Reliability and validity of ADHD diagnostic criteria in the Assessment System for Individuals with ADHD (ASIA): a Japanese semi-structured diagnostic interview

Background: With reports of a high prevalence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults, publication of ADHD diagnostic criteria in DSM-5, and the urgent need for a relevant diagnostic instrument conforming to DSM-5, we developed the Assessment System for Individuals with ADHD (ASIA), a Japanese semi-structured diagnostic interview. We report here the reliability and validity of ASIA ADHD diagnostic criteria. Methods: ASIA ADHD criterion A corresponds to DSM-5 ADHD criterion A and has 144 original questions assessing nine inattention symptoms and nine hyperactivity-impulsivity symptoms, each having four childhood and four adulthood questions. The 144 questions are evaluated on a 3-point frequency scale. ASIA ADHD criteria B to E correspond to DSM-5 ADHD criteria B to E and are evaluated on a 2-point scale. ASIA was administered to 60 adults (mean age, 29.9 ± 9.0 years; 28 males; 36 ADHD and 24 non-ADHD participants diagnosed by consensus of two experts). Results: For ASIA ADHD criterion A, values of Cronbach's aα for the adulthood and childhood inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity symptoms ranged from 0.64 to 0.90. Values of κ for two independent raters ranged from 0.98 to 1.00 for the 144 questions and raw agreement rates ranged from 0.97 to 1.00 for criteria B, C, D, and E. The consensus DSM-5 diagnoses endorsed 59 of the 60 ASIA diagnoses (ADHD and non-ADHD). The ADHD group scored significantly higher on 125 of the 144 questions for criterion A than the non-ADHD group. Correlations between ASIA total and subscale scores in adulthood and corresponding scores on the Japanese version of the Conners' Adult ADHD Scales-Self Report were high. Conclusions: ASIA ADHD criteria showed acceptable psychometric properties, although further investigation is necessary. The use of ASIA ADHD criteria could facilitate clinical practice and research into adult ADHD in Japan

microRNA-33 maintains adaptive thermogenesis via enhanced sympathetic nerve activity

褐色脂肪細胞の燃焼を促す新たなメカニズムを解明 --体の熱産生にマイクロRNA-33が関与--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2021-02-17.Adaptive thermogenesis is essential for survival, and therefore is tightly regulated by a central neural circuit. Here, we show that microRNA (miR)-33 in the brain is indispensable for adaptive thermogenesis. Cold stress increases miR-33 levels in the hypothalamus and miR-33−/− mice are unable to maintain body temperature in cold environments due to reduced sympathetic nerve activity and impaired brown adipose tissue (BAT) thermogenesis. Analysis of miR-33f/f dopamine-β-hydroxylase (DBH)-Cre mice indicates the importance of miR-33 in Dbh-positive cells. Mechanistically, miR-33 deficiency upregulates gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)A receptor subunit genes such as Gabrb2 and Gabra4. Knock-down of these genes in Dbh-positive neurons rescues the impaired cold-induced thermogenesis in miR-33f/f DBH-Cre mice. Conversely, increased gene dosage of miR-33 in mice enhances thermogenesis. Thus, miR-33 in the brain contributes to maintenance of BAT thermogenesis and whole-body metabolism via enhanced sympathetic nerve tone through suppressing GABAergic inhibitory neurotransmission. This miR-33-mediated neural mechanism may serve as a physiological adaptive defense mechanism for several stresses including cold stress

Separated Transcriptomes of Male Gametophyte and Tapetum in Rice: Validity of a Laser Microdissection (LM) Microarray

In flowering plants, the male gametophyte, the pollen, develops in the anther. Complex patterns of gene expression in both the gametophytic and sporophytic tissues of the anther regulate this process. The gene expression profiles of the microspore/pollen and the sporophytic tapetum are of particular interest. In this study, a microarray technique combined with laser microdissection (44K LM-microarray) was developed and used to characterize separately the transcriptomes of the microspore/pollen and tapetum in rice. Expression profiles of 11 known tapetum specific-genes were consistent with previous reports. Based on their spatial and temporal expression patterns, 140 genes which had been previously defined as anther specific were further classified as male gametophyte specific (71 genes, 51%), tapetum-specific (seven genes, 5%) or expressed in both male gametophyte and tapetum (62 genes, 44%). These results indicate that the 44K LM-microarray is a reliable tool to analyze the gene expression profiles of two important cell types in the anther, the microspore/pollen and tapetum

