Visual hallucinations (VHs) are common in patients with Parkinson disease (PD), especially those with dementia, whereas auditory hallucinations are quite rare. Recent studies have revealed the involvement of several regions along the visual information-processing system that contribute to the pathophysiological mechanism of VHs: the eyes and retina, retinofugal projection, lateral geniculate nucleus, striate cortex, ventral pathways in the temporal cortices, and frontal and parietal cortices. In addition, the concurrent involvement of other systems in the brainstem and basal forebrain further modify VHs in PD. In this review, we discuss the pathophysiological association between the regional involvement of these areas and VHs.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a major cause of heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), usually presenting as left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction. Thus, LV diastolic function should be considered a crucial marker of a preclinical form of DM-related cardiac dysfunction. However, the impact of glycemic variability (GV) on LV diastolic function in such patients remains unclear.

Scrub typhus (ST) is a leading cause of non-malarial febrile illness in Southeast Asia, but evidence of its true disease burden is limited because of difficulties of making the clinical diagnosis and lack of adequate diagnostic tests. To describe the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of ST, we conducted an observational study using multiple diagnostic assays at a national tertiary hospital in Hanoi, Vietnam.

The impact of cold ambient temperature on out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in aged individuals caused by cardiovascular events in indoor environments has not been investigated sufficiently.Methods and Results:We conducted a case-crossover study. The relationship between OHCA caused by cardiovascular events and exposure to minimum temperature <0℃ was analyzed. Conditional logistic regression analysis was performed to estimate the odds ratios for the relationship between exposure to minimum temperature <0℃ and the risk of OHCA. Between January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2015, a total of 1,452 cases of OHCA were documented, and patients were screened for enrollment. A total of 458 individuals were enrolled in this analysis, and were divided into 2 groups of 110 (elderly group: 65-74 years old) and 348 (aged group: ≥75 years old). The aged individuals had a significant increased risk of OHCA after exposure to minimum temperature <0℃ (odds ratio [OR]: 1.528, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.009-2.315, P=0.045). Cold ambient temperature was an especially significant increased risk for OHCA occurrence for males (OR: 1.997, 95% CI 1.036-3.773, P=0.039) and during winter (OR: 2.391, 95% CI 1.312-4.360, P=0.004) in the aged group.

Lacerations of the oral mucosa and fractures of alveolar processes commonly occur in traumatic dental injuries (TDIs). Impaired wound healing and tissue regeneration have severe consequences on the quality of life. Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) possess the ability of self-renewal, and multipotential differentiation. Treatment with low level sodium fluoride (NaF) has emerged as a promising approach to enhance wound repair. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of low level NaF on soft tissue healing and on the proliferation, migration and extracellular matrix synthesis of BMMSCs.

We aimed to establish a highly sensitive method for measuring visual function using spatial-sweep steady-state pattern electroretinography (swpPERG). Overall, 35 eyes of 35 healthy adults (18 men; mean age, 32.3 years) were examined using swpPERG, and the data were recorded using spatial-patterned and contrast-reversed stimuli of size 1 (thickest) to 6. Data were converted into frequency-domain using a Fourier transform and expressed by signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The number of participants who showed SNR ≥ 1 was significantly lesser at stimulus sizes 5 and 6 compared with those at greater stimulus sizes. Among the data with SNR ≥ 1, SNRs were negatively correlated with age at stimulus size 5 (r = -0.500, P = 0.029), and positively correlated with macular volume evaluated by optical coherence tomography (OCT) within a 6-mm circle diameter from the fovea of the retinal nerve fibre layer at size 4 (r = 0.409, P = 0.025) and of the ganglion cell layer at size 5 (r = 0.567, P = 0.011). We found that SNRs of swpPERG, recorded using the EvokeDx system, were correlated with age and macular morphology in participants without diagnosed eye diseases. The system detected subtle differences in retinal function, which may help in early disease diagnosis and visual evaluation in neuroprotective interventions in the future.

A multiplex PCR assay in a single tube was developed for the detection of the carbapenemase genes of Enterobacteriaceae. Primers were designed to amplify the following six carbapenemase genes: bla, bla, bla, bla, bla, and bla. Of 70 bla variants, 67 subtypes were simulated to be PCR-positive based on in silico simulation and the primer-design strategy. After determining the optimal PCR conditions and performing in vitro assays, the performance of the PCR assay was evaluated using 51 and 91 clinical isolates, with and without carbapenemase genes, respectively. In conclusion, the combination of multiplex PCR primers and QIAGEN Multiplex PCR Plus Kit was used to determine the best performance for the rapid and efficient screening of carbapenemase genes in Enterobacteriaceae. The assay had an overall sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 100%. This PCR assay will compensate for the limitations of phenotypic testing, such as antimicrobial susceptibility testing and the modified carbapenem inactivation method, among others, in clinical and public health settings.

RNase He1 is a guanylic acid-specific ribonuclease of the RNase T1 family from Hericium erinaceus (Japanese name: Yamabushitake). Its RNA degrading activity is strongly inhibited by Zn, similar to other T1 family RNases. However, RNase He1 shows little inhibition of human tumor cell proliferation, unlike RNase Po1, another T1 family RNase from Pleurotus ostreatus (Japanese name: Hiratake). Here, we determined the three-dimensional X-ray crystal structure of RNase He1 in complex with Zn, which revealed that Zn binding most likely prevents substrate entry into the active site due to steric hindrance. This could explain why RNase He1 and other T1 family RNases are inhibited by Zn. The X-ray crystal structures revealed that RNase He1 and RNase Po1 are almost identical in their catalytic sites and in the cysteine residues involved in disulfide bonds that increase their stability. However, our comparison of the electrostatic potentials of their molecular surfaces revealed that RNase He1 is negative whereas RNase Po1 is positive; thus, RNase He1 may not be able to electrostatically bind to the plasma membrane, potentially explaining why it does not exhibit antitumor activity. Hence, we suggest that the cationic characteristics of RNase Po1 are critical to the anti-tumor properties of the protein.

