Task-Guided Selection of the Dual Neural Pathways for Reading

SummaryThe visual perception of words is known to activate the auditory representation of their spoken forms automatically. We examined the neural mechanism for this phonological activation using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) with a masked priming paradigm. The stimulation sites (left superior temporal gyrus [L-STG] and inferior parietal lobe [L-IPL]), modality of targets (visual and auditory), and task (pronunciation and lexical decision) were manipulated independently. For both within- and cross-modal conditions, the repetition priming during pronunciation was eliminated when TMS was applied to the L-IPL, but not when applied to the L-STG, whereas the priming during lexical decision was eliminated when the L-STG, but not the L-IPL, was stimulated. The observed double dissociation suggests that the conscious task instruction modulates the stimulus-driven activation of the lateral temporal cortex for lexico-phonological activation and the inferior parietal cortex for spoken word production, and thereby engages a different neural network for generating the appropriate behavioral response

Phonological memory in sign language relies on the visuomotor neural system outside the left hemisphere language network

Sign language is an essential medium for everyday social interaction for deaf people and plays a critical role in verbal learning. In particular, language development in those people should heavily rely on the verbal short-term memory (STM) via sign language. Most previous studies compared neural activations during signed language processing in deaf signers and those during spoken language processing in hearing speakers. For sign language users, it thus remains unclear how visuospatial inputs are converted into the verbal STM operating in the left-hemisphere language network. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, the present study investigated neural activation while bilinguals of spoken and signed language were engaged in a sequence memory span task. On each trial, participants viewed a nonsense syllable sequence presented either as written letters or as fingerspelling (4–7 syllables in length) and then held the syllable sequence for 12 s. Behavioral analysis revealed that participants relied on phonological memory while holding verbal information regardless of the type of input modality. At the neural level, this maintenance stage broadly activated the left-hemisphere language network, including the inferior frontal gyrus, supplementary motor area, superior temporal gyrus and inferior parietal lobule, for both letter and fingerspelling conditions. Interestingly, while most participants reported that they relied on phonological memory during maintenance, direct comparisons between letters and fingers revealed strikingly different patterns of neural activation during the same period. Namely, the effortful maintenance of fingerspelling inputs relative to letter inputs activated the left superior parietal lobule and dorsal premotor area, i.e., brain regions known to play a role in visuomotor analysis of hand/arm movements. These findings suggest that the dorsal visuomotor neural system subserves verbal learning via sign language by relaying gestural inputs to the classical left-hemisphere language network

Surface Electric Fields Increase Human Osteoclast Resorption through Improved Wettability on Carbonate-Incorporated Apatite

Osteoclast-mediated bioresorption can be an efficient means of incorporating the dissolution of biomaterials in the bone remodeling process. Because of the compositionally and structurally close resemblance of biomaterials with the natural mineral phases of the bone matrix, synthetic carbonate-substituted apatite (CA) is considered as an ideal biomaterial for clinical use. The present study therefore investigated the effects of electrical polarization on the surface characteristics and interactions with human osteoclasts of hydroxyapatite (HA) and CA. Electrical polarization was found to improve the surface wettability of these materials by increasing the surface free energy, and this effect was maintained for 1 month. Analyses of human osteoclast cultures established that CA subjected to a polarization treatment enhanced osteoclast resorption but did not affect the early differentiation phase or the adherent morphology of the osteoclasts as evaluated by staining. These data suggest that the surface characteristics of the CA promoted osteoclast resorption. The results of this work are expected to contribute to the future design of cell-mediated bioresorbable biomaterials capable of resorption by osteoclasts and of serving as a scaffold for bone regeneration.</p

Clinical Evaluation with Referrence to Operative Specificity on Tracheal and Bronchial Reconstruction

The clinical specificity were evaluated in those 11 cases who underwent tracheal recon - structive surgery and in those 25 cases who underwent bronchial reconstructive surgery respectively. Its prognosis after tracheal reconstruction at the level of intrathoracic region was extremely poor. The operative specificity with regard to tracheal surgery consist of being a poor genera- condition preoperativelly and of having an urgent demand of removal of tracheal stenotic lesion to alleviate respiratory distress . The prognosis after tracheal surgery was commonly poor and was similar to that after emergency operation as a general accep - tance for the reason of unfavorable general condtion . The present study was to define clinical problems in which the salvage after tracheal surgery was entirely difficult. The improvement of the prognosis following tracheal surgery should be found in maximum endeavor for prevention of postoperative complication related to operative death intimately. However, terminal tracheostomy employed for lesions of cervical trachea was one o

