Transcranial direct current stimulation to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex enhances early dexterity skills with the left non-dominant hand: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is involved in early-phase manual dexterity skill acquisition when cognitive control processes, such as integration and complexity demands, are required. However, the effectiveness of left DLPFC transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on early-phase motor learning and whether its effectiveness depends on the cognitive demand of the target task are unclear. This study aimed to investigate whether tDCS over the left DLPFC improves non-dominant hand dexterity performance and determine if its efficacy depends on the cognitive demand of the target task. METHODS: In this randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trial, 70 healthy, right-handed, young adult participants were recruited. They were randomly allocated to the active tDCS (2 mA for 20 min) or sham groups and repeatedly performed the Purdue Pegboard Test (PPT) left-handed peg task and left-handed assembly task three times: pre-tDCS, during tDCS, and post tDCS. RESULTS: The final sample comprised 66 healthy young adults (mean age, 22.73 ± 1.57 years). There were significant interactions between group and time in both PPT tasks, indicating significantly higher performance of those in the active tDCS group than those in the sham group post tDCS (p < 0.001). Moreover, a greater benefit was observed in the left-handed assembly task performance than in the peg task performance (p < 0.001). No significant correlation between baseline performance and benefits from tDCS was observed in either task. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrated that prefrontal tDCS significantly improved early-phase manual dexterity skill acquisition, and its benefits were greater for the task with high cognitive demands. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the underlying neurophysiological mechanisms of the left DLPFC in the modulation of early-phase dexterity skill acquisition. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was registered in the University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trial Registry in Japan (UMIN000046868), Registered February 8, 2022 https://center6.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr_e/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000053467.

Liquid crystal-ferrofluid emulsions.

Despite the development of the brilliant flat-panel TVs and computer screens that we all use on a daily basis, liquid crystals are far from being exhausted as a topic of research. Novel effects, new, modern, self-organized materials, and a range of applications are being developed, which are on the borderline between nanotechnology and soft condensed matter, and which use liquid crystals as a vehicle to study fundamental physical questions, all the way to mimicking nature and life. In this perspective article we will introduce an illustrative example, which will draw on a range of non-display aspects in liquid crystal research which have increasingly gained interest over the past years, namely self-organization of liquid crystals, colloidal ordering of magnetic nanoparticles, topological defects, and biological structures.

Lymphangioleiomyoma of the Uterus and Pelvic Lymph Nodes: A Report of 3 Cases, Including the Potentially Earliest Manifestation of Extrapulmonary Lymphangioleiomyomatosis.

We present 3 cases of extrapulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) identified incidentally in the uterine corpus and pelvic nodes resected for other reasons. One patient, a 47-yr-old female with corpus cancer, underwent a total hysterectomy and nodal dissection; the other 2 patients, aged 44 and 49 yr, underwent simple hysterectomy for corpus leiomyomas. None of the patients had evidence of tuberous sclerosis complex or any significant lesions in other organs. An area of spindle cell proliferation, intimately associated with dilated and tortuous lymphatic vessels, was found in the myometrium of all 3 patients, and nodal involvement with spindle cell proliferation was observed in the patient with corpus cancer. The spindle cells had faintly eosinophilic cytoplasm and a bland appearance. They were immunoreactive for α-SMA, gp100 (HMB45), and Melan-A. Tumor cell clusters lined with a single layer of lymphatic endothelium were floating in the lymphatic vessel lumen. These lesions were diagnosed as lymphangioleiomyoma in the uterine corpus and associated lymph nodes. Two of the cases seemed to be the earliest manifestations of extrapulmonary LAM, and the other case represents early-phase metastasis of LAM from the uterus. The present cases support the speculation that the uterus is the primary source of LAM cells.

Long-term survival in small-cell carcinoma of the endometrium with liver and brain metastases.

Small-cell carcinoma (SmCC) of the endometrium is an extremely rare cancer and has a poor prognosis. Because long-term survival is rare, there is a paucity of data on the advanced disease stages. Thus, a standard treatment has not been established. We describe an extremely rare case of long-term survival in SmCC of the endometrium with liver and brain metastases. We provided multidisciplinary treatment, including brain surgery, subsequent whole-brain radiotherapy, gynecologic surgery, and adjuvant chemotherapy (irinotecan hydrochloride+cisplatin). The patient was treated successfully and has survived for more than 12 years with no evidence of the disease. Irinotecan hydrochloride+cisplatin chemotherapy was effective for controlling the liver metastases, and the resection of brain metastases and radiotherapy were effective for the treatment of brain metastases in our case. We reviewed the pertinent literature of advanced SmCC of the endometrium.

