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Most meningiomas grow intracranially, and primary intraosseous meningioma is rarely reported. We present two rare surgical cases of giant intraosseous meningothelial meningioma. The first patient was a 35-year-old male with parietal skull deformity without neurological symptoms. Total resection was successful. The origin was the parasagittal intraosseous layer, and the superior sagittal sinus was partially opened. The second patient was a 20-year-old female with a slightly upward protrusion of the frontal skull without pain or neurological deficits. The lesion was totally resected, and the origin was the parasagittal intraosseous layer invading into the dura matter and subcutaneous layer. The clinical management of these cases presented a surgical challenge because of detachment and repair from venous sinuses. The current report provides surgical tips for such rare diseases and is a good reference for the future treatment of similar diseases.

El crecimiento acelerado de la población así como los efectos del cambio climático contribuyen a la profundización de las desigualdades en el acceso a agua y saneamiento en la región de América Latina y el Caribe. Bajo este contexto, es necesario generar políticas y herramientas que permitan alcanzar el saneamiento seguro y reducir el impacto ambiental. Por ello, el tratamiento y posterior reúso de las aguas residuales tratadas, presentan una oportunidad a efecto de reducir la escasez, alcanzar la seguridad hídrica y el saneamiento ambiental.

Conditional knockout technology is a powerful tool for investigating the spatiotemporal functions of target genes. However, generation of conditional knockout mice involves complicated breeding programs and considerable time. A recent study has shown that artificially designed microRNAs (amiRNAs), inserted into an intron of the constitutively expressed gene, induce knockdown of the targeted gene in mice, thus creating a simpler method to analyze the functions of target genes in oocytes. Here, to establish an oocyte-specific knockdown system, amiRNA sequences against enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) were knocked into the intronic sites of the Zp3 gene. Knock-in mice were then bred with EGFP transgenic mice. Our results showed that Zp3-derived amiRNA successfully reduced EGFP fluorescence in the oocytes in a size-dependent manner. Importantly, knockdown of EGFP did not occur in somatic cells. Thus, we present our knockdown system as a tool for screening gene functions in mouse oocytes.

Background Hiccups are a well-known short-term phenomenon in daily life. If they persist or become intractable, they may be a primary symptom of a disease. Recent studies identified the medulla oblongata as the neuroanatomic center of the hiccup reflex arc. In previous cases, an isolated lesion at the dorsal side of the medulla oblongata induced intractable hiccups. Case Description We herein describe a patient with a perimedullary arteriovenous fistula (PMAVF) at the craniocervical junction who had intractable hiccups. A 70-year-old male presented with a 3-year history of intractable hiccups that continued for a few days every week. An initial examination failed to identify the underlying cause, and neither medicine nor self-treatment attenuated his symptoms. Intracranial T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging showed a hyperintensity area within the dorsolateral medulla and flow voids along the dorsal side of the cervical spine. Angiography revealed PMAVF fed by the left C1 radiculomedullary artery. Obliteration of the fistula was performed, after which intractable hiccups had completely disappeared within 1 week. Conclusions This is the first case report of PMAVF at the craniocervical junction presenting with intractable hiccups that suggested a lesion in the dorsal side of the medulla. The mechanisms underlying hiccups are also discussed.

Background Spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas (DAVFs) are usually associated with neurologic dysfunction adjacent to the shunt point; however, the symptoms are uncommon far from the site of the fistula. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a patient with rapidly progressive isolated pseudobulbar palsy because of thoracic DAVF. Case Description We report a patient with thoracic DAVF presenting with remote symptoms of brainstem congestion. The patient was a 36-year-old man who presented with a sudden history of vomiting, dysphagia, and flaccid weakness in the 4 limbs. Intracranial magnetic resonance (MR) imaging at a local hospital demonstrated T2 signal hyperintensity within the medulla, and he was referred to our hospital for a suspected brainstem lesion. However, cervical MR imaging revealed a dilated and tortuous perimedullary venous plexus, and spinal angiography revealed DAVF in T5-6 with a feeding artery from the intercostal artery. After obliteration of the fistula, the progression of the disease was stopped and the symptoms improved. Conclusions Although rare, thoracic DAVFs may present symptoms resembling brainstem infarction. Prompt surgical intervention is necessary for patients with thoracic DAVF presenting with rapidly progressive pseudobulbar palsy.

