Synthesis of Arecatannin A1 from Dimeric Epicatechin Electrophile.

Synthesis of arrecatannin A1 (1) was accomplished from dimeric epicatechin electrophile, which was prepared by Zn(OTf)2 mediated self-condensation, and monomeric catechin nucleophile. The condensation was successfully worked using Yb(OTf)3 as a Lewis acid in good yield.

Distal femoral condyle is more internally rotated to the patellar tendon at 90° of flexion in normal knees.

Background: The configuration of the distal surface of the femur would be more important in terms of the patellofemoral (PF) joint contact because the patella generally contacts with the distal surface of the femur in knee flexion. Some total knee arthroplasty (TKA) designs configurate medially prominent asymmetric femoral condyles. This difference in the design of distal femoral condyle may affect the PF joint congruity in knee flexion.

Rotational alignment of the tibial component affects the kinematic rotation of a weight-bearing knee after total knee arthroplasty.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to elucidate how the rotational malalignment of prosthesis after total knee arthroplasty affects the rotational kinematics in a weight-bearing condition.

Methods: In this study of 18 knees replaced with the posterior stabilizing fixed-bearing system, which has a relatively low-restricting design, rotational angles between the femoral and tibial components and between the femur and tibia during stair climbing were evaluated in vivo in three dimensions using radiologically based image-matching techniques. Rotational alignments of the components were assessed by postoperative CT.

Pharmacokinetics, efficacy, and safety of caspofungin in Japanese pediatric patients with invasive candidiasis and invasive aspergillosis.

The antifungal agents approved in Japan for pediatric use are limited and many unapproved drugs are actually used without clear instruction for dosage. We investigated the pharmacokinetics of caspofungin for the treatment of invasive candidiasis and invasive aspergillosis in 20 Japanese pediatric patients using a pediatric-specific dosage based on body surface area. Caspofungin was administered intravenously over 60 min as 70 mg/m(2) on Day 1, followed by 50 mg/m(2) per day.

Localization of S100A2, S100A4, S100A6, S100A7, and S100P in the human hair follicle.

The hair follicle is a highly differentiated structure. In this study, we examined immunohistological localization of S100A2, S100A4, S100A6, S100A7, and S100P using specific monoclonal antibodies. S100A2 was strongly expressed in the entire outer-root sheath (ORS), but more weakly in cuticle and medulla in the bulb.

Localization of S100A2, S100A4, S100A6, S100A7, and S100P in the human hair follicle.

The hair follicle is a highly differentiated structure. In this study, we examined immunohistological localization of S100A2, S100A4, S100A6, S100A7, and S100P using specific monoclonal antibodies. S100A2 was strongly expressed in the entire outer-root sheath (ORS), but more weakly in cuticle and medulla in the bulb.

Hippocampal state-dependent behavioral reflex to an identical sensory input in rats.

We examined the local field potential of the hippocampus to monitor brain states during a conditional discrimination task, in order to elucidate the relationship between ongoing brain states and a conditioned motor reflex. Five 10-week-old Wistar/ST male rats underwent a serial feature positive conditional discrimination task in eyeblink conditioning using a preceding light stimulus as a conditional cue for reinforced trials. In this task, a 2-s light stimulus signaled that the following 350-ms tone (conditioned stimulus) was reinforced with a co-terminating 100-ms periorbital electrical shock.

Non-contrast-enhanced MR portography and hepatic venography with time-spatial labeling inversion pulses: comparison of imaging with the short tau inversion recovery method and the chemical shift selective method.

Purpose: To compare and evaluate images of non-contrast enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) portography and hepatic venography acquired with two different fat suppression methods, the chemical shift selective (CHESS) method and short tau inversion recovery (STIR) method.

Materials And Methods: Twenty-two healthy volunteers were examined using respiratory-triggered three-dimensional true steady-state free-precession with two time-spatial labeling inversion pulses. The CHESS or STIR methods were used for fat suppression.

Comparison of monopolar and bipolar diffusion weighted imaging sequences for detection of small hepatic metastases.

Objective: To compare monopolar (MP) and bipolar (BP) diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) in detecting small liver metastases.

Materials And Methods: Eighty-eight patients underwent 3-T MRI. The signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) of the liver parenchyma and lesions, the lesion-to-liver contrast-to-noise ratios (CNR), and the detection sensitivities were compared.

Non-contrast-enhanced MR portography with balanced steady-state free-precession sequence and time-spatial labeling inversion pulses: comparison of imaging with flow-in and flow-out methods.

Purpose: To compare and evaluate images of non-contrast-enhanced MR portography acquired with two different methods, the flow-in and flow-out methods.

Materials And Methods: Twenty-five healthy volunteers were examined using respiratory-triggered three-dimensional balanced steady-state free-precession (SSFP) with two selective inversion recovery pulses (flow-in method) and one tagging pulse and one nonselective inversion recovery pulse (flow-out method). For quantitative analysis, vessel-to-liver contrast (Cv-l) ratios of the main portal vein (MPV), right portal vein (RPV), and left portal vein (LPV) were measured.

The 'whistled' fricative in Xitsonga: its articulation and acoustics.

The present study examines the articulation and acoustics of the typologically rare and understudied 'whistled' fricative sound in Xitsonga, a Southern Bantu language. Using ultrasound imaging and video recording, we examine the lingual and labial articulation of the whistled fricative. For the acoustic analysis, we employ the multitaper spectral analysis, which ensures reliable spectral estimates.

Context effects as auditory contrast.

