Stratum corneum compliance enhances tactile sensitivity through increasing skin deformation: A study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Tactile sensation plays a crucial role in object manipulation, communication, and even emotional well-being. It has been reported that the deformability of skin (also described as skin compliance) that shows a large mechanical response to stimuli is associated with high tactile sensitivity. However, although the compliance of the stratum corneum, the outermost layer of skin, can change daily due to skin care and environmental factors, few studies have quantified the effect of the stratum corneum on tactile sensation. AIMS: We investigated the changes in tactile sensitivity resulting from skin hydration and identified corresponding alterations in the compliance of the stratum corneum. METHODS: A randomized controlled trial was conducted. Participants were randomly assigned to an intervention group (n = 20) that had a moisturizing cream applied to their cheeks or a control group (n = 19) that had Milli-Q water applied to their cheeks. Tactile discrimination performance was assessed using psychophysical techniques before and after application. The water content, mechanical response characteristics, and penetration of PEG/PPG-17/4 dimethyl ether from the cream in the stratum corneum were evaluated to identify hydration effects. Skin deformations occurring during tactile sensation were measured concurrently using a suction device employed for tactile stimulation. RESULTS: Tactile sensitivity was increased in participants who had cream applied to the skin surface, while no significant change was observed in participants who received Milli-Q water. The improved discrimination of tactile stimulus intensity was directly related to the magnitude of skin displacement. The higher water content of the stratum corneum due to cream application decreased the dynamic modulus of elasticity of the stratum corneum and increased the skin's extensibility in response to tactile stimuli. CONCLUSIONS: Hydrating the stratum corneum significantly enhances tactile sensitivity and is accompanied by an increase in skin extensibility, a factor in tactile intensity perception. The compliance of the thin stratum corneum layer plays a crucial role in tactile experiences that involve skin stretching.

The dynamic behavior of skin in response to vibrating touch stimuli affects tactile perception.

BACKGROUND: The tactile perceptions arising on the skin mediate representations of the body and perceptions of the external physical world. Thus, these tactile sensations greatly impact our lives. Although tactile perception is caused by skin deformation, few studies have investigated the contribution of skin physical properties to tactile perception because the skin deformation in response to mechanical stimuli is difficult to measure in real time. In this study, we investigated how the skin deforms in response to externally applied mechanical stimuli and the effect of skin deformation on tactile perception. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Tactile perception was assessed using psychophysical methods. A suction device was used to measure skin deformation in response to mechanical stimuli while assessing tactile perception. The relationship between skin deformation and tactile perception was investigated. RESULTS: Individuals show different skin deformation behavior in response to stimuli of the same intensity, and the amount of skin deformation affects the perceived pressure induced by suction stimulation. Furthermore, when the amount of skin deformation is small, tactile perception becomes more difficult, and the ease of tactile perception varies. CONCLUSION: We argue that dynamic skin behavior is an important factor in tactile perception. Focusing on skin physical characteristics from a constructivist perspective of complex tactile perception may lead to improved tactile communication perception through the control of skin physical properties and realistic tactile presentation in remote environments.

Alleviating Surgeons' Stress through Listening to Natural Sounds in a Half-Encapsulated Rest Space after an Operation: A Pilot, Longitudinal Field Study.

BACKGROUND: Natural sounds are reportedly restorative, but most research has used one-off experiments conducted in artificial conditions. Research based on field experiments is still in its infancy. This study aimed to generate hypotheses on the restorative effects of listening to natural sounds on surgeons, representing professionals working in stressful conditions. METHODS: Each of four surgeons (two experts and two residents) participated six times in an experiment where they took a 10-min break listening to natural sounds (four times) or without natural sounds (twice) after a surgical operation. We measured their skin conductance level, an indicator of sympathetic arousal, continuously during the break (measurement occasions N = 2520) and assessed their mood using two questionnaires before and after the break (N = 69 and N = 42). We also interviewed them after the break. RESULTS: Based on statistical Linear Mixed-Effects modeling, we developed two hypotheses for further, more detailed studies: (H1) Listening to natural sounds after an operation improves surgeons' mood. (H2) Inexperienced surgeons' tension persists so long that the effect of natural sounds on their sympathetic arousal is negligible. CONCLUSIONS: This risk-free, easy-to-use means of stress alleviation through natural sounds could benefit highly-stressed people working indoors.

