Search

The fabrication of a three axis LTS SQUID magnetometer for us as a magnetic anomaly detector on an aircraft, is described.

A case of an aneurysm associated with four coronary artery fistulae originating from three vessels is reported. The patient, a 52-year-old woman, had chest heaviness and palpitations. Coronary arteriography reveaed the four fistulae originating from three coronary vessels with an aneurysm draining into the left ventricle and the main pulmonary artery. The patient's symptoms were relieved after fistulectomy and the aneurysmectomy, suggesting that a coronary steal phenomenon through the fistulae was the cause of her symptoms. This case is of interest because of its rarity, since this is the first case report of an aneurysm associated with four coronary artery fistulae from three vessels. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article describes a case of congenital foregut cyst with dysphagia and stridor in a Thoroughbred foal. The authors mention that the bilocular cyst had an epithelial lining of bronchogenic and esophageal origin. They also explain that concomitant malformation of the laryngeal muscles and cartilage resulted in a combination of anomalies that have not been reported.

Abstract Background Postoperative delirium is a topic of great importance in the geriatric surgical specialty. Although antipsychotic drugs are the medications most frequently used to treat this syndrome, these drugs are associated with a variety of adverse events, including sedation, extrapyramidal side effects, and cardiac arrhythmias. Drug treatment for postoperative delirium requires careful consideration of the balance between the effective management of symptoms and potential adverse effects. Methods We report on a Japanese woman (an 86-year-old (open reduction and internal fixation of the right femoral neck fracture), and two Japanese men (an 86-year-old (abdominal aortic aneurysm stent grafting), and a 77-year-old (right upper lobectomy due to lung tumour)) in which the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor and sigma-1 receptor agonist fluvoxamine was effective in ameliorating the postoperative delirium of these patients. Results Delirium Rating Scale scores in these patients dramatically decreased after treatment with fluvoxamine. Conclusions Doctors should consider fluvoxamine as an alternative approach to treating postoperative delirium in older patients in order to avoid the risk of side effects and increased mortality by antipsychotic drugs.

Abstract Background Atypical antipsychotic drugs have been reported to cause fewer incidences of extrapyramidal side effects (EPS) than typical antipsychotic drugs, but adverse events such as akathisia have been observed even with atypical antipsychotic drugs. Although understanding of the pathophysiology of akathisia remains limited, it seems that a complex interaction of several neurotransmitter systems plays a role in its pathophysiology. The endoplasmic reticulum protein sigma-1 receptors have been shown to regulate a number of neurotransmitter systems in the brain. Methods We report on five cases in which monotherapy of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor and sigma-1 receptor agonist fluvoxamine was effective in ameliorating the akathisia of patients with schizophrenia treated with the new atypical antipsychotic drug blonanserin. Results The global score on the Barnes Akathisia Scale in five patients with schizophrenia treated with blonanserin rapidly decreased after fluvoxamine treatment. Conclusion Doctors should consider that fluvoxamine may be an alternative approach in treating akathisia associated with atypical antipsychotic drugs.

Abstract Background Delirium is a highly prevalent disorder among older patients in intensive care units (ICUs). Although antipsychotic drugs are the medications most frequently used to treat this syndrome, these drugs are associated with a variety of adverse events, including sedation, extrapyramidal side effects, and cardiac arrhythmias. Drug treatment for delirium requires careful consideration of the balance between the effective management of symptoms and potential adverse effects. Methods We report on five Japanese men (an 84 year old (acute aortic dissociation: Stanford type A), a 55 year old (traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage and brain contusion), a 76 year old (sepsis by pyelonephritis), an 85 year old (cerebral infarction), and an 86 year old (pulmonary emphysema and severe pneumonia)) in which the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor and sigma-1 receptor agonist fluvoxamine was effective in ameliorating the delirium of the patients. Results Delirium Rating Scale (DRS) scores in these five patients dramatically decreased after treatment with fluvoxamine. Conclusion Doctors should consider fluvoxamine as an alternative approach to treating delirium in ICU patients in order to avoid the risk of side effects and increased mortality from antipsychotic drugs.

