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Aim: Numerous recent reports have highlighted the association between mental disorders and electrocardiographic findings. The early repolarization pattern (ERP) on electrocardiogram has been linked with a history of suicide attempts and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and associations with impulsivity have also been reported. It is known that suicidal intent is more common at night. Patients who have a mental disorder and ERP may have a higher likelihood of impulsivity, potentially increasing the risk of suicide at night. Methods: The subjects were 43 patients with a history of suicide attempts who had undergone electrocardiographic examination at Jikei University School of Medicine Kashiwa Hospital and received intervention from our department. Due to the diurnal variation in electrocardiographic findings, only patients who underwent the examination during the daytime were included. Patients' clinical backgrounds were compared according to the presence or absence of ERP, and the association between nocturnal suicide attempts and ERP was examined using multivariate analysis. Results: The frequency of nocturnal suicidal behavior was 76.2% in patients with ERP and 31.8% in those without ERP, but the difference was not significant after Bonferroni correction. In the multivariate analysis, there was a significant association of ERP with nocturnal suicide attempts (p = 0.018). Conclusion: The finding of an association between ERP and nocturnal suicide attempts indicates that ERP is a biological indicator that can predict nocturnal suicide attempts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) in patients with dementia lead to caregiver burdens and worsen the patient's prognosis. Although many neuroimaging studies have been conducted, the etiology of NPS remains complex. We hypothesize that brain structural asymmetry could play a role in the appearance of NPS. Objective: This study explores the relationship between NPS and brain asymmetry in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Methods: Demographic and MRI data for 121 mild AD cases were extracted from a multicenter Japanese database. Brain asymmetry was assessed by comparing the volumes of gray matter in the left and right brain regions. NPS was evaluated using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI). Subsequently, a comprehensive assessment of the correlation between brain asymmetry and NPS was conducted. Results: Among each NPS, aggressive NPS showed a significant correlation with asymmetry in the frontal lobe, indicative of right-side atrophy (r = 0.235, p = 0.009). This correlation remained statistically significant even after adjustments for multiple comparisons (p < 0.01). Post-hoc analysis further confirmed this association (p < 0.05). In contrast, no significant correlations were found for other NPS subtypes, including affective and apathetic symptoms. Conclusions: The study suggests frontal lobe asymmetry, particularly relative atrophy in the right hemisphere, may be linked to aggressive behaviors in early AD. These findings shed light on the neurobiological underpinnings of NPS, contributing to the development of potential interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Suicide attempts are an important severe psychiatric symptom and a clear outcome for mental disorders. Although the relationship between the early repolarization pattern in electrocardiogram and psychiatric disorders has recently been reported, these reports have not been able to exclude the influence of psychiatric drugs. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the early repolarization pattern and a history of suicide attempts among patients not receiving psychiatric medication. Methods: A total of 71 patients with a history of suicide attempts were investigated, 38 of whom were analyzed for this study. We compared the frequency of the early repolarization pattern between a suicide attempt group and a control group. Then, we investigated the association between the early repolarization pattern and the suicide attempt group by logistic regression analysis, including electrocardiographic findings associated with psychiatric disorders. Results: The findings indicated that the frequency of the early repolarization pattern was significantly higher in the suicide attempt group (n = 20; 52.6%) than in the control group (n = 4; 10.5%) (P < 0.001), and the results of the logistic regression analysis indicated that the early repolarization pattern was associated with suicide attempts. Conclusions: These findings suggest that the early repolarization pattern is associated with a history of suicide attempts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wound healing evaluation is important in forensic pathology, in which angiogenesis plays an important role. We have already shown that vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF) is produced in the rat skin incision wounds by neutrophils, endothelial cells, and fibroblasts. In this study, we assessed the changes in the mRNA expressions of various factors possibly involved in angiogenesis including angiopoietin (ANGPT) 1 and 2, cadherin 5 (CDH5), granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (CSF2/GM-CSF), granulocyte