We evaluated the association between maternal prenatal folic acid supplementation/dietary folate intake and motor and cognitive development in 2-year-old offspring using data from the Japan Environment and Children’s Study database. Neurodevelopment of 2-year-old offspring were evaluated using the Kyoto Scale of Psychological Development 2001. In total, data of 3839 offspring were analysed. For folic acid supplementation, a multiple regression analysis showed that offspring of mothers who started using folic acid supplements before conception had a significantly lower developmental quotient (DQ) in the postural-motor DQ area than offspring of mothers who did not use them at any time throughout their pregnancy (partial regression coefficient (B) −2·596, 95 % CI −4·738, −0·455). Regarding daily dietary folate intake from preconception to early pregnancy, a multiple regression analysis showed that the group with ≥ 200 µg had a significantly higher DQ in the language-social area than the group with <200 µg. The DQ was higher in the ≥ 400 µg group (B 2·532, 95 % CI 0·201, 4·863) than the 200 to <400 µg group (B 1·437, 95 % CI 0·215, 2·660). In conclusion, our study showed that maternal adequate dietary folate intake from preconception to early pregnancy has a beneficial association with verbal cognition development in 2-year-old offspring. On the other hand, mothers who started using folic acid supplements before conception had an inverse association with motor development in 2-year-old offspring. There were no details on the amount of folic acid in the supplements used and frequency of use. Therefore, further studies are required.

High-throughput immuno-electron microscopy is required to capture the protein–protein interactions realizing physiological functions. Atmospheric scanning electron microscopy (ASEM) allows in situ correlative light and electron microscopy of samples in liquid in an open atmospheric environment. Cells are cultured in a few milliliters of medium directly in the ASEM dish, which can be coated and transferred to an incubator as required. Here, cells were imaged by optical or fluorescence microscopy, and at high resolution by gold-labeled immuno-ASEM, sometimes with additional metal staining. Axonal partitioning of neurons was correlated with specific cytoskeletal structures, including microtubules, using primary-culture neurons from wild type Drosophila, and the involvement of ankyrin in the formation of the intra-axonal segmentation boundary was studied using neurons from an ankyrin-deficient mutant. Rubella virus replication producing anti-double-stranded RNA was captured at the host cell’s plasma membrane. Fas receptosome formation was associated with clathrin internalization near the surface of primitive endoderm cells. Positively charged Nanogold clearly revealed the cell outlines of primitive endoderm cells, and the cell division of lactic acid bacteria. Based on these experiments, ASEM promises to allow the study of protein interactions in various complexes in a natural environment of aqueous liquid in the near future.

One of the fundamental questions raised by Ruchkin, Grafman, Cameron, and Berndt's (Ruchkin et al.'s) interpretation of no distinct specialized neural networks for short-term storage buffers and long-term memory systems, is that of the link between perception and memory processes. In this framework, we take the opportunity in this commentary to discuss a specific working memory task involving percept formation, temporary retention, auditory imagery, and the attention-based maintenance of information, that is, the verbal transformation effect.

The hydrophilic group was substituted with separation distance of 100μm in a porous poly-tetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membrane by ArF laser irradiation. With the micro domain structure of hydrophilic and hydrophobic groups in the porous PTFE, the membrane was modified to be fibrin and fat- free. Furthermore, the differential osmotic pressure was controlled freely by changing the density of the hydrophilic group into the porous PTFE. As a result, we developed the glaucoma implant membrane that is free from fibrin and fat and inhibits the graft rejection in the human body.

Previous studies of childhood traumatic brain injury (TBI) have emphasized injury-related variables rather than psychiatric or psychosocial factors as correlates of cognitive outcomes. We addressed this concern by recruiting a consecutive series (N = 24) of children age 5 through 14 years who suffered a severe TBI, a matched group who sustained a mild TBI, and a second matched group who sustained an orthopedic injury. Standardized intellectual, memory, psychiatric, family functioning, family psychiatric history, neurological, and neuroimaging assessments were conducted at an average of 2 years following injury. Severe TBI, when compared to mild TBI and orthopedic injury, was associated with significant decrements in intellectual and memory function. A principal components analysis of independent variables that showed significant (p < .05) bivariate correlations with the outcome measures yielded a neuropsychiatric factor encompassing severity of TBI indices and postinjury psychiatric disorders and a psychosocial disadvantage factor. Both factors were independently and significantly related to intellectual and memory function outcome. Postinjury psychiatric disorders added significantly to severity indices and family functioning and family psychiatric history added significantly to socioeconomic status in explaining several specific cognitive outcomes. These results may help to define subgroups of children who will require more intensive services following their injuries. (JINS, 1999, 5, 58–68.)