Construction of deep learning-based convolutional neural network model for automatic detection of fluid hysteroscopic endometrial micropolyps in infertile women with chronic endometritis.

OBJECTIVE(S): Chronic endometritis (CE) is a localized mucosal inflammatory disorder associated with female infertility of unknown etiology, endometriosis, tubal factors, repeated implantation failure, and recurrent pregnancy loss, along with atypical uterine bleeding and iron deficiency anemia. Diagnosis of CE has traditionally relied on endometrial biopsy and detection of CD138(+) endometrial stromal plasmacytes. To develop a less invasive diagnostic system for CE, we aimed to construct a deep learning-based convolutional neural network (CNN) model for the automatic detection of endometrial micropolyps (EMiP), a fluid hysteroscopy (F-HSC) finding recognized as tiny protrusive lesions that are closely related to this disease. STUDY DESIGN: This is an in silico study using archival images of F-HSC performed at an infertility center in a private clinic. A total of 244 infertile women undergoing F-HSC on the days 6-12 of the menstrual cycle between April 2019 and December 2021 with histopathologically-confirmed CE with the aid of immunohistochemistry for CD138 were utilized. RESULTS: The archival F-HSC images of 208 women (78 with EMiP and 130 without EMiP) who met the inclusion criteria were finally subjected to analysis. Following preprocessing of the images, half a set was input into a CNN architecture for training, whereas the remaining images were utilized as the test set to evaluate the performance of the model, which was compared with that of the experienced gynecologists. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, precision, and F1-score of the CNN model-aided diagnosis were 93.6 %, 92.3 %, 92.8 %, 88.0 %, and 0.907, respectively. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curves of the CNN model-aided diagnosis (0.930) was at a similar level (p > .05) to the value of conventional diagnosis by three experienced gynecologists (0.927, 0.948, and 0.906). CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that our deep learning-based CNN is capable of recognizing EMiP in F-HSC images and holds promise for further development of the computer-aided diagnostic system for CE.

Controlling the Magnetic Responsiveness of Cellulose Nanofiber Particles Embedded with Iron Oxide Nanoparticles.

2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO)-oxidized cellulose nanofiber (TOCN) particles, an innovative biobased material derived from wood biomass, have garnered significant interest, particularly in the biomedical field, for their distinctive properties as biocompatible particle adsorbents. However, their microscopic size complicates their separation in liquid media, thereby impeding their application in various domains. In this study, superparamagnetic magnetite nanoparticles (NPs), specifically iron oxide Fe3O4 NPs with an average size of 15 nm, were used to enhance the collection efficiency of TOCN-Fe3O4 composite particles synthesized through spray drying. These composite particles exhibited a remarkable ζ-potential (approximately -50 mV), indicating their high stability in water, as well as impressive magnetization properties (up to 47 emu/g), and rapid magnetic responsiveness within 60 s in water (3 wt % Fe3O4 to TOCN, 1 T magnet). Furthermore, the influence of Fe3O4 NP concentrations on the measurement of the speed of magnetic separation was quantitatively discussed. Additionally, the binding affinity of the synthesized particles for proteins was assessed on a streptavidin-biotin binding system, offering crucial insights into their binding capabilities with specific proteins and underscoring their significant potential as functionalized biomedical materials.

Exploring the benefits of full-time hospital facility dogs working with nurse handlers in a children's hospital.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the benefits of full-time hospital facility dogs (HFDs) working with qualified nurse handlers for inpatients in a pediatric medical facility. METHODS: A questionnaire survey on the evaluation of HFD activities was conducted in a hospital that had introduced HFDs for the first time in Japan and has been using them for 9 years. Of the 626 full-time medical staff, 431 responded, of which 270 who observed HFD activities were included in the analysis. The Questionnaire contained 20 questions, and nine questions were selected for presentation in this paper because they focused on the situations in which HFD activities were thought to have a strong impact on inpatients. A comparison of the respondents' evaluations for each question was made, and differences in the respondents' attributes (such as profession, length of clinical experience and experience of dog ownership) for those items were examined. RESULTS: The impact of HFDs in terminal care was ranked highest among the respondents. Similarly, HFDs increased patient cooperation for clinical procedures. The responses to these two items did not differ statistically depending on the respondents' attributes. The results imply that patients were more cooperative even for highly invasive examinations and procedures with the support of HFD activities. CONCLUSIONS: Healthcare providers considered that HFDs were useful, especially for providing support during the terminal phase and for gaining patients' cooperation for procedures. The fact that the handler was a nurse and the HFD team worked full-time may have enhanced the effectiveness of the program.

