Japanese university students' behavior when reading english: a questionnaire survey and factor analysis

This paper reports on a specific cognitive behavior often found when trying to understand a text not written in readers’ native language. Our research group conducted a questionnaire survey to examine Japanese readers’ cognitive behavior and awareness when reading English texts. We also conducted a factor analysis on this questionnaire to identify the behaviors often found when reading English. Participants were 56 Japanese students studying engineering at Chuo University. After reading the texts, a questionnaire consisting of 43 items was applied to the participants. We used exploratory factor analysis to identify the primary factors related to readers’ cognitive behavior and awareness when reading a non-native language. As a result of the analysis, mainly based on the highest contributing factors, it was suggested that readers may have made substitutions into Japanese, their own words, when reading the English texts. In other words, when reading a non-native language, the reader may read the texts by replacing them with their native language rather than comprehending it in that language. Based on the results of our experiment, it is expected that the research on the cognitive supporting systems may help readers to understand non-native languages quickly and smoothly

Indocyanine green-laden poly(ethylene glycol)-block-polylactide (PEG-b-PLA) nanocapsules incorporating reverse micelles: Effects of PEG-b-PLA composition on the nanocapsule diameter and encapsulation efficiency

Reverse micelles are thermodynamically stable systems, with a capacity to encapsulate hydrophilic molecules in their nanosized core, which is smaller than the core generally obtained with water-in-oil-emulsion droplets. Herein, we present a simple technique for the preparation of poly(ethylene glycol)-block-polylactide (PEG-b-PLA) nanocapsules encapsulating a hydrophilic photosensitizer (indocyanine green, ICG), which exploits reverse micelle formation and subsequent emulsion-solvent diffusion. We establish the effect of the PEG-b-PLA composition and the co-surfactant volume on the diameter and water content of the reverse micelles. We demonstrate that the composition of PEG-b-PLA affects also the diameter and encapsulation efficiency of the resulting nanocapsules. We show that the ICG-laden nanocapsules fabricated under the most optimal conditions have a diameter of approximately 100 nm and an ICG encapsulation efficiency of 58%. We believe that the method proposed here is a promising step towards the preparation of hydrophilic drug-laden polymer nanocapsules with a small diameter and therefore suitable for use in drug delivery applications based on enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect-driven passive targeting

Epidemiology of ASD in Preschool-age Children in Japan

In recent years, it has been reported that the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is increasing, but there are few research reports in Asia equivalent to those in Europe and the United States. Since large-scale epidemiological studies of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) have not been conducted in Japan, the delay in early detection is conspicuous compared to other countries. Therefore, we started epidemiological studies in a medium-sized city (Hirosaki City) in northern Japan from 2013 to elucidate the prevalence of ASD and have been conducting a 9-year community cohort survey. In 2020, we published an adjusted prevalence of ASD of 3.2% at the age of 5 years, no change in 4-year incidence, and comorbidity of ASD. Since then, we have focused on sleep problems at the age of 5 years and have been studying the estimation of the prevalence of sleep disorders and the relationship with neurological development disorders. In this chapter, in addition to our research results since 2013, we will introduce the screening and support system in the community in Japan

Osteochondritis (osteochondrosis) dissecans (OCD)

UNIFESP-EPM Departamento de diagnóstico por imagemUNIFESP-EPMUNIFESP, EPM, Depto. de diagnóstico por imagemUNIFESP, EPMSciEL

Image diagnosis for metatarsophalangeal joint instability

UNIFESP-EPMUNIFESP, EPMSciEL

Tissue-specific splicing regulator Fox-1 induces exon skipping by interfering E complex formation on the downstream intron of human F1γ gene

Fox-1 is a regulator of tissue-specific splicing, via binding to the element (U)GCAUG in mRNA precursors, in muscles and neuronal cells. Fox-1 can regulate splicing positively or negatively, most likely depending on where it binds relative to the regulated exon. In cases where the (U)GCAUG element lies in an intron upstream of the alternative exon, Fox-1 protein functions as a splicing repressor to induce exon skipping. Here we report the mechanism of exon skipping regulated by Fox-1, using the hF1γ gene as a model system. We found that Fox-1 induces exon 9 skipping by repressing splicing of the downstream intron 9 via binding to the GCAUG repressor elements located in the upstream intron 8. In vitro splicing analyses showed that Fox-1 prevents formation of the pre-spliceosomal early (E) complex on intron 9. In addition, we located a region of the Fox-1 protein that is required for inducing exon skipping. Taken together, our data show a novel mechanism of how RNA-binding proteins regulate alternative splicing

Prevalence and cumulative incidence of autism spectrum disorders and the patterns of co-occurring neurodevelopmental disorders in a total population sample of 5-year-old children.