Abstract Background Second-generation antipsychotic drugs have been reported to cause fewer incidences of extrapyramidal side effects (EPSs) than typical antipsychotic drugs, but adverse events such as akathisia have been observed even with atypical antipsychotic drugs. Although understanding of the pathophysiology of akathisia remains limited, it seems that a complex interplay of several neurotransmitter systems might play a role in its pathophysiology. The endoplasmic reticulum protein sigma-1 receptors are shown to regulate a number of neurotransmitter systems in the brain. Methods We report on two cases in which monotherapy of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor and sigma-1 receptor agonist fluvoxamine was effective in ameliorating the akathisia of patients with schizophrenia treated with the antipsychotic drug aripiprazole. Results The global score on the Barnes Akathisia Scale in the two patients with schizophrenia treated with aripiprazole decreased after fluvoxamine monotherapy. Conclusion Doctors may wish to consider fluvoxamine as an alternative approach in treating akathisia associated with antipsychotic drugs such as aripiprazole.

Abstract Background Delirium in older adults is a common and serious acute neuropsychiatric syndrome, with core features of inattention and global cognitive impairment. Although antipsychotic drugs are the medications most frequently used to treat this syndrome, these drugs are associated with a variety of adverse events, including sedation, extrapyramidal side effects, and cardiac arrhythmias. Methods We report on two cases in which monotherapy of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor and sigma-1 receptor agonist fluvoxamine was effective in ameliorating the delirium of patients with Alzheimer's disease. Results Delirium Rating Scale (DRS) scores in the two patients with Alzheimer's disease decreased after fluvoxamine monotherapy. Conclusion Doctors should consider that fluvoxamine could be an alternative approach in treating delirium in patients with Alzheimer's disease because of the risk of extrapyramidal side effects by antipsychotic drugs.

Abstract Background Psychotic depression is a clinical subtype of major depressive disorder. A number of clinical studies have demonstrated the efficacy of the combination of an antidepressant (for example, a tricyclic antidepressant or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI)) and an atypical antipsychotic or electroconvulsive therapy in treating psychotic depression. In some cases, the clinician or patient may prefer to avoid antipsychotic drugs altogether because of the risk of extrapyramidal side effects (EPS) in patients with psychotic depression treated with these drugs. Methods We report five cases where fluvoxamine monotherapy was effective in the patients with psychotic depression. Results The scores on the Hamilton Depression (HAM-D) scale and the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) in the five patients with psychotic depression were reduced after fluvoxamine monotherapy. Conclusion Doctors should consider fluvoxamine monotherapy as an alternative approach in treating psychotic depression because it avoids the risk of EPS from antipsychotic drugs.

