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Background: Eating alone has been significantly associated with psychological distress. However, there is no research that evaluates the effects or relation of eating together online to autonomic nervous system functions., Methods: This is a randomized, open-label, controlled, pilot study conducted among healthy volunteers. Participants were randomized into either an eating together online group or an eating-alone group. The effect of eating together on autonomic nervous functions was evaluated and compared with that of the control (eating alone). The primary endpoint was the change in the standard deviation of the normal-to-normal interval (SDNN) scores among heart rate variabilities (HRV) before and after eating. Physiological synchrony was investigated based on changes in the SDNN scores., Results: A total of 31 women and 25 men (mean age, 36.6 [SD = 9.9] years) were included in the study. In the comparison between the aforementioned groups, two-way analysis of variance revealed interactions between time and group on SDNN scores. SDNN scores in the eating together online group increased in the first and second halves of eating time (F[1,216], P < 0.001 and F[1,216], P = 0.022). Moreover, high correlations were observed in the changes in each pair before and during the first half of eating time as well as before and during the second half of eating time (r = 0.642, P = 0.013 and r = 0.579, P = 0.030). These were statistically significantly higher than those in the eating-alone group (P = 0.005 and P = 0.040)., Conclusions: The experience of eating together online increased HRV during eating. Variations in pairs were correlated and may have induced physiological synchrony., Trial Registration: The University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry, UMIN000045161. Registered September 1, 2021. https://center6.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/icdr/ctr&#95;view.cgi?recptno=R000051592 ., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Aim: To evaluate the utility of the risk score in assessing the current status and prognosis of COVID-19 in pregnancy., Methods: Seventy-seven cases affected before the Omicron variant epidemic and 50 pregnant cases affected by the Omicron variant were included. The risk score consists of maternal background, current condition, and examination findings. We determined the risk score in the early stages of disease onset., Results: There were no significant differences in the maternal or gestational ages between the groups. The risk score was significantly lower in the After-Group patients (those affected during the Omicron epoch), while 14.3% of the Before-Group patients (those affected during the pre-Delta and Delta epochs), experienced a worsening of disease after the visit to the center, whereas none of the After-Group patients did. The Before Group's frequency of risk score items was higher among the two groups for "fever for ≥48 h," "mild pneumonia image," and "blood tests," whereas "disease onset 14 days after the second vaccination" was increased in After Group. The blood test parameters for platelet count, C-reactive protein, and D-dimer levels were not significantly different between the groups., Conclusions: The risk score system appeared superior in detecting deteriorating cases. There were no cases of post-illness deterioration in the After-Group, suggesting that cases of the Omicron variant in pregnancy may have had a less severe course compared to that of previous variants. However, there was no significant difference between the groups in terms of a specific blood test evaluation, suggesting the need for a combined evaluation of cases affected during pregnancy., (© 2022 Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology.)

Current protocols for the differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) into chondrocytes do not allow for the expansion of intermediate progenitors so as to prospectively assess their chondrogenic potential. Here we report a protocol that leverages PRRX1-tdTomato reporter hPSCs for the selective induction of expandable and ontogenetically defined PRRX1 + limb-bud-like mesenchymal cells under defined xeno-free conditions, and the prospective assessment of the cells' chondrogenic potential via the cell-surface markers CD90, CD140B and CD82. The cells, which proliferated stably and exhibited the potential to undergo chondrogenic differentiation, formed hyaline cartilaginous-like tissue commensurate to their PRRX1-expression levels. Moreover, we show that limb-bud-like mesenchymal cells derived from patient-derived induced hPSCs can be used to identify therapeutic candidates for type II collagenopathy and we developed a method to generate uniformly sized hyaline cartilaginous-like particles by plating the cells on culture dishes coated with spots of a zwitterionic polymer. PRRX1 + limb-bud-like mesenchymal cells could facilitate the mass production of chondrocytes and cartilaginous tissues for applications in drug screening and tissue engineering., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)

The aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of incidental prostate cancer (IPCa), which was diagnosed by holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP), on long-term oncological and functional outcomes. A total of 482 patients who underwent HoLEP for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) between 2008 and 2016 at our institution were retrospectively reviewed. We defined IPCa as prostate cancer (PCa) according to the enucleated tissue of transitional zone. Therefore, 64 patients were excluded for the following reasons: Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) ≥4.0 ng/ml and no prostate biopsy (n=46); and PSA ≥4.0 ng/ml and diagnosed with PCa by prostate biopsy performed during HoLEP (n=18). Notably, 418 patients were included in the study and divided into two groups: The BPH group and the IPCa group. For 5 years, postoperative PSA and functional outcomes were evaluated. Of 418 patients, 25 (6%) were diagnosed with IPCa by HoLEP, 21 patients (84%) had a Gleason score ≤6 and 5 patients (20%) received adjuvant therapy for PCa following HoLEP. No significant differences were observed between groups for preoperative PSA, PSA density, or urinary and sexual function outcomes; however, age at the time of HoLEP significantly differed between groups (71.7 vs. 75.5 years, P=0.026). Long-term (5-year) urinary outcomes demonstrated sustained improvement. Postoperative PSA increased gradually in the IPCa group (3-year, P=0.033; 4-year, P=0.037); International Index of Erectile Function 5 conversely decreased (5-year, P=0.068). According to the present results, if standard PSA screening and prostate biopsy are performed, watchful waiting for IPCa is feasible, and IPCa does not impact on 5-year urinary outcomes.

Coronary subclavian steal syndrome (CSSS) is a well-recognized phenomenon secondary to coronary artery bypass grafting and may cause myocardial ischemia. We report 2 cases of CSSS successfully treated with subclavian artery (SA) stenting. In both cases, an Optimo balloon guiding catheter was placed in the SA immediately proximal to the vertebral artery (VA) origin as a double protection system for the VA and left internal thoracic artery (LITA) graft. There were no periprocedural complications. Balloon protection for both the VA and LITA using a single balloon guiding catheter is a reasonable and safe technique for preventing distal embolisms., (Copyright © 2017 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

We report a rare case of arteriovenous malformation(AVM)of the parotid gland associated with Cowden disease successfully treated with preoperative embolization followed by surgical removal. A 39-year-old man with a history of Cowden disease presented with a pulsating and growing mass on his left lower jaw. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography(CT)and angiography revealed a high-flow AVM in the deep lobe of the left parotid gland. After intravascular embolization of the feeding arteries, surgery was performed using the NIM-response ® 3.0, facial nerve monitoring system. The AVM was almost completely removed and the facial nerves were morphologically preserved. Interestingly, the intraoperative findings revealed that the enlarged vasa nervorum of the facial nerve also fed the AVM. Although left facial nerve palsy appeared after the surgery, the nerve function gradually improved over one year. No recurrence of the AVM has been observed for one year.

We report a very rare case of internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis associated with persistent primitive hypoglossal artery (PPHA) treated by stenting using a proximal flow blockade and distal filter protection system. A 77-year-old man with a medical history of repeated cerebral infarction was referred to our hospital for treatment of progressive ICA stenosis. Cerebral angiography revealed that the degree of stenosis was 50% and the PPHA branched just distal to the stenosis at the C2 vertebral level. Black-blood magnetic resonance imaging indicated vulnerable plaque. The stenosis was at a high location, so carotid artery stenting was employed. Under the proximal flow blockade system with occlusion of the external and common carotid artery, distal filter protection was placed in the ICA to prevent distal embolization. A self-expanding stent was successfully deployed and the patient was discharged without any neurological deficits. In stenting for the ICA stenosis associated with PPHA, the combination of a proximal flow blockade and distal protection system is reasonable and safe., (Copyright © 2016 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

We report a 43-year-old TSC man with repeated hemorrhage of bilateral renal AML. He was diagnosed with TSC based on the findings of facial angiofibroma, mental retardation and epilepsy in childhood. In 2011, he experienced three times in AML-associated hemorrhage from the left kidney and received selective transarterial embolotherapy (TAE). In 2013, he also experienced AML-associated hemorrhage from the right kidney and received selective TAE. To control his AML, treatments with Everolimus was started and well tolerated. So far, his renal AML remarkably shrunk without retroperitoneal hemorrhage for 24 months, while he had some episode of side effect.

We report an infant case of rotavirus myositis, a rare complication of rotavirus infection. Complement levels of the patient were normal when serum creatine kinase (CK) level was at its peak and then decreased when the CK level became normalized. In a previous case report of rotavirus myositis, transient decrease of serum albumin, immunoglobulin, and complement levels was reported. The authors speculated that intravascular complement activation was caused by rotavirus and resulted in the pathogenesis of myositis, although complement levels at onset were not measured by the authors. In this report, however, we demonstrate that the complement activation of our patient is a result of, rather than the cause of, skeletal muscle damage.