Among Asian countries, Japan has the shortest history of eating meat in its food culture. It was only after 2007 that household fresh meat consumption surpassed fresh fish consumption in Japan. Although it was forecast that slowing population and economic growth would limit the demand for meat, household meat consumption in 2020 increased remarkably from that in 2019, perhaps due to COVID-19. Meat consumption has regional variations within Japan attributable to historical background. Japanese consumers prefer domestically produced meat and focus on the visual characteristics of meat, in particular marbling. Extrinsic factors such as information also contribute to Japanese consumers' meat choices more than the quality of the meat. Although Japanese consumers are concerned about the safety of meat, reassurance from appropriate inspection will restore their purchasing intention. Novel factors such as animal welfare and environment-friendly production are also recognized in Japan. Also notable is that wild animal meat consumption is beginning to increase in recent years.

Although fat content affects the texture and flavor of meat and meat products, the fat discrimination thresholds are unknown. This study aimed to elucidate the discrimination threshold of fat in meat products using broth from chicken thigh meat as a meat taste model. In Experiment 1, triangle tests were conducted between 1%, 0.2%, 0.04%, and 0.008% (w/v) chicken oil-supplemented broth and broth without chicken oil. The results indicated the discrimination threshold to be between 0.04% and 0.008% (w/v). In Experiment 2, similar triangle tests were conducted using oil supplementation at 0.1%, 0.0333%, 0.0111%, and 0.0037% to refine the discrimination threshold. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the discrimination threshold of emulsified chicken oil in chicken broth was 0.0387% (w/v). We demonstrated that chicken oil made a sensory difference in chicken broth at a low concentration and indicates that the chicken oil strongly affects the sensory characteristics of chicken broth.

Japanese consumers are generally characterized as preferring high marbling in beef and pork and choosing domestic products. However, the Japanese food market is not homogenous. Understanding the diversity of Japanese consumers will provide benefits for the optimization of meat production and distribution in Japan. This article focuses on three factors affecting purchasing decisions and eating satisfaction, namely, requirements, sensory perception, and eating preferences, in order to understand the diversity of Japanese consumers in a simplified manner. Diversity was observed in Japanese consumers in all three of these factors (requirements, perception, and preference) using a questionnaire survey, sensory and biological procedures, and an eating preference test. These diversities are due to not only sociodemographic characteristics but also biological and physiological factors, background culture, and individual attitudes and criteria. Although consumer variation based on sociodemographic characteristics is of course important, it is equally important to understand diversity by focusing on the individual differences among consumers.

El propósito de este documento es presentar un diagnóstico de los principales mecanismos innovadores de financiamiento - financiamiento mixto, bonos temáticos y fondos climáticos-, así como también desafíos enfrentados, un análisis de su aplicación en el sector de agua y saneamiento considerando America Latina y Caribe, y las diferencias para su implementación en proyectos rurales y urbanos.

