Does Pramipexole Treatment Improve Headache in Patients with Concomitant Migraine and Restless Legs Syndrome?

Background: Recent studies have suggested a strong link between migraines and restless legs syndrome (RLS). It is possible that these disorders share a dopaminergic dysfunction in the hypothalamic A11 nucleus that contributes to this association. However, there have been no clinical studies to evaluate the effect of dopaminergic treatment on migraine symptoms in patients with concomitant migraines and RLS. Methods: We present an illustrative patient with concomitant RLS and migraine who showed improvement in her headache frequency and RLS symptoms following immediate‐release pramipexole (P‐IR) treatment and provide review results from the medical records of patients who experienced both migraines and RLS in our previous cross‐sectional study. Results: Ten patients (nine patients from the previously completed single‐center study) received P‐IR treatment were included in the study. RLS symptoms improved markedly in all of the subjects. Five out of the 10 patients (50%) reported improvement in migraine headaches. Of these five patients, four (80%) had reported morning headaches before P‐IR treatment. Discussion: Our results indicate that the identification of RLS in migraine patients is clinically significant and that dopaminergic treatment may improve both migraines, particularly morning headache (80% improvement in this study), and RLS symptoms. However, further clinical studies are warranted to verify our results

Current status of space gravitational wave antenna DECIGO and B-DECIGO

Deci-hertz Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (DECIGO) is the future Japanese space mission with a frequency band of 0.1 Hz to 10 Hz. DECIGO aims at the detection of primordial gravitational waves, which could be produced during the inflationary period right after the birth of the universe. There are many other scientific objectives of DECIGO, including the direct measurement of the acceleration of the expansion of the universe, and reliable and accurate predictions of the timing and locations of neutron star/black hole binary coalescences. DECIGO consists of four clusters of observatories placed in the heliocentric orbit. Each cluster consists of three spacecraft, which form three Fabry-Perot Michelson interferometers with an arm length of 1,000 km. Three clusters of DECIGO will be placed far from each other, and the fourth cluster will be placed in the same position as one of the three clusters to obtain the correlation signals for the detection of the primordial gravitational waves. We plan to launch B-DECIGO, which is a scientific pathfinder of DECIGO, before DECIGO in the 2030s to demonstrate the technologies required for DECIGO, as well as to obtain fruitful scientific results to further expand the multi-messenger astronomy.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figure

Current status of space gravitational wave antenna DECIGO and B-DECIGO

The Deci-hertz Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (DECIGO) is a future Japanese space mission with a frequency band of 0.1 Hz to 10 Hz. DECIGO aims at the detection of primordial gravitational waves, which could have been produced during the inflationary period right after the birth of the Universe. There are many other scientific objectives of DECIGO, including the direct measurement of the acceleration of the expansion of the Universe, and reliable and accurate predictions of the timing and locations of neutron star/black hole binary coalescences. DECIGO consists of four clusters of observatories placed in heliocentric orbit. Each cluster consists of three spacecraft, which form three Fabry–Pérot Michelson interferometers with an arm length of 1000 km. Three DECIGO clusters will be placed far from each other, and the fourth will be placed in the same position as one of the other three to obtain correlation signals for the detection of primordial gravitational waves. We plan to launch B-DECIGO, which is a scientific pathfinder for DECIGO, before DECIGO in the 2030s to demonstrate the technologies required for DECIGO, as well as to obtain fruitful scientific results to further expand multi-messenger astronomy

Dataset for: Integrated trophic position as a proxy for food-web complexity

<div> <p>There are two distinct approaches to describing the distributions of biomass and species in food webs: one to consider them as discrete trophic levels (TLs); and the other to consider them as continuous trophic positions (TPs). Bridging the gap between these two perspectives presents a non-trivial challenge in integrating biodiversity and food-web structure.</p> <p>Food Network Unfolding (FNU) is a technique used to bridge this gap by partitioning the biomass of species into integer TLs to compute three complexity indices, namely vertical (<em>D</em><sub>V</sub>), horizontal (<em>D</em><sub>H</sub>), and range (<em>D</em><sub>R</sub>) diversity (<em>D</em> indices), through decomposition of Shannon's index <em>H'</em>. Using FNU, the food web (a network of species with unique TPs) is converted to a linear food chain (a biomass distribution at discrete TLs). This enables us to expect that the unfolded biomass within species decreases exponentially as the TL increases. Under this condition, the mean TL value in unfolded food chains is hypothesized to have an exponential relationship with the vertical diversity, <em>D</em><sub>V</sub>. To explore this, we implemented FNU and calculated <em>D</em> indices for food webs publicly available at EcoBase (<em>n</em> = 158) and calculated the integrated TP (iTP), defined as the biomass-weighted average TP of a given food web. The iTP corresponds to the mean TL in unfolded food chains and can be empirically measured through compound-specific isotope analysis of amino acids (CSIA-AA).</p> <p>Although our analysis is biased towards marine ecosystems, we revealed an exponential relationship between iTP and <em>D</em><sub>V</sub>, suggesting that iTP can serve as a measurable proxy for <em>D</em><sub>V</sub>. Furthermore, we found a positive correlation between the iTP observed in the total communities (total iTP) and the iTPs of partial communities consisting only of species with 2.0 ≤ TP < 3.0 (partial iTP; <em>r<sup>2</sup></em> = 0.48), suggesting that <em>D</em><sub>V</sub> can be predicted using partial iTP.</p> <p>Our findings suggest that the net effect of species diversity, excluding the effect of biomass (corresponding to <em>H'</em> − <em>D</em><sub>V</sub>), on food-web complexity can be revealed by combining CSIA-AA with biodiversity analysis (e.g., environmental DNA).</p> </div><p>Funding provided by: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science<br>Crossref Funder Registry ID: https://ror.org/00hhkn466<br>Award Number: 22K19857</p><p>The dataset was collected from <a href="http://ecobase.ecopath.org" rel="noopener">EcoBase</a> and processed using R and Matlab codes (pickupdata.R, createcolormap.m, and script.m).</p> <p>Details are provided in the README file.</p&gt