Tuning of water resistance and protein adsorption capacity of porous cellulose nanofiber particles prepared by spray drying with cross-linking reaction.

Porous particles composed of 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinyl-1-oxyl-oxidized cellulose nanofiber (TOCN) as building block, i.e., porous TOCN particles, are attracting attention due to their environmental friendliness, superior properties, such as easy handling, large surface area, and high adsorption capacity. However, the instability of TOCNs in aqueous environments limits their applications. An effective solution to improve water resistance of TOCN particles is to reduce the hydrophilicity of TOCNs by forming chemical bonds with a cross-linker. In this study, Carbodilite, a common, easy-to-use, commercially available cross-linker with carbodiimide groups, was used to investigate a chemical cross-linking strategy for porous TOCN particles prepared by spray drying. The water resistance of cross-linked TOCN particles was evaluated through morphological observation by SEM images. The presence of polycarbodiimide significantly increased water resistance of cross-linked TOCN particles up to 24 h. This study demonstrates the trade-off between water resistance and adsorption efficiency according to cross-linker concentrations. These data are useful for interface science of TOCNs in liquids, assisting in controlling specific properties of porous TOCN particles for particular applications in adsorption and separation.

A novel aquaporin-4-associated optic neuritis rat model with severe pathological and functional manifestations.

BACKGROUND: Optic neuritis (ON) is a common manifestation of aquaporin-4 (AQP4) antibody seropositive neuromyelitis optica (NMO). The extent of tissue damage is frequently severe, often leading to loss of visual function, and there is no curative treatment for this condition. To develop a novel therapeutic strategy, elucidating the underlying pathological mechanism using a clinically relevant experimental ON model is necessary. However, previous ON animal models have only resulted in mild lesions with limited functional impairment. In the present study, we attempted to establish a feasible ON model with severe pathological and functional manifestations using a high-affinity anti-AQP4 antibody. Subsequently, we aimed to address whether our model is suitable for potential drug evaluation by testing the effect of minocycline, a well-known microglia/macrophage inhibitor. METHODS: AQP4-immunoglobulin G (IgG)-related ON in rats was induced by direct injection of a high-affinity anti-AQP4 monoclonal antibody, E5415A. Thereafter, the pathological and functional characterizations were performed, and the therapeutic potential of minocycline was investigated. RESULTS: We established an experimental ON model that reproduces the histological characteristics of ON in seropositive NMO, such as loss of AQP4/glial fibrillary acidic protein immunoreactivity, immune cell infiltration, and extensive axonal damage. We also observed that our rat model exhibited severe visual dysfunction. The histological analysis showed prominent accumulation of macrophages/activated microglia in the lesion site in the acute phase. Thus, we investigated the possible effect of the pharmacological inhibition of macrophages/microglia activation by minocycline and revealed that it effectively ameliorated axonal damage and functional outcome. CONCLUSIONS: We established an AQP4-IgG-induced ON rat model with severe functional impairments that reproduce the histological characteristics of patients with NMO. Using this model, we revealed that minocycline treatment ameliorates functional and pathological outcomes, highlighting the usefulness of our model for evaluating potential therapeutic drugs for ON in NMO.

Prevalence and associated factors of circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders and insomnia among visually impaired Japanese individuals.