Alteration in the leaf mesophyll anatomy by genetic modification is potentially a promising tool for improving the physiological functions of trees by improving leaf photosynthesis. Homeodomain leucine zipper (HD-Zip) transcription factors are candidates for anatomical alterations of leaves through modification of cell multiplication, differentiation, and expansion. Full-length cDNA encoding a Eucalyptus camaldulensis HD-Zip class II transcription factor (EcHB1) was over-expressed in vivo in the hybrid Eucalyptus GUT5 generated from Eucalyptus grandis and Eucalyptus urophylla. Overexpression of EcHB1 induced significant modification in the mesophyll anatomy of Eucalyptus with enhancements in the number of cells and chloroplasts on a leaf-area basis. The leaf-area-based photosynthesis of Eucalyptus was improved in the EcHB1-overexpression lines, which was due to both enhanced CO2 diffusion into chloroplasts and increased photosynthetic biochemical functions through increased number of chloroplasts per unit leaf area. Additionally, overexpression of EcHB1 suppressed defoliation and thus improved the growth of Eucalyptus trees under drought stress, which was a result of reduced water loss from trees due to the reduction in leaf area with no changes in stomatal morphology. These results gave us new insights into the role of the HD-Zip II gene.

In this study, we assessed the relative sensory perception of Wagyu beef using temporal dominance of sensations (TDS), which is a dynamic sensory method that captures the “dominance of sensation” throughout food consumption. In addition, we checked the integrity of the TDS by comparing the TDS results with a physicochemical analysis. Strip loins were obtained from 24‐ and 28‐month‐old Japanese Black cattle (“Wagyu”) and were cooked by grilling (yakiniku) or boiling (shabu‐shabu). Temporal dominance of sensations was then used to evaluate the four types of samples. “Tender and/or soft,” “juicy,” “dry,” “fat melting,” “fat taste,” “umami,” “sweet taste,” and “butter odor” were dominant in at least one of the sample types, with the yakiniku cooking method highlighting texture‐ and fat‐related sensory characteristics, and the shabu‐shabu cooking method highlighting flavor‐related sensory characteristics. In addition, beef obtained from the 24‐month‐old Wagyu was significantly more “dry” than that of the 28‐month‐old cattle, reflecting their different cooking loss. Temporal dominance of sensations successfully demonstrated the dominant sensory perceptions of Wagyu beef prepared with different cooking methods and fattening periods.

Background Sensory perception is a dynamic process occurring sequentially. The dynamic analysis of the perception of sensory characteristics in meat is important to understand complex meat sensory characteristics. Temporal dominance of sensations (TDS) is a dynamic sensory method that captures the 'dominance of sensations' throughout food consumption, and it is possible to calculate the relative contribution of various sensory characteristics by 'dominance rate' over time. The objective of this study was to assess the major sensory characteristics of the dynamic sensory perception of pork loin. Using the TDS, we evaluated pork loins derived from pigs with different genetic and feeding backgrounds. Moreover, we checked the integrity of the TDS by comparing the TDS results with a descriptive sensory analysis and a physico-chemical analysis. Results Seven types of pork loin were evaluated by TDS, and 'tender and/or soft,' 'tough and/or hard,' 'juicy,' 'dry,' 'fat melting,' 'smoothness,' 'sourness,' 'umami,' and 'beast odors' became dominant in at least one type of pork loin. The dynamics of the perception of pork sensory characteristics was also depicted by TDS. In addition, TDS and descriptive analysis demonstrated similarity in principal component analysis. Conclusion TDS demonstrated the major sensory characteristics on the dynamic sensory perception of pork loin. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

DNA methylation is generally known to inactivate gene expression. The DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs), DNMT3A and DNMT3B, catalyze somatic cell lineage‐specific DNA methylation, while DNMT3A and DNMT3L catalyze germ cell lineage‐specific DNA methylation. How such lineage‐ and gene‐specific DNA methylation patterns are created remains to be elucidated. To better understand the regulatory mechanisms underlying DNA methylation, we generated transgenic mice that constitutively expressed DNMT3A and DNMT3L, and analyzed DNA methylation, gene expression, and their subsequent impact on ontogeny. All transgenic mice were born normally but died within 20 weeks accompanied with cardiac hypertrophy. Several genes were repressed in the hearts of transgenic mice compared with those in wild‐type mice. CpG islands of these downregulated genes were highly methylated in the transgenic mice. This abnormal methylation occurred in the perinatal stage. Conversely, monoallelic DNA methylation at imprinted loci was faithfully maintained in all transgenic mice, except H19. Thus, the loci preferred by DNMT3A and DNMT3L differ between somatic and germ cell lineages.

