Interoception is associated with the impact of eye contact on spontaneous facial mimicry

自分の身体の中の感覚に気づきやすい人ほど、表情模倣が起こりやすく、他人の視線にも敏感であることを解明. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2020-12-03.Interoception (perception of one’s own physiological state) has been suggested to underpin social cognition, although the mechanisms underlying this association remain unclear. The current study aimed to elucidate the relationship between interoception and two factors underlying social cognition: self-other boundary and sensitivity to social cues. We measured performance in a heartbeat perception task as an index of interoceptive accuracy (IAc), the frequency of spontaneous facial mimicry (SFM) as an index of self-other boundary, and the degree of the effect of eye contact on SFM (difference in SFM between conditions in which models’ eyes were directed to and averted from participants) as an index of social-cue sensitivity, and tested correlations among these measures. The results revealed that IAc and SFM were positively correlated only in the direct gaze condition. The extent of the effect of eye contact on SFM (difference in frequency between direct vs. averted conditions) was positively correlated with IAc. These overall findings were also observed in separate analyses of male and female participant groups, supporting the robustness of the findings. The results suggest that interoception is related to sensitivity to social cues, and may also be related to the self-other boundary with modulation by social context

Biomarkers Predictive of Distant Disease-free Survival Derived from Diffusion-weighted Imaging of Breast Cancer

Purpose: To investigate whether intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) and/or non-Gaussian diffusion parameters are associated with distant disease-free survival (DDFS) in patients with invasive breast cancer. Methods: From May 2013 to March 2015, 101 patients (mean age 60.0, range 28-88) with invasive breast cancer were evaluated prospectively. IVIM parameters (flowing blood volume fraction [ɪᴠɪᴍ] and pseudodiffusion coefficient [D*]) and non-Gaussian diffusion parameters (theoretical apparent diffusion coefficient [ADC] at a b value of 0 s/mm² [ADC₀] and kurtosis [K]) were estimated using a diffusion-weighted imaging series of 16 b values up to 2500 s/mm². Shifted ADC values (sADC₂₀₀-₁₅₀₀) and standard ADC values (ADC₀-₈₀₀) were also calculated. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to generate survival analyses for DDFS, which were compared using the log-rank test. Univariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess any associations between each parameter and distant metastasis-free survival. Results: The median observation period was 80 months (range, 35-92 months). Among the 101 patients, 12 (11.9%) developed distant metastasis, with a median time to metastasis of 79 months (range, 10-92 months). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that DDFS was significantly shorter in patients with K > 0.98 than in those with K ≤ 0.98 ( = 0.04). Cox regression analysis showed a marginal statistical association between K and distant metastasis-free survival ( = 0.05). Conclusion: Non-Gaussian diffusion may be associated with prognosis in invasive breast cancer. A higher K may be a marker to help identify patients at an elevated risk of distant metastasis, which could guide subsequent treatment

Cv2, functioning as a pro-BMP factor via twisted gastrulation, is required for early development of nephron precursors

AbstractThe fine-tuning of BMP signals is critical for many aspects of complex organogenesis. In this report, we show that the augmentation of BMP signaling by a BMP-binding secreted factor, Crossveinless2 (Cv2), is essential for the early embryonic development of mammalian nephrons. In the Cv2-null mouse, the number of cap condensates (clusters of nephron progenitors, which normally express Cv2) was decreased, and the condensate cells exhibited a reduced level of aggregation. In these Cv2–/– condensates, the level of phosphorylated Smad1 (pSmad1) was substantially lowered. The loss of a Bmp7 allele in the Cv2–/– mouse enhanced the cap condensate defects and further decreased the level of pSmad1 in this tissue. These observations indicated that Cv2 has a pro-BMP function in early nephrogenesis. Interestingly, the renal defects of the Cv2–/– mutant were totally suppressed by a null mutation of Twisted gastrulation (Tsg), which encodes another BMP-binding factor, showing that Cv2 exerts its pro-BMP nephrogenic function Tsg-dependently. By using an embryonic kidney cell line, we presented experimental evidence showing that Cv2 enhances pro-BMP activity of Tsg. These findings revealed the molecular hierarchy between extracellular modifiers that orchestrate local BMP signal peaks in the organogenetic microenvironment

Osteogenic potential for replacing cells in rat cranial defects implanted with a DNA/protamine complex paste.

