We designed and developed a novel reel-to-reel system furnace for fabricating high-performance superconducting tapes. Using the new furnace, long-length BaZrO 3 -doped Y 0.77 Gd 0.23 Ba 2 Cu 3 O y ...((Y,Gd)BCO + BZO) coated conductors (CCs) were fabricated through trifluoroacetate-based metal-organic deposition. The long-length CCs had highly uniform I c distribution in a self-field and in-field. The average critical currents through a 100 m-long (Y,Gd)BCO + BZO CCs at 77 K (measured with the Tapestar TM system) were 165.2 and 43.4 A/4-mm-width in a self-field and at 1 T, respectively.
Background
There is rapidly developing interest into the role of several anti‐inflammatory agents to resolve inflammation in periodontal disease. A bioactive polyunsaturated fatty acid, ...10‐oxo‐trans‐11‐octadecenoic acid (KetoC), is known to have various beneficial physiological effects; however, the effect of KetoC on inflammation remains unclear. Here, we investigated the effect of KetoC on RAW 264.7 cells stimulated with Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide, and explored the intracellular mechanism responsible for its anti‐inflammatory effects.
Methods
RAW 264.7 cells were pre‐treated with or without KetoC, and then stimulated with or without P. gingivalis lipopolysaccharide. Levels of tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), interleukin (IL)‐6 and IL‐1β were determined by real‐time polymerase chain reaction and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Specific antagonists for G protein‐coupled receptor (GPR)40 and GPR120 were used to clarify the receptor for KetoC. The intracellular mechanism was investigated using western blotting analysis to separate nuclear and cytosolic NF‐κB p65 protein.
Result
KetoC (5 μmol/L) was not toxic to RAW 264.7 cells, and significantly reduced the expression of TNFα and IL‐6 mRNA and protein, and IL‐1β mRNA. No protein production of IL‐1β was observed. Additionally, when bound to GPR120, KetoC trended to downregulate nuclear NF‐κB p65 protein levels. However, the antagonist for GPR40 failed to diminish the action of KetoC.
Conclusion
KetoC suppressed the proinflammatory cytokines TNFα, IL‐6 and IL‐1β via NF‐κB p65, by binding to its receptor GPR120. KetoC is a promising candidate in future studies as a bioactive anti‐inflammatory agent in treating periodontal disease.
People make flexible decisions across a wide range of contexts to resolve social or moral conflicts. Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) frequently report difficulties in such behaviors, ...which hinders the flexibility in changing strategies during daily activities or adjustment of perspective during communication. However, the underlying mechanisms of this issue are insufficiently understood. This study aimed to investigate decision flexibility in ASD using a functional magnetic resonance imaging task that involved recognizing and resolving two types of moral dilemma (MD): cost-benefit analysis (CBA) and mitigating inevitable misconducts (MIM). The CBA session assessed the participants' pitting of result-oriented outcomes against distressful harmful actions, whereas the MIM session assessed their pitting of the extenuation of a criminal sentence against a sympathetic situation of defendants suffering from violence or disease. The behavioral outcome in CBA-related flexibility was significantly lower in the ASD group compared to that of the typical development (TD) group. In the corresponding CBA contrast, activation in the left inferior frontal gyrus was lower in the ASD group. Meanwhile, in the MIM-related flexibility, there were no significant group differences in behavioral outcome or brain activity. Our findings add to our understanding of flexible decision-making in ASD.
Increased excitatory neuronal tones have been implicated in autism, but its mechanism remains elusive. The amplified glutamate signals may arise from enhanced glutamatergic circuits, which can be ...affected by astrocyte activation and suppressive signaling of dopamine neurotransmission. We tested this hypothesis using magnetic resonance spectroscopy and positron emission tomography scan with
C-SCH23390 for dopamine D1 receptors in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). We enrolled 18 male adults with high-functioning autism and 20 typically developed (TD) male subjects. The autism group showed elevated glutamate, glutamine, and myo-inositol (mI) levels compared with the TD group (p = 0.045, p = 0.044, p = 0.030, respectively) and a positive correlation between glutamine and mI levels in the ACC (r = 0.54, p = 0.020). In autism and TD groups, ACC D1 receptor radioligand binding was negatively correlated with ACC glutamine levels (r = - 0.55, p = 0.022; r = - 0.58, p = 0.008, respectively). The enhanced glutamate-glutamine metabolism might be due to astroglial activation and the consequent reinforcement of glutamine synthesis in autistic brains. Glutamine synthesis could underly the physiological inhibitory control of dopaminergic D1 receptor signals. Our findings suggest a high neuron excitation-inhibition ratio with astrocytic activation in the etiology of autism.
