Thalamocortical Hyperconnectivity and Amygdala-Cortical Hypoconnectivity in Male Patients With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Background: Analyses of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) have been performed to investigate pathophysiological changes in the brains of patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) relative to typically developing controls (CTLs). However, the results of these previous studies, which have reported mixed patterns of hypo- and hyperconnectivity, are controversial, likely due to the small sample sizes and limited age range of included participants.Methods: To overcome this issue, we analyzed multisite neuroimaging data from a large sample (n = 626) of male participants aged between 5 and 29 years (mean age = 13 years). The rs-fMRI data were preprocessed using SPM12 and DPARSF software, and signal changes in 90 brain regions were extracted. Multiple linear regression was used to exclude the effect of site differences in connectivity data. Subcortical–cortical connectivity was computed using connectivities in the hippocampus, amygdala, caudate nucleus, putamen, pallidum, and thalamus. Eighty-eight connectivities in each structure were compared between patients with ASD and CTLs using multiple linear regression with group, age, and age × group interactions, head movement parameters, and overall connectivity as variables.Results: After correcting for multiple comparisons, patients in the ASD group exhibited significant increases in connectivity between the thalamus and 19 cortical regions distributed throughout the fronto-parietal lobes, including the temporo-parietal junction and posterior cingulate cortices. In addition, there were significant decreases in connectivity between the amygdala and six cortical regions. The mean effect size of hyperconnectivity (0.25) was greater than that for hypoconnectivity (0.08). No other subcortical structures showed significant group differences. A group-by-age interaction was observed for connectivity between the thalamus and motor-somatosensory areas.Conclusions: These results demonstrate that pathophysiological changes associated with ASD are more likely related to thalamocortical hyperconnectivity than to amygdala-cortical hypoconnectivity. Future studies should examine full sets of clinical and behavioral symptoms in combination with functional connectivity to explore possible biomarkers for ASD

Autistic empathy toward autistic others.

自閉スペクトラム症がある方々による、自閉スペクトラム症がある方々に対する共感. 京都大学プレスリリーズ. 2014-11-06.Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are thought to lack self-awareness and to experience difficulty empathising with others. Although these deficits have been demonstrated in previous studies, most of the target stimuli were constructed for typically developing (TD) individuals. We employed judgment tasks capable of indexing self-relevant processing in individuals with and without ASD. Fourteen Japanese males and one Japanese female with high-functioning ASD (17-41 years of age) and 13 Japanese males and two TD Japanese females ( 22-40 years of age), all of whom were matched for age and full and verbal intelligence quotient scores with the ASD participants, were enrolled in this study. The results demonstrated that the ventromedial prefrontal cortex was significantly activated in individuals with ASD in response to autistic characters and in TD individuals in response to non-autistic characters. Whereas the frontal-posterior network between the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and superior temporal gyrus participated in the processing of non-autistic characters in TD individuals, an alternative network was involved when individuals with ASD processed autistic characters. This suggests an atypical form of empathy in individuals with ASD toward others with ASD

The respiratory microbiome associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease comorbidity in non‐small cell lung cancer

博士（医学）甲日本医科大学202

Hepatitis B virus strains of subgenotype A2 with an identical sequence spreading rapidly from the capital region to all over Japan in patients with acute hepatitis B

