Arachidonic Acid Drives Postnatal Neurogenesis and Elicits a Beneficial Effect on Prepulse Inhibition, a Biological Trait of Psychiatric Illnesses

Prepulse inhibition (PPI) is a compelling endophenotype (biological markers) for mental disorders including schizophrenia. In a previous study, we identified Fabp7, a fatty acid binding protein 7 as one of the genes controlling PPI in mice and showed that this gene was associated with schizophrenia. We also demonstrated that disrupting Fabp7 dampened hippocampal neurogenesis. In this study, we examined a link between neurogenesis and PPI using different animal models and exploring the possibility of postnatal manipulation of neurogenesis affecting PPI, since gene-deficient mice show biological disturbances from prenatal stages. In parallel, we tested the potential for dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), arachidonic acid (ARA) and/or docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), to promote neurogenesis and improve PPI. PUFAs are ligands for Fabp members and are abundantly expressed in neural stem/progenitor cells in the hippocampus. Our results are: (1) an independent model animal, Pax6 (+/−) rats, exhibited PPI deficits along with impaired postnatal neurogenesis; (2) methylazoxymethanol acetate (an anti-proliferative drug) elicited decreased neurogenesis even in postnatal period, and PPI defects in young adult rats (10 weeks) when the drug was given at the juvenile stage (4–5 weeks); (3) administering ARA for 4 weeks after birth promoted neurogenesis in wild type rats; (4) raising Pax6 (+/−) pups on an ARA-containing diet enhanced neurogenesis and partially improved PPI in adult animals. These results suggest the potential benefit of ARA in ameliorating PPI deficits relevant to psychiatric disorders and suggest that the effect may be correlated with augmented postnatal neurogenesis

Theoretical study of the (3x2) reconstruction of beta-SiC(001)

By means of ab initio molecular dynamics and band structure calculations, as well as using calculated STM images, we have singled out one structural model for the (3x2) reconstruction of the Si-terminated (001) surface of cubic SiC, amongst several proposed in the literature. This is an alternate dimer-row model, with an excess Si coverage of 1/3, yielding STM images in good accord with recent measurements [F.Semond et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 77, 2013 (1996)].Comment: To be published in PRB Rapid. Com

Irradiation of Natural Uranium by the Neutrons of the Japan Material Testing Reactor

A 2.76 g of natural uranium dioxide was irradiated by the neturons of JMTR for about 60 days from the 7th cycle to the 9th cycle. U and Pu were isolated and the isotopic ratios were measured. The nature of the neturon capture reactions was discussed

New Surgical Procedure for Pancreas Head

In this study, we demonstrate two new methods for pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). One method is the mini‐laparotomic PD by Shuriken‐shaped umbilicoplasty with the real‐time moving window‘s method. The other method is the new pancreaticojejunostomy (PJ) by punctured stent slide guiding method (PSSGM). This procedure could be performed by complete mini‐laparotomy under direct vision, and the final major wound is only 2 cm of round navel. PSSGM prevents the difference of caliber between pancreatic anastomosis and the inside out of jejunal mucosa in theory. Ten cases of mini‐lap PD were successfully performed under new PJ anastomosis. The pancreatic leakage (PL) was only one case of ISGPF grade A, and its frequency was 9% (1/11). Our mini‐lap PD by Shuriken‐shaped umbilicoplasty might be a useful way for overcoming the obstacles about safety, complication risk, cosmetic demand, and medical cost compared to laparoscopic PD. Also, our new device of PJ reconstruction by PSSGM might be an easy and useful device for the prevention of PL

Microfluidic Device for Simple Diagnosis of Plant Growth Condition by Detecting miRNAs from Filtered Plant Extracts

植物の生育状態を野外で早期診断できる装置を開発〜ストレスに応答して生じるmiRNAを葉から検出〜.京都大学プレスリリース. 2024-04-04.Plants are exposed to a variety of environmental stress, and starvation of inorganic phosphorus can be a major constraint in crop production. In plants, in response to phosphate deficiency in soil, miR399, a type of microRNA (miRNA), is up-regulated. By detecting miR399, the early diagnosis of phosphorus deficiency stress in plants can be accomplished. However, general miRNA detection methods require complicated experimental manipulations. Therefore, simple and rapid miRNA detection methods are required for early plant nutritional diagnosis. For the simple detection of miR399, microfluidic technology is suitable for point-of-care applications because of its ability to detect target molecules in small amounts in a short time and with simple manipulation. In this study, we developed a microfluidic device to detect miRNAs from filtered plant extracts for the easy diagnosis of plant growth conditions. To fabricate the microfluidic device, verification of the amine-terminated glass as the basis of the device and the DNA probe immobilization method on the glass was conducted. In this device, the target miRNAs were detected by fluorescence of sandwich hybridization in a microfluidic channel. For plant stress diagnostics using a microfluidic device, we developed a protocol for miRNA detection by validating the sample preparation buffer, filtering, and signal amplification. Using this system, endogenous sly-miR399 in tomatoes, which is expressed in response to phosphorus deficiency, was detected before the appearance of stress symptoms. This early diagnosis system of plant growth conditions has a potential to improve food production and sustainability through cultivation management

Effects of Hydrogen Plasma Exposure on Amorphous Carbon Film Surface, Investigated with Infrared Spectroscopy

ナノダイナミクス国際シンポジウム 平成22年1月21日(木) 於長崎大学Nagasaki Symposium on Nano-Dynamics 2010 (NSND2010), January 21, 2010, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan, Invited Lectur

Oxidation Process of Amorphous Carbon Film Due to Oxygen Plasma, Investigated with Infrared Spectroscopy

ナノダイナミクス国際シンポジウム 平成22年1月21日(木) 於長崎大学Nagasaki Symposium on Nano-Dynamics 2010 (NSND2010), January 21, 2010, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan, Invited Lectur

Utility of immune checkpoint inhibitors in non-small-cell lung cancer patients with poor performance status

Most clinical trials of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) exclude patients with poor ECOG performance status (PS). Thus, the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in patients with poor PS remains unclear. Herein, we used data from a retrospective cohort to assess the potential clinical benefits of ICIs in NSCLC patients with poor PS. Data from NSCLC patients who received ICI monotherapy at 9 institutions between December 2015 and May 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. After excluding 4 patients who lacked PS data, a total of 527 ICI-treated patients, including 79 patients with PS 2 or higher, were used for our analyses. The progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of patients with PS 2 or higher were significantly shorter compared with those of PS 0-1 patients (median PFS, 4.1 vs 2.0 months;P < .001 and median OS, 17.4 vs 4.0 months;P < .001). Among NSCLC patients with programmed cell death protein-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression of 50% or higher who were treated with pembrolizumab as first-line therapy, the median PFS times of patients with PS 2 and 0-1 were 7.3 and 8.1 months, respectively. There was no significant difference in PFS between patients with PS 2 and 0-1 (P = .321). Although poor PS was significantly associated with worse outcomes in NSCLC patients treated with ICIs, pembrolizumab as a first-line treatment in NSCLC patients expressing high levels of PD-L1 could provide a clinical benefit, even in patients with PS 2