Giant bullous emphysema successfully treated with percutaneous drainage followed by resection: A case complicated by lung cancer diagnosed by intraoperative biopsy.

We present a case of bilateral giant bullous emphysema (GBE) with rapidly progressive dyspnea. The dyspnea was thought to be due to tension bullae caused by the check valve mechanism in COVID-19 bronchitis. Multiple nodules were also detected on both sides of the lung. As the patient had poor pulmonary reserve for surgical bullectomy, we first performed percutaneous intracavitary drainage. Prior to this procedure, we placed a chest tube in the thoracic cavity to avoid tension pneumothorax. As a result, the patient's remaining lung expanded and respiratory status improved, allowing him to undergo surgical bullectomy. Intraoperatively, needle biopsy of the lung nodule was directly performed, which led to a diagnosis of adenocarcinoma. Despite multiple distant metastases, the patient's general condition improved postoperatively, and chemotherapy was successfully initiated.

Decreased insulin-like growth factor-1 expression in response to mechanical loading is associated with skeletal muscle anabolic resistance in cancer cachexia.

OBJECTIVE: Cachexia is a systemic metabolic syndrome characterized by loss of body weight and skeletal muscle mass during chronic wasting diseases, such as cancer. Skeletal muscle in cancer cachexia is less responsive to anabolic factors including mechanical loading; however, the precise molecular mechanism is largely unknown. In this study, we examined the underlying mechanism of anabolic resistance in skeletal muscle in a cancer cachexia model. METHODS: CD2F1 mice (male, 8 weeks old) were subcutaneously transplanted (1 × 106 cells per mouse) with a mouse colon cancer-derived cell line (C26) as a model of cancer cachexia. Mechanical overload of the plantaris muscle by synergist tenotomy was performed during the 2nd week and the plantaris muscle was sampled at the 4th week following C26 transplantation. RESULTS: The hypertrophic response of skeletal muscle (increased skeletal muscle weight/protein synthesis efficiency and activation of mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 signaling) associated with mechanical overload was significantly suppressed during cancer cachexia. Screening of gene expression profile and pathway analysis using microarray revealed that blunted muscle protein synthesis was associated with cancer cachexia and was likely induced by downregulation of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and impaired activation of IGF-1-dependent signaling. CONCLUSIONS: These observations indicate that cancer cachexia induces resistance to muscle protein synthesis, which may be a factor for inhibiting the anabolic adaptation of skeletal muscle to physical exercise in cancer patients.

Urinary liver-type fatty acid-binding protein level as a predictive biomarker of contrast-induced acute kidney injury.

BACKGROUND: Contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) is a well-known complication of contrast medium exposure in patients with chronic kidney disease. However, there are no biological markers to accurately predict the onset of CI-AKI. Liver-type fatty acid-binding protein (L-FABP), an intracellular carrier protein for free fatty acids, is markedly upregulated and abundantly expressed in the proximal tubules after renal ischaemia. We prospectively investigated whether urinary L-FABP is a suitable marker for the prediction of CI-AKI. METHODS: We performed a prospective study of 220 consecutive patients with chronic kidney disease who underwent elective catheterization [serum creatinine (Cr) ≥ 1.2 mg/dL (106 M)]. Serum Cr and L-FABP levels were measured immediately before and 1 and 2 days after the procedure. CI-AKI was defined as an increase in serum Cr level of ≥ 0.3 mg/dL within 48 h after the procedure. RESULTS: We observed the development of CI-AKI in 19 patients (8.6%). Urinary L-FABP levels were significantly higher in patients with CI-AKI than those without CI-AKI before contrast medium exposure. Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that baseline urinary L-FABP level exhibited 82% sensitivity and 69% specificity, at a cut-off value of 24.5 µg/g Cr. Using multivariate analysis, we found that independent predictors of CI-AKI development were L-FABP level of ≥ 24.5 µg/g Cr [odds ratio (OR): 9.10; 95% confidence interval (CI), 3.20-28.9], and left ventricular ejection fraction ≤ 40% (OR, 3.42; 95% CI, 1.07-10.8). CONCLUSIONS: Urinary L-FABP level is useful for predicting the onset of CI-AKI before contrast medium exposure.

