Serum B-cell maturation antigen could be a simple and accurate biomarker to identify and prognosticate monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance and smoldering multiple myeloma.

Not available.

Spatiotemporal functions of leukemia inhibitory factor in embryo attachment and implantation chamber formation.

Embryo implantation is crucial for successful pregnancy, requiring appropriate uterine responses to implantation-competent blastocysts. Molecular communication at the maternal-fetal junction governs this process. Leukemia inhibitory factor (Lif) plays a pivotal role in implantation across species.

Soluble B-cell maturation antigen levels for disease monitoring in oligosecretory and nonsecretory relapsed multiple myeloma.

Soluble B-cell maturation antigen (sBCMA) is overexpressed on multiple myeloma (MM) cells. We investigated whether sBCMA levels correlated with other myeloma tumor volume indicators and its utility in monitoring oligo-secretory/non-secretory (O-S/Non-S) MM. In 115 patients with newly diagnosed MM, sBCMA was compared with M-protein levels, bone marrow plasma cells (BMPCs), circulating tumor cells (CTCs), and total diffusion volume (tDV; estimated by whole-body diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging) at diagnosis.

The histone methyltransferase KMT2D is essential for embryo implantation via regulating precise differentiation of endometrial cells.

Embryo implantation failures are a major challenge in reproductive medicine, but the underlying mechanism remains poorly understood. Successful implantation requires dynamic remodeling of the endometrium through integrated proliferation and differentiation of endometrial cells including luminal epithelial, glandular epithelial, and stromal cells. Conversely, their disruption causes infertility.

Roles of lipid mediators in early pregnancy events.

Background: Early pregnancy events, including embryo implantation, are critical for maintaining a healthy pregnancy and facilitating childbirth. Despite numerous signaling pathways implicated in establishing early pregnancy, a comprehensive understanding of implantation remains elusive.

Methods: This paper provides a comprehensive review of the current research on lipids in the context of early pregnancy, with a particular focus on feto-maternal communications.

Specific intermolecular interaction with sodium glycocholate generates the co-amorphous system showing higher physical stability and aqueous solubility of Y receptor antagonist of neuropeptide Y, a brick dust molecule.

Drugs with poor water and lipid solubility are termed "brick dust." We previously successfully developed a co-amorphous system of a novel neuropeptide Y receptor antagonist (AntiYR), a brick dust molecule, using sodium taurocholate (NaTC) as a co-former. However, the maximum improvement in AntiYR dissolution by the co-amorphous system was only approximately 10 times greater than that of the crystals.

Efficient production of polyhydroxybutyrate using lignocellulosic biomass derived from oil palm trunks by the inhibitor-tolerant strain Burkholderia ambifaria E5-3.

Lignocellulosic biomass is a valuable, renewable substrate for the synthesis of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), an ecofriendly biopolymer. In this study, bacterial strain E5-3 was isolated from soil in Japan; it was identified as Burkholderia ambifaria strain E5-3 by 16 S rRNA gene sequencing. The strain showed optimal growth at 37 °C with an initial pH of 9.

Spatial and molecular anatomy of the endometrium during embryo implantation: a current overview of key regulators of blastocyst invasion.

Embryo implantation is composed of three steps: blastocyst apposition, adhesion/attachment and invasion. Blastocyst invasion has been studied less extensively than the other two events. Historically, studies conducted using electron microscopy have shown the removal of epithelial cells in the vicinity of the attached blastocysts in rodents, although the underlying mechanisms have remained unclear.

Palatability Evaluation of Sulfamethoxazole/Trimethoprim with Sweetener Using the Two-Bottle Choice Test.

Drug taste, which affects palatability, influences drug adherence. Sensory masking may be used to confound bitter tastes in drugs with other tastes and flavors; however, evaluation of sensory masking is difficult because of the existence of multiple tastes. In this study, a new two-bottle choice test was performed in rats to evaluate bitterness masking and determine the drug-to-sweetener ratio that significantly improves palatability.

Clinical Features Comparing Arterial Thrombosis and Venous Thromboembolism in Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19: Result from the CLOT-COVID Study.

This study aimed to investigate the clinical features of arterial thrombosis and venous thromboembolism (VTE) in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The CLOT-COVID Study was a retrospective, multicenter cohort study that enrolled 2,894 consecutively hospitalized patients with COVID-19 among 16 centers in Japan from April 2021 to September 2021. We compared the clinical features of arterial thrombosis and VTE.