Small molecule-induced trinucleotide repeat contractions during in vitro DNA synthesis.

We demonstrated that a synthetic ligand NA, which selectively binds to a 5'-CAG-3'/5'-CAG-3' triad, induced repeat contractions during DNA polymerase-mediated primer extension through the CAG repeat template. A thorough capillary electrophoresis and sequencing analysis revealed that the d(CAG)20 template gave shortened nascent strands mainly containing 3-6 CTG units in the presence of NA.

Effect of Faint Road Traffic Noise Mixed in Birdsong on the Perceived Restorativeness and Listeners' Physiological Response: An Exploratory Study.

Many studies have reported that natural sounds (e.g., birdsong) are more restorative than urban noise. These studies have used physiological and psychological indicators, such as the skin conductance level (SCL) and the Perceived Restorativeness Scale (PRS), to evaluate the restorative effect of natural sounds. However, the effect of faint background noise mixed with birdsong on the restorativeness of birdsong has not been described yet. In the current experiment, we examined whether traffic noise affects the perceived restorativeness and the physiological restorativeness of birdsong in a low-stress condition using the SCL and the PRS. The scores of the PRS showed that birdsong significantly increased the perceived restorativeness of the place regardless of the car noise, but no significant difference was found between these two birdsongs. In contrast, physiologically, the birdsong without car noise decreased the participants' SCL significantly more than the birdsong with car noise did. These results indicate that the SCL would be useful to detect the effect of background noise on natural sound when the noise is too low to affect the perceived restorativeness. This study highlights the importance of measuring the SCL besides assessing perceived restorativeness to describe the characteristics of restorative natural sound in future research.

[Development of Community Rehabilitation for People with Disability in Kawasaki City].

Since 1996, Kawasaki City has been constructing community rehabilitation programs for persons with disabilities. In 2000, a comprehensive community rehabilitation plan for Kawasaki City was established, including the activities that would realize it. This community rehabilitation plan aims to provide people with disabilities with comprehensive rehabilitation for improving their quality of life in the community through maintaining or rebuilding lifestyles. Its basic philosophy is represented by the key words "comprehensiveness," "expertise," and "community-based." We entrust it with our own financialresources. Over the last 20 years, the City government and the non government organization have collaborated to develop this plan. The homevisit rehabilitation service is the most important and main program in the comprehensive community rehabilitation system in Kawasaki City.

[Home Visit Rehabilitation for a Patient with ALS to Improve Social Participation].

Patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis(ALS)often experience reduced social participation because of their need for constant medical and physical care. In the community, care teams that consist of home care workers, nurses, and other professionals provide support for these patients. However, these care teams may not have sufficient knowledge of ALS. Therefore, these are requests to us from some of these teams when they want to get specific advice on support for patients with ALS. In this study, we report our experience of home visit rehabilitation for an adult with ALS who aimed to continue their Social participation. We carried out comprehensive assessment and provided expert advice on seating systems, communication and transportation aids, and building a relationship with the care team.

[Home Visit Rehabilitation in Kawasaki City and Its Management Function].

Kawasaki City has been developing its community rehabilitation system for people with disabilities since 1996. In this system, the home visit rehabilitation project plays a main role. This project involves teams comprising physiatrists, physical and occupational therapists, psychologists, speech therapists, and social workers. They visit a patient at his/her residence to provide rehabilitation of the patient's living model after medical rehabilitation at a medical facility. The teams then perform comprehensive rehabilitation using interdisciplinary procedures to improve the patient's quality of life in their home and social activities. In this paper, we outline the home visit rehabilitation project being implemented in Kawasaki City, including the role of the social worker who manages the overall home visit rehabilitation services.