Y-doped Hf–Zr–O (Y-HZO) films have been prepared by chemical solution deposition. It is shown that good ferroelectric property can be obtained for the Y-HZO film with a Y concentration of 3.2% after 800 °C crystallization annealing at a reduced pressure of 50 Pa. It is also demonstrated that the reduced pressure pre-annealing at temperatures as low as 400 °C is effective to obtain good ferroelectric properties, regardless of the crystallization annealing ambient. This is presumably because the pre-annealing under reduced pressure promotes the formation of nuclei in the orthorhombic phase.

Background Thalamic high-grade gliomas (HGGs) are rare tumors with a dismal prognosis. H3K27M and telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter (TERTp) mutations reportedly contribute to poor prognoses in HGG cases. We investigated the outcomes of surgically treated adult thalamic HGGs to evaluate the prognostic significance of H3K27M and TERTp mutations. Methods We retrospectively analyzed 25 adult patients with thalamic HGG who underwent maximum surgical resection from January 1997 to March 2020. The histological and molecular characteristics, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) of the patients were compared. For molecular characteristics, target sequencing was used to determine the H3F3A, HIST1H3B, and TERTp mutations. Results H3K27M mutations were detected in 12/25 (48.0%) patients. TERTp mutations were not detected in H3K27M-mutant gliomas but were detected in 8/13 (61.5%) of H3 wild-type gliomas. Although it was not significant, H3K27M-mutant gliomas tended to have a shorter PFS (6.7 vs 13.1 months; P = .2928) and OS (22.8 vs 24.4 months; P = .2875) than H3 wild-type gliomas. Moreover, the prognosis of TERTp-mutant gliomas was as poor as that of H3K27M-mutant gliomas. Contrary, 5 gliomas harboring both H3 and TERTp wild-type showed a better median PFS (59.2 vs 6.4 months; P = .0456) and OS (71.8 vs 24.4 months; P = .1168) than those harboring H3K27M or TERTp mutations. Conclusions TERTp-mutant gliomas included in the H3 wild-type glioma group limited patient survival as they exhibited an aggressive course similar to H3K27M-mutant gliomas. Comprehensive molecular work-up for the H3 wild-type cases may further confirm this finding.

BACKGROUND Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), when applied over the primary motor cortex, elicits a motor-evoked potential (MEP) in electromyograms measured from peripheral muscles. MEP amplitude has often been observed to fluctuate trial to trial, even with a constant stimulus. Many factors cause MEP fluctuations in TMS. One of the primary factors is the weak stationarity and instability of cortical activity in the brain, from which we assumed MEP fluctuations originate. We hypothesized that MEP fluctuations are suppressed when TMS is delivered to the primary motor cortex at a time when several electroencephalogram (EEG) channels measured on the scalp are highly similar in the frequency domain. OBJECTIVE We developed a TMS triggering system to suppress MEP fluctuations using EEG coherence analysis, which was performed to detect the EEG signal similarity between the 2 channels in the frequency domain. METHODS Seven healthy adults participated in the experiment to confirm whether the TMS trigger system works adequately, and the mean amplitude and coefficient of the MEP variation were recorded and compared with the values obtained during the control task. We also determined the experimental time under each condition and verified whether it was within the predicted time. RESULTS The coefficient of variation of MEP amplitude decreased in 5 of the 7 participants, and significant differences (P=.02) were confirmed in 2 of the participants according to an F test. The coefficient of variation of the experimental time required for each stimulus after threshold modification was less than that without threshold modification, and a significant difference (PF test. CONCLUSIONS We found that MEP could be suppressed using the system developed in this study and that the TMS trigger system could also stabilize the experimental time by changing the triggering threshold automatically.

