Mismatch negativity between discriminating and undiscriminating participants on the front-back sound localization.

Sound localization in the front-back dimension is reported to be challenging, with individual differences. We investigated whether auditory discrimination processing in the brain differs based on front-back sound localization ability. This study conducted an auditory oddball task using speakers in front of and behind the participants.

Changes in functional brain activity patterns associated with computer programming learning in novices.

Background: Computer programming, the process of designing, writing, and testing executable computer code, is an essential skill in numerous fields. A description of the neural structures engaged and modified during programming skill acquisition could help improve training programs and provide clues to the neural substrates underlying the acquisition of related skills.

Methods: Fourteen female university students without prior computer programing experience were examined by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during the early and late stages of a 5-month 'Computer Processing' course.

Controlling gene activation by enhancers through a drug-inducible topological insulator.

While regulation of gene-enhancer interaction is intensively studied, its application remains limited. Here, we reconstituted arrays of CTCF-binding sites and devised a ynthetic opological nsulator with etO for romatin-engineering (STITCH). By coupling STITCH with tetR linked to the KRAB domain to induce heterochromatin and disable the insulation, we developed a drug-inducible system to control gene activation by enhancers.

Neonatal outcomes of two-step delivery in low-risk pregnancy: A prospective observational study.

Aim: Extraction of the fetal body is typically performed immediately after delivery of the head in Western obstetric care. Reports justifying immediate extraction are few. Two-step delivery entails waiting for the next uterine contraction after delivery of the head.

Anxiety or Nervousness Disturbs the Progress of Birth Based on Human Behavioral Evolutionary Biology.

In general, anxiety or nervousness in pregnant women increases the risk of dystocia. Pregnant women are easily susceptible to anxiousness or nervousness. To support a safe and healthy birthing process, childbirth educators, other health-care professionals, and pregnant women require an in-depth understanding about the disruptive effects of anxiety or nervousness on birth progress.

Control of directionality of chromatin folding for the inter- and intra-domain contacts at the Tfap2c-Bmp7 locus.

Background: Contact domains of chromatin serve as a fundamental unit to regulate action of enhancers for target genes. Looping between a pair of CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF)-binding sites in convergent orientations underlies the formation of contact domains, while those in divergent orientations establish domain boundaries. However, every CTCF site is not necessarily engaged in loop or boundary structures, leaving functions of CTCF in varied genomic contexts still elusive.

Long-term effects of low calcium dialysates on the serum calcium levels during maintenance hemodialysis treatments: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Hypercalcemia and hyperparathyroidism in patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) can cause the progression of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and mineral bone disorders (MBD). The KDIGO recommends the dialysates with a calcium (Ca) concentration of 1.25-1.

Spontaneous uterine laceration in labor: a type of intrapartum uterine injury different from the classical uterine rupture.

Uterine rupture, a complete disruption of uterine wall, is synonymously used of intrapartum uterine corpus injuries. However, uterine laceration, partial and minor myometrial tear, is not well characterized. A 35-year-old Japanese woman with unscarred uterus was delivered of a baby at 38 gestational weeks.

Roles and regulation of bone morphogenetic protein-7 in kidney development and diseases.

The gene encoding bone morphogenetic protein-7 (Bmp7) is expressed in the developing kidney in embryos and also in the mature organ in adults. During kidney development, expression of Bmp7 is essential to determine the final number of nephrons in and proper size of the organ. The secreted BMP7 acts on the nephron progenitor cells to exert its dual functions: To maintain and expand the progenitor population and to provide them with competence to respond to differentiation cues, each relying on distinct signaling pathways.

Laparoscopic Management of Abdominal Pregnancy with Local Injection of Vasopressin Solution: A Case Report.

BACKGROUND Laparoscopic treatments of abdominal pregnancy have been reported; however, resection of an implanted gestational sac could lead to massive bleeding and treatment failure. Hemostasis of the resected stump is critical for the success of laparoscopic treatment. CASE REPORT A 32-year-old woman presented to the emergency department with severe abdominal pain.

Lactoferrin Suppresses Neutrophil Extracellular Traps Release in Inflammation.

Neutrophils are central players in the innate immune system. They generate neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), which protect against invading pathogens but are also associated with the development of autoimmune and/or inflammatory diseases and thrombosis. Here, we report that lactoferrin, one of the components of NETs, translocated from the cytoplasm to the plasma membrane and markedly suppressed NETs release.

Increased dead space in face mask continuous positive airway pressure in neonates.

The Objectives: Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) by face mask is commonly performed in newborn resuscitation. We evaluated the effect of face mask CPAP on system dead space.

Working Hypothesis: Face mask CPAP increases dead space.

Respiratory Stabilization after Delivery in Term Infants after the Update of the Japan Resuscitation Council Guidelines in 2010.

Background: The Japan Resuscitation Council (JRC) updated the guidelines for neonatal cardiopulmonary resuscitation in 2010, which recommended appropriate oxygen supplementation under the assessment of oximetry, with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) as a consideration in the delivery room. Whether this update has resulted in an improvement of respiratory stabilization in term neonates has not been well investigated to date.

Objectives: The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of the update of the JRC Guidelines in 2010 on the frequency of respiratory support for term neonates within 24 h of life in the nursery or neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Semilobar Holoprosencephaly with Congenital Oropharyngeal Stenosis in a Term Neonate.