[Home Visit Rehabilitation Based on the Philosophy of Community Rehabilitation-House Renovation and Use of Assistive Devices Lead to Participation in Society].

In this paper, we report our work in home visit rehabilitation based on the philosophy of community rehabilitation. Our team consists of in physiatrist, physical therapist, occupational therapist, clinical psychologist, public health nurse, and social worker. First, our team visited people with disabilities who lived in the community to determine their various needs and the causes of their potential challenges. Second, we offered support to ensure that people with disabilities realized better living, employing all accessible rehabilitation technologies and social resources. The focus of this paper is the case of a female patient with cervical spinal cord injury who changed her mind regarding living better and actively participating in society, from merely persisting to achieve"meaningless physical recovery." We recommended house renovation for easy movement and the use of assistive devices, which enable people with disabilities to move safely in their living space. We also advised the patient to use" Care lifts, which are equipment for moving the body up and down for transfer and movement,"or independent bathing and changing wheelchairs. After the intervention, she could actively participate in volunteer activities to help persons with disability when they go out.

Effect of dietary kapok oil supplementation on growth performance, carcass traits, meat quality and sensory traits of pork in finishing-pigs.

Kapok seed and oil from the tropical zone are widely used as pig feed to harden porcine fat in Japan. This study evaluated the effect of dietary kapok oil supplementation on pork quality and sensory traits. Five Duroc pigs each were assigned to an experimental group supplemented with kapok oil and a control group. Dietary kapok oil supplementation had no effect on growth performance and intramuscular fat content in the Longissimus dorsi muscle (LM). Supplemental kapok oil increased saturated fatty acid contents in subcutaneous and intramuscular fat and decreased monounsaturated fatty acid levels (P < 0.05). Off-flavor detection by a trained panel was higher in the experimental than the control group (P < 0.05), but tenderness, juiciness, texture and flavor intensity of LM chops were similar in both groups. The overall palatability of pork as judged by a consumer panel decreased with kapok oil supplementation (P < 0.01). These results indicate that while growth performance, intramuscular fat contents and carcass characteristics were unchanged, while dietary kapok oil supplementation makes firm fat to prevent inferior soft fat in pork, it can lower the palatability of pork due to a decrease in monounsaturated fatty acids.

Estimates of genetic parameters for chemical traits of meat quality in Japanese black cattle.

Genetic parameters for 54 carcass and chemical traits, such as general composition (moisture, crude fat and crude protein), fatty acid composition and water-soluble compounds (free amino acids, peptides, nucleotides and sugars) of 587 commercial Japanese Black cattle were assessed. Heritability estimates for carcass traits and general composition ranged between 0.19-0.28, whereas those for fatty acid composition ranged between 0.11-0.85. Most heritability estimates for water-soluble compounds were lower than 0.30; these traits were affected by aging period. Moderate heritability was observed for glutamine, alanine, taurine, anserine, inosine 5'-monophosphate (IMP), inosine and myo-inositol. In particular, heritability estimates were the highest (0.66) for taurine. Traits with moderate heritability were unaffected by aging period, with the exception of IMP, which was affected by aging period but exhibited moderate heritability (0.47). Although phenotypic correlations of water-soluble compounds with carcass weight (CW), beef marbling standard (BMS) and monounsaturated fatty acid were generally low, genetic correlations between these traits were low to high. At the genetic level, most of the water-soluble compounds were positively correlated with monounsaturated fatty acid but negatively correlated with CW and BMS. Thus, our results indicate that genetic variance and correlations could exist and be captured for some of the water-soluble compounds.

Utilizing the Cyberforest live sound system with social media to remotely conduct woodland bird censuses in Central Japan.

