Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

T Ono

Publications and source records attributed to T Ono.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Real-space observation of current-driven domain wall motion in submicron magnetic wires.

We report direct observation of current-driven magnetic domain wall (DW) displacement by using a well-defined single DW in a microfabricated magnetic wire with submicron width. Magnetic force microscopy visualizes that a single DW introduced in a wire is displaced back and forth by positive and negative pulsed current, respectively. The direct observation gives quantitative information on the DW displacement as a function of the intensity and the duration of the pulsed current. The result is discussed in terms of the spin-transfer mechanism.

Journal Article↗

Characterization of Oita virus 296/1972 of Rhabdoviridae isolated from a horseshoe bat bearing characteristics of both lyssavirus and vesiculovirus.

Oita virus 296/1972 was isolated from the blood of a wild horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus cornutus (Temminck) in 1972. We investigated the pathogenicity of this virus in mice in relation to its histological, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural characteristics and the entire sequence of nucleoprotein gene. This virus caused lethal encephalitis in mice through intracerebral route. This susceptibility of mice was until 3 weeks of age. Immunohistochemical analysis using the convalescent sera obtained from survived adult mice after intracerebral inoculation revealed that many neurons were positive in the cytoplasm, besides no cross reactivity with normal and rabies virus-infected mouse brain tissues to this anti-sera. Ultrastructural analysis disclosed many bullet-shaped and enveloped virions in neurons. These morphological characteristics of the virions are consistent of that of viruses in the family Rhabdoviridae. Budding from endoplasmic membrane suggests that this virus has a similarity with lyssaviruses. Molecular analysis of cDNA coding a tentative nucleoprotein sequence revealed homology with those of viruses in the family Rhabdoviridae. Distance matrix analysis of this gene sequence with those of other rhabdoviruses isolated from mammals disclosed the discrete position of this virus in the phylogenic tree of rhabdoviridae infecting mammals and we renamed this virus as Oita rhabdovirus.

Age Factors↗

Effect of magnetic attachment with stress breaker on lateral stress to abutment tooth under overdenture.

Recently, a newly developed magnetic attachment with stress breaker was used in retentive components in overdentures. Excessive lateral stress has a more harmful effect on natural teeth than axial stress, and the magnetic attachment with stress breaker is expected to reduce lateral forces on abutment teeth and protect it teeth from excessive stress. However, the properties of this retainer have not yet been determined experimentally. This study compares the lateral forces on abutment teeth for three retainers under loading on the denture base in a model study. A mandibular simulation model is constructed to measure lateral stress. Three types of retentive devices are attached to the canine root. These devices include the conventional root coping, the conventional magnetic attachment and the new magnetic attachment with stress breaker. For each retentive device, load is generated on the occlusal table of the model overdenture, and the lateral stress on the canine root and the displacement of the overdenture measured. The magnetic attachment with stress breaker does not displace the denture and exhibits lower lateral stress in the canine root than conventional root coping and magnetic attachments.

Acrylic Resins↗

Effects of maxillary distraction osteogenesis on the upper-airway size and nasal resistance in subjects with cleft lip and palate.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the short- and long-term effects of maxillary distraction osteogenesis (DOG) on the upper-airway size and nasal resistance in nine patients with cleft lip and palate (CLP). STUDY DESIGN: Changes in the upper-airway size were measured by using lateral cephalometric radiographs taken immediately before and after DOG, and 1 year later. Nasal resistance was measured with a rhinomanometer. An analysis of variance was used to establish statistical significance. Spearman correlation coefficient was used to evaluate the relationship between changes in the cross-sectional area of the upper airway and nasal resistance in association with DOG. RESULTS: Immediately after DOG, the anteroposterior dimension of the superior part of the upper airway was significantly increased (p < 0.01) and nasal resistance was significantly decreased (p < 0.05). Moreover, the cross-sectional area of the total upper airway was significantly increased (p < 0.01). There was a significant correlation between the increase in the upper-airway cross-sectional area and the reduction in nasal resistance (p < 0.05). The upper-airway size was significantly augmented (p < 0.05) and nasal resistance was significantly reduced (p < 0.05) at 1 year after DOG compared with immediately before DOG. CONCLUSION: An increase in the upper-airway size and a reduction in nasal resistance occurred after maxillary DOG in patients with CLP, and these changes were stable after 1 year.

Adolescent↗

Development of co-culture system of hepatocytes with bone marrow cells for expression and maintenance of hepatic functions.