Purpose: A method was developed to measure strabismic angles >50 Δ by stacking commercially available Fresnel and block prisms in the same direction ("piggyback prisms")., Methods: With a laser pointer (wavelength of 532 nm) as the light source, the deviation of the laser spot produced by the stacked prisms was measured on a tangent screen placed 100 cm away from the prisms. To the obtained data with combinations of Fresnel prisms (5 Δ -40 Δ ) and block prisms (10 Δ -50 Δ ), a cubic surface function was fitted by polynomial regression., Results: The combined effect of stacked prisms was always greater than the arithmetic sum of the labeled values of two prisms (by up to 66 Δ ), increasing exponentially with each prism power and reaching the maximum of 156 Δ for the Fresnel/block combination of 30 Δ /50 Δ . We obtained contour plots to evaluate the optically induced additivity error and constructed look-up tables for quickly determining the combined effect of the prisms based on their labeled values., Conclusions: Stacking prisms is a practical method to evaluate a large strabismic angle that cannot be measured by any single prism and is especially useful in dealing with severely paralytic strabismus., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Increased levels of lactate, an end-product of glycolysis, have been proposed as a potential surrogate marker for metabolic changes during neuronal excitation. These changes in lactate levels can result in decreased brain pH, which has been implicated in patients with various neuropsychiatric disorders. We previously demonstrated that such alterations are commonly observed in five mouse models of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and autism, suggesting a shared endophenotype among these disorders rather than mere artifacts due to medications or agonal state. However, there is still limited research on this phenomenon in animal models, leaving its generality across other disease animal models uncertain. Moreover, the association between changes in brain lactate levels and specific behavioral abnormalities remains unclear. To address these gaps, the International Brain pH Project Consortium investigated brain pH and lactate levels in 109 strains/conditions of 2294 animals with genetic and other experimental manipulations relevant to neuropsychiatric disorders. Systematic analysis revealed that decreased brain pH and increased lactate levels were common features observed in multiple models of depression, epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease, and some additional schizophrenia models. While certain autism models also exhibited decreased pH and increased lactate levels, others showed the opposite pattern, potentially reflecting subpopulations within the autism spectrum. Furthermore, utilizing large-scale behavioral test battery, a multivariate cross-validated prediction analysis demonstrated that poor working memory performance was predominantly associated with increased brain lactate levels. Importantly, this association was confirmed in an independent cohort of animal models. Collectively, these findings suggest that altered brain pH and lactate levels, which could be attributed to dysregulated excitation/inhibition balance, may serve as transdiagnostic endophenotypes of debilitating neuropsychiatric disorders characterized by cognitive impairment, irrespective of their beneficial or detrimental nature., Competing Interests: HH, HS, SH, GS, YT, MT, MI, MS, IH, KH, MH, AN, YM, SO, MM, AU, YK, AM, KN, SK, TS, TI, HN, YG, MR, TT, KY, NT, HK, JI, IN, TK, TT, MD, HN, KT, KS, KN, TT, HF, YS, KY, LR, NH, HM, TY, SW, TA, KT, TN, HK, FH, AH, HH, KT, TT, TK, TK, IG, GC, NA, HH, SK, TK, MH, YH, RM, KO, AH, LB, IY, YH, HK, YM, KI, HK, BK, HO, YY, AT, NK, SG, MI, MN, KM, EO, IO, TS, KY, HA, KT, KI, TS, AK, MF, NU, TK, TT, YY, MI, TH, KI, KN, SH, KE, KH, YT, SN, NS, TY, NU, TY, YK, RO, NS, KS, SH, KO, HM, TF, MT, HS, DS, YI, TI, YK, TY, KS, TM No competing interests declared, SY, NN Employee of Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, Ltd

DExH-box helicases are involved in unwinding of RNA and DNA. Among the 16 DExH-box genes, monoallelic variants of DHX16, DHX30, DHX34, and DHX37 are known to be associated with neurodevelopmental disorders. In particular, DHX30 is well established as a causative gene for neurodevelopmental disorders. Germline variants of DHX9, the closest homolog of DHX30, have not been reported until now as being associated with congenital disorders in humans, except that one de novo heterozygous variant, p.(Arg1052Gln) of the gene was identified during comprehensive screening in a patient with autism; unfortunately, the phenotypic details of this individual are unknown. Herein, we report a patients with a heterozygous de novo missense variant, p.(Gly414Arg) of DHX9 who presented with a short stature, intellectual disability, and ventricular non-compaction cardiomyopathy. The variant was located in the glycine codon of the ATP-binding site, G-C-G-K-T. To assess the pathogenicity of these variants, we generated transgenic Drosophila lines expressing human wild-type and mutant DHX9 proteins: 1) the mutant proteins showed aberrant localization both in the nucleus and the cytoplasm; 2) ectopic expression of wild-type protein in the visual system led to the rough eye phenotype, whereas expression of the mutant proteins had minimal effect; 3) overexpression of the wild-type protein in the retina led to a reduction in axonal numbers, whereas expression of the mutant proteins had a less pronounced effect. Furthermore, in a gene-editing experiment of Dhx9 G416 to R416, corresponding to p.(Gly414Arg) in humans, heterozygous mice showed a reduced body size, reduced emotionality, and cardiac conduction abnormality. In conclusion, we established that heterozygosity for a loss-of-function variant of DHX9 can lead to a new neurodevelopmental disorder., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.)

