c-jun is differentially expressed in embryonic and adult neural precursor cells

c-jun, a major component of AP-1 transcription factor, has a wide variety of functions. In the embryonic brain, c-jun mRNA is abundantly expressed in germinal layers around the ventricles. Although the subventricular zone (SVZ) of the adult brain is a derivative of embryonic germinal layers and contains neural precursor cells (NPCs), the c-jun expression pattern is not clear. To study the function of c-jun in adult neurogenesis, we analyzed c-jun expression in the adult SVZ by immunohistochemistry and compared it with that of the embryonic brain. We found that almost all proliferating embryonic NPCs expressed c-jun, but the number of c-jun immunopositive cells among proliferating adult NPCs was about half. In addition, c-jun was hardly expressed in post-mitotic migrating neurons in the embryonic brain, but the majority of c-jun immunopositive cells were tangentially migrating neuroblasts heading toward the olfactory bulb in the adult brain. In addition, status epilepticus is known to enhance the transient proliferation of adult NPCs, but the c-jun expression pattern was not significantly affected. These expression patterns suggest that c-jun has a pivotal role in the proliferation of embryonic NPCs, but it has also other roles in adult neurogenesis

Association Between Aldosterone and Hypertension Among Patients With Overt and Subclinical Hypercortisolism

INTRODUCTION: Hypertension is one of the most common clinical features of patients with overt and subclinical hypercortisolism. Although previous studies have shown the coexistence of autonomous cortisol and aldosterone secretion, it is unclear whether aldosterone plays a role in hypertension among patients with hypercortisolism. Therefore, we examined the associations of plasma aldosterone concentrations (PACs) with hypertension among patients with overt and subclinical hypercortisolism. METHODS: This single-center retrospective cohort study included patients with adrenal tumor and serum cortisol levels after 1-mg dexamethasone suppression test >1.8 µg/dL (50 nmol/L). Using multivariable regression models adjusting for baseline characteristics, we investigated the association of PACs with systolic blood pressure and postoperative improvement of hypertension after the adrenalectomy. RESULTS: Among 89 patients enrolled in this study (median age, 51 years), 21 showed clinical signs of Cushing syndrome (overt hypercortisolism) and 68 did not show clinical presentations (subclinical hypercortisolism). We found that higher PACs were significantly associated with elevated systolic blood pressure among patients with subclinical hypercortisolism (adjusted difference [95% CI] = +0.59 [0.19-0.99], P = 0.008) but not among those with overt hypercortisolism. Among 33 patients with subclinical hypercortisolism and hypertension who underwent adrenalectomy, the postoperative improvement of hypertension was significantly associated with higher PACs at baseline (adjusted risk difference [95% CI] = +1.45% [0.35-2.55], P = 0.01). CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that aldosterone may contribute to hypertension among patients with subclinical hypercortisolism. Further multi-institutional and population-based studies are required to validate our findings and examine the clinical effectiveness of the intervention targeting aldosterone for such patients

Comprehensive treatment for severe periodontitis with pathologic tooth migration−related bimaxillary protrusion : A case report with 3-year follow-up

Background: Patients with severe periodontitis often experience pathologic tooth migration (PTM), which impairs esthetics and leads to occlusal disharmony (e.g., premature contacts and/or traumatic occlusion) that can further exacerbate periodontitis. Here, we describe a patient who exhibited severe periodontitis with PTM-related bimaxillary protrusion. This report includes 3-year clinical outcomes following periodontal regenerative therapy, implant-anchored orthodontic therapy, and implant prosthodontics intended to achieve both functional and esthetic improvements. Case Description: A 63-year-old woman presented with the chief complaint of upper anterior tooth mobility. Clinical examination revealed excessive tooth mobility, deep periodontal pockets, and infrabony defects in all teeth. All teeth exhibited PTM; the mandibular anterior teeth exhibited marked protrusion caused by the progression of periodontitis. After initial periodontal therapy, periodontal regenerative therapy was performed in all molar regions. At 9 and 6 months postoperatively, comprehensive orthodontic treatment was initiated for the mandible and maxilla, respectively, using orthodontic anchorage devices to achieve acceptable functional occlusion. After orthodontic treatment, staged guided bone regeneration was performed and dental implants were placed in the severely resorbed maxillary anterior ridge. This comprehensive treatment yielded favorable periodontal conditions, stable occlusion, and good esthetic outcomes. Practical Implications: Favorable esthetics, stable occlusion, and highly cleansable periodontal tissues were achieved with well-planned interdisciplinary and comprehensive treatment, although the patient had severe periodontitis and PTM-related bimaxillary protrusion

