Evaluation of eustachian tube function using a portable device.

The present paper investigates a portable eustachian-tube-function testing device by sonotubometry based on pure-tone sound transmission via the eustachian tube (ET). The measured results obtained by the proposed method were validated through comparison with the existing testing technique based on broadband sound inspection. The measurement results for the ET opening time (Topen) and the sound pressure difference in the ear canal between open and closed ETs (ΔL) obtained using pure-tone sounds with tonal frequency components of 7.0 and 9.5 kHz generally agreed with the results obtained by the existing technique with broadband testing sound.

Neurokinin 3 receptor-selective agonist, senktide, decreases core temperature in Japanese Black cattle.

Heat stress disrupts reproductive function in cattle. In summer, high ambient temperature and humidity elevate core body temperature, which is considered to be detrimental to reproductive abilities in cattle. Neurokinin B (NKB) is a factor that generates pulsatile GnRH and subsequent LH secretion in mammals. Recent studies have reported that NKB-neurokinin 3 receptor (NK3R) signaling is associated with heat-defense responses in rodents. The present study aimed to clarify the role of NKB-NK3R signaling in thermoregulation in cattle. We examined the effects of an NK3R-selective agonist, senktide, on vaginal temperature as an indicator of core body temperature in winter and summer. In both seasons, continuous infusion of senktide for 4 h immediately decreased vaginal temperature, and the mean temperature change in the senktide-treated group was significantly lower than that of both vehicle- and GnRH-treated groups. Administration of GnRH induced LH elevation, but there was no significant difference in vaginal temperature change between GnRH- and vehicle-treated groups. Moreover, we investigated the effects of senktide on ovarian temperature. Senktide treatment seemed to suppress the increase in ovarian temperature from 2 h after the beginning of administration, although the difference between groups was not statistically significant. Taken together, these results suggest that senktide infusion caused a decline in the vaginal temperature of cattle, in both winter and summer seasons, and this effect was not due to the gonadotropin-releasing action of senktide. These findings provide new therapeutic options for senktide to support both heat-defense responses and GnRH/LH pulse generation.

Neutron-induced signal on the single crystal chemical vapor deposition diamond-based neutral particle analyzer.

A diamond-based neutral particle analyzer (DNPA) array composed of single-crystal chemical vapor deposition (sCVD) diamond detectors was installed on the Large Helical Device (LHD) for measuring the helically trapped energetic particles. In high neutron flux experiments, the unwanted neutron-induced pulse counting rate should be estimated using the neutron diagnostics because a diamond detector is sensitive to neutrons as well as energetic neutral particles. In order to evaluate the quantitative neutron-induced pulse counting rate on the DNPA, the response functions of the sCVD diamond detector for mono-energetic neutrons were obtained using accelerator-based D-D and D-7Li neutron sources in Fast Neutron Laboratory (FNL). As a result of the neutron flux estimation by the Monte Carlo N-Particle code at the NPA position in the LHD and the response function obtained in the FNL experiment, the counting rate of the neutron-induced signal was predicted to be 1.1 kcps for the source neutron emission rate of Sn = 1 × 1015 n/s. In the LHD experiment, the neutron-induced signals were observed by closing the gate valve during the plasma discharges. It is found that the counting rates of the neutron-induced signals proportional to Sn reached 1.1 kcps at Sn = 1 × 1015 n/s. As a result of the quantitative estimation of the neutron-induced signals on the DNPA using other neutron measurements, it has become possible to accurately measure energetic neutral particles in the high neutron flux experiment.

Mammographic Breast Density of Japanese Women Living in Australia: Implications for Breast Screening Policy.

Background: Mammographic Breast Density (MBD) increases breast cancer risk, lowers sensitivity of mammography and is related to ethnicity. This study compared the MBD of Australian women living in Australia (AW), Japanese women living in Japan (JWJ) and Japan-born women living in Australia (JWA). The outcomes have implications for breast screening policies in Australia. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, mammographic images were collected from a total of 677 women who were examined at BreastScreen NSW or Miyata Hospital, Japan. The images were retrospectively evaluated using the 5th edition Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) to assess the level of MBD. Descriptive analyses and binary logistic regressions were performed. Results: More than 65% of AW had low MBD while the majority of JWJ had high MBD. Among AW, low MBD was found in women aged 40-49 and 50-59. The MBD of JWA showed a similar pattern to JWJ but with a slightly lower MBD. The great majority of JWA aged 40-49 were found to have high MBD compared to women aged 50-59. JWJ were categorised as high MBD regardless of their age. JWA were 5 times more likely and JWJ were 15 times more likely to have high MBD compared to AW. Conclusion: Mammography screening becomes more effective for JW after migration to Australia. For JWA aged 40-49 years, supplemental screening options are indicated to provide better cancer detection. For AW, screening mammography could be equally as effective for AW aged 40-49 years as for those aged 50-59.

