As a base for human transcriptome and functional genomics, we created the "full-length long Japan" (FLJ) collection of sequenced human cDNAs. We determined the entire sequence of 21,243 selected clones and found that 14,490 cDNAs (10,897 clusters) were unique to the FLJ collection. About half of them (5,416) seemed to be protein-coding. Of those, 1,999 clusters had not been predicted by computational methods. The distribution of GC content of nonpredicted cDNAs had a peak at ∼58% compared with a peak at ∼42%for predicted cDNAs. Thus, there seems to be a slight bias against GC-rich transcripts in current gene prediction procedures. The rest of the cDNAs unique to the FLJ collection (5,481) contained no obvious open reading frames (ORFs) and thus are candidate noncoding RNAs. About one-fourth of them (1,378) showed a clear pattern of splicing. The distribution of GC content of noncoding cDNAs was narrow and had a peak at ∼42%, relatively low compared with that of protein-coding cDNAs.

Background: The Barthel Index (BI) is a measure of independence in activities of daily living (ADL). In the modified Barthel Index (MBI), a five-point system replaced the original two or three or four point rating system. Based on this modified measure, the performance evaluation tool MBI (PET-MBI) was developed in Japan. Although the reliability and validity of PET-MBI have been verified for older people, the use of this tool in stroke patients has not been evaluated. This study investigated the validity and reliability of PET-MBI for stroke patients. Methods: Ten raters independently determined the BI and PET-MBI scores of stroke patients by direct observation. These patients' ADL were videotaped, and 10 other raters then evaluated the videos privately and assigned PET-MBI scores twice, one month apart. The criterion-related validity of the PET-MBI against the BI was evaluated using the correlation coefficients for their total scores. Furthermore, to assess inter-and intra-rater reliabilities from the results of the first and second sessions, Fleiss' intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were calculated for the total scores, with the lower limits of the 95% confidence interval (95%CI), along with weighted kappa (κ w ) coefficients for agreement in individual tasks of this evaluation tool. ICC and κ w coefficients of 0.81-1.00 were considered to be "almost perfect" agreement.

Sounds can induce autonomic responses in listeners. However, the modulatory effect of specific frequency components of music is not fully understood. Here, we examined the role of the frequency component of music on autonomic responses. Specifically, we presented music that had been amplified in the high- or low-frequency domains. Twelve healthy women listened to white noise, a stress-inducing noise, and then one of three versions of a piece of music: original, low-, or high-frequency amplified. To measure autonomic response, we calculated the high-frequency normalized unit (HFnu), low-frequency normalized unit, and the LF/HF ratio from the heart rate using electrocardiography. We defined the stress recovery ratio as the value obtained after participants listened to music following scratching noise, normalized by the value obtained after participants listened to white noise after the stress noise, in terms of the HFnu, low-frequency normalized unit, LF/HF ratio, and heart rate. Results indicated that high-frequency amplified music had the highest HFnu of the three versions. The stress recovery ratio of HFnu under the high-frequency amplified stimulus was significantly larger than that under the low-frequency stimulus. Our results suggest that the high-frequency component of music plays a greater role in stress relief than low-frequency components.

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Background: An intravenous leiomyomatosis is a special type of uterine leiomyoma characterized by the formation of benign leiomyomatous tissue within the vascular wall. Although histologically benign, intracardiac metastasis can lead to circulatory failure, and death, if untreated. Herein, we report on a case of a uterine intravenous leiomyomatosis with an isolated large adherent metastasis in the right atrium of the heart. Case Presentation: A 52-year-old Japanese woman sought medical attention at our hospital for lower abdominal pain. A 27-cm uterine mass was detected on clinical imaging, with a 78 × 47-mm mass in the right atrium detected on preoperative echocardiography. Intracardiac mass resection and tricuspid annuloplasty were performed as the first-stage surgery. The pedicle of the tumor was adherent to the wall of the atrium. On histological examination, the tumor was found to consist of spindle-shaped cells with eosinophilic cytoplasm, without atypia, but with a myxoid change, and rich microvascularization of the pedicle. Total abdominal hysterectomy was performed as the second-stage surgery, with confirmation of the diagnosis as uterine intravenous leiomyomatosis with an isolated metastasic lesion to the right atrium. There has been no evidence of tumor recurrence in the 15 months since surgery. Conclusion: We report a unique case in which a large right atrial leiomyoma was identified following a uterine intravenous leiomyomatosis. Our case exemplifies that intravenous leiomyomatosis metastatic tumors have the potential to grow via their vascularization.

When evaluated ultrasonographically, the frequency of DVT in hospitalized non-surgical Japanese patients with CHF was approximately 35%. DVT occurred in 25% of patients treated by physical prophylaxis or anti-platelet agents. The results suggest that Japanese hospitalized patients with CHF have a high risk of DVT and thus can be recognized to have potential benefit by preventing and treating DVT according to the guidelines.

The greater improvement in several cardiac functions was seen in patients with greater LV dysfunction, after the CA for CAF.