Background: Although microRNA (miRNA) regulates initiation and/or progression of atrial fibrillation (AF) in canine AF models, the underlying mechanism in humans remains unclear. We speculated that certain miRNAs in atrial tissue are related to AF, and evaluated the relationship of miRNA expression in human atrial tissue in cardiac surgery patients. Methods: Right atrial tissues from 29 patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery were divided into 3 groups [A: chronic AF or unsuccessful maze, n=6; B: successful maze,...

Gap junction (GJ) channels provide direct passage for ions and small molecules to be exchanged between neighbouring cells and are crucial for many physiological processes. GJ channels can be gated by transjunctional voltage (known as Vj-gating) and display a wide range of unitary channel conductance (γj), yet the domains responsible for Vj-gating and γj are not fully clear. The first extracellular domain (E1) of several connexins has been shown to line part of their GJ...

The sound produced by a dental air turbine handpiece (dental drill) can markedly influence the sound environment in a dental clinic. Indeed, many patients report that the sound of a dental drill elicits an unpleasant feeling. Although several manufacturers have attempted to reduce the sound pressure levels produced by dental drills during idling based on ISO 14457, the sound emitted by such drills under active drilling conditions may negatively influence the dental clinic sound environment....

Additional file 2: Table S1. List of DEG candidates identified by comparative transcriptome analysis of c versus i/p cells from stage-3 embryo (comparison I). Table S2. List of DEG candidates identified by comparative transcriptome analysis of p versus c/i cells from stage-3 embryo (comparison II). Table S3. List of DEG candidates identified by comparative transcriptome analysis of i versus c/p cells from stage-3 embryo (comparison III). Table S4. List of DEG candidates indentified by comparative...

Additional file 9: Table S9. List of DEGs identified by comparative transcriptome analysis of fuchi pRNAi versus untreated embryos at stage 2. Table S10. List of DEGs identified by comparative transcriptome analysis of fuchi pRNAi versus untreated embryos at stage 3. Table S11. List of DEGs identified by comparative transcriptome analysis of fuchi pRNAi versus untreated embryos at early stage 5.

Additional file 3: Table S2. Quantitative phosphopeptides identified in three BTC cell lines.

Additional file 4: Table S3. Quantitative phosphorylation sites identified in three BTC cell lines.

Additional file 4: Table S3. Quantitative phosphorylation sites identified in three BTC cell lines.

Additional file 5: Table S4. Possible upstream regulators associated with LAT1 inhibition by JPH203 treatment.

Additional file 9: Table S8. Functional annotation clustering using DAVID for proteins with the upregulated and downregulated phosphorylation commonly detected in phosphoproteomes analyzed in this study.

The anatomical design of the human foot is considered to facilitate generation of bipedal walking. However, how the morphology and structure of the human foot actually contribute to generation of bipedal walking remains unclear. In the present study, we investigated the three-dimensional kinematics of the foot bones under a weight-bearing condition using cadaver specimens, to characterize the innate mobility of the human foot inherently prescribed in its morphology and structure. Five cadaver feet were axially...

Adiponectin is an adipocyte-derived atypically abundant circulating factor that protects various organs and tissues through its receptors, AdipoRs, calreticulin, and T-cadherin. To identify the major binding partner of circulating native adiponectin, we expressed these receptors on the surface of HEK293 cells. Adiponectin, either that in mouse or human serum, purified from serum, or produced by mammalian cells, bound to cells expressing T-cadherin, but not to those expressing AdipoR1 or calreticulin. The stable introduction of T-cadherin...

The larvacean, Oikopleura dioica is a planktonic chordate, which is an emerging model organism with short life cycle of 5 days and belongs to tunicates (urochordates). Organ formation in the trunk proceeds in seven hours form hatching of tailbud larvae at three hours after fertilization (hpf) to completion of organ formation in fully functional juveniles that start feeding at 10 hpf and are just miniature of adult form. The dataset is serial section images of...

Background: Cerebral extraction of diffusively distributed substances like oxygen has been suggested to change according to the cerebral blood flow (CBF) and status of the microvasculature. The relationships between the cerebral extraction of diffusively distributed lipophilic tracers and the severity of cerebral ischemia has not yet been clarified. In the present study, we attempted to elucidate the association between the extraction fraction of the lipophilic tracer I-123 iomazenil (IMZ) (IMZ-EF) and the oxygen extraction fraction...