Design optimization of a fast-neutron detector with scintillating fibers for triton burnup experiments at fusion experimental devices.

Time-resolved triton burnup studies have been carried out to estimate the behavior of alpha particles in DD fusion experimental devices. In those studies, 14 MeV neutrons emitted through DT reactions in DD plasmas should be measured selectively in the backgrounds of DD neutrons and gamma rays. For this purpose, a scintillating-fiber (Sci-Fi) based fast-neutron detector has been adapted because of its advantages such as fast response, design flexibility in detection efficiency by changing the number of Sci-Fi, and discrimination property against 2.4 MeV neutrons produced through DD reactions and gamma rays. However, its length had conventionally been set to around 10 cm without an optimization study of its design parameters to meet the requirements as 14 MeV neutron detector. In the present study, we tested three types of Sci-Fi detectors with three different lengths and compared with the simulated results of energy deposition, through which we tried to understand the phenomena in the detection process of fast neutrons. From the results, it has been shown that, due to the self-shielding of neutrons by Sci-Fi and the attenuation of scintillation photons during the transmission process to the photomultiplier tube, the optimal length of Sci-Fi is concluded to be about 6 cm.

Estimation of the energy expenditure of grazing ruminants by incorporating dynamic body acceleration into a conventional energy requirement system.

The estimation of energy expenditure (EE) of grazing animals is of great importance for efficient animal management on pasture. In the present study, a method is proposed to estimate EE in grazing animals based on measurements of body acceleration of animals in combination with the conventional Agricultural and Food Research Council (AFRC) energy requirement system. Three-dimensional body acceleration and heart rate were recorded for tested animals under both grazing and housing management. An acceleration index, vectorial dynamic body acceleration (VeDBA), was used to calculate activity allowance (AC) during grazing and then incorporate it into the AFRC system to estimate the EE (EE derived from VeDBA [EE]) of the grazing animals. The method was applied to 3 farm ruminant species (7 cattle, 6 goats, and 4 sheep). Energy expenditure based on heart rate (EE) was also estimated as a reference. The result showed that larger VeDBA and heart rate values were obtained under grazing management, resulting in greater EE and EE under grazing management than under housing management. There were large differences between the EE estimated from the 2 methods, where EE values were greater than EE (averages of 163.4 and 142.5% for housing and grazing management, respectively); the EE was lower than the EE, whereas the increase in EE under grazing in comparison with housing conditions was larger than that in EE. These differences may have been due to the use of an equation for estimating EE derived under laboratory conditions and due to the presence of the effects of physiological, psychological, and environmental factors in addition to physical activity being included in measurements for the heart rate method. The present method allowed us to separate activity-specific EE (i.e., AC) from overall EE, and, in fact, AC under grazing management were about twice times as large as those under housing management for farm ruminant animals. There is evidence that the conventional energy system can predict fasting metabolism and the AC of housed animals based on accumulated research on energy metabolism and that VeDBA can quantify physical activity separately from other factors in animals on pasture. Therefore, the use of the VeDBA appears to be a precise way to predict activity-specific EE under grazing conditions, and the method incorporating acceleration index data with a conventional energy system can be a simple and useful method for estimation of EE in farm ruminants on pastures.

Reduction in superoxide dismutase expression in the epithelial mucosa of eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps.

BACKGROUND: Eosinophils generate large amounts of oxidant species. The eosinophil-dominant type of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) with nasal polyps is related to more extensive disease and a decreased likelihood of surgical success. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is the first-line and only antioxidant enzyme that converts superoxide to hydrogen peroxide. METHODS: The patients with CRS with nasal polyps were divided into eosinophilic and noneosinophilic groups. The expression of three isoforms of SOD, intracellular copper-zinc SOD (CuZnSOD), mitochondrial manganese SOD (MnSOD) and extracellular SOD (ECSOD), were examined by enzyme activity assay, immunohistochemistry and quantitative real-time RT-PCR sampled by laser capture microdissection. RESULTS: SOD activity in the eosinophilic and noneosinophilic groups was significantly reduced compared to that of the control groups. Immunostaining of both CuZnSOD and MnSOD in the eosinophilic group was significantly decreased compared with that in the noneosinophilic and control groups. CuZnSOD mRNA of the eosinophilic group was significantly decreased compared with that of the control group, whereas MnSOD mRNA in the eosinophilic group was significantly decreased compared with that in the noneosinophilic and control groups. Neither immunoreactivity nor mRNA of ECSOD was different among the three groups. The degree of epithelial damage and disease severity were inversely correlated with CuZnSOD and MnSOD immunoreactivity. CONCLUSIONS: The reduction in SOD activity and the downregulation of the SOD message are suggested to be related to eosinophil recruitment and epithelial damage of CRS with nasal polyps.