We have developed a system that streams and archives live sound from remote areas across Japan via an unmanned automatic camera. The system was used to carry out pilot bird censuses in woodland; this allowed us to examine the use of live sound transmission and the role of social media as a mediator in remote scientific monitoring. The system has been streaming sounds 8 h per day for more than five years. We demonstrated that: (1) the transmission of live sound from a remote woodland could be used effectively to monitor birds in a remote location; (2) the simultaneous involvement of several participants via Internet Relay Chat to listen to live sound transmissions could enhance the accuracy of census data collection; and (3) interactions through Twitter allowed members of the public to engage or help with the remote monitoring of birds and experience inaccessible nature through the use of novel technologies.

A cross-cultural study of attitudes toward and beliefs about, male homosexuality.

This study attempted to compare British and Japanese people's beliefs about the etiolology, manifestations, and changes of male homosexuality. A total of 208 participants completed, in their native language, a three-part questionnaire consisting of 81 items, which covered etiological explanations of homosexuality, general attitudes toward the concept and practice of homosexuality, and efficacy of strategies to change homosexuality. It was hypothesized that Japanese would exhibit more negative beliefs about homosexuality than the British and would tend to favor sociological explanations as possible etiological factors whereas British would prefer biological explanatory models. The Japanese were more unfavorable toward homosexuality, showing more reluctance in contact with homosexuals. However, while British supported biological models, Japanese' attitudes ranged widely from social, biological, to cognitive accounts. Implications for approaches to overcome social stigma in the Japanese society are discussed.

Hypoxic status in ovarian serous and mucinous tumors: relationship between histological characteristics and HIF-1alpha/GLUT-1 expression.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: We analyzed the expression of hypoxia inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha) and glucose transporter-1 (GLUT-1) by immunohistochemistry in ovarian serous and mucinous tumors from the point view of the histological characteristics and acquisition of malignancy. A total of 102 ovarian tumors were examined, composed of 31 adenomas (serous 17 and mucinous 14), 32 borderline tumors (serous 13 and mucinous 19), and 39 adenocarcinomas (serous 21 and mucinous 18). RESULTS: The overall positive ratios were as follows: HIF-1alpha, 74% of adenomas, 91% of borderline tumors, and 100% of adenocarcinomas; and GLUT-1, 68% of adenomas, 95% of borderline tumors, and 100% of adenocarcinomas. Comparing serous tumors and mucinous tumors, there was no significant difference in the positive ratios of HIF-1alpha and GLUT-1 of adenomas, borderline tumors, and adenocarcinomas. However, both markers were more strongly expressed in serous adenocarcinomas (HIF-1alpha, 3 + 100%; GLUT-1, 3+76%) than in mucinous adenocarcinomas (HIF-1alpha, 3 + 61%; GLUT-1, 3 + 28%). The results of immunoblotting and mRNA expression level analyses corresponded with those of immunohistochemical expression profiles. DNA binding assay also demonstrated that HIF-1 is more commonly activated in serous adenocarcinomas than in mucinous adenocarcinomas. CONCLUSION: HIF-1alpha and GLUT-1 expressions seemed to be coordinated to adapt ovarian tumor cells into hypoxic conditions in close association with the acquisition of malignancy. We consider that the relatively strong expression of both markers in serous tumors compared with mucinous tumors is related to the difference in their histological characteristics.

Diversification of transcriptional modulation: large-scale identification and characterization of putative alternative promoters of human genes.

By analyzing 1,780,295 5'-end sequences of human full-length cDNAs derived from 164 kinds of oligo-cap cDNA libraries, we identified 269,774 independent positions of transcriptional start sites (TSSs) for 14,628 human RefSeq genes. These TSSs were clustered into 30,964 clusters that were separated from each other by more than 500 bp and thus are very likely to constitute mutually distinct alternative promoters. To our surprise, at least 7674 (52%) human RefSeq genes were subject to regulation by putative alternative promoters (PAPs). On average, there were 3.1 PAPs per gene, with the composition of one CpG-island-containing promoter per 2.6 CpG-less promoters. In 17% of the PAP-containing loci, tissue-specific use of the PAPs was observed. The richest tissue sources of the tissue-specific PAPs were testis and brain. It was also intriguing that the PAP-containing promoters were enriched in the genes encoding signal transduction-related proteins and were rarer in the genes encoding extracellular proteins, possibly reflecting the varied functional requirement for and the restricted expression of those categories of genes, respectively. The patterns of the first exons were highly diverse as well. On average, there were 7.7 different splicing types of first exons per locus partly produced by the PAPs, suggesting that a wide variety of transcripts can be achieved by this mechanism. Our findings suggest that use of alternate promoters and consequent alternative use of first exons should play a pivotal role in generating the complexity required for the highly elaborated molecular systems in humans.

