The Effects of Hypohydration on Neurocognitive, Balance, Vestibular Ocular Motor Functions and Mood State

Inconsistent findings have been observed on the impact of hydration state on cognitive functions. The isolated effect of hypohydration on neurocognitive performance, balance, vestibular ocular motor function and mood outcomes in widely used concussion assessment tools has not been studied. The purpose of this study was to investigate how hypohydration affected the results in concussion testing batteries. A single-blind randomized crossover design was used. Thirteen healthy males (22 ± 4y, 180.9 ± 5.7cm) without history of concussion within the past six months or any condition or disease that could influence outcome measurements participated in this study. Each subject completed concussion tests in two different conditions, hypohydrated (HYP) and euhydrated (EU) trials. During HYP, subjects restricted fluid and fluid-rich foods for 20 hours prior to the testing. Testers who were blinded to a trial assignment performed the Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT), Sport Concussion Assessment Tool 3 (SCAT3), King Devick (K-D), and a brief vestibular ocular motor screening (VOMS) in a randomized order. Following testing, NASA Load Index and Effort Questionnaire were assessed. No significant differences were observed on ImPACT, Sideline Assessment for Concussion (SAC), Balance Error Scoring System (BESS) and the Tandem Walk in SCAT3, K-D, symptom provocation in VOMS and NASA Load Index and Effort Questionnaire (p \u3e .05). HYP increased number (p = .026) and severity of symptoms (p = .020) assessed in SCAT3 compared with EU. Additionally, subjects reported higher symptoms in VOMS during HYP (p \u3c .05). Hypohydration produced concussion related symptoms. Our findings suggested that hypohydration did not negatively influence neurocognitive, balance, or vestibular ocular motor performance in the common concussion assessment testing tools

Functional conversion of fatty acyl-CoA synthetase to firefly luciferase by site-directed mutagenesis: A key substitution responsible for luminescence activity

AbstractWe demonstrated that firefly luciferase has a catalytic function of fatty acyl-CoA synthesis [Oba, Y., Ojika, M. and Inouye, S. (2003) Firefly luciferase is a bifunctional enzyme: ATP-dependent monooxygenase and a long chain fatty acyl-CoA synthetase. FEBS Lett. 540, 251–254] and proposed that the evolutionary origin of beetle luciferase is a fatty acyl-CoA synthetase (FACS) in insect. In this study, we performed the functional conversion of FACS to luciferase by replacing a single amino acid to serine. This serine residue is conserved in luciferases and possibly interacts with luciferin. The mutants of FACSs in non-luminous click beetle Agrypnus binodulus (AbLL) and Drosophila melanogaster (CG6178) gave luminescence enhancement, suggesting that the serine residue is a key substitution responsible for luminescence activity

Atomic Bomb Survivor Studies and their Current Significance: Comparison between the Practices of the ABCC-RERF and the RIRBM

Medical research spurred by radiation exposure is a critically important theme for modern society. Accordingly, studies of this contemporary problem should be based on a perspective that is focused on that origin, medical investigations into the effects of radiation exposure on survivors of the atomic bombs. Therefore, we organized and evaluated survey programs and research of atomic bomb survivors that have been conducted by ABCC (Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission) –RERF (Radiation Effects Research Foundation) and RIRBM (Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine) between 1949 and 1975. ABCC established a set of carefully defined cohorts and launched an integrated research program based on three phases of pure research. That work has formed the foundation for the research that the RERF is engaged in today. And among surveys and studies worldwide that have generated fundamental data on radiation protection standards, the findings of ABCC-RERF surveys and studies have provided important information. It has thus provided various international research organizations (WHO (World Health Organization), ICRP (International Commission on Radiological Protection), UNSCEAR (United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation), etc.) with important information and indicators. RIRBM has pursued studies and surveys that are distinct from the undertakings led by ABCC-RERF. RIRBM was able to do something that ABCC-RERF would have found difficult to implement: namely, flexibly launching projects on themes that directly met the needs of the local society at the time. Atomic bomb survivors’ medical data continue to grow, from the bombing to the present, and to the future. Data sharing, joint research, and collaboration by research institutions in this field will be effective ways to foster rationally coordinated surveys and studies

A Face-like Structure Detection on Planet and Satellite Surfaces using Image Processing

This paper demonstrates that face-like structures are everywhere, and can be de-tected automatically even with computers. Huge amount of satellite images of the Earth, the Moon, the Mars are explored and many interesting face-like structure are detected. Throughout this fact, we believe that science and technologies can alert people not to easily become an occultist.Comment: 4 page

Control design for a pneumatic isolation table including different time delays dependent on control input polarity

ArticleIFAC-PapersOnLine. 50(1): 6029-6034. (2017)journal articl