Higher oxytocin concentrations occur in subjects who build affiliative relationships with companion robots.

Building affiliative relationships with others is important for mental health. Recently, robots have been expected to play a role in improving mental health, but there is little scientific evidence as to whether they can build affiliative relationships with humans. To investigate that, we conducted studies combining behavior, physiology and questionnaires for companion robot Owners and Non-Owners. The results reveal that the steady-state concentration of oxytocin, a hormone related to affiliative relationships, was significantly higher in Owners than in Non-Owners. In addition, the Owners showed more behaviors indicative of intimacy than the Non-Owners. These results suggest that humans can build affiliative relationships with robots. Fifteen minutes of contact with the robot decreased the concentration of cortisol in both groups, suggesting that even a brief contact can contribute to improving mental health. Therefore, relationships between humans and robots may be one option to improve mental health and enhance well-being.

Pulsed call sequences as contact calls in Pacific white-sided dolphins (Lagenorhynchus obliquidens).

Pacific white-sided dolphins are a group-living species and appear to exchange "contact calls" to maintain group cohesion. The aim of this study was to find and characterize their contact calls. Calls were recorded from two females at Osaka Aquarium KAIYUKAN (OAK) and three females at Izu-Mito Sea Paradise (IMSP). Because they often produced pulsed calls consecutively, a "pulsed call sequence" was defined as three or more successive pulsed calls occurring within 325 ms, which was calculated using a bout analysis. The pulsed call sequences increased during separation periods and decreased during reunions and were used for vocal exchange, suggesting that the sequences are contact calls in Pacific white-sided dolphins. Most of the pulsed call sequences were classified into unique types; several stereotyped, repeated patterns were found. One sequence type was found at OAK and the two dolphins shared the type; they exchanged sequences with type matching. On the other hand, three sequence types were found in IMSP and the three dolphins shared all of the types; however, each dolphin preferentially used different types and frequently exchanged with their own favorite types but not with type matching. These results suggest that the sequence type may function as an individual and/or group identity.

Analysis of DrkA kinase's role in STATa activation.

Dictyostelium STATa is a homologue of metazoan signal transducers and activators of transcription (STATs) and is important for morphogenesis. STATa is activated by phosphorylation on Tyr702 when cells are exposed to extracellular cAMP. Although two tyrosine kinase-like (TKL) proteins, Pyk2 and Pyk3, have been definitively identified as STATc kinases, no kinase is known for STATa activation. Based on homology to the previously identified tyrosine-selective TKLs, we identified DrkA, a member of the TKL family and the Dictyostelium receptor-like kinase (DRK) subfamily, as a candidate STATa kinase. The drkA gene is almost exclusively expressed in prestalk A (pstA) cells, where STATa is activated. Transient over-expression of DrkA increased STATa phosphorylation, although over-expression of the protein causes a severe growth defect and cell death. Furthermore, recombinant DrkA protein is auto-phosphorylated on tyrosine and threonine residues, and an in vitro kinase assay shows that DrkA can phosphorylate STATa on Tyr702 in a STATa-SH2 (phosphotyrosine binding) domain-dependent manner. These observations strongly suggest that DrkA is one of the key regulators of STATa tyrosine phosphorylation and is consistent with it being the kinase that directly activates STATa.

Implications of expansin-like 3 gene in Dictyostelium morphogenesis.

Dictyostelium harbors multiple expansin-like genes with generally unknown functions. Thus, we analyzed the expansin-like 3 (expL3) gene and found that its expression was reduced in a null mutant for a STATa gene encoding a transcription factor. The expression of expL3 was developmentally regulated and its transcript was spliced only in the multicellular stages. The expL3 promoter was activated in the anterior prestalk region of the parental strain and downregulated in the STATa null slug, although the expL3 promoter was still expressed in the prestalk region. The expL3 overexpressing strain exhibited delayed development and occasionally formed an aberrant structure, i.e., a fruiting body-like structure with a short stalk. The ExpL3-myc protein bound cellulose.

Osteoblastic osteosarcoma in a rabbit.