Dataset for: Integrated trophic position as a proxy for food-web complexity

<div> <p>There are two distinct approaches to describing the distributions of biomass and species in food webs: one to consider them as discrete trophic levels (TLs); and the other to consider them as continuous trophic positions (TPs). Bridging the gap between these two perspectives presents a non-trivial challenge in integrating biodiversity and food-web structure.</p> <p>Food Network Unfolding (FNU) is a technique used to bridge this gap by partitioning the biomass of species into integer TLs to compute three complexity indices, namely vertical (<em>D</em><sub>V</sub>), horizontal (<em>D</em><sub>H</sub>), and range (<em>D</em><sub>R</sub>) diversity (<em>D</em> indices), through decomposition of Shannon's index <em>H'</em>. Using FNU, the food web (a network of species with unique TPs) is converted to a linear food chain (a biomass distribution at discrete TLs). This enables us to expect that the unfolded biomass within species decreases exponentially as the TL increases. Under this condition, the mean TL value in unfolded food chains is hypothesized to have an exponential relationship with the vertical diversity, <em>D</em><sub>V</sub>. To explore this, we implemented FNU and calculated <em>D</em> indices for food webs publicly available at EcoBase (<em>n</em> = 158) and calculated the integrated TP (iTP), defined as the biomass-weighted average TP of a given food web. The iTP corresponds to the mean TL in unfolded food chains and can be empirically measured through compound-specific isotope analysis of amino acids (CSIA-AA).</p> <p>Although our analysis is biased towards marine ecosystems, we revealed an exponential relationship between iTP and <em>D</em><sub>V</sub>, suggesting that iTP can serve as a measurable proxy for <em>D</em><sub>V</sub>. Furthermore, we found a positive correlation between the iTP observed in the total communities (total iTP) and the iTPs of partial communities consisting only of species with 2.0 ≤ TP < 3.0 (partial iTP; <em>r<sup>2</sup></em> = 0.48), suggesting that <em>D</em><sub>V</sub> can be predicted using partial iTP.</p> <p>Our findings suggest that the net effect of species diversity, excluding the effect of biomass (corresponding to <em>H'</em> − <em>D</em><sub>V</sub>), on food-web complexity can be revealed by combining CSIA-AA with biodiversity analysis (e.g., environmental DNA).</p> </div><p>Funding provided by: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science<br>Crossref Funder Registry ID: https://ror.org/00hhkn466<br>Award Number: 22K19857</p><p>The dataset was collected from <a href="http://ecobase.ecopath.org" rel="noopener">EcoBase</a> and processed using R and Matlab codes (pickupdata.R, createcolormap.m, and script.m).</p> <p>Details are provided in the README file.</p&gt

Identification of Potential mRNA Biomarkers in Milk Small Extracellular Vesicles of Enzootic Bovine Leukosis Cattle

Enzootic bovine leukosis (EBL) is a disease caused by bovine leukemia virus (BLV); only a small percentage of BLV-infected cattle develop EBL and present with B-cell lymphosarcoma. There is no vaccine against BLV, treatment for EBL, or method for predicting the possibility of EBL onset, thus making EBL control difficult. Herein, to explore biomarkers for EBL in milk, we examined the mRNA profiles of small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) in milk from four BLV-uninfected and four EBL cattle by microarray analysis. It was revealed that 14 mRNAs were encapsulated in significantly higher quantities, and these mRNAs were therefore selected as biomarker candidates. Primers for these mRNAs were designed, and nine primer sets were available for quantitative real-time PCR. Nine mRNAs were evaluated for their availability as biomarkers for EBL using sEVs from newly-collected milk of 7 uninfected and 10 EBL cattle. The quantities of eight mRNAs (TMEM156, SRGN, CXCL8, DEFB4A, FABP5, LAPTM5, LGALS1, and VIM) were significantly higher in milk sEVs of EBL cattle than in those of uninfected cattle. Therefore, our findings indicate that these eight mRNAs in milk sEVs can be used as potential EBL biomarkers with combination use, although single mRNA use is not enough. Consequently, cattle at risk of EBL onset can be identified by monitoring the fluctuation in quantities of these mRNAs in milk before they develop EBL

