Use of Auditory Cues and Other Strategies as Sources of Spatial Information for People with Visual Impairment When Navigating Unfamiliar Environments.

This paper explores strategies that the visually impaired use to obtain information in unfamiliar environments. This paper also aims to determine how natural sounds that often exist in the environment or the auditory cues that are installed in various facilities as a source of guidance are prioritized and selected in different countries. The aim was to evaluate the utilization of natural sounds and auditory cues by users who are visually impaired during mobility.

Histone H3 peptides incorporating modified lysine residues as lysine-specific demethylase 1 inhibitors.

Lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1) is a flavin-dependent enzyme that removes methyl groups from mono- or dimethylated lysine residues at the fourth position of histone H3. We have previously reported several histone H3 peptides containing an LSD1 inactivator motif at Lys-4. In this study, histone H3 peptides having a trans-2-phenylcyclopropylamine (PCPA), a 2,5-dihydro-1H-pyrrole, and a 1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine moiety at Lys-4 were prepared along with related compounds possessing a shorter side chain at the fourth position.

Potent mechanism-based sirtuin-2-selective inhibition by an -generated occupant of the substrate-binding site, "selectivity pocket" and NAD-binding site.

Sirtuin 2 (SIRT2), a member of the NAD-dependent histone deacetylase family, has recently received increasing attention due to its potential involvement in neurodegenerative diseases and the progression of cancer. Potent and selective SIRT2 inhibitors thus represent desirable biological probes. Based on the X-ray crystal structure of SIRT2 in complex with a previously reported weak inhibitor (), we identified in this study the potent mechanism-based inactivator KPM-2 (), which is selective toward SIRT2.

Crystal structure of [1,2-bis-(di-phenyl-phosphan-yl)benzene]-hepta-carbonyldi-μ-hydrido-(μ-2,4,6-tri-methyl-phenyl-phosphin-idene)--triruthenium.

The title trinuclear ruthenium cluster, [Ru(CHP)(CHP)(CO)(μ-H)], has a triangular Ru core that is capped with a mesitylphosphin-idene ligand, μ-PMes (Mes = mesityl = 2,4,6-tri-methyl-phen-yl). The 1,2-bis-(di-phenyl-phosphan-yl)benzene mol-ecule acts as a bidentate phosphine ligand two P atoms connecting to a single Ru atom. The title compound crystallizes with two independent mol-ecules in the asymmetric unit.

Design, synthesis, and evaluation of Trolox-conjugated amyloid-β C-terminal peptides for therapeutic intervention in an in vitro model of Alzheimer's disease.

Two hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD) observed in the brains of patients with the disease include oxidative injury and deposition of protein aggregates comprised of amyloid-β (Aβ) variants. To inhibit these toxic processes, we synthesized antioxidant-conjugated peptides comprised of Trolox and various C-terminal motifs of Aβ variants, TxAβx-n (x=34, 36, 38, 40; n=40, 42, 43). Most of these compounds were found to exhibit anti-aggregation activities.

Evaluation of phenylcyclopropylamine compounds by enzymatic assay of lysine-specific demethylase 2 in the presence of NPAC peptide.

Lysine-specific demethylase 2 (LSD2) demethylates mono- and dimethylated Lys-4 of histone H3 (H3K4me1 and H3K4me2). NPAC protein is known to interact with LSD2 and promote its H3K4 demethylase activity. In this study, we established a demethylation assay system that utilizes recombinant LSD2 in the presence of a synthetic NPAC peptide.

Histone H3 peptide based LSD1-selective inhibitors.

A series of candidates for the histone H3 peptide based LSD1-selective inhibitor were designed and synthesized. Among peptides 1a-c and 2a-c, peptide 1a, which has a phenylcyclopropylamine (PCPA) moiety at Lys-4 of the 21 amino acid residues of histone H3, was the most potent LSD1-selective inhibitor. Truncation studies of peptide 1a revealed the significance of the peptide sequence length.