Sodium channels play multiple roles in the formation of neural membrane properties in mesencephalic trigeminal (Mes V) neurons and in other neural systems. Mes V neurons exhibit conditional robust high-frequency spike discharges. As previously reported, resurgent and persistent sodium currents (INaR and INaP, respectively) may carry small currents at subthreshold voltages that contribute to generation of spike firing. These currents play an important role in maintaining and allowing high-frequency spike discharge during a burst. In...

Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) are cultured adult stem cells originally reside in virtually all tissues and the gain of MSCs by transplantation has become the leading form of cell therapy in various diseases. However, there is limited knowledge on the alteration of its efficacy by factors in recipients. Here we report that the cardioprotective properties of intravenously injected MSCs in a mouse model of pressure-overload heart failure largely depend on circulating adiponectin, an adipocyte secreted...

Tailoring the surface morphology of cobalt-nickel layered double hydroxide (LDH) electrode materials was successfully achieved via the process of cathodical electrodeposition by adding different surfactants (hexamethyltetrammine (HMT), dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB) or cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)). The as-prepared Co0.75Ni0.25(OH)2 with surfactants exhibited wrinkle-like, cauliflower-like, or net-like structures that corresponded to distinct and better electrochemical performances than the untreated one. In particular, a specific capacitance of 1209.1 F g-1 was found for the cauliflower-like Co0.75Ni0.25(OH)2 electrode material using...

With fast and reliable international transportation, more people with different language backgrounds can interact now. As a result, the need for communicative agents fluent in several languages to assist those people is highlighted. The high cost of hiring human attendants fluent in several languages makes using social robots a more affordable alternative in international gatherings. A social robot capable of presenting a piece of information in more than one language at the same time to...

Animals' sensory systems adjust their responsiveness to environmental stimuli that vary greatly in their intensity. Here we report the neural mechanism of experience-dependent sensory adjustment, especially gain control, in the ASH nociceptive neurons in Caenorhabditis elegans. Using calcium imaging under gradual changes in stimulus intensity, we find that the ASH neurons of naive animals respond to concentration increases in a repulsive odor 2-nonanone regardless of the magnitude of the concentration increase. However, after preexposure to...

Left upper lobectomy (LUL) with left superior pulmonary vein (LSPV) resection alters the left atrium (LA) physiological states and LA hemodynamics associated with thrombosis, although this underlying mechanism is poorly understood. Therefore, we investigated the effects of LSPV resection and associated LA physiological changes on LA hemodynamics using four-dimensional computed tomography image-based computational simulations. Three cases were considered: the LA before and after LUL extracted from computed tomography images and artificial LSPV resection without physiological...

It is generally accepted that the basal ganglia play an important role in interval timing that requires the measurement of temporal durations. By contrast, it remains controversial whether the basal ganglia play an essential role in temporal order judgment (TOJ) of successive stimuli, a behavior that does not necessarily require the measurement of durations in time. To address this issue, we compared the effects of idiopathic Parkinson’s disease (PD) on the TOJ of two successive...

The obligate mutualism of figs and fig-pollinating wasps has been one of the classic models used for testing theories of co-evolution and cospeciation due to the high species-specificity of these relationships. To investigate the species-specificity between figs and fig pollinators and to further understand the speciation process in obligate mutualisms, we examined the genetic differentiation and phylogenetic relationships of four closely related fig-pollinating wasp species (Blastophaga nipponica, Blastophaga taiwanensis, Blastophaga tannoensis and Blastophaga yeni) in...

The human foot provides numerous functions that let humans deal with various environments. Recently, study of the structure of the human foot and adjustment of an appropriate reaction force and vertical free moment during bipedal locomotion has gained attention. However, little is known about the mechanical (morphological) contribution of the foot structure to the reaction force and free moment. It is difficult to conduct a comparative experiment to investigate the contribution systematically by using conventional...

Heterochromatin that is characterized by histone H3 lysine 9 (H3K9) methylation assembles on repetitive regions including centromeres. Although centromeric heterochromatin is important for faithful segregation of chromosomes, its role in maintaining centromere integrity remains elusive. Here, we found in fission yeast that heterochromatin suppresses gross chromosomal rearrangements (GCRs) at centromeres. Mutations in Clr4/Suv39 methyltransferase increased the formation of isochromosomes whose breakpoints are present in centromere repeats. H3K9A and H3K9R mutations also increased GCRs, suggesting that...

The duckweed family (Lemnaceae) is a group of free-floating aquatic plants with bodies consisting of single floating fronds that multiply clonally. Although they are known to have the fastest relative growth rate (RGR) among higher plants, their functional trait coordination in relation to within-family variation of RGR is poorly understood. We tested how duckweed species fit within the trait covariation patterns known as the worldwide leaf economics spectrum (LES). To this end, several functional traits...