Phytohormone auxin is a master regulator in plant growth and development. Regulation of cellular auxin level plays a central role in plant development. Auxin polar transport system modulates an auxin gradient that determines plant developmental process in response to environmental conditions and developmental programs. Photolabile caged auxins allow optical control of artificial auxin gradients at cellular resolution. Especially, two-photon uncaging system achieves high spatiotemporal control of photolysis reaction at two-photon cross-section. However, the development of caged versions of auxin has been limited by the instability of the caged auxins to higher plant metabolic activities. Here, we describe the synthesis and application of highly stable caged auxins, 4-methoxy-7-nitroindolinyl (MNI)-caged auxins. Natural auxin, indole 3-acetic acid, and two synthetic auxins, 1-NAA and 2,4-D were caged by MNI caging group. MNI-caged auxins showed a high stability in planta and a rapid release the original auxin when photolyzed. We demonstrated that optical control of auxin-responsive gene expression and auxin-related physiological responses by using MNI-caged auxins. We anticipate that MNI-caged auxins will be an effective tool for high-resolution control of endogenous auxin level., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Acute cerebellitis with unilateral onset is rare, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a useful method for demonstrating cerebellar involvement., Patient: We report a 12-year-old girl with acute cerebellitis with a unique sequential change on her MRI., Results: The patient's brain MRI first revealed cortical lesions mainly in the right cerebellar hemisphere. These subsequently disappeared, and at the same time, new lesions appeared in the opposite cerebellar hemisphere. All the lesions were confined to gray matter in the cerebellum and were isotense on diffusion-weighted imaging and had high signal intensity on the apparent diffusion coefficient map, consistent with the characteristic of vasogenic edema., Conclusion: The sequential MRI demonstrates conversion of hemicerebellitis to bilateral cerebellitis during subacute phase, and vasogenic edema might be contributing to the pathogenesis of acute cerebellitis in this patient., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: The objectives of this study are to explore the potential benefits of combining AdGlipr1 (or AdGLIPR1) gene therapy with radiotherapy using subcutaneous prostate and bladder cancer models., Materials and Methods: Combination adenoviral vector-mediated gene therapy and radiotherapy were applied to 178-2 BMA and TSU-Pr1 cells in vitro and colony formation and apoptosis were analyzed. In addition, combination therapies were administered to mice bearing subcutaneous 178-2 BMA and TSU-Pr1 tumors, and tumor growth suppression and survival extension were compared with the monotherapies (AdGlipr1/AdGLIPR1 and radiotherapy) or control vector Adv/CMV/βgal, as well as single-cycle treatment with 2-cycle treatment., Results: Combination treatment significantly suppressed colony formation and increased apoptosis in vitro. In vivo, combination therapy produced significant 178-2 BMA and TSU-Pr1 tumor growth suppression and survival extension compared with the monotherapies or the control. Further tumor growth suppression and survival extension were observed after 2 cycles of the combination treatment., Conclusions: Combining AdGlipr1 (AdGLIPR1) with radiotherapy may achieve additive or synergistic tumor control in selected prostate and bladder tumors, and additional therapeutic effects may result with repeated treatment cycles., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Cytokinins are phytohormones that regulate diverse developmental processes throughout the life of a plant. trans-Zeatin, kinetin, benzyladenine and dihydrozeatin are adenine-type cytokinins that are perceived by the AHK cytokinin receptors. Endogenous cytokinin levels are critical for regulating plant development. To manipulate intracellular cytokinin levels, caged cytokinins were designed on the basis of the crystal structure of the AHK4 cytokinin receptor. The caged cytokinin was photolyzed to release the cytokinin molecule inside the cells and induce cytokinin-responsive gene expression. The uncaging of intracellular caged cytokinins demonstrated that cytokinin-induced root growth inhibition can be manipulated with photo-irradiation. This caged cytokinin system could be a powerful tool for cytokinin biology., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The yeast Cyc8p-Tup1p protein complex is a general transcriptional corepressor of genes involved in many different physiological processes. Herein, we present the crystal structure of the Tup1p N-terminal domain (residues 1-92), essential for Tup1p self-assembly and interaction with Cyc8p. This domain tetramerizes to form a novel antiparallel four-helix bundle. Coiled coil interactions near the helical ends hold each dimer together, whereas interdimeric association involves only two sets of two residues located toward the chain centers. A mutagenesis study confirmed that the nonpolar residues responsible for the association of the protomers as dimers are also required for transcriptional repression. An additional structural study demonstrated that the domain containing an Leu(62) → Arg mutation that had been shown not to bind Cyc8p exhibits an altered structure, distinct from the wild type. This altered structure explains why the mutant cannot bind Cyc8p. The data presented herein highlight the importance of the architecture of the Tup1p N-terminal domain for self-association.