BACKGROUND: Although earlier studies have demonstrated that circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders (CRSWD) are more prevalent in visually impaired individuals, the actual prevalence of CRSWD and insomnia among the visually impaired Japanese population remains unclear. The aim of this cross-sectional, telephone-based study was to estimate the prevalence of CRSWD and insomnia, and explore factors associated with CRSWD and insomnia among visually impaired Japanese individuals. METHODS: A nationwide telephone survey was conducted among visually-impaired individuals through local branches of the Japan Federation of the Blind. In total, 157 visually impaired individuals were eligible for this study. Demographic information and information about visual impairments, lifestyle, and sleep patterns were assessed using questionnaires and subsequent telephone interviews. CRSWD and insomnia were defined according to the International Classification of Sleep Disorders-Third Edition criteria. RESULTS: The prevalence of CRSWD in visually impaired individuals was 33.1%. Among those with CRSWD, a non-24-h/irregular sleep-wake rhythm type was the most frequently observed (26.8%), followed by an advanced sleep-wake phase type and a delayed sleep-wake phase type (3.8 and 2.5%, respectively). Furthermore, 28.7% of the visually impaired individuals were found to have insomnia. In the visually impaired individuals, the absence of light perception, unemployment, living alone, and use of hypnotics were significantly associated with CRSWD, whereas only the use of hypnotics was extracted as a marginally associated factor of insomnia. CONCLUSIONS: CRSWD and insomnia were highly prevalent in visually impaired Japanese individuals. The presence of CRSWD among the visually impaired individuals was associated with a lack of light perception and/or social zeitgebers.

Enhanced and Prolonged Activity of Enzymes Adsorbed on TEMPO-Oxidized Cellulose Nanofibers.

2,2,6,6-Tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO)-oxidized cellulose nanofibers (TOCNs) have a width of about 4 nm and a very large specific surface area. TOCN is a negatively charged bionanomaterial having carboxy groups on the surface and promising physical properties. In particular, TOCN can be used as an adsorbent for biomolecules for biotechnological applications, but the adsorption behavior of biomolecules on the TOCN surface requires investigation. Thus, in this study, we investigated the adsorption behavior of pyrroloquinoline quinone-dependent glucose dehydrogenase (PQQ-GDH) on TOCN and evaluated the activity, structure, and long-term stability of the adsorbed enzyme. Transmission electron microscopy observation revealed that the enzyme was aligned and adsorbed on the TOCNs, and circular dichroism measurements were used to determine the structure of the enzyme adsorbed on TOCN. Interestingly, the adsorbed enzyme showed higher activity after adsorption, resulting in long-term retention of enzyme activity, probably because the stability of PQQ-GDH was improved by adsorption. These results suggest that TOCN is an excellent biomolecule immobilization material. Our results can be used for the development of biomaterials using TOCN as a scaffold for the adsorption of enzymes with increased stability and activity.

Effects of acute morning and evening exercise on subjective and objective sleep quality in older individuals with insomnia.

OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to compare the effects of acute morning or evening exercise on nocturnal sleep in individuals with two subjective insomnia symptoms: difficulty in initiating sleep (DIS), and early morning awakening (EMA), separately for the first vs the second halves of the night. METHODS: Older individuals (55-65 years old) with DIS (N = 15) or EMA (N = 15) and age- and sex-matched controls (N = 13) participated in this non-randomized crossover study. Participants were assigned to two exercise conditions (morning exercise and evening exercise) in counterbalanced order following the baseline condition with a two-week interval between conditions. A single session of aerobic step exercise was performed during each exercise condition. Nocturnal polysomnography was carried out to evaluate objective sleep quality. Patient global impression of change scale scores for nocturnal sleep were obtained to subjectively evaluate the different groups. RESULTS: Acute physical exercise did not improve subjective sleep quality. Morning exercise decreased the number of stage shifts over the whole night. The arousal index and the number of stage shifts were decreased especially during the second half of the night in all groups. Furthermore, morning exercise decreased the number of wake stages during the second half of the night in the DIS group, but not in the EMA group. CONCLUSIONS: Acute morning exercise can improve nocturnal sleep quality in individuals with difficulty initiating sleep, especially during the later part of the night.