Effect of pioglitazone on arterial baroreflex sensitivity and sympathetic nerve activity in patients with acute myocardial infarction and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Pioglitazone has been shown to reduce the occurrence of fatal and nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI) in type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). However, the mechanisms of such favorable effects remain speculative. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of pioglitazone on arterial baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) and muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) in 30 DM patients with recent MI. Patients were randomly assigned to those taking pioglitazone (n = 15) and those not taking pioglitazone (n = 15) at 4 weeks after the onset of MI. BRS, MSNA, calculated homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR), and plasma adiponectin were measured at baseline and after 12 weeks. Pioglitazone increased plasma adiponectin (from 6.9 ± 3.3 µg/dL to 12.2 ± 7.1 µg/dL) and reduced HOMA-IR (from 4.0 ± 2.2 to 2.1 ± 0.9). In the pioglitazone group, MSNA decreased significantly (from 37 ± 7 bursts/min to 25 ± 8 bursts/min) and BRS increased significantly (from 6.7 ± 3.0 to 9.9 ± 3.2 ms/mm Hg) after 12 weeks. Furthermore, a significant relationship was found between the change in MSNA and HOMA-IR (r = 0.6, P = 0.042). Thus, pioglitazone decreased the sympathetic nerve traffic through the improvement of insulin resistance in DM patients with recent MI, which indicate that the sympathoinhibitory effects of pioglitazone may, at least in part, have contributed to the beneficial effects of pioglitazone.

Radiofrequency catheter ablation of posterior paraseptal accessory pathway with atresia of the coronary sinus ostium.

A 42-year-old man was referred to our hospital for an electrophysiologic study because of recurrent episodes of palpitation. On coronary angiogram, an anomalous atresia of the coronary sinus (CS) ostium was discovered. The ablation catheter was inserted from the right femoral artery to the accessory pathway (AP) of posterior paraseptal area. The earliest retrograde atrial activation was recorded in the 5-6 o'clock region of the mitral annulus. Radiofrequency energy was delivered to this site, resulting in elimination of the AP. After this application, there was persistent ventriculoatrial dissociation and led to successful ablation of the AP.

Explicit and implicit attitudes toward smoking: Dissociation of attitudes and different characteristics for an implicit attitude in smokers and nonsmokers.

Smoking is a global health risk for premature death and disease. Recently, addictive behaviors, like smoking, were considered to be guided by explicit and implicit processes. The existence of a dissociation between the two attitudes in nonsmokers and the causes of the differences in implicit attitudes toward smoking have not been fully investigated. We investigated the explicit and implicit attitudes toward smoking via a self-reported scale and the single category implicit association test (SC-IAT), respectively, among undergraduate and graduate health sciences students. In addition, we applied the drift-diffusion model (DDM) on the SC-IAT and examined the behavioral characteristics that caused differences in implicit attitude toward smoking between smokers and nonsmokers. The results showed the existence of a dissociation between explicit and implicit attitudes toward smoking among nonsmokers. In addition, nonsmokers had a higher decision threshold than smokers and a higher drift rate in the condition where negative words were associated with smoking. Nonsmokers engaged in SC-IAT with more cautious attitudes and responded more easily in a negative condition since it was consistent with their true attitudes. Conversely, smokers did not show a significant difference in the drift rate between the conditions. These results suggested that the differences in an implicit attitude between smokers and nonsmokers were caused by differences in evidence accumulation speed between the positive and negative conditions. The existence of dissociation between implicit and explicit attitudes toward smoking may indicate the difficulty of measuring true attitude in nonsmokers in a questionnaire survey. Additionally, the DDM results explained the difference of implicit attitude between smokers and nonsmokers; it may provide information on the mechanisms of addictive behaviors and a basis for therapy. However, whether these results are affected by cultural differences requires further investigation.

Effect of Audiovisual Cross-Modal Conflict during Working Memory Tasks: A Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Study.

Cognitive conflict effects are well characterized within unimodality. However, little is known about cross-modal conflicts and their neural bases. This study characterizes the two types of visual and auditory cross-modal conflicts through working memory tasks and brain activities. The participants consisted of 31 healthy, right-handed, young male adults. The Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT) and the Paced Visual Serial Addition Test (PVSAT) were performed under distractor and no distractor conditions. Distractor conditions comprised two conditions in which either the PASAT or PVSAT was the target task, and the other was used as a distractor stimulus. Additionally, oxygenated hemoglobin (Oxy-Hb) concentration changes in the frontoparietal regions were measured during tasks. The results showed significantly lower PASAT performance under distractor conditions than under no distractor conditions, but not in the PVSAT. Oxy-Hb changes in the bilateral ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) and inferior parietal cortex (IPC) significantly increased in the PASAT with distractor compared with no distractor conditions, but not in the PVSAT. Furthermore, there were significant positive correlations between Δtask performance accuracy and ΔOxy-Hb in the bilateral IPC only in the PASAT. Visual cross-modal conflict significantly impairs auditory task performance, and bilateral VLPFC and IPC are key regions in inhibiting visual cross-modal distractors.

