Effects of midazolam on acquisition and extinction of conditioned taste aversion memory in rats.

Some intravenous anesthetic agents such as midazolam are known to induce anterograde and retrograde amnesia. We analyzed the effect of midazolam by the conditioned taste aversion (CTA) acquisition and retention. After the rats were offered 0.1% sodium saccharin (Sac) as conditioned stimulus (CS), an intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of several concentrations (5-30mg/kg) of midazolam was followed by an i.p. injection of 0.15M LiCl (2% of body weight) as unconditioned stimulus (US). The rats, which acquired CTA by every CS-US paradigm, strongly avoided Sac on the 1st test day after conditioning and maintained the avoidance for 3 days. We have already reported that Sac intake abruptly increased on the 2nd test day and the almost complete extinction occurred on the 3rd test day after conditioning by injection of subhypnotic dose of propofol before LiCl-injection. In contrast, we found that subhypnotic dose of midazolam suppressed not only CTA acquisition, but also CTA retention. On the other hand, an alpha2-adrenergic blocker, yohimbin (1mg/kg) suppressed only the CTA retention. These results suggest that the subhypnotic doses of midazolam firstly affect the acquisition mechanism of the CTA memory (CTAM), resulting the suppression of the retention of CTAM

Systematic infrared 2.5-5 micron spectroscopy of nearby ultraluminous infrared galaxies with AKARI

We report on the results of systematic infrared 2.5-5 micron spectroscopy of 45 nearby ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs) at z < 0.3 using IRC onboard the AKARI satellite. This paper investigates whether the luminosities of these ULIRGs are dominated by starburst activity, or optically elusive buried AGNs are energetically important. Our criteria include the strengths of the 3.3 micron polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emission features and the optical depths of absorption features at 3.1 micron due to ice-covered dust grains and at 3.4 micron from bare carbonaceous dust grains. Because of the AKARI IRC's spectroscopic capability in the full 2.5-5 micron wavelength range, unaffected by Earth's atmosphere, we can apply this energy diagnostic method to ULIRGs at z > 0.15. We estimate the intrinsic luminosities of extended (several kpc), modestly obscured (Av < 15 mag) starburst activity based on the 3.3 micron PAH emission luminosities measured in AKARI IRC slitless spectra, and confirm that such starbursts are energetically unimportant in nearby ULIRGs. In roughly half of the observed ULIRGs classified optically as non-Seyferts, we find signatures of luminous energy sources that produce no PAH emission and/or are more centrally concentrated than the surrounding dust. We interpret these energy sources as buried AGNs. The fraction of ULIRGs with detectable buried AGN signatures increases with increasing infrared luminosity. Our overall results support the scenario that luminous buried AGNs are important in many ULIRGs at z < 0.3 classified optically as non-Seyferts, and that the optical undetectability of such buried AGNs occurs merely because of a large amount of nuclear dust, which can make the sightline of even the lowest dust column density opaque to the ionizing radiation of the AGNs.Comment: 48 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in PASJ (AKARI special issue

Hyper Suprime-Camera Survey of the Akari NEP Wide Field

The extragalactic background suggests half the energy generated by stars was reprocessed into the infrared (IR) by dust. At z ∼1.3, 90% of star formation is obscured by dust. To fully understand the cosmic star formation history, it is critical to investigate infrared emission. AKARI has made deep mid-IR observation using its continuous 9-band filters in the NEP field (5.4 deg2), using ∼10% of the entire pointed observations available throughout its lifetime. However, there remain 11,000 AKARI infrared sources undetected with the previous CFHT/Megacam imaging (r ∼25.9ABmag). Redshift and IR luminosity of these sources are unknown. These sources may contribute significantly to the cosmic star-formation rate density (CSFRD). For example, if they all lie at 1 z g, r, i, z, and y) using Hyper Suprime-Camera (HSC), which has 1.5 deg field of view in diameter on Subaru 8m telescope. This will provide photometric redshift information, and thereby IR luminosity for the previously-undetected 11,000 faint AKARI IR sources. Combined with AKARI's mid-IR AGN/SF diagnosis, and accurate mid-IR luminosity measurement, this will allow a complete census of cosmic star-formation/AGN accretion history obscured by dust

Clinical characteristics, management strategies and outcomes of patients with recurrent venous thromboembolism in the real world

There is a paucity of data on management strategies and clinical outcomes after recurrent venous thromboembolism (VTE). In a multicenter registry enrolling 3027 patients with acute symptomatic VTE, the current study population was divided into the following 3 groups: (1) First recurrent VTE during anticoagulation therapy (N = 110); (2) First recurrent VTE after discontinuation of anticoagulation therapy (N = 116); and (3) No recurrent VTE (N = 2801). Patients with first recurrent VTE during anticoagulation therapy more often had active cancer (45, 25 and 22%, P < 0.001). Among 110 patients with first recurrent VTE during anticoagulation therapy, 84 patients (76%) received warfarin at recurrent VTE with the median prothrombin time-international normalized ratio (PT-INR) value at recurrent VTE of 1.6, although patients with active cancer had a significantly higher median PT-INR value at recurrent VTE compared with those without active cancer (2.0 versus 1.4, P < 0.001). Within 90 days after recurrent VTE, 23 patients (20.9%) during anticoagulation therapy and 24 patients (20.7%) after discontinuation of anticoagulation therapy died. Active cancer was a major cause of recurrent VTE during anticoagulation therapy as a patient-related factor, while sub-optimal intensity of anticoagulation therapy was a major cause of recurrent VTE during anticoagulation therapy as a treatment-related factor, particularly in patients without active cancer