BackgroundsWhether there is a true increase in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) frequency or not remains unclear. Additionally, the rates of co-existing neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) in a total population sample has not been fully examined before. Therefore, using a total population sample in Japan, we aimed to estimate the prevalence and cumulative incidence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) annually, to determine whether there is a true increase in ASD prevalence by estimating the cumulative incidence of ASD annually, and to examine the rates of co-existing neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD).MethodIn this cross-sectional sequential design study, all 5-year-old children in the catchment area underwent the screening annually from the year 2013-2016. Screen-positive children were invited to participate in a comprehensive assessment, including child and parent interview, behavioral observation, and cognitive and motor function testing. All cases were reviewed by a multidisciplinary research team.ResultsCaregivers of 3954 children returned the screening, among which 559 children underwent the assessment with 87 children receiving an ASD diagnosis. Adjusted ASD prevalence was 3.22% (95% confidence interval (CI) 2.66-3.76%). The male to female ratio of the crude prevalence was 2.2:1. The cumulative incidence of ASD up to 5 years of age for the total study years was 1.31% (95% CI 1.00-1.62%). A generalized linear model revealed no significant linear trends in 5-year cumulative incidence over the study years. Only 11.5% of children had ASD alone; the remaining 88.5% were found to have at least one co-existing NDD.LimitationsModest sample size for a total population study.ConclusionsOur findings demonstrate the stability of the 5-year cumulative incidence of ASD, implying no true rise in ASD incident cases over the 4-year study period in the study catchment area. High rates of co-existing NDDs reflect the importance of investigating broad developmental challenges in children with ASD

The DsbA-L gene is associated with respiratory function of the elderly via its adiponectin multimeric or antioxidant properties

Oxidative stress and inflammation play a key role in the age-related decline in the respiratory function. Adipokine in relation to the metabolic and inflammatory systems is attracting growing interest in the field of respiratory dysfunction. The present clinical and experimental studies investigated the role of the disulfide bond-forming oxidoreductase A-like protein (DsbA-L) gene, which has antioxidant and adiponectin multimeric (i.e. activation) properties, on the respiratory function of the elderly. We performed a retrospective longitudinal genotype-phenotype relationship analysis of 318 Japanese relatively elderly participants (mean age ± standard deviation: 67.0 ± 5.8 years) during a health screening program and an in vitro DsbA-L knock-down evaluation using 16HBE14o-cells, a commonly evaluated human airway epithelial cell line. The DsbA-L rs1917760 polymorphism was associated with a reduction in the ratio of forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1)/forced vital capacity (FVC) and %FEV1 and with the elevation of the prevalence of FEV1/FVC < 70%. We also confirmed that the polymorphism was associated with a decreased respiratory function in relation to a decrease in the ratio of high-molecular-weight adiponectin/total adiponectin (as a marker of adiponectin multimerization) and an increase in the oxidized human serum albumin (as an oxidative stress marker). Furthermore, we clarified that DsbA-L knock-down induced oxidative stress and up-regulated the mucus production in human airway epithelial cells. These findings suggest that the DsbA-L gene may play a role in protecting the respiratory function of the elderly, possibly via increased systemic adiponectin functions secreted from adipocytes or through systemic and/or local pulmonary antioxidant properties

Performance of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing in asymptomatic or mild COVID-19 patients: A retrospective study in outbreak on a cruise ship

Objectives: A few studies on antibody testing have focused on asymptomatic or mild coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients with low initial anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibody responses. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody-testing performance was evaluated using blood samples from asymptomatic or mild COVID-19 patients.Methods: Blood samples were collected from 143 COVID-19 patients during an outbreak on a cruise ship 3 weeks after diagnosis. Simultaneously, a follow-up SARS-CoV-2 genetic test was performed. Samples stored before the COVID-19 pandemic were also used to evaluate the lateral flow immunochromatographic assay (LFA) and electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA). Titers of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgM and IgG antibodies against the nucleocapsid and spike proteins were measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to confirm which antibodies were influenced on LFA- and ECLIA- false-negative result in crew-member samples.Results: Sensitivity, specificity, positive-predictive, and negative-predictive values of LFA-detected IgM antibodies were 0.231, 1.000, 1.000, and 0.613, respectively; those of LFA-detected IgG antibodies were 0.483, 0.989, 0.972, and 0.601, respectively; and those of ECLIA-detected total antibodies were 0.783, 1.000, 1.000, and 0.848, respectively. All antibody titers measured using ELISA were significantly lower in blood samples with negative results than in those with positive results in both LFA and ECLIA. In the patients with negative results from the follow-up genetic testing, IgM-, IgG-, and total-antibody positivity rates were 22.9%, 47.6%, and 72.4%, respectively.Conclusions: These findings suggest that anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing has lower performance in asymptomatic or mild COVID-19 patients than required in the guidelines