Metagenomic analyses of 7000 to 5500 years old coprolites excavated from the Torihama shell-mound site in the Japanese archipelago.

Coprolites contain various kinds of ancient DNAs derived from gut micro-organisms, viruses, and foods, which can help to determine the gut environment of ancient peoples. Their genomic information should be helpful in elucidating the interaction between hosts and microbes for thousands of years, as well as characterizing the dietary behaviors of ancient people. We performed shotgun metagenomic sequencing on four coprolites excavated from the Torihama shell-mound site in the Japanese archipelago.

Systemic and Quadriceps Muscle O Dynamics in Subjects Without Attenuation Point of Deoxygenated Haemoglobin Concentration During Ramp Cycling Exercise.

The aim of this study was to compare systemic and quadriceps muscle O dynamics between aerobic capacity-matched subjects without (NAP; n = 5) and with (CON; n = 13) attenuation point in deoxygenated haemoglobin concentration (deoxy-Hb) at vastus lateralis (AP) during ramp cycling exercise. Muscle O saturation (SmO) and deoxy-Hb were monitored at the vastus lateralis (VL), rectus femoris (RF), and vastus medialis (VM) by spatial resolved near infrared spectroscopy during exercise. Cardiac output (CO) and pulmonary O uptake (VO) were also continuously measured.

Mating experiences with the same partner enhanced mating activities of naïve male medaka fish.

Mating experience shapes male mating behavior across species, from insects, fish, and birds, to rodents. Here, we investigated the effect of multiple mating experiences on male mating behavior in "naïve" (defined as sexually inexperienced) male medaka fish. The latency to mate with the same female partner significantly decreased after the second encounter, whereas when the partner was changed, the latency to mate was not decreased.

Increased Stimulation Intensity Helped to Cope with Prolonged Seizures During the Next Round of Modified Electroconvulsive Therapy: A Case Report.

Background: Numerous protocols exist to counteract prolonged seizures during modified electroconvulsive therapy (mECT), such as anaesthetic adjustments and ventilation. Evidence on methods for deciding whether to continue with the next round of mECT after a prolonged seizure and to prevent recurrent seizures is currently not well established.

Case Presentation: The patient was a 76-year-old woman with major depressive disorder.

Canagliflozin Suppresses Atrial Remodeling in a Canine Atrial Fibrillation Model.

Background Recent clinical trials have demonstrated the possible pleiotropic effects of SGLT2 (sodium-glucose cotransporter 2) inhibitors in clinical cardiovascular diseases. Atrial electrical and structural remodeling is important as an atrial fibrillation (AF) substrate. Methods and Results The present study assessed the effect of canagliflozin (CAN), an SGLT2 inhibitor, on atrial remodeling in a canine AF model.

Parallel Evolution of Two dmrt1-Derived Genes, dmy and dm-W, for Vertebrate Sex Determination.

Animal sex-determining genes, which bifurcate for female and male development, are diversified even among closely related species. Most of these genes emerged independently from various sex-related genes during species diversity as neofunctionalization-type genes. However, the common mechanisms of this divergent evolution remain poorly understood.

Medaka Population Genome Structure and Demographic History Described via Genotyping-by-Sequencing.

Medaka is a model organism in medicine, genetics, developmental biology and population genetics. Lab stocks composed of more than 100 local wild populations are available for research in these fields. Thus, medaka represents a potentially excellent bioresource for screening disease-risk- and adaptation-related genes in genome-wide association studies.

Effects of Aerobic Cycling Training on O Dynamics in Several Leg Muscles in Early Post-myocardial Infarction.

The aim of this study was to test the effects of aerobic cycling training on O dynamics in several leg muscles in early post-myocardial infarction (post-MI). Fifteen post-MI patients were divided into a 12-week training group (TR, n = 9) or a control/non-training group (CON, n = 6). All participants performed ramp bicycle exercise until exhaustion at two times: within 12-35 days of their MI and then again 12 weeks later.

Abnormal nuclear morphology is independent of longevity in a zmpste24-deficient fish model of Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS).

