Segmentation window of speech information processing in the human auditory cortex.

Humans perceive continuous speech signals as discrete sequences. To clarify the temporal segmentation window of speech information processing in the human auditory cortex, the relationship between speech perception and cortical responses was investigated using auditory evoked magnetic fields (AEFs). AEFs were measured while participants heard synthetic Japanese words /atataka/.

[Neural Mechanisms of Attention].

Classical evidence for neural mechanisms of attention resulted from findings that attention to sensory signals modulated sensory neuronal responses in both humans and non-human animals. These findings led scientists to propose a variety of sophisticated information-processing and mathematical models of attention. Recent advances in neuroimaging and studies including hemispatial neglect and attention deficits in patients have also facilitated understanding of neural mechanisms of attention in terms of functional specialization and large-scale brain network.

Short-latency prepulse inhibition of the trigeminal blink reflex.

Prepulse inhibition (PPI) is a well-established phenomenon wherein a weak sensory stimulus attenuates the startle reflex triggered by a subsequent strong stimulus. Within the circuit, variations in target responses observed for PPI paradigms represent prepulse-induced excitability changes. However, little is known about the mechanism of PPI.

High-resolution EEG source localization in personalized segmentation-free head model with multi-dipole fitting.

. Electroencephalograms (EEGs) are often used to monitor brain activity. Several source localization methods have been proposed to estimate the location of brain activity corresponding to EEG readings.

ERP evidence of attentional somatosensory processing and stimulus-response coupling under different hand and arm postures.

We investigated (1) the effects of divided and focused attention on event-related brain potentials (ERPs) elicited by somatosensory stimulation under different response modes, (2) the effects of hand position (closely-placed vs. separated hands) and arm posture (crossed vs. uncrossed forearms) on the attentional modulation of somatosensory ERPs, and (3) changes in the coupling of stimulus- and response-related processes by somatosensory attention using a single-trial analysis of P300 latency and reaction times.

Usefulness of preset count acquisition in pediatric Tc-DMSA planar imaging.

Objective: This study was aimed at determining the minimum acquisition count to provide diagnosable image quality (DIQ) and investigating the usefulness of preset count acquisition (PCA) for planar images of pediatric Tc-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) scintigraphy.

Methods: First, we calculated a coefficient of variation (CV) for DIQ with the shortest acquisition time through visual evaluation in 12 pediatric patients who underwent Tc-DMSA scintigraphy. Second, a minimum acquisition count to achieve the CV for DIQ was determined with the single regression analysis using CV as an explanatory variable and the total acquisition count as an objective variable in 81 pediatric patients.

Comparison of the Characteristics of Two Types of Parallel-plate Ionization Chamber Under Small-field Electron Irradiation.

Background/aim: This study compared two types of parallel-plate ionization chamber to clarify the pitfalls of dosimetry in electron radiation therapy.

Materials And Methods: The ion recombination correction factor and polarity effect correction factor, sensitivity, and percentage depth doses (PDDs) of PPC05 and PPC40 parallel-plate ionization chambers were compared in a small-field electron beam. The output ratios were measured for 4-20 MeV electron beams with field sizes of 10 cm × 10 cm, 6 cm × 6 cm, and 4 cm × 4 cm.

Brain-wide network analysis of resting-state neuromagnetic data.

The present study performed a brain-wide network analysis of resting-state magnetoencephalograms recorded from 53 healthy participants to visualize elaborate brain maps of phase- and amplitude-derived graph-theory metrics at different frequencies. To achieve this, we conducted a vertex-wise computation of threshold-independent graph metrics by combining proportional thresholding and a conjunction analysis and applied them to a correlation analysis of age and brain networks. Source power showed a frequency-dependent cortical distribution.

Cortical activity during the wind-up of flexion reflex and pain: a magnetoencephalographic study using time-frequency analysis.

Wind-up is a nociceptive-specific phenomenon in which pain sensations are facilitated, in a frequency-dependent manner, by the repeated application of noxious stimuli of constant intensity, with invariant tactile sensations. Thus, cortical activities during wind-up could be an alteration associated with pain potentiation. We aimed to investigate somatosensory-evoked cortical responses and induced brain oscillations during wind-up by recording magnetoencephalograms.

Protective effects of probiotics against tannin-induced immunosuppression in broiler chickens.

Tannins (TAs) are an anti-nutritional substance commonly used as a natural feed additive for livestock. However, our previous study described the dose-dependent adverse effects of TA on immune responses and growth in chickens. In this study, we evaluated the protective effects of a probiotic preparation (BT) consisting of three different bacteria ( and ) against TA-induced immunosuppression in chickens.

The ERP and psychophysical changes related to facial emotion perception by expertise in Japanese hospitality, "OMOTENASHI".