In this study, a co-culture system of hepatocytes and bone marrow cells (BMCs) was developed and characterized for the expression and maintenance of ammonia metabolism and albumin secretion activities. A culture medium supplemented with epidermal growth factor, insulin, L-proline, hydrocortisone and 20% (v/v) heat-inactivated fetal bovine serum was developed. In addition to adhesive bone marrow cells, the co-existence of non-adhesive bone marrow cells was effective in expressing liver-specific functions for at least 3 weeks. On the other hand, experiments with Transwell in which cultured cells were separated by a semi-permeable membrane, suggested that soluble factors secreted by BMCs are the key components in the functional enhancement of cells. Furthermore, direct contact between hepatocytes and BMCs enhanced the formation of spheroids and the expression of liver specific functions. These results indicate that this co-culture system is promising in, for example, bioartificial liver, regenerative medicine, and liver function simulator applications.

Animals↗

Chewing-side preference is involved in differential cortical activation patterns during tongue movements after bilateral gum-chewing: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study.

Contralateral dominance in the activation of the primary sensorimotor cortex (S1/M1) during tongue movements (TMs) has been shown to be associated with a chewing-side preference (CSP). However, little is known about its interaction with chewing-related cortical activation. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was performed before and after gum-chewing in six subjects who exhibited a left CSP to determine the relationship between the CSP and activation patterns in the S1/M1 during TMs. Before the subjects chewed the gum, activation foci were found in the bilateral S1/M1. In the left hemisphere, both signal intensity and the area of activation significantly increased during TMs within 10 min after subjects chewed gum. Moreover, this augmented activation significantly decreased within 20 min during tongue protrusion and leftward movement. In the right hemisphere, there were no marked changes during TMs. These results suggest that bilateral gum-chewing enhances activation of the S1/M1 ipsilateral to the CSP during TMs.

Adult↗

Immediate hemodialysis after percutaneous transvenous angioplasty increases patency rates of arterio-venous fistula.

BACKGROUND: It was reported that pathogenesis of access failure of hemodialysis patients through progressive stenosis was followed by thrombosis. Nonionic contrast media increase platelet degranulation within an angioplasty-damaged vessel by releasing procoagulant molecules, which might contribute to acute thrombosis and restenosis. An adequate level of heparin provides satisfactory thrombin inhibition during routine angioplasty. This study was performed to evaluate the effect of immediate hemodialysis after percutaneous transvenous angioplasty (PTA) to remove nonionic contrast media or other factors while injecting heparin continuously. METHODS: From September 9, 1998 - May 15, 2002, successful PTAs were performed in 66 patients with arteriovenous fistula who were not given any inhibitors of platelet aggregation. Hemodialysis was performed in 31 cases immediately after PTA, and in the remainder, hemodialysis was performed the next day. Patients were randomized and fistula patency rates were compared in these 2 groups on March 20, 2004. RESULTS: The patency rates after PTA in patients who were dialyzed immediately, were significantly higher than those who were dialyzed the next day (p = 0.0120). CONCLUSIONS: Immediate hemodialysis after PTA is an effective way of increasing the patency of arteriovenous fistula for reasons which are not clear. This observation will need to be corroborated in subsequent studies using a larger sample size.

Aged↗

Equation-of-state measurements of polyimide at pressures up to 5.8 TPa using low-density foam with laser-driven shock waves.

The laser-driven equation-of-state (EOS) experiments for polyimide are presented. The experiments were performed with emission measurements from the rear sides of shocked targets at up to a laser intensity of 10(14) W/cm(2) or higher with 351 nm wavelength and 2.5 ns duration. Polyimide Hugoniot data were obtained up to 0.6 TPa with good accuracy. Applying low-density foam ablator to the EOS unknown material, we also obtained the data at a highest pressure of 5.8 TPa in the nonmetal materials. Those data were in agreement with the theoretical curves.

Journal Article↗

Contribution of hippocampal place cell activity to learning and formation of goal-directed navigation in rats.