The Effect of Surgical Repair for Pectum Excavatum on Cardiopulmonary Function

In five patients with corrective surgery for pectus Excavatum, the effectiveness of surgical repair were evaluated from the results of pulmonary function test as well as the finding on ECG according to follow-up study postoperativelly. Of five patient undergone the corrective surgery which sternoturnover with costalplasty employed in 4, and sternoplasty alone in I, all of them were male and the average age except 3 years of age was 14.8 years ranging from 10 to 21 years. There are no manifestation of clinical syndrome in all 5 cases. However, the fair mental growth demands psychologically the early corrective surgery in young chidren. By follow-up study after surgical correction for pectus excavatum during a period from 3 months to 3 years and 3 months, the finding on EKG of right ventricular overload revealed the improvement within 2 months after surgical correction in contrast the results of pulmonary function test disclosed no marked changes until 2 months following surgery. From the view of cosmetic efficacy of corrective surgery, sternoturnover with or without costalplasty are one of the adovocating operative procedures

Significant survival improvement of patients with recurrent breast cancer in the periods 2001-2008 vs. 1992-2000

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>It is unclear whether individualized treatments based on biological factors have improved the prognosis of recurrent breast cancer. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the survival improvement of patients with recurrent breast cancer after the introduction of third generation aromatase inhibitors (AIs) and trastuzumab.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A total of 407 patients who received first diagnosis of recurrent breast cancer and treatment at National Kyushu Cancer Center between 1992 and 2008 were retrospectively evaluated. As AIs and trastuzumab were approved for clinical use in Japan in 2001, the patients were divided into two time cohorts depending on whether the cancer recurred before or after 2001. Cohort A: 170 patients who were diagnosed between 1992 and 2000. Cohort B: 237 patients who were diagnosed between 2001 and 2008. Tumor characteristics, treatments, and outcome were compared.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Fourteen percent of cohort A and 76% of cohort B received AIs and/or trastuzumab (P < 0.001). The median overall survival (OS) times after breast cancer recurrence were 1.7 years and 4.2 years for these respective cohorts (P < 0.001). Both the time period and treatment of AIs and/or trastuzumab for recurrent disease were significant prognostic factors in multivariate analysis (cohort B vs. cohort A: HR = 0.70, P = 0.01; AIs and/or trastuzumab for recurrent disease: yes vs. no: HR = 0.46, P < 0.001). When patients were categorized into 4 subgroups by the expression of hormone receptor (HR) and HER-2 status, the median OS times of the HR-positive/HER-2-negative, HR-positive/HER-2-positive, HR-negative/HER-2-positive, and HR-negative/HER-2-negative subtypes were 2.2, 2.4, 1.6, and 1.0 years in cohort A and 4.5, 5.1, 5.0, and 1.4 years in cohort B.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The prognosis of patients with recurrent breast cancer was improved over time following the introduction of AIs and trastuzumab and the survival improvement was apparent in HR- and/or HER-2-positive tumors.</p

A 100%-complete sequence reveals unusually simple genomic features in the hot-spring red alga Cyanidioschyzon merolae

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>All previously reported eukaryotic nuclear genome sequences have been incomplete, especially in highly repeated units and chromosomal ends. Because repetitive DNA is important for many aspects of biology, complete chromosomal structures are fundamental for understanding eukaryotic cells. Our earlier, nearly complete genome sequence of the hot-spring red alga <it>Cyanidioschyzon merolae </it>revealed several unique features, including just three ribosomal DNA copies, very few introns, and a small total number of genes. However, because the exact structures of certain functionally important repeated elements remained ambiguous, that sequence was not complete. Obviously, those ambiguities needed to be resolved before the unique features of the <it>C. merolae </it>genome could be summarized, and the ambiguities could only be resolved by completing the sequence. Therefore, we aimed to complete all previous gaps and sequence all remaining chromosomal ends, and now report the first nuclear-genome sequence for any eukaryote that is 100% complete.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Our present complete sequence consists of 16546747 nucleotides covering 100% of the 20 linear chromosomes from telomere to telomere, representing the simple and unique chromosomal structures of the eukaryotic cell. We have unambiguously established that the <it>C. merolae </it>genome contains the smallest known histone-gene cluster, a unique telomeric repeat for all chromosomal ends, and an extremely low number of transposons.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>By virtue of these attributes and others that we had discovered previously, <it>C. merolae </it>appears to have the simplest nuclear genome of the non-symbiotic eukaryotes. These unusually simple genomic features in the 100% complete genome sequence of <it>C. merolae </it>are extremely useful for further studies of eukaryotic cells.</p

The Greenland Telescope: Construction, Commissioning, and Operations in Pituffik

In 2018, the Greenland Telescope (GLT) started scientific observation in Greenland. Since then, we have completed several significant improvements and added new capabilities to the telescope system. This paper presents a full review of the GLT system, a summary of our observation activities since 2018, the lessons learned from the operations in the Arctic regions, and the prospect of the telescope.Comment: 26 pages, 11 figures, and 8 tables. This is the version of the article before publication editing, as submitted by an author to Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. IOP Publishing Ltd is not responsible for any errors or omissions in this version of the manuscript or any version derived from it. The Version of Record will be added when it becomes availabl