porphyrinoid Catalysts

Post-functionalization of porphyrinoid catalysts provides a powerful tool for fine-tuning their electronic structure. We have succeeded in the stepwise methylation of the peripheral nitrogen atoms in ruthenium and cobalt 5,15-diazaporphyrins. The axial coordination of an anion to the metal center accelerates the second methylation through charge neutralization. N-Methylation of the diazaporphyrin complexes effectively controls their electron deficiency, Lewis acidity, and catalytic activity.

Foot Trajectory Features in Gait of Parkinson’s Disease Patients

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurological disorder characterized by movement disorders, such as gait instability. This study investigated whether certain spatial features of foot trajectory are characteristic of patients with PD. The foot trajectory of patients with mild and advanced PD in on-state and healthy older and young individuals was estimated from acceleration and angular velocity measured by inertial measurement units placed on the subject’s shanks, just above the ankles. We selected six spatial variables in the foot trajectory: forward and vertical displacements from heel strike to toe-off, maximum clearance, and change in supporting leg (F1 to F3 and V1 to V3, respectively). Healthy young individuals had the greatest F2 and F3 values, followed by healthy older individuals, and then mild PD patients. Conversely, the vertical displacements of mild PD patients were larger than the healthy older individuals. Still, those of healthy older individuals were smaller than the healthy young individuals except for V3. All six displacements of the advanced PD patients were smaller than the mild PD patients. To investigate features in foot trajectories in detail, a principal components analysis and soft-margin kernel support vector machine was used in machine learning. The accuracy in distinguishing between mild PD patients and healthy older individuals and between mild and advanced PD patients was 96.3 and 84.2%, respectively. The vertical and forward displacements in the foot trajectory was the main contributor. These results reveal that large vertical displacements and small forward ones characterize mild and advanced PD patients, respectively.

Active and passive smoking and risk of ulcerative colitis: A case-control study in Japan

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Although an inverse relationship between current smoking and the development of ulcerative colitis (UC) has been shown in North America and Europe, evidence is limited in Asian countries, where the incidence of UC is rapidly increasing. This Japanese case-control study examined the association between active and passive smoking and risk of UC.

METHODS

A self-administered questionnaire was used to obtain information on smoking and potential confounding factors in 384 cases with a diagnosis of UC within the past 4 years and 665 controls.

RESULTS

Compared with having never smoked, having ever smoked was associated with an increased risk of UC (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 1.70, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.23-2.37). No association was observed between current smoking and risk of UC, but former smokers had a significant elevation in risk (adjusted OR = 2.40, 95% CI: 1.67-3.45). There was a positive dose-response relationship with pack-years smoked (P for trend = 0.006). Among never smokers, passive smoking exposure at home was significantly associated with an increased risk of UC (adjusted OR = 1.90, 95% CI: 1.30-2.79). A significant dose-response gradient was also observed between pack-years of passive smoking at home and risk of UC (P for trend = 0.0003).

CONCLUSIONS

We confirmed that former smoking elevated the risk of UC, whereas an inverse association between current smoking and the risk of UC did not reach a statistically significant level. Passive smoking may be associated with an increased risk of UC.

Education and household income and carotid intima-media thickness in Japan: baseline data from the Aidai Cohort Study in Yawatahama, Uchiko, Seiyo, and Ainan

Background

Epidemiological evidence for the relationship between education and income and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) has been limited and inconsistent. The present cross-sectional study investigated this issue using baseline data from the Aidai Cohort Study.

Methods

Study subjects were 2012 Japanese men and women aged 34−88 years. Right and left CIMT were measured at the common carotid artery using an automated carotid ultrasonography device. Maximum CIMT was defined as the largest CIMT value in either the left or right common carotid artery. Carotid wall thickening was defined as a maximum CIMT value > 1.0 mm.

Results

The prevalence of carotid wall thickening was 13.0%. In participants under 60 years of age (n = 703) and in those aged 60 to 69 years (n = 837), neither education nor household income was associated with carotid wall thickening or with maximum CIMT. Among those aged 70 years or older (n = 472), however, higher educational level, but not household income, was independently related to a lower prevalence of carotid wall thickening: the multivariate-adjusted odds ratio for high vs. low educational level was 0.43 (95% confidence interval 0.21−0.83, p for trend = 0.01). A significant inverse association was observed between education, but not household income, and maximum CIMT (p for trend = 0.006).

