Modulation of the peak velocities and gains of abduction and adduction saccades according to head position.

Purpose: To assess the effects of modifying head position and of static ocular counter-rolling (OCR) on abduction and adduction in saccadic eye movements using a head-mounted video-oculographic device.

Study Design: A clinical observational study.

Methods: The peak velocities and amplitude gains of visually guided 12° saccades were binocularly measured in 21 healthy volunteers with their heads in the upright vertical (0°) and horizontal (± 90°, bilateral side-lying) postures, and in 6 participants with their head positions bilaterally tilted by 30°.

Reference intervals for urinary metanephrines to creatinine ratios in dogs in Japan.

The urinary normetanephrine to creatinine ratio (uNMN/Cr) and urinary metanephrine to creatinine ratio (uMN/Cr) are commonly evaluated for the diagnosis of pheochromocytomas (PCC) in dogs. This study aimed to establish reference intervals for uNMN/Cr and uMN/Cr in 56 healthy dogs in Japan and to investigate the effect of urine collection methods on these measurements in 15 non-PCC dogs. The upper limits of reference intervals for uNMN/Cr and uMN/Cr were 124.

Urinary steroid profiling using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for the diagnosis of canine Cushing's syndrome.

Serum cortisol measurements by chemiluminescence enzyme immunoassay (CLEIA) are widely used to diagnose hypercortisolism (HC) or Cushing's syndrome in dogs. However, they are associated with problems such as the need for multiple blood collections under stressful conditions or cross-reactivity between hormones. Therefore, a less invasive and more accurate diagnostic method is required.

Extraction of three-dimensional shapes in glaucoma patients in response to monocular depth cues.

Purpose: To assess the impact of glaucoma on perceiving three-dimensional (3D) shapes based on monocular depth cues.

Study Design: Clinical observational study.

Methods: Twenty glaucoma patients, subjected to binocular visual-field sensitivity (binocular-VFS) tests using a Humphrey Visual Field Analyzer, and 20 age-matched healthy volunteers, underwent two tasks: identifying the nearest vertex of a 3D shape using monocular shading (3D-SfS), texture (3D-SfT), or motion (3D-SfM) cues, and distinguishing elementary one-dimensional (1D) features of these cues.

Effectiveness of a two-stage posterior-anterior-posterior surgery using subcutaneously preserved autologous bone grafts for adult spinal deformity: a retrospective observational study.

Background: To achieve optimal correction of rigid kyphoscoliosis, we developed a novel two-stage posterior-anterior-posterior (PAP) surgery using subcutaneously preserved autologous bone grafts. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of two-stage PAP surgery versus single-stage anterior-posterior (AP) surgery.

Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of patients undergoing combined anterior-posterior long-level fusion for adult spinal deformity (ASD) with a minimum 2-year follow-up.

Clinically Diagnosed Occult Macular Dystrophy Habouring an m.14502T>C Mitochondrial DNA Mutation Associated with Leber's Hereditary Optic Neuropathy: Case Report and Literature Review.

A 29-year-old female with no family history presented with bilateral progressive blurred vision. Her symptoms appeared at 12-years-old and her visual acuity had since deteriorated from 0.6 to 0.

Non-Coding RNAs and Gut Microbiota in the Pathogenesis of Cardiac Arrhythmias: The Latest Update.

Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are indispensable for adjusting gene expression and genetic programming throughout development and for health as well as cardiovascular diseases. Cardiac arrhythmia is a frequent cardiovascular disease that has a complex pathology. Recent studies have shown that ncRNAs are also associated with cardiac arrhythmias.

Potential tactics with certain gut microbiota for the treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) constitutes an extremely malignant form of primary liver cancer. Intricate connections linking to the immune system might be associated with the pathogenesis of HCC. Meanwhile, immunotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors has been established to be a favorable therapeutic possibility for advanced HCC.

In Search of a Function for the N6-Methyladenosine in Epitranscriptome, Autophagy and Neurodegenerative Diseases.

Changes in epitranscriptome with N6-methyladenine (m6A) modification could be involved in the development of multiple diseases, which might be a prevalent modification of messenger RNAs (mRNAs) in eukaryotes. The m6A modification might be performed through the action of methyltransferases, demethylases, and methylation-binding proteins. Importantly, the m6A methylation may be associated with various neurological disorders including Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), depression, aging-related diseases, and/or aging itself.

Potential tactics with vitamin D and certain phytochemicals for enhancing the effectiveness of immune-checkpoint blockade therapies.

Immunotherapy strategies targeting immune checkpoint molecules such as programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein-4 (CTLA-4) are revolutionizing oncology. However, its effectiveness is limited in part due to the loss of effector cytotoxic T lymphocytes. Interestingly, supplementation of vitamin D could abolish the repressive effect of programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) on CD8 T cells, which might prevent the lymphocytopenia.

Rehabilitation after Hip Fracture Surgery Improves Physical and Cognitive Function in Patients with or Without Sarcopenia.

Introduction: Sarcopenia is a prevalent risk factor for falls and fractures, and it affects the physical function and mortality of older people. The present study was performed to assess the prevalence of sarcopenia in patients who underwent rehabilitation after hip fracture surgery and to examine the association of sarcopenia with physical and cognitive function outcomes.

Methods: This case-control study involved 132 patients who were admitted to a convalescent rehabilitation ward at a single hospital after surgical treatment of hip fractures from April 2018 to March 2020.