Osteoinductive scaffolds are required for bone tissue engineering. The aim of the present study was to assess the osteoinductive capacity of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)/protamine complexes in a rat model of critical-size calvarial defects. In addition, we investigated whether cultured mesenchymal-like cells (DP-cells) outgrown from DNA/protamine complex engrafted defects could differentiate to become osteogenic cells in vitro. DNA/protamine complexes were prepared by reactions between DNA and protamine sulfate solutions with stirring. Critical-sized (8mm) calvarial defects were created in the central parietal bones of adult rats. Defects were either left empty or treated with DNA/protamine complex scaffolds. Subsequently, micro-computed tomography (micro-CT), histological, and immunohistochemical analyses were performed. Micro-CT and histological assays showed that DNA/protamine complex engrafted defects had enhanced bone regeneration. DP-cells were expanded from explants of DNA/protamine complex engrafted defects using an explant outgrowth culture system. Osteogenesis-related factors were assessed in DP-cells after treatment with an osteoblast-inducing reagent (OIR). After 3months, nearly complete healing was observed for DNA/protamine complex engrafted calvarial defects. Increased alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and Alizarin red staining were found for cultured DP-cells. These cells had high expression levels of osteogenic genes, including those for RUNX-2, ALP, osteopontin, and osteocalcin. These results indicated that DNA/protamine complexes could facilitate bone regeneration in calvarial defects. Moreover, in vitro osteogenic induction experiments showed that DP-cells outgrown from DNA/protamine engrafted defects had an osteogenic potential. Based on these results, we suggest that DNA/protamine complexes may recruit osteocompetent cells in these defects, where they differentiate to osteogenic cells.福岡歯科大学2015年

Temporal matching between interoception and exteroception: electrophysiological responses in a heartbeat discrimination task

Recent studies on interoception emphasize the importance of multisensory integration between interoception and exteroception. One of the methods frequently applied for assessing interoceptive sensitivity is the heartbeat discrimination task, where individuals judge whether the timing of external stimuli (e.g., tones) are synchronized to their own heartbeat. Despite its extensive use in research, the neural dynamics underlying the temporal matching between interoceptive and exteroceptive stimuli in this task have remained unclear. The present study used electroencephalography (EEG) to examine the neural responses of healthy participants who performed a heartbeat discrimination task. We analyzed the differences between EEG responses to tones, which were likely to be perceived as “heartbeat-synchronous” (200 ms delayed from the R wave) or “heartbeat-asynchronous” (0 ms delayed). Possible associations of these neural differentiations with task performance were also investigated. Compared with the responses to heartbeat-asynchronous tones, heartbeat-synchronous tones caused a relative decrease in early gamma-band EEG response and an increase in later P2 event-related potential (ERP) amplitude. Condition differences in the EEG/ERP measures were not significantly correlated with the behavioral measures. The mechanisms underlying the observed neural responses and the possibility of electrophysiological measurement of interoceptive sensitivity are discussed in terms of two perspectives: the predictive coding framework and the cardiac-phase-dependent baroreceptor function.This version of the article may not completely replicate the final authoritative version published in Journal of Psychophysiology at https://doi.org/10.1027/0269-8803/a000224. It is not the version of record and is therefore not suitable for citation. Please do not copy or cite without the permission of the author(s)

Proton beam therapy with concurrent chemotherapy is feasible in children with newly diagnosed rhabdomyosarcoma

BACKGROUND: The optimal treatment for rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) requires multidisciplinary treatment with chemotherapy, surgery, and radiotherapy. Surgery and radiotherapy are integral to the local control (LC) of RMS. However, postsurgical and radiotherapy-related complications could develop according to the local therapy and tumor location. In this study, we conducted a single-center analysis of the outcomes and toxicity of multidisciplinary treatment using proton beam therapy (PBT) for pediatric RMS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: RMS patients aged younger than 20 years whose RMS was newly diagnosed and who underwent PBT at University of Tsukuba Hospital (UTH) during the period from 2009 to 2019 were enrolled in this study. The patients’ clinical information was collected by retrospective medical record review. RESULTS: Forty-eight patients were included. The 3-year progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) rates of all the patients were 68.8% and 94.2%, respectively. The 3-year PFS rates achieved with radical resection, conservative resection, and biopsy only were 65.3%, 83.3%, and 67.6%, respectively (p = 0.721). The 3-year LC rates achieved with radical resection, conservative resection, and biopsy only were 90.9%, 83.3%, and 72.9%, respectively (p = 0.548). Grade 3 or higher mucositis/dermatitis occurred in 14 patients. Although the days of opioid use due to mucositis/dermatitis during the chemotherapy with PBT were longer than those during the chemotherapy without PBT [6.1 and 1.6 (mean), respectively, p = 0.001], the frequencies of fever and elevation of C-reactive protein were equivalent. CONCLUSIONS: Multidisciplinary therapy containing PBT was feasible and provided a relatively fair 3-year PFS, even in children with newly diagnosed RMS without severe toxicity

