The impact of clarifying the long-term solution picture through solution-focused interventions on positive attitude towards life

Solution-focused brief therapy is a psychotherapeutic model. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of clarity of long-term solutions on positive attitude towards life. In order to examine the effects of the long-term solution image, the conditions for clarifying the long-term and short-term solution images, and not seeking clarification of the solution image were set and randomly assigned. A total of 94 participants who responded to all questions were included in the analysis. The results of this study indicate that clarity of the long-term solution enhances time-oriented attitude. In addition, the clarity of short-term solutions increases the reality of their goals. Furthermore, solution-building and, positive, and ideal levels of life were shown to increase after implementation, regardless of the condition. These results indicate that clarification of the long-term solution expands the positive attitude of valuing limited time.

Effects of Korean red ginseng on three-dimensional trabecular bone microarchitecture and strength in growing rats: Comparison with changes due to jump exercise

Objectives

The preventive effects of Korean red ginseng (KRG) on bone loss and microarchitectural deterioration have been extensively studied in animal models. However, few results have been reported for the effects of KRG on the trabecular microarchitecture as compared to changes resulting from physiological stimuli such as exercise load. We compared the effects of KRG and jump exercise on improvements in trabecular microarchitecture and strength of the distal femoral metaphysis in rats.

Methods and materials

Eleven-week-old male Wistar rats were divided into sedentary (CON), KRG-administered (KRG), and jump-exercised (JUM) groups. Rats were orally administered KRG extract (200 mg/kg body weight/day) once a day for 6 weeks. The jump exercise protocol comprised 10 jumps/day, 5 days/week at a jump height of 40 cm. We used microcomputed tomography to assess the microarchitecture, volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD), and fracture load as predicted by finite element analysis at the right distal femoral metaphysis. The left femur was used for the quantitative bone histomorphometry measurements.

Results

Although KRG produced significantly higher trabecular bone volume (BV/TV) than CON, BV/TV was even higher in JUM than in KRG, and differences in vBMD and fracture load were only significant between JUM and CON. In terms of trabecular microarchitecture, KRG increased trabecular number and connectivity, whereas the JUM group showed increased trabecular thickness. Bone resorption showed significant decrease by JUM and KRG group. In contrast, bone formation showed significant increase by JUM group.

Conclusions

These data show that KRG has weak but significant positive effects on bone mass and suggest that the effects on trabecular microarchitecture differ from those of jump exercise. The effects of combined KRG and jump exercise on trabecular bone mass and strength should be investigated.

Existence of giant mitochondria-containing sheet structures lacking cristae and matrix in the etiolated cotyledon of Arabidopsis thaliana

Mitochondria are essential organelles involved in the production and supply of energy in eukaryotic cells. Recently, the use of serial section scanning electron microscopy (S³EM) has allowed accurate three-dimensional (3D) reconstructed images of even complex organelle structures. Using this method, ultrathin sections of etiolated cotyledons were observed 4 days after germination of Arabidopsis thaliana in the dark, and giant mitochondria were found. To exclude the possibility of chemical fixation artifacts, this study confirmed the presence of giant mitochondria in high-pressure frozen samples. The 3D reconstructed giant mitochondria had a complex structure that included not only the elongated region but also the flattened shape of a disk. It contained the characteristic sheet structure, and the sheet lacked cristae and matrix but consisted of outer and inner membranes. Whether this phenomenon could be observed in living cells was investigated using the transformant with mitochondrial matrix expressing green fluorescent protein. Small globular mitochondria observed in light-treated samples were also represented in etiolated cotyledons. Although no giant mitochondria were observed in light-treated samples, they were found in the dark 3 days after germination and rapidly increased in number on the fourth day. Therefore, giant mitochondria were observed only in dark samples. These findings were supported by electron microscopy results.

Impact of diatomite addition on lead immobilization in air pollution control residues from a municipal solid waste incinerator

Air pollution control (APC) residues, which are known to be the byproducts of incineration treatment, exhibit a high leaching potential of toxic metals. Calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H), which is a major hydration product of hardened cement and immobilizes toxic metal, can be formed by the reaction of Ca with pozzolanic Si in a highly alkaline environment. Toxic metals might be immobilized by the addition of pozzolanic material to APC residues (instead of using cement), which is a Ca source and provides an alkaline condition. In this study, diatomite, which mainly comprises amorphous silica (SiO₂·nH₂O), was investigated as a pozzolanic material for Pb immobilization in APC residues obtained from a municipal solid waste incinerator. APC residues were cured with and without the addition of diatomite at different temperatures. When diatomite was added to APC residues, pozzolanic phases such as C-S-H gel were formed via the consumption of Ca(OH)₂ and CaClOH. Compared to APC residues cured without diatomite, the leaching of Pb decreased by 99% for APC residues cured for 14 days with 10% diatomite at 70 °C. The results of sequential chemical extraction showed that water-soluble Pb in APC residues was reduced from 10.3% to nearly zero by the pozzolanic reaction. Consequently, the leaching amount of Pb dropped below 0.3 mg/L (Japanese criteria for landfill disposal). Overall, these experiments provide promising results regarding the possibility of using diatomite for pretreating APC residues.

Physical, behavioral, and hormonal changes in the resumption of sexual receptivity during postpartum infertility in female bonobos at Wamba

The operational sex ratio (OSR) is used as a predictor for the intensity of mating competition. While many factors affect the OSR, there tends to be a high male bias in primate species with long interbirth intervals and non-seasonal breeding, such as hominid apes. However, the OSR of bonobos (Pan paniscus) is lower than that of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), which is thought to reduce competitive and aggressive male behaviors. The low OSR of bonobos is considered to result from the early resumption of female sexual receptivity during postpartum infertility and the receptivity that they continue to show until the late stage of pregnancy. In this study, we aimed to examine the early resumption of sexual receptivity by providing quantitative data on the resumption of maximal swelling (MS) in sexual skin and copulation, and changes in urinary estrone conjugate (E₁C) concentrations during postpartum infertility in wild bonobos at Wamba in the Luo Scientific Reserve, Democratic Republic of the Congo. An analysis of 9 years of data revealed that females showed the first MS at 225.4 ± 132.7 days after parturition and performed the first copulation at 186.8 ± 137.5 days after parturition, both of which were in the early stage of postpartum infertility. The proportion of days with MS and the frequency of copulation steadily increased subsequently; however, the rate of increase gradually slowed approximately 42–48 months after parturition. There was a significant correlation between the proportion of days with MS and the frequency of copulation in each period for each female. We confirmed that E1C concentrations were significantly higher during the MS phase than during the non-MS phase. Data collected over 15 months on the E₁C concentration during MS showed that it increased linearly from the early stage of lactation to the next conception. These results suggest that, although female bonobos do not usually conceive until 49.7 months after parturition, they resume MS and receptivity at a low level of E₁C concentration during an early stage of postpartum infertility. This study of female bonobo receptivity and sex hormone changes during the postpartum non-fertile period provides important insights for examining the evolution of low OSR, which has been considered to contribute to peaceful social relationships among bonobos.

Effects of age and sex on association between toe muscular strength and vertical jump performance in adolescent populations

Toe muscular strength plays an important role in enhancing athletic performance because the forefoot is the only part of the body touching the ground. In general, muscular strength increases with age throughout adolescence, and sex-related difference in muscular strength becomes evident during childhood and adolescence. However, toe muscular strength is known to be levelled off after late adolescence in both sexes. For adolescent populations, therefore, the association of toe muscular strength with physical performance might differ with age and/or sex. This study aimed to investigate differences in relationships between toe muscular strength and vertical jump performance across sex and age in adolescent populations. The maximum isometric strength of the toe muscles and vertical jump height (VJ) were assessed in 479 junior high school students (JH) aged 12–14 years (243 boys and 236 girls) and 465 high school students (HS) aged 15–18 years (265 boys and 200 girls). Two types of measurements were performed to evaluate the toe muscular strength: toe gripping strength (TGS) with the metatarsophalangeal joint in the plantar flexed position and toe push strength (TPS) with the metatarsophalangeal joint in the dorsiflexed position. TGS and TPS were normalized to body weight. Two-way ANOVA showed that TGS had significant main effects of sex (boys > girls) and age (HS > JH) while TPS only had a significant main effect of sex (boys > girls). When the effects of sex and age were separately analyzed, VJ was significantly correlated with TGS in JH girls, HS girls, and JH boys (r = 0.253–0.269, p < 0.05), but not in HS boys (r = 0.062, p = 0.3351). These results suggest that toe muscular strength is relatively weakly associated with vertical jump performance in adolescent boys and girls, but the association would not be established in high school boys.

