Antimanic-like effect of dipyridamole in the methylphenidate-induced hyperlocomotion.

Background: Adenosinergic system has been implicated in the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder and drugs that affect adenosine neurotransmission have shown some efficacy as add-on therapy in manic patients.

Objective: Thus, the aim of the present study was to screen adenosinergic drugs for antimanic-like effect in methylphenidate (MPH)-induced hyperlocomotion in mice.

Methods: Male and female Swiss mice received a single allopurinol (50 and 200 mg/kg, ip), dipyridamole (20 mg/kg, ip), or inosine (50 mg/kg, ip) administration before an acute MPH challenge (5 mg/kg, sc).

Predictive maintenance and safety operation by device integration on the QUEST large experimental device.

As technology has improved in recent years, it has become possible to create new valuable functions by combining various devices and sensors in a network. This concept is referred to as the Internet of Things (IoT), and predictive maintenance is a new valuable function associated with the IoT. In large-scale experimental facilities with many researchers, it is not desirable that experiments cannot be performed due to sudden failure of equipment.

Impaired early-phase suppression of glucagon secretion after glucose load is associated with insulin requirement during pregnancy in gestational diabetes.

Aims/introduction: The role of glucagon abnormality has recently been reported in type 2 diabetes; however, its role in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is still unknown. The glucose intolerance in GDM is heterogeneous, and not all patients require insulin treatment during pregnancy. Here, we investigated whether glucagon abnormality is associated with the requirement for insulin treatment during pregnancy.

Measurement of thickness of film deposited on the plasma-facing wall in the QUEST tokamak by colorimetry.

After several experimental campaigns in the Kyushu University Experiment with Steady-state Spherical Tokamak (QUEST), the originally stainless steel plasma-facing wall (PFW) becomes completely covered with a deposited film composed of mixture materials, such as iron, chromium, carbon, and tungsten. In this work, an innovative colorimetry-based method was developed to measure the thickness of the deposited film on the actual QUEST wall. Because the optical constants of the deposited film on the PFW were position-dependent and the extinction coefficient k was about 1.

A significant association between rs8067378 at 17q12 and invasive cervical cancer originally identified by a genome-wide association study in Han Chinese is replicated in a Japanese population.

In this study, associations between invasive cervical cancer and four cervical cancer susceptibility loci (rs13117307 at 4q12, rs8067378 at 17q12, and rs4282438 and rs9277952 at 6p21.32) in the Han Chinese population were investigated in a Japanese population. Human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DPB1 alleles were also investigated for their association with cervical cancer risk in the Japanese population.

Circulating chromosome 19 miRNA cluster microRNAs in pregnant women with severe pre-eclampsia.

Aim: To clarify the association between circulating chromosome 19 miRNA cluster (C19MC) microRNAs in maternal plasma and severe pre-eclampsia.

Method: Maternal blood samples (7 mL) at 27-34 weeks of gestation were obtained from 20 pregnant women with severe pre-eclampsia (sPE group) and from 20 uncomplicated pregnant women (NP group). Twenty cases of severe pre-eclampsia were classified into late onset (sPELO group; n = 14) and early onset (sPEEO group; n = 6).

Pregnancy-associated microRNAs in plasma as potential molecular markers of ectopic pregnancy.

Objective: To investigate cell-free pregnancy-associated microRNAs as molecular markers for the diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy.

Design: Laboratory study using human plasma samples.

Setting: Research unit in a university hospital.

Effect of labor on plasma concentrations and postpartum clearance of cell-free, pregnancy-associated, placenta-specific microRNAs.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effect of labor on plasma concentrations of cell-free, pregnancy-associated, placenta-specific microRNAs (miRNAs) before and after delivery.

Method: In the non-labor group (32 women), cesarean section (C/S) was performed before the beginning of labor. In the labor group (32 women), C/S was performed after the beginning of labor.

Clinical applications of analysis of plasma circulating complete hydatidiform mole pregnancy-associated miRNAs in gestational trophoblastic neoplasia: a preliminary investigation.

The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical application of plasma complete hydatidiform mole pregnancy-associated microRNAs (CHM-miRNAs: hsa-miR-520b, hsa-miR-520f and hsa-miR-520c-3p). We measured plasma CHM-miRNA concentration by real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction in two cases of CHM resulting in gestational trophoblastic neoplasia later. As progress of treatments in both cases, the plasma concentrations of CHM-miRNAs showed a decreasing tendency similar to the pattern for serum hCG concentration, but exhibited a transient increasing tendency after each course of chemotherapy, suggesting that the plasma CHM-miRNAs could be an additional follow-up marker for malignant changes of CHM.

