Motion-generation system for violin-playing robot using reinforcement learning differences in bowing parameters due to changes in learning conditions and sound pressure values.

Recently, research on human-robot communication attracts many researchers. We believe that music is one of the important channel between human and robot, because it can convey emotional information. In this research, we focus on the violin performance by a robot.

Standalone Percutaneous Vertebroplasty for Hyperextension Injuries of the Ankylosed Thoracolumbar Spinal Kyphosis.

Hyperextension injuries of the ankylosed thoracolumbar spine, particularly those with preexisting kyphotic deformity, present significant therapeutic challenges. The authors viewed that such injuries without displacement or fractures of the posterior elements are reasonable candidates for standalone percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP). In such cases, the posterior tension band is spared; thus, fractures are unstable not in the lateral direction, which would lead to the translation of the fracture, but in the vertical direction.

Accurate and precise measurement of uranium content in uranium trioxide by gravimetry: Comparison with isotope dilution mass spectrometry and its uncertainty estimation.

Gravimetric measurement of U content in UO with ignition in air has been investigated. The ignition temperature, ignition time and aliquot sample mass are optimized as 900 °C, 60 min, and 1 g, respectively. The method is validated by isotope dilution mass spectrometry (IDMS) with uncertainty estimation.

Association between Cerebral Oxygenation, as Evaluated with Near-Infrared Spectroscopy, and Cognitive Function in Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis.

Introduction: The prevalence of cognitive impairment in patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) is higher than that in healthy controls. To date, studies on the association between cognitive function and cerebral oxygenation in these patients are limited. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to cross-sectionally investigate the association between cognitive assessment scores and clinical factors, including cerebral oxygenation, in patients undergoing HD.

Associations of cerebral oxygenation with hemoglobin levels evaluated by near-infrared spectroscopy in hemodialysis patients.

Hemoglobin (Hb) is associated with cerebral oxygenation status owing to its important role of carrying oxygen to systemic tissues. However, data concerning the associations between Hb levels and cerebral regional oxygen saturation (rSO2) of hemodialysis (HD) patients is limited. We aimed to identify these associations to consider a target Hb level for renal anemia management.

Clinical outcomes following arthroscopic repair of articular vs. bursal partial-thickness rotator cuff tears with follow-up of 2 years or more.

Background: The diagnosis and treatment of partial-thickness rotator cuff tears remain controversial, and only a few studies have carried out clinical evaluation and comparison based on different types of tears. The aim of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes of arthroscopic cuff repairs using the suture bridge technique in patients with articular partial-thickness rotator cuff tears (APRCTs) vs. those with bursal partial-thickness rotator cuff tears (BPRCTs).

An mTOR Signaling Modulator Suppressed Heterotopic Ossification of Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva.

Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) is a rare and intractable disorder characterized by extraskeletal bone formation through endochondral ossification. FOP patients harbor gain-of-function mutations in ACVR1 (FOP-ACVR1), a type I receptor for bone morphogenetic proteins. Despite numerous studies, no drugs have been approved for FOP.

Repetitive Vertebral Fractures in Patients with Ankylosing Spinal Disorders: A Report of Two Cases.

Introduction: Vertebral fractures associated with ankylosing spinal disorders pose significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Notably, the ankylosed spine remains in ankylosis after fracture treatment, and the underlying susceptibility to further fractures still remains. Nevertheless, information is scarce in the literature concerning patients with ankylosing spinal disorders who have multiple episodes of vertebral fractures.

Self-Organization of Soft Hydrogel Microspheres during the Evaporation of Aqueous Droplets.

The unique drying behavior of aqueous droplets that contain soft hydrogel microspheres (microgels) upon evaporation was systematically investigated. Compared to the ring-shaped deposits that are obtained from drying solid microsphere dispersions, we have previously reported that uniformly ordered thin films are obtained from drying ∼1.2 μm-sized poly( N-isopropyl acrylamide) microgel dispersions.

Activin-A enhances mTOR signaling to promote aberrant chondrogenesis in fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva.

Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) is a rare and intractable disease characterized by extraskeletal bone formation through endochondral ossification. Patients with FOP harbor point mutations in ACVR1, a type I receptor for BMPs. Although mutated ACVR1 (FOP-ACVR1) has been shown to render hyperactivity in BMP signaling, we and others have uncovered a mechanism by which FOP-ACVR1 mistransduces BMP signaling in response to Activin-A, a molecule that normally transduces TGF-β signaling.

Neofunction of ACVR1 in fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva.

Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) is a rare genetic disease characterized by extraskeletal bone formation through endochondral ossification. FOP patients harbor point mutations in ACVR1 (also known as ALK2), a type I receptor for bone morphogenetic protein (BMP). Two mechanisms of mutated ACVR1 (FOP-ACVR1) have been proposed: ligand-independent constitutive activity and ligand-dependent hyperactivity in BMP signaling.

New Protocol to Optimize iPS Cells for Genome Analysis of Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva.

Successful in vitro disease-recapitulation using patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) requires two fundamental technical issues: appropriate control cells and robust differentiation protocols. To investigate fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP), a rare genetic disease leading to extraskeletal bone formation through endochondral ossification, gene-corrected (rescued) iPSC clones (resFOP-iPSC) were generated from patient-derived iPSC (FOP-iPSC) as genetically matched controls, and the stepwise induction method of mesenchymal stromal cells (iMSCs) through neural crest cell (NCC) lineage was used to recapitulate the disease phenotype. FOP-iMSCs possessing enhanced chondrogenic ability were transcriptionally distinguishable from resFOP-iMSCs and activated the SMAD1/5/8 and SMAD2/3 pathways at steady state.

