The P3 domain of E. coli ribonuclease P RNA can be truncated and replaced

AbstractWe prepared some truncated and replaced P3 mutants of Escherichia coli RNase P RNA, and used them to examine the RNase P ribozyme and holoenzyme reactions of a pre-tRNA substrate. The results indicated that mutations in the P3 domain did not affect the cleavage site selection of the pre-tRNA substrate, but did affect the efficiency of cleavage of the substrate. Results of stepwise truncation of the P3 domain and its replacement by the TAR sequence showed that the P3 domain of the E. coli RNase P was able to be truncated to certain length and was replaceable, but could not be deleted in the ribozyme

Microbleed clustering in thalamus sign in CADASIL patients with NOTCH3 R75P mutation

Background and objectiveCerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) is an inherited cerebral microvascular disease characterized by the development of vascular dementia and lacunar infarctions. This study aimed to identify the genetic and clinical features of CADASIL in Japan.MethodsWe conducted genetic analysis on a case series of patients clinically diagnosed with CADASIL. Clinical and imaging analyses were performed on 32 patients with pathogenic mutations in the NOTCH3 gene. To assess the presence of cerebral microbleeds (CMBs), we utilized several established rating scales including the Fazekas scale, Scheltens rating scale, and Microbleed Anatomical Rating Scale, based on brain MRI images.ResultsAmong the 32 CADASIL patients, 24 cases were found carrying the R75P mutation in NOTCH3, whereas the remaining eight cases had other NOTCH3 mutations (R75Q, R110C, C134F, C144F, R169C, and R607C). The haplotype analysis of the R75P mutation uncovered the presence of a founder effect. A brain MRI analysis revealed that cases with the R75P mutation had a significantly higher total number of CMBs, particularly in the thalamus when compared to patients with other NOTCH3 mutations. Among 15 out of 24 cases with the R75P mutation, we observed a notable clustering of CMBs in the thalamus, termed microbleed clustering in thalamus sign (MCT sign).ConclusionWe propose that the MCT sign observed in NOTCH3 R75P-related CADASIL patients may serve as a potentially characteristic imaging feature. This finding offers further insights into the interactions between genotypes and phenotypes between NOTCH3 and CADASIL

A bending pneumatic rubber actuator realizing soft-bodied manta swimming robot.

Abstract-This paper shows a new design and prototyping method for a bending pneumatic rubber actuator and its application to a soft-bodied manta swimming robot. The design is based on optimal design using non-linear finite element method, in which geometrical and material non-linearity are considered and fabrication process is based on a rapid and efficient prototyping system using a CAD/CAM based rubber molding process. In this paper, the characteristics of several possible actuators are analyzed and evaluated to lead to an optimal actuator design. The actuator works very well with smooth and soft motion. The manta swimming robot in which the developed actuators are embedded is also designed based on non-linear finite element method. The developed manta swimming robot is made only of rubber and it swims in water smoothly as if it was a living fish. The experimental results of the manta robot motion show that good agreement with those of analytical results

Emergency Nursing-Care Patient Satisfaction Scale (Enpss): Development and Validation of a Patient Satisfaction Scale with Emergency Room Nursing

This study aimed to develop and validate an emergency nursing-care patient satisfaction scale to measure patient satisfaction with emergency room (ER) nursing. Patient satisfaction scales for ER nursing have been validated without considering the perspectives of the healthcare system or cultural background of the country. Moreover, although nursing care is changing with COVID-19, no scale has been specifically designed to assess patient satisfaction with ER nursing. The study population included patients who visited five ERs in Japan (March to December 2021) (n = 135). The rating scales were provided to patients who visited the ER and gave consent, and the patients were asked to reply. In the process of validating the scale, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of the construct and criterion validity were conducted. The confirmatory factor analysis results showed a factorial structure consisting of four factors. The domain and summary scores demonstrated good-to-excellent internal reliability (Cronbach’s range = 0.81–0.89). This patient satisfaction scale was designed and validated from the perspective of the Japanese healthcare system and cultural backgrounds. This scale may be useful for developing assessments and interventions to improve patient satisfaction with ER nursing

Prognostic Value of FDG PET Imaging in Patients with Laryngeal Cancer

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: To investigate the prognostic value of (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) in patients with laryngeal cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 51 patients of whom 30 underwent definitive radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy and 21 underwent radical surgery with or without adjuvant chemoradiation therapy. FDG uptake by both the primary lesion and the neck node was measured using the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax). The effects of clinicopathological factors including primary tumor SUVmax and nodal SUVmax on progression-free survival, local control, nodal progression-free survival, and distant metastasis-free survival were evaluated using the log-rank test and Cox method. RESULTS: The median duration of follow-up was 48.6 months (range 8 to 82.1 months). Univariate analysis showed that nodal SUVmax, N status, and tumor TNM stage were significantly associated with recurrence, whereas primary tumor SUVmax, age, treatment strategy and T status were not. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that only the nodal SUVmax was a significantly unfavorable factor for progression-free survival (p = 0.029, hazard ratio 0.54, 95% CI 0.38-0.87) and nodal progression-free survival (p = 0.023, hazard ratio 0.51, 95% CI 0.34-0.81). ROC curve analysis and log-rank test showed that patients with a high nodal SUVmax (≧ 4) had a significantly lower progression-free survival rate than those with a low SUVmax (<4; p<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The pretreatment SUVmax of nodal disease in patients with laryngeal cancer is prognostic for recurrence