Although extensive behavioral studies have demonstrated that hippocampal lesions impair navigation toward specific places, the role of hippocampal neuronal activity in the development of efficient navigation during place learning remains unknown. The aim of the present study was to investigate how hippocampal neuronal activity changes as rats learn to navigate efficiently to acquire rewards in an open field. Rats were pre-trained in a random reward task where intracranial self-stimulation rewards were provided at random locations. Then, the rats were trained in a novel place task where they were rewarded at two specific locations as they repeatedly shuttled between them. Hippocampal neuronal activity was recorded during the course of learning of the place task. The rats learned reward sites within several sessions, and gradually developed efficient navigation strategies throughout the learning sessions. Some hippocampal neurons gradually changed spatial firing as the learning proceeded, and discharged robustly near the reward sites when efficient navigation was established. Over the learning sessions, the neuronal activity was highly correlated to formation of efficient shuttling trajectories between the reward sites. At the end of the experiment, spatial firing patterns of the hippocampal neurons were re-examined in the random reward task. The specific spatial firing patterns of the neurons were preserved if the rats navigated, as if they expected to find rewards at the previously valid locations. However, those specific spatial firing patterns were not observed in rats pursuing random trajectories. These results suggest that hippocampal neurons have a crucial role in formation of an efficient navigation.

Action Potentials↗

Differential activation in the medial temporal lobe during a sound-sequence discrimination task across age in human subjects.

To elucidate the brain mechanisms to encode sequential events, event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded during a sound-sequence discrimination task using young and middle-aged adult subjects. In the task, a series of six or 12 kinds of natural sounds were sequentially presented; 70-80% of the stimuli were presented in a fixed order (Non-target), but the remaining stimuli, in a random order (Target). The subjects were instructed to detect the Targets and press a button at the end of each Target. In a control task, the same sounds were randomly presented (Control), and they were instructed to press the button at the end of each sound. Behavioral results indicated that the young subjects learned the task faster than did the middle-aged subjects. Positive ERP waves were evoked by Targets and Non-targets in the parieto-occipital area around 300-700 ms after stimulus onset. The mean amplitudes during this period in the young subjects were larger in Target than Control conditions, and those in Target condition were larger in the young than middle-aged subjects. Furthermore, the mean amplitudes in the Target condition were significantly correlated with behavioral performance. Equivalent dipoles for the ERPs evoked by Targets were estimated in the medial temporal lobe including the hippocampal formation and parahippocampal gyrus. The results suggest that the ERPs around 300-700 ms latency are involved in sound-sequence information processing. Furthermore, decrease in amplitudes of this positivity in the middle-aged subjects suggests that age-related memory decline is associated with deficits in encoding and retrieval of unfamiliar sequence.

Acoustic Stimulation↗

Widespread expression of parathyroid hormone-related peptide in melanocytic cells.

BACKGROUND: Parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTH-rP) was associated with the syndrome of hypercalcaemia of malignancy. An increased serum level of PTH-rP could occur in patients with advanced melanoma. OBJECTIVES: We examined PTH-rP expression in cultured melanocytic cell lines and in lesions of melanocytic origin for associations with clinicopathological variables of disease progression. We measured the supernatant and cell lysate level of PTH-rP in cultured melanoma cells to clarify whether melanoma cells secrete PTH-rP. METHODS: PTH-rP expression was examined by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in cultured melanocytic cell lines and by immunoperoxidase staining in 18 melanocytic naevi, 40 primary melanoma and 19 metastatic melanoma lesions. The supernatant level of PTH-rP was measured with an immunoradiometric assay. RESULTS: RT-PCR products of PTH-rP mRNA were detected in six of eight melanoma cell lines; however, neither naevus cells nor melanocytes showed positive products. On the other hand, immunohistochemical analysis showed that PTH-rP was widely expressed both in benign and malignant melanocytic lesions. In addition, PTH-rP expression was not associated with any clinicopathological variables. Cell lysate but not the supernatant of melanoma cells showed high PTH-rP levels. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that PTH-rP was widely expressed in melanocytic cells; however, the cells did not secrete PTH-rP.

Adolescent↗

First night effect of an interocclusal appliance on nocturnal masticatory muscle activity.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of an interocclusal appliance on nocturnal masticatory muscle activities. Six healthy Japanese males (mean age: 26.8 years) participated in this study. Electromyographic (EMG) activities of the right anterior temporalis and masseter muscles were recorded using a portable EMG recording unit at night both with and without an interocclusal appliance. In both muscles, the maximal EMG activity and the number of bruxing events decreased significantly by wearing the appliance. Moreover, the duration of a higher level of muscle activity was decreased while that of a lower level of muscle activity increased by wearing the appliance in both muscles. These findings suggest that nocturnal masticatory muscle activity is significantly reduced by wearing an interocclusal appliance, and that the use of such an appliance at night could help to relax masticatory muscles.

