The effect of the initial administration of suvorexant on severe sleep apnea syndrome.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate how the first oral administration of suvorexant affects PSG results in patients with severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Single-center, prospective study conducted in a nonrandomized, uncontrolled, unblinded fashion. Undiagnosed 64 patients with suspected OSA underwent first-night PSG, and 30 patients with severe OSA (Apnea Hypopnea Index [AHI] ≥ 30 events/h) underwent second-night PSG testing after administration of 15 mg suvorexant.

The appearance of scalp high-frequency oscillations is associated with poor seizure control in pediatric epilepsy patients.

Objective: Epilepsy treatment with anti-seizure medications (ASMs) is based on careful assessment of the balance between the likelihood of further seizures and the risk of side effects of treatment. However, there is currently no established biomarker to ascertain seizure control status with ASMs. High-frequency oscillations (HFOs), transient bursts of EEG activity with frequencies beyond 80 Hz, are a new and promising noninvasive epilepsy biomarker.

Self-Powered Dye-Sensitized Solar-Cell-Based Synaptic Devices for Multi-Scale Time-Series Data Processing in Physical Reservoir Computing.

Physical reservoir computing (PRC) using synaptic devices has attracted attention as a promising edge artificial intelligence device. To handle time-series data on various time scales, it is necessary to fabricate devices with the desired time scale. In this study, we fabricated a dye-sensitized solar-cell-based synaptic device with controllable time constants by changing the light intensity.

Concerted action of ataxin-2 and PABPC1-bound mRNA poly(A) tail in the formation of stress granules.

Stress induces global stabilization of the mRNA poly(A) tail (PAT) and the assembly of untranslated poly(A)-tailed mRNA into mRNPs that accumulate in stress granules (SGs). While the mechanism behind stress-induced global PAT stabilization has recently emerged, the biological significance of PAT stabilization under stress remains elusive. Here, we demonstrate that stress-induced PAT stabilization is a prerequisite for SG formation.

Analysis of Structure and Function of Ladybird Leg and Subsequent Design and Fabrication of a Simplified Leg Structure for Robotic Applications.

Many insects are able to walk vertically or upside down on both hard and soft surfaces. In beetles such as the ladybird (), intermolecular forces between tarsal setae on the footpads of the insects make this movement possible. In prior work, adhesion structures made from polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) that mimic the action of the tarsal setae have been developed.

A Novel Method for Creating Heterologous Lethal Antibiotic Producers by Screening from Combi-OGAB Library with Various Promoters in a Biosynthetic Gene Cluster.

In this study, we devised a novel method to create heterologous producers of lethal antibiotics against host bacteria. Heterologous producers cannot be created when antibiotics are toxic to host bacteria. To overcome this challenge, we developed a novel method involving construction of a combinatorial library with various promoters and screening based on the production.

Association of Scalp High-Frequency Oscillation Detection and Characteristics With Disease Activity in Pediatric Epilepsy.

Purpose: High-frequency oscillation (HFO) in scalp electroencephalography is a promising new noninvasive prognostic epilepsy biomarker, but further data are needed to ascertain the utility of this parameter. The present work investigated the association between epileptic activity and scalp HFO in pediatric patients with various types of epilepsy, using multivariable regression models to correct for possible confounding factors.

Methods: The authors analyzed 97 subjects who were divided into groups with active epilepsy (within 1 year of seizure), seizure-free epilepsy (>1 year without seizure), and nonepilepsy.

Delayed rupture of the iliac artery after endovascular therapy.

Unlabelled: Iliac artery rupture during endovascular therapy (EVT) is a life-threatening complication requiring prompt diagnosis and treatment. However, delayed rupture of the iliac artery after EVT is rare, and its predictive value remains unknown. Herein, we present the case of a 75-year-old woman who developed delayed iliac artery rupture 12 h after balloon angioplasty and placement of a self-expandable stent in the left iliac artery.

mTOR- and LARP1-dependent regulation of TOP mRNA poly(A) tail and ribosome loading.

Translation of 5' terminal oligopyrimidine (TOP) mRNAs encoding the protein synthesis machinery is strictly regulated by an amino-acid-sensing mTOR pathway. However, its regulatory mechanism remains elusive. Here, we demonstrate that TOP mRNA translation positively correlates with its poly(A) tail length under mTOR active/amino-acid-rich conditions, suggesting that TOP mRNAs are post-transcriptionally controlled by poly(A) tail-length regulation.

Syn and Anti Metal Complexes of 24π Antiaromatic Bis(Dicarbonylrhodium(I))Dithiaamethyrin.

From the reaction of sterically less hindered tetrapropyl[24]dithiaamethyrin(1.0.0.

Paip2A inhibits translation by competitively binding to the RNA recognition motifs of PABPC1 and promoting its dissociation from the poly(A) tail.