New frontiers in Japanese Forest Policy: Addressing ecosystem disservices in the 21st century

Forests are a potential solution to numerous global environmental issues, and their restoration is widely pursued. Forty percent of Japan's forests are planted forests. This has caused the common occurrence of forest ecosystem disservices in the country, like-wildlife damage, pollinosis, and driftwood damage. Forest policy processes in Japan are characterized by incrementalism, central mobilization, and hegemony of career civil servants. Responses to forest ecosystem disservices have changed the central mobilization policy pattern. Punctuated equilibrium theory can be applied to several policy processes in Japan, but it provides only limited explanation for policy responses to forest ecosystem disservices. The responses are influenced by national governance and public administration traditions and cultures. It is relevant to expand research on policy responses to forest ecosystem disservices, recognizing that ideal responses may require unusual approaches not within traditional policy making or outside of established policy cultures.

Virus-infection in cochlear supporting cells induces audiosensory receptor hair cell death by TRAIL-induced necroptosis

Although sensorineural hearing loss (SHL) is relatively common, its cause has not been identified in most cases. Previous studies have suggested that viral infection is a major cause of SHL, especially sudden SHL, but the system that protects against pathogens in the inner ear, which is isolated by the blood-labyrinthine barrier, remains poorly understood. We recently showed that, as audiosensory receptor cells, cochlear hair cells (HCs) are protected by surrounding accessory supporting cells (SCs) and greater epithelial ridge (GER or Kölliker's organ) cells (GERCs) against viral infections. Here, we found that virus-infected SCs and GERCs induce HC death via production of the tumour necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL). Notably, the HCs expressed the TRAIL death receptors (DR) DR4 and DR5, and virus-induced HC death was suppressed by TRAIL-neutralizing antibodies. TRAIL-induced HC death was not caused by apoptosis, and was inhibited by necroptosis inhibitors. Moreover, corticosteroids, the only effective drug for SHL, inhibited the virus-induced transformation of SCs and GERCs into macrophage-like cells and HC death, while macrophage depletion also inhibited virus-induced HC death. These results reveal a novel mechanism underlying virus-induced HC death in the cochlear sensory epithelium and suggest a possible target for preventing virus-induced SHL.

Discriminative feature of cells characterizes cell populations of interest by a small subset of genes

Organisms are composed of various cell types with specific states. To obtain a comprehensive understanding of the functions of organs and tissues, cell types have been classified and defined by identifying specific marker genes. Statistical tests are critical for identifying marker genes, which often involve evaluating differences in the mean expression levels of genes. Differentially expressed gene (DEG)-based analysis has been the most frequently used method of this kind. However, in association with increases in sample size such as in single-cell analysis, DEG-based analysis has faced difficulties associated with the inflation of P-values. Here, we propose the concept of discriminative feature of cells (DFC), an alternative to using DEG-based approaches. We implemented DFC using logistic regression with an adaptive LASSO penalty to perform binary classification for discriminating a population of interest and variable selection to obtain a small subset of defining genes. We demonstrated that DFC prioritized gene pairs with non-independent expression using artificial data and that DFC enabled characterization of the muscle satellite/progenitor cell population. The results revealed that DFC well captured cell-type-specific markers, specific gene expression patterns, and subcategories of this cell population. DFC may complement DEG-based methods for interpreting large data sets. DEG-based analysis uses lists of genes with differences in expression between groups, while DFC, which can be termed a discriminative approach, has potential applications in the task of cell characterization. Upon recent advances in the high-throughput analysis of single cells, methods of cell characterization such as scRNA-seq can be effectively subjected to the discriminative methods.

Statistical methods for detecting differences in individual gene expression are indispensable for understanding cell types. However, conventional statistical methods, such as differentially expressed gene (DEG)-based analysis, have faced difficulties associated with the inflation of P-values because of both the large sample size and selection bias introduced by exploratory data analysis such as single-cell transcriptomics. Here, we propose the concept of discriminative feature of cells (DFC), an alternative to using DEG-based approaches. We implemented DFC using logistic regression with an adaptive LASSO penalty to perform binary classification for the discrimination of a population of interest and variable selection to obtain a small subset of defining genes. We demonstrated that DFC prioritized gene pairs with non-independent expression using artificial data, and that it enabled characterization of the muscle satellite/progenitor cell population. The results revealed that DFC well captured cell-type-specific markers, specific gene expression patterns, and subcategories of this cell population. DFC may complement differentially expressed gene-based methods for interpreting large data sets.

A machine learning model of microscopic agglutination test for diagnosis of leptospirosis

Leptospirosis is a zoonosis caused by the pathogenic bacterium Leptospira. The Microscopic Agglutination Test (MAT) is widely used as the gold standard for diagnosis of leptospirosis. In this method, diluted patient serum is mixed with serotype-determined Leptospires, and the presence or absence of aggregation is determined under a dark-field microscope to calculate the antibody titer. Problems of the current MAT method are 1) a requirement of examining many specimens per sample, and 2) a need of distinguishing contaminants from true aggregates to accurately identify positivity. Therefore, increasing efficiency and accuracy are the key to refine MAT. It is possible to achieve efficiency and standardize accuracy at the same time by automating the decision-making process. In this study, we built an automatic identification algorithm of MAT using a machine learning method to determine agglutination within microscopic images. The machine learned the features from 316 positive and 230 negative MAT images created with sera of Leptospira-infected (positive) and non-infected (negative) hamsters, respectively. In addition to the acquired original images, wavelet-transformed images were also considered as features. We utilized a support vector machine (SVM) as a proposed decision method. We validated the trained SVMs with 210 positive and 154 negative images. When the features were obtained from original or wavelet-transformed images, all negative images were misjudged as positive, and the classification performance was very low with sensitivity of 1 and specificity of 0. In contrast, when the histograms of wavelet coefficients were used as features, the performance was greatly improved with sensitivity of 0.99 and specificity of 0.99. We confirmed that the current algorithm judges the positive or negative of agglutinations in MAT images and gives the further possibility of automatizing MAT procedure.

Construction of ferritin hydrogels utilizing subunit-subunit interactions

Various proteins form nanostructures exhibiting unique functions, making them attractive as next-generation materials. Ferritin is a hollow spherical protein that incorporates iron ions. Here, we found that hydrogels are simply formed from concentrated apoferritin solutions by acid denaturation and subsequent neutralization. The water content of the hydrogel was approximately 80%. The apoferritin hydrogel did not decompose in the presence of 1 M HCl, 2-mercaptoethanol, or methanol but was dissolved in the presence of 1 M NaOH, by heating at 80°C, or by treatment with trypsin or 6 M guanidine hydrochloride. The Young’s modulus of the hydrogel was 20.4 ± 12.1 kPa according to local indentation experimentes using atomic force microscopy, indicating that the hydrogel was relatively stiff. Transition electron microscopy measurements revealed that a fibrous network was constructed in the hydrogel. The color of the hydrogel became yellow-brown upon incubation in the presence of Fe³⁺ ions, indicating that the hydrogel adsorbed the Fe³⁺ ions. The yellow-brown color of the Fe³⁺-adsorbed hydrogel did not change upon incubation in pure water, whereas it became pale by incubating it in the presence of 100 mM ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). The apoferritin hydrogel also adsorbed Co²⁺ and Cu²⁺ ions and released them in the presence of EDTA, while it adsorbed less Ni²⁺ ions; more Fe³⁺ ions adsorbed to the apoferritin hydrogel than other metal ions, indicating that the hydrogel keeps the iron storage characteristic of ferritin. These results demonstrate a new property of ferritin: the ability to form a hydrogel that can adsorb/desorb metal ions, which may be useful in designing future biomaterials.

Cockatiels sing human music in synchrony with a playback of the melody

It is known among aviculturists that cockatiels imitate human music with their whistle-like vocal sounds. The present study examined whether cockatiels are also able to sing “in unison”, or, line up their vocalizations with a musical melody so that they occur at the same time. Three hand-raised cockatiels were exposed to a musical melody of human whistling produced by an experimenter. All the birds learned to sing the melody. Then, two out of these three birds spontaneously joined in singing during an ongoing melody, so that the singing by the bird and the whistling by the human were nearly perfectly synchronous. Further experiments revealed that the birds actively adjusted their vocal timing to playback of a recording of the same melody. This means cockatiels have a remarkable ability for flexible vocal control similar to what is seen in human singing. The proximate/ultimate factors for this behavior and implications for musicality in humans are discussed.

