Synthesis and Oxidative Degradation of Leucine-Based Poly(diacylhydrazine).

Diacylhydrazine is thermally and chemically stable, and it remains inert to oxygen even at high temperatures. However, it is rapidly oxidized by sodium hypochlorite, leading to its decomposition into carboxylic acid and nitrogen gas. In the synthesis of a novel poly(diacylhydrazine) as an oxidatively degradable polymer, L-leucine methyl ester is acylated by terephthaloyl chloride.

Bromovalerylurea modulates GABA receptor-mediated inhibitory neurotransmission while inducing sleep.

Bromovalerylurea (BU), an acyl urea derivative, was originally developed as a hypnotic/sedative. We recently reported that BU at a dose of 50 mg/kg ameliorates sepsis, Parkinson's disease, and traumatic brain injury in Wistar rat models through its anti-inflammatory actions on microglia and macrophages. However, since BU was developed more than 100 years ago, its hypnotic mechanism and characteristics are poorly understood.

Microglial re-modeling contributes to recovery from ischemic injury of rat brain: A study using a cytokine mixture containing granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and interleukin-3.

Ischemic stroke is a leading cause of mortality and permanent disability. Chronic stroke lesions increase gradually due to the secondary neuroinflammation that occurs following acute ischemic neuronal degeneration. In this study, the ameliorating effect of a cytokine mixture consisting of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and interleukin (IL)-3 was evaluated on ischemic brain injury using a rat stroke model prepared by transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO).

Co-continuous structural effect of size-controlled macro-porous glass membrane on extracellular vesicle collection for the analysis of miRNA.

Recent studies have shown that extracellular vesicles (EVs) can be utilized as appropriate and highly specific biomarkers in liquid biopsy for the diagnosis and prognosis of serious illness. However, there are few methods that can collect and isolate miRNA in EVs simply, quickly and efficiently using general equipment such as a normal centrifuge. In this paper, we developed an advanced glass membrane column (AGC) device incorporating a size-controlled macro-porous glass (MPG) membrane with a co-continuous structure to overcome the limitations of conventional EV collection and miRNA extraction from the EVs.

Synaptic elimination by microglia and disturbed higher brain functions.

Microglial cells in normal mature brains have long been considered to be cells that are resting until pathological events take place, activating the microglial cells. However, it is currently well known that the microglia that have resting ramified morphology in normal mature brains move actively in the brain parenchyma and phagocytose synapses, thus forming and maintaining neural circuits. This review summarizes recent findings on the roles of microglia in mature brains, with special reference to phagocytosis of synapses and higher brain functions.

Lister hooded rats as a novel animal model of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Appropriate animal models are necessary to determine the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This study used a battery of behavioral tests to compare Lister hooded rats (LHRs), an old outbred strain frequently used for autistic epilepsy research, with Wistar rats and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs), a commonly used ADHD model. The open field, elevated plus maze, light/dark box, and drop tests demonstrated that LHRs were the most hyperactive animals and displayed the most inattentive- and impulsive-like behaviors, which are characteristics of ADHD.

Patient Based Bull's Eye Map Display of Coronary Artery and Ventricles From Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography.

Coronary computed tomography angiography is widely used in clinical practice. Although 3-dimensional (D) volume rendering is useful for interpretation of coronary path and territory, 2D output is common for image interpretation. Most picture archiving and communication system is incapable of manipulating 3D due to insufficient graphic specification.

[A Case of Locally Advanced Sigmoid Colon Cancer Occupying the Pelvis with Successful Total Posterior Pelvic Exenteration after Triplet Chemotherapy].

We report a case of locally advanced colon cancer that directly invaded the rectum wall and uterus resulting in huge mass in the whole pelvis that we could successfully made complete radical resection of the whole tumor without exposing the tumor to the surgical margin after the triplet chemotherapy. The patient was a 57-year-old woman complaining of anus pain, melena, fever, and weight loss. Although swelling of the regional lymph node was observed, no distant metastasis was found resulting in clinical diagnosis of Stage Ⅲb.