Conclusions

Higher educational level may be associated with a lower prevalence of carotid wall thickening and a decrease in maximum CIMT only in participants aged 70 years or older.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12199-021-01011-6.

Higher number of teeth is associated with decreased prevalence of hearing impairment in Japan

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

There is limited evidence on the association between tooth loss and hearing impairment (HI). The present cross-sectional study investigated the association between tooth loss and the prevalence of HI in 1004 Japanese adults aged 36 to 84 years.

METHODS

HI was defined as present when pure-tone average was > 25 dB at a frequency of 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz in the better hearing ear. Visual oral examinations were performed. Adjustments were made for age, sex, smoking status, leisure-time physical activity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, history of depression, body mass index, waist circumference, employment, education, and household income.

RESULTS

Of 1004 study subjects, the prevalence of HI was 24.8% (n = 249). Compared with having 28 teeth, having < 22 teeth, but not having 26 to < 28 or 22 to < 26 teeth, was associated with an increased prevalence of HI; the multivariate adjusted ORs (95% CI) of having 26 to < 28, 22 to < 26, and < 22 teeth were 1.41 (0.85-2.38), 1.51 (0.90-2.57), and 1.96 (1.18-3.30), respectively (p for trend = 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest that tooth loss may be associated with an increased prevalence of HI.

Synthesis of Tetrasilatetrathia[8]circulenes through C–I and C–H Silylation

We have succeeded in the synthesis of various tetrasilatetrathia[8]circulenes with alkyl and aryl groups on the silicon atoms. We also disclosed the effect of phosphine ligands on palladium-catalyzed silylation of tetraiodotetrathienylene and rhodium-catalyzed intramolecular silylation of tetrasilyltetrathienylenes. Experimental and theoretical analysis revealed the effect of the substituents on the silicon atoms on their electronic property.

Manganese(III) 5,15-diazaporphyrins: Synthesis, properties, and catalytic use for benzylic C–H fluorination

Fluorination of sp3 C–H bonds has attracted considerable attention as a promising method for the synthesis of organofluorine compounds. Manganese porphyrins have been extensively investigated as catalysts in the fluorination of saturated sp3 C–H bonds. Recently, we have found that iron(III) 5,15-diazaporphyrins, which are porphyrin analogues with imine-type sp2-hybridized nitrogen atoms at the meso-positions, showed high catalytic performance in the oxidation of sp3 C–H bonds. Here we disclose the synthesis, structure, and electronic properties of manganese(III) 5,15-diazaporphyrins. We also demonstrate the catalysis of chloromanganese(III) 5,15-diazaporphyrins for benzylic fluorination.

Incorporating Interpersonal Synchronization Features for Automatic Emotion Recognition from Visual and Audio Data during Communication

During social interaction, humans recognize others’ emotions via individual features and interpersonal features. However, most previous automatic emotion recognition techniques only used individual features—they have not tested the importance of interpersonal features. In the present study, we asked whether interpersonal features, especially time-lagged synchronization features, are beneficial to the performance of automatic emotion recognition techniques. We explored this question in the main experiment (speaker-dependent emotion recognition) and supplementary experiment (speaker-independent emotion recognition) by building an individual framework and interpersonal framework in visual, audio, and cross-modality, respectively. Our main experiment results showed that the interpersonal framework outperformed the individual framework in every modality. Our supplementary experiment showed—even for unknown communication pairs—that the interpersonal framework led to a better performance. Therefore, we concluded that interpersonal features are useful to boost the performance of automatic emotion recognition tasks. We hope to raise attention to interpersonal features in this study.