Ink4a and Arf are crucial factors in the determination of the cell of origin and the therapeutic sensitivity of Myc-induced mouse lymphoid tumor.

The cell of origin of tumors and the factors determining the cell of origin remain unclear. In this study, a mouse model of precursor B acute lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma (pre-B ALL/LBL) was established by retroviral transduction of Myc genes (N-Myc or c-Myc) into mouse bone marrow cells. Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) exhibited the highest susceptibility to N-Myc-induced pre-B ALL/LBL versus lymphoid progenitors, myeloid progenitors and committed progenitor B cells. N-Myc was able to induce pre-B ALL/LBL directly from progenitor B cells in the absence of Ink4a and Arf. Arf was expressed higher in progenitor B cells than Ink4a. In addition, N-Myc induced pre-B ALL/LBL from Arf(-/-) progenitor B cells suggesting that Arf has a predominant role in determining the cell of origin of pre-B ALL/LBL. Tumor cells derived from Ink4a/Arf(-/-) progenitor B cells exhibited a higher rate of proliferation and were more chemoresistant than those derived from wild-type HSCs. Furthermore, the Mdm2 inhibitor Nutlin-3 restored p53 and induced massive apoptosis in mouse pre-B ALL/LBL cells derived from Ink4a/Arf(-/-) cells and human B-ALL cell lines lacking Ink4a and Arf expression, suggesting that Mdm2 inhibition may be a novel therapeutic approach to the treatment of Ink4a/Arf(-/-) B-ALL/LBL, such as is frequently found in Ph(+) ALL and relapsed ALL. Collectively, these findings indicate that Ink4a and Arf are critical determining factors of the cell of origin and the therapeutic sensitivity of Myc-induced lymphoid tumors.

The impact of early rehabilitation on the duration of hospitalization in patients after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

BACKGROUND: We examined the relationship between the improved physical activity by early rehabilitation and the duration of hospitalization among patients after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). METHODS: Thirteen allo-HSCT patients with myeloablative conditioning regimens (group A) and 13 patients with nonmyeloablative conditioning regimens (group B) were assessed retrospectively in this study. All patients received physical exercise immediately after neutrophil engraftment at the class 10,000 bioclean room (class 10,000). The mean daily steps at class 10,000 were measured as a substitute for the amount of physical activity, and the duration of hospitalization as one of the clinical outcomes. RESULTS: The degree of physical activity showed a negative correlation with the duration of hospitalization in group A (r = -.71; P = .0071), regardless of complications such as acute graft-versus-host disease, infections, and cytomegalovirus reactivation. However, there was no significant association in group B (r = .09; P = .77). CONCLUSION: The improved physical activity through early rehabilitation may be an independent, favorable prognostic factor for allo-HSCT patients with myeloablative conditioning regimens.

Efficient cell-seeding into scaffolds improves bone formation.

Bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs)/beta-tricalcium phosphate (beta-TCP) composites have attracted a great deal of attention in bone tissue engineering. If more effective bone regeneration is to be achieved, efficient cell-seeding systems need to be clarified. In this study, we investigated the number of cells contained in composites, and the in vitro/vivo osteogenic differentiation capacity of composites using 4 conventional systems of seeding rat BMSCs into beta-TCP: soak, low-pressure, pipette, and syringe systems. The highest number of cells was contained in the composites from the syringe group. Moreover, after two-week osteogenic induction in vitro, the composites in the syringe group exhibited the highest osteogenic potential, which continued at 8 weeks after subcutaneous implantation in vivo. Our results indicated that efficient and appropriate cell-seeding could improve in vitro/vivo bone formation in composites and thus make a potential clinical contribution to successful bone tissue engineering.

