The integration of audio−tactile information is modulated by multimodal social interaction with physical contact in infancy

Interaction between caregivers and infants is multimodal in nature. To react interactively and smoothly to such multimodal signals, infants must integrate all these signals. However, few empirical infant studies have investigated how multimodal social interaction with physical contact facilitates multimodal integration, especially regarding audio − tactile (A-T) information. By using electroencephalogram (EEG) and event-related potentials (ERPs), the present study investigated how neural processing involved in A-T integration is modulated by tactile interaction. Seven- to 8-months-old infants heard one pseudoword both whilst being tickled (multimodal ‘A-T’ condition), and not being tickled (unimodal ‘A’ condition). Thereafter, their EEG was measured during the perception of the same words. Compared to the A condition, the A-T condition resulted in enhanced ERPs and higher beta-band activity within the left temporal regions, indicating neural processing of A-T integration. Additionally, theta-band activity within the middle frontal region was enhanced, which may reflect enhanced attention to social information. Furthermore, differential ERPs correlated with the degree of engagement in the tickling interaction. We provide neural evidence that the integration of A-T information in infants’ brains is facilitated through tactile interaction with others. Such plastic changes in neural processing may promote harmonious social interaction and effective learning in infancy

Analysis of Patients Visiting Niigata University Medical and Dental Hospital with Chief Complaints of Metal Allergy and/or Focal Infection in the Previous 8 Years

Dental metal allergyand dental focal infection are possible causes of dermatological diseases, but have been the subjects of few reports to date. We have been treating such patients in our special clinicfor more than 20 years.The purpose of the present study was to investigate the mouths of patients visitingour dental hospital over an 8-year period, with the aim of clarifyingwhether dental metal allergy andjor dental focal infection affects their dermatologic conditions.We surveyed all clinicalrecords of the 185 patients who visited Niigata UniversityMedicaland Dental Hospitalwith chiefcomplaints of dental metal allergysince 2002. Diagnosticsof skin diseases, periodontal records, periapical lesions, dental caries, dental metal series patch test results and Electron Probed Micro-Analysis(EPMA)data were investigated. Ninety-two(49%) patients were sufferingfrom pustulosis palmaris et plantaris and 20 (11%)patients had lichen planus. Eighty-two(49%)patients showed positive reactions on patch testing. Based on the result of patch tests, Nishowed the highest positivity rate (62%,51 patients), but on EPMA,the number of patients with Ni as an allergen was 14 (27%).On the other hand, more than 98%of patients who showed positive reactions on patch test to Pd and Au had these metals in their dental prostheses. In addition, 112 (60%)patients showed the possibilityof dental focal infections

Analysis of Patients Visiting Niigata University Medical and Dental Hospital with Chief Complaints of Metal Allergy and/or Focal Infection in the Previous 8 Years

Dental metal allergy and dental focal infection are possible causes of dermatological diseases, but have been the subjects of few reports to date. We have been treating such patients in our special clinic for more than 20 years.The purpose of the present study was to investigate the mouths of patients visiting our dental hospital over an 8-year period, with the aim of clarifying whether dental metal allergy and/or dental focal infection affects their dermatologic conditions.We surveyed all clinical records of the 185 patients who visited Niigata University Medical and Dental Hospital with chief complaints of dental metal allergy since 2002. Diagnostics of skin diseases, periodontal records, periapical lesions, dental caries, dental metal series patch test results and Electron Probed Micro-Analysis (EPMA) data were investigated. Ninety-two (49%) patients were suffering from pustulosis palmaris et plantaris and 20 (11%) patients had lichen planus. Eighty-two (49%) patients showed positive reactions on patch testing. Based on the result of patch tests, Ni showed the highest positivity rate (62%, 51 patients), but on EPMA, the number of patients with Ni as an allergen was 14 (27%). On the other hand, more than 98% of patients who showed positive reactions on patch test to Pd and Au had these metals in their dental prostheses. In addition, 112 (60%) patients showed the possibility of dental focal infection

Analysis of Patients Visiting Niigata University Medical and Dental Hospital with Chief Complaints of Metal Allergy And/or Focal Infection in the Previous 8 Years

Dental metal allergy and dental focal infection are possible causes of dermatological diseases, but have been the subjects of few reports to date. We have been treating such patients in our special clinic for more than 20 years.The purpose of the present study was to investigate the mouths of patients visiting our dental hospital over an 8-year period, with the aim of clarifying whether dental metal allergy and/or dental focal infection affects their dermatologic conditions.We surveyed all clinical records of the 185 patients who visited Niigata University Medical and Dental Hospital with chief complaints of dental metal allergy since 2002. Diagnostics of skin diseases, periodontal records, periapical lesions, dental caries, dental metal series patch test results and Electron Probed Micro-Analysis (EPMA) data were investigated. Ninety-two (49%) patients were suffering from pustulosis palmaris et plantaris and 20 (11%) patients had lichen planus. Eighty-two (49%) patients showed positive reactions on patch testing. Based on the result of patch tests, Ni showed the highest positivity rate (62%, 51 patients), but on EPMA, the number of patients with Ni as an allergen was 14 (27%). On the other hand, more than 98% of patients who showed positive reactions on patch test to Pd and Au had these metals in their dental prostheses. In addition, 112 (60%) patients showed the possibility of dental focal infection

The association of ectopic craniopharyngioma in the fourth ventricle with familial adenomatous polyposis: illustrative case