We investigated the emotion perception process based on hospitality expertise. Forty subjects were divided into the OMOTENASHI group working at inns considered to represent the spirit of hospitality, OMOTENASHI in Japan, and CONTROL group without experience in the hospitality industry. We presented neutral, happy, and angry faces to investigate P100 and N170 by these faces, and psychophysical changes by the favor rating test to evaluate emotional perception.

Studies on the immune status of calves with chronic inflammation and thymus atrophy.

The thymus is a primary lymphoid organ where the primary T cell repertoire is generated. Thymus atrophy is induced by various conditions, including infectious diseases, glucocorticoid treatment, and poor breeding management. Cattle with thymus atrophy tend to exhibit weak calf syndrome, a condition in which approximately half of neonates die shortly after birth.

Effects of branched-chain amino acids on immune status of young racing horses.

High-intensity exercise and competition are associated with depressed immune function. Young horses, which participate in high-intensity exercise and competitions, are at increased risk for the development of infectious disease due to depression of immune function. The effects of branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) supplementation on the immune status of young racing horses were evaluated, determining whether BCAA might help to avoid or reduce immune suppression during exercise and competitions.

Dexterous manual movement facilitates information processing in the primary somatosensory cortex: A magnetoencephalographic study.

The interaction between the somatosensory and motor systems is important for control of movement in humans. Cortical activity related to somatosensory response and sensory perception is modulated by the influence of movement executing mechanisms. This phenomenon has been observed as inhibition in the short-latency components of somatosensory evoked potentials and magnetic fields (SEPs/SEFs).

[Application of Real-time Variable Shape Tungsten Rubber for Nail Radiation Protection in the Total Skin Electron Beam (TSEB) Therapy].

Purpose: This study investigated whether real-time variable shape tungsten rubber (STR) could be applied for nail radiation protection in total skin electron beam (TSEB) therapy.

Methods: Simulated finger phantoms were made from syringes filled with physiological saline of volumes 5, 10, 20, and 30 ml (inner diameters of 14.1, 17.

Reproductive cycle and maturation of Swinhoe's tree lizard (Diploderma swinhonis (Günther, 1864)) in Hyuga City, Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan.

Swinhoe's tree lizard (Diploderma swinhonis) is an arboreal agamid that is native to Taiwan. The species has been introduced to some areas of Japan and is regarded as an invasive alien species. In 2016, a nonnative population of D.

Different doses of tannin reflect a double-edged impact on broiler chicken immunity.

Tannin is one of the most common phytochemical secondary phenolic metabolites, which is widely distributed in various plant production systems. Dietary intake of tannin can exert different actions on the immune system. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of different concentrations on broiler chicken immunity.

Investigation of the relation between administered dose and image quality for pediatric Tc-DMSA renal scintigraphy: clinical study applying the JSNM (Japanese Society of Nuclear Medicine) pediatric dosage card : The Japanese Society of Nuclear Medicine Technology (JSNMT), the Optimization of Imaging Technique Committee for Pediatric Nuclear Medicine Studies.

Purpose: In 2013, the Japanese Society of Nuclear Medicine (JSNM) announced consensus guidelines for pediatric nuclear medicine. These JSNM guidelines proposed use of lower administered doses compared with traditionally determined doses, which were estimated from age, weight or body surface area (BSA) based on the administered dose for adults in Japan. When the JSNM guidelines are used, the relationship between this recommended administered dose and image quality remains unclear.

Sub-solid nodule detectability in seven observers of seventy-nine clinical cases: comparison between ultra-low-dose chest digital tomosynthesis with iterative reconstruction and chest radiography by receiver-operating characteristics analysis.

Purpose: To compare sub-solid nodules detectability (SSND) between ultra-low-dose chest digital tomosynthesis (ULD-CDT) with/without iterative reconstruction (IR) and chest radiography (CR) by using low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) as the standard of reference (SOR).

Materials And Methods: Institutional Review Board approved this study and written informed consent was obtained. In a single visit, 79 subjects underwent ULD-CDT at 120 kV and 10 mA, CR and LDCT (effective dose: 0.

Adaptive flexibility of the within-hand attentional gradient in touch: An MEG study.

Previous studies have demonstrated the cortical mechanisms for the gradient of spatial attention in vision and audition, whereas those for touch have yet to be elucidated in detail. In order to examine the within-hand gradient of tactile spatial attention in the cerebral cortex, we used magnetoencephalography (MEG) to record cortical responses to an electrocutaneous stimulation presented randomly to any of the five fingers of the right hand at a random interstimulus interval (750-1250 ms). Participants attended to the index finger, ring finger, or both to detect a rare target stimulus in a sequence of frequent standard stimuli presented to the attended finger(s) by silent counting.

Facilitation of information processing in the primary somatosensory area in the ball rotation task.

Somatosensory input to the brain is known to be modulated during voluntary movement. It has been demonstrated that the response in the primary somatosensory cortex (SI) is generally gated during simple movement of the corresponding body part. This study investigated sensorimotor integration in the SI during manual movement using a motor task combining movement complexity and object manipulation.