Acute inhibition of AMPA receptors by perampanel reduces amyloid β-protein levels by suppressing β-cleavage of APP in Alzheimer's disease models.

Hippocampal hyperexcitability is a promising therapeutic target to prevent Aβ deposition in AD since enhanced neuronal activity promotes presynaptic Aβ production and release. This article highlights the potential application of perampanel (PER), an AMPA receptor (AMPAR) antagonist approved for partial seizures, as a therapeutic agent for AD. Using transgenic AD mice combined with in vivo brain microdialysis and primary neurons under oligomeric Aβ-evoked neuronal hyperexcitability, the acute effects of PER on Aβ metabolism were investigated.

GFAP-Negative Subcutaneous Sacrococcygeal Extraspinal Ependymoma.

Ependymomas are slowly growing glial tumors derived from the ependymal cells and usually occur in the central nervous system (CNS). Ependymomas rarely occur outside of the CNS and they are called extraspinal ependymomas. In spite of their metastatic potential, extraspinal ependymomas can be misdiagnosed for other benign mass like pilonidal cysts.

Infection control in the respiratory care of coronavirus disease-19 patients with neuromuscular diseases.

Close contact is unavoidable in the care of patients with neuromuscular diseases (NMD). In addition, respiratory physiotherapy and noninvasive ventilation generate massive amounts of aerosols. Caring for a patient suffering from coronavirus disease-19 raises concerns about the risk of infection not only to the caregiver and/or medical staff but also to other individuals in contact with these personnel.

Longitudinal changes and body composition assessment using bioelectrical impedance in elderly patients with mild disequilibrium and different care needs.

[Purpose] This study involved performing longitudinal measurements of muscle mass in elderly patients with mild disequilibrium using a body composition meter. The rate of change and characteristics were determined according to the level of care needed. [Participants and Methods] Bioelectrical impedance was used to measure body composition in 20 elderly females in Care Needs Category 1 (n=10) and 2 (n=8); body composition was measured every 3 months for 1 year.

Early manifestations of epileptic encephalopathy, brain atrophy, and elevation of serum neuron specific enolase in a boy with beta-propeller protein-associated neurodegeneration.

Mutations in WDR45 are responsible for beta-propeller protein-associated neurodegeneration (BPAN), which is an X-linked form of neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation. BPAN mainly affects females and is characterized by seizures and developmental delay or intellectual disability until adolescence or early adulthood, followed by severe dystonia, parkinsonism, and progressive dementia. However, rare male patients have recently been reported with hemizygous germline mutations in WDR45 and severe clinical manifestations, such as epileptic encephalopathies.

Simple Derivation of Spinal Motor Neurons from ESCs/iPSCs Using Sendai Virus Vectors.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive and fatal degenerative disorder of motor neurons (MNs). Embryonic stem cells (ESCs)/induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) now help us to understand the pathomechanisms of ALS via disease modeling. Various methods to differentiate ESCs/iPSCs into MNs by the addition of signaling molecules have been reported.

[Integrated Community Care from the Perspective of Patients Receiving End-of-Life Treatment].

I studied patients who had received end-of-life care at our clinic and investigated integrated community care based on these experiences. Atotal of 543 patients received end-of-life care at our clinic from October of 2007 to December of 2012. The number of those who received such care at home showed a growing trend while the number of patients receiving such care at hospitals tended to decrease.

[The Present Conditions of a Provincial City].

The goal of community-based comprehensive care is to improve the quality of life(QOL)of patients by accommodating their individual values and by making full use of inter-professional collaboration. Since the number of individuals over the age of 65 years in provincial cities has already reached its peak, any future increase in the number of individuals over the age of 65 years will be due to a decrease in the working-age population. As there is no time to spare, immediate actions must be taken to promote collaboration among nursing and welfare facilities.

[An examination of home care for patients over age 85 after surgery].

