An active photoreceptor intermediate revealed by in situ photoirradiated solid-state NMR spectroscopy.

A novel, to our knowledge, in situ photoirradiation system for solid-state NMR measurements is improved and demonstrated to successfully identify the M-photointermediate of pharaonis phoborhodopsin (ppR or sensory rhodopsin II), that of the complex with transducer (ppR/pHtrII), and T204A mutant embedded in a model membrane. The (13)C NMR signals from [20-(13)C]retinal-ppR and ppR/pHtrII revealed that multiple M-intermediates with 13-cis, 15-anti retinal configuration coexisted under the continuously photoirradiated condition. NMR signals observed from the photoactivated retinal provide insights into the process of photocycle in the ppR/pHtrII complex.

Squamous cell components in a thyroid follicular adenoma: significant evidence of follicular cell origin by histomorphological, immunohistochemical and molecular analyses.

Squamous cells in the thyroid appear in a variety of conditions, including adenomatous goiters, malignant neoplasms, inflammatory diseases, and embryonic remnants. However the origin of the squamous cells is still under dispute. Here we report a case of an encapsulated follicular cell tumor consisting of follicular cells, basaloid squamous cells, and morphologically intermediate cells.

Rapid typing of influenza viruses using super high-speed quantitative real-time PCR.

The development of a rapid and sensitive system for detecting influenza viruses is a high priority for controlling future epidemics and pandemics. Quantitative real-time PCR is often used for detecting various kinds of viruses; however, it requires more than 2h per run. Detection assays were performed with super high-speed RT-PCR (SHRT-PCR) developed according to a newly designed heating system.

Molecular dynamics simulation of Bombolitin II in the dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine membrane bilayer.

The orientation behavior of Bombolitin II (BLT2) in the dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine membrane bilayer was investigated by using molecular-dynamics simulation. During the 20-ns simulation, the BLT2 began to tilt and finally reached the angle of 51° from the membrane-normal. The structure of the peptide formed the amphipathic α-helical structure during the entire simulation time.

Increase of sensitivity to mechanical stimulus after transplantation of murine induced pluripotent stem cell-derived astrocytes in a rat spinal cord injury model.

Object: Clinical use of autologous induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) could circumvent immune rejection and bioethical issues associated with embryonic stem cells. Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating trauma with long-lasting disability, and current therapeutic approaches are not satisfactory. In the present study, the authors used the neural stem sphere (NSS) method to differentiate iPSCs into astrocytes, which were evaluated after their transplantation into injured rat spinal cords.

[A case of Lemierre syndrome].

Classic Lemierre syndrome is a septic internal jugular venous thrombophlebitis secondary to oropharyngeal anaerobic infection in adolescents and young adults. Upper respiratory tract infection is the most common antecedent. We report a case of Lemierre syndrome as a rare infectious disease.

Newly developed compression fractures after percutaneous vertebroplasty: comparison with conservative treatment.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence and timing of subsequent fractures in patients treated with and without percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP).

Materials And Methods: We reviewed 794 patients who underwent 1500 PVPs with polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) at our institution between January 1999 and December 2009. We also reviewed 349 patients with vertebral fractures who underwent conservative treatment without PVP between October 1999 and December 2009 and compared the incidence and timing of subsequent fractures in the two groups.

Relationship between morphological characteristics and etiology of pressure ulcers in intensive care unit patients.

Purpose: Pressure ulcer (PU) prevention is crucial for critically ill patients in the intensive care unit, but etiologic factors leading to their development have not yet been completely elucidated. This study explores the relationships among etiologic factors, interventional nursing care, and morphological characteristics of PUs in intensive care unit patients.

Design: We used a qualitative exploratory method to link morphological characteristics of specific PUs to etiologic factors.

Concurrent validation and reliability of digital image analysis of granulation tissue color for clinical pressure ulcers.

Granulation tissue color is one indicator for pressure ulcer (PU) assessment. However, it entails a subjective evaluation only, and quantitative methods have not been established. We developed color indicators from digital image analysis and investigated their concurrent validity and reliability for clinical PUs.

Aging enhances maceration-induced ultrastructural alteration of the epidermis and impairment of skin barrier function.

Background: Skin maceration is recognized as a risk factor for the development of certain skin lesions. In health care settings, incontinence-associated skin maceration is highly prevalent in the elderly. However, the effect of senescence on maceration has not been fully elucidated.

Pre-post changes in psychosocial functioning among relatives of patients with depressive disorders after Brief Multifamily Psychoeducation: a pilot study.

Background: Depressive disorder is often chronic and recurrent, and results in a heavy psychosocial burden on the families of patients with this disorder. This study aims to examine the effectiveness of brief multifamily psychoeducation designed to alleviate their psychosocial burden.

Methods: Thirty-two relatives of patients with major depressive disorder participated in an open study testing the effectiveness of brief multifamily psychoeducation.

Interaction of epicatechin gallate with phospholipid membranes as revealed by solid-state NMR spectroscopy.

Epicatechin gallate (ECg), a green tea polyphenol, has various physiological effects. Our previous nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy (NOESY) study using solution NMR spectroscopy demonstrated that ECg strongly interacts with the surface of phospholipid bilayers. However, the dynamic behavior of ECg in the phospholipid bilayers has not been clarified, especially the dynamics and molecular arrangement of the galloyl moiety, which supposedly has an important interactive role.