A 77-year-old man with symptoms of chest pain was diagnosed with immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4)-related disease. Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) revealed an intense uptake in the submandibular gland, lymph nodes and abdominal aortic wall. Diffusion-weighted imaging with body signal suppression (DWIBS) revealed signal enhancements at the same location as those of the FDG-PET/CT findings. The DWIBS signal intensity decreased after steroid treatment, so we decreased the steroid dosage. Relapse did not occur. DWIBS makes it possible to adjust the medicine dosage while confirming the therapeutic effects and will likely be a useful method for monitoring IgG4-related disease.

A revolution in functional brain imaging techniques is in progress in the field of neurosciences. Optical imaging techniques, such as high-density diffuse optical tomography (HD-DOT), in which source-detector pairs of probes are placed on subjects' heads, provide better portability than conventional functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) equipment. However, these techniques remain costly and can only acquire images at up to a few measurements per square centimetre, even when multiple detector probes are employed. In this study, we demonstrate functional brain imaging using a compact and affordable setup that employs nanosecond-order pulsed ordinary laser diodes and a time-extracted image sensor with superimposition capture of scattered components. Our technique can simply and easily attain a high density of measurement points without requiring probes to be attached, and can directly capture two-dimensional functional brain images. We have demonstrated brain activity imaging using a phantom that mimics the optical properties of an adult human head, and with a human subject, have measured cognitive brain activation while the subject is solving simple arithmetical tasks.

We report expanded porphyrins with pyridine rings and two neighboring carbonyl groups, which allow Ni ions to coordinate to the tripyrrinone-type NNNO coordination structure with Ni-O bonds. The selectivity of tripyrrinone is superior to other pyrrolic or pyridinic cavities of expanded porphyrins. Introduction of α-carbonyl pyridine next to the tripyrrolic conjugated structure is a powerful strategy for regioselective metalation of flexible expanded porphyrinoids.

The aim of this study was to determine whether advanced glycation end products (AGEs) revealed by skin autofluorescence (SAF), serum and urine pentosidine level, and serum homocysteine level can serve as a biomarker for sarcopenia in older women. The participants were 70 elderly women. The AGEs pentosidine, homocysteine, and SAF were measured as aging markers. This study shows that among the biomarkers for aging, serum pentosidine correlates with a loss of appendicular lean mass and can serve as a biomarker for sarcopenia. Moreover, SAF and homocysteine values exhibited a positive correlation with age and correlated with each other.: AGEs: advanced glycation end products; BIA: bioelectrical impedance analyzer; BMD: bone mineral density; DLS: degenerative lumbar scoliosis; DXA: dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry; ELISA: enzyme-linked immunoassay; HHcy: hyperhomocysteinemia; RIA: radioimmunoassay; SAF: skin autofluorescence; SMI: skeletal muscle mass index; T2DM: type 2 diabetes patients.

Wearable accelerometers can be used to evaluate waking and sleeping movements. Although a correlation between accelerometer data captured at the wrist and waist has been reported, it has not been evaluated in patients with low back pain. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate correlations between movement measured at the wrist and waist, using wearable accelerometers, in patients with low back pain.

Limb muscle mass measurement using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is considered the gold standard for the diagnosis of sarcopenia. Moreover, bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is also recognized as a beneficial tool considering its high correlation with DXA. However, it remains to be elucidated whether DXA and BIA can accurately measure trunk lean mass. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between DXA and BIA measurements of trunk muscle mass and the cross-sectional area (CSA) of trunk muscles measured using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and to compare measures of trunk muscle mass obtained using DXA and BIA in patients with low back pain (LBP).

Rice mutation produces grains showing a reduced amount of storage proteins. Using Nipponbare and the mutant, we created rice transformants that showed defective production of major allergen proteins RA14 and RA33 (14-16 kDa and 33 kDa allergen proteins, respectively) by RNAi introduction. The knock-down transformant generated using Nipponbare showed greatly reduced accumulation of both allergen proteins, normal growth, and production of a sufficient amount of normal-shaped seeds. F seeds were obtained by crossing between the transformants containing RNAi genes to RA14 and RA33, and showed decreased accumulation of both proteins. However, a peculiar phenotype was observed in the transformants that lacked accumulation of RA14 or RA33. They showed significantly reduced fertility. A wrinkled grain feature was found on the transformant lacking accumulation of RA14. F seeds obtained by crossing these transformants showed significantly lower fertility. F seeds showed decreases in both allergen proteins but morphological abnormality with small and severely wrinkled features. These results indicated that it is hard to obtain any transformant lacking accumulation of these allergen proteins using the mutant, whereas a knock-down transformant of both allergen protein genes was obtained when a wild-type Nipponbare was used as a host. These facts strongly suggest that RA14 and RA33 have some roles in rice seeds.

This study aimed to clarify the effects of a fall prevention intervention that focused on the characteristics of falls among elderly patients with dementia and was based on person-centered care in geriatric facilities on care staff.

Lower limb muscle mass and grip loss may be risk factors for vertebral compression fractures in women.

The two main causes of gastric ulcer bleeding are () infection and ulcerogenic medicines, although the number of cases caused by each may vary with age. In Japan, the rate of infection has fallen over the last decade and the number of prescriptions for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and antithrombotic drugs is increasing as the population ages. Methods of treatment for gastric ulcer bleeding have advanced with the advent of hemostatic forceps and potassium-competitive acid blocker (P-CAB). Thus, causes and treatments for gastric ulcer bleeding have changed over the last decade.