A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Survey of Sleep-Related Problems in Japanese Visually Impaired Patients: Prevalence and Association with Health-Related Quality of Life.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: This questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was conducted (1) to estimate the prevalence of sleep-related problems, and (2) to explore factors associated with lower physical/mental quality of life (QOL), particularly addressing sleep-related problems among Japanese visually impaired people. METHODS: This nationwide questionnaire-based survey was administered to visually impaired individuals through the Japan Federation of the Blind. Visually impaired individuals without light perception (LP) (n = 311), those with LP (n = 287), and age-matched and gender-matched controls (n = 615) were eligible for this study. Study questionnaires elicited demographic information, and information about visual impairment status, sleep-related problems, and health-related quality of life. RESULTS: Visually impaired individuals with and without LP showed higher prevalence rates of irregular sleep-wake patterns and difficulty maintaining sleep than controls (34.7% and 29.4% vs. 15.8%, 60.1% and 46.7% vs. 26.8%, respectively; p < 0.001). These sleep-related problems were observed more frequently in visually impaired individuals without LP than in those with LP. Non-restorative sleep or excessive daytime sleepiness was associated with lower mental/physical QOL in visually impaired individuals with LP and in control subjects. However, visually impaired individuals without LP showed irregular sleep-wake pattern or difficulty waking up at the desired time, which was associated with lower mental/physical QOL. CONCLUSIONS: Sleep-related problems were observed more frequently in visually impaired individuals than in controls. Moreover, the rates of difficulties were higher among subjects without LP. Sleep-related problems, especially circadian rhythm-related ones, can be associated with lower mental/physical QOL in visually impaired individuals without LP.

Napping after complex motor learning enhances juggling performance.

The present study examined whether a nap after complex motor learning enhanced the following day's physical performance. Eighteen volunteers met the inclusion criteria and were assigned to either a nap (n=9; men=5; mean age=21.0±1.5) or no-nap group (n=9; men=5; mean age=21.9±0.3). Participants practiced juggling in the morning and were tested immediately afterwards. Participants of the nap group were given a 70-minute nap opportunity after juggling practice, while the no-nap group stayed awake. Juggling performance was then tested in the evening (retest-1) and the next morning (retest-2). Two-way analysis of variance (group: nap, no-nap×time: test, retest-1, retest-2) found there was a significant effect of test time and a significant group×time interaction. The juggling performance of both groups improved from test to retest-1, respectively. However, the juggling performance level of the nap group was higher than that of the no-nap group at the retest-1. As predicted, a nap promptly after learning motor skills was associated with subsequently improved performance. Moreover, the juggling performance of the nap group showed additional significant improvements in the retest-2. In the no-nap group, however, there were no significant improvements in the juggling performance after nocturnal sleep. These results demonstrate that the benefits of a nap following learning were further enhanced after nocturnal sleep. The present results may provide justification for introducing nap periods into daily athletic training as an active method to improve performance.

The impact of a delayed sleep-wake schedule on depression is greater in women--A web-based cross-sectional study in Japanese young adults.

Sleep-related problems, such as symptoms of insomnia, daytime sleepiness, shorter sleep duration, or a delayed sleep-wake schedule, are known to be risk factors for depression. In general, depression is more prevalent in women than in men, but sleep-related problems do not necessarily show similar gender predominance. Hence, it can be speculated that the impact of sleep-related problems on the development process of depression differs between genders; however, so far, few studies have focused on this issue. The aim of this study was to clarify gender differences in the rates of depression of people with the above sleep-related problems, and to examine gender differences in factors associated with depression in Japanese young adults. A web-based questionnaire survey comprising assessments of demographic variables, sleep-related variables (bed time, wake time, sleep onset latency, frequency of difficulty in initiating sleep and that in maintaining sleep, i.e. symptom components of insomnia, and daytime sleepiness), and the 12-item version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale was administered to 2502 participants (males:females = 1144:1358, age range = 19-25 years). Female predominance in the rate of depression was observed only in subjects with a delayed sleep-wake schedule (χ(2)(1) = 15.44, p < 0.001). In men, daytime sleepiness and difficulty in initiating sleep were significantly associated with depression (odds ratio [OR] = 2.39, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.69, 3.39], p < 0.001; OR = 3.50, 95% CI = [2.29, 5.35], p < 0.001, respectively), whereas in women, significant associations were found between depression and a delayed sleep-wake schedule (OR = 1.75, 95% CI = [1.28, 2.39], p < 0.001), daytime sleepiness (OR = 2.13, 95% CI = [1.60, 2.85], p < 0.001), and difficulty in initiating sleep (OR = 4.37, 95% CI = [3.17, 6.03], p < 0.001). These results indicate that in younger generations, the impact of a delayed sleep-wake schedule on the development of depression is greater in women; specifically, women are vulnerable to depression when they have an eveningness-type lifestyle, which is possibly attributable to the female-specific intrinsic earlier and shorter circadian rhythm. These results suggest the necessity of gender-based approaches to treating sleep-related problems for alleviating or preventing depressive symptoms in young adults.