An osteosarcoma developed in the tarsal joint region involving the distal tibia of a domestic rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus). Micrometastases were present in the lungs. Histologically the tumor was composed of ovoid to short-spindle cells with abundant giant cells, producing irregular islands of osteoids. The tumor cells were immunopositive with antiosteocalcin monoclonal antibody, consistent with their derivation from osteoblasts. According to review of 10 published cases, productive osteoblasic osteosarcoma is the most common bone tumor in rabbits, with half of all cases developing in the skull or facial bones.

Taurine's health influence on Japanese high school girls.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) in children and adolescents has been increasing at an alarming rate. MS risks during childhood and adolescence adversely affect health conditions in later life. Thus, the characterization of their MS risks is a critical research field. The aims of this study are to survey the health status of Japanese adolescent females, a poorly characterized population, and to investigate the potential relationship between their MS risks and dietary factors like potassium (K) and taurine. METHODS: Anthropometric characteristics of 243 healthy school girls aged 13 to 18 years were measured. Serum levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and plasma levels of glucose and insulin were analyzed in fasting blood samples. We assessed overweight, disturbed lipid prolife, higher blood pressure (hBP) and higher plasma glucose (hGlc) levels as indicators of MS risks. The relationships between MS risks and urinary K or taurine excretion were investigated by dividing into higher and lower groups at medians of their urinary excretions. RESULTS: Half of junior high school (JHS) and one-quarter of senior high school (SHS) girls had at least one MS risk. The quite common risk was hGlc, the rates being 21% in JHS girls and 14% in SHS. The prevalence of being overweight and obesity were only small portions, the rate being 0% and 0% in JHS girls, and 10% and 1% in SHS, respectively. Substantial differences in the prevalence of hBP were observed between JHS (22%) and SHS (4%) girls. Furthermore, higher urinary K excretion group showed a significant decrease in triglyceride level (P = 0.03) and increase in HDL level (P = 0.003) compared with the lower. Also, the higher urinary taurine excretion group exhibited a significant reduction in triglyceride level (P = 0.04) compared with the lower. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that control of plasma glucose level rather than body weight is a crucial task in Japanese pubertal girls, and that a dietary habit rich in K and taurine could improve their lipid profile. Nutritional education based on these findings would help to prevent the future development of MS in Japanese female adolescents.

A case of lymphoma developing in the rabbit cecum.

A rare lymphoma that developed in the cecum of a domestic pet rabbit (6 years old, male, crossbred) was examined pathologically. The tumor consisted of proliferating neoplastic lymphoid cells, which were strongly stained with anti-CD79alpha monoclonal antibody. Electron microscopy revealed the tumor cells were composed of rough endoplasmic reticula and/or dilated rough endoplasmic reticula filled with moderately electron-dense material. These findings indicated the present case was rare digestive tract lymphoma originated from B-lymphocytic lineage in the cecum.

Rolipram depresses [(3)H]2-deoxyglucose uptake in mouse brain and heart in vivo.

The effects of systemic administration of rolipram, a selective phosphodiesterase type 4 inhibitor, on [(3)H]2-deoxyglucose (DG) uptake in brain and peripheral tissues were examined. Rolipram significantly and dose-dependently decreased [(3)H]DG uptake in brain, heart and skeletal muscle. In contrast, the radioactivity concentrations in the plasma of rolipram-treated mice were significantly higher than those of control mice at all times after injection of the tracer. In the kinetic study, the initial uptake of [(3)H]DG in brain was decreased by rolipram, whereas no significant differences were observed in the uptake in heart and skeletal muscle. However, radioactivity concentrations in the brain, heart and skeletal muscle 30 min after the injection of [(3)H]DG were significantly lowered by rolipram to about 60%, 10% and 10% of control values, respectively. The uptake of [(13)N]ammonia in brain and heart of rolipram-treated mice was slightly decreased, which indicated that rolipram diminished both cerebral and cardiac blood flow. These results indicate that the phosphorylation process via hexokinase rather than the transport of [(3)H]DG might be depressed by rolipram. Together with the previous observations that inhibition of protein kinase A (PKA) markedly enhanced [(14)C]DG uptake in rat brain, these results indicate an important role of the cAMP/PKA systems in the regulation of glucose metabolism in the living brain as well as in peripheral tissues such as the heart and skeletal muscle.