[BACKGROUND] Craniopharyngioma (CP) often arises in the sellar and suprasellar areas; ectopic CP in the posterior fossa is rare. Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) is a genetic disorder involving the formation of numerous adenomatous polyps in the gastrointestinal tract, and it is associated with other extraintestinal manifestations. [OBSERVATIONS] The authors reported the case of a 63-year-old woman with FAP who presented with headache and harbored a growing mass in the fourth ventricle. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings revealed a well-circumscribed mass with high intensity on T1-weighted images and low intensity on T2-weighted images and exhibited no contrast enhancement. Gross total resection was performed and histopathology revealed an adamantinomatous CP (aCP). The authors also reviewed the previous reports of ectopic CP in the posterior fossa and found a high percentage of FAP cases among the ectopic CP group, thus suggesting a possible association between the two diseases. [LESSONS] An ectopic CP may be reasonably included in the differential diagnosis in patients with FAP who present with well-circumscribed tumors in the posterior fossa

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

SP7 Inhibits Osteoblast Differentiation at a Late Stage in Mice

RUNX2 and SP7 are essential transcription factors for osteoblast differentiation at an early stage. Although RUNX2 inhibits osteoblast differentiation at a late stage, the function of SP7 at the late stage of osteoblast differentiation is not fully elucidated. Thus, we pursued the function of SP7 in osteoblast differentiation. RUNX2 induced Sp7 expression in Runx2−/− calvarial cells. Adenoviral transfer of sh-Sp7 into primary osteoblasts reduced the expression of Alpl, Col1a1, and Bglap2 and mineralization, whereas that of Sp7 reduced Bglap2 expression and mineralization at a late stage of osteoblast differentiation. Sp7 transgenic mice under the control of 2.3 kb Col1a1 promoter showed osteopenia and woven-bone like structure in the cortical bone, which was thin and less mineralized, in a dose-dependent manner. Further, the number of processes in the osteoblasts and osteocytes was reduced. Although the osteoblast density was increased, the bone formation was reduced. The frequency of BrdU incorporation was increased in the osteoblastic cells, while the expression of Col1a1, Spp1, Ibsp, and Bglap2 was reduced. Further, the osteopenia in Sp7 or Runx2 transgenic mice was worsened in Sp7/Runx2 double transgenic mice and the expression of Col1a1 and Bglap2 was reduced. The expression of Sp7 and Runx2 was not increased in Runx2 and Sp7 transgenic mice, respectively. The expression of endogenous Sp7 was increased in Sp7 transgenic mice and Sp7-transduced cells; the introduction of Sp7 activated and sh-Sp7 inhibited Sp7 promoter; and ChIP assay showed the binding of endogenous SP7 in the proximal region of Sp7 promoter. These findings suggest that SP7 and RUNX2 inhibit osteoblast differentiation at a late stage in a manner independent of RUNX2 and SP7, respectively, and SP7 positively regulates its own promoter

人工内耳装用児の言語・認知神経心理学的諸能力 : 装用年齢の異なる症例での比較検討

We followed and investigated about the speech-language and cognitive-neuropsychological abilities of two cases, started wearing cochlear implant(CI in the followings) from different ages. And we compared and examined the effects of the age of started wearing CI on the development of them. The results were as follows; Case-A started wearing CI in age of 2, he could achieve the normal developmental level as his calendar age on speech-language and cognitive-neuropsychological abilities. Case-B started wearing CI in age of 6, it was remarkable he restarted in order of his recognition of vocabulary, verbal-intelligence, abilities of articulation, speech-hearing, for the lateness of started wearing the hearing aided devices. It was suggested that they could have the possibility of acquisition of speech-language abilities practically using their hearing, if we would have CI worn on them before age of 3

〔報 文〕シイタケ子実体のスーパーオキシドジスムターゼの精製と諸性質

Crude extract of Lentinus edodes(L. edodes)contained more than three kinds of superoxide dismutases(SODs)which were distinguished electrophoretically. All of these were found to be insensitive to H2O2 and cyanide. A centrifugal study of the crude extract in 0.25M sucrose solution revealed that most of the SOD activities are located in the cytoplasmic fraction. We purified one of these superoxide dismutases from pilei of L. edodes to homogeneity by ammonium sulfate fractionation, DE-32 ion-exchange, Sephadex G-100 gel filtration and Butyl-toyopearl hydrophobic chromatographies. The purified enzyme showed that a single protein band coincided with the single SOD activity band in native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis(PAGE). The purified SOD showed a single band in PAGE in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate(SDS-PAGE)and its subunit molecular weight was estimated to 23±0.5kDa. The subunit molecular weight of SOD was also estimated by LC-MS analysis to be 22,184Da. Using the sedimentation equilibrium centrifugation method the molecular mass of native SOD was estimated to be 84,240Da. These observations suggest that the enzyme is a tetramer composed of subunits of equal size. Metal analysis of the native enzymes revealed 0.64g-atoms Mn per mole subunit in the preparations whose specific activity were 3500U/mg. Direct analysis of N-terminal amino acid of this enzyme by Edman degradation using a protein sequencer cannot detect any amino acid residue, but amino acid residue of N-terminal appeared as serine residue after the treatment of the enzyme with tetrafluoroacetic acid in a vapor phase at 60℃ for 10min. Therefore, the N-terminal amino acid was modified with acetyl group. The modification of N-terminal amino acid is the first example of Mn-SOD. Some of other physiological and biochemical properties of the enzyme were also investigated