colony stimulating factor (CSF3/G-CSF), chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 2 (CXCL2), chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand12 (CXCL12/SDF1), endothelin 1 (ET1), fibroblast growth factor 1 (FGF 1), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), hypoxia inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF1a), leptin, matrix metallopepitidase 9 (MMP9), serpine/plasminogen activator inhibitor1 (PAI1), platelet-derived growth factor-A (PDGF-A), transforming growth factor alpha and beta 1 (TGFa and b1), tenomodulin (TNMD), and troponin I type 2 (TNNI2) in the early stage of the rat skin incision wounds by real time RT-PCR. Factors reported to be involved in lymphangiogenesis such as fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF 2), c-fos induced growth factor (FIGF/VEGF-D), forkhead box C2 (FOXC2), and prospero homeobox 1 (PROX1) were also studied. One and 3 days after the dorsal skin incisions, wounds on male Sprague-Dawley rats showed the statistically significant increases in the mRNA expressions for CXCL2, CSF3, MMP9, PAI1, and CSF2, whereas TGFa, TNNI2, FGF1, TNMD, leptin, and CXCL12 showed the statistically significant decreases. Interestingly, lymphgangiogenic factors FOXC2, PROX1, and FGF2 also showed the statistically significant decreases. In situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry showed the mRNA and protein positivity in endothelial cells, fibroblasts, and some leukocytes at the bottom of the wound tissue for PAI1, CSF3, and MMP9, 1 day after the skin incisions. Our novel findings show the possible involvement of several factors involved in angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis in the early stage of wound healing process, which may be useful for forensic wound evaluations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The spatiotemporal dynamics of the neurovascular response to brief acoustic stimuli were investigated in guinea pig primary auditory cortex. Neural activity and cortical tonotopic organization were measured with a voltage-sensitive dye (VSD) technique, whereas cerebral blood flow (CBF) response to neural stimulation was measured with laser-Doppler flowmetry (LDF). The acoustic stimulus was given as a wide band sound (click), which induced global activation or as one of two pure tones (1 kHz and 12 kHz), which induced distinct localizations in the auditory cortex. The VSD imaging showed that the sound-induced activation area varied dynamically, and that the spatial extent had peaks at 37±3 ms and 38±8 ms after the onset of stimulation during 1-kHz and 12-kHz tones, respectively. We observed that the average CBF response had a similar peak intensity irrespective of the type of stimuli: 16±9%, 18±11%, and 16±8% for click, 1-kHz, and 12-kHz tones, respectively. No significant differences in the CBF time course, time-to-onset (∼0.6 s), or time-to-peak (∼3.3 s) were found across the recording sites and stimulus types. These results showed that the CBF response measured with LDF produced a less specific spatial pattern relative to the neural map determined with VSD. The findings can be explained by the methodological limitations of LDF and/or neurovascular regulatory systems in the auditory cortex. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Ra-223 has recently been introduced in alpha-targeting radionuclide therapy. According to the decay scheme of Ra-223, beta particles with higher energy than the Cerenkov-light threshold are emitted. In addition, there are reports that the alpha particles themselves emit luminescence in water and air. However, measured optical imaging results from Ra-223 have not yet been reported. Therefore, we conducted optical imaging of an Ra-223 solution and compared it with that of an F-18 solution. Ra-223 and F-18 solutions contained in transparent glass vials were imaged using a high-sensitivity CCD camera. We could obtain an image of the Ra-223 solution with radioactivity of 0.72 MBq in an acquisition time of less than 10 s. At the same level of radioactivity, the intensity of the optical signal in the solution part of the vial of Ra-223 was 21 times higher than that of F-18. Furthermore, in the air part of the vials, Ra-223 had higher luminescence than that of F-18. The light spectra for Ra-223 and F-18 solutions were similar, but those in the vials' air parts were different. The optical signals in the solution part of both Ra-223 and F-18 are attributed to Cerenkov light, while that in the air part of Ra-223 is attributed to the scintillation of N 2 gas in air. No obvious luminescence of water by the alpha particles was observed. We concluded that optical imaging of the Ra-223 solution was possible, and this solution's light intensity was much higher than that of the F-18 solution and thus easier to detect. Therefore, Ra-223 is a promising radionuclide for optical imaging in distribution measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the extraction of genomic DNA from blood and semen samples taken from unrelated Japanese males through the phenol-chloroform method for forensic analysis. Amplification of the Y-chromosomal short tandem repeat loci; Detection of the amplified products with the genetic analyzer.

