Initial Experience with Left Bundle Branch Area Pacing in Patients with Atrioventricular Block and Impaired LV Function.

Chronic right ventricular (RV) pacing can exacerbate heart failure in patients with a low left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Left bundle branch area pacing (LBBAP) has emerged as a novel physiological pacing technique; however, information remains limited on its use among patients with a low EF. This study investigated the safety and short-term clinical outcomes of LBBAP among patients with impaired left ventricular (LV) function.

Combination of mineral trioxide aggregate and propolis promotes odontoblastic differentiation of human dental pulp stem cells through ERK signaling pathway.

The aim of this study is to investigate combined effects of mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) and propolis on odontoblastic differentiation of human dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) and to find a signaling pathway involved. Combination of MTA and propolis significantly up-regulated the expression of DSPP and DMP1, and facilitated a mineral nodule formation (< 0.05).

Relationship between the experience of being a bully/victim and mental health in preadolescence and adolescence: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Several studies have proven that the experiences of being bullied or bullying others are associated with poor mental health among adolescent youths. Our study aims to investigate the relationship between the experience of the bully/victim and mental health among preadolescents and adolescents.

Methods: Subjects were the Japanese fifth and sixth grade elementary school students (preadolescents: mean age = 11.

The reliability and validity of the Questionnaire - Children with Difficulties (QCD).

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Questionnaire-Children with Difficulties (QCD), which was developed for the evaluation of children's daily life behaviors during specified periods of the day.

Methods: The subjects were 1,514 Japanese public elementary and junior high school students. For the examination of reliability, Cronbach's alpha was calculated to assess the internal consistency of the questionnaire.

No association between the ryanodine receptor 3 gene and autism in a Japanese population.

Aim: Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder with a complex genetic etiology. Chromosome 15q11-q14 has been proposed to harbor a gene for autism susceptibility because deletion of the region leads to Prader-Willi syndrome or Angelman syndrome, having phenotypic overlap with autism. Here we studied the association between autism and the ryanodine receptor 3 (RyR3) gene, which is located in the region.

Association study of the commonly recognized breakpoints in chromosome 15q11-q13 in Japanese autistic patients.

Objective: Chromosome 15q11-q13 has been proposed to harbor a gene for autism susceptibility because deletions of the region lead to Prader-Willi syndrome and Angelman syndrome, whose phenotypes overlap with autism. These deletions generally occur with the use of three commonly recognized breakpoints (BP1, BP2, and BP3); therefore, it may be possible that genes located in the breakpoints are impaired and contribute to autism susceptibility. No study, however, has investigated the genetic association between the breakpoints and autism, to our knowledge.

Association study of the 15q11-q13 maternal expression domain in Japanese autistic patients.

Chromosome 15q11-q13 has been a focus of genetic studies of autism susceptibility, because cytogenetic abnormalities are frequently observed in this region in autistic patients. An imprinted, maternally expressed gene within the region may have a role in autistic symptomatology. In the present study, we investigated the association between autism and the maternal expression domain (MED) in the region, containing the UBE3A and ATP10C genes, and the upstream imprinting center (IC), which mediates coordinate control of imprinted expression throughout the region.

No evidence for significant association between GABA receptor genes in chromosome 15q11-q13 and autism in a Japanese population.

The gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor genes GABRB3, GABRA5, and GABRG3 located on chromosome 15q11-q13 have been major candidates for susceptibility genes for autism, a neurodevelopmental disorder with a complex genetic etiology. In this study, we first investigated the association between the GABA receptor genes and autism in a Japanese population by analyzing 11 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Intron 3 of GABRB3 was densely mapped because the previous studies observed the association of the microsatellite 155CA-2 located in the region.