Characterizing the roles of bots on Twitter during the COVID-19 infodemic

An infodemic is an emerging phenomenon caused by an overabundance of information online. This proliferation of information makes it difficult for the public to distinguish trustworthy news and credible information from untrustworthy sites and non-credible sources. The perils of an infodemic debuted with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and bots (i.e., automated accounts controlled by a set of algorithms) that are suspected of spreading the infodemic. Although previous research has revealed that bots played a central role in spreading misinformation during major political events, how bots behavior during the infodemic is unclear. In this paper, we examined the roles of bots in the case of the COVID-19 infodemic and the diffusion of non-credible information such as "5G" and "Bill Gates" conspiracy theories and content related to "Trump" and "WHO" by analyzing retweet networks and retweeted items. We show the segregated topology of their retweet networks, which indicates that right-wing self-media accounts and conspiracy theorists may lead to this opinion cleavage, while malicious bots might favor amplification of the diffusion of non-credible information. Although the basic influence of information diffusion could be larger in human users than bots, the effects of bots are non-negligible under an infodemic situation.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42001-021-00139-3.

Effects of actuation of nanoporous gold on cell orientation in a fibroblast sheet

Mechanical stimulation such as flood flow often plays a vital role in the growth and maintenance of a living body, and it is important to investigate cell responses to mechanical stimulation. To date, cell responses to mechanical stimulation have been investigated in detail. However, the cell responses have been little known in a cell sheet. In the present study, a small cyclic strain (CS) of ~0.5% generated by a nanoporous gold actuator was loaded on a cell sheet of fibroblasts, and the effects of the CS on cell orientation were investigated. Individual cells were randomly distributed after the CS application, whereas cells were oriented in a specific direction after the CS application for the cell sheet. Thus, the CS had a different effect on the cell sheet from that on the individual cells. It is suggested that the cadherin/p-120 catenin complex played an important role in the cell response to mechanical stimulation in a cell sheet.

Development of mammary cancer in γ-irradiated F1 hybrids of susceptible Sprague-Dawley and resistant Copenhagen rats, with copy-number losses that pinpoint potential tumor suppressors

Copenhagen rats are highly resistant to mammary carcinogenesis, even after treatment with chemical carcinogens and hormones; most studies indicate that this is a dominant genetic trait. To test whether this trait is also dominant after radiation exposure, we characterized the susceptibility of irradiated Copenhagen rats to mammary carcinogenesis, as well as its inheritance, and identified tumor-suppressor genes that, when inactivated or mutated, may contribute to carcinogenesis. To this end, mammary cancer-susceptible Sprague-Dawley rats, resistant Copenhagen rats, and their F1 hybrids were irradiated with 4 Gy of γ-rays, and tumor development was monitored. Copy-number variations and allelic imbalances of genomic DNA were studied using microarrays and PCR analysis of polymorphic markers. Gene expression was assessed by quantitative PCR in normal tissues and induced mammary cancers of F1 rats. Irradiated Copenhagen rats exhibited a very low incidence of mammary cancer. Unexpectedly, this resistance trait did not show dominant inheritance in F1 rats; rather, they exhibited intermediate susceptibility levels (i.e., between those of their parent strains). The susceptibility of irradiated F1 rats to the development of benign mammary tumors (i.e., fibroadenoma and adenoma) was also intermediate. Copy-number losses were frequently observed in chromosome regions 1q52-54 (24%), 2q12-15 (33%), and 3q31-42 (24%), as were focal (38%) and whole (29%) losses of chromosome 5. Some of these chromosomal regions exhibited allelic imbalances. Many cancer-related genes within these regions were downregulated in mammary tumors as compared with normal mammary tissue. Some of the chromosomal losses identified have not been reported previously in chemically induced models, implying a novel mechanism inherent to the irradiated model. Based on these findings, Sprague-Dawley × Copenhagen F1 rats offer a useful model for exploring genes responsible for radiation-induced mammary cancer, which apparently are mainly located in specific regions of chromosomes 1, 2, 3 and 5.

Prediction of HIV drug resistance based on the 3D protein structure: Proposal of molecular field mapping

A method for predicting HIV drug resistance by using genotypes would greatly assist in selecting appropriate combinations of antiviral drugs. Models reported previously have had two major problems: lack of information on the 3D protein structure and processing of incomplete sequencing data in the modeling procedure. We propose obtaining the 3D structural information of viral proteins by using homology modeling and molecular field mapping, instead of just their primary amino acid sequences. The molecular field potential parameters reflect the physicochemical characteristics associated with the 3D structure of the proteins. We also introduce the Bayesian conditional mutual information theory to estimate the probabilities of occurrence of all possible protein candidates from an incomplete sequencing sample. This approach allows for the effective use of uncertain information for the modeling process. We applied these data analysis techniques to the HIV-1 protease inhibitor dataset and developed drug resistance prediction models with reasonable performance.

Comparing the racialization of Central-East European migrants in Japan and the UK

The article deploys the lens of the race-migration nexus (Erel et al., Ethnic and Racial Studies 39:1339-1360, 2016) to compare the racialization of migrants in the UK and Japan. It draws on qualitative data on the experiences of Central-East European (CEE) migrants in the two countries to unpack how whiteness is constructed in relation to different histories and patterns of immigration in each national context. While CEE migrants in Japan benefit from being perceived as implicitly white and Western 'foreigners', their whiteness represents a form of enduring exclusion from the ethno-nationalist Japanese society. In the UK, changing political contexts and internal European hierarchies of whiteness contribute to CEE migrants' ambiguous position in an increasingly anti-migrant society. By comparing the mechanisms of racialization in each country through the analytics of visibility and exclusion, the article furthers ongoing debates about the intersections of race and migration. It furthermore extends the comparative analysis of whiteness to a non-Western setting, making a significant contribution to the study of local/global articulations of race.

Impact of the 2014 coinsurance rate revision for the elderly on healthcare resource utilization in Japan

BACKGROUND

Cost sharing, including copayment and coinsurance, is often used to contain medical expenditure by decreasing unnecessary or excessive use of healthcare resources. Previous studies in Japan have reported the effects of a coinsurance rate reduction for healthcare from 30 to 10% on the demand for healthcare among 70-74-year-old individuals. However, the coinsurance rate for this age group has recently increased from 10 to 20%. This study aimed to estimate the economic impact of coinsurance rate revision on healthcare resource utilization.

METHODS

We collected claims data from beneficiaries of the municipality National Health Insurance and the Japanese Health Insurance Association in Fukuoka Prefecture. We categorized subjects born between March 2, 1944 and April 1, 1944 into the 20% coinsurance rate reduction group and those born between April 2, 1944 and May 1, 1944 into the 10% reduction group. An interrupted time-series analysis for multiple groups was employed to compare healthcare resource utilization trends before and after coinsurance rate reduction at 70 years.

RESULTS

The 10% coinsurance rate reduction led to a significant increase in healthcare expenditure for outpatient care. The 20% reduction group showed a significantly sharper increase in healthcare expenditure for outpatient care than the 10% reduction group. Similarly, the 10% coinsurance group significantly increased in the number of ambulatory visits. The 20% coinsurance rate reduction group had more frequent ambulatory care visits than the 10% reduction group.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that increasing the coinsurance rate among the elderly would reduce outpatient healthcare resource utilization; however, it would not necessarily reduce overall healthcare resource utilization.

A review of antidiabetic active thiosugar sulfoniums, salacinol and neokotalanol, from plants of the genus Salacia

During our studies characterizing functional substances from food resources for the prevention and treatment of lifestyle-related diseases, we isolated the active constituents, salacinol (1) and neokotalanol (4), and related thiosugar sulfoniums, from the roots and stems of the genus Salacia plants [Celastraceae (Hippocrateaceae)] such as Salacia reticulata Wight, S. oblonga Wall., and S. chinensis L., and observed their antidiabetic effects. These plant materials have been used traditionally in Ayurvedic medicine as a specific remedy at the early stage of diabetes, and have been extensively consumed in Japan, the United States, and other countries as a food supplement for the prevention of obesity and diabetes. Here, we review our studies on the antidiabetic effects of plants from the genus Salacia, from basic chemical and pharmacological research to their application and development as new functional food ingredients.

Inhibitory effects of a selective prostaglandin E2 receptor antagonist RQ-15986 on inflammation-related colon tumorigenesis in APC-mutant rats

Prostaglandin E2 receptor EP4 is involved in inflammation and related tumorigenesis in the colorectum. This study aimed to investigate the chemopreventive ability of RQ-15986, a selective EP4 antagonist, in colitis-related colorectal tumorigenesis. Male Kyoto APC delta rats, which have APC mutations, were treated with azoxymethane and dextran sulfate sodium and subsequently administered RQ-15986 for eight weeks. At the end of the experiment, the development of colorectal tumor was significantly inhibited in the RQ-15986-treated group. The cell proliferation of the crypts and tumors in the colorectum was decreased following RQ-15986 treatment. RQ-15986 also suppressed the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6, interleukin-18, and monocyte chemotactic protein-1, in the colon mucosa. In addition, the expression levels of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase, which is involved in immune tolerance, were decreased in the colorectal epithelium and tumors of the RQ-15986-treated group. These findings indicate that RQ-15986 inhibits colitis-associated colorectal tumorigenesis by attenuating inflammation, suppressing cell proliferation, and modulating the expression of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase. Targeting prostaglandin E2/EP4 signaling might be a useful strategy for chemoprevention of inflammation-related colorectal cancer.

