Biomedical subjects

R Kobayashi

Publications and source records attributed to R Kobayashi.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources

PubMed1998

Gender differences in the sleep of middle-aged individuals.

The study was designed to investigate gender differences in the sleep-wake patterns of healthy middle-aged individuals in their home environment. Polysomnography showed that daytime napping was more common in men than in women. Men had lower sleep efficiency index and experienced more stage 1 sleep. Males had significantly less stages 3 + 4 sleep, less stage REM sleep, and more transitions to wake from REM sleep. Men could not maintain stage REM as well as women. This study indicates that the gender differences in the sleep-wake patterns have appeared in a group of middle-aged individuals.

Aged↗

PubMed1998

Motor activity rhythm in dementia with delirium.

Using an actigraph, the activity patterns in 13 demented patients with delirium were examined. We analyzed the data of the eight patients, wearing the actigraphs for more than 10 days. They were classified into four types: type A, nocturnal delirium type; type B, wandering type; type C, hypobulia type; and type D, lying down type. The day to day activity variation was most prominent in type A and seemingly the least in type B. The dominant period of activity rhythm was nearly 24 h in all cases. Additional 12-h period was observed in type C. Actigraphs might become useful in making therapeutic decisions regarding demented patients with delirium.

Activity Cycles↗

PubMed1998

Effects of short duration morning bright light in healthy elderly subjects. I: subjective feeling and ophthalmological examinations.

Seven aged subjects aged 61-78 years were exposed to 6000 lx bright light for 30 min during morning hours at their homes for 1 week. Visual analog scale was recorded before bedtime and after rising to assess subjective feelings. Ophthalmological examinations were made before and after light exposure, to exclude pre-existing ocular disorders and to detect ocular damage. Furthermore, ocular fatigue was self-evaluated immediately before and after exposure. Visual analog scale results indicated that alertness reduced significantly before bedtime. Ophthalmological abnormalities were not found after exposure. These findings suggest that short duration morning bright light exposure reduces night-time vigilance.

Aged↗

PubMed1998

Effects of short duration morning bright light in healthy elderly. II: sleep and motor activity.

Subjective sleep feelings and motor activity were measured in seven healthy elderly subjects for 6 days. The subjects were exposed to bright light (6000 lux) for 30 min in the morning or instructed to sit in front of a desktop lighting device without light. The average level of motor activity during the night was significantly decreased in the bright light condition, compared with the controlled condition. However, daytime motor activity did not show significant differences between the two conditions. From these findings, even a short duration of morning bright light is effective in maintaining sleep without changing daytime activity.

Activity Cycles↗

PubMed1998

Setback phenomenon in autism and long-term prognosis.

From among the subjects of a follow-up study on cases of autism conducted by the authors in 1990, 179 cases for which precise records were available on the infancy period were selected for evaluation of the relationship between the occurrence of setback phenomenon in infancy and long-term prognosis. The following results were obtained: (i) a significantly higher rate of epilepsy among the setback group compared to the non-setback group; and (ii) a significantly lower level of language development among the setback group upon entering elementary school compared to the non-setback group, although the difference between the present levels of adaptation of the two groups was not significant. Factors determining the long-term prognosis of the setback group are discussed.

Autistic Disorder↗

PubMed1998

The large subunit of basal transcription factor SNAPc is a Myb domain protein that interacts with Oct-1.

The human RNA polymerase II and III snRNA promoters have similar enhancers, the distal sequence elements (DSEs), and similar basal promoter elements, the proximal sequence elements (PSEs). The DSE, which contains an octamer motif, binds broadly expressed activator Oct-1. The PSE binds a multiprotein complex referred to as SNAPc or PTF. On DNAs containing both an octamer site and a PSE, Oct-1 and SNAPc bind cooperatively. SNAPc consists of at least four stably associated subunits, SNAP43, SNAP45, SNAP50, and SNAP190. None of the three small subunits, which have all been cloned, can bind to the PSE on their own. Here we report the isolation of cDNAs corresponding to the largest subunit of SNAPc, SNAP190. SNAP190 contains an unusual Myb DNA binding domain consisting of four complete repeats (Ra to Rd) and a half repeat (Rh). A truncated protein consisting of the last two SNAP190 Myb repeats, Rc and Rd, can bind to the PSE, suggesting that the SNAP190 Myb domain contributes to recognition of the PSE by the SNAP complex. SNAP190 is required for snRNA gene transcription by both RNA polymerases II and III and interacts with SNAP45. In addition, SNAP190 interacts with Oct-1. Together, these results suggest that the largest subunit of the SNAP complex is involved in direct recognition of the PSE and is a target for the Oct-1 activator. They also provide an example of a basal transcription factor containing a Myb DNA binding domain.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1998

MFR, a putative receptor mediating the fusion of macrophages.