Background Holoprosencephaly (HPE) is often accompanied by a deficit in midline facial development; however, congenital oropharyngeal stenosis in neonates with HPE has not been reported before. We describe a case of a neonate with prenatally diagnosed semilobar HPE accompanied by congenital oropharyngeal stenosis. Case Report The patient was born at 39 weeks of gestation and developed dyspnea shortly after.

Aspirin and Eicosapentaenoic Acid May Arrest Progressive IgA Nephropathy: A Potential Alternative to Immunosuppression.

Immunoglobulin (Ig) A nephropathy is a prevalent form of primary glomerulonephritis, which leads to end-stage renal failure in a significant proportion of patients. Immunotherapy, including steroid use, is widely used to induce disease remission; however, it can cause serious side effects. We herein report 3 cases of progressive IgA nephropathy and their successful treatment with a combination of aspirin and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) without the use of steroids.

A double bond-conjugated dimethylnitrobenzene-type photolabile nitric oxide donor with improved two-photon cross section.

Photocontrollable NO donors enable precise spatiotemporal release of NO under physiological conditions. We designed and synthesized a novel dimethylnitrobenzene-type NO donor, Flu-DNB-DB, which contains a carbon-carbon double bond in place of the amide bond of previously reported Flu-DNB. Flu-DNB-DB releases NO in response to one-photon activation in the blue wavelength region, and shows a greatly increased two-photon cross-section (δu) at 720 nm (Flu-DNB: 0.

Pulmonary air leak associated with CPAP at term birth resuscitation.

Objective: The Japan Resuscitation Council (JRC) Guidelines 2010 for neonatal resuscitation introduced continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in delivery room. The present study evaluated the effect of CPAP for pulmonary air leak at term birth.

Design, Setting And Patients: This retrospective single-centre study used the data of term neonates who were born without major congenital anomalies at our centre between 2008 and 2009, and between 2011 and 2012.

Adult stem-like cells in kidney.

Human pluripotent cells are promising for treatment for kidney diseases, but the protocols for derivation of kidney cell types are still controversial. Kidney tissue regeneration is well confirmed in several lower vertebrates such as fish, and the repair of nephrons after tubular damages is commonly observed after renal injury. Even in adult mammal kidney, renal progenitor cell or system is reportedly presents suggesting that adult stem-like cells in kidney can be practical clinical targets for kidney diseases.

Diabetes Induces Aberrant DNA Methylation in the Proximal Tubules of the Kidney.

Epigenetic mechanisms may underlie the progression of diabetic kidney disease. Because the kidney is a heterogeneous organ with different cell types, we investigated DNA methylation status of the kidney in a cell type-specific manner. We first identified genes specifically demethylated in the normal proximal tubules obtained from control db/m mice, and next delineated the candidate disease-modifying genes bearing aberrant DNA methylation induced by diabetes using db/db mice.

Visible light-induced nitric oxide release from a novel nitrobenzene derivative cross-conjugated with a coumarin fluorophore.

Nitric oxide (NO) is a well-known free-radical molecule which is endogenously biosynthesised and shows various functions in mammals. To investigate NO functions, photocontrollable NO donors, compounds which release NO in response to light, are expected to be potentially useful. However, most of the conventional NO donors require harmful ultra-violet light for NO release.

Immunomodulation with eicosapentaenoic acid supports the treatment of autoimmune small-vessel vasculitis.

Small-vessel vasculitis is a life-threatening autoimmune disease that is frequently associated with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCAs). Conventional immunotherapy including steroids and cyclophosphamide can cause serious adverse events, limiting the efficacy and safety of treatment. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), a key component of fish oil, is an omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid widely known to be cardioprotective and beneficial for vascular function.

Radical prostatectomy as radical cure of prostate cancer in a high-risk group: A single-institution experience.

This study aimed to evaluate the possibility of performing radical prostatectomy (RP) alone to achieve radical cure of prostate cancer in a high-risk group. Between August 1998 and December 2008, 436 Japanese patients underwent antegrade RP following the exclusion of 139 patients. According to the D'Amico criteria, the low-, intermediate- and high-risk groups comprised 63, 122 and 112 patients, respectively.

Exchange of intraoperative balloon occlusion of the internal iliac artery for the common iliac artery during cesarean hysterectomy in a patient with placenta percreta.

Patient: Female, 36 FINAL DIAGNOSIS: Pregnancy - placenta increta Symptoms: -

Medication: - Clinical Procedure: Cesarean hysterectomy Specialty: Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Objective: Unusual clinical course.

Background: The generally accepted treatment for placenta percreta is cesarean hysterectomy without attempts to detach the placenta.

Fine spatiotemporal control of nitric oxide release by infrared pulse-laser irradiation of a photolabile donor.

Two-photon-excitation release of nitric oxide (NO) from our recently synthesized photolabile NO donor, Flu-DNB, was confirmed to allow fine spatial and temporal control of NO release at the subcellular level in vitro. We then evaluated in vivo applications. Femtosecond near-infrared pulse laser irradiation of predefined regions of interest in living mouse brain treated with Flu-DNB induced NO-release-dependent, transient vasodilation specifically at the irradiated site.

Basic helix-loop-helix transcriptional factor MyoR regulates BMP-7 in acute kidney injury.

MyoR was originally identified as a transcriptional repressor in embryonic skeletal muscle precursors, but its function in adult kidney has not been clarified. In this study, we tried to clarify the functional role of MyoR using MyoR(-/-) mice. Cisplatin induced a significantly higher degree of severe renal dysfunction, tubular injury, and mortality in MyoR(-/-) mice than in wild-type mice.