Prevalence and Correlates of Insufficient Sleep Syndrome in Japanese Young Adults: A Web-Based Cross-Sectional Study.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the prevalence and risk factors of insufficient sleep syndrome (ISS), and factors associated with daytime dysfunction in the disorder in Japanese young adults. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, a web-based questionnaire survey was used to assess demographic variables, sleep habits and quality, depressive symptoms, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in 2,276 participants aged 20-25. RESULTS: Eleven percent of participants were classified as having ISS. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that the presence of ISS was significantly associated with social status (student or full-time employee). The participants with ISS had significantly higher depression scores and lower mental component summary scores than healthy sleepers. In the participants with ISS, a delayed sleep-wake schedule was extracted as a factor associated with worse mental component summary. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate a relatively high proportion of Japanese young adults suffer from ISS, and that the condition is associated with a social status of student or full-time employee. Moreover, a delayed sleep-wake schedule may lead to further deterioration of mental HRQOL in ISS-affected persons.

Effect of delayed sleep phase during university life on the daytime functioning in work life after graduation.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects of changes in sleep phase on the daytime functioning of new university graduates. METHODS: Questionnaire data of university students (n = 745) and university graduates working full time (n = 360) were analyzed to explore sleep phase changes during this life stage. The newly graduated full-time workers (n = 117) were divided into 2 (bedtime at investigation: earlier/later) × 2 groups (bedtime at one year prior to investigation: earlier/later), and depressive symptoms and health-related quality of life were compared among groups. RESULTS: New university graduates experienced ~1 h of sleep phase advancement and shortened time in bed compared to one year before investigation. In addition, those who experienced such sleep changes showed larger daytime dysfunction. CONCLUSION: Prevention of extreme sleep phase delay during university days might be helpful for students' adaptation to work environment after graduation.

Exercise effects on sleep physiology.

This mini-review focuses on the effects of exercise on sleep. In its early days, sleep research largely focused on central nervous system (CNS) physiology using standardized tabulations of several sleep-specific landmark electroencephalogram (EEG) waveforms. Though coarse, this method has enabled the observation and inspection of numerous uninterrupted sleep phenomena. The research on the effects of exercise on sleep began, in the 1960s, with a focus primarily on sleep related EEG changes (CNS sleep). Those early studies found only small effects of exercise on sleep. However, more recent sleep research has explored not only CNS functioning, but somatic physiology as well. Sleep should be affected by daytime exercise, as physical activity alters endocrine, autonomic nervous system (ANS), and somatic functions. Since endocrinological, metabolic, and autonomic changes can be measured during sleep, it should be possible to assess exercise effects on somatic physiology in addition to CNS sleep quality, evaluated by standard polysomnographic (PSG) techniques. Additional measures of somatic physiology have provided enough evidences to conclude that the auto-regulatory, global regulation of sleep is not the exclusive domain of the CNS, but it is heavily influenced by inputs from the rest of the body.

[Impact on reproducibility of the treatment position by improving immobilization device in image guided radiation therapy].

UNLABELLED: The immobilization device for treatment becomes important to obtain fixation and reproducibility of the treatment position. It was confirmed that reproducibility of the treatment position obtains higher accuracy by the method of using immobilization device. METHODS: We divided into three terms by the methods of immobilization. An infrared reflective marker performs the setup of a position at the start of treatment, and setup of the patient in a fixed implement is performed by ExacTrac. Difference between coordinates of the immobilization device and the patient position was calculated by the vector in three directions. We estimated the position error index (PE(index)) by using the square root of the sum of square of each vectors, and evaluated the amount of differences of patient position at three terms. RESULTS: Mean and standard deviation of index values were 9.53 ± 7.21, 8.50 ± 5.93, and 6.42 ± 3.80 at each three terms. With every passing year, the amount of gap and difference of the patient fixation has decreased. CONCLUSION: By the improvement of the use of the immobilization device, gap and difference of fixation has decreased. Accordingly, we could obtain better accuracy of fixation.

