Effects of Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation During Hemiplegic Arm Reaching in Individuals with Stroke: An Exploratory Study

SummaryObjective/BackgroundThis study investigated the effects of rhythmic auditory stimulation (RAS) on muscle activity and elbow motion during arm reaching with hemiplegic arm in participants with stroke.MethodsSixteen adults with stroke who resided in a community were recruited in this study. The RAS consisted of sound emitted from a digital metronome. While sitting upright in a chair, participants reached their arms towards a target (a switch on a table) both with and without RAS. The three-dimensional motion analysis system and surface electromyography system were used for measurements during the reaching tasks.ResultsWe found that RAS elicited better performance in reaching movements than those movements performed without RAS. RAS shortened the movement time (p = .002), reduced the change in acceleration (p = .001), increased the elbow extension range of motion (p = .001), increased muscle activation of the triceps brachii (p = .024), and reduced the co-contraction ratio (p = .015) of the affected arm.ConclusionRAS might be a useful technique to facilitate improvements in motor function of the affected arm in patients with stroke

Odor blocking of stress hormone responses

Scents have been employed for millennia to allay stress, but whether or how they might do so is largely unknown. Fear and stress induce increases in blood stress hormones controlled by hypothalamic corticotropin releasing hormone neurons (CRHNs). Here, we report that two common odorants block mouse stress hormone responses to three potent stressors: physical restraint, predator odor, and male-male social confrontation. One odorant inhibits restraint and predator odor activation of excitatory neurons upstream of CRHNs in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNSTa). In addition, both activate inhibitory neurons upstream of CRHNs in the hypothalamic ventromedial nucleus (VMH) and silencing of VMH inhibitory neurons hinders odor blocking of stress. Together, these findings indicate that odor blocking can occur via two mechanisms: (1) Inhibition of excitatory neurons that transmit stress signals to CRHNs and (2) activation of inhibitory neurons that act directly or indirectly to inhibit stressor activation of CRHNs

GAP-43 closely interacts with BDNF in hippocampal neurons and is associated with Alzheimer's disease progression

IntroductionGrowth-associated protein 43 (GAP-43) is known as a neuronal plasticity protein because it is widely expressed at high levels in neuronal growth cones during axonal regeneration. GAP-43 expressed in mature adult neurons is functionally important for the neuronal communication of synapses in learning and memory. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is closely related to neurodegeneration and synaptic plasticity during the aging process. However, the molecular mechanisms regulating neurodegeneration and synaptic plasticity underlying the pathogenesis and progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD) still remain incompletely understood.MethodsRemarkably, the expressions of GAP-43 and BDNF perfectly match in various neurons in the Human Brain Atlas database. Moreover, GAP-43 and BDNF are highly expressed in a healthy adults' hippocampus brain region and are inversely correlated with the amyloid beta (Aβ), which is the pathological peptide of amyloid plaques found in the brains of patients with AD.ResultsThese data led us to investigate the impact of the direct molecular interaction between GAP-43 and BDNF in hippocampal neuron fate. In this study, we show that GAP-43 and BDNF are inversely associated with pathological molecules for AD (Tau and Aβ). In addition, we define the three-dimensional protein structure for GAP-43 and BDNF, including the predictive direct binding sites via analysis using ClusPro 2.0, and demonstrate that the deprivation of GAP-43 and BDNF triggers hippocampal neuronal death and memory dysfunction, employing the GAP-43 or BDNF knock-down cellular models and 5XFAD mice.ConclusionThese results show that GAP-43 and BDNF are direct binding partners in hippocampal neurons and that their molecular signaling might be potential therapeutic targets for AD

CR-COPEC: Causal Rationale of Corporate Performance Changes to Learn from Financial Reports