Enhanced chondrogenesis of induced pluripotent stem cells from patients with neonatal-onset multisystem inflammatory disease occurs via the caspase 1-independent cAMP/protein kinase A/CREB pathway.

Objective: Neonatal-onset multisystem inflammatory disease (NOMID) is a dominantly inherited autoinflammatory disease caused by NLRP3 mutations. NOMID pathophysiology is explained by the NLRP3 inflammasome, which produces interleukin-1β (IL-1β). However, epiphyseal overgrowth in NOMID is resistant to anti-IL-1 therapy and may therefore occur independently of the NLRP3 inflammasome.

Assembly of oppositely charged microgels at the air/water interface.

We present an assembly of cationic and anionic microgels at the air/water interface. Monodispersed, micrometer-sized, and oppositely charged microgels were synthesized by aqueous free-radical precipitation polymerization by using N-isopropylmethacrylamide, comonomers, and cross-linkers. The oppositely charged microgels were prepared by using different types of water-soluble initiators.

Union rates and prognostic variables of osteoporotic vertebral fractures treated with a rigid external support.

Object: External supports serve as a traditional treatment option for osteoporotic vertebral fractures (OVFs). However, the role of external supports in the treatment of OVF remains inconclusive. The purpose of this study was to determine the role of a rigid external support in the healing of OVFs by prospectively evaluating union (fracture settling) rates and prognostic variables for patients suffering from an incident OVF.

Drying mechanism of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) microgel dispersions.

The drying mechanism of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (pNIPAm) microgel dispersions was investigated. The microgels were synthesized by temperature-programmed aqueous free radical precipitation polymerization using NIPAm, N,N'-methylenebis(acrylamide), and water-soluble initiator. Drying processes of the microgel dispersions were observed with a digital camera and an optical microscope, and the resultant dried structures were observed by scanning electron microscopy.

Binary mixtures of cationic and anionic microgels.

Colloidal behaviors of binary mixtures composed of cationic and anionic microgels are reported. Both microgels were synthesized by aqueous free radical precipitation polymerization using N-isopropylacrylamide and N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide but using different types of water-soluble initiators and comonomer. Effects of temperature and salt concentration on phase behaviors of binary mixtures of cationic and anionic microgels were investigated as well as single-species microgels by UV-vis spectroscopy.

Symptomatic relevance of intravertebral cleft in patients with osteoporotic vertebral fracture.

Object: The present study was designed to determine clinical and radiographic characteristics of unhealed osteoporotic vertebral fractures (OVFs) and the role of fracture mobility and an intravertebral cleft in the regulation of pain symptoms in patients with an OVF.

Methods: Patients who had persistent low-back pain for 3 months or longer and a collapsed thoracic or lumbar vertebra that had an intervertebral cleft and abnormal mobility were referred to as having unhealed OVFs. Twenty-four patients with an unhealed OVF and 30 patients with an acute OVF were compared with regard to several clinical and radiographic features including the presence of an intravertebral fluid sign.

Conversion to hypertrophic vertebral pseudarthrosis following percutaneous vertebroplasty.

To determine the role of percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) in bone formation and the union of vertebral pseudarthrosis, we analyzed 14 patients with an average follow-up duration of 21 months. Evaluation methods included back pain (visual analog scale: VAS), wedge angle, dynamic mobility, radiographic remodeling including callus and spur formation, and union status. The Student's t test was used for statistical analysis and a probability of less than 0.

Metformin suppresses glucose-6-phosphatase expression by a complex I inhibition and AMPK activation-independent mechanism.

Metformin is widely used as a hypoglycemic agent for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Both metformin and rotenone, an inhibitor of respiratory chain complex I, suppressed glucose-6-phosphatase (G6pc), a rate limiting enzyme of liver glucose production, mRNA expression in a rat hepatoma cell line accompanied by a reduction of intracellular ATP concentration and an activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). When yeast NADH-quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NDI1) gene was introduced into the cells, neither inhibition of ATP synthesis nor activation of AMPK was induced by these agents.

CLAC binds to aggregated Abeta and Abeta fragments, and attenuates fibril elongation.

Deposition of amyloid beta-peptide (Abeta) into amyloid plaques is one of the invariant neuropathological features of Alzheimer's disease. Proteins that codeposit with Abeta are potentially important for the pathogenesis, and a recently discovered plaque-associated protein is the collagenous Alzheimer amyloid plaque component (CLAC). In this study, we investigated the molecular interactions between Abeta aggregates and CLAC using surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy and a solid-phase binding immunoassay.

SMP-534 inhibits TGF-beta-induced ECM production in fibroblast cells and reduces mesangial matrix accumulation in experimental glomerulonephritis.

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) is a potent fibrotic factor responsible for the synthesis of extracellular matrix (ECM) and is implicated as the major determinant in pathogenesis of chronic fibroses, including kidney. The novel small compound SMP-534 reduced ECM production induced by TGF-beta in fibroblast cells. SMP-534 inhibited TGF-beta-induced p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38) activation but did not inhibit epidermal growth factor (EGF)-induced extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) activation.