Development of double density whole brain fNIRS with EEG system for brain machine interface

Brain-machine interfaces (BMI) are expected as new man-machine interfaces. Non-invasive BMI have the potential to improve the quality of life of many disabled individuals with safer operation. The non-invasive BMI using the functional functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) with the electroencephalogram (EEG) has potential applicability beyond the restoration of lost movement and rehabilitation in paraplegics and would enable normal individuals to have direct brain control of external devices in their daily lives. To shift stage of the non-invasive BMI from laboratory to clinical, the key factor is to develop high-accuracy signal decoding technology and highly restrictive of the measurement area. In this article, we present the development of a high-accuracy brain activity measurement system by combining fNIRS and EEG. The new fNIRS had high performances with high spatial resolution using double density technique and a large number of measurement channels to cover a whole human brain.

Temporary auxiliary partial orthotopic liver transplantation using a small graft for familial amyloid polyneuropathy

Donor shortage is a major issue in liver transplantation. We have successfully performed temporary auxiliary partial orthotopic liver transplantation (APOLT) using a small volume graft procured from a living donor for recipients with familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP). The aim of this study was to evaluate this procedure by comparing it with standard living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). We compared 13 recipients undergoing this procedure with 23 recipients undergoing a standard LDLT for the treatment of FAP. The estimated donor graft volume and the graft volume/recipient's standard liver volume ratio were significantly smaller in the temporary APOLT group than in the standard LDLT group. Postoperative complications were comparable, although the hospital stay was longer in the temporary APOLT group. All the patients safely underwent a remnant native liver resection about 2 months after their first operation in the temporary APOLT group. No symptoms related to FAP developed before the remnant liver resection, and no significant differences in graft and patient survival were observed between the two groups. We successfully performed temporary APOLT using a small volume liver graft without postoperative liver failure for FAP. Temporary APOLT for FAP might be a useful alternative procedure for expanding the donor pool for LDLT.

New type non-lantibiotic bacteriocins: circular and leaderless bacteriocins

Bacteriocins are antimicrobial peptides that are ribosomally synthesised by bacteria. Bacteriocins produced by Gram-positive bacteria, including lactic acid bacteria, are under focus as the next generation of safe natural biopreservatives and as therapeutic alternatives to antibiotics. Recently, two novel types of non-lantibiotic class II bacteriocins have been reported with unique characteristics in their structure and biosynthesis mechanism. One is a circular bacteriocin that contains a head-to-tail structure in the mature form, and the other is a leaderless bacteriocin without an N-terminal extension in the precursor peptide. A circular structure can provide the peptide with remarkable stability against various stresses; indeed, circular bacteriocins are known to possess higher stability than general linear bacteriocins. Leaderless bacteriocins are distinct from general bacteriocins, because they do not contain N-terminal leader sequences, which are responsible for the recognition process during secretion and for inactivation of bacteriocins inside producer cells. Leaderless bacteriocins do not require any post-translational processing for activity. These two novel types of bacteriocins are promising antimicrobial compounds, and their biosynthetic mechanisms are expected to be applied in synthetic biology to design new peptides and for new mass production systems. However, many questions remain about their biosynthesis. In this review, we introduce recent studies on these types of bacteriocins and their potential to open a new world of antimicrobial peptides.

Temporary auxiliary partial orthotopic liver transplantation using a small graft for familial amyloid polyneuropathy

Donor shortage is a major issue in liver transplantation. We have successfully performed temporary auxiliary partial orthotopic liver transplantation (APOLT) using a small volume graft procured from a living donor for recipients with familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP). The aim of this study was to evaluate this procedure by comparing it with standard living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). We compared 13 recipients undergoing this procedure with 23 recipients undergoing a standard LDLT for the treatment of FAP. The estimated donor graft volume and the graft volume/recipient's standard liver volume ratio were significantly smaller in the temporary APOLT group than in the standard LDLT group. Postoperative complications were comparable, although the hospital stay was longer in the temporary APOLT group. All the patients safely underwent a remnant native liver resection about 2 months after their first operation in the temporary APOLT group. No symptoms related to FAP developed before the remnant liver resection, and no significant differences in graft and patient survival were observed between the two groups. We successfully performed temporary APOLT using a small volume liver graft without postoperative liver failure for FAP. Temporary APOLT for FAP might be a useful alternative procedure for expanding the donor pool for LDLT.

Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the thalamus in patients with osteoarthritis of the hip

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to assess N-acetyl aspartate changes in the thalamus in patients with osteoarthritis of the hip using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Methods

Nine patients with osteoarthritis of the hip (symptomatic group, nine women; mean age 61.4 years (48 to 78)) and nine healthy volunteers (control group, six men, three women; mean age 30.0 years (26 to 38)) underwent proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy to assess the changes of N-acetyl aspartate in the thalamus.

Results

The ratio of N-acetyl aspartate to creatine plus phosphocreatine in the thalamus contralateral to the symptomatic hip in patients with osteoarthritis of the hip was significantly lower than the ratio of N-acetyl aspartate to creatine plus phosphocreatine in the thalamus in the control group (1.611 (range; 1.194-1.882) vs 1.355 (range; 1.043-1.502), p < 0.001). And, a strong negative correlation was detected between the ratio of N-acetyl aspartate to creatine plus phosphocreatine in the thalamus contralateral to the symptomatic hip in patients with osteoarthritis of the hip and pain duration (r = -0.83, p = 0.018).

Conclusions

We evaluated the ratio of N-acetyl aspartate to creatine plus phosphocreatine in the thalamus of patients with osteoarthritis of the hip by using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. We concluded that the ratio of N-acetyl aspartate to creatine plus phosphocreatine in the thalamus contralateral to the symptomatic hip in patients with osteoarthritis of the hip were significantly lower than those in the thalamus of the control group, and that pain duration was strongly related to the decrease of the ratio of N-acetyl aspartate to creatine plus phosphocreatine.

Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the thalamus in patients with osteoarthritis of the hip

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to assess N-acetyl aspartate changes in the thalamus in patients with osteoarthritis of the hip using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Methods

Nine patients with osteoarthritis of the hip (symptomatic group, nine women; mean age 61.4 years (48 to 78)) and nine healthy volunteers (control group, six men, three women; mean age 30.0 years (26 to 38)) underwent proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy to assess the changes of N-acetyl aspartate in the thalamus.

Results

The ratio of N-acetyl aspartate to creatine plus phosphocreatine in the thalamus contralateral to the symptomatic hip in patients with osteoarthritis of the hip was significantly lower than the ratio of N-acetyl aspartate to creatine plus phosphocreatine in the thalamus in the control group (1.611 (1.194 to 1.882) vs 1.355 (1.043 to 1.502), p < 0.001). And, a strong negative correlation was detected between the ratio of N-acetyl aspartate to creatine plus phosphocreatine in the thalamus contralateral to the symptomatic hip in patients with osteoarthritis of the hip and pain duration (r = -0.83, p = 0.018).

Conclusions

We evaluated the ratio of N-acetyl aspartate to creatine plus phosphocreatine in the thalamus of patients with osteoarthritis of the hip by using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. We concluded that the ratio of N-acetyl aspartate to creatine plus phosphocreatine in the thalamus contralateral to the symptomatic hip in patients with osteoarthritis of the hip were significantly lower than those in the thalamus of the control group, and that pain duration was strongly related to the decrease of the ratio of N-acetyl aspartate to creatine plus phosphocreatine.

Characterization and identification of weissellicin Y and weissellicin M, novel bacteriocins produced by Weissella hellenica QU 13

AIMS

To identify and characterize novel bacteriocins from Weissella hellenica QU 13.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Weissella hellenica QU 13, isolated from a barrel used to make Japanese pickles, produced two novel bacteriocins termed weissellicin Y and weissellicin M. The primary structures of weissellicins Y and M were determined, and their molecular masses were determined to be 4925·12 and 4968·40 Da, respectively. Analysis of the DNA sequence encoding the bacteriocins revealed that they were synthesized and secreted without N-terminal extensions such as leader sequences or sec signal peptides. Weissellicin M showed significantly high and characteristic homology with enterocins L50A and L50B, produced by Enterococcus faecium L50, while weissellicin Y showed no homology with any other known bacteriocins. Both bacteriocins showed broad antimicrobial spectra, with especially high antimicrobial activity against species, which contaminate pickles, such as Bacillus coagulans, and weissellicin M showed relatively higher activity than weissellicin Y. Furthermore, the stability of weissellicin M against pH and heat was distinctively higher than that of weissellicin Y.