Integral Effects of Systemic Nitric Oxide Synthase Inhibition on Carotid Arterial Compliance

Decreased arterial compliance (increased arterial stiffness) is associated with cardiovascular events. Nitric oxide regulates vascular tone, which can influence arterial compliance. We previously investigated the effects of systemic nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibition on arterial compliance under the systemic α-adrenergic receptor blocking. In the present study, we investigated the effect of systemic NOS inhibition alone on central arterial compliance (via carotid arterial ultrasound imaging and applanation tonometry). Eighteen apparently healthy young adults (26±1 years) underwent intravenous infusions of NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA) or placebo (saline) on separate days. In the placebo control condition, no significant changes were observed in mean arterial pressure, cross-sectional compliance, and β-stiffness index. Mean arterial pressure increased significantly (84±2 vs. 96±3 mmHg) after the administration of L-NMMA, whereas there were no significant changes in cross-sectional compliance (0.11±0.01 vs. 0.12±0.01 mm2/mmHg), β-stiffness index (6.44±0.37 vs. 5.51±0.41 unit), or isobaric arterial compliance. Theses results in young healthy adults are not consistent with the idea that carotid arterial compliance is modulated by nitric oxide. Grant Support: This work was supported by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan (18300215, 18650186), JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowships for Research Abroad, and NIH grant AG20966

Comparison of muscle strength between Japanese men with and without metabolic syndrome

We compared muscle strength between Japanese men with and without metabolic syndrome. We used data for 323 Japanese men with metabolic syndrome and 893 Japanese men without the syndrome. Metabolic syndrome was defined by a new criterion in Japan, and the parameters for muscle strength, i.e. grip strength, leg strength were measured. Leg strength was found to be significantly higher in subjects with metabolic syndrome than in those without, while muscle strength per body weight was significantly lower in subjects with the syndrome. Lower muscle strength per body weight may be one of the characteristic features in subjects with metabolic syndrome.</p

The study of Collaborative Learning in Physical Education with the Use of Tablet Devices : With a special focus on team conferences in volleyball

本研究は，バレーボールの授業において，協働的な学びを促進する手立てとして，タブレット端末を使用して得たゲーム記録を，ふり返り場面でどのように活用したかを探るとともに，チーム会議での話し合いの実態を明らかにすることを目的とした。チーム会議の発話記録を分析した結果，タブレット端末に記録された返球率，返球数のデータは，ふり返りの視点となり，話し合いのきっかけになっていた。また，チーム会議は協働的な学びの場となり，チームメイトを認める発話と問いかける発話が協働的な学びの質を高めることがわかった。The present study aims to find out how the students made use of game records in their tablet devices when reflecting on their games and what was going on in their discussion. By analyzing their utterances in their team conferences, it is revealed that the numbers and ratios of the returns of the ball recorded in their tablet devices were utilized as the viewpoints of their discussion and they facilitate their discussion. It is also thought that team conferences give the students the opportunity to learn collaboratively and that the utterances which accept their teammates and the ones which ask their teammates questions enrich collaborative learning

Prompt and Long-term Prophylactic Effect of Closed Loop Stimulation against Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation in a Patient with Sick Sinus Syndrome

A 72-year-old woman with sick sinus syndrome (SSS), who had frequent paroxysmal atrial fibrillations (PAfs) and normal cardiac function, was admitted to our hospital due to syncope. PAfs frequently occurred during the first week after DDD pacemaker implantation (PMI), with closed loop stimulation (CLS) rate-adaptive mode off, but were completely suppressed during the second week, with CLS on, and had been well-controlled over three years thereafter. However, PAfs occasionally occurred under intense sympathetic activity during 6 months after PMI as well, and were effectively terminated by disopyramide which had anticholinergic effect. Thus, the development and maintenance of PAf were thought to be associated with destabilized cardiac autonomic activities, that is, sympathetic and parasympathetic dominance, respectively. Additionally, heart rate variability analyses after implementation of CLS revealed the restoration of sympathetic and parasympathetic components. Accordingly, CLS mode was considered to play a critical role in preventing PAf by reflecting autonomic activity in heart rhythm in this SSS patient

