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Kenji Tsuchiya,1 Shinichi Mitsui,1 Ryuji Fukuyama,2 Noriki Yamaya,3 Takaaki Fujita,4 Kaori Shimoda,1 Fusae Tozato1 1Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Gunma University Graduate School of Health Sciences, Gunma, 2Department of Rehabilitation, Gunma Seishi Ryougoen, Gunma, 3Department of Health Sciences, Gunma University School of Medicine, Gunma, 4Department of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health Sciences, Tohoku Fukushi University, Miyagi, Japan Purpose: Although acute bouts of exercise reportedly have beneficial effects on executive function, inactive people may find it difficult to start exercising. In this study, we focused on housework activities (HAs) that generate a sense of accomplishment and require a mild intensity of physical activity. We examined the impact of an acute bout of HA on executive function and oxygenated hemoglobin (oxy-Hb) flow to related cortical regions. Materials and methods: Twenty-five participants (age, 18–21 years; mean, 19.88±0.60 years; six males and 19 females) underwent two experiments, ie, HA and control experiments, which were conducted on different days. Participants vacuumed a dirty floor in the HA experiment and mimicked the same motion with an unplugged vacuum cleaner on a clean floor in the control experiment.Results: Heart rate recorded during the experiments showed no significant difference in the intensity of physical activity between control and HA groups. A questionnaire revealed a sense of accomplishment after completing the HA experiment. Participants performed the Stroop color–word task (SCWT) pre- and post-experiments; cortical hemodynamic changes were simultaneously monitored using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Variation in Stroop interference scores for SCWT total response between pre- and post-experiments was significantly higher in the HA group than in the control group, and that for SCWT correct response showed a similar trend. Variation in the Stroop interference score for oxy-Hb flow to the right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (R-VLPFC) showed the same trend.Conclusion: Thus, HAs may have a greater beneficial effect on executive function than other physical activities through the activation of PFC, including R-VLPFC. Keywords: cognitive function, near-infrared spectroscopy, cleaning, stroop interference, positive emotion, prefrontal cortex

Amphibians and reptiles are highly speciose in tropics, and their species diversity reflects diversity of habitats then indicates present conservational status of environment. We, thus, conducted a survey of herpetofauna at Bako National Park, Sarawak, one of the oldest parks in Malaysian Borneo, and compared this new list with published works, for updating the faunal information. We observed 45 species, 11 of which were recorded anew. Combined with reported information, a total of 27 amphibians and 62 reptiles are now known to occur in BNP. However, it could be said that research of biodiversity in the park is still far from complete. We revised and corrected taxonomic problems and even misidentifications in the past lists, however we still have some more taxon to be examined in future. To figure out the true biodiversity and to assess the environment status of the park properly, continuous monitoring is necessary. We also discussed recent faunal change in this national park and the possible causes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The significance of light irradiation in Sekiguchi lesion (SL) formation by infection with Magnaporthe grisea on rice cv. Sekiguchi-asahi was investigated. When the leaf blades of cv. Sekiguchi-asahi inoculated with M. grisea spores were kept under different wavelengths of light, SLs were formed under visible light regardless of the compatibility between fungal race and cv. Sekiguchi-asahi. On the contrary, typical blast and/or nectrotic spot lesions were formed under near ultraviolet radiation from the black light fluorescent lamps and near infrared radiation from infrared fluorescent lamps. The effective wave-length for light-dependent SL formation was 400-700 nm. Furthermore, the longer the wavelength of radiation. the bigger were the SLs. Such light-dependent induction of the SL was suppressed by pretreatment of 3-(3,4-di-chlorophenyl)- 1,1 -dimethylurea (DCMU) and cycloheximide (CY). These results suggested that photosynthetic and protein synthetic activities were involved in SL formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We have investigated