Memory-related gene expression profile of the male rat hippocampus induced by teeth extraction and occlusal support recovery

Objectives: The present study aimed to identify the effect of memory-related genes on male rats tested for spatial memory with either molar teeth extraction or its restoration by occlusal support using experimental dentures. Design: Memory-related genes were detected from hippocampi of male Wistar rats (exposed to teeth extraction with or without dentures, or no extraction (control)) (7-week old) after behavioural testing (via the radial maze task) using a DNA microarray. The time course of the expression of these genes was evaluated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (on 49-week-old rats). Results: In preliminary experiments, to determine which memory genes are affected by spatial memory training, DNA microarray analysis revealed that thyrotropin-releasing hormone (Trh) and tenascin XA (Tnxa) were up-regulated and neuronatin (Nnat) and S100a9 were down-regulated after the maze training. The expression of Tnxa, Nnat and S100a9 of 49-week-old rats (during the time course) via quantitative real-time PCR was consistent with the results of microarrays of the preliminary experiment. Expression of Trh that was evaluated by quantitative real-time PCR did not agree with the results for this gene from the microarray for all groups. Therefore, expression of Trh may have increased in only young, trained rats. The expression of S100a9 prior to the maze task was down-regulated in only the extraction group. Conclusion: These results demonstrated that Trh, Tnxa and Nnat genes were affected according to the degree of memory in male rats. This study also indicated that S100a9 is a memory-related gene, which is affected by the presence of occlusal support

A case of primary breast cancer with chronic phase chronic myelogenous leukemia

A female patient in her ４０s was admitted because of right breast swelling and pain. She had been taking Nilotinib（a molecular targeted drug）for ４months as treatment for chronic-phase chronic myelogenous leukemia. She was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer by cytology and histological examinations. She received neoadjuvant chemotherapy and had obtained a partial response. She then underwent a nipple-sparing mastectomy and axillary lymph node dissection. Therefore, in this patient, breast cancer and chronic myelogenous leukemia coexisted. Chemotherapy for breast cancer and a molecular targeted drug for chronic-phase chronic myelogenous leukemia were administered concurrently

術後肺ヘルニアに対し，緊急修復手術を施行した１症例

A male patient, in his ５０s, was admitted owing to rear neck pain and stomachache. He was diagnosed Type A acute aortic dissection and underwent a total arch aortic replacement operation. Five days later, he developed dyspnea after he coughed. He was diagnosed left lung hernia, mediastinal emphysema and pneumothorax by a chest CT scan. We repaired pulmonaly fistula and lung hernia using an ePTFE patch

若年性乳腺線維腺腫

A １２-year-old, premenarchal girl with a rapidly growing breast lump was transferred to our hospital. Ultrasonography revealed a ７．９×７．７×３．３cm large well-circumscribed hypoechoic tumor in the medial region of her right breast. After ２ months of this first visit, the breast lump had enlarged to１０ cm in diameter and was consequently subjected to a wide excision. Size of the tumor was９．５×９．２×３．０cm. Histopathological diagnosis was fibroadenoma without any malignant component. One year after the operation, a new lump with a diameter of４cm was detected in the lateral region of her right breast that had a similar appearance of the previous tumor. The tumor was excised as earlier and diagnosed as fibroadenoma. We present an extremely rare case of a rapidly growing breast fibroadenoma in a premenarchal girl. To the best of our knowledge, there were only ２１ cases reported in Japan. Since the patient is concerned that another asynchronous fibroadenoma might occur, she needs a long-term and careful follow-up

New Approach to Teaching Japanese Pronunciation in the Digital Era - Challenges and Practices

Pronunciation has been a black hole in the L2 Japanese classroom on account of a lack of class time, teacher\u2019s confidence, and consciousness of the need to teach pronunciation, among other reasons. The absence of pronunciation instruction is reported to result in fossilized pronunciation errors, communication problems, and learner frustration. With an intention of making a contribution to improve such circumstances, this paper aims at three goals. First, it discusses the importance, necessity, and e ectiveness of teaching prosodic aspects of Japanese pronunciation from an early stage in acquisition. Second, it shows that Japanese prosody is challenging because of its typological rareness, regardless of the L1 backgrounds of learners. Third and finally, it introduces a new approach to teaching L2 pronunciation with the goal of developing L2 comprehensibility by focusing on essential prosodic features, which is followed by discussions on key issues concerning how to implement the new approach both inside and outside the classroom in the digital era

Identification of the sex-determining factor in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha reveals unique evolution of sex chromosomes in a haploid system

半数体生物の性染色体上の性決定遺伝子を解明 --コケがもつ現生生物最古の起源の性染色体--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2021-11-08.Sex determination is a central process for sexual reproduction and is often regulated by a sex determinant encoded on a sex chromosome. Rules that govern the evolution of sex chromosomes via specialization and degeneration following the evolution of a sex determinant have been well studied in diploid organisms. However, distinct predictions apply to sex chromosomes in organisms where sex is determined in the haploid phase of the life cycle: both sex chromosomes, female U and male V, are expected to maintain their gene functions, even though both are non-recombining. This is in contrast to the X-Y (or Z-W) asymmetry and Y (W) chromosome degeneration in XY (ZW) systems of diploids. Here, we provide evidence that sex chromosomes diverged early during the evolution of haploid liverworts and identify the sex determinant on the Marchantia polymorpha U chromosome. This gene, Feminizer, encodes a member of the plant-specific BASIC PENTACYSTEINE transcription factor family. It triggers female differentiation via regulation of the autosomal sex-determining locus of FEMALE GAMETOPHYTE MYB and SUPPRESSOR OF FEMINIZATION. Phylogenetic analyses of Feminizer and other sex chromosome genes indicate dimorphic sex chromosomes had already been established 430 mya in the ancestral liverwort. Feminizer also plays a role in reproductive induction that is shared with its gametolog on the V chromosome, suggesting an ancestral function, distinct from sex determination, was retained by the gametologs. This implies ancestral functions can be preserved after the acquisition of a sex determination mechanism during the evolution of a dominant haploid sex chromosome system