The role of osteocrin in memory formation during early learning, as revealed by visual imprinting in chicks.

Osteocrin (OSTN) is structurally associated with natriuretic peptides. Its expression in the brain, which has only been recognized in anthropoid primates, is induced by sensory stimuli and regulates the activity-dependent dendritic growth of neurons. However, details on the signaling mechanisms of OSTN and its function in plastic changes during learning and memory have yet to be elucidated.

Multidisciplinary treatment of giant thymoma, paving the way to complete surgical resection: a case report.

Background: A multidisciplinary treatment approach is recommended for patients with extensive, advanced, or recurrent thymomas. However, detailed treatment strategies, such as chemotherapy regimens and optimal surgical procedures, are still under debate.

Case Presentation: We report a case of gigantic locally advanced thymoma.

Cardiac volume reduction during radiotherapy in patients with esophageal carcinoma.

The present study investigated the factors contributing to cardiac volume reduction (CVR) during radiotherapy (RT) in patients with esophageal carcinoma (EC). This retrospective study included patients with EC treated at National Hospital Organization Shikoku Cancer Center (Matsuyama, Japan). Cardiac delineation was based on initial and off-cord boost (spinal cord-sparing approach) planning computed tomography images.

Upstream open reading frame-mediated upregulation of ANAC082 expression in response to nucleolar stress in Arabidopsis.

Perturbations in ribosome biogenesis cause a type of cellular stress called nucleolar or ribosomal stress, which triggers adaptive responses in both animal and plant cells. The Arabidopsis ANAC082 transcription factor has been identified as a key mediator of the plant nucleolar stress response. The 5'-untranslated region (5'-UTR) of mRNA contains an upstream ORF (uORF) encoding an evolutionarily conserved amino acid sequence.

Optimization of Tl Dosage in a Simultaneous Acquisition Rest Tc/Stress Tl Dual-Isotope Myocardial Perfusion Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography with Semiconductor Gamma Camera.

: The use of Tl in myocardial perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is predominantly not recommended because of the higher radiation exposure of Tl compared to Tc agent. However, the advent of new gamma cameras with semiconductor detectors has made it possible to reduce the Tl dose and lower radiation exposure. In our hospital, the dose of Tl is adjusted according to the patient's body mass index (BMI), with 50 MBq for BMI<25 and 74 MBq for BMI≥25.

Relationship Among Coronary Artery Calcium Score, Myocardial Perfusion SPECT and Risk Stratification of Coronary Artery Disease.

Since Agatston et al. first reported quantification of the coronary artery calcification score (CACS) in 1990, discussion of its clinical significance and use in diagnostic management has continued. Recent papers have reported the relationship between CACS and myocardial perfusion single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT: MPS) and its combined diagnostic value.

Clinical Utility of a Slow Tl Washout Rate in the Detection of Multi-Vessel Coronary Artery Disease Using a Simultaneous Acquisition Rest Tc/Stress Tl Protocol and a Semiconducting Gamma Camera.

Background: The diagnostic accuracy of stress myocardial perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) to detect coronary artery disease (CAD) is reduced by the balanced reduction of myocardial perfusion in patients with multi-vessel or left main trunk CAD (multi-vessel group). This study investigated the diagnostic performance of a simultaneous acquisition rest Tc/stress Tl dual-isotope protocol for myocardial perfusion SPECT (MPS) in a multi-vessel group by examining the assessment of a slow Tl washout rate (WR) finding in comparison to the accuracy of perfusion assessments.

Methods and results: This study enrolled 91 patients who had undergone angiography within 3 months after MPS.

The association between renal elasticity evaluated by Real-time tissue elastography and renal fibrosis.

Background: The progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) depends on the extent of fibrosis in the kidneys; however, a renal biopsy is necessary to evaluate the severity of renal fibrosis. Real-time tissue elastography (RTE), which measures heartbeat-induced tissue displacement, can assess the elasticity of organs. Here, we aimed to investigate the correlation between renal elasticity and the extent of fibrosis in renal biopsy samples.

Evaluation of sampling effort required to assess pollen species richness on pollinators using rarefaction.

Premise: Understanding the flower visitation history of individual pollinators is key in the study of pollination networks, but direct tracking is labor intensive and, more important, does not capture information about the previous interactions of an individual. Therefore, a protocol to detect most of the pollen species on the body surfaces of an individual pollinator could elucidate its flower visitation history.

Methods And Results: Under a microscope, we observed 6.

Hybrid Assessment of Myocardial Ischemia Using Stress-Only Nuclear Myocardial Perfusion Imaging and Rest Computed Tomography Perfusion Imaging.

Background: Sequential assessment using CT coronary angiography (coronary CT) and nuclear myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) is considered an anatomical and functional evaluation of coronary artery disease (CAD). However, there can be unexpected radiation exposure. Hybrid MPI with stress-only nuclear MPI and rest CT-MPI using coronary CT may contribute to reducing the radiation dose in sequential assessment with nuclear MPI after coronary CT.

Usefulness of Dual-Phase Snapshot 320-Detector Computed Tomography for the Detection of a Left Atrial Appendage Thrombus.