Deexcitation Dynamics of Muonic Atoms Revealed by High-Precision Spectroscopy of Electronic K X Rays

We observed electronic K x rays emitted from muonic iron atoms using superconducting transition-edge sensor microcalorimeters. The energy resolution of 5.2 eV in FWHM allowed us to observe the asymmetric broad profile of the electronic characteristic Kα and Kβ x rays together with the hypersatellite K^{h}α x rays around 6 keV. This signature reflects the time-dependent screening of the nuclear charge by the negative muon and the L-shell electrons, accompanied by electron side feeding. Assisted by a simulation, these data clearly reveal the electronic K- and L-shell hole production and their temporal evolution on the 10-20 fs scale during the muon cascade process.

Synthesis and Characterization of 16π Antiaromatic 2,7-Dihydrodiazapyrenes: Antiaromatic Polycyclic Hydrocarbons with Embedded Nitrogen

We describe the two-electron reduction of N,N'-dimethyl-2,7-diazapyrenium dications (MDAP²⁺ ), which afforded the corresponding reduced form (MDAP⁰ ) as a highly electron-rich 16π antiaromatic system. A single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis of MDAP⁰ revealed a distorted quinoidal structure with high bond-length alternation. The ¹ H NMR spectrum of MDAP⁰ exhibited a diagnostic proton signal (4.6 ppm) that is distinctly upfield shifted compared to that of aromatic diazapyrene (8.3 ppm). Theoretical calculations supported the existence of a paratropic ring current. These results indicate that MDAP⁰ exhibits antiaromatic character derived from its peripheral 16π-electron conjugation.

Hypertension and dyslipidemia are risk factors for herpes zoster in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a retrospective analysis using a medical information database

This study used data from a large-scale multicenter medical information database in Japan to estimate the incidence rate of herpes zoster (HZ) and to examine the relationship between hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes mellitus (DM), and the risk of HZ among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The research dataset consisted of 221,196 records of potential target patients with RA extracted between April 1, 2008 and August 31, 2017 from the Medical Data Vision database. To assess the association between hypertension, dyslipidemia, and DM and the risk of HZ, a case–control study was set up. Records of 101,498 study subjects met the inclusion criteria. During the observation period, 2566 patients developed HZ and the overall incidence rate was 5.2 (95% confidence interval: 5.0–5.4 per 1000 patient-years). Hypertension, dyslipidemia, and DM were significantly associated with an increased risk of HZ after adjustment for sex, age, hospital size, and use of anti-rheumatic drugs. When mutual adjustment was made for hypertension, dyslipidemia, and DM, the positive associations between hypertension and dyslipidemia and the risk of HZ remained significant; however, the positive association with DM completely disappeared. RA patients with hypertension or dyslipidemia may be at higher risk of HZ.

Prefrontal Inter-brain Synchronization Reflects Convergence and Divergence of Flow Dynamics in Collaborative Learning: A Pilot Study

Flow is a highly motivated and affectively positive state in which a person is deeply engaged in an activity and feeling enjoyment from it. In collaborative activities, it would be optimal if all participants were in a state of flow. However, flow states fluctuate amongst individuals due to differences in the dynamics of motivation and cognition. To explore the possibility that inter-brain synchronization can provide a quantitative measure of the convergence and divergence of collective motivational dynamics, we conducted a pilot study to investigate the relationship between inter-brain synchronization and the interpersonal similarity of flow state dynamics during the collaborative learning process. In two English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classes, students were divided into groups of three-four and seated at desks facing each other while conducting a 60-min group work. In both classes, two groups with four members were randomly selected, and their medial prefrontal neural activities were measured simultaneously using wireless functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) devices. Later the participants observed their own activities on recorded videos and retrospectively rated their subjective degree of flow state on a seven-point scale for each 2-min period. For the pairs of students whose neural activities were measured, the similarity of their flow experience dynamics was evaluated by the temporal correlation between their flow ratings. Prefrontal inter-brain synchronization of the same student pairs during group work was evaluated using wavelet transform coherence. Statistical analyses revealed that: (1) flow dynamics were significantly more similar for the student pairs within the same group compared to the pairs of students assigned across different groups; (2) prefrontal inter-brain synchronization in the relatively short time scale (9.3-13.9 s) was significantly higher for the within-group pairs than for the cross-group pairs; and (3) the prefrontal inter-brain synchronization at the same short time scale was significantly and positively correlated with the similarity of flow dynamics, even after controlling for the effects of within- vs. cross-group pair types from the two variables. These suggest that inter-brain synchronization can indeed provide a quantitative measure for converging and diverging collective motivational dynamics during collaborative learning, with higher inter-brain synchronization corresponding to a more convergent flow experience.