Motor Cortical Plasticity Induced by Volitional Muscle Activity-Triggered Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation and Median Nerve Stimulation.

Bilateral motor training is a useful method for modifying corticospinal excitability. The effects of bilateral movement that are caused by artificial stimulation on corticospinal excitability have not been reported. We compared motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) of the primary motor cortex (M1) after conventional bilateral motor training and artificial bilateral movements generated by electromyogram activity of abductor pollicis brevis (APB) muscle-triggered peripheral nerve stimulation (c-MNS) and transcranial magnetic stimulation of the ipsilateral M1 (i-TMS). A total of three protocols with different interventions-bilateral finger training, APB-triggered c-MNS, and APB-triggered i-TMS-were administered to 12 healthy participants. Each protocol consisted of 360 trials of 30 min for each trial. MEPs that were induced by single-pulse TMS, short-interval intracortical inhibition (SICI), and intracortical facilitation (ICF) that were induced by paired-pulse TMS were assessed as outcome measures at baseline and at 0, 20, 40, and 60 min after intervention. MEP amplitude significantly increased up to 40 min post-intervention in all protocols compared to that at the baseline, although there were some differences in the changing pattern of ICF and SICI in each protocol. These findings suggest that artificial bilateral movement has the potential to increase the ipsilateral cortical excitability of the moving finger.

Chopstick operation training with the left non-dominant hand.

BACKGROUND: Training a non-dominant hand is important for rehabilitating people who are required to change handedness. However, improving the dexterity in using chopsticks with a non-dominant hand through training remains unclear. This study is aimed to measure whether chopstick training improves non-dominant hand chopstick operation skills and leads to acquisition of skill levels similar to those of the dominant hand. METHODS: This single-blinded randomized controlled trial enrolled 34 healthy young right-handed subjects who scored >70 points on the Edinburgh Handedness Questionnaire Inventory. They were randomly allocated to training or control groups. The training group participated in a 6-week chopstick training program with the non-dominant left hand, while the control group did not. Asymmetry of chopstick operation skill, perceived psychological stress, and oxygen-hemoglobin concentration as a brain activity measure in each hemisphere were measured before and after training. RESULTS: Participants in the training group had significantly lower asymmetry than those in the control group during the post-training assessment (F[1,30] ≥ 5.54, p ≤ 0.03, partial η 2 ≥ 0.156). Only perceived psychological stress had a significantly higher asymmetry during the post-training assessment (t[15] = 3.81, p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Six weeks of chopstick training improved non-dominant chopstick operation skills, and a performance level similar to that of the dominant hand was acquired.

A population-based study of outcomes in patients with surgically resected non-small cell lung cancer with anaplastic lymphoma kinase-rearranged mutations: A matched-pair study.

The present study aimed to evaluate clinical outcomes in patients with surgically resected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-rearranged mutations. A matched-pair analysis in completely resected ALK-rearranged NSLC patients and those with neither ALK nor epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations diagnosed at 11 institutes was performed between April 2008 and March 2019. A total of 51 patients with surgically resected ALK-rearranged NSCLC were included. Women constituted 68.6%, and smokers 29.4%. The median age was 65 years. In matched-pair analysis, disease-free survival and overall survival did not differ between patients with ALK-rearranged mutations and those without mutations. Post-recurrence survival in patients with ALK mutations was longer than that of patients with neither ALK nor epidermal growth factor receptor mutations. ALK genetic testing should be performed, even in elderly patients with NSCLC. Favorable prognosis might be expected after appropriate treatment for patients with recurrent ALK-mutated disease.

Laparoscopic splenectomy for idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura in a woman with situs inversus: Report of a Case.

A 51-year-old woman with previously diagnosed situs inversus (SI) totalis was admitted to our hospital with nasal bleeding. Blood tests showed severe thrombocytopenia, with a platelet count of 1.9 × 104/mm(3), and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) was diagnosed. She was refractory to medical treatment, so we performed laparoscopic splenectomy (LS). The mirrorimage anatomy made the procedure difficult for the right-handed surgeon, so we modified the technique to enable it to be performed via an anterior approach through the subxiphoid area using the right hand, with an ultrasonic dissecting device and an endostapling device. The operation was performed safely, the patient recovered uneventfully, and her platelet count normalized. To our knowledge, there has been no other report of LS in a patient with SI; however, it can be performed safely with careful management.

Personality Traits Modulate the Impact of Emotional Stimuli During a Working Memory Task: A Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Study.