Characterization of miRNAs in Milk Small Extracellular Vesicles from Enzootic Bovine Leukosis Cattle

Enzootic bovine leukosis (EBL) is a B-cell lymphosarcoma caused by the bovine leukemia virus (BLV). Most BLV-infected cattle show no clinical signs and only some develop EBL. The pathogenesis of EBL remains unclear and there are no methods for predicting EBL before its onset. Previously, it was reported that miRNA profiles in milk small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) were affected in cattle in the late stage of BLV infection. It raised a possibility that miRNA profile in milk sEVs from EBL cattle could be also affected. To characterize the difference in milk of EBL cattle and healthy cattle, we examined the miRNA profiles in milk sEVs from four EBL and BLV-uninfected cattle each using microarray analysis. Among the detected miRNAs, three miRNAs—bta-miR-1246, hsa-miR-1290, and hsa-miR-424-5p—which were detectable using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) and are associated with cancers in humans—were selected as biomarker candidates for EBL. To evaluate the utility of these miRNAs as biomarkers for EBL, their levels were measured using milk that was freshly collected from 13 EBL and seven BLV-uninfected cattle. bta-miR-1246 and hsa-miR-424-5p, but not hsa-miR-1290, were detected using qPCR and their levels in milk sEVs from EBL cattle were significantly higher than those in BLV-uninfected cattle. bta-miR-1246 and hsa-miR-424-5p in sEVs may promote metastasis by targeting tumor suppressor genes, resulting in increased amounts in milk sEVs in EBL cattle. These results suggest that bta-miR-1246 and hsa-miR-424-5p levels in milk sEVs could serve as biomarkers for EBL

Putative Internal Control Genes in Bovine Milk Small Extracellular Vesicles Suitable for Normalization in Quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction

Bovine milk small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) contain many biologically important molecules, including mRNAs. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) is a widely used method for quantifying mRNA in tissues and cells. However, the use, selection, and stability of suitable putative internal control genes in bovine milk sEVs for normalization in qRT-PCR have not yet been identified. Thus, the aim of the present study was to determine suitable putative internal control genes in milk sEVs for the normalization of qRT-PCR data. Milk sEVs were isolated from six healthy Holstein-Friesian cattle, followed by RNA extraction and cDNA synthesis. In total, 17 mRNAs were selected for investigation and quantification using qRT-PCR; they were further evaluated using geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper, and ∆CT algorithms to identify those that were highly stable putative internal control genes in milk sEVs. The final ranking of suitable putative internal control genes was determined using RefFinder. The mRNAs from TUB, ACTB, DGKZ, ETFDH, YWHAZ, STATH, DCAF11, and EGFLAM were detected in milk sEVs from six cattle by qRT-PCR. RefFinder demonstrated that TUB, ETFDH, and ACTB were highly stable in milk sEVs, and thus suitable for normalization of qRT-PCR data. The present study suggests that the use of these genes as putative internal control genes may further enhance the robustness of qRT-PCR in bovine milk sEVs. Since these putative internal control genes apply to healthy bovines, it would be helpful to include that the genes were stable in sEVs under “normal or healthy conditions”

A Case Study on the Current Status and Issues of the E-portfolio System for Teacher Training : a comparative review between universities in Japan and the United States

The purpose of this study was to clarify the current status and issues of the e-portfolio system, comparing the difference in using the e-portfolio system between universities in Japan and the United States. The following were revealed : 1) It was suggested that in “introducing” the e-portfolio system, it seemed reasonable to start “introducing” the system to teachers who are positive about it, then to continue dispersing the system to all the faculty members. 2) It was also suggested that through the “introduction” of the system to its “dispersion” across a university, there is a need to have some kind of “introduction course” in order to show its purpose and necessity, and the “introduction course,” plus “supervising program” would be necessary to technically aid faculty members as well as students. 3) It was suggested that in the “dispersion” of e-portfolio system, it is very important for us ① to let students recognize the benefit of the system and to give value to it as a meaningful one, and ② to create a community in which students and the faculty members utilize ICT together.本稿は，宮武遼（2014）の卒業論文を加筆修正したものである。また，科学研究費（若手B）「実践的指導力」を育成する学部・大学院の体育教員養成カリキュラムの開発と実践（課題番号：24700624）の補助を受けて行った成果の一部である