Repeated infusion of mesenchymal stem cells maintain the condition to inhibit deteriorated motor function, leading to an extended lifespan in the SOD1G93A rat model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative fatal disorder in which motor neurons within the brain and spinal cord degenerate. A single infusion of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) delays disease progression by protecting motor neurons and restoring the blood-spinal cord barrier in the SOD1G93A transgenic ALS rat model. However, the therapeutic effect of a single infusion of MSCs is transient and does not block disease progression. In this study, we demonstrated that repeated administration of MSCs (weekly, four times) increased the survival period, protected motor functions, and reduced deterioration of locomotor activity compared to a single infusion and vehicle infusion, after which rats displayed progressive deterioration of hind limb function. We also compared the days until gait ability was lost in rats and found that the repeated-infused group maintained gait ability compared to the single-infusion and vehicle-infusion groups. These results suggest that repeated administration of MSCs may prevent the deterioration of motor function and extend the lifespan in ALS.

Assessment of circulating microRNA specific for patients with familial adenomatous polyposis

Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) are considered promising biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment efficacy of diseases. However, usefulness of circulating miRNAs as biomarkers for hereditary gastrointestinal diseases have not been confirmed yet. We explored circulating miRNAs specific for patients with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) as a representative hereditary gastrointestinal disease. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) indicated that plasma miR-143-3p, miR-183-5p, and miR-885-5p were candidate biomarkers for five FAP patients compared to three healthy donors due to moderate copy number and significant difference. MiR-16-5p was considered as an internal control due to minimum difference in expression across FAP patients and healthy donors. Validation studies by real-time PCR showed that mean ratios of maximum expression and minimum expression were 2.2 for miR-143-3p/miR-16-5p, 3.4 for miR-143-3p/miR-103a-3p, 5.1 for miR-183-5p/miR-16-5p, and 4.9 for miR-885-5p/miR-16-5p by using the samples collected at different time points of eight FAP patients. MiR-143-3p/16-5p was further assessed using specimens from 16 FAP patients and 7 healthy donors. MiR-143-3p was upregulated in FAP patients compared to healthy donors (P = 0.04), but not significantly influenced by clinicopathological features. However, miR-143-3p expression in colonic tumors was rare for upregulation, although there was a significant difference by existence of desmoid tumors. MiR-143-3p transfection significantly inhibited colorectal cancer cell proliferation compared to control microRNA transfection. Our data suggested regulation of miR-143-3p expression differed by samples (plasma or colonic tumors) in most FAP patients. Upregulation of plasma miR-143-3p expression may be helpful for diagnosis of FAP, although suppressive effect on tumorigenesis seemed insufficient in FAP patients.

Structure and predictors of in-hospital nursing care leading to reduction in early readmission among patients with schizophrenia in Japan: A cross-sectional study

Schizophrenia is a disorder characterized by psychotic relapses. Globally, about 15%-30% of patients with schizophrenia discharged from inpatient psychiatric admissions are readmitted within 90 days due to exacerbation of symptoms that leads to self-harm, harm to others, or self-neglect. The purpose of this study was to investigate the structure and predictors of in-hospital nursing care leading to reduction in early readmission among patients with schizophrenia. A new questionnaire was developed to assess the extent to which respondents delivered in-hospital nursing care leading to reduction in early readmission among patients with schizophrenia. This study adopted a cross-sectional research design. The survey was conducted with the new questionnaires. The participants were registered nurses working in psychiatric wards. Item analyses and exploratory factor analyses were performed using the new questionnaires to investigate the structure of in-hospital nursing care leading to reduction in early readmission. Stepwise regression analyses were conducted to examine the factors predicting in-hospital nursing care leading to reduction in early readmission. Data were collected from 724 registered nurses in Japan. In-hospital nursing care leading to reduction in early readmission was found to consist of five factors: promoting cognitive functioning and self-care, identifying reasons for readmission, establishing cooperative systems within the community, sharing goals about community life, and creating restful spaces. In-hospital nursing care leading to reduction in early readmission was predicted by the following variables: the score on the nursing excellence scale in clinical practice, the score on therapeutic hold, and the participation of community care providers in pre-discharge conferences. Japanese psychiatric nurses provide nursing care based on these five factors leading to reduction in early readmission. Such nursing care would be facilitated by not only nurses' excellence but also nurses' environmental factors, especially the therapeutic climate of the ward and the participation of community care providers in pre-discharge conferences.

Gm14230 controls Tbc1d24 cytoophidia and neuronal cellular juvenescence

It is not fully understood how enzymes are regulated in the tiny reaction field of a cell. Several enzymatic proteins form cytoophidia, a cellular macrostructure to titrate enzymatic activities. Here, we show that the epileptic encephalopathy-associated protein Tbc1d24 forms cytoophidia in neuronal cells both in vitro and in vivo. The Tbc1d24 cytoophidia are distinct from previously reported cytoophidia consisting of inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase (Impdh) or cytidine-5'-triphosphate synthase (Ctps). Tbc1d24 cytoophidia is induced by loss of cellular juvenescence caused by depletion of Gm14230, a juvenility-associated lncRNA (JALNC) and zeocin treatment. Cytoophidia formation is associated with impaired enzymatic activity of Tbc1d24. Thus, our findings reveal the property of Tbc1d24 to form cytoophidia to maintain neuronal cellular juvenescence.

Prediction of an oxygen extraction fraction map by convolutional neural network: validation of input data among MR and PET images

Purpose

Oxygen extraction fraction (OEF) is a biomarker for the viability of brain tissue in ischemic stroke. However, acquisition of the OEF map using positron emission tomography (PET) with oxygen-15 gas is uncomfortable for patients because of the long fixation time, invasive arterial sampling, and radiation exposure. We aimed to predict the OEF map from magnetic resonance (MR) and PET images using a deep convolutional neural network (CNN) and to demonstrate which PET and MR images are optimal as inputs for the prediction of OEF maps.

Methods

Cerebral blood flow at rest (CBF) and during stress (sCBF), cerebral blood volume (CBV) maps acquired from oxygen-15 PET, and routine MR images (T1-, T2-, and T2*-weighted images) for 113 patients with steno-occlusive disease were learned with U-Net. MR and PET images acquired from the other 25 patients were used as test data. We compared the predicted OEF maps and intraclass correlation (ICC) with the real OEF values among combinations of MRI, CBF, CBV, and sCBF.

Results

Among the combinations of input images, OEF maps predicted by the model learned with MRI, CBF, CBV, and sCBF maps were the most similar to the real OEF maps (ICC: 0.597 ± 0.082). However, the contrast of predicted OEF maps was lower than that of real OEF maps.

Conclusion

These results suggest that the deep CNN learned useful features from CBF, sCBF, CBV, and MR images and predict qualitatively realistic OEF maps. These findings suggest that the deep CNN model can shorten the fixation time for ¹⁵O PET by skipping ¹⁵O₂ scans. Further training with a larger data set is required to predict accurate OEF maps quantitatively.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11548-021-02356-7.

Neurological and behavioral features of locomotor imagery in the blind

In people with normal sight, mental simulation (motor imagery) of an experienced action involves a multisensory (especially kinesthetic and visual) emulation process associated with the action. Here, we examined how long-term blindness influences sensory experience during motor imagery and its neuronal correlates by comparing data obtained from blind and sighted people. We scanned brain activity with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while 16 sighted and 14 blind male volunteers imagined either walking or jogging around a circle of 2 m radius. In the training before fMRI, they performed these actions with their eyes closed. During scanning, we explicitly instructed the blindfolded participants to generate kinesthetic motor imagery. After the experimental run, they rated the degree to which their motor imagery became kinesthetic or spatio-visual. The imagery of blind people was more kinesthetic as per instructions, while that of the sighted group became more spatio-visual. The imagery of both groups commonly activated bilateral frontoparietal cortices including supplementary motor areas (SMA). Despite the lack of group differences in degree of brain activation, we observed stronger functional connectivity between the SMA and cerebellum in the blind group compared to that in the sighted group. To conclude, long-term blindness likely changes sensory emulation during motor imagery to a more kinesthetic mode, which may be associated with stronger functional coupling in kinesthetic brain networks compared with that in sighted people. This study adds valuable knowledge on motor cognition and mental imagery processes in the blind.