Abstract: Composite materials were prepared by intercalating cationic porphyrinato cobalt complexes with the substituents of the quaternary ammonium salt of heterocyclic amine into a montmorillonite interlayer. Using these clay interlayer-fixed porphyrinato cobalt complexes as catalyst, the epoxidation of cyclohexene by oxygen molecules was examined. The prepared intercalation compounds have mesopores with an average diameter of about 12nm, and their specific surface area increased in proportion to the amount of the intercalated porphyrinato cobalt complexes. It was proven that the porphyrinato cobalt complex was intercalated between montmorillonite layers functioned as a pillaring agent. A pillared clay catalyst, which was prepared by intercalating a [meso-tetrakis(1-ethyl-3-pyridinio)porphyrinato] cobalt complex into the montmorillonite interlayer, showed the highest catalytic activity forming 1,2-epoxycyclohexane preferentially in the presence of isobutyraldehyde. It is suggested that montmorillonite contributes to the stabilization of the porphyrinato cobalt complex, and also plays a role in accelerating oxidation by activating oxygen molecules by way of constructing a reaction field that is regulated three-dimensionally through electrostatic interaction with guest molecules. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Inherently chiral anti-O,O′-dibenzyl-p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene 1 was resolved as the (S)-2-methoxy-2-(naphthalen-1-yl)propionic ester by flash chromatography. Conversely, the anti-O,O′-dibutyl analogue 2 was resolved as the (Sa)-2′-methoxy-1,1′-binaphthalene-2-carboxylic ester by crystallization combined with flash chromatography. CD analysis of these compounds indicated the absolute stereochemistries to be (Sa)-(+)-1 and (Sa)-(+)-2, respectively, the former of which was confirmed by X-ray crystallographic analysis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Treatment of readily available O,O′-1,1,3,3-tetraisopropyldisiloxane-1,3-diyl-bridged p-tert-butylthiacalix[4]arene () with tri(ethylene glycol) di-p-tosylate and subsequent desilylation gave O,O′-bridged thiacalix[4]crown in an excellent yield. Mono-O-alkylation of with ethyl bromoacetate, followed by optical resolution by chiral HPLC, and subsequent hydrolysis of the ester moiety gave inherently chiral O,O′-bridged thiacalix[4]crowncarboxylic acid , which clearly discriminated enantiomeric primary amines, as well as amino esters, by 1H NMR spectroscopy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Nine short tandem repeat (STR) loci, D3S1358, D5S818, vWA, TH01, D13S317, TPOX, FGA, D7S820 and CSF1PO, were investigated in semen stains of various ages using the AmpFLSTR Profiler Kit. The nine STR loci were typed from semen stains stored for up to 25 years with the application of 1–10 ng DNA. This system provides a useful tool in medicolegal individualization of aged semen stains. During this investigation we found a new variant allele 18.1 at the vWA locus. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Treatment of calix[4]arenes with 1,3-dichloro-1,1,3,3-tetraisopropyldisiloxane using imidazole as a base yielded O,O′-bridged calixarenes in excellent yields, which were subsequently treated with an alkyl halide/base to give O″,O‴-dialkylated products in high yields. These were, in turn, amenable to fluoride-promoted quantitative desilylation, thus providing an efficient method for the net proximal dialkylation of calix[4]arenes at the lower rim. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Fifteen short tandem repeat (STR) loci D3S1358, TH01, D21S11, D18S51, Penta E, D5S818, D13S317, D7S820, D16S539, CSF1PO, Penta D, vWA, D8S1179, TPOX and FGA were analyzed in 164 unrelated Japanese using the PowerPlex® 16 System kit. The genotype frequency distribution of each locus did not deviate from the Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. Penta E was the best STR for forensic purpose. The combined power of discrimination (PD) was 0.999999999999999978. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]