Aire Controls in the Production of Medullary Thymic Epithelial Cells Expressing Ly-6C/Ly-6G.

Medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs), which express a wide range of tissue-restricted Ags (TRAs), contribute to the establishment of self-tolerance by eliminating autoreactive T cells and/or inducing regulatory T cells. Aire controls a diverse set of TRAs within Aire-expressing cells by employing various transcriptional pathways. As Aire has a profound effect on transcriptomes of mTECs, including TRAs not only at the single-cell but also the population level, we suspected that Aire (Aire mTECs) might control the cellular composition of the thymic microenvironment.

Developmental Support for Sick Children through Play in Japan's ECEC System: A Comparison with Hospital Play Specialists.

Early childhood education and care (ECEC) workers and hospital play specialists (HPSs) share a role in supporting the development of sick children through play while respecting their autonomy. On the other hand, in supporting children's play, managing their anxiety, and making environmental arrangements for them, ECEC workers and HPSs play different roles. When supporting the development of sick children, the former should respect their autonomy and make the most of the characteristics of ECEC as a measure to comprehensively support their participation in play, including it in their daily lives.

Perpendicular Orientation Control without Interfacial Treatment of RAFT-Synthesized High-χ Block Copolymer Thin Films with Sub-10 nm Features Prepared via Thermal Annealing.

In this study, a series of perpendicular lamellae-forming poly(polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane methacrylate-block-2,2,2-trifluoroethyl methacrylate)s (PMAPOSS-b-PTFEMAs) was developed based on the bottom-up concept of creating a simple yet effective material by tailoring the chemical properties and molecular composition of the material. The use of silicon (Si)-containing hybrid high-χ block copolymers (BCPs) provides easy access to sub-10 nm feature sizes. However, as the surface free energies (SFEs) of Si-containing polymers are typically vastly lower than organic polymers, this tends to result in the selective segregation of the inorganic block onto the air interface and increased difficulty in controlling the BCP orientation in thin films.

The cyclopentyl group, as a small but bulky terminal group, allows rapid and efficient active transport.

Secondary ammonium salts bearing a cyclopentyl terminal group rapidly formed pseudorotaxane with 1.5 equiv of DB24C8. Acylation of the pseudorotaxane with 50 equiv of benzoyl chloride in the presence of 50 equiv of triethylamine in toluene afforded rotaxane, the product of active transport, in 95% yield.

Directed one-pot syntheses of crown ether wheel-containing main chain-type polyrotaxanes with controlled rotaxanation ratios.

The directed synthesis of main chain-type polyrotaxanes possessing crown ether wheels was successfully achieved through two methods, A and B. Method A involved the direct wheel threading of poly(sec-ammonium salt) followed by end-capping with a bulky group, while method B utilized polyaddition of a pseudo[2]rotaxane monomer to facilitate the control of the structure, i.e.

Axle length effect on photoinduced electron transfer in triad rotaxane with porphyrin, [60]fullerene, and triphenylamine.

Photoinduced multiple electron-transfer processes of a newly synthesized rotaxane with one acceptor and two donors are studied with the time-resolved fluorescence and absorption methods. In this rotaxane, zinc porphyrin (ZnP) with a crown-ether necklace is employed as a photosensitized electron donor; through the crown-ether, a short axle with C(60) and triphenylamine (TPA) at both terminals is penetrating as an electron acceptor and a hole-shift, respectively (abbreviated as (ZnP;C(60)-(A(S))-TPA)(Rot)). The time-resolved fluorescence and transient absorption measurements reveal that the through-space electron-transfer processes take place via the excited states of the ZnP unit to the spatially arranged C(60) moiety, giving the radical ion pair (ZnP(*+);C(60)(*-)-(A(S))-TPA)(Rot) in polar solvents.

Axle charge effects on photoinduced electron transfer processes in rotaxanes containing porphyrin and [60]fullerene.