Infrared luminosity functions based on 18 mid-infrared bands: revealing cosmic star formation history with AKARI and Hyper Suprime-Cam*

Much of star formation is obscured by dust. For a complete understanding of the cosmic star formation history (CSFH), infrared (IR) census is indispensable. AKARI carried out deep mid-infrared observations using its continuous nine-band filters in the North Ecliptic Pole (NEP) field (5.4 deg2). This took a significant amount of the satellite’s lifetime, ∼10% of the entire pointed observations. By combining archival Spitzer (five bands) and WISE (four bands) mid-IR photometry, we have, in total, 18-band mid-IR photometry, which is the most comprehensive photometric coverage in the mid-IR for thousands of galaxies. However, we only had shallow optical imaging (∼25.9 AB magnitude) in a small area, 1.0 deg2. As a result, thousands of AKARI’s infrared sources remained undetected in the optical. Using the new Hyper Suprime-Cam on the Subaru telescope, we obtained deep enough optical images of the entire AKARI NEP field in five broad bands (g ∼ 27.5 mag). These provided photometric redshift, and thereby IR luminosity, for the previously undetected faint AKARI IR sources. Combined with the accurate mid-IR luminosity measurement, we constructed mid-IR luminosity functions (LFs), and thereby performed a census of dust-obscured CSFH in the entire AKARI NEP field. We have measured restframe 8 μm and 12 μm LFs, and estimated total infrared LFs at 0.35 z z ∼ 2

Artificially Induced Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Surgical Subjects: Its Implications in Clinical and Basic Cancer Research

BACKGROUND: Surgical samples have long been used as important subjects for cancer research. In accordance with an increase of neoadjuvant therapy, biopsy samples have recently become imperative for cancer transcriptome. On the other hand, both biopsy and surgical samples are available for expression profiling for predicting clinical outcome by adjuvant therapy; however, it is still unclear whether surgical sample expression profiles are useful for prediction via biopsy samples, because little has been done about comparative gene expression profiling between the two kinds of samples. METHODOLOGY AND FINDINGS: A total of 166 samples (77 biopsy and 89 surgical) of normal and malignant lesions of the esophagus were analyzed by microarrays. Gene expression profiles were compared between biopsy and surgical samples. Artificially induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (aiEMT) was found in the surgical samples, and also occurred in mouse esophageal epithelial cell layers under an ischemic condition. Identification of clinically significant subgroups was thought to be disrupted by the disorder of the expression profile through this aiEMT. CONCLUSION AND SIGNIFICANCE: This study will evoke the fundamental misinterpretation including underestimation of the prognostic evaluation power of markers by overestimation of EMT IN past cancer research, and will furnish some advice for the near future as follows: 1) Understanding how long the tissues were under an ischemic condition. 2) Prevalence of biopsy samples for in vivo expression profiling with low biases on basic and clinical research. 3) Checking cancer cell contents and normal- or necrotic-tissue contamination in biopsy samples for prevalence

Relationship between workplace social capital and suicidal ideation in the past year among employees in Japan: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundA growing body of evidence has demonstrated the associations between social capital and health. In residential or geographical areas, social capital has attracted attention for its protective effects against suicide. However, to this date, the relationship between social capital and suicidal ideation is not fully elaborated in the occupational setting. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to examine the association between workplace social capital and suicidal ideation in the past year among employees in Japan.MethodsA cross-sectional, web-based survey was conducted in February/March 2017 via an anonymous self-administered questionnaire distributed to workers in Tsukuba Science City, Japan. Binomial logistic regressions were used to calculate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for suicidal ideation in the past year, controlling for age group, marital status, educational attainment, and annual household income. The results were shown stratified by sex and occupation.ResultsIn total, 7255 of 19,481 workers responded, out of which we could analyze 6325 responses (4030 men, 2295 women). The prevalence of suicidal ideation in the past year was 5.9% for men and 7.8% for women. Low workplace social capital was statistically significantly associated with suicidal ideation both for men (OR = 2.57, 95% CI = 1.72–3.83) and for women (OR = 1.75, 95% CI = 1.15–2.66), compared with high workplace social capital after controlling for socioeconomic factors.ConclusionHigher workplace social capital was associated with a reduced risk of suicidal ideation in the past year. Promoting workplace social capital could contribute to preventing suicide among employees in Japan