Three experiments are reported that collectively show that listeners perceive speech sounds as contrasting auditorily with neighboring sounds. Experiment 1 replicates the well-established finding that listeners categorize more of a [d-g] continuum as [g] after [l] than after [r]. Experiments 2 and 3 show that listeners discriminate stimuli in which the energy concentrations differ in frequency between the spectra of neighboring sounds better than those in which they do not differ.

High glucose level promotes migration behavior of breast cancer cells through zinc and its transporters.

Background: The diabetes patients have been associated with an increased risk of mortality by breast cancer and there are difference between the breast cancer patients with diabetes, and their nondiabetic counterparts in the regimen choice and effects of breast cancer treatment. However, the pathophysiological relationships of diabetes and breast cancer have not yet been elucidated in detail. In this study, we investigate the breast cancer cell line, MCF-7 motility, which linked to invasion and metastasis, in high glucose level corresponding to hyperglycemia and the role of Zn and its transporter.

Internal rotation of femoral component affects functional activities after TKA--survey with the 2011 Knee Society Score.

The 2011 Knee Society Knee Scoring System (KSS) was developed as a new patient-derived outcome measure to better characterize satisfaction, expectations, and physical activities after total knee arthroplasty. The rotational alignment of the femoral and tibial components was assessed with computed tomography in 75 patients (92 knees), and its effect on the scores of the KSS was evaluated. Internal rotation of the femoral component relative to the surgical epicondylar axis significantly decreased the score of functional activities and slightly decreased the score of satisfaction.

Homodigital artery flap reconstruction for fingertip amputation: a comparative study of the oblique triangular neurovascular advancement flap and the reverse digital artery island flap.

This fingertip reconstruction study retrospectively compared sensory recovery and active range of motion outcomes in neurovascular island advancement and reverse digital artery island flaps. Seventeen oblique triangular flaps and 14 reverse digital artery island flaps were performed for nail bed level fingertip amputations (Ishikawa subzone II). There was no significant difference between the two procedures in the Semmes-Weinstein monofilament test and range of motion results.

Production and perception of listener-oriented clear speech in child language.

In this paper, we ask whether children are sensitive to the needs of their interlocutor, and, if so, whether they - like adults - modify acoustic characteristics of their speech as part of a communicative goal. In a production task, preschoolers participated in a word learning task that favored the use of clear speech. Children produced vowels that were longer, more intense, more dispersed in the vowel space, and had a more expanded F0 range than normal speech.

Changes in pathological and biochemical findings of systemic tissue sites in familial amyloid polyneuropathy more than 10 years after liver transplantation.

Objective: To elucidate the long-term effects of liver transplantation (LT) on familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP).

Methods: We investigated clinicopathological and biochemical characteristics of systemic tissues in four autopsied cases of FAP patients surviving more than 10 years after LT and seven autopsied cases without LT. For analysing the truncated form of transthyretin (TTR) in amyloid, we also employed specimens from additional 18 FAP patients.

Structure-cytotoxic activity relationship of sesquilignan, morinol A.

The cytotoxic activities of sesquilignans, (7S,8S,7'R,8'R)- and (7R,8R,7'S,8'S)-morinol A and (7S,8S,7'S,8'S)- and (7R,8R,7'R,8'R)-morinol B were compared, showing no significant difference between stereoisomers (IC50=24-35 μM). As a next stage, the effect of substituents at 7, 7', and 7"-aromatic ring on the activity was evaluated to find out the higher activity of (7S,8S,7'R,8'R)-7,7',7"-phenyl derivative 18 (IC50=6-7 μM). In the research on the structure-activity relationship of 7"-position of (7S,8S,7'R,8'R)-7,7',7"-phenyl derivative 18, the most potent compounds were 7,7',7"-phenyl derivative 18 (IC50=6 μM) against HeLa cells.

Cytokine mediated immune responses in the Japanese pufferfish (Takifugu rubripes) administered with heat-killed Lactobacillus paracasei spp. paracasei (06TCa22) isolated from the Mongolian dairy product.

The important role played by cytokines in host innate immunity and the interaction of subsets of immune and inflammatory cells through cytokines offer avenues for immune interventions. We investigated 16 cytokine gene responses in the Japanese pufferfish, Takifugu rubripes orally treated with a heat-killed lactic acid bacterium (LAB), Lactobacillus paracasei spp. paracasei (strain 06TCa22) (Lpp) isolated from a Mongolian dairy product at 1mgg(-1)body weightd(-1) for 3days.

Effects of oral administration of probiotics from Mongolian dairy products on the Th1 immune response in mice.

We investigated 10 lactic acid bacteria strains with probiotic potential prepared from Mongolian dairy products for their ability to induce T helper type-1 (Th1) cytokine production in mouse immune cells in vitro and in vivo. Among these strains, the Lactobacillus plantarum 06CC2 strain was effective in elevating the level of interleukin (IL)-12p40 in co-culture with J774.1 cells and the levels of IL-12 and interferon (IFN)-γ in co-culture with mouse spleen cells in vitro.

Elevated cytokine responses to Vibrio harveyi infection in the Japanese pufferfish (Takifugu rubripes) treated with Lactobacillus paracasei spp. paracasei (06TCa22) isolated from the Mongolian dairy product.

With the aim of evaluating the effect of a Mongolian dairy product derived Lactobacillus paracasei spp. paracasei (strain 06TCa22) (Lpp) on the cytokine-mediated immune responses to Vibrio harveyi infection, we examined 16 cytokine expressions in the Japanese pufferfish, Takifugu rubripes. Fish were orally treated with the heat-killed Lpp at 1 mg g(-1) body weight d(-1) for 3 days.