Two rotaxanes containing zinc porphyrin (ZnP) with crown ether and [60]fullerene (C(60)) with cationic and neutral axles are synthesized. Optimized structures calculated by molecular orbital methods indicate that the rotaxane with an ammonium cation in the center of the axle has a shorter distance between the C(60) and ZnP moieties than that of the rotaxane with a neutral axle because of acylation of the ammonium cation, which draws away the C(60) and ZnP moieties by releasing the interaction with the crown ether. The charge-transfer interaction is revealed by absorption spectra for the rotaxane with a short distance, but not for the rotaxane with a long distance, which strongly affects the rates and efficiencies of photoinduced electron-transfer and energy-transfer processes via the excited singlet states of the ZnP and C(60) moieties and their triplet states, as revealed by the time-resolved fluorescence and absorption measurements.

Effect of vitamin D supplementation in the institutionalized elderly.

An intervention study with vitamin D supplementation was conducted in order to study the amount of vitamin D required in the elderly. Sixty-four institutionalized elderly were randomly assigned to two groups: group (A) to take a beverage containing 200 mg calcium daily, and group (B) to take a beverage containing 200 mg calcium and 5 microg vitamin D daily for 30 days. Prior to the study, the subjects' average vitamin D intake was 7.

Dynamic covalent chemistry of the Nicholas ether-exchange reaction.

The Nicholas ether-exchange reaction was found to be reversible and can be used to synthesize complex molecules in dynamic covalent chemistry (DCC). The Nicholas ether-exchange reaction is used to prepare 20-Crown-6 ether in the presence of potassium salt at low temperature.

[Study of personal best value of peak expiratory flow in patients with asthma--comparison of the highest value of daily PEF under good control and the highest value of daily PEF obtained after using repeated inhaled beta2-agonist during high-dose inhaled steroid treatment].

Background: In the guideline for asthma management, it is important to find the personal best value of peak expiratory flow (best PEF). Recently, we have substituted the highest value of PEF in daily life under good control (daily highest PEF) for the best PEF.

Aim: In the present study, we considered whether the daily highest PEF could be used as the best PEF or not.

Quantitative active transport in [2]rotaxane using a one-shot acylation reaction toward the linear molecular motor.

A rotaxane consisting of a crown ether wheel and a secondary ammonium salt axle, on which a neopentyl-type end-cap was placed close to the ammonium moiety, was prepared. When the rotaxane was treated by excess triethylamine, the wheel component thermodynamically moved over the proximate neopentyl group to deconstruct the interlocked structure. The wheel component in the rotaxane, however, quantitatively moved against the proximate end-cap by the action of trifluoroacetic anhydride in the presence of excess triethylamine.

A prospective survey on safety of sustained-release theophylline in treatment of asthma and COPD.

Background: Theophylline is a useful drug for the treatment of asthma. The Asthma Prevention and Management Guidelines (JGL) recommend use of sustained-release theophylline products as controllers and of injectable aminophylline products as relievers. The Global Initiative for Asthma: Global Strategy for Asthma Management and Prevention, the NHLB/WHP Workshop Report 1995 (GINA, 1995) and guidelines in Western countries recommend sustained-release theophylline, but not as positively as in the JGL.

Prospective survey on safety evaluation of injectable methylxanthines in Japan.

Background: Injectable methylxanthines are useful drugs in the treatment of asthma. The Asthma Prevention and Management Guidelines (JGL) that are followed in Japan recommend the use of sustained-release theophylline to control the disease and use of injectable methylxanthines to alleviate symptoms. In contrast, the guidelines followed in the west do not promote theophylline use due to safety concerns, and the use of injectable methylxanthines in particular are not recommended.

Synthesis and photoinduced electron transfer processes of rotaxanes bearing [60]fullerene and zinc porphyrin: effects of interlocked structure and length of axle with porphyrins.

Three rotaxanes, with axles with two zinc porphyrins (ZnPs) at both ends penetrating into a necklace pending a C60 moiety, were synthesized with varying interlocked structures and axle lengths. The intra-rotaxane photoinduced electron transfer processes between the spatially positioned C60 and ZnP in rotaxanes were investigated. Charge-separated (CS) states (ZnP*+, C60*-)rotaxane are formed via the excited singlet state of ZnP (1ZnP*) to the C60 moiety in solvents such as benzonitrile, THF, and toluene.