ObjectiveTo examine recent trends of acute infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) in Japan by nationwide surveillance and phylogenetic analyses.MethodsDuring 1991 through 2009, a sentinel surveillance was conducted in 28 national hospitals in a prospective cohort study. Genotypes of HBV were determined in 547 patients with acute hepatitis B. Nucleotide sequences in the preS1/S2/S gene of genotype A and B isolates were determined for phylogenetic analyses.ResultsHBV genotype A was detected in 137 (25% (accompanied by genotype G in one)) patients, B in 48 (9%), C in 359 (66%), and other genotypes in the remaining three (0.5%). HBV persisted in five with genotype A including the one accompanied by genotype G; another was co-infected with HIV type 1. The genotype was A in 4.8% of patients during 1991-1996, 29.3% during 1997-2002, and 50.0% during 2003-2008 in the capital region, as against 6.5%, 8.5% and 33.1%, respectively, in other regions. Of the 114 genotype A isolates, 13 (11.4%) were subgenotype A1, and 101 (88.6%) were A2, whereas of the 43 genotype B isolates, 10 (23.3%) were subgenotype B1, 28 (65.1%) were B2, two (4.7%) were B3, and three (7.0%) were B4. Sequences of 65 (64%) isolates of A2 were identical, as were three (23%) of A1, and five (18%) of B2, but none of the B1, B3 and B4 isolates shared a sequence.ConclusionsAcute infection with HBV of genotype A, subgenotype A2 in particular, appear to be increasing, mainly through sexual contact, and spreading from the capital region to other regions in Japan nationwide. Infection persisted in 4% of the patients with genotype A, and HBV strains with an identical sequence prevailed in subgenotype A2 infections. This study indicates the need for universal vaccination of young people to prevent increases in HBV infection in Japan

A Case of Cholesterol Crystal Embolization with Hemorrhagic Intestinal Ulcer

Cholesterol crystal embolization (CCE) is a rare systemic embolism caused　by formation of cholesterol crystals from atherosclerotic plaques. CCE usually occurs during　vascular manipulation such as vascular surgery or endovascular catheter manipulation, or　due to anticoagulation or thrombolytic therapy. We report a rare case of localized intestinal　ulcer with active hemorrhage caused by spontaneous CCE. An 83-year-old man with a history　of hypertension and diabetes was treated with a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)　for myocardial infarction. Melena occurred eight days after PCI. An abdominal computed　tomography revealed small intestinal ulcer, extravasation of the gastrointestinal tract and　bleeding in the abdominal cavity. The patient was diagnosed as bleeding from the small　intestinal ulcer, so an emergency laparotomy was performed. Partial resection of the small　intestine was performed. A histopathological examination indicated that small intestine　obstruction was caused by CCE. A histopathological examination indicated that small intestinal　obstruction was caused by CCE. Therefore, in cases of intestinal obstruction after vascular　manipulation, CCE should also be considered

Evaluation of intra-ductal cancer spread using contrast superb micro-vascular imaging (SMI) : a case report

Currently, breast conserving surgery has been adopted to treat more than half of all breast cancer patients in Japan. When performing breast-conserving surgery, an appropriate margin needs to be determined for radical cure. The resection volume influences the esthetic outcome, but a cancer-positive resection stump is also important risk factor of local recurrence. Additionally, the degree of cancer progression influences the surgical method, so understanding the appropriate resection margin is necessary for the surgeons. We report here on a 50- year old patient whose intra-ductal cancer progression was shown, as predicted, by contrast SMI (superb micro-vascular imaging). A one-cm size tumor mass was palpable with a clear boundary. B-mode ultrasound confirmed the presence of a breast duct towards the nipple from the tumor mass. Using contrast SMI, an accelerated blood flow was detected around the duct, which suggested intra-ductal progression. The pathological results also showed intra-ductal progression to the nipple from the tumor. Around the progression area, a meandering vessel was found and the vessel was able to be visualized by contrast SMI

Lunar Phase-Dependent Expression of Cryptochrome and a Photoperiodic Mechanism for Lunar Phase-Recognition in a Reef Fish, Goldlined Spinefoot