Circulating levels of maternal plasma cell-free pregnancy-associated placenta-specific microRNAs are associated with placental weight.

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between plasma concentration of cell-free pregnancy-associated placenta-specific microRNAs and clinical variables (placental weight, maternal body mass index, and neonatal birth weight). Circulating levels of cell-free pregnancy-associated placenta-specific microRNAs (miR-515-3p, miR-517a, miR-517c and miR-518b) in maternal plasma were measured by quantitative real-time RT-PCR in sixty-two pregnant women. The levels of cell-free pregnancy-associated placenta-specific microRNAs were significantly associated with placental weight, but not associated with body mass index or birth weight.

Single human papillomavirus 16 or 52 infection and later cytological findings in Japanese women with NILM or ASC-US.

The relationship between oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and later cytological findings in the uterine cervix is unknown in women who were negative for intraepithelial lesion and malignancy (NILM) or atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US). This was investigated in this study in a Japanese population to determine the clinical utility of oncogenic (HPV) genotyping. The relative risk of progressive cytological findings 2 years after identification of oncogenic HPV infection was higher than in cases of non-oncogenic HPV infection (relative risk 3.

Identification of endometrioid endometrial carcinoma-associated microRNAs in tissue and plasma.

Objective: This study aimed to identify a set of endometrioid endometrial carcinoma EEC-associated microRNAs (miRNAs) in tissue and plasma, and evaluate their clinical significance.

Methods: A set of EEC-associated miRNAs in tissue and plasma was identified by next-generation sequencing (NGS), which could enable in-depth characterization of the global repertoire of miRNAs.

Results: NGS identified 11 candidate EEC-associated miRNAs.

Predominantly placenta-expressed mRNAs in maternal plasma as predictive markers for twin-twin transfusion syndrome.

Objective: This study aimed to identify a set of predominantly placental (PP) mRNAs, which are associated with later-developing twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS).

Method: First, out of 50 PP mRNAs we previously reported, we select target mRNAs that are ordinarily detectable in maternal plasma. Plasma concentrations of these PP mRNAs were measured in monochorionic diamniotic twin (MCDA-T) pregnancies complicated by TTTS later (n = 11) and in uncomplicated MCDA-T pregnancies (n = 17).

Copy number variation of the antimicrobial-gene, defensin beta 4, is associated with susceptibility to cervical cancer.

The aim of this study was to investigate association between copy number variation of the defensin beta 4 gene (DEFB4) and susceptibility to cervical cancer in a population at high risk of persistent oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. The study subjects comprised 204 women with cervical cancer, a population having a high risk of persistent oncogenic HPV infection (cervical cancer group), and 200 healthy women from the general population (control group). Copy number variation of DEFB4 in each test sample was determined by relative quantitation using the comparative CT ((ΔΔ)CT) method.

Direct measurement of energetic electron flow in Q-shu University experiment with steady-state spherical tokamak.

In magnetized plasmas, the presence of a significant number of energetic electrons has been observed but quantitative characteristics of these electrons are proving difficult to investigate. A Langmuir probe offers a means to provide quantitative measurement of these energetic electrons that takes into account electron emissions (secondary electron emission and electron reflection) from the probe tips and sheath expansion around the probe tips caused by a considerable negative potential. In this paper, these effects are experimentally confirmed and an analytical means to measure energetic electron characteristics are proposed.

Clinical application of fetal sex determination using cell-free fetal DNA in pregnant carriers of X-linked genetic disorders.

As the first step in prenatal diagnosis of X-linked genetic disorders, chorionic villus sampling (CVS) for fetal sex determination is generally performed at 11-13 weeks of gestation. However, as the procedure-related miscarriage rate of CVS is 0.5-1.

Identification of pregnancy-associated microRNAs in maternal plasma.

Background: Several placental microRNAs (miRNAs) have been identified as pregnancy-associated molecules with the potential for use in estimating the condition of the placenta. Our understanding of these novel molecules is still limited, however. The aim of this study was to isolate and characterize pregnancy-associated miRNAs in maternal plasma.