Enhanced somatosensory inhibition sharpens hand representation and sensorimotor skills in pianists.

Dexterous motor skills, like those needed for playing musical instruments and sports, require the somatosensory system to accurately and rapidly process somatosensory information from multiple body parts. This is challenging due to the convergence of afferent inputs from different body parts into a single neuron and the overlapping representation of neighboring body parts in the somatosensory cortices. How do trained individuals, such as pianists and athletes, manage this? Here, a series of five experiments with pianists and nonmusicians (female and male) shows that pianists have enhanced inhibitory function in the somatosensory system, which isolates the processing of somatosensory afferent inputs from each finger.

Robustness and adaptability of sensorimotor skills in expert piano performance.

Skillful sequential action requires the delicate balance of sensorimotor control, encompassing both robustness and adaptability. However, it remains unknown whether both motor and neural responses triggered by sensory perturbation undergo plastic adaptation as a consequence of extensive sensorimotor experience. We assessed the effects of transiently delayed tone production on the subsequent motor actions and event-related potentials (ERPs) during piano performance by comparing pianists and non-musicians.

Brain network flexibility as a predictor of skilled musical performance.

Interactions between the body and the environment are dynamically modulated by upcoming sensory information and motor execution. To adapt to this behavioral state-shift, brain activity must also be flexible and possess a large repertoire of brain networks so as to switch them flexibly. Recently, flexible internal brain communications, i.

Impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the operational efficiency of emergency medical services and its association with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival rates: A population-based cohort study in Kobe, Japan.

Aim: To identify whether the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic affects the operational efficiency of emergency medical services (EMS) and the survival rate of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in prehospital settings.

Methods: We conducted a population-based cohort study in Kobe, Japan, between March 1, 2020, and September 31, 2022. In study 1, the operational efficiency of EMS, such as the total out-of-service time for ambulances, the daily occupancy rate of EMS, and response time, was compared between the pandemic and nonpandemic periods.

Pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of orally administrated imidazole dipeptides in carnosine synthase gene knockout mice.

Imidazole dipeptides (ID) are abundant in skeletal muscle and the brain and have various functions, such as antioxidant, pH-buffering, metal-ion chelation. However, the physiological significance of ID has not been fully elucidated. In this study, we orally administered ID to conventional carnosine synthase gene-deficient mice (Carns-KO mice) to investigate the pharmacokinetics.

The Steroidal Alkaloid Tomatidine and Tomatidine-Rich Tomato Leaf Extract Suppress the Human Gastric Cancer-Derived 85As2 Cells In Vitro and In Vivo via Modulation of Interferon-Stimulated Genes.

The steroidal alkaloid tomatidine is an aglycone of α-tomatine, which is abundant in tomato leaves and has several biological activities. Tomatidine has been reported to inhibit the growth of cultured cancer cells in vitro, but its anti-cancer activity in vivo and inhibitory effect against gastric cancer cells remain unknown. We investigated the efficacy of tomatidine using human gastric cancer-derived 85As2 cells and its tumor-bearing mouse model and evaluated the effect of tomatidine-rich tomato leaf extract (TRTLE) obtained from tomato leaves.

LiGePS-Type Structured Solid Solution Phases in the LiPSO System: Controlling Crystallinity by Synthesis to Improve the Air Stability.

Understanding the fast Li ionic conductors of oxygen-substituted thiophosphates is useful for developing all-solid-state batteries because these compounds possess a high electrochemical stability and thus may be applied as solid electrolytes. In this study, we synthesized the LiPSO series of solid solution phases with the same structure as the LiGePS superionic conductor and characterized their crystallinity, solid solution range, and chemical stabilities. Two methods (mechanochemical and melt quenching) were used for sample synthesis.

Anserine, HClO-scavenger, protected against cognitive decline in individuals with mild cognitive impairment.

Neuroinflammation has been recognized as a promising target when considering strategies for treating AD. In particular, it has been shown that neutrophils and MPO-mediated neuroinflammatory responses with the production of HClO play a role in the progression of AD. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effects of anserine, a scavenger of HClO, on the protection of cognitive declines in persons with MCI.

Development of a supF-based mutation-detection system in the extreme thermophile Thermus thermophilus HB27.

Thermus thermophilus (T. thermophilus) HB27 is an extreme thermophile that grows optimally at 65-72 °C. Heat-induced DNA lesions are expected to occur at a higher frequency in the genome of T.

All-Solid-State Batteries with Thick Electrode Configurations.

We report the preparation of thick electrode all-solid-state lithium-ion cells in which a large geometric capacity of 15.7 mAh cm was achieved at room temperature using a 600 μm-thick cathode layer. The effect of ionic conductivity on the discharge performance was then examined using two different materials for the solid electrolyte.

Pair distribution function analysis of sulfide glassy electrolytes for all-solid-state batteries: Understanding the improvement of ionic conductivity under annealing condition.

In general, the ionic conductivity of sulfide glasses decreases with their crystallization, although it increases for a few sulphide glasses owing to the crystallization of a highly conductive new phase (e.g., LiPS: 70LiS-30PS).