Efficacy of combination therapy with sitagliptin and low-dose glimepiride in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes.

Background: We examined the effects of combination therapy with 50 mg/day of sitagliptin and low-dose glimepiride (1 mg/day) in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Methods: Twenty-six patients with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes currently taking high-dose glimepiride (≥ 2 mg/day) were enrolled in the study. The dose of glimepiride was reduced to 1 mg/day and 50 mg/day of sitagliptin was added without changing the doses of any other antihyperglycemic agents.

Genome-wide association study of sensory disturbances in the inferior alveolar nerve after bilateral sagittal split ramus osteotomy.

Background: Bilateral sagittal split ramus osteotomy (BSSRO) is a common orthognatic surgical procedure. Sensory disturbances in the inferior alveolar nerve, including hypoesthesia and dysesthesia, are frequently observed after BSSRO, even without distinct nerve injury. The mechanisms that underlie individual differences in the vulnerability to sensory disturbances have not yet been elucidated.

Octa-carbonyldi-μ(2)-hydrido-[μ(3)-(1,3,5-trimethyl-phen-yl)phosphinidene](tri-phenyl-phosphane)-triangulo-triruthenium.

In the crystal structure of the title compound, [Ru(3)(C(9)H(11)P)H(2)(C(18)H(15)P)(CO)(8)], the triangular Ru(3) unit is capped with one mesitylphosphin-idene ligand. In the trigonal-pyramidal Ru(3)P core, one Ru(II) atom is coordinated by a triphenyl-phosphane ligand in a terminal fashion. Two hydride ligands bridge over two Ru-Ru bonds.

Intravenous sedation and hemodynamic changes during dental implant surgery.

Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to determine whether intravenous sedation during dental implant surgery contributed to stabilization of hemodynamics.

Materials And Methods: Two hundred fifty-five consecutive patients treated with dental implants were randomly assigned to receive either intravenous sedation with local anesthesia (sedation group, n = 123) or local anesthesia only (nonsedation group, n = 132). Midazolam and propofol were used synergistically as sedative agents.

Self-assembly pathways of E22Δ-type amyloid β peptide mutants generated from non-aggregative O-acyl isopeptide precursors.

The recently identified E22Δ-type amyloid β peptide (Aβ) mutants are reported to favor oligomerization over fibrillization and to exhibit more-potent synaptotoxicity than does wild-type (WT) Aβ. Aβ(E22Δ) mutants can thus be expected to serve as tools for clarifying the impact of Aβ oligomers in Alzheimer's disease (or Alzheimer's-type dementia). However, the biochemical and biophysical properties of Aβ(E22Δ) have not been conclusively determined.

Development of [Ile⁴⁰]HTLV-I protease inhibition assay using novel fluorogenic and chromogenic substrate.

HTLV-I is a debilitating and/or lethal retrovirus that causes HTLV-I-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis, adult T-cell leukemia and several inflammatory diseases. HTLV-I protease is an aspartic retropepsin involved in HTLV-I replication and its inhibition could treatHTLV-I infection. A recombinant L40I mutant HTLV-I protease was designed and obtained from Escherichia coli, self-processingand purification by ion-exchange chromatography.

Evaluation of superior BACE1 cleavage sequences containing unnatural amino acids.

A recombinant form of BACE1 (β-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme-1) corresponding to positions 46-454 of the extracellular domain of the original membrane enzyme was prepared. The recombinant BACE1 (rBACE1) had the kinetic parameters K(m)=5.5μM and k(cat)=1719s(-1).

Automatic segmentation of teeth from dentomaxillofacial 3D-CT images.

CT is an effective tool for image diagnosis because it enables noninvasive observation of internal organs. In the course of CT, 3D-CT, such as a helical scanning CT and a multi-detector row CT, has been developed. With the use of 3D-CT, organs can be observed from several viewing directions.

Tetrapeptides, as small-sized peptidic inhibitors; synthesis and their inhibitory activity against BACE1.