Signal sequence and keyword trap in silico for selection of full-length human cDNAs encoding secretion or membrane proteins from oligo-capped cDNA libraries.

We have developed an in silico method of selection of human full-length cDNAs encoding secretion or membrane proteins from oligo-capped cDNA libraries. Fullness rates were increased to about 80% by combination of the oligo-capping method and ATGpr, software for prediction of translation start point and the coding potential. Then, using 5'-end single-pass sequences, cDNAs having the signal sequence were selected by PSORT ('signal sequence trap'). We also applied 'secretion or membrane protein-related keyword trap' based on the result of BLAST search against the SWISS-PROT database for the cDNAs which could not be selected by PSORT. Using the above procedures, 789 cDNAs were primarily selected and subjected to full-length sequencing, and 334 of these cDNAs were finally selected as novel. Most of the cDNAs (295 cDNAs: 88.3%) were predicted to encode secretion or membrane proteins. In particular, 165(80.5%) of the 205 cDNAs selected by PSORT were predicted to have signal sequences, while 70 (54.2%) of the 129 cDNAs selected by 'keyword trap' preserved the secretion or membrane protein-related keywords. Many important cDNAs were obtained, including transporters, receptors, and ligands, involved in significant cellular functions. Thus, an efficient method of selecting secretion or membrane protein-encoding cDNAs was developed by combining the above four procedures.

Increased expression of calcium-binding protein S100 in human uterine smooth muscle tumours.

S100 proteins belong to the EF-hand Ca(2+ )-binding protein family and regulate a variety of cellular processes via interaction with different target proteins. Several diseases, including cancer and melanoma, are related to the abnormal expression of S100 proteins, which are expressed in cell- and tissue-specific manners. We investigated the expression of S100 family members in human uterine smooth muscle tumours. Expression of six members of the S100 protein family: S100A1, A4, A6, A7, A10 and A11, was found in human uterine leiomyoma and myometrium tissue, but expression of other members was not detected by RT-PCR. Real-time PCR showed that S100A11 expression was significantly increased in leiomyoma compared with myometrium. Suppression of S100A11 by small interfering RNA (siRNA) led to apoptosis, and the overexpression of S100A11 inhibited apoptosis in human uterine smooth muscle tumour cells. These findings suggest that S100A11 has an anti-apoptotic function and is related to the process of growth of human uterine leiomyoma.

Complete sequencing and characterization of 21,243 full-length human cDNAs.

As a base for human transcriptome and functional genomics, we created the "full-length long Japan" (FLJ) collection of sequenced human cDNAs. We determined the entire sequence of 21,243 selected clones and found that 14,490 cDNAs (10,897 clusters) were unique to the FLJ collection. About half of them (5,416) seemed to be protein-coding. Of those, 1,999 clusters had not been predicted by computational methods. The distribution of GC content of nonpredicted cDNAs had a peak at approximately 58% compared with a peak at approximately 42%for predicted cDNAs. Thus, there seems to be a slight bias against GC-rich transcripts in current gene prediction procedures. The rest of the cDNAs unique to the FLJ collection (5,481) contained no obvious open reading frames (ORFs) and thus are candidate noncoding RNAs. About one-fourth of them (1,378) showed a clear pattern of splicing. The distribution of GC content of noncoding cDNAs was narrow and had a peak at approximately 42%, relatively low compared with that of protein-coding cDNAs.