The type 2 Ca 2+ -dependent activator protein for secretion (CAPS2/CADPS2) regulates dense-core vesicle trafficking and exocytosis and is involved in the regulated release of catecholamines, peptidergic hormones, and neuromodulators. CAPS2 is expressed in the pancreatic exocrine acinar cells that produce and secrete digestive enzymes. However, the functional role of CAPS2 in vesicular trafficking and/or exocytosis of non-regulatory proteins in the exocrine pancreas remains to be determined. Here, we analyzed the morpho-pathological indicators of the pancreatic exocrine pathway in Cadps2 -deficient mouse models using histochemistry, biochemistry, and electron microscopy. We used whole exosome sequencing to identify CADPS2 variants in patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP). Caps2/Cadps2 -knockout (KO) mice exhibited morphophysiological abnormalities in the exocrine pancreas, including excessive accumulation of secretory granules (zymogen granules) and their amylase content in the cytoplasm, deterioration of the fine intracellular membrane structures (disorganized rough endoplasmic reticulum, dilated Golgi cisternae, and the appearance of empty vesicles and autophagic-like vacuoles), as well as exocrine pancreatic cell injury, including acinar cell atrophy, increased fibrosis, and inflammatory cell infiltration. Pancreas-specific Cadps2 conditional KO mice exhibited pathological abnormalities in the exocrine pancreas similar to the global Cadps2 KO mice, indicating that these phenotypes were caused either directly or indirectly by CAPS2 deficiency in the pancreas. Furthermore, we identified a rare variant in the exon3 coding region of CADPS2 in a non-alcoholic patient with CP and showed that Cadps2-dex3 mice lacking CAPS2 exon3 exhibited symptoms similar to those exhibited by the Cadps2 KO and cKO mice. These results suggest that CAPS2 is critical for the proper functioning of the pancreatic exocrine pathway, and its deficiency is associated with a risk of pancreatic acinar cell pathology., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Sato, Tsuyusaki, Takahashi-Iwanaga, Fujisawa, Masamune, Hamada, Matsumoto, Tanaka, Kakuta, Yamaguchi-Kabata, Furuse, Wakana, Shimura, Kobayashi, Shinoda, Goitsuka, Maezawa, Sadakata, Sano and Furuichi.)

Purpose: To determine the optimal cut-off value of non-cycloplegic autorefraction for diagnosing myopia and estimating myopia prevalence in school-aged children., Study Design: Retrospective case-control study., Subjects and Methods: Based on age and sex, case-control data were extracted from the medical records of children who underwent autorefraction before and after instillation of 1% cyclopentolate eye drops. We regarded a spherical equivalent (SEQ) of -0.50 D or less found by cycloplegic autorefraction as myopia and determined the optimal cut-off value of non-cycloplegic autorefraction for diagnosing myopia using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and diagnostic performance (DP) plots., Results: Of a total of 232 children (mean age 8.2 [range: 6-12] years, 126 boys [54.3%]), 116 (50.0%) had myopia. In this cohort, the optimal cut-off SEQ for diagnosing myopia was -0.75 D with a sensitivity of 90.5% and specificity of 95.7%. However, the DP-plots indicated that the cut-off value significantly varied with prevalence of myopia: -1.31 D, -0.81 D, and -0.65 D for the prevalence of 30%, 50%, and 80%, respectively. For non-cycloplegic autorefraction, we found greater accommodation in children aged 6 years and hyperopic eyes (p < 0.001)., Conclusion:  When diagnosing myopia using non-cycloplegic autorefraction alone with a theoretical cut-off SEQ of -0.50 D, the prevalence of myopia will be overestimated, and we need to set the cut-off value lower (more myopic) especially in younger children with low prevalence., (© 2022. Japanese Ophthalmological Society.)