Eukaryotic mRNAs possess a poly(A) tail at their 3'-end, to which poly(A)-binding protein C1 (PABPC1) binds and recruits other proteins that regulate translation. Enhanced poly(A)-dependent translation, which is also PABPC1 dependent, promotes cellular and viral proliferation. PABP-interacting protein 2A (Paip2A) effectively represses poly(A)-dependent translation by causing the dissociation of PABPC1 from the poly(A) tail; however, the underlying mechanism remains unknown.

Availability of Home sleep apnea test equipment LS-140 on a comparison with Polysomnography.

Objective: The prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in Japan is 9% among males and 3% among females. Up to 2.5 million patients are estimated to suffer from the disease, but limited number of facilities are capable of carrying out polysomnography (PSG), leaving more than 80% of these individuals are undiagnosed.

Study on the Causes, Types, and Mechanisms of Childhood Injuries-Age and Disease Specificity.

Introduction: To clarify the causes, types, and mechanisms of injuries in children, we collected injury cases and analyzed their causes.

Methods: During the 3-year period from 2013, we collected injury cases from three sources: nursery schools and kindergartens (A), emergency clinics of hospitals (B), and schools and a clinic for the developmentally disabled (C), using a format designed by Safe Kids Japan.

Results: In all, 383 cases were collected during the 3-year period.

Evidence for intermolecular forces involved in ladybird beetle tarsal setae adhesion.

Why can beetles such as the ladybird beetle Coccinella septempunctata walk vertically or upside-down on a smooth glass plane? Intermolecular and/or capillary forces mediated by a secretion fluid on the hairy footpads have commonly been considered the predominant adhesion mechanism. However, the main contribution of physical phenomena to the resulting overall adhesive force has yet to be experimentally proved, because it is difficult to quantitatively analyse the pad secretion which directly affects the adhesion mechanism. We observed beetle secretion fluid by using inverted optical microscopy and cryo-scanning electron microscopy, which showed the fluid secretion layer and revealed that the contact fluid layer between the footpad and substrate was less than 10-20 nm thick, thus indicating the possibility of contribution of intermolecular forces.

DDX6 is a positive regulator of Ataxin-2/PAPD4 cytoplasmic polyadenylation machinery.

The RNA-binding protein Ataxin-2 regulates translation and mRNA stability through cytoplasmic polyadenylation of the targets. Here we newly identified DDX6 as a positive regulator of the cytoplasmic polyadenylation. Analysis of Ataxin-2 interactome using LC-MS/MS revealed prominent interaction with the DEAD-box RNA helicase DDX6.

Crucial role of framework with cytoskeletal actin filaments for shaping microstructure of footpad setae in the ladybird beetle, Harmonia axyridis.

Insects that can walk on smooth surfaces have specialized structures, footpads, on their legs. Footpads play an important role in adhesion to the substrate surface. Although the morphology and function of footpads have been studied, the mechanism of their formation is still elusive.

Direct evidence that Ataxin-2 is a translational activator mediating cytoplasmic polyadenylation.

The RNA-binding protein Ataxin-2 binds to and stabilizes a number of mRNA sequences, including that of the transactive response DNA-binding protein of 43 kDa (TDP-43). Ataxin-2 is additionally involved in several processes requiring translation, such as germline formation, long-term habituation, and circadian rhythm formation. However, it has yet to be unambiguously demonstrated that Ataxin-2 is actually involved in activating the translation of its target mRNAs.

Framework with cytoskeletal actin filaments forming insect footpad hairs inspires biomimetic adhesive device design.

Footpads allow insects to walk on smooth surfaces. Specifically, liquid secretions on the footpad mediate adhesiveness through Van der Waals, Coulomb, and attractive capillary forces. Although the morphology and function of the footpad are well defined, the mechanism underlying their formation remains elusive.

The relationship between cognitive distortion, depressive symptoms, and social adaptation: A survey in Japan.

Background: In the treatment of depression, improvements in both clinical symptoms and social adaptation are important. Previous studies have shown that cognitive distortion and depressive symptoms are mutually related, and that depressive symptoms and social adaptation are related to each other. However, it is unknown how these three factors interrelate.

Hierarchical Structure of the (Coconut) Endocarp: Functional Morphology and its Influence on Fracture Toughness.

In recent years, the biomimetic potential of lignified or partially lignified fruit pericarps has moved into focus. For the transfer of functional principles into biomimetic applications, a profound understanding of the structural composition of the role models is important. The aim of this study was to qualitatively analyze and visualize the functional morphology of the coconut endocarp on several hierarchical levels, and to use these findings for a more precise evaluation of the toughening mechanisms in the endocarp.

The impact of tissue-tracking strain on the left atrial dysfunction in the patients with left ventricular dysfunction.

Background: The extracellular volume (ECV) calculated by T1 mapping, and tissue-tracking strain using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) are useful for assessing the left ventricular (LV) function. However, those parameters are controversial for assessing left atrial (LA) function. This study aimed to investigate the usefulness of CMR to evaluate the LA function using those parameters.