We had previously identified a macrophage surface protein whose expression is highly induced, transient, and specific, as it is restricted to actively fusing macrophages in vitro and in vivo. This protein is recognized by monoclonal antibodies that block macrophage fusion. We have now purified this protein and cloned its corresponding cDNA. This protein belongs to the superfamily of immunoglobulins and is similar to immune antigen receptors such as the T-cell receptor, B-cell receptor, and viral receptors such as CD4. We have therefore named this protein macrophage fusion receptor (MFR). We show that the extracellular domain of MFR prevents fusion of macrophages in vitro and therefore propose that MFR belongs to the fusion machinery of macrophages. MFR is identical to SHPS-1 and BIT and is a homologue of P84, SIRPalpha, and MyD-1, all of which have been recently cloned and implicated in cell signaling and cell-cell interaction events.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1998

p300/CREB binding protein-related protein p270 is a component of mammalian SWI/SNF complexes.

p300 and the closely related CREB binding protein (CBP) are transcriptional adaptors that are present in intracellular complexes with TATA binding protein (TBP) and bind to upstream activators including p53 and nuclear hormone receptors. They have intrinsic and associated histone acetyltransferase activity, suggesting that chromatin modification is an essential part of their role in regulating transcription. Detailed characterization of a panel of antibodies raised against p300/CBP has revealed the existence of a 270-kDa cellular protein, p270, distinct from p300 and CBP but sharing at least two independent epitopes with p300. The subset of p300/CBP-derived antibodies that cross-reacts with p270 consistently coprecipitates a series a cellular proteins with relative molecular masses ranging from 44 to 190 kDa. Purification and analysis of various proteins in this group reveals that they are components of the human SWI/SNF complex and that p270 is an integral member of this complex.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗

PubMed1998

Trypanosome capping enzymes display a novel two-domain structure.

The ubiquitous m7G cap of eukaryotic mRNAs and of precursors to the spliceosomal small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs) is the result of an essential RNA modification acquired during transcript elongation. In trypanosomes, the m7G cap is restricted to the spliced leader (SL) RNA and the precursors of U2, U3, and U4 snRNAs. mRNA capping in these organisms occurs posttranscriptionally by trans splicing, which transfers the capped SL sequence to the 5' ends of all mRNAs. The SL cap is the most elaborate cap structure known in nature and has been shown to consist of an m7G residue followed by four methylated nucleotides. Using Crithidia fasciculata, we have characterized and purified the guanylyltransferase (capping enzyme), which transfers GMP from GTP to the diphosphate end of RNA. The corresponding gene codes for a protein of 697 amino acids, with the carboxy-terminal half of the C. fasciculata guanylyltransferase containing the six signature motifs previously identified in yeast capping enzymes. The amino-terminal half contains a domain that displays no resemblance to any other domain associated with capping enzymes. Intriguingly, this region harbors a consensus sequence for a phosphate-binding loop which is found in ATP- and GTP-binding proteins. This two-domain structure is also present in the Trypanosoma brucei capping enzyme, which shows 44% overall identity with the C. fasciculata capping enzyme. Thus, this structure appears to be common to all trypanosomatid protozoa and defines a novel class of capping enzymes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1998