Protocadherin 9 (Pcdh9) is a member of the cadherin superfamily and is uniquely expressed in the vestibular and limbic systems; however, its physiological role remains unclear. Here, we studied the expression of Pcdh9 in the limbic system and phenotypes of Pcdh9-knock-out mice (Pcdh9 KO mice). Pcdh9 mRNA was expressed in the fear extinction neurons that express protein phosphatase 1 regulatory subunit 1 B (Ppp1r1b) in the posterior part of the basolateral amygdala (pBLA), as well as in the Cornu Ammonis (CA) and Dentate Gyrus (DG) neurons of the hippocampus. We show that the Pcdh9 protein was often localised at synapses. Phenotypic analysis of Pcdh9 KO mice revealed no apparent morphological abnormalities in the pBLA but a decrease in the spine number of CA neurons. Further, the Pcdh9 KO mice were related to features such as the abnormal optokinetic response, less approach to novel objects, and reduced fear extinction during recovery from the fear. These results suggest that Pcdh9 is involved in eliciting positive emotional behaviours, possibly via fear extinction neurons in the pBLA and/or synaptic activity in the hippocampal neurons, and normal optokinetic eye movement in brainstem optokinetic system-related neurons., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) is a posttranslational glycolipid modification of proteins that anchors proteins in lipid rafts on the cell surface. Although some GPI-anchored proteins (GPI-APs), including the prion protein PrP C , have a glycan side chain composed of N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc)-galactose-sialic acid on the core structure of GPI glycolipid, in vivo functions of this GPI-GalNAc side chain are largely unresolved. Here, we investigated the physiological and pathological roles of the GPI-GalNAc side chain in vivo by knocking out its initiation enzyme, PGAP4, in mice. We show that Pgap4 mRNA is highly expressed in the brain, particularly in neurons, and mass spectrometry analysis confirmed the loss of the GalNAc side chain in PrP C GPI in PGAP4-KO mouse brains. Furthermore, PGAP4-KO mice exhibited various phenotypes, including an elevated blood alkaline phosphatase level, impaired bone formation, decreased locomotor activity, and impaired memory, despite normal expression levels and lipid raft association of various GPI-APs. Thus, we conclude that the GPI-GalNAc side chain is required for in vivo functions of GPI-APs in mammals, especially in bone and the brain. Moreover, PGAP4-KO mice were more vulnerable to prion diseases and died earlier after intracerebral inoculation of the pathogenic prion strains than wildtype mice, highlighting the protective roles of the GalNAc side chain against prion diseases., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest with the contents of this article., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To report the profile of peripheral refraction in Japanese children with mild to moderate myopia and compare it with reported data from other countries., Study Design: Cross-sectional study., Methods: Subjects were 76 Japanese children with myopia (mean± SD [range] spherical equivalent, -3.04±0.98 [-0.50 to -4.50] D; mean age, 10.0±1.5 [6-12] years). We performed cycloplegic refraction using an open-field autorefractor FR-5000 (Grand Seiko) while the subject looked at external fixation targets located at 0, ±15, ±30 degrees from the center along the horizontal meridian. Only the right eye data were analyzed after converting the readings to the power vector of M (spherical equivalent), J 180 , and J 45 ., Results: The profile showed a clear hyperopic shift of M from the fovea to the peripheral retina, although a wide inter-subject variation existed. At the gaze positions of ±30 degrees, the mean relative M were +1.16±0.89 D and +1.64±1.02 D (nasal and temporal retina, respectively). Those for J 180 were -0.94±0.30 D and -0.70±0.30 D (nasal and temporal retina, respectively). The mean J 45 remained small (≦ 0.17 D) within this range of eccentricity. There was no correlation between the relative M at the gaze position of -30 degrees and on-axis refraction, axial length, or children's age (p > 0.05)., Conclusions: The profile of peripheral refraction was similar to that reported in children with moderate to high myopia in other East Asian countries. In this cohort, we did not find evidence supporting a hypothesis that greater myopia and longer axial length are associated with a greater peripheral hyperopic shift of the refraction., (© 2021. Japanese Ophthalmological Society.)