Brain region-specific neural activation by low-dose opioid promotes social behavior.

The opioid system plays crucial roles in modulating social behaviors in both humans and animals. However, the pharmacological profiles of opioids regarding social behavior and their therapeutic potential remain unclear. Multiple pharmacological, behavioral, and immunohistological c-Fos mapping approaches were used to characterize the effects of μ-opioid receptor agonists on social behavior and investigate the mechanisms in naive mice and autism spectrum disorder-like (ASD-like) mouse models, such as prenatally valproic acid-treated mice and Fmr1-KO mice.

Laparoscopic removal of a metallic foreign body embedded in the abdominal wall.

We report the laparoscopic removal of a foreign body that was embedded in the abdominal wall. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of a foreign body in the abdominal wall being laparoscopically removed. A 27-year-old man working at a forging factory presented to our hospital with abdominal pain.

Synthetic Study towards Providencin: Stereocontrolled Synthesis of the Furan-Substituted Cyclobutanol Segment.

This study explores the synthesis of unique furanocembranoid-type marine diterpenoid, providencin. Providencin features a highly oxidized structure with two furan rings, two oxirane rings, and a bicyclo[12.2.

Stable and Minimum Size Solubilization of Membrane Proteins with Cocktails of Phospholipid Analogues.

Membrane proteins (MPs) play important roles in various cellular processes and are major targets for drugs. Solubilization of MPs is often needed for structural and biophysical studies. For high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance measurements, there is a size limit of the sample (<100 kDa), and a high thermal stability at an increased temperature is required.

Clinical impact of cryoballoon posterior wall isolation using the cross-over technique in persistent atrial fibrillation.

Background And Aims: Successful left atrial posterior wall isolation (LAPWI) using only the cryoballoon (CB) is technically challenging for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF). This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of the cross-over technique, wherein an overlapped ablation is performed by placing the CB from both directions in contact with the LAPW.

Methods: This was a single-center, retrospective, observational study of 194 consecutive patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (PerAF) who underwent a first-time procedure of pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) + PWI (108 patients) or PVI-only (86 patients) using the CB.

Comparative Analysis of Woody Biomass Fly Ash and Class F Fly Ash as Supplementary Cementitious Materials in Mortar.

Biomass fly ash is a sustainable, eco-friendly cement substitute with economic and performance benefits, being renewable compared to coal fly ash. This study examines using biomass fly ash (BFA) as a sustainable cement substitute, comparing it with Class F fly ash (CFA). With a water-binder ratio of 0.

Differential effects of allopregnanolone and diazepam on social behavior through modulation of neural oscillation dynamics in basolateral amygdala and medial prefrontal cortex.

Effective treatments for major depressive disorder (MDD) have long been needed. One hypothesis for the mechanism of depression involves a decrease in neuroactive steroids such as allopregnanolone, an endogenous positive allosteric modulator of the γ-aminobutyric acid-gated chloride channel (GABA) receptor. In our previous study, we discovered that allopregnanolone, not diazepam, exhibited antidepressant-like effects in the social interaction test (SIT) of social defeat stress (SDS) model mice.

Chromic properties of dibenzo[,]fluoranthenes exhibiting different resonance contributions.

Chromic molecules change colour in response to external stimuli and are utilized in applications such as food additive detection, light dimmers, and biological probes. One of the common design strategies for organic chromic molecules is based on changes in the π-conjugation. We have hypothesized that non-alternant polyaromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) skeletons can be used as backbones for chromic molecules.

Age and parous-experience dependent changes in emotional contagion for positive infant sounds.

Introduction: Emotional contagion is achieved by inferring and emotionally resonating with other persons' feelings. It is unclear whether age-related changes in emotional contagion for infant sounds are modulated by the experience of childbirth or childcare. This study aims to evaluate changes in inference and emotional resonance for positive and negative infant sounds (laughter and crying) among women, based on age and parous experience.

Entry into Lithium Ynolates from α,α,α-Tribromomethyl Ketones: Synthesis of Cyclobutenes via the [2 + 2] Cycloaddition with α,β-Unsaturated Carbonyls.

This study reports the synthesis of cyclobutene derivatives in good yields via the [2 + 2] cycloaddition between lithium ynolates and α,β-unsaturated carbonyls. The ynolates are generated from α,α,α-tribromomethyl ketones and butyl lithium via a simple and novel method, which does not produce any harmful byproducts, such as lithium alkoxide, which induces a polymerization reaction with α,β-unsaturated carbonyls.

Structure-ATPase Activity Relationship of Rhodamine Derivatives as Potent Inhibitors of P-Glycoprotein CmABCB1.

Understanding the transport and inhibition mechanisms of substrates by P-glycoprotein (P-gp) is one of the important approaches in addressing multidrug resistance (MDR). In this study, we evaluated a variety of rhodamine derivatives as potential P-gp inhibitors targeting CmABCB1, a P-gp homologue, with a focus on their ATPase activity. Notably, a Q-rhodamine derivative with an ,'-dimethoxybenzyl ester moiety (Rh-DMB) demonstrated superior affinity and inhibitory activity, which was further confirmed by a drug susceptibility assay in yeast strains expressing CmABCB1.

Synthesis of mesoionic triazolones a formal [3+2] cycloaddition between 4-phenyl-1,2,4-triazoline-3,5-dione and alkynes.

1,2,4-Triazoline-3,5-diones (TADs) are versatile reagents and have found widespread adoption in chemical science. Despite their remarkable reactivity toward a wide array of unsaturated hydrocarbons, the chemical reaction between TADs and alkynes has remained largely unexplored. Herein, we demonstrate that 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol facilitates the unusual [3+2] cycloaddition between 4-phenyl-1,2,4-triazoline-3,5-dione and alkynes, resulting in the formation of unprecedented mesoionic triazolones.