Beta-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1) is known to be involved in the production of amyloid beta-peptide in Alzheimer's disease and is a major target for current drug design. We previously reported substrate-based peptidomimetics, KMI-compounds as potent BACE1 inhibitors. In this study, we designed and synthesized tetrapeptides as low molecular-sized inhibitors.

Antimicrobial activity of super-oxidised water against oral microorganisms.

Objective: The radical anion of oxygen (O(-)) is extremely oxidative and shows high reactivity. In this study, the antibacterial activity of water super-oxidised water containing high concentration of O(-) (O(-)-water) was tested against cultured planktonic cells of cariogenic bacteria, periodontopathic bacteria and Candida albicans.

Methods: O(-)-water was prepared using the AOE-750 (Oxy Japan Corporation, Japan) and its antibacterial activity against pure culture of Streptococcus sobrinus, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Fusobacterium nucleatum and C.

Dehydrocoupling reactions of borane-secondary and -primary amine adducts catalyzed by group-6 carbonyl complexes: formation of aminoboranes and borazines.

Photoirradiation of a solution of BH(3).NHR(2) (1a: R = Me, 1b: R = 1/2C(4)H(8), 1c: R = 1/2C(5)H(10), 1f: R = Et) containing a catalytic amount of a group-6 metal carbonyl complex, [M(CO)(6)] (M = Cr, Mo, W), led to dehydrogenative B-N covalent bond formation to produce aminoborane dimers, [BH(2)NR(2)](2) (2a-c, f), in high yield. During these reactions a borane sigma complex, [M(CO)(5)(eta(1)-BH(3).

Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome and postoperative complications after orthognathic surgery.

Symptoms of Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) presenting immediately after surgery have lately been regarded as potential warnings of impending postoperative complications and multiple organ failure. Reports discussing the relationship between operative stress and SIRS are found in the field of digestive surgery, but not in that of oral surgery. Sixty-five patients with jaw deformity who had undergone maxillary and mandibular orthognathic surgery (Le Fort I osteotomy and sagittal splitting ramus osteotomy) between September 2003 and October 2006 were involved in this study.

Synthesis of amyloid beta peptide 1-42 (E22Delta) click peptide: pH-triggered in situ production of its native form.

Amyloid beta peptide (Abeta) 1-42 is known to be involved in the onset of Alzheimer's disease (AD). We developed a click peptide of Abeta1-42 as a useful tool for AD research on the basis of an O-acyl isopeptide method. The click peptide quickly produced intact Abeta1-42 via a pH-dependent O-to-N intramolecular acyl migration (pH-click).

Patient in whom surgery was selected to improve mandible position after changing doctors.

A patient who visited our department after job relocation was reexamined, and a marked discrepancy was found in mandibular position between centric occlusion and centric relation. Although the patient was originally scheduled to undergo orthodontic treatment only, the results of comprehensive tests indicated that surgery would be needed to resolve this discrepancy. Surgery was performed with the patient's consent, yielding favorable results.

Inhibitory effect of a dimerization-arm-mimetic peptide on EGF receptor activation.

A cyclic decapeptide was chemically synthesized that mimics the loop structure of a beta-hairpin arm of the EGF receptor, which is highly involved in receptor dimerization upon activation by ligand binding. This peptide was revealed to reduce dimer formation of the receptor in a detergent-solubilized extract of epidermoid carcinoma A431 cells and to inhibit receptor autophosphorylation at less than 10 microM in the intact cells.

Biphasic function of focal adhesion kinase in endothelial tube formation induced by fibril-forming collagens.

Migration and tube formation of endothelial cells are important in angiogenesis and require a coordinated response to the extra-cellular matrix (ECM) and growth factor. Since focal adhesion kinase (FAK) integrates signals from both ECM and growth factor, we investigated its role in angiogenesis. Type I and II collagens are fibril-forming collagens and stimulate human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) to form tube structure.