Ethanolamine and Vinyl-Ether Moieties in Brain Phospholipids Modulate Behavior in Rats.

Plasmalogens are brain-enriched phospholipids with a vinyl-ether bond at the -1 position between the glycerol backbone and the alkyl chain. Previous studies have suggested that plasmalogens modulate locomotor activity, anxiety-like behavior, and cognitive functions in rodents; however, the specific moieties contributing to behavioral regulation are unknown. In this study, we examined the behavioral modulation induced by specific phospholipid moieties.

Usefulness of fat attenuation index in postmortem CT for identifying responsible vessels in acute coronary syndromes: A case report.

Postmortem imaging, particularly unenhanced postmortem computed tomography (PMCT), has been increasingly utilized for pathological or judicial examination as a substitute for conventional autopsy, to compensate very low autopsy rates. While unenhanced PMCT has a limitation in diagnosing acute coronary syndromes, the fat attenuation index (FAI) which is a novel imaging biomarker measured by clinical coronary CT angiography (CCTA), has been known to noninvasively detect coronary artery inflammation. We investigated the postmortem diagnostic usefulness of perivascular FAI measured by CCTA in a 61-year-old male who died suddenly after chest pain.

Solitary and Synergistic Effects of Different Hydrophilic and Hydrophobic Phospholipid Moieties on Rat Behaviors.

Glycerophospholipids have hydrophobic and hydrophilic moieties. Previous studies suggest that phospholipids with different moieties have different effects on rodent behavior; however, the relationship between chemical structures and behavioral effects remains unclear. To clarify the functions of phospholipid moieties, we injected male rats with phospholipids with different moieties and conducted behavioral tests.

Deep learning model to predict Ki-67 expression of breast cancer using digital breast tomosynthesis.

Background: Developing a deep learning (DL) model for digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) images to predict Ki-67 expression.

Methods: The institutional review board approved this retrospective study and waived the requirement for informed consent from the patients. Initially, 499 patients (mean age: 50.

[Evaluation of the Effectiveness of a Neck Fixation Device for Improving Image Quality in Diffusion-weighted Whole-body Imaging with Background Suppression].

The effectiveness of a neck fixation device to improve the image quality of DWIBS was investigated. Healthy volunteers were examined while chewing with and without a neck fixation device using a 3-T MRI system. Distance of mandibular movement was measured using true-fast imaging of steady-state precession (true FISP).

Automated volume measurement of abdominal adipose tissue from entire abdominal cavity in Dixon MR images using deep learning.

The purpose of this study was to realize an automated volume measurement of abdominal adipose tissue from the entire abdominal cavity in Dixon magnetic resonance (MR) images using deep learning. Our algorithm involves a combination of extraction of the abdominal cavity and body trunk regions using deep learning and extraction of a fat region based on automatic thresholding. To evaluate the proposed method, we calculated the Dice coefficient (DC) between the extracted regions using deep learning and labeled images.

Fast B1 Mapping Based on Double-Angle Method with T1 Correction Using Standard Pulse Sequence.

Radiofrequency (RF) field (B1) mapping by combining the double-angle method (DAM) and T1 correction was investigated. The signal intensities S1 and S2 acquired by flip angle (FA) α and double FA 2α at short repetition time (TR) were converted to a signal intensity at TR=∞ by T1 correction. Then, these were used for DAM calculation.

[Imaging Parameter Optimization of Non-contrast Three-dimensional Time-of-flight Magnetic Resonance Angiography for Patients with Intracranial Stents Using a 1.5 T Magnetic Resonance Imaging System].

The imaging parameters of non-contrast three-dimensional time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography (3D TOF-MRA) were optimized to improve the image quality for patients treated using stent-assisted coiling. A simulated blood flow phantom with three types of stents (Enterprise 2, Neuroform Atlas, and LVIS) was imaged by changing echo time (TE), band width (BW), flip angle (FA), and matrix (phase, frequency). The difference between the signal intensity in the simulated vessel and the background was measured at each imaging condition.

Characterization of a novel species of adenovirus from Japanese microbat and role of CXADR as its entry factor.