Oncogenic mutation or overexpression of oncogenic KRAS or BRAF is not sufficient to confer oncogene addiction

Oncogene addiction is a cellular property by which cancer cells become highly dependent on the expression of oncogenes for their survival. Oncogene addiction can be exploited to design molecularly targeted drugs that kill only cancer cells by inhibiting the specific oncogenes. Genes and cell lines exhibiting oncogene addiction, as well as the mechanisms by which cell death is induced when addicted oncogenes are suppressed, have been extensively studied. However, it is still not fully understood how oncogene addiction is acquired in cancer cells. Here, we take a synthetic biology approach to investigate whether oncogenic mutation or oncogene expression suffices to confer the property of oncogene addiction to cancer cells. We employed human mammary epithelium-derived MCF-10A cells expressing the oncogenic KRAS or BRAF. MCF-10A cells harboring an oncogenic mutation in a single-allele of KRAS or BRAF showed weak transformation activity, but no characteristics of oncogene addiction. MCF-10A cells overexpressing oncogenic KRAS demonstrated the transformation activity, but MCF-10A cells overexpressing oncogenic BRAF did not. Neither cell line exhibited any oncogene addiction properties. These results indicate that the introduction of oncogenic mutation or the overexpression of oncogenes is not sufficient for cells to acquire oncogene addiction, and that oncogene addiction is not associated with transformation activity.

Impact of village health volunteer support on postnatal depressive symptoms in the remote rural areas of Lao People's Democratic Republic: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Village health volunteers (VHVs) are responsible for providing primary care in the communities of Laos. Unlike other districts, in Xepon more than 90% of VHVs are male and therefore experience difficulties interacting with pregnant women. To improve outreach to pregnant women, especially among ethnic minorities, a new project was implemented by local municipalities in 2017: newly selected female VHVs were paired to work with existing male VHVs. The objective of this study was to compare the postnatal depressive symptoms of ethnic minority mothers supported by pair-VHVs and single-VHVs in remote rural areas of Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR).

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted in March 2019. Mothers who had delivered a baby within 1 year preceding the study were recruited from 36 villages. Of the 305 mothers, 227 responded. The questionnaires included (1) demographic characteristics such as age, economic status, and birth experience; (2) self-decision to go to a health center/hospital to receive antenatal care; (3) type of VHVs (pair or single), support, and information from VHVs during pregnancy, support from husband and relationship with husband; (4) the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). A Mann-Whitney U test, chi-square test, and multiple linear regression analysis were performed. Ethical approval was obtained from the University of the Ryukyus and National Ethics Committee for Health Research of Lao PDR.

RESULTS

The average total EPDS score was 5.5 among mothers supported by pair-VHV and 7.0 among mothers supported by single-VHV. Results of the multiple linear regression analysis showed that the EPDS score was significantly lower among mothers supported by pair-VHV (β=-1.18, p <0.05) even after adjusting for economic and biological factors.

CONCLUSIONS

Mothers supported by pair-VHV had a significantly lower EPDS score than those supported by single-VHVs in this study area, suggesting that the support of male and female VHV pairs contributed to improving mental health status among ethnic minority mothers in remote rural areas of Lao PDR. Expanding the program to train female VHVs working with male VHVs is necessary for improving maternal and child health in a rural district of Lao PDR.

Effect of inhibition indexed by auditory P300 on transmission of visual sensory information

Early electroencephalographic studies that focused on finding brain correlates of psychic events led to the discovery of the P300. Since then, the P300 has become the focus of many basic and clinical neuroscience studies. However, despite its wide applications, the underlying function of the P300 is not yet clearly understood. One line of research among the many studies that have attempted to elucidate the underlying subroutine of the P300 in the brain has suggested that the physiological function of the P300 is related to inhibition. While some intracranial, behavioral, and event-related potential studies have provided support for this theory, little is known about the inhibitory mechanism. In this study, using alpha event-related desynchronization (ERD) and effective connectivity, based on the causal (one-way directed) relationship between alpha ERD and P300 sources, we demonstrated that P300's associated inhibition is implemented at a higher information processing stage in a localized brain region. We discuss how inhibition as the primary function of the P300 is not inconsistent with 'resource allocation' and 'working memory updating' theories about its cognitive function. In light of our findings regarding the scope and information processing stage of inhibition of the P300, we reconcile the inhibitory account of the P300 with working memory updating theory. Finally, based on the compensatory behavior of alpha ERD at the time of suppression of the P300, we propose two distinct yet complementary working memory mechanisms (inhibition and desynchronizing excitation) that render target perception possible.

Subcellular localization of glypican-5 is associated with dynamic motility of the human mesenchymal stem cell line U3DT

Glypican-5 (GPC5) is a heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG) localized to the plasma membrane. We previously reported that in the human mesenchymal stem cell line UE6E7T-3, GPC5 is overexpressed in association with transformation and promotes cell proliferation by acting as a co-receptor for Sonic hedgehog signaling. In this study, we found using immunofluorescence microscopy that in transformed cells (U3DT), GPC5 localized not only at primary cilia on the cell surface, but also at the leading edge of migrating cells, at the intercellular bridge and blebs during cytokinesis, and in extracellular vesicles. In each subcellular region, GPC5 colocalized with fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) and the small GTPases Rab11 and ARF6, indicating that GPC5 is delivered to these regions by Rab11-associated recycling endosomes. These colocalizations suggest that GPC5 plays an important role in FGF2 stimulation of cell migration, which was abrogated by knockdown of GPC5. Our findings indicate that GPC5 plays a role in regulation of U3DT cell migration and provides several insights into the functions of GPC5 that could be elucidated by future studies.

Scaling laws in natural conversations among elderly people

Language is a result of brain function; thus, impairment in cognitive function can result in language disorders. Understanding the aging of brain functions in terms of language processing is crucial for modern aging societies. Previous studies have shown that language characteristics, such as verbal fluency, are associated with cognitive functions. However, the scaling laws in language in elderly people remain poorly understood. In the current study, we recorded large-scale data of one million words from group conversations among healthy elderly people and analyzed the relationship between spoken language and cognitive functions in terms of scaling laws, namely, Zipf's law and Heaps' law. We found that word patterns followed these scaling laws irrespective of cognitive function, and that the variations in Heaps' exponents were associated with cognitive function. Moreover, variations in Heaps' exponents were associated with the ratio of new words taken from the other participants' speech. These results indicate that the exponents of scaling laws in language are related to cognitive processes.

Effect of bilateral contraction on the ability and accuracy of rapid force production at submaximal force level

The present study aims to clarify the effects of bilateral contraction on the ability and accuracy of rapid force production at the submaximal force level. Eleven right-handed participants performed rapid gripping as fast and precisely as they could in unilateral (UL) and bilateral (BL) contractions in a standing position. Participants were required to impinge a grip force of 30% and 50% of their maximal voluntary contraction (MVC). Ability and accuracy of rapid force production were evaluated using the rate of force development (RFD) and force error, respectively. The data analysis did not observe a significant difference in the RFD between UL and BL contractions in both 30% (420±86 vs. 413±106%MVC/s, p = 0.34) and 50% of MVC (622±84 vs. 619±103%MVC/s, p = 0.77). Although the RFD to peak force ratio (RFD/PF) in BL contraction was lower than in UL in 30% of MVC (12.8±2.8 vs. 13.4±2.7, p = 0.003), it indicated a small effect size (d = 0.22) of the difference between UL and BL in RFD/PF. The absolute force error of BL contraction was higher than of UL contraction in 30% (4.67±2.64 vs. 3.64±1.13%MVC, p = 0.005) and 50% of MVC (5.53±2.94 vs. 3.53±0.71%MVC, p = 0.009). In addition, medium and large effect sizes were observed in absolute force error from 30% (d = 0.51) and 50% of MVC (d = 0.94), respectively. In conclusion, results indicated that the bilateral contraction reduced in the ability and accuracy of rapid force production at the submaximal force level. Nevertheless, the present results suggest that the noticeable effect of bilateral contraction is more prominent on the accuracy than in the ability of rapid force production at the submaximal force level.