Lung adenocarcinomas diagnosed by open lung or thoracoscopic vs bronchoscopic biopsy.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To examine the characteristics of peripheral lung adenocarcinomas diagnosed by open lung or video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) biopsy. DESIGN: We used retrospective analysis to compare tumor stage, pleural involvement, central tumor fibrosis, and the number of bronchi or vessels involved with tumors of small peripheral lung adenocarcinomas diagnosed by bronchoscopic biopsy. PATIENTS: Subjects had lung adenocarcinomas diagnosed by open lung or VATS (n=22) and those diagnosed by bronchoscopic biopsy (n=22), which were matched by tumor size. RESULTS: The T1N0M0 tumor was notably more frequent in the open lung or VATS group (77.3%) than in the bronchoscopic biopsy group (36.4%) (p<0.01). Tumors invading beyond the pleural surface were less frequent in the open lung or VATS group (4.5%) than in the bronchoscopic biopsy group (40.9%) (p<0.01). The grade of in-tumor central fibrosis--a malignancy factor and the cause of bronchi or vessel involvement with tumors-was significantly lower in the open lung or VATS group than in the bronchoscopic biopsy group (p<0.01). The number of bronchi or vessels involved with tumors was significantly fewer in the open lung or VATS group than in the bronchoscopic biopsy group (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: (1) Lung adenocarcinomas diagnosed by open lung or VATS biopsy were more frequently T1N0M0 than those diagnosed by bronchoscopic biopsy, which was caused by low grade of central tumor fibrosis rather than small tumor size. (2) They were infrequently diagnosed by bronchoscopic biopsy because few bronchi were involved by tumors due to the low grade of central tumor fibrosis. (3) Small pulmonary nodules not diagnosable by bronchoscopic biopsy should be diagnosed aggressively using VATS biopsy to detect early-stage lung cancer.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMed1998

Severe respiratory distress following sodium oleate ingestion.

CASE REPORT: Oleic acid and oleate are pulmonary toxins used to create laboratory models of acute respiratory distress syndrome, but there is little information on human toxicity. We report the intentional ingestion of 50 mL sodium oleate 20% by a 22-year-old woman with no symptoms for the first 2 days after ingestion. Her respiratory status deteriorated rapidly on day 3 progressing to acute respiratory distress syndrome (PaO2/FIO2 < 100 mm Hg) on day 4. Treatment with high-dose steroids and intensive respiratory support including high-frequency jet ventilation were associated with gradual but complete recovery by day 39. The delayed onset of symptoms suggested that the lung injury was due to the systemic circulation of oleate to the lungs rather than to direct aspiration. In oral poisoning by sodium oleate, the lung is the first and most lethally affected target organ in humans. This case demonstrates that ingestion of a relatively small amount of sodium oleate can cause delayed, progressively severe, lung injury.

Adult↗

PubMed1998

[Sleep-wake transition disorders].

The term sleep-wake transition disorders refers to a group of parasomnias that occur during the transition from wakefulness to sleep or from one sleep stage to another. Rhythmic movement disorder, sleep starts, sleep talking, and nocturnal leg cramps--these four disorders belong to sleep-wake transition disorders in the International Classification of Sleep Disorders. Although these are common disorders, little attention is given to them and their mechanisms are remain unclear. The majority of patients are not so severe as to require any treatment. Their prognosis are usually well. This article describes sleep-wake transition disorders concerning the clinical features, differential diagnosis, treatment, etc.

Diagnosis, Differential↗

PubMed1998

[Early treatment for body fluid shifts and circulatory derangement in patients with extensive burns].

The initial postburn period is characterized by body fluid shifts and circulatory derangement, or so-called burn shock. The fluid shifts are mainly due to a marked increase in capillary permeability. This loss of capillary integrity is so great that colloid including albumin, readily disperse into the extravascular space. This is limited to the burned area when of 30% or less of the body surface area (BSA) is involved, but is found throughout the entire body when more than 30% of the BSA is involved. The tremendous fluid shifts from the intravascular to the extravascular space result in edema formation and hemoconcentration. Along with the reduction in intravascular volume, there is a rapid reduction in cardiac output which gradually returns to the normal level 24 to 48 hours after burn injury. Therefore fluid resuscitation should be initiated immediately after injury. Currently a number of methods for achieving adequate volume replacement are available. In this paper we review fluid resuscitation methods for patients with extensive burns and also introduce recent topics on new regimens for resuscitation.

Burns↗

PubMed1998

[Usefulness of marking with colored collagen to localize small pulmonary nodules for thoracoscopic biopsy].