Background:Skeletal muscle mass is an important factor for various diseases’ outcomes. The psoas muscle cross-sectional area on the abdominal computed tomography (CT), gait speed, and handgrip strength is used to measure it. However, it is difficult to measure the neurological patients’ muscle mass or function because (1) we do not perform abdominal CT. (2) Such patients have impaired consciousness, gait disturbance, paresis, and need of rest. Temporal muscle thickness (TMT) on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is now attractive for skeletal muscle volume indicator, but the reference values are not established. We herein investigated the standard value of the Japanese TMT using the brain check-up database by MRI.Methods:We retrospectively investigated 360 Japanese individuals from two institutions between 2017 and 2019. We measured TMT on the T1-weighted images in the previously reported way. The associations between TMT and other variables were analyzed.Results:TMT of 214 women and 146 men, ranging from 35 to 84 years old, was investigated. TMT ranged from 3.69 to 16.90 mm. Mean TMT values were significantly higher in men compared to women except for the over 70-year-old cohort. TMT was correlated to weight and body mass index in both sexes.Conclusion:This is the first retrospective study on the standard TMT values from the Japanese brain check-up database. Our results were just reference values, but these would be useful for further investigation in other neurosurgical and neurological diseases regarding muscle volume or sarcopenia.

This paper discusses the relationship between information and distribution, with special reference to the role of the merchant in the market economy. By working with simple equilibrium models of the industry and doing a sequence of comparative economic analyses, we intend to shed a new light on an important yet rather neglected area in the economics profession. Let us suppose that the demand side is subject to many changes and may be represented by a simple uniform distribution function with two parameters, i.e. mean μ and variations σ2. Then, we can show that the entry of the informed distributor between the producer and the consumer would cause two opposing welfare effects: A negative intermediation effect and a positive information effect. If the degree of relative risk is large enough in the sense that the σ2 - μ2ratio exceeds a certain threshold value, then the information effect becomes a dominant force. Therefore, the introduction of the distributor into the economy will increase both producer and consumer surpluses: It will make all the parties better off. In a historical perspective, the Ohmi merchant is known to have a good faith in Sampo Yoshi, or the principle of all-round advantages of trading. Hopefully, the result obtained in the paper will give some theoretical ground for such an old and new principle.

This paper aims to discuss the relationship between economic theory and market economy from a new historical angle. Historically speaking, Werner Sombart seems to be a man in paradox. Although he was once a famous professor at Berlin, he became an almost forgotten man after the Second World War. In the 1990s, however, we saw a remarkable comeback of Sombart, named the Sombart Renaissance; his work on the role of capitalist spirit played in the three stages of capitalism is now worth serious investigation. In contrast, John Hicks has mainly been regarded as an important theoretician of general equilibrium and welfare, but his later work on economic history is also worthy of vital consideration. Hicks pays special attention to the role of merchant played in the exchange economy. By comparing the works of Sombart and Hicks in many ways, we can shed new light on the immortal problem of the relationship between Theory and History. We strongly believe that Ohmi merchants of Japan give us very good examples of the Hicks-type mercantile economy. Hicks has emphasized that the trade should comply with the “principle of all-round advantage.” Certainly, it corresponds well to the “principle of sampo-yoshi” obeyed by Ohmi merchants: namely, the principle of being good for a seller, good for a buyer, and good for the society.” We also would like to add that Ohmi merchants acted as lively players with capitalistic spirits a la Sombart. In short, we can learn a set of new lessons from the old teachings of Sombart and Hicks.

This paper analyzes the welfare implications of acquiring information for profit-maximizing and labor-managed firms (in short, PMF and LMF). We invent a unified method of exploring the role of information in a two-person game under uncertainty on the basis of comparative static analysis, and then apply the method to both the PMF and LMF. It is shown that whereas the LMF’s behavior is analogous to that of the PMF in some circumstances, the former may be entirely different from the latter in others. Because a special status is accorded to labor as a variable factor of production, the informational analysis of the LM economy requires special care for both computation and interpretation.