We propose interspecies quantitative structure-activity-activity relationships (QSAARs), that is, QSARs with descriptors, to estimate species-specific acute aquatic toxicity. Using training datasets ...consisting of more than 100 aromatic amines and phenols, we found that the descriptors that predicted acute toxicities to fish (Oryzias latipes) and algae were daphnia toxicity, molecular weight (an indicator of molecular size and uptake) and selected indicator variables that discriminated between the absence or presence of various substructures. Molecular weight and the selected indicator variables improved the goodness-of-fit of the fish and algae toxicity prediction models. External validations of the QSAARs proved that algae toxicity could be predicted within 1.0 log unit and revealed structural profiles of outlier chemicals with respect to fish toxicity. In addition, applicability domains based on leverage values provided structural alerts for the predicted fish toxicity of chemicals with more than one hydroxyl or amino group attached to an aromatic ring, but not for fluoroanilines, which were not included in the training dataset. Although these simple QSAARs have limitations, their applicability is defined so clearly that they may be practical for screening chemicals with molecular weights of ≤364.9.
DTI can provide valuable structural information that may become an innovative tool in evaluating lumbar foraminal nerve root entrapment. The purpose of this study was to visualize the lumbar nerve ...roots and to measure their FA in healthy volunteers and patients with lumbar foraminal stenosis by using DTI and tractography with 3T MR imaging.
Eight patients with lumbar foraminal stenosis and 8 healthy volunteers underwent 3T MR imaging. In all subjects, DTI was performed with echo-planar imaging at a b-value of 800 s/mm(2) and the lumbar nerve roots were visualized with tractography. Mean FA values in the lumbar nerve roots were quantified on DTI images.
In all subjects, the lumbar nerve roots were clearly visualized with tractography. In all patients, tractography also showed abnormalities such as tract disruption, nerve narrowing, and indentation in their course through the foramen. Mean FA values were significantly lower in entrapped roots than in intact roots.
We demonstrated that DTI and tractography of human lumbar nerves can visualize and quantitatively evaluate lumbar nerve entrapment with foraminal stenosis. We believe that DWI is a potential tool for the diagnosis of lumbar nerve entrapment.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the time course of changes in parameters of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) such as fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in ...patients with symptomatic lumbar disc herniation. We also investigated the correlation between the severity of neurological symptoms and these parameters.
A total of 13 patients with unilateral radiculopathy due to herniation of a lumbar disc were investigated with DTI on a 1.5T MR scanner and underwent micro discectomy. There were nine men and four women, with a median age of 55.5 years (19 to 79). The changes in the mean FA and ADC values and the correlation between these changes and the severity of the neurological symptoms were investigated before and at six months after surgery.
The mean FA values were significantly lower (p = 0.0005) and mean ADC values were significantly higher (p = 0.0115) in compressed nerves than in intact nerves. Although the FA values increased significantly at six months after surgical treatment (p = 0.020), the ADC values decreased but not significantly (p = 0.498). There were strong correlations between the DTI parameters such as the FA value and the severity of the neurological symptoms as assessed using the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score and the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RDQ).
This preliminary study suggests that it may be possible to use DTI to diagnose, quantitatively evaluate and follow-up patients with lumbar nerve entrapment.
DTI is a potential tool for functional diagnosis of lumbar nerve damage.