The diagnostic performance of 320-detector cardiac computed tomography (CCT) for the detection of thrombi in the left atrial appendage (LAA), relative to transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) as the gold standard, has not yet been evaluated. A total of 91 consecutive patients who were scheduled to undergo pulmonary vein isolation and underwent TEE and CCT were enrolled in this study. Delayed scanning on CCT was performed following early scanning, at 60 seconds after the start of the contrast injection.

Characteristic expressions of the natriuretic peptide family in the telencephalon of juvenile chick.

Elucidation of the genes regulating the critical (sensitive) period of imprinting behavior may shed light on the mechanism underlying neural plasticity in early childhood learning. We focused on the family of natriuretic peptides (NPs) as candidates involved in the regulation of the critical period. In avians, several structurally related molecules comprised the NP family, including renal NP (RNP), B-type NP (BNP) and C-type NP (CNP1, CNP3 and CNPP).

Genet dynamics of a regenerating dwarf bamboo population across heterogeneous light environments in a temperate forest understorey.

Despite the advantage of plant clonality in patchy environments, studies focusing on genet demography in relation to spatially heterogeneous environments remain scarce. Regeneration of bamboos in forest understoreys after synchronous die-off provides an opportunity for assessing how they come to proliferate across heterogeneous light environments. In a Japanese forest, we examined genet demography of a population of over a 7-year period starting 10 years after die-off, shortly after which some genets began spreading horizontally by rhizomes.

Clinical Feasibility of Simultaneous Acquisition Rest (99m)Tc/Stress (201)Tl Dual-Isotope Myocardial Perfusion Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography With Semiconductor Camera.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical feasibility of simultaneous acquisition of rest (99m)Tc-tetrofosmin/stress (201)Tl dual-isotope single-photon emission computed tomography with a semiconductor gamma camera.

Methods and results: Ninety-four patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) were enrolled in the study. First, patients were injected with (99m)Tc-tetrofosmin (296 MBq) for rest imaging, followed by (201)Tl (74 MBq) injection during 6 min of vasodilator stress test.

Serum DJ-1 level is positively associated with improvements in some aspects of metabolic syndrome in Japanese women through lifestyle intervention.

DJ-1 is a protein that is associated with Parkinson disease and cancer, and the reduction of DJ-1 function and expression is also thought to be a cause of diabetes and hypertension. However, little is known about the association between the plasma concentration of DJ-1 and risk of metabolic syndrome. We hypothesized that a lifestyle intervention would increase serum DJ-1 and that up-regulated DJ-1 functions will result in the prevention of metabolic syndrome.

Female and male fitness consequences of clonal growth in a dwarf bamboo population with a high degree of clonal intermingling.

Background And Aims: Although many studies have reported that clonal growth interferes with sexual reproduction as a result of geitonogamous self-pollination and inbreeding depression, the mating costs of clonal growth are expected to be reduced when genets are spatially intermingled with others. This study examined how clonal growth affects both female and male reproductive success by studying a population of a mass-flowering plant, Sasa veitchii var. hirsuta, with a high degree of clonal intermingling.

Clonal structure, seed set, and self-pollination rate in mass-flowering bamboo species during off-year flowering events.

Bamboos are typical examples of highly synchronized semelparous species. Their mass-flowering events occur at supra-annual intervals but they sometimes flower on a small scale in off-years. If some bamboo ramets (culms) of a genet flower and die in off-years, whereas other culms of the same genet do not flower synchronously, the genet can still survive blooming in an off-year and could participate in the next mass-flowering event.

The shape of the triangular fibrocartilage during pronation-supination.

We studied the changes in the shape of the triangular fibrocartilage (TFC: disc proper) which occur during forearm rotation in disarticulated and articulated wrists. The influence of artificial 3mm ulnar lengthening on distortion of the disc was also examined. In the disarticulated wrists, slight distortion of the central and radial portions of the TFC was observed in the ulnar neutral variance specimens.

The proximal ligamentous component of the triangular fibrocartilage complex.

The proximal ligamentous component of the triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) was studied anatomically using 15 fresh-frozen cadaver hand forearm specimens. Changes in the length of either side of this component were analysed during forearm rotation with the complete three-dimensional structure of the TFCC preserved. The proximal ligamentous component consists of three portions: dorsal, central and palmar.

Involvement of Ras in the expression of glycolipid sulfotransferase in human renal cancer cells.

Glycolipid sulfotransferase activity in a human renal cell carcinoma cell line, SMKT-R3, is enhanced by epidermal growth factor (EGF); tyrosine kinase inhibitors suppress this enhancement. To investigate the involvement of Ras in the signal transduction pathway from the EGF receptor to the expression of glycolipid sulfotransferase, we introduced v-H-ras into SMKT-R3 cells. In a quiescent state, the percent GTP bound to Ras in v-H-ras-expressing cells increased about 2.

Molecular cloning and expression of cDNA encoding human 3'-phosphoadenylylsulfate:galactosylceramide 3'-sulfotransferase.

We have isolated a cDNA clone encoding human 3'-phosphoadenylylsulfate:galactosylceramide 3'-sulfotransferase (EC 2.8.2.

Purification and characterization of 3'-phosphoadenosine-5'-phosphosulfate:GalCer sulfotransferase from human renal cancer cells.

We have purified 3'-phosphoadenosine-5'-phosphosulfate:GalCer sulfotransferase [EC 2.8.2.