Modification of a loop sequence between α-helices 6 and 7 of virus capsid (CA) protein in a human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) derivative that has simian immunodeficiency virus (SIVmac239) vif and CA α-helices 4 and 5 loop improves replication in cynomolgus monkey cells

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) productively infects only humans and chimpanzees but not cynomolgus or rhesus monkeys while simian immunodeficiency virus isolated from macaque (SIVmac) readily establishes infection in those monkeys. Several HIV-1 and SIVmac chimeric viruses have been constructed in order to develop an animal model for HIV-1 infection. Construction of an HIV-1 derivative which contains sequences of a SIVmac239 loop between α-helices 4 and 5 (L4/5) of capsid protein (CA) and the entire SIVmac239 <it>vif </it>gene was previously reported. Although this chimeric virus could grow in cynomolgus monkey cells, it did so much more slowly than did SIVmac. It was also reported that intrinsic TRIM5α restricts the post-entry step of HIV-1 replication in rhesus and cynomolgus monkey cells, and we previously demonstrated that a single amino acid in a loop between α-helices 6 and 7 (L6/7) of HIV type 2 (HIV-2) CA determines the susceptibility of HIV-2 to cynomolgus monkey TRIM5α.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In the study presented here, we replaced L6/7 of HIV-1 CA in addition to L4/5 and <it>vif </it>with the corresponding segments of SIVmac. The resultant HIV-1 derivatives showed enhanced replication capability in established T cell lines as well as in CD8+ cell-depleted primary peripheral blood mononuclear cells from cynomolgus monkey. Compared with the wild type HIV-1 particles, the viral particles produced from a chimeric HIV-1 genome with those two SIVmac loops were less able to saturate the intrinsic restriction in rhesus monkey cells.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We have succeeded in making the replication of simian-tropic HIV-1 in cynomolgus monkey cells more efficient by introducing into HIV-1 the L6/7 CA loop from SIVmac. It would be of interest to determine whether HIV-1 derivatives with SIVmac CA L4/5 and L6/7 can establish infection of cynomolgus monkeys <it>in vivo</it>.</p

Linkage between Oxygen Uptake at Ventilatory Threshold and Muscle Strength in Subjects with and without Metabolic Syndrome

We evaluated the linkage between oxygen uptake at the ventilatory threshold (VT) and muscle strength in subjects with and without metabolic syndrome. We used data of 226 Japanese men with metabolic syndrome and 265 Japanese men without the syndrome. Metabolic syndrome has recently been defined by a new criterion in Japan. Oxygen uptake at VT and muscle strength, i.e. grip strength and leg strength were measured. Oxygen uptake at VT and muscle strength/body weight were found to be significantly lower in subjects with metabolic syndrome than in those without the syndrome. However, the differences did not reach significant levels after adjusting for leg strength/body weight or oxygen uptake at VT. A combination of aerobic exercise and resistance training might be considered for preventing and improving metabolic syndrome.</p

Enzymatic and Immunological Studies of Prostatic Acid Phosphatase

Levels of serum acid phosphatase are elevated in prostatic cancer patients as compared with those of normal human. Prostatic cancer patients with bone metastasis show about 2 to 5 fold increased activities of serum acid phosphatase while patients without bone metastasis show slight increase (about 20%) of the activity. When we analysed serum acid phosphatase isozyme pattern with DEAE cellulose column chromatography, profiles of these enzymes of normal and prostatic cancer patients differ greatly. In normal human, three distinct isozymes I, II and III of serum acid phosphatase were observed. Acid phosphatase of prostatic adenoma tissue surgically removed from prostatic hypertrophy patients consists of two isozymes II and III which are chromatographically corresponding to those isozymes of serum acid phosphatase. Serological analyses and inhibitor- enzyme specificities led us to conclude that serum isozymes II and III are derived from prostatic gland. In cancer patients without bone metastasis, a greatly increased activity of isozyme III and normal level of isozyme II in serum acid phosphatase were observed. However in prostatic cancer patient with advanced bone metastasis, a huge increase of serum isozyme II activity was observed whereas isozyme III is at an undertectable level. These isozyme variations in serum acid phosphatase suggest that assay of each isozyme is a valuable approach for diagnosis and judgement of prognosis of prostatic cancer