People are often influenced by past costs in their current decision-making, thus succumbing to a well-known bias recognized as the sunk cost effect. A recent study showed that the sunk cost effect is ...attenuated in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the study only addressed one situation of utilization decision by focusing on the choice between similar attractive alternatives with different levels of sunk costs. Thus, it remains unclear how individuals with ASD behave under sunk costs in different types of decision situations, particularly progress decisions, in which the decision-maker allocates additional resources to an initially chosen alternative. The sunk cost effect in progress decisions was estimated using an economic task designed to assess the effect of the past investments on current decision-making. Twenty-four individuals with ASD and 21 age-, sex-, smoking status-, education-, and intelligence quotient-level-matched typical development (TD) subjects were evaluated. The TD participants were more willing to make the second incremental investment if a previous investment was made, indicating that their decisions were influenced by sunk costs. However, unlike the TD group, the rates of investments were not significantly increased after prior investments in the ASD group. The results agree with the previous evidence of a reduced sensitivity to context stimuli in individuals with ASD and help us obtain a broader picture of the impact of sunk costs on their decision-making. Our findings will contribute to a better understanding of ASD and may be useful in addressing practical implications of their socioeconomic behavior.
Our objective was to evaluate the benefit of early treatment of influenza illness using oral oseltamivir. This open-label, multicentre international study investigated the relationship between the ...interval from illness onset to first dose (time-to-treatment) and illness duration in the intent-to-treat infected population using accelerated failure time (AFT) modelling. A total of 1426 patients (12–70 years) presenting within 48 h of the onset of influenza symptoms were treated with oseltamivir 75 mg twice a day for 5 days during the 1999–2000 influenza season; 958 (67%) had laboratory-confirmed influenza virus infection. Earlier intervention was associated with shorter illness duration (P < 0.0001). Initiation of therapy within the first 12 h after fever onset reduced the total median illness duration by 74.6 h (3.1 days; 41%) more than intervention at 48 h. Intermediate interventions reduced the illness proportionately compared with 48 h. In addition, the earlier administration of oseltamivir further reduced the duration of fever, severity of symptoms and the times to return to baseline activity and health scores. Oseltamivir was well tolerated. The most common adverse events were nausea and vomiting, which were transient and generally occurred only with first dosing. When oseltamivir was taken with food, the tolerability was enhanced. The overall discontinuation rate was low (1.8%). In conclusion, the IMPACT study demonstrated that earlier initiation of oral oseltamivir therapy increased its therapeutic effects, which were seen at every time point of intervention and were progressive. Thus, early presentation, diagnosis and treatment of patients with influenza maximized the benefits of oseltamivir therapy.
Abstract
Background
The public health measures enacted in order to control the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic have caused considerable changes to daily life. For autistic children and ...adolescents, adapting to the “new normal,” including mask-wearing, may be difficult because of their restricted interest and repetitive behavior (RRB) characteristics. We aimed to examine the relationships between RRB characteristics and the impact of mask-wearing on their social communications during the pandemic.
Methods
We recruited participants with a clinical diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder based on DSM-5 diagnostic criteria from two outpatient clinics in Tokyo, Japan, between November 2020 and April 2021 using a convenience sampling methodology. As a result, the participants consisted of 102 children and adolescents (mean (
SD
) age = 11.6 (5.3)). We collected data on RRB characteristics frequency before and during the pandemic using the CoRonavIruS Health Impact Survey (CRISIS) – Adapted for Autism and Related Neurodevelopmental conditions (AFAR). We then conducted factor analyses to compute the RRB severity composite scores, which are divided into lower- (e.g., sensory seeking), and higher-order (e.g., restricted interest). We also investigated mask-wearing culture using a bespoke questionnaire, and using Spearman’s rank correlation analyses, we examined the relationships between before pandemic RRB characteristics, and the impact of mask-wearing on social communications during the pandemic.
Results
We found that children and adolescents who exhibited lower-order RRB before the pandemic had difficulties in going-out with mask-wearing (rho = -0.25,
q
= .031), more challenges with mask-wearing (rho = − 0.34,
q
= .0018), and difficulty in referring to others’ emotions while wearing masks (rho = − 0.36,
q
= .0016). We also found an association between higher-order RRB before the pandemic and an uncomfortable sensation (rho = − 0.42,
q
= .0002) and difficulties in referring to other’s emotions while wearing masks (rho = − 0.25,
q
= .031).
Conclusions
We revealed that various behaviors, such as sensory seeking, repetitive motor mannerisms and movements, and rituals and routines, undertaken before the pandemic could be important predictors of difficulties with mask-wearing and social communication for autistic children and adolescents during the pandemic. Caregivers and teachers wearing masks may need to provide extra support for social communication to autistic children and adolescents showing RRB characteristics frequently.
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