Vestigial and scalloped in the ladybird beetle: a conserved function in wing development and a novel function in pupal ecdysis.

In Drosophila melanogaster, Vestigial (Vg) and Scalloped (Sd) form a transcription factor complex and play a crucial role in wing development. To extend our knowledge of insect wing formation, we isolated vg and sd homologues from two ladybird beetle species, Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata and Harmonia axyridis. Although the ladybird beetle vg homologues had only low homology with D. melanogaster vg, ectopic expression of H. vigintioctopunctata vg induced wing-like tissues in antennae and legs of D. melanogaster. Subsequent larval RNA interference (RNAi) analysis in H. vigintioctopunctata demonstrated conserved functions of vg and sd in wing development, and an unexpected novel function of sd in pupal ecdysis. Furthermore, our results can be applied to the production of a flightless ladybird beetle for biological control purposes using larval RNAi.

Osteogenic activity of human fracture haematoma-derived progenitor cells is stimulated by low-intensity pulsed ultrasound in vitro.

The haematoma occurring at the site of a fracture is known to play an important role in bone healing. We have recently shown the presence of progenitor cells in human fracture haematoma and demonstrated that they have the capacity for multilineage mesenchymal differentiation. There have been many studies which have shown that low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) stimulates the differentiation of a variety of cells, but none has investigated the effects of LIPUS on cells derived from human fracture tissue including human fracture haematoma-derived progenitor cells (HCs). In this in vitro study, we investigated the effects of LIPUS on the osteogenic activity of HCs. Alkaline phosphatase activity, osteocalcin secretion, the expression of osteoblast-related genes and the mineralisation of HCs were shown to be significantly higher when LIPUS had been applied but without a change in the proliferation of the HCs. These findings provide evidence in favour of the use of LIPUS in the treatment of fractures.

New indicators for the evaluation of community policies based on period and cohort effects in cerebrovascular disease mortality rates.

INTRODUCTION: Countermeasures against cerebrovascular diseases (CVD) are one of the important health policies in Japan. This study proposes new indicators that are based on period and cohort effects in CVD mortality rates. The main aim of the study is to contribute to community diagnosis with the existing policies. METHODS: CVD mortality rates for all prefectures in Japan were analyzed according to age, time period, and cohort effects, using the Bayesian Poisson age-period-cohort model. Several indicators were extracted based on the principal component analysis of the estimates of the effects. RESULTS: Two indicators named the change-in-magnitude and the time-of-decrease were extracted from estimates of the period effects, and three indicators named the change-cohort-of-improvement were extracted from estimates of the cohort effects. These were considered to be related to the countermeasures against CVD. CONCLUSION: Under the assumption that the new indicators reflect the result of past policies, the new indicators allow us to evaluate the validity of past policies, and to suggest the necessity for improvement in the conventional policies.

Endothelin receptor B2 (EDNRB2) is associated with the panda plumage colour mutation in Japanese quail.

The panda mutant in Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) displays spots of wild-type plumage on a white background and is controlled by an autosomal recessive allele (s). The dotted white is controlled by a third allele (s(dw)) of the s locus with s(dw)/s(dw) quail having less pigmentation than s/s quail. We mapped the s locus to the Japanese quail chromosome 4 (CJA04) in a previous study. The orthologous region of the chicken (Gallus gallus) genome includes endothelin receptor B2 (EDNRB2), an avian-specific paralog of endothelin receptor B (EDNRB). EDNRB mutations in mammals retard the migration of neural crest cells (NCCs), which results in a spotted coat colour and an enteric nervous defect. In the present study, we investigated the association between the s locus and EDNRB2 in Japanese quail. Sequence comparison among transcripts from livers of wild-type, panda and dotted white quail revealed a nucleotide substitution (c.995G>A) leading to a p.R332H amino acid change that was specific to panda, whereas no amino acid substitution was found in dotted white birds. The amino acid position 332 is located in the sixth transmembrane domain and is highly conserved in both avian and mammalian endothelin receptors. The A allele at nucleotide position 995 was specific to panda (s/s) birds among 10 strains, and was mapped to the same chromosomal region as the s locus. Quantitative RT-PCR revealed that EDNRB2 transcripts were reduced in both panda and dotted white mutants compared with wild-type. However, there was no difference between the early embryos of wild-type and panda with respect to the migration of NCCs. The genetic association of EDNRB2 with plumage colour in birds was found for the first time in this study.

An in vitro study demonstrating that haematomas found at the site of human fractures contain progenitor cells with multilineage capacity.