Identification of beta-catenin as a novel substrate of Polo-like kinase 1.

Polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1) is a serine/threonine kinase that plays an important role in M phase progression by regulating various downstream substrates via phosphorylation. Here, we identified beta-catenin as a novel substrate of Plk1 and determined that Ser-718 is a phosphorylation site for Plk1 by using a phospho-specific antibody that cross-reacts with Plk1-dependent phosphorylation sites. Ser-718 of beta-catenin was directly phosphorylated by recombinant Plk1 in vitro, with the phosphorylation signal in cells increasing with overexpression of Plk1 and decreasing when endogenous Plk1 was depleted by small interfering RNA. The phosphorylation at Ser-718 was correlated with the cell cycle-dependent expression of Plk1 which reached a maximum in M phase. We also confirmed that there is a physical interaction between beta-catenin and Plk1 using coimmunoprecipitation and a GST pull-down assay. These results demonstrate that beta-catenin is a physiological substrate of Plk1 in cells, which may provide a novel insight into the role of beta-catenin in M phase.

A novel inhibitor of advanced glycation and endoplasmic reticulum stress reduces infarct volume in rat focal cerebral ischemia.

We have developed a novel, non-toxic inhibitor of advanced glycation and oxidative stress, TM2002, devoid of effect on blood pressure. In transient focal ischemia, TM2002 significantly decreased infarct volume compared with vehicle (79.5+/-18.7 vs. 183.3+/-22.9 mm3, p<0.01). In permanent focal ischemia, TM2002 (2.79, 5.58, and 11.16 mg/kg twice a day) dose-dependently reduced infarct volume (242.1+/-32.3, 201.3+/-15.1, and 171.3+/-15.2 mm3, respectively), and improved neurological deficits. Reduction of infarct volume is demonstrable, provided that TM2002 was administered within 1.5 h after the occlusion. To unravel TM2002's mechanism of action, we examined its in vitro effect on endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, using aortic smooth muscle cells isolated from ORP 150(+/-) mice and F9 Herp null mutated cells. Cell death induced by ER stress (tunicamycin or hypoxia) was dose-dependently prevented by TM2002. In vivo immunohistochemical study demonstrated a significant reduction of ORP- and TUNEL-positive apoptotic cells, especially in the penumbra. Inhibition of advanced glycation and oxidative stress was confirmed by a significantly reduced number of cells positive for advanced glycation end products and heme oxygenase-1. TM2002 reduced the levels of protein carbonyl formation in ischemic caudate. The efficacy of TM2002 is equivalent to that of a known neuroprotective agent, NXY-059. In conclusion, TM2002 significantly ameliorates ischemic cerebral damage through reduction of ER stress, advanced glycation, and oxidative stress, independently of blood pressure lowering.

Administration of hematopoietic cytokines increases the expression of anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10) mRNA in the subacute phase after stroke.

We investigated the effect of the subcutaneous administration of hematopoietic cytokines, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF)+stem cell factor (SCF), on mRNA expression of tissue cytokines in the acute or subacute phase after focal ischemia in male C57 BL/6J mice. The expression of IL-10 mRNA was elevated at 4-14 days after occlusion when cytokines were given in the acute phase (days 1-10). The expression of IL-10 mRNA was markedly elevated at 14 days after occlusion, then remained high until 28 days when cytokines were given in the subacute phase (days 11-20). However, there were no significant changes in IL-6, TGF-beta1, TNF, G-CSF, SCF and iNOS expression following either acute- or subacute-phase treatment. Further, hematopoietic cytokine treatment in the subacute phase, but not in the acute phase, reduced ED1-positive microglia/macrophages in the infarcted brain. Our recent study showed that the subacute-phase treatment is effective for functional recovery, enhancing generation of neuronal cells from both bone-marrow-derived and neural stem/progenitor cells. Taken together, these results suggest that cytokine treatment in the subacute phase may provide a favorable microenvironment for neurogenesis after ischemic stroke through the up-regulation of IL-10.