The present study aimed to examine associations between screen time, chronotype, psychosocial health, and academic achievement using mediation analysis. Academic performance was assessed by their ...teachers in each of the 7 school subjects (Japanese, mathematics, social studies, science, music, home economics/vocational technology, and physical education). Partial correlation analysis adjusted for grade, sex, and sleep duration indicated that screen time was associated with M/E score and academic performance (p < 0.05), and was slightly correlated with SDQ score (p = 0.084).
The gustatory system plays a critical role in sensing appetitive and aversive taste stimuli for evaluating food quality. Although taste preference is known to change depending on internal states such ...as hunger, a mechanistic insight remains unclear. Here, we examine the neuronal mechanisms regulating hunger-induced taste modification. Starved mice exhibit an increased preference for sweetness and tolerance for aversive taste. This hunger-induced taste modification is recapitulated by selective activation of orexigenic Agouti-related peptide (AgRP)-expressing neurons in the hypothalamus projecting to the lateral hypothalamus, but not to other regions. Glutamatergic, but not GABAergic, neurons in the lateral hypothalamus function as downstream neurons of AgRP neurons. Importantly, these neurons play a key role in modulating preferences for both appetitive and aversive tastes by using distinct pathways projecting to the lateral septum or the lateral habenula, respectively. Our results suggest that these hypothalamic circuits would be important for optimizing feeding behavior under fasting.
The evolution of electronic (spin and charge) excitations upon carrier doping is an extremely important issue in superconducting layered cuprates and the knowledge of its asymmetry between electron- ...and hole-dopings is still fragmentary. Here we combine X-ray and neutron inelastic scattering measurements to track the doping dependence of both spin and charge excitations in electron-doped materials. Copper L3 resonant inelastic X-ray scattering spectra show that magnetic excitations shift to higher energy upon doping. Their dispersion becomes steeper near the magnetic zone centre and they deeply mix with charge excitations, indicating that electrons acquire a highly itinerant character in the doped metallic state. Moreover, above the magnetic excitations, an additional dispersing feature is observed near the Γ-point, and we ascribe it to particle-hole charge excitations. These properties are in stark contrast with the more localized spin excitations (paramagnons) recently observed in hole-doped compounds even at high doping levels.
Mating drive is balanced by a need to safeguard resources for offspring, yet the neural basis for negative regulation of mating remains poorly understood. In rodents, pheromones critically regulate ...sexual behavior. Here, we observe suppression of adult female sexual behavior in mice by exocrine gland-secreting peptide 22 (ESP22), a lacrimal protein from juvenile mice. ESP22 activates a dedicated vomeronasal receptor, V2Rp4, and V2Rp4 knockout eliminates ESP22 effects on sexual behavior. Genetic tracing of ESP22-responsive neural circuits reveals a critical limbic system connection that inhibits reproductive behavior. Furthermore, V2Rp4 counteracts a highly related vomeronasal receptor, V2Rp5, that detects the male sex pheromone ESP1. Interestingly, V2Rp4 and V2Rp5 are encoded by adjacent genes, yet couple to distinct circuits and mediate opposing effects on female sexual behavior. Collectively, our study reveals molecular and neural mechanisms underlying pheromone-mediated sexual rejection, and more generally, how inputs are routed through olfactory circuits to evoke specific behaviors.
The Analytic Network Process (ANP) has been proposed to incorporate interdependence and feedback effect in the prioritization of remedial countermeasures using a hierarchical network decision model, ...but this approach seems to be incapable of capturing the vagueness and fuzziness during value judgment elicitation. The aim of this paper is to present an evaluation method using a fuzzy ANP (FANP) approach to address this shortcoming. Triangular fuzzy numbers (TFN) and their degree of fuzziness are used in the semantic scale as human judgment expressed in natural language is most often vague and fuzzy. The method employs the alpha-cuts, interval arithmetic and optimism index to transform the fuzzy comparative judgment matrix into set of crisp matrices, and then calculates the desired priorities using the eigenvector method. A numerical example, which was drawn from a real-life case study of an uncontrolled landfill in Japan, is presented to demonstrate the process. Results from the sensitivity analysis describe how the fuzziness in judgment could affect the solution robustness of the prioritization method. The proposed FANP approach therefore could effectively deal with the uncertain judgment inherent in the decision making process and derive the meaningful priorities explicitly from a complex decision structure in the evaluation of contaminated site remedial countermeasures.
To identify the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of metastases to the extraocular muscles (EOM metastases).
The MRI features of 19 patients with EOM metastases were compared with those of 24 ...patients with EOM diseases of non-thyroid origin. MRI was used to assess the number of tumours, morphology, signal intensity on T2-weighted images, enhancement patterns, and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values.
