M pathway and areas 44 and 45 are involved in stereoscopic recognition based on binocular disparity

We characterized the visual pathways involved in the stereoscopic recognition of the random dot stereogram based on the binocular disparity employing a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The V2, V3, V4, V5, intraparietal sulcus (IPS) and the superior temporal sulcus (STS) were significantly activated during the binocular stereopsis, but the inferotemporal gyrus (ITG) was not activated. Thus a human M pathway may be part of a network involved in the stereoscopic processing based on the binocular disparity. It is intriguing that areas 44 (Broca's area) and 45 in the left hemisphere were also active during the binocular stereopsis. However, it was reported that these regions were inactive during the monocular stereopsis. To separate the specific responses directly caused by the stereoscopic recognition process from the nonspecific ones caused by the memory load or the intention, we designed a novel frequency labeled tasks (FLT) sequence. The functional MRI using the FLT indicated that the activation of areas 44 and 45 is correlated with the stereoscopic recognition based on the binocular disparity but not with the intention artifacts, suggesting that areas 44 and 45 play an essential role in the binocular disparity.     

QT interval and QT dispersion in eating disorders

BACKGROUND: Eating disorders are thought to be risk factors for cardiac sudden death secondary to arrhythmia. Results in previous studies on QT interval and QT dispersion, markers of fatal arrhythmia, have been inconsistent. METHODS: We prospectively examined 179 female eating disorder patients, being over 18 years old and diagnosed according to the DSM-IV criteria between January 1995 and December 2002, and 52 healthy women. Patients with abnormal plasma electrolytes or taking medications that might influence the electrocardiogram (ECG) were excluded from the study. QT intervals were corrected for heart rate using Bazett's formula and the nomogram method, which is more reliable at extremely low heart rates than Bazett's formula. QT dispersion was measured as the difference between the longest and shortest QT intervals. QT intervals and QT dispersion in each patient group were compared with those in the control group. RESULTS: The 164 eligible patients consisted of 43 patients with anorexia nervosa restricting type, 35 with anorexia nervosa binge eating/purging type, 63 with bulimia nervosa purging type, and 23 with bulimia nervosa non-purging type. There was no significant difference in age between eating disorder patients and controls. QT interval and QT dispersion were significantly longer in all eating disorder subtypes than in the control group. QT interval and QT dispersion were significantly correlated with the rate of body weight loss in bulimia nervosa. CONCLUSIONS: QT interval and QT dispersion were prolonged in both anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Examination of ECG in eating disorder patients without extremely low body weight also appears to be clinically important.     

Hydrogen peroxide-induced Ca responses in CNS pericytes

Objective: The aims of the present study were to elucidate the interaction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and Ca²⁺ response in central nervous system (CNS) pericytes. Methods: The intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration was measured using fluorescent Ca²⁺ indicator, fura-2, in cultured CNS pericytes. Results: Hydrogen peroxide evoked a dose-dependent increase in cytosolic Ca²⁺, which was completely inhibited by catalase. Removal of external Ca²⁺ or addition of nicardipine (1 μM) during application of hydrogen peroxide did not affect Ca²⁺ response. Incubation of the cells in Ca²⁺ free solution did not abolish but slightly reduced Ca²⁺ response by hydrogen peroxide. Ca²⁺ response to hydrogen peroxide was not altered by the depletion of intracellular Ca²⁺ by thapsigargin (1 μM). Pretreatment of the cells with tyrosine kinase inhibitor genistein (100 μM) or tyrphostin A47 (30 μM) significantly reduced Ca²⁺ increase by hydrogen peroxide. Conclusions: These results indicate that hydrogen peroxide evokes Ca²⁺ increase predominantly by release from intracellular Ca²⁺ store, which may be regulated by tyrosine kinases.     

Cordyceps militaris Fruit Body Extract Decreases Testosterone Catabolism and Testosterone-Stimulated Prostate Hypertrophy

The androgens testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) are essential for a variety of systemic functions in mature males. Alteration of these hormones results in late-onset hypogonadism (LOH) and benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH). The fruit bodies of fungi of the genus Cordyceps have been regarded as folk medicine or health food with tonic and antifatigue effects. The extract from the fruit body of Cordyceps militaris parasitizing Samia cynthia ricini (CM) was evaluated as a novel-candidate natural product for ameliorating male andropause symptoms. To explore the effects of CM on LOH and BPH, CM was applied to rat models and cultured testicular cells and prostate cells. The concentrations of androgens in the serum and culture media were determined by ELISA. Expression of steroidogenic enzymes and androgen-related genes was evaluated by qPCR, and prostatic cell proliferation was assessed with the cell-viability assay. CM maintained the serum levels of testosterone and DHT, but inhibited testosterone-induced prostate hypertrophy. CM also increased the secretion of testosterone and DHT by primary testicular cells, with no changes in the mRNA expression of steroidogenic enzymes, but decreased the growth of prostatic cell lines. Our data suggest that CM could improve both LOH and BPH in males.     

Online and offline health information seeking and the demand for physician services

The European Journal of Health Economics - We examine the relationship between Internet-based health information seeking and the demand for physician services, using data collected from the 28...     

Clinical Outcome of Cytoreductive Surgery Prior to Bevacizumab for Patients with Recurrent Glioblastoma: A Single-center Retrospective Analysis

Bevacizumab (BEV) is a key anti-angiogenic agent used in the treatment for recurrent glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). The aim of this study was to investigate whether cytoreductive surgery prior to treatment with BEV contributes to prolongation of survival for patients with recurrent GBM. We retrospectively analyzed the treatment outcomes of 124 patients with recurrent GBM who were initially treated with the Stupp protocol between 2006 and 2019. Given that BEV has only been available in Japan since 2013, we grouped the patients into two groups according to the time of first recurrence: the pre-BEV group (N = 51) included patients who had recurrence before BEV approval, and the BEV group (N = 73) included patients with recurrence after BEV approval. The overall survival after first recurrence (OS-R) was analyzed according to the treatment strategy. Among 124 patients, 27 patients (19.4%) received cytoreductive surgery. There were nine cases in the pre-BEV group and 18 cases in the BEV group. Although the mean extent of resection for both groups was almost equal, OS-R was significantly different. The median OS-R was 8.1 m in the pre-BEV group and 16.3 m in the BEV group (P = 0.007). Multivariate analysis revealed that the unavailability of BEV postoperatively (P = 0.03) and decreasing performance status by surgery (P = 0.01) were significant poor prognostic factors for survival after surgery. With the advent of BEV, cytoreductive surgery might provide superior survival benefit at the time of GBM recurrence, especially in cases where surgery can be performed without deteriorating the patient’s condition.     

Successful Single-Lung Transplant for the Dominant Side: A Case Report

Although single-lung transplant on the side with better lung function is challenging in patients with significantly asymmetrical lung function between the right and left sides, it sometimes can be a realistic option because of the recipient's condition and from the viewpoint of organ sharing. We report our experience with a successful case of single-lung transplant on the side with a pulmonary perfusion ratio of 89%. The transplant was performed with the patient under central venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation through a clamshell incision, and the patient had an acceptable short- and long-term outcome with a remarkable improvement of lung function.     

Non-invasive fibrosis assessments of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease associated with low estimated glomerular filtration rate among CKD patients: the Fukuoka Kidney disease Registry Study

Clinical and Experimental Nephrology - A growing body of evidence has shown that non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Non-invasive fibrosis...