CONCLUSIONS

Weissella hellenica QU 13 produced two novel leaderless bacteriocins, weissellicin Y and weissellicin M, and weissellicin M exhibited remarkable potency that could be employed by pickle-producing industry.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

This study is the first report, which represents a complete identification and characterization of novel leaderless bacteriocins from Weissella genus.

Masseter EMG activity during sleep and sleep bruxism

The masseter muscle is involved in the complex and coordinated oromotor behaviors such as mastication during wakefulness. The masseter electromyographic (EMG) activity decreases but does not disappear completely during sleep: the EMG activity is generally of low level and inhomogeneous for the duration, amplitude and intervals. The decreased excitability of the masseter motoneurons can be determined by neural substrates for NREM and REM sleep. The masseter EMG activity is increased in association with the level of arousal fluctuations within either sleep state. In addition, there are some motor events such as REM twitches, swallowing and rhythmic masticatory muscle activity (RMMA), whose generation might involve the additional activation of specific neural circuits. Sleep bruxism (SB) is characterized by exaggerated occurrence of RMMA. In SB, the rhythmic activation of the masseter muscle can reflect the rhythmic motor inputs to motoneurons through, at least in part, common neural circuits for generating masticatory rhythm under the facilitatory influences of transient arousals. However, it remains elusive as to which neural circuits determine the genesis of sleep bruxism. Based on the available knowledge on the masseter EMG activity during sleep, this review presents that the variety of the masseter EMG phenotypes during sleep can result from the combinations of the quantitative, spatial and temporal neural factors eventually sending net facilitatory inputs to trigeminal motoneurons under sleep regulatory systems.

Quantitative evaluation and visualization of lumbar foraminal nerve root entrapment by using diffusion tensor imaging: preliminary results

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

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.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

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.

RESULTS

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.

CONCLUSIONS

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.

Novel TiO(2)/ZnO multilayer mirrors at 'water-window' wavelengths fabricated by atomic layer epitaxy

We propose that novel oxide superlattice structures of crystalline TiO(2)/ZnO on sapphire substrates can be used for multilayer mirrors with high reflectivity at 2.734 nm. In the experimental study, both rutile TiO(2)(200) and wurtzite ZnO(001) thin films were grown epitaxially on the same sapphire (001) substrate by atomic layer epitaxy (ALE) at 450 °C. We also demonstrated that the novel oxide superlattice structure of 10-bilayer TiO(2)/ZnO on a sapphire substrate gave a high reflectivity of 29.4% at 2.74 nm.

Theory of docking scores and its application to a customizable scoring function

In general, the docking scoring tends to have a size dependence related to the ranking of compounds. In this paper, we describe a novel method of parameter optimization for docking scores which reduce the size dependence and can efficiently discriminate active compounds from chemical databases. This method is based on a simplified theoretical model of docking scores which enables us to utilize large amounts of data of known active and inactive compounds for a particular target without requiring large computational resources or a complicated procedure. This method is useful for making scoring functions for the identification of novel scaffolds using the knowledge of active compounds for a particular target or a customized scoring function for an interesting family of drug targets.

Administration of dalteparin based on the activated clotting time for prophylaxis of hepatic vessel thrombosis in living donor liver transplantation

Beginning in 2004, dalteparin doses based on activated clotting time (ACT) were administered for hepatic vessel thrombosis prophylaxis in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). We verified the feasibility of this new therapy by comparing it with the previous one. From 1993 through 2008, 42 metabolic liver patients who underwent LDLT were divided into two groups. Group A (1993-2003, n = 32) was administered a fixed dalteparin dose and a large amount of fresh frozen plasma (FFP); Group B (2004-2008, n = 10) was administered an appropriate dosage of dalteparin to maintain the ACT levels from 140 to 150 seconds and a small amount of FFP. Group B was administered a lesser amount of FFP and more dalteparin. This resulted in longer activated partial thromboplastin time, lower fibrinogen degradation products D-dimer, and lower aspartate aminotransferase levels compared to group A; all differences were significant. Group B showed neither thrombotic nor hemorrhagic complications. Anticoagulation therapy comprising adjustment of the dalteparin dose based on ACT reduces thrombotic complications without increasing hemorrhagic complications. ACT measurement is a simple, reliable method for bedside monitoring of dalteparin anticoagulant effects for LDLT.