Adult↗

The prenatal development of the human cerebellar field in Down syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the development of the osseous field enclosing the cerebellum and part of the brain stem (the neuro-osteological cerebellar field) in Down syndrome, and compare the development with normal developmental standard of the field. DESIGN: Radiographic, cephalometric and histologic examination of 58 legally or spontaneously aborted Down syndrome prenatal human fetuses; crown-rump length of 80-255 mm and approximate gestational age from 13 to 26 weeks. RESULTS: The growth of the Down syndrome cerebellar field is smaller in the sagittal and vertical directions than in normal fetuses. CONCLUSION: In the present study the pathological development of the cerebellar field was described in a genotypic sample. In combining normal and pathological development of neural and osseous tissues a better understanding of the genotype/phenotype interactions is attainable and fields of common gene expression maybe defined.

Cephalometry↗

Molecular nature of mutations induced by irradiation with repeated low doses of X-rays in spleen, liver, brain and testis of lacZ-transgenic mice.

PURPOSE: To investigate the molecular characteristics of mutations induced by repeated low doses of X-rays in spleen, liver, brain and testis of mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Muta mice, which harbour the lacZ gene contained in the lambda genome, were irradiated with 0.15 Gy every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for 6 months starting at 10 weeks of age for a total of 78 times. Four months after the last irradiation, DNAs were isolated from the four different tissues and the mutant frequencies of lacZ were determined. Next, the nucleotide sequences of the mutant lacZ genes were determined and compared with that of the wild-type to identify the molecular changes in the mutants. The frequencies of different types of mutations were compared with those found in age-matched non-irradiated mice. They were also compared with those found in mice irradiated with a single high dose. RESULTS: The repeated low-dose irradiation resulted in slight increases in the mutant frequency in the four kinds of tissues. The spleen, liver and brain in repeatedly irradiated mice showed higher frequencies of deletion type mutations than those of non-irradiated mice. In testis, however, the level of the increase was modest and not statistically significant. Complex type mutations were observed only in irradiated tissues. The characteristics observed in somatic tissues were similar to those induced by a single high dose of irradiation. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the mechanism of mutation induction in vivo is similar between low- and high-dose irradiation in spleen, liver and brain. The low induction of deletion mutations in testis with low-dose irradiation suggests that spermatogonial cells have a unique DNA repair system against low-dose radiation-induced damage.

Animals↗

Hemispheric dominance of tongue control depends on the chewing-side preference.

Blood-oxygenation-level-dependent (BOLD)-functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is known to be a non-invasive technique for studying human brain function. The purpose of this study was to apply BOLD-fMRI to identify brain areas responsible for producing tongue movements and their relation to chewing-side preference in 15 normal right-handed volunteers. A marked increase in BOLD signals was detected in primary sensorimotor cortices upon protrusion and in rightward and leftward tongue movements compared with at rest. In 10 subjects with an evident chewing-side preference, the BOLD signal change in the primary sensorimotor cortex was significantly greater on the side contralateral to the preferred chewing side. The results suggest that there is a relationship between hemispheric dominance and chewing-side preference in primary sensorimotor cortices responsible for tongue movements.

Adult↗

Tuning of electronic structures of quasi-one-dimensional bromo-bridged Ni(III) complexes with strong electron-correlation by doping of Co(III) ions, [Ni(1-x)Co(x)(Chxn)(2)Br]Br(2).

We have succeeded in synthesizing the Ni(III) complexes doped by Co(III) ions, [Ni(1-x)Co(x)(chxn)(2)Br]Br(2) (x = 0, 0.043, 0.093, and 0.118) by using an electrochemical oxidation method. The single-crystal reflectance spectrum of x = 0.118 shows an intense CT band about 0.5 eV, which is lower than that of [Ni(chxn)(2)Br]Br(2) (1.3 eV). The single-crystal electrical conductivities at room temperature of these compounds increase with increase of the amounts of doping of Co(III) ions. In the ESR spectra, peak-to-peak line widths DeltaH(pp) at room temperature change about 600 G in [Ni(chxn)(2)Br]Br(2) to 200 G in x = 0.118. Such a large x dependence of DeltaH(pp) seems to be ascribed to the increasing contribution from the increasing Curie spins which have smaller line width. Therefore, we have tuned the electronic structures of quasi-one-dimensional bromo-bridged Ni(III) complexes with strong electron correlations by doping of Co(III) ions.

Journal Article↗