Background: The benefits of intravenous thrombolysis for acute ischemic stroke are still limited., Objective: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of double-lumen balloon catheter-based reperfusion therapy with or without intra-arterial thrombolysis for acute occlusion of intracranial arteries., Methods: Fifty-nine patients with acute occlusion of intracranial arteries were enrolled. A Gateway balloon catheter was used to disrupt clots or dilate atheromatous plaques in every patient. The technical details, technique-related complications, recanalization rates, and clinical outcomes were analyzed., Results: The occlusion sites were internal carotid arteries in 17 patients, M1 segments in 32 patients, the M2 segment in 1 patient, a vertebral artery in 1 patient, and basilar arteries in 8 patients. Twenty-four patients (41%) were treated with thrombolysis first, and 20 patients (34%) were treated with percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) followed by thrombolysis. PTA alone was performed in 15 patients (25%). The mean dose of urokinase was 205 x 10 U. The extent of recanalization was complete (Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction [TIMI] score of 3) in 17 patients (29%), and partial (TIMI 1/2) in 28 patients (47%). Functional independence at discharge was preserved in 76%, 25%, and 7% of patients with TIMI 3, TIMI 1/2, and TIMI 0, respectively. A combination of PTA and thrombolysis resulted in a significantly higher recanalization rate than PTA only. Seven patients (12%) experienced hemorrhagic events after treatment. Severe parenchymal hemorrhage with neurologic deterioration was observed in 2 patients (4%), and vessel rupture was encountered in 1 atherosclerotic case., Conclusions: Mechanical angioplasty using a Gateway catheter combined with a low-dose thrombolytic agent is a safe and effective treatment for acute intracranial embolic and atherosclerotic occlusion with a low risk of hemorrhagic complications.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) administration has recently been assessed as a therapeutic strategy for ischemic diseases including brain ischemia because of its angiogenic effect. However, VEGF also causes detrimental adverse effects by increasing vascular permeability. This study examined whether plasmid human VEGF (phVEGF) administration induced angiogenic effects in the rat brain ischemia model caused by permanent ligation of both common carotid arteries, and investigated the occurrence of adverse effects. Administration of various doses (0-200 microg) of phVEGF in the temporal muscle was followed by encephalo-myo-synangiosis. Thirty days after treatment, the numbers and areas of capillaries per field in the extracted brains were analyzed with the National Institutes of Health Image software program. The maximal angiogenic effect occurred with a 100 microg dose of phVEGF in the numbers and areas of capillaries in the VEGF-treated brains. Histological examination showed no apparent adverse effects in the brain parenchyma even at the highest administration dose (200 microg) of phVEGF. The maximal angiogenic effect at the optimal dose of phVEGF can be considered under the threshold to cause serious adverse effects in the rat brain.

Auxin, a plant hormone, is polar transported from its site of production. This auxin polar transport system establishes an auxin gradient in plant tissue that is necessary for proper plant development. Therefore, the spatial effect of the auxin gradient on plant development is highly important for the understanding of plant auxin responses. Herein we report the design, syntheses and biological properties of esterase-resistant caged auxins. The conventional caging group, 2-nitrobenzyl ester, was found to be enzymatically hydrolyzed in plant cells and released original auxin without photolysis. The esterase-resistant caging group, (2,5-dimethoxyphenyl)(2-nitrobenzyl) ester, (DMPNB) was designed to improve the stability of caged auxins. Three auxins, indole 3-acetic acid, naphthalene 1-acetic acid and 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid were caged with the DMPNB caging group. DMPNB-caged auxins were inactive within a plant cell until photolysis, but they release auxins with photoirradiation to activate auxin-responsive gene expression. We demonstrated spatial and temporal control of intracellular auxin levels with photoirradiation by using this caged auxin system and were able to photocontrol the physiological auxin response in Arabidopsis plants. Additionally, the photoirradiation of DMPNB-caged auxin within a single cell can manipulate the intracellular auxin level and triggers auxin response.