Estimating spatial variation in the effects of climate change on the net primary production of Japanese cedar plantations based on modeled carbon dynamics

Spatiotemporal prediction of the response of planted forests to a changing climate is increasingly important for the sustainable management of forest ecosystems. In this study, we present a methodology for estimating spatially varying productivity in a planted forest and changes in productivity with a changing climate in Japan, with a focus on Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica D. Don) as a representative tree species of this region. The process-based model Biome-BGC was parameterized using a plant trait database for Japanese cedar and a Bayesian optimization scheme. To compare productivity under historical (1996–2000) and future (2096–2100) climatic conditions, the climate scenarios of two representative concentration pathways (i.e., RCP2.6 and RCP8.5) were used in five global climate models (GCMs) with approximately 1-km resolution. The seasonality of modeled fluxes, namely gross primary production, ecosystem respiration, net ecosystem exchange, and soil respiration, improved after two steps of parameterization. The estimated net primary production (NPP) of stands aged 36–40 years under the historical climatic conditions of the five GCMs was 0.77 ± 0.10 kgC m^-2 year^-1 (mean ± standard deviation), in accordance with the geographical distribution of forest NPP estimated in previous studies. Under the RCP2.6 and RCP8.5 scenarios, the mean NPP of the five GCMs increased by 0.04 ± 0.07 and 0.14 ± 0.11 kgC m^-2 year^-1, respectively. The increases in annual NPP were small in the southwestern region because of the decreases in summer NPP and the small increases in winter NPP under the RCP2.6 and RCP8.5 scenarios, respectively. Under the RCP2.6 scenario, Japanese cedar was at risk in the southwestern region, in accordance with previous studies, and monitoring and silvicultural practices should be modified accordingly.

EMF 35 JMIP study for Japan's long-term climate and energy policy: scenario designs and key findings

In June, 2019, Japan submitted its mid-century strategy to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and pledged 80% emissions cuts by 2050. The strategy has not gone through a systematic analysis, however. The present study, Stanford Energy Modeling Forum (EMF) 35 Japan Model Intercomparison project (JMIP), employs five energy-economic and integrated assessment models to evaluate the nationally determined contribution and mid-century strategy of Japan. EMF 35 JMIP conducts a suite of sensitivity analyses on dimensions including emissions constraints, technology availability, and demand projections. The results confirm that Japan needs to deploy all of its mitigation strategies at a substantial scale, including energy efficiency, electricity decarbonization, and end-use electrification. Moreover, they suggest that with the absence of structural changes in the economy, heavy industries will be one of the hardest to decarbonize. Partitioning of the sum of squares based on a two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) reconfirms that mitigation strategies, such as energy efficiency and electrification, are fairly robust across models and scenarios, but that the cost metrics are uncertain. There is a wide gap of policy strength and breadth between the current policy instruments and those suggested by the models. Japan should strengthen its climate action in all aspects of society and economy to achieve its long-term target.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11625-021-00913-2.

Mixed Reality Visualization of Radiation Dose for Health Professionals and Patients in Interventional Radiology

For interventional radiology, dose management has persisted as a crucially important issue to reduce radiation exposure to patients and medical staff. This study designed a real-time dose visualization system for interventional radiology designed with mixed reality technology and Monte Carlo simulation. An earlier report described a Monte-Carlo-based estimation system, which simulates a patient's skin dose and air dose distributions, adopted for our system. We also developed a system of acquiring fluoroscopic conditions to input them into the Monte Carlo system. Then we combined the Monte Carlo system with a wearable device for three-dimensional holographic visualization. The estimated doses were transferred sequentially to the device. The patient's dose distribution was then projected on the patient body. The visualization system also has a mechanism to detect one's position in a room to estimate the user's exposure dose to detect and display the exposure level. Qualitative tests were conducted to evaluate the workload and usability of our mixed reality system. An end-to-end system test was performed using a human phantom. The acquisition system accurately recognized conditions that were necessary for real-time dose estimation. The dose hologram represents the patient dose. The user dose was changed correctly, depending on conditions and positions. The perceived overall workload score (33.50) was lower than the scores reported in the literature for medical tasks (50.60) for computer activities (54.00). Mixed reality dose visualization is expected to improve exposure dose management for patients and health professionals by exhibiting the invisible radiation exposure in real space.

Low muscle mass assessed by psoas muscle area is associated with clinical adverse events in elderly patients with heart failure

Background

Acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) is a growing healthcare burden with increasing prevalence and comorbidities due to progressive aging society. Accumulating evidence suggest that low skeletal muscle mass has a negative impact on clinical outcome in elderly adult population. We sought to determine the significance of psoas muscle area as a novel index of low skeletal muscle mass in elderly patients with ADHF.

Methods

In this single-center retrospective observational study, we reviewed consecutive 865 elderly participants (65 years or older) who were hospitalized for ADHF and 392 were available for analysis (79 years [74–85], 56% male). Cross-sectional areas of psoas muscle at the level of fourth lumbar vertebra were measured by computed tomography and normalized by the square of height to calculate psoas muscle index (PMI, cm²/m²).

Results

Dividing the patients by the gender-specific quartile value (2.47 cm²/m² for male and 1.68 cm²/m² for female), we defined low PMI as the lowest gender-based quartile of PMI. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed female sex, body mass index (BMI), and E/e’, but not left ventricular ejection fraction, were independently associated with PMI. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed low PMI was associated with higher rate of composite endpoint of all-cause death and ADHF re-hospitalization (P = 0.033). Cox proportional hazard model analysis identified low PMI, but not BMI, was an independent predictor of the composite endpoint (Hazard ratio: 1.52 [1.06–2.16], P = 0.024).

Conclusions

PMI predicted future clinical adverse events in elderly patients with ADHF. Further studies are needed to assess whether low skeletal muscle mass can be a potential therapeutic target to improve the outcome of ADHF.

Effects of test experience, closed-arm wall color, and illumination level on behavior and plasma corticosterone response in an elevated plus maze in male C57BL/6J mice: a challenge against conventional interpretation of the test

The elevated plus maze test is a widely used test for assessing anxiety-like behavior and screening novel therapeutic agents in rodents. Previous studies have shown that a variety of internal factors and procedural variables can influence elevated plus maze behavior. Although some studies have suggested a link between behavior and plasma corticosterone levels, the relationships between them remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects of experience with a battery of behavioral tests, the wall color of the closed arms, and illumination level on the behavior and plasma corticosterone responses in the elevated plus maze in male C57BL/6J mice. Mice were either subjected to a series of behavioral tests, including assessments of general health and neurological function, a light/dark transition test, and an open field test, or left undisturbed until the start of the elevated plus maze test. The mice with and without test battery experience were allowed to freely explore the elevated plus maze. The other two independent groups of naïve mice were tested in mazes with closed arms with different wall colors (clear, transparent blue, white, and black) or different illumination levels (5, 100, and 800 lx). Immediately after the test, blood was collected to measure plasma corticosterone concentrations. Mice with test battery experience showed a lower percentage of open arm time and entries and, somewhat paradoxically, had lower plasma corticosterone levels than the mice with no test battery experience. Mice tested in the maze with closed arms with clear walls exhibited higher open arm exploration than mice tested in the maze with closed arms with black walls, while there were no significant differences in plasma corticosterone levels between the different wall color conditions. Illumination levels had no significant effects on any measure. Our results indicate that experience with other behavioral tests and different physical features of the maze affect elevated plus maze behaviors. Increased open arm time and entries are conventionally interpreted as decreased anxiety-like behavior, while other possible interpretations are considered: open arm exploration may reflect heightened anxiety and panic-like reaction to a novel situation under certain conditions. With the possibility of different interpretations, the present findings highlight the need to carefully consider the test conditions in designing experiments and drawing conclusions from the behavioral outcomes in the elevated plus maze test in C57BL/6J mice.

Intravenous infusion of rocuronium bromide prolongs emergence from propofol anesthesia in rats

BACKGROUND

Neuromuscular blocking agents induce muscle paralysis via the prevention of synaptic transmission at the neuromuscular junction and may have additional effects at other sites of action. With regard to potential effects of neuromuscular blocking agents on the central nervous system, a definitive view has not been established. We investigated whether intravenous infusion of rocuronium bromide affects the emergence from propofol anesthesia.

METHODS

Using an in vivo rat model, we performed propofol infusion for 60 minutes, along with rocuronium bromide at various infusion rates or normal saline. Sugammadex or normal saline was injected at the end of the infusion period, and we evaluated the time to emergence from propofol anesthesia. We also examined the neuromuscular blocking, circulatory, and respiratory properties of propofol infusion along with rocuronium bromide infusion to ascertain possible factors affecting emergence.

RESULTS

Intravenous infusion of rocuronium bromide dose-dependently increased the time to emergence from propofol anesthesia. Sugammadex administered after propofol infusion not containing rocuronium bromide did not affect the time to emergence. Mean arterial pressure, heart rate, partial pressures of oxygen and carbon dioxide, and pH were not affected by rocuronium bromide infusion. Neuromuscular blockade induced by rocuronium bromide, even at the greatest infusion rate in the emergence experiment, was rapidly antagonized by sugammadex.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that intravenous infusion of rocuronium bromide dose-dependently delays the emergence from propofol anesthesia in rats. Future studies, such as detection of rocuronium in the cerebrospinal fluid or central nervous system, electrophysiologic studies, microinjection of sugammadex into the brain, etc., are necessary to determine the mechanism of this effect.