We examined the usefulness of marking with colored collagen to localize small pulmonary nodules (less than 10 mm in diameter) for thoracoscopy. Before using colored collagen, 2 of 6 lesions (33%) could be localized. It was possible to localize 14 of 15 lesions (93%) for thoracoscopy after marking with colored collagen, a percentage that is significantly higher than localization without such marking (P < 0.01). Thus, marking using colored collagen is useful to localize pulmonary nodules less than 10 mm in diameter for thoracoscopy.

Collagen↗

PubMed1998

Possibility of independence in ADL (Activities of Daily Living) for patients with cervical spinal cord injuries--an evaluation based on the Zancolli Classification of Residual Arm Functions.

For patients with cervical spinal cord injuries to become independent in their ADL (Activities of Daily Living), residual arm function is very important. Also, age, sex, physical strengths, obesity, spasticity, pain, contracture and motivation are related. We investigated the possibility of independence in ADL for patients with cervical spinal cord injuries, carrying out our evaluation based on the Zancolli Classification of Residual Arm Functions. Zancolli classification C6BII is taken as the boundary level for ADL independence. Rehabilitation is not only controlled by the patients with cervical spinal cord injuries themselves but also by the ability of the rehabilitation staff. This implies that taking responsibility in rehabilitation important.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed1998

[A case of pulmonary epithelioid hemangioendothelioma diagnosed by video-assisted thoracoscopic biopsy].

A regular annual physical checkup for a 46-year-old man revealed multiple small nodules, which were less than 1 cm in diameter, in both lungs. Metastatic lung tumors were suspected, but no primary lesion was found in the general examination. Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) diagnosed multiple pulmonary epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (PEH), so no treatment was performed. Careful follow-up showed no significant change during 10 months. VATS is thus a certain, noninvasive procedure for the diagnosis of PEH.

Biopsy↗

PubMed1998

[Typing of DNA using the primer extension preamplification (PEP) method--studies of reliability of typing and detection limits].

Primer extension preamplification (PEP), which can amplify sequence-independently a limited quantity of DNA as a whole, allows multiple DNA analyses by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This technique may be applicable to forensic cases, especially in cases where only small amounts of DNA are available. To define the accuracy and sensitivity of PEP, the DNA typing results of nine loci (TH01, MCT118, HLA-DQ alpha, amelogenin, LDLR, GYPA, HBGG, D7S8, GC) by PCR with PEP (PEP-PCR) were compared with those by PCR without PEP. Both results were identical to each other for each sample tested. Furthermore, amplification of an initial genomic DNA by PEP was found to range from 15 to 600 times of the initial quantity and the efficiency of PEP may depend on the sequences flanking the loci tested. These results indicate that PEP can increase typing potential of PCR from forensic samples.

DNA↗

PubMed1998

Comparison of egg-yolk protein hydrolysate and soyabean protein hydrolysate in terms of nitrogen utilization.

Egg-yolk protein hydrolysate (YPp) is an alternative protein source in formulas for infants with intolerance to cow's milk or soyabean protein, or for patients with intestinal disorders. However, the nutritional value of YPp has never been investigated. YPp was prepared by enzymic hydrolysis of delipidated yolk protein, which led to an average peptide length of 2.6 residues. Three experiments were performed. In Expt 1, we compared the intestinal absorption rate of YPp and soyabean protein hydrolysate (SPp) in rats. YPp and SPp solutions were injected into the duodenum of anaesthetized rats and blood samples were taken from the portal vein at 7, 15, 30, 60, and 120 min. A higher amino acid concentration in the serum of the YPp group demonstrated that YPp was absorbed faster than SPp. In Expt 2, the effects of dietary YPp and SPp on body-weight gain, protein efficiency ratio (PER) and feed efficiency ratio (FER) were determined. At the end of the experiment, body weight had increased in both groups, while PER and FER were significantly higher in rats fed on YPp. In Expt 3, to investigate the effects of dietary YPp and SPp on N metabolism, we determined the biological value and net protein utilization. Yolk protein was the reference protein. Biological value and net protein utilization values were very similar between animals fed on yolk protein and YPp diets, and significantly higher than in rats fed on the SPp diet. The present findings demonstrate that there is no adverse effect of hydrolysis of yolk protein on N utilization, and that the nutritive value of YPp is similar to that of yolk protein and superior to that of SPp.

Animals↗