Recently, bat adenoviruses (BtAdVs) of genus Mastadenovirus have been isolated from various bat species, some of them displaying a wide host range in cell culture. In this study, we isolated two BtAdVs from Japanese wild microbats. While one isolate was classified as Bat mastadenovirus A, the other was phylogenetically independent of other BtAdVs.

A PB1-K577E Mutation in H9N2 Influenza Virus Increases Polymerase Activity and Pathogenicity in Mice.

H9N2 avian influenza viruses are present in poultry worldwide. These viruses are considered to have pandemic potential, because recent isolates can recognize human-type receptor and several sporadic human infections have been reported. In this study, we aimed to identify mutations related to mammalian adaptation of H9N2 influenza virus.

Antigenic heterogeneity among phylogenetic clusters of influenza D viruses.

Influenza (flu) D virus, a possible causative agent of bovine respiratory disease, is genetically classified into three clusters: D/OK-, D/660-, and D/Japan-lineages. To evaluate antigenic heterogeneity among these clusters, we compared antibody titers to each lineage virus using bovine sera collected over time following virus infection. Antibody titers to D/Japan-lineage virus rose rapidly in the acute phase of infection, and were 4 times higher than those to the other clustered viruses.

Detection of bat hepatitis E virus RNA in microbats in Japan.

Several recent studies have reported that various bat species harbor bat hepatitis E viruses (BatHEV) belonging to the family Hepeviridae, which also contains human hepatitis E virus (HEV). The distribution and ecology of BatHEV are not well known. Here, we collected and screened 81 bat fecal samples from nine bat species in Japan to detect BatHEV RNA by RT-PCR using HEV-specific primers, and detected three positive samples.

Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycan Is an Important Attachment Factor for Cell Entry of Akabane and Schmallenberg Viruses.

(AKAV) and Schmallenberg virus (SBV) are members of the genus , which are transmitted by arthropod vectors with a broad cellular tropism as well as Both AKAV and SBV cause arthrogryposis-hydranencephaly syndrome in ruminants. The main cellular receptor and attachment factor for entry of these orthobunyaviruses are unknown. Here, we found that AKAV and SBV infections were inhibited by the addition of heparin or enzymatic removal of cell surface heparan sulfates.

Nationwide Distribution of Bovine Influenza D Virus Infection in Japan.

Cattle are major reservoirs of the provisionally named influenza D virus, which is potentially involved in the bovine respiratory disease complex. Here, we conducted a serological survey for the influenza D virus in Japan, using archived bovine serum samples collected during 2010-2016 from several herds of apparently healthy cattle in various regions of the country. We found sero-positive cattle across all years and in all the prefectural regions tested, with a total positivity rate of 30.

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.

Characterization of two endoglucanases for the classification of the earthworm, Eisenia fetida Waki.

Eisenia fetida and Eisenia andrei are vermicomposting species that are used as model animals for testing chemical material toxicology. Eisenia spp. are grown commercially in various fields in Japan.

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.

Cerebral relaxation times from postmortem MR imaging of adults.

Purpose: We measured T1 and T2 values of cerebral postmortem magnetic resonance (PMMR) imaging and compared the data of cadavers with that of living human subjects.

Materials And Methods: We performed PMMR imaging of the brains of 30 adults (22 men, 8 women; mean age, 58.2 years) whose deaths were for reasons other than brain injury or disease at a mean of 29.

Group B betacoronavirus in rhinolophid bats, Japan.

We report group B Betacoronavirus infection in little Japanese horseshoe bats in Iwate prefecture. We then used reverse-transcription PCR to look for the coronavirus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase gene in fecal samples collected from 27 little Japanese horseshoe bats and found eight were provisionally positive. We had a success in the nucleotide sequencing of six of the eight positive samples and compared them with those of authentic coronaviruses.

Optimization of inversion time for postmortem short-tau inversion recovery (STIR) MR imaging.

Purpose: Signal intensity and image contrast differ between postmortem magnetic resonance (PMMR) images and images acquired from the living body. We sought to achieve sufficient fat suppression with short-tau inversion recovery (STIR) PMMR imaging by optimizing inversion time (TI).

Material And Methods: We subjected 37 deceased adult patients to PMMR imaging at 1.