The purpose of the present study was to examine the influence of personality traits on the impact of emotional stimuli focusing on n-back task performance and brain activity changes. Previous neuroimaging studies have reported that individual differences in emotional processing can be attributed to personality traits, which is linked to the hemisphere-specific activity of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in response to emotional stimuli. Thirty right-handed healthy young male participants were recruited in this study and classified into two groups, the behavioral inhibition system (BIS) group and behavioral activation system (BAS) group, based on their scores on the BIS/BAS scale. Participants saw six emotional images (two each with negative, neutral, and positive valence), which were selected from the International Affective Picture System and validated in a preliminary experiment. Then, a dual 2-back task that simultaneously employed auditory-verbal and visuospatial stimuli was conducted. Additionally, the concentration of oxygenated hemoglobin (Oxy-Hb) changes in the DLPFC was measured during the image presentation and dual 2-back task by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). The task performance showed a significantly increased reaction time (RT) in the negative valence independent of personality traits. The results of Oxy-Hb changes showed a significant interaction between personality traits and emotional valence. Further, the hemisphere-subgroup analysis revealed that the right DLPFC activity was significantly higher in the negative valence than in the neutral valence in the BIS group; the right DLPFC activity was also significantly higher in the BIS group than in the BAS group in the positive valence. There was no main effect or interaction in the left DLPFC activity. These findings suggest the importance of considering personality traits when examining the impact of emotional stimuli. Further studies with large sample sizes warranted to examine the influence emotional stimuli exert on working memory performance, considering the personality traits to better understand individual differences in emotional processing.

Factors associated with myocardial salvage immediately after emergent percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with ST-elevation acute myocardial infarction.

OBJECTIVE: The amount of myocardial salvage after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is reported to be a major determinant of functional recovery in patients with ST-elevation acute myocardial infarction (MI). However, factors related to the amount of myocardial salvage remain unknown. The goal of this study was to investigate the factors related to the amount of myocardial salvage after emergent PCI in patients with ST-elevation acute MI by incorporating pre- and post-treatment indices and adjunctive treatments. METHODS: Technetium-99m myocardial imaging was performed before, immediately after, and one month after emergent PCI in 161 patients with ST-elevation acute MI, and the defect score was serially evaluated. A good myocardial salvage was defined as >/=4 change (before minus immediately after PCI) of the defect score. RESULTS: Good myocardial salvage was observed in 89 patients. Based on nine clinical variables, logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the important variables related to myocardial salvage. Multivariate analysis revealed that earlier time from onset to PCI (chi (2) = 6.55, P = 0.01, odds ratio = 2.78), larger defect score before PCI (chi (2) = 7.29, P = 0.01, odds ratio = 1.13) and administration of nicorandil before PCI (chi (2) = 9.88, P = 0.008, odds ratio = 4.42) were independently associated with good myocardial salvage. Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) flow grade <2 before PCI (chi (2) = 4.91, P = 0.03, odds ratio = 0.36) and TIMI flow grade

Acquisition of chopstick-operation skills with the non-dominant hand and concomitant changes in brain activity.

Despite their common use as eating utensils in East Asia, chopsticks require complex fine motor-skills for adequate operation and are thus most frequently used with the dominant hand; however, the effect of training time on the proficiency of using chopsticks with the non-dominant hand, as well as the brain activity underlying changes in skill, remain unclear. This study characterised the effect of time spent training in chopstick operation with the non-dominant hand on chopstick-use proficiency and the related brain activity to obtain data that may help individuals who are obliged to change handedness due to neurological disease to learn to use their non-dominant hand in performing daily activities. Thirty-two healthy right-handed students were randomly allocated to training (n = 16) or control (n = 16) groups; the former received 6 weeks of training in chopstick use with their non-dominant (left) hand, and the latter received none. After training, significant improvements in the execution speed and smoothness of upper extremity joints were observed in the training group. Moreover, left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex activity significantly decreased, and bilateral premotor cortex activity significantly increased across training. These results indicated that 6 weeks of chopstick training with the non-dominant hand effectively improved chopstick operation.

Non-invasive detection of ischemic left ventricular dysfunction using rest gated SPECT: expectation of simultaneous evaluation of both myocardial perfusion and wall motion abnormality.

OBJECTIVE: Although the accurate detection of ischemic etiology is important in the management of patients with severe left ventricular (LV) dysfunction, it is difficult to determine using a non-invasive strategy. The present study investigates whether perfusion and regional functional abnormalities identified by quantitative electrocardiographic gated single-photon emission computed tomography (QGS) at rest can detect ischemic LV dysfunction in patients with severe LV dysfunction. METHODS: Rest QGS with (99m)Tc-tetrofosmin was performed on 54 consecutive patients with LV ejection fraction of