Mice born to mothers fed a diet high in omega-6 fatty acids and low in omega-3 fatty acids during pregnancy exhibit various behavioral changes including impaired social behaviors and enhanced recognition memory.

Background: Modern dietary trends have led to an increase in foods that are relatively high in n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and low in n-3 PUFAs. We previously reported that the offspring of mother mice that consumed a diet high in n-6 linoleic acid (LA) and low in n-3 α-linolenic acid (ALA), hereinafter called the LA/ALA diet, exhibit behavioral abnormalities related to anxiety and feeding.

Objective: We currently lack a comprehensive overview of the behavioral abnormalities in these offspring, which was investigated in this study.

ILF3 prion-like domain regulates gene expression and fear memory under chronic stress.

The prion-like domain (PrLD) is a class of intrinsically disordered regions. Although its propensity to form condensates has been studied in the context of neurodegenerative diseases, the physiological role of PrLD remains unclear. Here, we investigated the role of PrLD in the RNA-binding protein NFAR2, generated by a splicing variant of the gene.

Levels of Toxic and Essential Elements and Associated Factors in the Hair of Japanese Young Children.

There is growing concern regarding the effects of toxic element exposure on the development of children. However, little is known about the level of toxic elements exposure in Japanese children. The purpose of this study was to assess the concentrations of multiple elements (aluminum, cadmium, lead, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, sodium, zinc) in the hair of 118 Japanese young children and to explore the factors associated with their element levels.

The influence of modality on input, visuo-motor coordination, and execution in the advanced pianist's sight-reading processes.

In this study, we explored how the modality (major and minor) would affect the input (i. e., fixation), visuo-motor coordination (i.

Effects of chronic fentanyl administration on behavioral characteristics of mice.

Background: Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid categorized as a narcotic analgesic, has a 100- to 200-fold stronger effect than most opioids, such as morphine. Fatal accidents due to chronic use and abuse of fentanyl are a worldwide social problem. One reason for the abuse of fentanyl is its psychostimulant effects that could induce behavioral changes.

Children's Hair Mercury Concentrations and Seafood Consumption in Five Regions of Japan.

Exposure to methylmercury (MeHg) during the foetal and postnatal periods is known to have adverse effects on children's development. However, little attention has been paid to MeHg exposure during early childhood in Japan. To examine the regional differences in MeHg exposure and seafood consumption and the association between MeHg exposure and seafood consumption and dental metal restorations, we measured the total mercury (T-Hg) concentration in hair as an MeHg exposure index, and using questionnaires, we measured the frequency and amount of seafood consumption and the presence of dental metal restorations in 118 children aged 3-6 years in five regions of Japan.

How Live Performance Moves the Human Heart.

We investigated how the audience member's physiological reactions differ as a function of listening context (i.e., live versus recorded music contexts).

Why live recording sounds better: a case study of Schumann's Träumerei.

We explore the concept that artists perform best in front of an audience. The negative effects of performance anxiety are much better known than their related cousin on the other shoulder: the positive effects of "social facilitation." The present study, however, reveals a listener's preference for performances recorded in front of an audience.

Angioimmunoblastic T cell lymphoma associated with reversible myelofibrosis.

A 56-year-old man complained of fever, anemia, thrombocytopenia and lymph node swelling. Biopsy of the lymph node demonstrated angioimmunoblastic T cell lymphoma (AITL) with the loss of normal architecture, proliferation of neoplastic T cells, small vessels mixed with eosinophils and plasma cells. Aspiration of bone marrow was dry tap, and biopsy demonstrated myelofibrosis with increased proliferation of reticulin fiber.

A case of factor X (FX) deficiency due to novel mutation V196M, FX Hofu.

The patient, a 20-year-old male, was found to have a slightly prolonged prothrombin time (PT). No episodes of bleeding were noted. The measurement of coagulation factors revealed that the level of factor X (FX) activity was solely deficient, 51% (normal range: 70-130% ), and that of FX antigen was 100%.

Sarcoidosis acutely involving the musculoskeletal system.

A 69-year-old man complained of knee pain, subsequent polyarthralgia, and pains of the muscles of the pelvic girdle and thighs. At the same time, erythema of the face and hands appeared. Biopsy of the skin and muscle revealed non-caseating granuloma of epithelioid cells.

Proteasome-dependent decrease in Akt by growth factors in vascular smooth muscle cells.

Akt is activated by growth factors to regulate various aspects of vascular smooth muscle cell function. Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and insulin-like growth factor-1 activated Akt in vascular smooth muscle cells with a rapid reduction of total Akt protein that lasted for several hours. The downregulation of Akt required phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activity, but not intrinsic Akt activity.

Expectancy in melody: tests of children and adults.

Melodic expectancies among children and adults were examined. In Experiment 1, adults, 11-year-olds, and 8-year-olds rated how well individual test tones continued fragments of melodies. In Experiment 2, 11-, 8-, and 5-year-olds sang continuations to 2-tone stimuli.