Association of kyphotic posture with loss of independence and mortality in a community-based prospective cohort study: the Locomotive Syndrome and Health Outcomes in Aizu Cohort Study (LOHAS)

[Objectives] This study aimed to investigate the association between kyphotic posture and future loss of independence (LOI) and mortality in community-dwelling older adults. [Design] Prospective cohort study. [Setting] Two Japanese municipalities. [Participants] We enrolled 2193 independent community-dwelling older adults aged≥65 years at the time of their baseline health check-up in 2008. Kyphotic posture was evaluated using the wall-occiput test (WOT) and classified into three categories: non-kyphotic, mild (>0 and ≤4 cm) and severe (>4 cm). [Primary and secondary outcome measures] The primary outcome was mortality and the secondary outcomes were LOI (new long-term care insurance certification levels 1–5) and a composite of LOI and mortality. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate the adjusted HRs (aHRs). [Results] Of the 2193 subjects enrolled, 1621 were included in the primary analysis. Among these, 272 (17%) and 202 (12%) were diagnosed with mild and severe kyphotic postures, respectively. The median follow-up time was 5.8 years. Compared with the non-kyphotic group, the aHRs for mortality were 1.17 (95% CI 0.70 to 1.96) and 1.99 (95% CI 1.20 to 3.30) in the mild and severe kyphotic posture groups, respectively. In the secondary analysis, a consistent association was observed for LOI (mild: aHR 1.70, 95% CI 1.13 to 2.55; severe: aHR 2.08, 95% CI 1.39 to 3.10) and the LOI-mortality composite (mild: aHR 1.27, 95% CI 0.90 to 1.79; severe: aHR 1.83, 95% CI 1.31 to 2.56). [Conclusion] Kyphotic posture was associated with LOI and mortality in community-dwelling older adults. Identifying the population with kyphotic posture using the WOT might help improve community health

Primate survey in a Bornean flooded forest: evaluation of best approach and best timing

Accurate determination of the abundance and distribution of animals, particularly endangered species, is a fundamental requirement for understanding their ecology and has important applications for their conservation. In Bornean flooded forests, various approaches have previously been used to conduct primate census, including foot-based land surveys and boat-based river surveys at different times of the day such as in the early morning and/or late afternoon. However, the accuracy of primate encounter frequencies and animal counts obtained using these methods has not been assessed. Therefore, in this study, we attempted to assess the accuracy of these methods used in different studies. We found that boat-based river surveys were more accurate than foot-based land surveys for evaluating the abundance and distribution of Bornean primates, particularly proboscis monkeys (Nasalis larvatus) and long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis). Furthermore, based on our evaluation of boat-based river surveys at different times of the day, we recommend that such surveys be performed in the late afternoon to yield more accurate estimates of the abundances and distributions of Bornean primates

Primate survey in a Bornean flooded forest: evaluation of best approach and best timing

Accurate determination of the abundance and distribution of animals, particularly endangered species, is a fundamental requirement for understanding their ecology and has important applications for their conservation. In Bornean flooded forests, various approaches have previously been used to conduct primate census, including foot-based land surveys and boat-based river surveys at different times of the day such as in the early morning and/or late afternoon. However, the accuracy of primate encounter frequencies and animal counts obtained using these methods has not been assessed. Therefore, in this study, we attempted to assess the accuracy of these methods used in different studies. We found that boat-based river surveys were more accurate than foot-based land surveys for evaluating the abundance and distribution of Bornean primates, particularly proboscis monkeys (Nasalis larvatus) and long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis). Furthermore, based on our evaluation of boat-based river surveys at different times of the day, we recommend that such surveys be performed in the late afternoon to yield more accurate estimates of the abundances and distributions of Bornean primates

Factors infuencing riverine utilization patterns in two sympatric macaques

Many species of terrestrial animals, including primates, live in varied association with the aquatic (e.g., riverine or coastal) environment. However, the benefts that each species receive from the aquatic environment are thought to vary depending on their social and ecological characteristics, and thus, elucidating those benefts to each species is important for understanding the principles of wild animal behaviour. In the present study, to gain a more complete picture of aquatic environment use, including social and ecological factors in primates, factors afecting riverine habitat utilization of two macaque species (Macaca nemestrina and M. fascicularis) were identifed and qualitative comparisons were made with sympatric proboscis monkeys (Nasalis larvatus), which have diferent social and ecological characteristics. Temporal variation in sighting frequency of macaques at the riverbanks was positively related to the fruit availability of a dominant riparian plant species and negatively related to the river water level which afects the extent of predation pressure. Riverine utilization of macaques was greatly infuenced by distribution and abundance of food (especially fruit) resources, possibly in association with predation pressure. Additionally, qualitative ecological comparisons with sympatric proboscis monkeys suggest that the drivers of riverine utilization depend on the feeding niches of the species, and diferent anti-predator strategies resulting from their difering social structures