CircRNAs and RNA-Binding Proteins Involved in the Pathogenesis of Cancers or Central Nervous System Disorders.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs), a newly recognized group of noncoding RNA transcripts, have established widespread attention due to their regulatory role in cell signaling. They are covalently closed noncoding RNAs that form a loop, and are typically generated during the splicing of precursor RNAs. CircRNAs are key post-transcriptional and post-translational regulators of gene expression programs that might influence cellular response and/or function.

The Tryptophan and Kynurenine Pathway Involved in the Development of Immune-Related Diseases.

The tryptophan and kynurenine pathway is well-known to play an important role in nervous, endocrine, and immune systems, as well as in the development of inflammatory diseases. It has been documented that some kynurenine metabolites are considered to have anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, and/or neuroprotective properties. Importantly, many of these kynurenine metabolites may possess immune-regulatory properties that could alleviate the inflammation response.

Tactics with Prebiotics for the Treatment of Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Fatty Liver Disease via the Improvement of Mitophagy.

Mitophagy/autophagy plays a protective role in various forms of liver damage, by renovating cellular metabolism linking to sustain liver homeostasis. A characterized pathway for mitophagy is the phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN)-induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1)/Parkin-dependent signaling pathway. In particular, PINK1-mediated mitophagy could play an indispensable role in improving the metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) which could precede to steatohepatitis (NASH), fibrosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma.

Handgrip strength is correlated with activities of daily living, balance, and body composition in patients with thoracolumbar compression fracture.

This study assessed the relationship between handgrip strength (HGS) and activities of daily living, balance, walking speed, calf circumference, body muscle, and body composition in elderly patients with thoracolumbar vertebral compression fracture (VCF). A cross-sectional study in a single hospital was performed with elderly patients diagnosed with VCF. After admission, we evaluated HGS, 10-meter walk test (speed), Barthel Index, Berg Balance Scale (BBS), numerical rating scale of body pain, and calf circumference.

Predictors of Postoperative Delirium in Older Patients Undergoing Elective Spine Surgery.

Introduction: This prospective study was conducted to investigate the prevalence and predictors of postoperative delirium (POD) in a cohort of patients aged ≥65 years who were scheduled to undergo elective spine surgery.

Methods: Patients aged ≥65 years who were scheduled to undergo elective spine surgery from February 2018 to May 2019 were prospectively recruited for this study. Delirium was diagnosed according to the Confusion Assessment Method algorithm.

Encouraging Tactics with Genetically Modified Probiotics to Improve Immunity for the Prevention of Immune-Related Diseases including Cardio-Metabolic Disorders.

The PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway may play crucial roles in the pathogenesis of obesity and diabetes mellitus, as well as metabolic syndromes, which could also be risk factors for cardio-metabolic disorders. Consistently, it has been shown that beneficial effects may be convoyed by the modulation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway against the development of these diseases. Importantly, the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway can be modulated by probiotics.

Encouraging probiotics for the prevention and treatment of immune-related adverse events in novel immunotherapies against malignant glioma.

Among the malignant tumors in the central nervous system (CNS), glioma is the most challenging tumor to the public society, which accounts for the majority of intracranial malignant tumors with impaired brain function. In general, conventional therapies are still unable to provide an effective cure. However, novel immunotherapies have changed the treatment scene giving patients a greater potential to attain long term survival, improved quality of life.

Potential Diets to Improve Mitochondrial Activity in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an incurable neurodegenerative disease, the pathogenesis of which is based on alternations in the mitochondria of motor neurons, causing their progressive death. A growing body of evidence shows that more efficient mitophagy could prevent and/or treat this disorder by suppressing mitochondrial dysfunction-induced oxidative stress and inflammation. Mitophagy has been considered one of the main mechanisms responsible for mitochondrial quality control.

A New Concept of Associations between Gut Microbiota, Immunity and Central Nervous System for the Innovative Treatment of Neurodegenerative Disorders.

Nerve cell death accounts for various neurodegenerative disorders, in which altered immunity to the integrated central nervous system (CNS) might have destructive consequences. This undesirable immune response often affects the progressive neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia and/or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). It has been shown that commensal gut microbiota could influence the brain and/or several machineries of immune function.

Presumed Roles of APRO Family Proteins in Cancer Invasiveness.

The APRO family members may be involved in the regulation of cell growth, migration, and/or invasion. Although an APRO protein could suppress the invasiveness of several cancer cells, it has been reported that overexpression of the same APRO protein could also promote the invasiveness and/or metastasis of the same cancer cells. In general, the invasiveness of cancer cells might be associated with the function of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) as well as with the function of certain exosomes.

Promising role of D-amino acids in irritable bowel syndrome.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is an important health care concern. Alterations in the microbiota of the gut-brain axis may be linked to the pathophysiology of IBS. Some dietary intake could contribute to produce various metabolites including D-amino acids by the fermentation by the gut microbiota.

Dietary High-Dose Biotin Intake Activates Fat Oxidation and Hepatic Carnitine Palmitoyltransferase in Rat.

This study investigated the effects of dietary high-dose biotin intake on fat oxidation in rats using respiratory gas analysis, and evaluated fatty-acid oxidation-related enzyme activities and gene expressions in the liver. Five-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a control diet and three biotin-supplemented diets (additive biotin concentration: 0.05%, 0.