NK-like homeodomain proteins activate NOTCH3-signaling in leukemic T-cells

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Homeodomain proteins control fundamental cellular processes in development and in cancer if deregulated. Three members of the NK-like subfamily of homeobox genes (NKLs), TLX1, TLX3 and NKX2-5, are implicated in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). They are activated by particular chromosomal aberrations. However, their precise function in leukemogenesis is still unclear. Here we screened further NKLs in 24 T-ALL cell lines and identified the common expression of MSX2. The subsequent aim of this study was to analyze the role of MSX2 in T-cell differentiation which may be disturbed by oncogenic NKLs.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Specific gene activity was examined by quantitative real-time PCR, and globally by expression profiling. Proteins were analyzed by western blot, immuno-cytology and immuno-precipitation. For overexpression studies cell lines were transduced by lentiviruses.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Quantification of MSX2 mRNA in primary hematopoietic cells demonstrated higher levels in CD34+ stem cells as compared to peripheral blood cells and mature CD3+ T-cells. Furthermore, analysis of MSX2 expression levels in T-cell lines after treatment with core thymic factors confirmed their involvement in regulation. These results indicated that MSX2 represents an hematopoietic NKL family member which is downregulated during T-cell development and may functionally substituted by oncogenic NKLs. For functional analysis JURKAT cells were lentivirally transduced, overexpressing either MSX2 or oncogenic TLX1 and NKX2-5, respectively. These cells displayed transcriptional activation of NOTCH3-signaling, including NOTCH3 and HEY1 as analyzed by gene expression profiling and quantitative RT-PCR, and consistently attenuated sensitivity to gamma-secretase inhibitor as analyzed by MTT-assays. Furthermore, in addition to MSX2, both TLX1 and NKX2-5 proteins interacted with NOTCH-pathway repressors, SPEN/MINT/SHARP and TLE1/GRG1, representing a potential mechanism for (de)regulation. Finally, elevated expression of NOTCH3 and HEY1 was detected in primary TLX1/3 positive T-ALL cells corresponding to the cell line data.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Identification and analysis of MSX2 in hematopoietic cells implicates a modulatory role via NOTCH3-signaling in early T-cell differentiation. Our data suggest that reduction of NOTCH3-signaling by physiological downregulation of MSX2 expression during T-cell development is abrogated by ectopic expression of oncogenic NKLs, substituting MSX2 function.</p

Synthetic strategies to nanostructured photocatalysts for CO2 reduction to solar fuels and chemicals

Artificial photosynthesis represents one of the great scientific challenges of the 21st century, offering the possibility of clean energy through water photolysis and renewable chemicals through CO2 utilisation as a sustainable feedstock. Catalysis will undoubtedly play a key role in delivering technologies able to meet these goals, mediating solar energy via excited generate charge carriers to selectively activate molecular bonds under ambient conditions. This review describes recent synthetic approaches adopted to engineer nanostructured photocatalytic materials for efficient light harnessing, charge separation and the photoreduction of CO2 to higher hydrocarbons such as methane, methanol and even olefins

Multi-annual variation in the diet composition and frugivory of the Japanese marten (Martes melampus) in western Tokyo, central Japan

To examine multi-annual variations in the food habits of the Japanese marten (Martes melampus), we analyzed the composition of marten feces in the Bonbori Forest Path in western Tokyo, central Japan, in two time periods a decade apart (1997–1998 and 2007–2008). The staple foods of martens in both periods were fruits/seeds and animal materials (mainly insects and mammals). The martens fed frequently on fruits/seeds and insects throughout the year in both periods, but the consumption of mammals, birds, and arthropods/other animals showed seasonal variations. The composition of fruits/seeds and the frequency of occurrence for each fruit-bearing species differed between the two periods. These results suggest that both the foraging strategy and role of martens as a seed dispersal agent changes yearly, presumably according to multi-annual variation in the availability of prey animals and/or fruits. We emphasize the importance of multi-annual studies both on food habits and to monitor food availability in the temperate region where the food environment changes among seasons, as well as years

Evaluation of Mesh Size in Model Polymer Networks Consisting of Tetra-Arm and Linear Poly(ethylene glycol)s

The structure and mechanical properties of model polymer networks consisting of alternating tetra-functional poly(ethylene glycol)s (PEGs) and bis-functional linear PEGs were investigated by dynamic light scattering and rheological measurements. The sizes of the correlation blob ( &xi; c ) and the elastic blob ( &xi; e l ) were obtained from these measurements and compared to the theoretical mesh size, the geometric blob ( &xi; g ), calculated by using the tree-like approximation. By fixing the concentration of tetra-PEGs and tuning the molecular weight of linear-PEGs, we systematically compared these blob sizes in two cases: complete network (Case A) and incomplete network (Case B). The correlation blob, &xi; c , obtained by dynamic light scattering (DLS) was found to obey the well-known concentration dependence for polymer solutions in semidilute regime ( &xi; c ~ ϕ &minus; 3 / 4 ) irrespective of the Cases. On the other hand, the G &prime; was strongly dependent on the Cases: For Case A, G &prime; was weakly dependent on the molecular weight of linear-PEGs ( G &prime; ~ M c 0.69 ) while G &prime; for Case B was a strong increasing function of M c &nbsp; ( G &prime; ~ M c 1.2 ). However, both of them are different from the geometric blob (theoretical mesh) of the gel networks. In addition, interesting relationships between G &prime; and &xi; c , G &prime; ~ &xi; c , G &prime; ~ &xi; C &minus; 2 , were obtained for Cases A and B, respectively