We isolated multilineage mesenchymal progenitor cells from haematomas collected from fracture sites. After the haematoma was manually removed from the fracture site it was cut into strips and cultured. Homogenous fibroblastic adherent cells were obtained. Flow cytometry revealed that the adherent cells were consistently positive for mesenchymal stem-cell-related markers CD29, CD44, CD105 and CD166, and were negative for the haemopoietic markers CD14, CD34, CD45 and CD133 similar to bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells. In the presence of lineage-specific induction factors the adherent cells could differentiate in vitro into osteogenic, chondrogenic and adipogenic cells. Our results indicate that haematomas found at a fracture site contain multilineage mesenchymal progenitor cells and play an important role in bone healing. Our findings imply that to enhance healing the haematoma should not be removed from the fracture site during osteosynthesis.

Measurement of acoustic output power in a traveling wave engine.

We built and tested a double-loop thermoacoustic cooler consisting of an engine-loop, a branch resonator, and a cooler-loop. The cooling power of 6.4 W was obtained at the cooling temperature of 0 degrees C, when the input heat power of 416 W was supplied to the engine-loop. We measured the acoustic power and found that the output power emitted from the engine-loop was 12 W, and that the input acoustic power entering the cooler-loop was 6 W.

Osteogenic potential of cells in vitro derived from haemarthrosis of the knee induced by injury to the anterior cruciate ligament.

We have investigated whether cells derived from haemarthrosis caused by injury to the anterior cruciate ligament could differentiate into the osteoblast lineage in vitro. Haemarthroses associated with anterior cruciate ligament injuries were aspirated and cultured. After treatment with beta-glycerophosphate, ascorbic acid and dexamethasone or 1,25 (OH)(2)D(3), a significant increase in the activity of alkaline phosphatase was observed. Matrix mineralisation was demonstrated after 28 days and mRNA levels in osteoblast-related genes were enhanced. Our results suggest that the haemarthrosis induced by injury to the anterior cruciate ligament contains osteoprogenitor cells and is a potential alternative source for cell-based treatment in such injury.

Onset of nephrocalcinosis depends on dietary phosphorus concentration in male rats fed a magnesium-deficient diet.

Although a magnesium (Mg)-deficient diet is generally known to induce nephrocalcinosis, our previous study observed that despite the administration of a Mg-deficient diet, the kidney calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) concentrations were not increased in male rats. We speculated that this result was due to the P concentration of the experimental diet based on the AIN-93G formula used in the previous study. In the present study, male rats were fed modified AIN-93G diets containing the two different Mg concentrations [0.5 g per kg diet (normal-Mg) or Mg-free (Mg-deficient)] and three different P concentrations [3 (3-P), 5 (5-P) or 7 (7-P) g per kg diet]. By histological examination of the kidney, nephrocalcinosis was not observed in rats fed on the Mg-deficient diet containing 3-P While nephrocalcinosis appeared in rats fed on the Mg-deficient diet containing 5-P and 7-P The degree of nephrocalcinosis was severe in rats fed on the Mg-deficient diet containing 7-P compared with rats fed on the Mg-deficient diet containing 5-P These results demonstrated that the Mg-deficient diet based on AIN-93G formula dose not induce nephrocalcinosis and that the Mg-deficient diet based on AIN-93G formula with increased dietary P concentrations induces nephrocalcinosis in male rats. We suggest that the onset of nephrocalcinosis could depend on the dietary P concentration in male rats fed on a Mg-deficient diet.

Mapping of plumage colour and blood protein loci on the microsatellite linkage map of the Japanese quail.

The objective of this work was to map classical markers (plumage colours and blood proteins) on the microsatellite linkage map of the Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica). The segregation data on two plumage colours and three blood proteins were obtained from 25 three-generation families (193 F2 birds). Linkage analysis was carried out for these five classical markers and 80 microsatellite markers. A total of 15 linkage groups that included the five classical loci and 69 of the 80 microsatellite markers were constructed. Using the BLAST homology search against the chicken genome sequence, three quail linkage groups, QL8, QL10 and QL13, were suggested to be homologous to chicken chromosomes GGA9, GGA20 and GGA24, respectively. Two plumage colour loci, black at hatch (Bh) and yellow (Y), and the three blood protein loci, transferrin (Tf), haemoglobin (Hb-1) and prealbumin-1 (Pa-1), were assigned to CJA01, QL10, QL8, CJA14 and QL13, respectively.