Serial Assessment of Immune Status by Circulating CD8+ Effector T Cell Frequencies for Posttransplant Infectious Complications

To clarify the role of CD8+ effector T cells for infectious complications, 92 recipients were classified according to the hierarchical clustering of preoperative CD8+CD45 isoforms: Group I was naive, Group II was effector memory, and Group III was effector (E) T cell-dominant. The posttransplant infection rates progressively increased from 29% in Group I to 64.3% in Group III recipients. The posttransplant immune status was compared with the pretransplant status, based on the measure (% difference) and its graphical form (scatter plot). In Groups I and II, both approaches showed a strong upward deviation from pretransplant status upon posttransplant infection, indicating an enhanced clearance of pathogens. In Group III, in contrast, both approaches showed a clear downward deviation from preoperative status, indicating deficient cytotoxicity. The % E difference and scatter plot can be used as a useful indicator of a posttransplant infectious complication

Humoral immune response to islet autoantigens in Japanese patients with type 1 diabetes.

In this study, we evaluated autoantibodies to IA-2 (IA-2As), glutamic acid decarboxylase 65 (GADAs), and islet cell antibodies (ICAs) in 233 patients with type 1 diabetes (M:F = 90:143, mean duration 4.0 +/- 6.7 yr) as a cross-sectional study. Of 233 patients with type 1 diabetes, IA-2A was detected in 58% of patients with duration within 2 weeks, 61% of patients with duration or=10 yr. These prevalences were similar to those of ICA, while the prevalence of GADA was not influenced by duration of diabetes with positivity of 63-74%. Thus, as the duration of diabetes became longer, the frequency of GADA(+)/IA-2A(-) patients increased and the frequency of GADA(+)/IA-2A(+) patients decreased. However, the frequency of GADA(-)/IA-2A(+) patients was not influenced by duration of diabetes. The prevalence of IA-2A was significantly higher in abrupt-onset group (68%, n= 79) compared to the slowly progressive group (23%, n= 22) in new-onset patients (P= 0.0001). However, there was no difference in the IA-2A frequency between these two groups (abrupt-onset 26%, n= 53 vs. slowly progressive 24%, n= 21) in patients with long-standing disease, suggesting that IA-2A positivity might persist in patients with slowly progressive type 1 diabetes. These results emphasize the heterogeneity of humoral autoimmunity to protein tyrosine phosphatase-like molecules, but not to GAD, in patients with type 1 diabetes

〔研究ノート〕グリーンナッツオイルの 抗アレルギー効果と脂肪酸組成

　　The number of individuals with allergic disease has been increasing in recent years. One suspected reason for this increase is excessive consumption of n-6 fatty acids, which are contained at high levels in vegetable oils and meats. In contrast, n-3 fatty acids are believed to have an inhibitory effect on allergic disease. Various foods including blueback fish contain high levels of n-3 fatty acids. Green nut oil（GNO）also contains approximately 50％ α-linoleic acid. Therefore, we investigated the inhibitory effect of GNO on atopic dermatitis.　　Four-week-old male NC/Nga TndCrlj mice were divided into a GNO-treated group and a corn oil-treated（CO）group and reared for 7 weeks. Once a week, a picryl chloride solution was applied to the backs and auricles of the mice to induce allergic dermatitis. 　Erythrocyte membrane and liver EPA and DHA contents were significantly higher in the GNO group compared to the CO group, suggesting that the EPA and DHA was converted from α-linoleic acid. Erythrocyte membrane and liver arachidonic acid contents were higher in the CO group. The progress of allergic disease was slower in the GNO group compared to the CO group. Blood serum IgE levels tended to be lower in the GNO group compared to the CO group, suggesting that GNO may have an anti-allergic effect

〔研究ノート〕 グリーンナッツオイルの摂取は マウスのDHAおよびEPAを増加させるか

In general, it has been recognized that n-3 fatty acids have the effect of suppressing inflammation and deterioration of cognitive ability. In addition, it is reported that a-linolenic acid is partially converted into DHA and EPA in the human body. On the other hand, like linseed oil and perilla oil, green nut oil （GNO） is rich in a-linolenic acid, one of the n-3 fatty acids, but not enough research on green nut oil has been done yet.Therefore, using mice, we investigated the effects of green nut oil intake on fatty acid composition in the liver, erythrocyte membrane, and brain. The result suggested that a-linolenic acid in green nut oil increases DHA and EPA in the bodies of mice. While mice that ingested corn oil （as a contrast） showed a slight decrease in brain DHA in 20-week-old mice as compared with 8-week-old mice, mice that ingested green nut oil showed no significant difference between 8 and 20-week-olds