Lamin is an intermediate protein underlying the nuclear envelope and it plays a key role in maintaining the integrity of the nucleus. A defect in the processing of its precursor by a metalloprotease, ZMPSTE24, results in the accumulation of farnesylated prelamin in the nucleus and causes various diseases, including Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS). However, the role of lamin processing is unclear in fish species.

Changes in the Width of the Tibiofibular Syndesmosis Related to Lower Extremity Joint Dynamics and Neuromuscular Coordination on Drop Landing During the Menstrual Cycle.

Background: Many injuries of the lower extremities, especially the knee and ankle, occur during sports activity, and the incidence rate is higher in women than in men.

Hypothesis: The hypothesis was that phases of the menstrual cycle affect the width of the tibiofibular syndesmosis during drop landing in healthy young women and that such changes at the tibiofibular joint also affect the dynamics and neuromuscular coordination of the lower extremities.

Study Design: Descriptive laboratory study.

Experimental evidence reveals the UCP1 genotype changes the oxygen consumption attributed to non-shivering thermogenesis in humans.

Humans have spread out all over the world adapting to many different cold environments. Recent worldwide genome analyses and animal experiments have reported dozens of genes associated with cold adaptation. The uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) gene enhances thermogenesis reaction in a physiological process by blocking ATP (adenosine triphosphate) synthesis on a mitochondrial membrane in brown adipose tissues.

Multi-site Measurements of Muscle O Dynamics During Cycling Exercise in Early Post-myocardial Infarction.

The aim of this study was to compare the muscle oxygen dynamics between early post-myocardial infarction (n = 12; MI) and age-matched elderly subjects without MI (n = 12; CON) in several leg muscles during ramp cycling exercise. Muscle oxygen saturation (SmO), deoxygenated-hemoglobin concentration (∆deoxy-Hb), and total-hemoglobin concentration (∆total-Hb) were monitored continuously at the distal site of vastus lateralis (VLd), proximal site of the vastus lateralis (VLp), rectus femoris (RF), vastus medialis (VM), gastrocnemius medialis (GM), and tibialis anterior (TA) muscles by near infrared spatial resolved spectroscopy. At given absolute workloads, higher SmO was observed at VLd, VLp, RF, and VM in MI, compared to CON.

An ancestral haplotype of the human PERIOD2 gene associates with reduced sensitivity to light-induced melatonin suppression.

Humans show various responses to the environmental stimulus in individual levels as "physiological variations." However, it has been unclear if these are caused by genetic variations. In this study, we examined the association between the physiological variation of response to light-stimulus and genetic polymorphisms.

An Approach to Elucidate NBS1 Function in DNA Repair Using Frequent Nonsynonymous Polymorphism in Wild Medaka (Oryzias latipes) Populations.

Nbs1 is one of the genes responsible for Nijmegen breakage syndrome, which is marked with high radiosensitivity. In human NBS1 (hNBS1), Q185E polymorphism is known as the factor to cancer risks, although its DSB repair defect has not been addressed. Here we investigated the genetic variations in medaka (Oryzias latipes) wild populations, and found 40 nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in medaka nbs1 (olnbs1) gene within 5 inbred strains.

A comparative study on the regulatory region of the PERIOD1 gene among diurnal/nocturnal primates.

Background: The circadian clock is set up around a 24-h period in humans who are awake in the daytime and sleep in the nighttime, accompanied with physiological and metabolic rhythms. Most haplorhine primates, including humans, are diurnal, while most "primitive" strepsirrhine primates are nocturnal, suggesting primates have evolved from nocturnal to diurnal habits. The mechanisms of physiological changes causing the habits and of genetic changes causing the physiological changes are, however, unknown.

Effects of Acupuncture Stimulation on Muscle Tissue Oxygenation at Different Points.

Muscle tissue oxygenation is a critical issue in muscle complications such as pain, exhaustion, stiffness, or fatigue during and after exercise. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the changes of muscle tissue oxygenation could be observed at both erector spinae muscle at S1 level and gastrocnemius during and after acupuncture stimulation to ipsilateral erector spinae at S1 level. The subjects were ten healthy males.