Enlarged mediastinal air cyst in a patient with bronchial diverticula localized in the left main bronchus: a case report with surgical and bronchoscopic findings.

Background: A mediastinal air cyst is a rare computed tomography (CT) finding. Once the lesion is identified, it is difficult to diagnose and treat. Meanwhile, bronchial diverticula have been reported as a CT finding observed in certain pulmonary pathologic conditions.

Diets with no or low amounts of dietary fiber can reduce small intestinal ulcers induced by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in dogs.

Recent progress in endoscopic techniques has revealed that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) often cause ulcers in the small intestine in humans, but effective therapy is not available at present. In the present study, we investigated the effects of feeding condition and the amount of dietary fiber (DF) in the diet on the formation of gastrointestinal ulcers induced by NSAIDs in dogs. Several types of diets containing various percentages of DF were given to dogs.

Real-time observations of lithium battery reactions-operando neutron diffraction analysis during practical operation.

Among the energy storage devices for applications in electric vehicles and stationary uses, lithium batteries typically deliver high performance. However, there is still a missing link between the engineering developments for large-scale batteries and the fundamental science of each battery component. Elucidating reaction mechanisms under practical operation is crucial for future battery technology.

Structural and electronic features of binary Li₂S-P₂S₅ glasses.

The atomic and electronic structures of binary Li2S-P2S5 glasses used as solid electrolytes are modeled by a combination of density functional theory (DFT) and reverse Monte Carlo (RMC) simulation using synchrotron X-ray diffraction, neutron diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy data. The ratio of PSx polyhedral anions based on the Raman spectroscopic results is reflected in the glassy structures of the 67Li2S-33P2S5, 70Li2S-30P2S5, and 75Li2S-25P2S5 glasses, and the plausible structures represent the lithium ion distributions around them. It is found that the edge sharing between PSx and LiSy polyhedra increases at a high Li2S content, and the free volume around PSx polyhedra decreases.

Hepatic Relaxation Times from Postmortem MR Imaging of Adult Humans.

Purpose: To measure T1 and T2 values of hepatic postmortem magnetic resonance (PMMR) imaging.

Materials And Methods: We performed hepatic PMMR imaging of 22 deceased adults (16 men, 6 women; mean age, 56.3 years) whose deaths were for reasons other than liver injury or disease at a mean of 27.

Possibility of visualization of gastrothorax based on unenhanced postmortem computed tomography/PMCT.

We present a fatal case of a gastrothorax due to an acute gastric volvulus resulting from a Bochdalek hernia. A 5-year-old boy without previous medical history was brought to our institution in a state of cardiopulmonary arrest and was subsequently pronounced dead. Postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) of the torso showed abdominal organs involving the lower section of the esophagus up to the entire stomach, the left side of the transverse colon, the entire spleen, and the tail of the pancreas herniated into the left thoracic cavity.

Clinical evaluation of the need for carbapenems to treat community-acquired and healthcare-associated pneumonia.

Carbapenems have an overall broad antibacterial spectrum and should be protected against from the acquisition of drug resistance. The clinical advantages of carbapenem in cases of pneumonia have not been certified and the need for antipseudomonal antimicrobial agents to treat healthcare-associated pneumonia (HCAP) remains controversial. We introduced an antimicrobial stewardship program for carbapenem and tazobactam/piperacillin use and investigated the effects of this program on the clinical outcomes of 591 pneumonia cases that did not require intensive care unit management, mechanical ventilation or treatment with vasopressor agents [221 patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and 370 patients with HCAP].

Optimization of Inversion Time for Postmortem Fluid-attenuated Inversion Recovery (FLAIR) MR Imaging at 1.5T: Temperature-based Suppression of Cerebrospinal Fluid.

Purpose: Signal intensity (SI) and image contrast on postmortem magnetic resonance (MR) imaging are different from those of imaging of living bodies. We sought to suppress the SI of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sufficiently for fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) sequence in postmortem MR (PMMR) imaging by optimizing inversion time (TI).

Materials And Methods: We subject 28 deceased patients to PMMR imaging 3 to 113 hours after confirmation of death (mean, 27.

Dialister pneumosintes bacteremia caused by dental caries and sinusitis.

A 62-year-old Japanese woman was hospitalized at the Department of Senology for positive signals on two sets of blood cultures obtained in the Emergency Department. The initial physical examination with enhanced computed tomography of the chest and abdomen did not identify the infectious source. Dialister pneumosintes was identified on 16S rRNA sequencing, and dental caries with sinusitis were subsequently diagnosed based on a dental examination and magnetic resonance imaging.

Can ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm be accurately diagnosed as the cause of death without postmortem computed tomography when autopsies cannot be performed?

Purpose: This study aimed to conduct a multicentre retrospective review of cases to clarify how many ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms (RAAAs) as the cause of death could be diagnosed without post-mortem computed tomography (PMCT) when autopsies cannot be performed.

Methods: We collected consecutive PMCT data from January 2002 to December 2009 from three institutes where PMCT examinations are performed on a routine basis for deceased patients with unknown causes of death. A total of 19 cases were identified where PMCT revealed RAAAs.