Prognostic analysis of pulmonary hypertension with lung parenchymal lesion: Comparison of mortality with and without connective tissue disease.

Background: The prognosis of pulmonary hypertension (PH) associated with connective tissue diseases related to interstitial pneumonia (CTD-IP PH) is relatively good among patients with PH and lung disease. However, the impact of pulmonary vasodilator treatment on the prognosis of CTD-IP PH compared with that of PH-induced chronic lung disease (group-3 PH) remains unclear.

Methods: From 2012 to 2022, 50 patients with lung parenchymal lesions diagnosed with PH (mean pulmonary arterial pressure >20 mmHg) at Juntendo University Hospital were divided into two groups: CTD-IP PH (30 patients) and group 3-PH (20 patients).

Study on the Effect of Recycled Fine Aggregate Qualities on Fly Ash/GGBS-Based Geopolymer Mortar.

The rapid expansion of construction, fueled by industry and economic and population growth, has exacerbated the challenge of managing construction waste, especially concrete waste. One promising solution lies in the utilization of recycled fine aggregate (RFA), especially in combination with the emerging geopolymer technology, an innovative alternative to traditional cement. This study systematically explores the effects of incorporating varying qualities and quantities of RFA into geopolymer mortars.

Effect of Prestirring Time on Carbon Removal from Coal Fly Ash in the Flotation Technology.

Coal fly ash (CFA) is one of the industrial byproducts of burning coal for energy production and has unburned carbon, which negatively affects its full potential use. The flotation technology can be effective in separating unburned carbon from CFA, and the prestirring time is crucial for the ideal initial conditions during the flotation process. To find the suitable prestirring time, eight prestirring times, including 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 min, were selected in this paper, followed by flotation of CFA after prestirring.

Rotaxane Synthesis by an End-Capping Strategy via Swelling Axle-Phenols.

A method for rotaxane synthesis by enlargement of the size of the terminal phenol group of the axle component by aromatic bromination has been developed. This method may be regarded as an end-capping strategy involving the swelling of the phenol group at the axle terminal. The advantages of the present strategy include: ready availability of axle components with a variety of swelling precursors, wide product scope (19 examples given including a [3]rotaxane), mild conditions for the swelling process, rich potential for the derivatization of the brominated rotaxanes, and possible release of the axle component by degradative dethreading of the thermally stable brominated rotaxanes under the basic conditions.

The Effects of Curing Temperature on CH-Based Fly Ash Composites.

Curing temperature affects the compressive strength of cement paste systems via the pozzolanic reaction. However, different processes, climates, and weather conditions often result in different initial curing temperatures. The relationship between curing temperature and compressive strength is still an underexplored domain.

Intramolecular Ynamide-Benzyne (3+2) Cycloadditions.

We report herein intramolecular (3+2) cycloaddition reactions between ynamides as three-atom components and benzyne. In these intramolecular reactions, the two-bond formation is realized by exploiting benzyne precursors that contain a chlorosilyl group as a linking functionality. This method thus highlights the ambivalent character of the intermediate indolium ylide, which exhibits both nucleophilic and electrophilic properties at its C2 atom.

The Effect of Cementitious Materials on the Engineering Properties and Pore Structure of Concrete with Recycled Fine Aggregate.

With the rapid development of urbanization, the construction industry consumes a lot of cement and produces a large amount of construction waste. To overcome this situation, the rational use of recycled aggregate produced from waste concrete is one of solutions. In some countries, the building industry has approved the use of recycled coarse aggregates in concrete, with some limits.

Development of Antimicrobial Peptide-Antibiotic Conjugates to Improve the Outer Membrane Permeability of Antibiotics Against Gram-Negative Bacteria.

Antibiotics have been widely used in the medical field as a treatment for infectious diseases, but they are not effective against all Gram-negative bacteria because of their low permeability to the outer membrane. One of the strategies to improve the antibacterial activity of antibiotics is the coadministration of antibiotics and membrane-perturbing antimicrobial peptides for their synergistic effects. However, because of their different pharmacokinetics, their coadministration may not exert expected effects in the clinical stage.

Tofogliflozin, a sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor, improves pulmonary vascular remodeling due to left heart disease in mice.

Background: Group 2 pulmonary hypertension (PH) represents PH caused by left heart disease (PH-LHD). LHD induces left-sided filling and PH, finally leading to pulmonary vascular remodeling. Tofogliflozin (TOFO) is a sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor used in the treatment of diabetes.

Lewis Acid-Catalyzed Diastereoselective Domino Reaction of Ene-Ynamide with Trimethylsilyl Cyanide to Construct Spiroindolines.

The Zn(OTf)-catalyzed domino reaction of enamide-ynamides in the presence of trimethylsilyl cyanide as an external nucleophile to construct spirocyclic indolines was developed. This domino reaction involved cyclization of enamide to ynamide to generate 4',5'-dihydrospiro[indoline-3,3'-pyrrol]-1'-ium followed by cyanide addition to produce spiroindolopyrrolidines with good diastereoselectivity.

Cancer cell‑induced tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase‑1 secretion by cancer‑associated fibroblasts promotes cancer cell migration.

Cancer‑associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are one of the major components of the cancer stroma in the tumor microenvironment. The interaction between cancer cells and CAFs (cancer‑stromal interaction; CSI) promotes tumor progression, including metastasis. Recently, the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase‑1 (TIMP‑1) was reported to promote cancer cell migration and metastasis, which is contrary to its anticancer role as an inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase.