Socio-spatial cognition in cats: Mentally mapping owner’s location from voice

予期せぬ場所から聞こえる飼い主の声にびっくり --ネコは耳で飼い主の位置を捉えている--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2021-11-22.Many animals probably hold mental representations about the whereabouts of others; this is a form of socio-spatial cognition. We tested whether cats mentally map the spatial position of their owner or a familiar cat to the source of the owner’s or familiar cat’s vocalization. In Experiment 1, we placed one speaker outside a familiar room (speaker 1) and another (speaker 2) inside the room, as far as possible from speaker 1, then we left the subject alone in the room. In the habituation phase, the cat heard its owner’s voice calling its name five times from speaker 1. In the test phase, shortly after the 5th habituation phase vocalization, one of the two speakers played either the owner’s voice or a stranger’s voice calling the cat’s name once. There were four test combinations of speaker location and sound: Same[sound] Same[location], Same[sound] Diff[location], Diff[sound] Same[location], Diff[sound] Diff[location]. In line with our prediction, cats showed most surprise in the Same[sound] Diff[location] condition, where the owner suddenly seemed to be in a new place. This reaction disappeared when we used cat vocalizations (Experiment 2) or non-vocal sounds (Experiment 3) as the auditory stimuli. Our results suggest that cats have mental representations about their out-of-sight owner linked to hearing the owner’s voice, indicating a previously unidentified socio-spatial cognitive ability

Effect of Hemodialysis on Plasma Glucose Profile and Plasma Level of Liraglutide in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and End-Stage Renal Disease: A Pilot Study

The effect of hemodialysis on the plasma glucose profile and liraglutide level after liraglutide injection was investigated in patients with diabetes and end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Either 0.6 mg or 0.9 mg liraglutide was subcutaneously administered daily to 10 Japanese type 2 diabetic patients with ESRD. Hemodialysis was conducted on days 1 and 3. Plasma liraglutide and glucose concentrations were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and a continuous glucose monitoring system, respectively. The safety profile of liraglutide was also assessed. Hemodialysis had no effect on the pharmacokinetic parameters of liraglutide in patients with diabetes and ESRD; the maximum plasma concentration (Cmax), tmax, area under the concentration-time curve (AUC), and CL/f were unaltered. Similarly, hemodialysis did not affect the mean or minimum glucose levels, AUC, or duration of hyperglycemia (>180 mg/dL) and hypoglycemia (<70 mg/dL) following liraglutide administration. However, significant increases in mean amplitude of glycemic excursions (MAGE) and standard deviation (SD) as markers of glucose fluctuation, and the maximum glucose level were observed during hemodialysis. No adverse events, including hypoglycemia, were observed after liraglutide injection, either off-hemodialysis (day 2) or on-hemodialysis (day 3). Liraglutide was well tolerated in patients with type 2 diabetes and ESRD undergoing hemodialysis. The present results suggested that hemodialysis did not affect the pharmacokinetic profile of liraglutide or most glycemic indices, with the exception of MAGE, SD, and the maximum glucose level. These results suggested that it may be possible to use liraglutide during hemodialysis for diabetes with ESRD, without dose adjustment. Trial Registration UMIN Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN-CTR) UMIN000010159.\ud \u

Regional gray matter volume in the posterior precuneus is associated with general self-efficacy

Motivation in doing a task is influenced not only by the expected outcome of the task, but also by the belief that one has in successfully executing the task. Over time, individuals accumulate experiences that contribute to a general belief in one’s overall ability to successfully perform tasks, which is called general self-efficacy (GSE). We investigated the relationship between regional gray matter volume and individual differences in GSE. Brain anatomy was analyzed using magnetic resonance images obtained from 64 healthy right-handed participants who had completed Sherer’s GSE scale. After controlling for other factors related to motivation, age, sex, and total gray matter volume of each subject, results showed that regional gray matter volume in the posterior part of the precuneus significantly and positively correlated with GSE score. These results suggest that one’s accumulated experiences of success and failure, which contribute to GSE, also influence the anatomical characteristics of the precuneus

糖尿病外来患者の食事とライフスタイルの特徴

The aim of this study was to clarify the relationship between dietary intake or lifestyle and blood sugar control in diabetic outpatients. In this study 186 outpatients (136 males and 50 females) were recruited, who had been treated only with diet for controlling blood sugar. Three months to 12 years after a dietician counseled dietary therapy to diabetic outpatients, the effects were evaluated by both calculating the energy intakes and inquiring the questionnaires. By the criteria of Japan diabetic society for 75 g OGTT, diabetic, borderline and normal types were diagnosed. Outpatients brought themselves dietary records for the preceding 3 days every visiting the clinic.Fasting blood samples were obtained early in the morning for measuring biochemical parameters.Energy intakes of outpatients were calculated using both the exchangeable food table for diabetic patients and 5th revised Japan food table. Then, the questionnaires were inquired to outpatients by dieticians. During the observed periods until 36 months, good controls (100 to 119 mg/dl of FBS) were shown 6 months after in males and 9 months after in females. Poor control was more in males compared to females. In the cases of 1600 kcal per day of energy intakes, males ate more food rich in protein and energy, while females did more food rich in carbohydrate and vitamins with comparatively well-balanced nutrients. These well-balanced diets contributed to good control. Males drank alcohols very often, and females took sweets more, causing probably the disturbed control of blood sugar. The discrepancy of the calculated energy between above two food tables was approximately 70 kcal, showing more with Japan food table. Through counseling to outpatients by both physicians and dieticians, the frequency of physical movement increased from 25% in the initial to 60% in the final period. As an improvement of lifestyle, cigarette smoking decreased from 40 to 28% in frequency in males, and from 10 to 3% in females. From these findings, the counseling to outpatients in the clinic was beneficial to improve blood sugar control and lifestyle

Texture analysis of myopathy

Given the recent technological advent of muscle ultrasound (US), classification of various myopathic conditions could be possible, especially by mathematical analysis of muscular fine structure called texture analysis. We prospectively enrolled patients with three neuromuscular conditions and their lower leg US images were quantitatively analyzed by texture analysis and machine learning methodology in the following subjects : Inclusion body myositis (IBM) [N=11] ; myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) [N=19] ; polymyositis/dermatomyositis (PM-DM) [N=21]. Although three-group analysis achieved up to 58.8% accuracy, two-group analysis of IBM plus PM-DM versus DM1 showed 78.4% accuracy. Despite the small number of subjects, texture analysis of muscle US followed by machine learning might be expected to be useful in identifying myopathic conditions

Changes of Food Preference in Children Aged 4 and 5 Years

Food preference and food intake behaviors were investigated on 40 children for 21 kinds of foods using foodcards. Bell pepper, leek, radish and shiitake mushroom were the most unpopular foods to children. These are foods with unique smell, sliminess, and stickiness. Children seem to dislike such kinds of foods. Food preference and food intake behaviors in children have changed from the age of 4 to 5 years. For example, foods that over 60% or more of children answered to come to dislike more in five-year-olds than in four-year-olds were shiitake mushroom, natto, eggplant and radish. Regarding rank difference correlation in five ranks of food preference and three ranks of food intake behaviors in children, correlation was statistically significant in all 21 kinds of foods with 1% significance. Children ate their favorite foods very much and didn\u27t eat non-favorite foods. "Food preference" and "food intake behaviors" between four-year-old and five-year-old children, and between five-year-old children and their mothers seemed different

Takifugu rubripes predation on the venomous stingray Dasyatis akajei : gut content evidence from an estuary in the western Seto Inland Sea, Japan