the magnetic properties of R2Fe3O7 (R=Yb and Lu), which belongs to the homologous family of electronic ferroelectric RFe2O4. Magnetization measurements show ferrimagnetic ordering at the Néel temperature (T N ) of ~270K, which is slightly higher than that of RFe2O4 (T N ~230–250K). Observation of spin glass and exchange bias shows a coexistence of ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic interactions, similarly to RFe2O4. This situation gives rise to a complex magnetic change and a broad peak of magnetic entropy change. Some characteristics, such as refrigeration temperatures higher than in RFe2O4, seem to offer a possibility of this system to applications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Nattokinase (NK), also known as subtilisin NAT (EC 3.4.21.62), is a serine protease produced by Bacillus subtilis natto that has anti-inflammatory and fibrinolytic properties. To study whether NK prevents the progression of pathological changes in diabetes as an inflammatory disease, we examined the effect of NK on pathological conditions in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats using the following parameters: fasting blood glucose (glucose), total plasma protein (TP), creatinine, histopathology of renal corpuscles and tubules, advanced glycation end products (AGEs), and C-reactive protein (CRP). STZ-administered rats were maintained on a basic diet (CE-2) as control, low-NK diet (containing 0.2 mg NK/g diet), and high-NK diet (0.6 mg NK/g diet) for 14 days. High-dose NK significantly inhibited both glycogen deposition in the renal tubules and increase in the circulating AGE levels without downregulating glucose levels. Compared with the control group, the group treated with the high-NK diet presented a significant inhibition of the increase in the circulating CRP level on day 7 after the beginning of the treatment. However, the CRP level in the NK-H group reached the same level as that in the control group on Day 14. AGEs are known to induce CRP expression in hepatocytes, but the increase in CRP levels in our animal model was independent on the circulating AGE levels. In contrast, low-dose NK did not suppress changes in these parameters. Our present study suggests that NK suppresses glycogen deposition in renal tubules in a dose-dependent manner by the downregulation of AGE formation under hyperglycaemia in the rats with STZ-induced short-term diabetes. However, it is unclear whether this downregulation is caused by intact NK or peptides derived from NK during its digestion in the digestive tract., Competing Interests: The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Mitsugu Fujita reports article publishing charges and equipment, drugs, or supplies were provided by Japan Bio Science Laboratory Co., Ltd. Mitsugu Fujita has patent #PCT/JP2024/006164 pending to Japan Bio Science Laboratory Co., Ltd./Josho Gakuen Educational Foundation. Moe Yamaguchi has patent #PCT/JP2024/006164 pending to Japan Bio Science Laboratory Co., Ltd./Josho Gakuen Educational Foundation. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Runx2 (runt related transcription factor 2) is an essential transcription factor for osteoblast proliferation and differentiation. Uridine diphosphate (UDP)-N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc): polypeptide GalNAc-transferase 3 (Galnt3) prevents proteolytic processing of fibroblast growth factor 23 (Fgf23), which is a hormone that regulates the serum level of phosphorus. Runx2 and Galnt3 were expressed in osteoblasts and osteocytes, and Fgf23 expression was restricted to osteocytes in bone. Overexpression and knock-down of Runx2 upregulated and downregulated, respectively, the expressions of Galnt3 and Fgf23 , and Runx2 directly regulated the transcriptional activity of Galnt3 in reporter assays. The expressions of Galnt3 and Fgf23 in osteoblast-specific Runx2 knockout ( Runx2 fl/flCre ) mice were about half those in Runx2 fl/fl mice. However, the serum levels of phosphorus and intact Fgf23 in Runx2 fl/flCre mice were similar to those in Runx2 fl/fl mice. The trabecular bone volume was increased during aging in both male and female Galnt3 -/- mice, but the osteoid was reduced. The markers for bone formation and resorption in Galnt3 -/- mice were similar to the control in both sexes. Galnt3 -/- mice exhibited hyperphosphatemia and hypercalcemia, and the intact Fgf23 was about 40% that of wild-type mice. These findings indicated that Runx2 regulates the expressions of Galnt3 and Fgf23 and that Galnt3 decelerates the mineralization of osteoid by stabilizing Fgf23.