In this paper, we introduce CR-COPEC called Causal Rationale of Corporate Performance Changes from financial reports. This is a comprehensive large-scale domain-adaptation causal sentence dataset to detect financial performance changes of corporate. CR-COPEC contributes to two major achievements. First, it detects causal rationale from 10-K annual reports of the U.S. companies, which contain experts' causal analysis following accounting standards in a formal manner. This dataset can be widely used by both individual investors and analysts as material information resources for investing and decision making without tremendous effort to read through all the documents. Second, it carefully considers different characteristics which affect the financial performance of companies in twelve industries. As a result, CR-COPEC can distinguish causal sentences in various industries by taking unique narratives in each industry into consideration. We also provide an extensive analysis of how well CR-COPEC dataset is constructed and suited for classifying target sentences as causal ones with respect to industry characteristics. Our dataset and experimental codes are publicly available.Comment: Accepted in Findings of EMNLP 202

Newly designed coil tube for bowel decompression in patients with small bowel obstructions

AbstractBackgroundThe purpose of this study was to clinically evaluate a coil tube that we recently designed for bowel decompression in patients with a small bowel obstruction.MethodsThe coil tube was composed of a stainless steel coil, a polyolefin tube, and a rubber adaptor. The tube was inserted under fluoroscopic guidance in 14 consecutive patients with small bowel obstructions. Technical success was defined as insertion of the distal end of the tube into at least the proximal jejunum, and clinical success was defined as intestinal decompression and relief of obstructive symptoms.ResultsThe technical success rate was 100%. Clinical success was achieved in 12 patients (86%). The clinical failures were a patient with peritoneal carcinomatosis and an ileocolic fistula, and a patient with bezoars following intestinal hemorrhage. No coil-related complications occurred.ConclusionOur newly designed coil tube was safe and effective in patients with bowel decompression associated with a small bowel obstruction. In addition, our tube has several advantages over other currently used tube types

Comparison between Occlusal Errors of Single Posterior Crowns Adjusted Using Patient Specific Motion or Conventional Methods

Recently, digital technology has been used in dentistry to enhance accuracy and to reduce operative time. Due to advances in digital technology, the integration of individual mandibular motion into the mapping of the occlusal surface is being attempted. The Patient Specific Motion (PSM) is one such method. However, it is not clear whether the occlusal design that is adjusted using PSM could clinically show reduced occlusal error compared to conventional methods based on static occlusion. In this clinical comparative study including fifteen patients with a single posterior zirconia crown treatment, the occlusal surface after a clinical adjustment was compared to no adjustment (NA; design based on static occlusion), PSM (adjusted using PSM), and adjustment using a semi-adjustable articulator (SA) for the assessment of occlusal error. The root mean square (RMS; mu m), average deviation value (+/- AVG; mu m), and proportion inside the tolerance (in Tol; %) were calculated using the entire, subdivided occlusal surface and the out of tolerance area. Using a one-way ANOVA, the RMS and +AVG from the out of tolerance area showed a statistical difference between PSM (202.3 +/- 39.8 for RMS, 173.1 +/- 31.3 for +AVG) and NA (257.0 +/- 73.9 for RMS, 210.9 +/- 48.6 for +AVG). For the entire and subdivided occlusal surfaces, there were no significant differences. In the color-coded map analysis, PSM demonstrated a reduced occlusal error compared to NA. In conclusion, adjustment occlusal design using PSM is a simple and effective method for reducing occlusal errors that are difficult to identify in a current computer-aided design (CAD) workflow with static occlusion.11Nsciescopu

TonEBP suppresses IL-10-mediated immunomodulation

TonEBP is a key transcriptional activator of M1 phenotype in macrophage, and its high expression is associated with many inflammatory diseases. During the progression of the inflammatory responses, the M1 to M2 phenotypic switch enables the dual role of macrophages in controlling the initiation and resolution of inflammation. Here we report that in human and mouse M1 macrophages TonEBP suppresses IL-10 expression and M2 phenotype. TonEBP knockdown promoted the transcription of the IL-10 gene by enhancing chromatin accessibility and Sp1 recruitment to its promoter. The enhanced expression of M2 genes by TonEBP knockdown was abrogated by antagonism of IL-10 by either neutralizing antibodies or siRNA-mediated silencing. In addition, pharmacological suppression of TonEBP leads to similar upregulation of IL-10 and M2 genes. Thus, TonEBP suppresses M2 phenotype via downregulation of the IL-10 in M1 macrophagesope