To examine home care for patients over age 85 after surgery, we made comparisons across postoperative courses for their effects on disuse syndrome based on the duration of home care and the duration of survival. The duration of home care was long in surgical cases of patients aged under 74 and patients aged 75-84, and it was short in surgical cases of patients aged over 85. Although having trust in surgeons may delay the transition to home care, early transition is desirable.

[Comparison of home-care and welfare facilities].

Postoperative care conditions for elderly patients were examined. The present case is that of an 86-year-old man who underwent rectal amputation and colostomy owing to rectal cancer. Because he developed cerebral infarction and his disuse syndrome also advanced during postoperative hospitalization, he left the hospital with intravenous hyperalimentation.

[A case of a patient with rheumatoid vasculitis who was successfully transferred to home-care services through regional cooperation].

We investigated a case of a patient with rheumatoid vasculitis who was successfully transferred to home-care services through regional cooperation. The patient was a 63-year-old woman with rheumatoid vasculitis complicated by small bowel necrosis, cerebral infarction, heart failure, scleritis, etc. In the present system, admission of such patients to acute or long-term care hospitals is difficult.

[Medical cooperation for enabling a smooth shift to remote medical treatment].

To raise awareness of remote medical treatment, seminars are held and patients are invited to participate in medical treatment in a short-term care hospital, a hospice, or a long-term care hospital. The first and second halves of the home treatment period in this clinic were individually examined. The results showed that the home treatment period was extended, which was considered to be the effect of cooperation.

[Successful treatment of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus meningitis by intrathecal injection of vancomycin].

A 70-year-old Japanese man developed fever, headache, and lumbago, presumably due to an epidural abscess caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in the L5-S2 region. On the night of admission to our hospital, he showed disorientation to places and abnormal eating behavior, indicating a complication of MRSA meningitis. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examination confirmed this diagnosis.

Giant magnetoresistance observed in (Fe,Mn)3O4 artificial nanoconstrained structures at room temperature.

We fabricated ferromagnetic oxide (Fe,Mn)(3)O(4) (FMO) nanoconstrained structures using two different steps involving atomic force microscope lithography in combination with a pulsed laser deposition technique. The widths of three FMO nanoconstrained structures were 150, 100, and 50 nm. The I-V characteristic of the 50 nm width FMO nanoconstrained structure changed dramatically from linear to nonlinear after forming the nanoconstrained structure.

Neuroendocrine cancer-specific up-regulating mechanism of insulin-like growth factor binding protein-2 in small cell lung cancer.

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) exhibits insulin-like growth factor-dependent growth. SCLC is the most aggressive among known in vivo lung cancers, whereas in vitro growth of SCLC is paradoxically slow as compared with that of non-SCLC (NSCLC). In this study, we demonstrate that SCLC cells overexpress insulin-like growth factor binding protein (IGFBP)-2 via NeuroD, a neuroendocrine cell-specific transcription factor.

Controlled fabrication of epitaxial (Fe,Mn)3O4 artificial nanowire structures and their electric and magnetic properties.

Epitaxial (Fe,Mn)(3)O(4) (FMO) ferromagnetic oxide artificial nanowire (NW) structures were deposited across Pt/Cr bilayer electrodes with a high controllability on their shape and positioning by using atomic force microscope (AFM) lithography with molybdenum (Mo) lift-off in combination with a pulsed laser deposition technique. The oxide wire widths were systematically controlled from 5 microm down to 100 nm by controlling AFM lithography current for Mo-mask. The resistivity of FMO-NW structures was increased at below around 400 nm in width.

Transcutaneous photocoupler for transmission of biological signals.

A compact, photocouplerlike system is presented for wireless transcutaneous transmission of biological signals. The system consists of an optically powered near-infrared light transmitter, a receiver for the signals from it, and a near-infrared light source with which to irradiate it. The transmitter, which is implanted under the skin, is transcutaneously coupled with the receiver and the light source, which are combined and placed on the skin.