瀬戸内海の河口干潟域でトラフグTakifugu rubripes 稚魚による刺毒魚アカエイDasyaris akajei の捕食を初めて確認した。2012年9～11月と2014年10月に山口市椹野川河口で採集したトラフグ27個体（9.8～14.0cm SL, 11.9～17.5cm TL の食性を調査し2012年10月に採集した1個体（12.1cm SL, 15.1cm TL）の消化管内容物からアカエイ1個体を同定した。アカエイ被食部位は，尾部を含めた体後部で，計40個の断片として検出された。異なる2通りの復元方法により，体盤幅はそれぞれ11.1 ±2.4cm (±95% 信頼区間），12.8±3.7cm（同）と推定された。被食量は，前者ではアカエイ体重の18.6%，後者では11.8% に及ぶと考えられた。Tiger pufferfish, Takifugu rubripes (Family: Tetraodontidae), is an important commercial fish in Japan. Landings of Tiger pufferfish at the Shimonoseki fish market, Yamaguchi Prefecture, where ca. 60% of the pufferfish caught in Japan is landed has decreased remarkably from 1,841 metric tons at the peak of catch in 1987 to 111 metric tons in 2013. This reduction in stock indicates the pufferfish population of Japan has reached a critical condition. As a result, the local population in Ariake Bay, East China Sea has been evaluated as an endangered local population by the Nagasaki Prefectural local government (Red List 2011, category: LP). Necessarily, it is desired that the resources should recover from the present state. It is known that juvenile tiger pufferfish grow in estuaries until late fall. They forage on small benthic animals there. Therefore, it is necessary to clarify the feeding habits of the juvenile pufferfish in the intertidal area in detail. In this report, we clarified the predation on the Whip stingray, Dasyatis akajei by juvenile Tiger pufferfish in the estuary area. Because the stingray is well-known as a venomous species, it has been considered that no fish species could prey on stingrays in this area. In September-November 2012 and October 2014, 27 individuals of T. rubripes (9.8-14.0cm SL, 11.9-17.Scm TL) were collected in the Fushino River estuary in Yamaguchi Prefecture, western Seto Inland Sea to examine their feeding habits. A D. akajei was identified from the gut contents of the juvenile T. rubripes, 12.1 cm SL (15.1 cm TL), which was collected in October 2012. The prey, the stingray's body was detected as a total of 40 only partially digested pieces including 4 distinct pieces of the tail being the posterior portions of the stingray's body. By two different restoring methods, the disc width of the stingray was estimated to be 11 .1 ± 2.4cm (± 95% confidence interval) and as 12.8 ± 3.7cm. The amount of stingray body tissue consumed to total stingray body weight was estimated to be 18.6% of the former restoring method and 11.8% by the latter. In the Seto Inland Sea of Japan, resources of benthotrophic fish species, such as flatfishes and pufferfishes, which use the estuary in their early life history, have decreased remarkably. For recovery and regeneration of these critical resources, it is necessary to clarify the relationships between organisms and the estuarine ecosystem

Local Release of C-Reactive Protein From Vulnerable Plaque or Coronary Arterial Wall Injured by Stenting

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to assess local release of C-reactive protein (CRP) from atherosclerotic plaques or the vessel wall injured by stenting.BackgroundRecent research has focused on the local production of CRP, especially in inflammatory atherosclerotic plaques.MethodsThe study consisted of two separate protocols. In protocol 1, we measured serum high-sensitivity-CRP (hs-CRP) levels in coronary arterial blood sampled just distal and proximal to the culprit lesions in 36 patients with stable angina and 13 patients with unstable angina. In protocol 2, we measured serial serum hs-CRP levels and activated Mac-1 on the surface of neutrophils in both coronary sinus and peripheral blood in 20 patients undergoing coronary stenting.ResultsIn protocol 1, CRP was higher in distal blood than proximal blood in both stable (p < 0.05) and unstable angina (p < 0.01). The translesional CRP gradient (distal CRP minus proximal CRP, p < 0.05) as well as the proximal CRP (p < 0.05) and distal CRP (p < 0.05) was higher in unstable angina than in stable angina. In protocol 2, the transcardiac CRP gradient (coronary sinus minus peripheral blood) and activated Mac-1 increased gradually after stenting, reaching a maximum at 48 h (p < 0.001 vs. baseline for both). There was a positive correlation between the transcardiac CRP gradient and activated Mac-1 at 48 h (r = 0.45, p < 0.01).ConclusionsC-reactive protein is an excellent marker for plaque instability or poststent inflammatory status, and its source might be the inflammation site of the plaque or the coronary arterial wall injured by stenting

Inadequate Folic Acid Intake Among Women Taking Antiepileptic Drugs During Pregnancy in Japan: A Cross-Sectional Study

This study aimed to assess characteristics of pregnant women taking antiepileptic drugs with inadequate folic acid intake. This cross-sectional study examined pregnant women taking antiepileptic drugs who were registered in the Japanese Drug Information Institute in Pregnancy (JDIIP) database between October 2005 and December 2016. Participants were classified into two groups according to when they started folic acid supplementation (before pregnancy: ‘adequate’, after pregnancy or never: ‘inadequate’). Logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate factors associated with inadequate folic acid intake. Of 12,794 registrants, 468 pregnant women were taking antiepileptics during the first trimester. Of these, we analysed data from 456 women who had no missing data. As a result, inadequate folic acid intake was noted among 83.3% of them, suggesting that the current level of folic acid intake is insufficient overall. Younger age, smoking, alcohol drinking, multiparity, unplanned pregnancy, and being prescribed AEDs by paediatric or psychiatric departments were independent factors associated with inadequate folic acid intake. As planned pregnancy was the strongest factor, healthcare professionals should ensure that childbearing women taking antiepileptics are informed of the importance of planned pregnancy. In addition, healthcare professionals must gain a better understanding of folic acid intake, as the prevalence of adequate intake differed according to which departments prescribed antiepileptic drugs