The EZH2-PRC2-H3K27me3 axis governs the endometrial cell cycle and differentiation for blastocyst invasion.

Infertility occurs in 15% of couples worldwide. Recurrent implantation failure (RIF) is one of the major problems in in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) programs, and how to manage patients with RIF to achieve successful pregnancy outcomes remains unresolved. Here, a uterine polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2)-regulated gene network was found to control embryo implantation.

Colorimetric Probe for Mn Using a Mixture of an Anionic Dye and a Cationic Polyelectrolyte in an Aqueous Solution.

A novel colorimetric probe for Mn was easily prepared by mixing negatively charged alizarin complexone (ALC) with positively charged poly[bis(2-chloroethyl)ether-alt-1,3-bis[3-(dimethylamino)propyl]urea] (PQ-2) in aqueous solutions at pH 6.0. Upon adding Mn to ALC alone, the solution underwent no distinct color change, while the mixture displayed selective detection of Mn over different physiological and environmentally significant metal ions by an efficient naked-eye color change from red to purple.

Formation of a Stable Co-Amorphous System for a Brick Dust Molecule by Utilizing Sodium Taurocholate with High Glass Transition Temperature.

Brick dust molecules are usually poorly soluble in water and lipoidal components, making it difficult to formulate them in dosage forms that provide efficient pharmacological effects. A co-amorphous system is an effective strategy to resolve these issues. However, their glass transition temperatures () are relatively lower than those of polymeric amorphous solid dispersions, suggesting the instability of the co-amorphous system.

Colorimetric Detection of ATP by a Chlorophosphonazo III -based Mg Complex in Aqueous Solution via Indicator Displacement Approach.

A simple and effective colorimetric detection of adenosine 5-triphosphate (ATP) in 100% aqueous media was developed based on an indicator displacement approach (IDA). A commercially available dye, Chlorophosphonazo III (CPA), was utilized as the indicator and the ATP detection was achieved using the complex of CPA with Mg in a 2:1 stoichiometric ratio (CPA-Mg) through the regeneration of CPA by the binding of ATP to Mg. Upon addition of a series of anions to the CPA-Mg complex, only the appearance of the solution of the complex with ATP exhibited a color change from blue to purple which can be detected by the naked eye.

Mortality-associated Risk Factors in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients in Japan: Findings of the CLOT-COVID Study.

Background: Reports of mortality-associated risk factors in patients with the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are limited.

Methods: We evaluated the clinical features that were associated with mortality among patients who died during hospitalization (n = 158) and those who were alive at discharge (n = 2,736) from the large-scale, multicenter, retrospective, observational cohort CLOT-COVID study, which enrolled consecutively hospitalized COVID-19 patients from 16 centers in Japan from April to September 2021. Data from 2,894 hospitalized COVID-19 participants of the CLOT-COVID study were analyzed in this study.

Incidence, risk factors, and clinical impact of major bleeding in hospitalized patients with COVID-19: a sub-analysis of the CLOT-COVID Study.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) causes extensive coagulopathy and a potential benefit of anticoagulation therapy has been documented for prevention of thromboembolic events. Bleeding events has also been reported as a notable complication; whereas, the incidence, risks, and clinical impact of bleeding remain unclear.

Method: The CLOT-COVID Study was a nationwide, retrospective, multicenter cohort study on consecutive hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in Japan between April 2021 and September 2021.

Significant Impact of Age on Mortality and Non-significant Impact of Age on Thrombosis and Major Bleeding in Patients with COVID-19: From the CLOT-COVID Study.

Aim: There is scarce data on the impact of age on clinical outcomes in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Method: The CLOT-COVID Study was a retrospective, multicenter cohort study enrolling 2894 consecutive hospitalized patients with COVID-19 among 16 centers in Japan from April 2021 to September 2021. We divided the entire cohort into five groups according to age strata; -19, 20-39, 40-59, 60-79, and 80- years.

Association Between the Development of Thrombosis and Worsening of Disease Severity in Patients With Moderate COVID-19 on Admission - From the CLOT-COVID Study.

Background: The worsening of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity is a critical issue in current clinical settings and may be associated with the development of thrombosis.

Methods and results: This study used patient data obtained in the CLOT-COVID study, a retrospective multicenter cohort study. The demographics of patients with moderate COVID-19 on admission with and without worsened severity during hospitalization were compared and predictors were identified.