Learning poly-synaptic paths with traveling waves

Traveling waves are commonly observed across the brain. While previous studies have suggested the role of traveling waves in learning, the mechanism remains unclear. We adopted a computational approach to investigate the effect of traveling waves on synaptic plasticity. Our results indicate that traveling waves facilitate the learning of poly-synaptic network paths when combined with a reward-dependent local synaptic plasticity rule. We also demonstrate that traveling waves expedite finding the shortest paths and learning nonlinear input/output mapping, such as exclusive or (XOR) function.

There are approximately 10¹¹ neurons with 10¹⁴ connections in the human brain. Information transmission among neurons in this large network is considered crucial for our behavior. To achieve this, multiple synaptic connections along a poly-synaptic network path must be adjusted coherently during learning. Because the previously proposed reward-dependent synaptic plasticity rule requires coactivation of presynaptic and postsynaptic neurons, learning can fail if a subset of neurons along a distant network path is inactive at the beginning of learning. We suggest that traveling waves that are initiated at an information source can mitigate this problem. We performed computer simulations of spiking neural networks with reward-dependent local synaptic plasticity rules and traveling waves. Our results show that this combination facilitates the learning and refinement of synaptic network paths. We argue that these features are a general biological strategy for maintaining and optimizing our brain function. Our research provides new insights into how complex neural networks in the brain form during learning and memory consolidation.

Enzymatically polymerised polyphenols prepared from various precursors potentiate antigen-specific immune responses in both mucosal and systemic compartments in mice

Despite significant modern medicine progress, having an infectious disease is a major risk factor for humans. Mucosal vaccination is now widely considered as the most promising strategy to defeat infectious diseases; however, only live-attenuated and inactivated mucosal vaccines are used in the clinical field. To date, no subunit mucosal vaccine was approved mainly because of the lack of safe and effective methodologies to either activate or initiate host mucosal immune responses. We have recently elucidated that intranasal administration of enzymatically polymerised caffeic acid potentiates antigen-specific mucosal and systemic antibody responses in mice. However, our earlier study has not confirmed whether these effects are specific to the polymer synthesised from caffeic acid. Here, we show that enzymatically polymerised polyphenols (EPPs) from various phenolic compounds possess mucosal adjuvant activities when administered nasally with an antigen to mice. Potentiation of antigen-specific immune responses by all EPPs tested in this study showed no clear difference among the precursors used. We found that intranasal administration of ovalbumin as the antigen, in combination with all enzymatically polymerised polyphenols used in this study, induced ovalbumin-specific mucosal IgA in the nasal cavity, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, vaginal fluids, and systemic IgG, especially IgG1, in sera. Our results demonstrate that the mucosal adjuvant activities of polyphenols are not limited to polymerised caffeic acid but are broadly observable across the studied polyphenols. These properties of polyphenols may be advantageous for the development of safe and effective nasal vaccine systems to prevent and/or treat various infectious diseases.

Friendly-rivalry solution to the iterated n-person public-goods game

Repeated interaction promotes cooperation among rational individuals under the shadow of future, but it is hard to maintain cooperation when a large number of error-prone individuals are involved. One way to construct a cooperative Nash equilibrium is to find a ‘friendly-rivalry’ strategy, which aims at full cooperation but never allows the co-players to be better off. Recently it has been shown that for the iterated Prisoner’s Dilemma in the presence of error, a friendly rival can be designed with the following five rules: Cooperate if everyone did, accept punishment for your own mistake, punish defection, recover cooperation if you find a chance, and defect in all the other circumstances. In this work, we construct such a friendly-rivalry strategy for the iterated n-person public-goods game by generalizing those five rules. The resulting strategy makes a decision with referring to the previous m = 2n − 1 rounds. A friendly-rivalry strategy for n = 2 inherently has evolutionary robustness in the sense that no mutant strategy has higher fixation probability in this population than that of a neutral mutant. Our evolutionary simulation indeed shows excellent performance of the proposed strategy in a broad range of environmental conditions when n = 2 and 3.

How to maintain cooperation among a number of self-interested individuals is a difficult problem, especially if they can sometimes commit error. In this work, we propose a strategy for the iterated n-person public-goods game based on the following five rules: Cooperate if everyone did, accept punishment for your own mistake, punish others’ defection, recover cooperation if you find a chance, and defect in all the other circumstances. These rules are not far from actual human behavior, and the resulting strategy guarantees three advantages: First, if everyone uses it, full cooperation is recovered even if error occurs with small probability. Second, the player of this strategy always never obtains a lower long-term payoff than any of the co-players. Third, if the co-players are unconditional cooperators, it obtains a strictly higher long-term payoff than theirs. Therefore, if everyone uses this strategy, no one has a reason to change it. Furthermore, our simulation shows that this strategy will become highly abundant over long time scales due to its robustness against the invasion of other strategies. In this sense, the repeated social dilemma is solved for an arbitrary number of players.

Development of an HPLC method with relative molar sensitivity based on 1H-qNMR to determine acteoside and pedaliin in dried sesame leaf powders and processed foods

A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method with relative molar sensitivity (RMS) based on 1H quantitative NMR spectroscopy (1H-qNMR) has been developed for food ingredients such as acteoside (verbascoside) and pedaliin (pedalitin-6-O-glucoside) without requiring authentic and identical standards as the reliable analytical methods. This method is used methyl 4-hydroxybenzoate (MHB) as an alternative reference standard. Each RMS is also calculated from the ratio of each analyte's molar absorption coefficient to that of MHB after correcting the purities of the analytes and reference standard by 1H-qNMR. Therefore, this method can quantify several analytes with metrological traceability to the International System of Units (SI) using the RMS and one alternative reference standard. In this study, the content of acteoside and pedaliin in several samples, such as dried sesame leaf powders and commercially processed foods, can be determined by the proposed RMS method and demonstrated in good agreement that obtained by a conventional method. Moreover, the proposed method yields analytical data with SI-traceability without the need for an authentic and identical analyte standard. Thus, the proposed RMS method is a useful and practical tool for determining acteoside and pedaliin in terms of the accuracy of quantitative values, the routine analysis, and the cost of reagents.

Genomic and Transcriptomic Analyses of Bioluminescence Genes in the Enope Squid Watasenia scintillans

Watasenia scintillans, a sparkling enope squid, has bioluminescence organs to illuminate its body with its own luciferase activity. To clarify the molecular mechanism underlying its scintillation, we analysed high-throughput sequencing data acquired previously and obtained draft genome sequences accomplished with comparative genomic data among the cephalopods. The genome mapped by transcriptome data showed that (1) RNA editing contributed to transcriptome variation of lineage specific genes, such as W. scintillans luciferase, and (2) two types of luciferase enzymes were characterized with reasonable 3D models docked to a luciferin molecule. We report two different types of luciferase in one organism and possibly related to variety of colour types in the W. scintillans fluorescent organs.

Systematic clustering algorithm for chromatin accessibility data and its application to hematopoietic cells

The huge amount of data acquired by high-throughput sequencing requires data reduction for effective analysis. Here we give a clustering algorithm for genome-wide open chromatin data using a new data reduction method. This method regards the genome as a string of 1s and 0s based on a set of peaks and calculates the Hamming distances between the strings. This algorithm with the systematically optimized set of peaks enables us to quantitatively evaluate differences between samples of hematopoietic cells and classify cell types, potentially leading to a better understanding of leukemia pathogenesis.

Students' understanding of social determinants of health in a community-based curriculum: a general inductive approach for qualitative data analysis

BACKGROUND

A community-based medical education (CBME) curriculum may provide opportunities to learn about the social determinants of health (SDH) by encouraging reflection on context, but the categories that students can learn about and their level of reflection are unclear. We aimed to analyze medical students' understanding and level of reflection about SDH in a CBME curriculum.

METHODS

Study design: General inductive approach for qualitative data analysis. Education Program: All 5th-year and 6th-year medical students at the University of Tsukuba School of Medicine in Japan who completed a mandatory 4-week clinical clerkship in general medicine and primary care during October 2018 and May 2019 were included. The curriculum included 3 weeks of rotations in community clinics and hospitals in suburban and rural areas of Ibaraki Prefecture. On the first day, students learned about SDH through a lecture and a group activity. As an SDH assignment, they were instructed to prepare a structural case description using the Solid Facts framework based on encounters during the curriculum. On the final day, they submitted the structural reflection report.