Serum carbohydrate antigen elevations in endometrial adenocarcinomas: characterization of DU-PAN-2 expression as a tumor marker.

AIM: To characterize serum elevations of carbohydrate antigens; DU-PAN-2, CA19-9, sialyl Lewisx and CA125 in endometrial adenocarcinomas (EMACs), particularly focusing on the clarification of DU-PAN-2 expression profiles. METHODS: Sixty-four resected EMACs of endometrioid type were used. The preoperative serum values of four markers were measured and comparatively analyzed regarding the relationship between histological grade and clinicopathological stage. RESULTS: The overall ratios of positive cases were 26.2% for DU-PAN-2, 25.0% for CA19-9, 13.6% for sialyl Lewisx, and 35.5% for CA125. DU-PAN-2 decreased as the grading went up (G1: 410.3 +/- 243.8 to G3: 246.7 +/- 90.0 U/mL), however, the reverse was true with CA19-9 (G1: 123.9 +/- 147.4 to G3: 320.0 +/- 180.0 U/mL). Sialyl Lewisx showed a strong tendency towards high elevation in G1 (346.3 +/- 102.6 U/mL), compared to G3 (< 2.5 U/mL). CA125 increased markedly as the grading went up (G1: 43.5 +/- 6.3 to G3: 578.0 +/- 10.0 U/mL). During staging-up from I + II to III + IV, the positive ratios inclined in all four markers as follows: DU-PAN-2, 18.4-53.3%; CA19-9, 20.4-40.0%; sialyl Lewisx, 11.4-22.2%; CA125, 31.8-44.4%. Serum elevations and positive ratios were correlated for DU-PAN-2, CA19-9 and CA125, while the reverse relationship was found for sialyl Lewisx. CONCLUSION: It is suggested that DU-PAN-2 tends to be produced more in well-differentiated components of EMACs than in poorly differentiated ones. Since approximately half the cases with EMAC were serologically positive for DU-PAN-2 in stage III + IV, the marker is believed to be of much use for monitoring the cases with an extrauterine extent.

Losartan inhibits myosin isoform shift after myocardial infarction in rats.

Hypertrophy and heart failure following a myocardial infarction in rodents are accompanied by a switch of myosin isoforms from V1 to V3. The angiotensin II receptor blocker, Losartan, has been demonstrated to improve cardiac function and long-term survival after myocardial infarction. In this study we have investigated whether chronic Losartan treatment affects myosin isoform composition in the hearts of rats following a myocardial infarction. Rats were subjected to coronary artery ligation and received either Losartan (1 g/L) in the drinking water or water only. Four months after myocardial infarction, rats were classified as having either congestive heart failure (cMI) or uncomplicated myocardial infarction (uMI) based on their lung weight to body weight ratio (LW/BW). Compared with sham operated rats, uMI rats showed a 68.5% increase in the relative contribution of V3 and a 33.7% decrease in the relative contribution of V1 (p < 0.05). Untreated cMI showed 39.7% more V3 and 38.2% less V1 when compared with untreated uMI (p < 0.05). Losartan treatment after myocardial infarction reduced the incidence of cMI from 30.4 to 4.5% and scar size from 1.52 +/- 0.07 to 0.94 +/- 0.11 cm2 respectively. The percentage of V1 in Losartan treated uMI (LuMI) was 25.2% higher than the percentage of V1 in untreated uMI (p < 0.05), whereas the percentage of V3 in LuMI was 24.2% lower than that in untreated uMI (p < 0.05). A positive correlation of V3 myosin and scar area was observed. Our study suggests that expression of V3 myosin in the left ventricle is associated with scar size and the progress of hemodynamic changes after myocardial infarction. Losartan treatment reduces scar size and wall stress of the heart after the infarct, and therefore inhibits the signals shifting myosin isoform expression from V1 to V3 after a myocardial infarction.