Dietary intake of vegetables, fruit, and antioxidants and risk of ulcerative colitis: A case-control study in Japan

OBJECTIVES

Oxidative stress is considered one of the etiologic factors involved in ulcerative colitis (UC), yet there is limited epidemiologic information regarding the relationship between antioxidant intake and the risk of UC. The aim of the present case-control study in Japan was to examine the association between intake of green and yellow vegetables, other vegetables, fruit, vitamin C, vitamin E, retinol, alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, and cryptoxanthin and UC risk.

METHODS

A total of 384 cases within 4 y of diagnosis with UC and 665 controls were included in the study. Data on dietary intake and confounders were obtained using a self-reported questionnaire. Information on dietary factors was collected using a 169-item semiquantitative food-frequency questionnaire. Adjustment was made for sex, age, pack-y of smoking, alcohol consumption, history of appendicitis, family history of UC, education level, and body mass index.

RESULTS

Higher intake levels of other vegetables, vitamin C, and retinol were independently associated with a reduced risk of UC. The adjusted odds ratio between extreme quartiles was 0.51 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.34-0.76; P for trend ≤ 0.001) for other vegetables, 0.45 (95% CI, 0.30-0.69, P for trend ≤ 0.001) for vitamin C, and 0.64 (95% CI, 0.43-0.95, P for trend = 0.04) for retinol. There were no associations between intake of green and yellow vegetables, fruit, vitamin E, alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, or cryptoxanthin and UC risk (P for trend = 0.29, 0.56, 0.89, 0.20, 0.69, and 0.22, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Intake of other vegetables, vitamin C, and retinol was inversely associated with UC risk.

Quadruply BN-Fused Tetrathia[8]circulenes with Flexible Frameworks: Synthesis, Structures and Properties

Quadruply BN-fused tetrathia[8]circulenes were synthesized through four-fold electrophilic borylation. The single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that the BN-fused tetrathia[8]circulene with peripheral phenyl groups exhibits crystal polymorphism, in which the circulene core adopts both planar and saddle conformations in the solid state. The experimental and theoretical studies revealed that the weaker aromaticity of azaborine compared with benzene renders the flexibility of the BN-fused tetrathia[8]circulenes.

Maternal caffeine intake during pregnancy and risk of food allergy in young Japanese children

AIM

To examine the association between maternal caffeine intake during pregnancy and the development of food allergy in young Japanese children up to 3 years of age.

METHODS

The study involved 1522 mother-child pairs. Data on maternal caffeine intake during pregnancy were assessed with a validated diet history questionnaire. Food allergy was defined by a self-reported claim of having a physicians' diagnosis of food allergy or of having an acute reaction to a food.

RESULTS

Compared with the lowest tertile of maternal caffeine intake during pregnancy, the second tertile, but not the highest tertile, was significantly associated with an increased risk of food allergy. Further adjustment on suspicion or diagnosis of atopic eczema at around 4 months postpartum in a follow-up survey did not substantially change the association between maternal caffeine intake during pregnancy and the risk of food allergy in children: further adjusted hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) for the second (T2), the highest tertiles (T3) and the second and the highest tertiles combined (T2 + T3) were 1.46 (1.10-1.96), 1.16 (0.85-1.56) and 1.31 (1.01-1.70), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that maternal caffeine intake during pregnancy may be positively associated with the risk of food allergy in children.

Iron hexamesityl-5,15-diazaporphyrin: synthesis, structure and catalytic use for direct oxidation of sp3 C-H bonds

Iron hexamesityl-5,15-diazaporphyrin was synthesized through the cross-coupling reaction of tetrabromodiazaporphyrin. The use of chloroiron(iii) hexamesityl-5,15-diazaporphyrin as a catalyst for oxidation of cyclooctane showed high performance with a total TON up to 731. The introduction of bulky mesityl groups at β-positions prevented the catalyst deactivation via formation of a μ-oxo dimer.