ANALYSIS

Content analysis was based on the Solid Facts framework. Levels of reflection were categorized as reflective, analytical, or descriptive.

RESULTS

We analyzed 113 SDH case descriptions and 118 reports. On the SDH assignments, the students frequently reported on social support (85%), stress (75%), and food (58%), but less frequently on early life (15%), unemployment (14%), and social gradient (6%). Of the 118 reports, 2 were reflective, 9 were analytical, and 36 were descriptive. The others were not evaluable.

CONCLUSIONS

The CBME curriculum enabled medical students to understand the factors of SDH to some extent. Further work is needed to deepen their levels of reflection.

Two is better than one: Social rewards from two agents enhance offline improvements in motor skills more than single agent

Social rewards as praise from others enhance offline improvements in human motor skills. Does praise from artificial beings, e.g., computer-graphics-based agents (displayed agents) and robots (collocated agents), also enhance offline improvements in motor skills as effectively as praise from humans? This paper answers this question via two subsequent days’ experiment. We investigated the effect of the number of agents and their sense of presence toward offline improvement in motor skills because they are essential factors to change social effects and people’s behaviors in human-agent and human-robot interaction. Our 96 participants performed a finger-tapping task. Our results showed that those who received praise from two agents showed significantly better offline motor skill improvement than people who were praised by just one agent and those who received no praise. However, we identified no significant effects related to the sense of presence.

NIGT1 family proteins exhibit dual mode DNA recognition to regulate nutrient response-associated genes in Arabidopsis

Fine-tuning of nutrient uptake and response is indispensable for maintenance of nutrient homeostasis in plants, but the details of underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated. NITRATE-INDUCIBLE GARP-TYPE TRANSCRIPTIONAL REPRESSOR 1 (NIGT1) family proteins are plant-specific transcriptional repressors that function as an important hub in the nutrient signaling network associated with the acquisition and use of nitrogen and phosphorus. Here, by yeast two-hybrid assays, bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays, and biochemical analysis with recombinant proteins, we show that Arabidopsis NIGT1 family proteins form a dimer via the interaction mediated by a coiled-coil domain (CCD) in their N-terminal regions. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays defined that the NIGT1 dimer binds to two different motifs, 5'-GAATATTC-3' and 5'-GATTC-N38-GAATC-3', in target gene promoters. Unlike the dimer of wild-type NIGT1 family proteins, a mutant variant that could not dimerize due to amino acid substitutions within the CCD had lower specificity and affinity to DNA, thereby losing the ability to precisely regulate the expression of target genes. Thus, expressing the wild-type and mutant NIGT1 proteins in the nigt1 quadruple mutant differently modified NIGT1-regulated gene expression and responses towards nitrate and phosphate. These results suggest that the CCD-mediated dimerization confers dual mode DNA recognition to NIGT1 family proteins, which is necessary to make proper controls of their target genes and nutrient responses. Intriguingly, two 5'-GATTC-3' sequences are present in face-to-face orientation within the 5'-GATTC-N38-GAATC-3' sequence or its complementary one, while two 5'-ATTC-3' sequences are present in back-to-back orientation within the 5'-GAATATTC-3' or its complementary one. This finding suggests a unique mode of DNA binding by NIGT1 family proteins and may provide a hint as to why target sequences for some transcription factors cannot be clearly determined.

Ketogenic diet feeding improves aerobic metabolism property in extensor digitorum longus muscle of sedentary male rats

Recent studies of the ketogenic diet, an extremely high-fat diet with extremely low carbohydrates, suggest that it changes the energy metabolism properties of skeletal muscle. However, ketogenic diet effects on muscle metabolic characteristics are diverse and sometimes countervailing. Furthermore, ketogenic diet effects on skeletal muscle performance are unknown. After male Wistar rats (8 weeks of age) were assigned randomly to a control group (CON) and a ketogenic diet group (KD), they were fed for 4 weeks respectively with a control diet (10% fat, 10% protein, 80% carbohydrate) and a ketogenic diet (90% fat, 10% protein, 0% carbohydrate). After the 4-week feeding period, the extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscle was evaluated ex vivo for twitch force, tetanic force, and fatigue. We also analyzed the myosin heavy chain composition, protein expression of metabolic enzymes and regulatory factors, and citrate synthase activity. No significant difference was found between CON and KD in twitch or tetanic forces or muscle fatigue. However, the KD citrate synthase activity and the protein expression of Sema3A, citrate synthase, succinate dehydrogenase, cytochrome c oxidase subunit 4, and 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase were significantly higher than those of CON. Moreover, a myosin heavy chain shift occurred from type IIb to IIx in KD. These results demonstrated that the 4-week ketogenic diet improves skeletal muscle aerobic capacity without obstructing muscle contractile function in sedentary male rats and suggest involvement of Sema3A in the myosin heavy chain shift of EDL muscle.

A modified microchip-based flow chamber system for evaluating thrombogenicity in patients with thrombocytopenia

BACKGROUND

In the intensive care unit (ICU), patients with thrombocytopenia are at high risk for bleeding and should be assessed for their thrombogenic potential. However, the analytical conditions of conventional hemostatic tests are unsuitable for the evaluation of low-platelet samples. Here we aimed to establish suitable analytical conditions with the Total Thrombus-formation Analysis System (T-TAS) for quantitative assessment of thrombogenic potential in patients with thrombocytopenia and to investigate how T-TAS values relate to bleeding symptoms and the effects of platelet transfusion.

METHODS

Modified chips with a different chamber depth were developed for the analysis of low-platelet samples in the T-TAS. We included 10 adult patients admitted to the ICU of Kagoshima University Hospital who required platelet transfusion. Patients were divided into major and minor bleeding groups according to their bleeding scale before platelet transfusion. The thrombogenic potential of these patients before and after platelet transfusion was assessed with hemostatic function tests, including rotational thromboelastometry, multiplate aggregometry, and the T-TAS.

RESULTS

Analysis of low-platelet samples revealed that, compared with the conventional chip (80-μm-deep chamber), the modified chip (50-μm-deep chamber) achieved higher sensitivity in detecting elevation of flow pressure caused by growth of an occlusive thrombus in the T-TAS analytical chamber. All patients in the minor bleeding group retained thrombogenic potential that occluded the modified chip (occlusion time 16.3 ± 3.3 min), whereas most patients in the major bleeding group were unable to occlude the modified chip during the 30-min measurement (P <  0.01). The recovery of thrombogenic potential after platelet transfusion was confirmed with the T-TAS and correlated with the function, rather than the count, of transfused platelets. Among all evaluated parameters in hemostatic function tests, only the T-TAS showed significant differences in occlusion time and area under the curve both between the minor and major bleeding groups and between pre- and post-platelet transfusion.

CONCLUSIONS

We developed a modified microchip-based flow chamber system that reflects the hemostatic function of patients with thrombocytopenia.

Neural correlates of standing imagery and execution in Parkinsonian patients: The relevance to striatal dopamine dysfunction

It has been reported that the cerebellar vermis is equally involved in both motor imagery about axial movement and the actual execution of postural balance in healthy human subjects, but this finding is yet to be explored in Parkinson's disease (PD). We therefore investigated the neuronal responses during observation of standing posture, imagination of standing and the assumption of an upright posture in ten drug-naïve PD patients using positron emission tomography (PET) with [15O]H2O and evaluated dopamine dysfunction by measuring the level of dopamine transporter binding of [11C]CFT. Within-group statistical parametric mapping (SPM) analysis showed similar cerebellar activation during imagination of standing and its real execution between the PD and control groups (12 healthy subjects); i.e., increases in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) were observed in the anterior cerebellar vermis during motor imagination and the posterior vermis during standing. A comparison between the groups showed that the motor execution of standing significantly activated the superior part of the posterior vermis (declive VI) and the paracentral sulcus region in the PD patients, while the prefrontal cortices were deactivated during standing (p<0.001 uncorrected). Correlation analysis within the PD group revealed that the postural rCBF increases in the cerebellar vermis (pyramis) were negatively correlated with putaminal [11C]CFT binding (p<0.01, r = 0.94) and that the postural rCBF reductions in the orbitofrontal cortex were positively correlated with caudate [11C]CFT binding (p<0.05, r = 0.70). These results suggest that while the neural circuits for postural imagery and execution are intact in PD, standing performance, which requires more recruitment of dopaminergic control, may result in compensatory overstimulation of the cerebellar vermis and paracentral foot area in PD patients. Hyperactivity in these areas along with mesocortical hypofunction may be pathophysiological aspects of postural control in PD patients. Hence, our findings would help understand the modifications observed within the neural networks in relationship with postural performance, and possible compensatory mechanisms in PD.