There have been so many papers on the theory of oligopoly and information. In spite of growing literature on this subject, however, we believe that there is nevertheless a conspicuously missing link in it. To our surprise, very few papers have ever attempted to investigate an important subject of “information exchange and risk aversion.” Although such a subject seems to demand very tough computations and psychological pains, we strongly believe that someone must take up a challenge. So, the main purpose of this paper is to do our best for filling in such a missing gap, thus hoping to do a contribution to the important subject of oligopoly and information. More specifically, this paper aims to discuss the value of additional information in Cournot duopoly when each firm faces its own cost uncertainty. If firms display risk aversion and thus maximize the expected utility of profits, the exchange of cost information between them affects the mean values of outputs as well as their variances. By employing a constant absolute risk aversion model, we are able to show the variance effect may sometimes overpower the mean effect, whence information sharing may possibly make firms worse off. As our daily experience shows, “going together” may sometimes be a better policy than “going alone.”

The long series of papers on the information exchanges among firms and their welfare implications contain three parts, namely Part I, Part II, and Part III. In the previous chapters, we already discussed Parts I and II. Part I was concerned with the basic dual relations between the Cournot and Bertrand models. Part II dealt with the world of risk and uncertainty, focusing on the Cournot duopoly model with a common demand risk as a starting point. It then explored other types of duopoly models with a common risk. The purpose of this chapter is to discuss more complicated problems such as private risks and oligopoly models. When there exist more than two firms in an industry, the problem of the information exchange among firms becomes more complicated yet more intriguing. It will be seen that as the number of “producers as insiders” rises, the possibility of “consumers as outsiders” gaining their welfare is likely to increase. This is certainly the result which may agree with common sense. Some policy implications of our analysis will also be investigated.

The purpose of this paper is to carefully investigate the relationship between the concepts of risk aversion and expected utility, with a focus on the constant-risk-aversion function and its application to oligopoly theory. Whereas there is now a growing literature on risk, uncertainty, and the market, the operational theory of risk-averse oligopoly has been rather underdeveloped so far.One of the reasons for such underdevelopment is that the established concept of risk aversion remains too abstract rather than reasonably operational, whence very few economists have dared to study the economic consequences of a change of risk aversion by firms.

BackgroundThalamic high-grade gliomas (HGGs) are rare tumors with a dismal prognosis. H3K27M and telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter (TERTp) mutations reportedly contribute to poor prognoses in HGG cases. We investigated the outcomes of surgically treated adult thalamic HGGs to evaluate the prognostic significance of H3K27M and TERTp mutations.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed 25 adult patients with thalamic HGG who underwent maximum surgical resection from January 1997 to March 2020. The histological and molecular characteristics, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) of the patients were compared. For molecular characteristics, target sequencing was used to determine the H3F3A, HIST1H3B, and TERTp mutations.ResultsH3K27M mutations were detected in 12/25 (48.0%) patients. TERTp mutations were not detected in H3K27M-mutant gliomas but were detected in 8/13 (61.5%) of H3 wild-type gliomas. Although it was not significant, H3K27M-mutant gliomas tended to have a shorter PFS (6.7 vs 13.1 months; P = .2928) and OS (22.8 vs 24.4 months; P = .2875) than H3 wild-type gliomas. Moreover, the prognosis of TERTp-mutant gliomas was as poor as that of H3K27M-mutant gliomas. Contrary, 5 gliomas harboring both H3 and TERTp wild-type showed a better median PFS (59.2 vs 6.4 months; P = .0456) and OS (71.8 vs 24.4 months; P = .1168) than those harboring H3K27M or TERTp mutations.ConclusionsTERTp-mutant gliomas included in the H3 wild-type glioma group limited patient survival as they exhibited an aggressive course similar to H3K27M-mutant gliomas. Comprehensive molecular work-up for the H3 wild-type cases may further confirm this finding.