Genomic Profiling of a Case of Glioneuronal Tumor with Neuropil-like Islands

Glioneuronal tumor with neuropil-like islands (GNTNI) is a very rare subtype of glioneuronal tumor. We present a case of a 62-year-old man with GNTNI. Two adjacent lesions in the left parietal lobe were removed by left parietal craniotomy. The histological findings were glial cell proliferation and scattered rosettes consisting of synaptophysin-positive and NeuN-positive cells, leading to the diagnosis of GNTNI. Target sequencing revealed a genetic alteration similar to glioblastoma, IDH-wild type, which suggested adjuvant therapies. There are few previous reports on the treatment of this disease, and the patient should be followed carefully

Association between hand-grip strength and depressive symptoms: Locomotive Syndrome and Health Outcomes in Aizu Cohort Study (LOHAS).

First published online: February 21, 2015no study has examined the longitudinal association between hand-grip strength and mental health, such as depressive symptoms

Host selection of hematophagous leeches (Haemadipsa japonica): Implications for iDNA studies

The development of an efficient and cost‐effective method for monitoring animal populations or biodiversity is urgently needed, and invertebrate‐derived DNA (iDNA) may offer a promising tool for assessing the diversity and other ecological information of vertebrates. We studied the host species of a hematophagous leech (Haemadipsa japonica) in Yakushima by genetic barcoding and compared the results with those for mammal composition revealed by camera trapping. We analyzed 119 samples using two sets of primers by Sanger sequencing and one set of primer by next generation sequencing. The proportion of the samples that were successfully sequenced and identified to at least one species was 11.8–24.3%, depending on the three different methods. In all of these three methods, most of the samples were identified as sika deer (18/20, 6/15 and 16/29) or human (2/20, 7/15 and 21/29). The nonhuman mammal host species composition was significantly different from that estimated by camera trapping. Sika deer was the main host, which may be related with their high abundance, large body size and terrestriality. Ten samples included DNA derived from multiple species of vertebrates. This may be due to the contamination of human DNA, but we also found DNA from deer, Japanese macaque and a frog in the same samples, suggesting the mixture of the two meals in the gut of the leech. Using H. japonica‐derived iDNA would not be suitable to make an inventory of species, but it may be useful to collect genetic information on the targeted species, due to their high host selectivity

Differentiated glioblastoma cells accelerate tumor progression by shaping the tumor microenvironment via CCN1-mediated macrophage infiltration

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most lethal primary brain tumor characterized by significant cellular heterogeneity, namely tumor cells, including GBM stem-like cells (GSCs) and differentiated GBM cells (DGCs), and non-tumor cells such as endothelial cells, vascular pericytes, macrophages, and other types of immune cells. GSCs are essential to drive tumor progression, whereas the biological roles of DGCs are largely unknown. In this study, we focused on the roles of DGCs in the tumor microenvironment. To this end, we extracted DGC-specific signature genes from transcriptomic profiles of matched pairs of in vitro GSC and DGC models. By evaluating the DGC signature using single cell data, we confirmed the presence of cell subpopulations emulated by in vitro culture models within a primary tumor. The DGC signature was correlated with the mesenchymal subtype and a poor prognosis in large GBM cohorts such as The Cancer Genome Atlas and Ivy Glioblastoma Atlas Project. In silico signaling pathway analysis suggested a role of DGCs in macrophage infiltration. Consistent with in silico findings, in vitro DGC models promoted macrophage migration. In vivo, coimplantation of DGCs and GSCs reduced the survival of tumor xenograft-bearing mice and increased macrophage infiltration into tumor tissue compared with transplantation of GSCs alone. DGCs exhibited a significant increase in YAP/TAZ/TEAD activity compared with GSCs. CCN1, a transcriptional target of YAP/TAZ, was selected from the DGC signature as a candidate secreted protein involved in macrophage recruitment. In fact, CCN1 was secreted abundantly from DGCs, but not GSCs. DGCs promoted macrophage migration in vitro and macrophage infiltration into tumor tissue in vivo through secretion of CCN1. Collectively, these results demonstrate that DGCs contribute to GSC-dependent tumor progression by shaping a mesenchymal microenvironment via CCN1-mediated macrophage infiltration. This study provides new insight into the complex GBM microenvironment consisting of heterogeneous cells