Wnt signaling and aging-related heart disorders.

Aging is associated with various heart diseases, and this may be attributable, in part, to the prolonged exposure of the heart to cardiovascular risk factors. However, aging is also associated with heart disorders such as diastolic dysfunction that are not necessarily linked to the risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. Recent studies have demonstrated a mechanistic link between Wnt signaling and premature aging or aging-related phenotypes.

Implantation of cardiac progenitor cells using self-assembling peptide improves cardiac function after myocardial infarction.

Implantation of various types of cells into the heart has been reported to be effective for heart failure, however, it is unknown what kinds of cells are most suitable for myocardial repair. To examine which types of cells are most effective, we injected cell-Puramatrix™ (PM) complex into the border area and overlaid the cell-PM patch on the myocardial infarction (MI) area. We compared cardiac morphology and function at 2 weeks after transplantation.

Strict actions of the human wrist extensors: A study with an electrical neuromuscular stimulation method.

Motion and force produced by electrical neuromuscular stimulation (ENS) to each of the extensor carpi radialis longus (ECRL) and brevis (ECRB), and extensor carpi ulnaris (ECU) with the prone (P), semiprone (SP), and supine forearm (S) were studied in ten normal human subjects. Abduction (AB), extension (E), adduction (AD), and flexion (F) directions were represented by, respectively, 0°, 90°, 180°, and 270°. ENS to ECRL, ECRB, and ECU produced motion in direction of, respectively, 60° (mean), 87°, and 205° with P, 66°, 83°, and 166° with SP, and 47°, 66°, and 116° with S to maximal range.

Late-onset circulatory dysfunction after thyroid hormone treatment in an extremely low birth weight infant.

Late-onset circulatory dysfunction (LCD) is a phenomenon specific to premature infants and is characterized by sudden onset of hyponatremia, hypotension, oliguria and non-physiological weight gain, without an obvious cause, in premature infants after stabilization of circulation and respiration. The cause of LCD is not clear, but adrenal insufficiency in premature infants is a severe syndrome because steroid replacement therapy is often essential to treat the symptoms. We report a rare case of a premature infant who developed an LCD crisis the day after thyroxine replacement therapy.

Promotion of CHIP-mediated p53 degradation protects the heart from ischemic injury.

Rationale: The number of patients with coronary heart disease, including myocardial infarction, is increasing and novel therapeutic strategy is awaited. Tumor suppressor protein p53 accumulates in the myocardium after myocardial infarction, causes apoptosis of cardiomyocytes, and plays an important role in the progression into heart failure.

Objectives: We investigated the molecular mechanisms of p53 accumulation in the heart after myocardial infarction and tested whether anti-p53 approach would be effective against myocardial infarction.

Structure elucidation of membrane-associated peptides and proteins in oriented bilayers by solid-state NMR spectroscopy.

Solid-state NMR using magnetically oriented bilayer systems provides useful information on the structure and orientation of peptides and proteins bound to lipid bilayers. The ordering of the lipid bilayer along the magnetic field can be achieved in two ways. First, lipid can be macroscopically oriented by pressing lipid-water dispersion between flat glass plates, which is called a mechanically aligned system.

Suppressed or recovered intensities analysis in site-directed (13)C NMR: assessment of low-frequency fluctuations in bacteriorhodopsin and D85N mutants revisited.

The first proton transfer of bacteriorhodopsin (bR) occurs from the protonated Schiff base to the anionic Asp 85 at the central part of the protein in the L to M states. Low-frequency dynamics accompanied by this process can be revealed by suppressed or recovered intensities (SRI) analysis of site-directed (13)C solid-state NMR spectra of 2D crystalline preparations. First of all, we examined a relationship of fluctuation frequencies available from [1-(13)C]Val- and [3-(13)C]Ala-labeled preparations, by taking the effective correlation time of internal methyl rotations into account.

Participation of the BC loop in the correct folding of bacteriorhodopsin as revealed by solid-state NMR.

Structural changes in bacteriorhodopsin (bR) in two different processes of retinal reconstitutions were investigated by observing the (13)C and (15)N solid-state NMR spectra of [1-(13)C]Val- and [(15)N]Pro-labeled bR. We found that NMR signals of the BC loop were sensitive to changes in protein structure and dynamics, from wild-type (WT) bR to bacterio-opsin (bO), regenerated bR and E1001 bR. Regenerated bR was prepared following the addition of retinal into bO obtained from photobleached WT-bR.

[Comparative study of anesthesia with remifentanil VS fentanyl in terms of postoperative pain and shivering].

Background: Remifentanil is reported to be cleared rapidly more than other any opioids. It is considered that this characteristic may lead to an increase in postoperative pain and shivering after general anesthesia with remifentanil. This study was aimed to examine the influence of remifentanil to these adverse symptoms in comparison with fentanyl.

Effect of dietary wine pomace extract and oleanolic acid on plasma lipids in rats fed high-fat diet and its DNA microarray analysis.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the concentration of oleanolic acids (OA) in pomace, a winemaking byproduct, and its influence on the levels of plasma lipids in rats fed a high-fat diet and on hepatic gene expression using DNA microarray analysis in vivo. HPLC analyses of pomace ethanol extract (PEE) revealed a high amount of OA ranging from 4 to 11 g/100 g. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a normal-fat diet (NF group), a high-fat diet with 21% lard (HF group), a high-fat diet with 0.