Lunar cycle-associated physiology has been found in a wide variety of organisms. Recent study has revealed that mRNA levels of Cryptochrome (Cry), one of the circadian clock genes, were significantly higher on a full moon night than on a new moon night in coral, implying the involvement of a photoreception system in the lunar-synchronized spawning. To better establish the generalities surrounding such a mechanism and explore the underlying molecular mechanism, we focused on the relationship between lunar phase, Cry gene expression, and the spawning behavior in a lunar-synchronized spawner, the goldlined spinefoot (Siganus guttatus), and we identified two kinds of Cry genes in this animal. Their mRNA levels showed lunar cycle-dependent expression in the medial part of the brain (mesencephalon and diencephalon) peaking at the first quarter moon. Since this lunar phase coincided with the reproductive phase of the goldlined spinefoot, Cry gene expression was considered a state variable in the lunar phase recognition system. Based on the expression profiles of SgCrys together with the moonlight's pattern of timing and duration during its nightly lunar cycle, we have further speculated on a model of lunar phase recognition for reproductive control in the goldlined spinefoot, which integrates both moonlight and circadian signals in a manner similar to photoperiodic response

Factors Influenclng Maternal Satisfaction with Infant Rearlng : Reconsideration the Nursing Care in NICU

本稿の目的は、大鼓らが開発した育児満足感の形成要因を分析することによって、ハイリスク児の母親を対象とした質問紙の適用を検討することであった。方法は、Neonatal Intensive Care Unit(NICU)を退院して1歳になる118人の乳児の母親を対象として、郵送法による質問紙調査を行った(回収率76.3%)。分析は、育児満足感を規定する領域I(養育態度)を従属変数、領域II～IX(仕事の阻害感、落ち着き、自己評価、乳児の気質、育てられ経験、ネットワーク、父親の協力度、夫婦関係)を独立変数とし、ステップワイズ法による重回帰分析を行った。その結果、養育態度の変動は、8つの独立変数により約30%が説明された。夫婦関係及び父親の協力度と、養育態度との間には、いずれも2変量問に正の相関関係があった。育児満足感に有意な影響力を有する領域は、乳児の「泣きのなだめやすさ」「機嫌のよさ」などを尋ねる「気質」と、母親自身の「冷静さ」「落ち着き」の程度を尋ねる「落ち着き」のみであった。一方、母親の育児不安は、育児満足感の合計点とかなり負の相関関係があった(r=-0.500, p<0.01)。ハイリスク児を対象とした質問紙の適用については、母親の「自己評価」のCronbach's a係数が低く、内的一貫性を高める質問項目の再検討が必要であった。臨床研究として、乳児の「気質」の質問項目に影響すると考えられる疾患、特に神経系の病態や心肺機能に関する医学情報を含めた包括的な研究デザインが今後の研究課題となる。The objective of this study was to examine the suitability of a questionnaire developed by Ohyabu and targeted at mothers of high-risk infants by analyzing factors contributing to their sense of satisfaction with childrearing. The survey was conducted by mailing the questionnaire to 118 mothers of one-year-olds who had once been in neonatal intensive care units (completion rate: 76.3%). A multiple regression analysis (Stepwise method) was performed with Field I (childrearing attitudes) forming a sense of satisfaction with childrearing as a dependent variable and Fields I1 -1X (a sense of alienation from work, calmness, self-evaluation, infant's temperament, one's own experience of being raised. network, spousal support, relationship with spouse) as independent variables. As a result, the eight independent variables were found to account for 30% of the variations in childrearing attitudes. There was a positive correlation between childrearing attitudes and either spousal support or the relationship with the spouse. Those fields significantly affecting the sense of satisfaction with childrearing and positively correlated to childrearing attitudes were infant temperament, such as an easily calmed crying infant or an even-tempered infant, and the mother's state of mind, such as her level of "self-possession" and "calmness". While on the other hand. a significant negative correlation was found between a mother's uneasiness with childrearing and the total score of feeling a sense of satisfaction with childrearing (r = -0.500. p < 0.01). The analysis revealed a low Cronbach's alpha in the mothers' self-evaluation, which suggests the necessity of reexamining the question headings that enhance internal consistency before implementing the questionnaire for high-risk infants. As a clinical study, further research is necessary to establish a comprehensive study design, including medical information on diseases that are deemed to affect questions in the infant temperament field, in particular information on the pathology ..