Single muscular involvement was observed in 10 patients, and multiple muscular involvement was observed in nine patients. The morphology was focally discrete in nine patients, and diffuse infiltrative in 10 patients; all the nine patients with focal discrete morphology presented with single muscular lesions. On T2-weighted images, the signal intensities were intermediate or low in 15 patients and a mixture of high and intermediate in four patients. In 14 patients for whom contrast-enhanced images were available, ring enhancement (n=5), heterogeneous diffuse enhancement (n=5), and homogeneous enhancement (n=4) were seen. The mean ADC value was 0.98 × 10−3 mm2/s. Compared to other EOM diseases of non-thyroid origin, single muscular presentation, focal discrete morphology, the presence of hyperintensity on T2-weighted images, and ring or heterogeneous enhancement were significantly more frequent in EOM metastases.
The MRI features of EOM metastases showed two main patterns: a single discrete mass and multiple infiltrative masses. In addition to the presentation as a single discrete mass, the presence of hyperintensity on T2-weighted images and ring or heterogeneous enhancement can aid in the differentiation of EOM metastases from other EOM diseases.
•EOM metastases can present as either a discrete or an infiltrative mass.•Solitary discrete presentation is suggestive of EOM metastases.•Multiple infiltrative presentation mimics other diseases cause EOM enlargement.•Hyperintensity on T2-weighted images can aid in the disease differentiation.•Ring or heterogeneous enhancement also can aid in the differentiation.
This article offers a review of the literature on transnational labor regimes and statelessness to pursue further theorization from East and Southeast Asian contexts. The main focus is on how local ...norms (local sense of belonging, local moral code, and local hierarchies) are entangled with national‐level citizenship regimes to legitimate the discrimination of certain people to be statelessness and secure low‐wage migrant workers for the new global labor regime. First, traditional literature on citizenship and statelessness was reviewed; binary theoretical frameworks (including citizens/excluding non‐citizens) based on political recognition were indicated as the main limitations. Second, recent theories arguing for an intersection between national citizenship regimes and a new global labor regime were reviewed. Third, recent theories that illuminate the importance of local contexts in determining citizens' rights were reviewed based on formal exclusion and informal inclusion as well as formal inclusion and informal exclusion. Finally, it was concluded that further theorization is needed on how citizenship regimes and local norms intersect to produce statelessness, securing low‐wage migrant workers for the global labor regime through the global assemblages approach. Through the paper, East and Southeast Asia were illuminated as potentially fruitful research sites for further theorization on the topic.
High-temperature superconductivity appears as a consequence of doping charge carriers into an undoped parent compound exhibiting antiferromagnetic order; therefore, ground-state properties of the ...parent compound are highly relevant to the superconducting state. On the basis of this logic, spin fluctuations have been considered as the origin of pairing of the superconducting electrons in the cuprates. As possible pairing mechanisms, there is growing interest in unconventional spin fluctuations or advanced orbital fluctuations owing to the characteristic multi-orbital states in iron pnictides. Here, we report the discovery of an antiferromagnetic phase as well as a unique structural transition in electron-overdoped LaFeAsO1-x Hx (x thick ~ 0.5), whereby a second parent phase is uncovered, albeit heavily doped. The unprecedented two-dome superconducting phases observed in this material can be interpreted as a consequence of the carrier doping starting from the original x thick ~ 0 and additional x thick ~ 0.5 parent phases towards the intermediate region. The bipartite parent phases with distinct physical properties in the second magnetic phase provide us with an interesting example to illustrate the intimate interplay between the magnetic interaction, structural change and orbital degree of freedom in iron pnictide superconductors.
Background
The detection of serum anti‐desmoglein (Dsg) IgG autoantibodies has been reported to be useful for assessment of disease activity in pemphigus. However, previous studies have reported that ...anti‐Dsg autoantibodies remain detectable in some patients without active pemphigus lesions.
Objectives
To investigate the clinical characteristics and antibody pathogenicity of pemphigus patients positive for anti‐Dsg IgG autoantibodies in remission.
Methods
We retrospectively investigated pemphigus patients with a history of clinical remission who visited the Department of Dermatology of Keio University during 2019 and 2020. The antibody pathogenicity was assessed by bead aggregation assay.
Results
When patients were recognized as having entered remission (PDAI = 0 and PSL ≦ 10 mg/day for 2 months), serum autoantibodies against Dsg were detected in 72 of 132 patients (54.5%, positive group; PG), but were not detected in 60 patients (45.5%, negative group; NG). Anti‐Dsg antibody titres in remission declined from the active phase in 33 patients in the PG for whom data were available. There were no differences in the chance of reducing PSL to 5 mg/day (P = 0.885) and rate of relapse (P = 0.279) between PG and NG, but fewer patients in PG discontinued corticosteroids (P = 0.004). The ability of patients' sera to block aggregation of Dsg/desmocollin beads was significantly reduced in remission compared to the active phase. However, our results revealed that whole sera in remission still had pathogenic activity in seven of nine patients, and the approximately equal amounts of anti‐Dsg antibodies in active phase and remission showed similar pathogenicity.
Conclusions
This study will provide guidance in cases where autoantibodies are found to be positive in pemphigus patients during remission or steroid reduction.
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