Ferrihydrite Addition Activated Geobacteraceae, the Most Abundant Iron-reducing Diazotrophs, and Suppressed Methanogenesis by Heterogeneous Methanogens in Xylan-amended Paddy Soil Microcosms.

Paddy fields are a major emission source of the greenhouse gas methane. In the present study, the addition of ferrihydrite to xylan-amended paddy soil microcosms suppressed methane emissions. PCR-based and metatranscriptomic ana-lyses revealed that the addition of ferrihydrite suppressed methanogenesis by heterogeneous methanogens and simultaneously activated Geobacteraceae, the most abundant iron-reducing diazotrophs.

Development and evaluation of a decision-making aid for couples hesitant about transitioning from infertility treatment to advanced assisted reproductive technology: a usability and feasibility study.

Objectives: The aims of this study were (1) to develop a decision-making aid for couples hesitant about transitioning from infertility treatment to advanced assisted reproductive technology, (2) to examine the adequacy of this aid, and (3) to evaluate its usability. After the first version of the decision-making aid was created, the first version was supervised and finally a prototype of the decision-making aid was completed. We conducted a feasibility study from February to March 2022.

Potentiality of multiple modalities for single-cell analyses to evaluate the tumor microenvironment in clinical specimens.

Single-cell level analysis is powerful tool to assess the heterogeneity of cellular components in tumor microenvironments (TME). In this study, we investigated immune-profiles using the single-cell analyses of endoscopically- or surgically-resected tumors, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells from gastric cancer patients. Furthermore, we technically characterized two distinct platforms of the single-cell analysis; RNA-seq-based analysis (scRNA-seq), and mass cytometry-based analysis (CyTOF), both of which are broadly embraced technologies.

Clinical Significance of Serum Galectin-9 and Soluble CD155 Levels in Patients with Systemic Sclerosis.

Signaling through coinhibitory receptors downregulates the immune response to prevent excessive immune activation and maintain optimal immunity and tolerance. The aim of this study was to examine the levels of the soluble forms of coinhibitory receptors and their ligands, namely, galectin-9 (the ligand of T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain 3) and CD155 (the ligand of T cell immunoglobulin and immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibitory motif domain), and their association with clinical features in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). The serum levels of galectin-9 and soluble sCD155 were examined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays in patients with SSc, and the results were evaluated with respect to clinical features.

Expression of T-cell immunoglobulin and immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibitory motif domain on CD4 T cells in patients with atopic dermatitis.

The T-cell immunoglobulin and immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibitory motif domain (TIGIT) is a co-inhibitory receptor mainly expressed on T cells. Although TIGIT plays an important role in various autoimmune diseases, its role in atopic dermatitis (AD) remains unclear. In this study, we examined the expression levels of TIGIT and their association with clinical features in patients with AD.

Myomectomy scar ectopic pregnancy following a cryopreserved embryo transfer.

Case: A 40 year old woman with a history of a myomectomy visited the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Niigata University Medical and Dental Hospital, Niigata, Japan, following 2 years of infertility. Magnetic resonance imaging detected an abnormal endometrial-like pseudo-cavity. A hysterosalpingography also revealed an abnormal accumulation of contrast medium at the myometrial scar site.

Cotton rat (Sigmodon hispidus) develops metabolic disorders associated with visceral adipose inflammation and fatty pancreas without obesity.

Obesity induces metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases and has become a global health concern. Recent studies imply that fat accumulation in nonadipose tissue correlates with metabolic disorders. However, there are no suitable animal models to evaluate this phenomenon.

Microdissection testicular sperm extraction in five Japanese patients with non-mosaic Klinefelter's syndrome.

Cases: Microdissection testicular sperm extraction (micro-TESE) was performed on five Japanese men with non-mosaic Klinefelter's syndrome (KS) and non-obstructive azoospermia in the authors' department. Here is reported the operative results and partner's clinical course for two cases where spermatozoa could be acquired. Also encountered was a man with non-mosaic KS with the partial deletion of azoospermia factor (AZF)b.

Ovarian mast cells migrate toward ovary-fimbria connection in neonatal MRL/MpJ mice.

MRL/MpJ mice have abundant ovarian mast cells (MCs) as compared with other strains at postnatal day 0 (P0); however, they sharply decrease after birth. These ovarian MCs, particularly beneath the ovarian surface epithelium (SE), which express mucosal MC (MMC) marker, might participate in early follicular development. This study investigated the changes in spatiotemporal distribution of MCs in the perinatal MRL/MpJ mouse ovaries.

The Safety and Effectiveness of Abdominal Radical Trachelectomy for Early-Stage Cervical Cancer During Pregnancy.

Objectives: Cervical cancer is one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers in pregnancy. Our aim was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of abdominal radical trachelectomy (ART) for pregnant women with early-stage cervical cancer who strongly desire to preserve their pregnancies.

Methods/materials: A retrospective observational study was performed for stage IB1 cervical cancer patients who underwent ART or radical hysterectomy (RH) at our hospital between February 2013 and June 2017.

Hydronephrosis with ureteritis developed in C57BL/6N mice carrying the congenic region derived from MRL/MpJ-type chromosome 11.

Inbred MRL/MpJ mice show several unique phenotypes in tissue regeneration processes and the urogenital and immune systems. Clarifying the genetic and molecular bases of these phenotypes requires the analysis of their genetic susceptibility locus. Herein, hydronephrosis development was incidentally observed in MRL/MpJ-derived chromosome 11 (D11Mit21-212)-carrying C57BL/6N-based congenic mice, which developed bilateral or unilateral hydronephrosis in both males and females with 23.

Intrinsic and extrinsic pinning in NdFeAs(O,F): vortex trapping and lock-in by the layered structure.

Fe-based superconductors (FBS) present a large variety of compounds whose properties are affected to different extents by their crystal structures. Amongst them, the REFeAs(O,F) (RE1111, RE being a rare-earth element) is the family with the highest critical temperature T but also with a large anisotropy and Josephson vortices as demonstrated in the flux-flow regime in Sm1111 (T ∼ 55 K). Here we focus on the pinning properties of the lower-T Nd1111 in the flux-creep regime.

Association of NR3C1/Glucocorticoid Receptor gene SNP with azoospermia in Japanese men.

Aim: The molecular pathogenesis of non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) is unclear. Our aim was to identify the genetic susceptibility for NOA in Japanese men by using a combination of transcriptome network analysis and SNP genotyping.

Material And Methods: We searched for candidate genes using RNA transcriptome network analysis of 2611 NOA-related genes that we had previously reported.

Genetic factors derived from the MRL/MpJ mouse function to maintain the integrity of spermatogenesis after heat exposure.

MRL/MpJ mice possess highly heat-shock-resistant spermatocytes (HRS) in comparison with C57BL/6 mice. This resistance depends on the MRL/MpJ-type loci at the 81 cM region of Chromosome (Chr) 1 and the 40 cM region of Chr 11. To evaluate the functions of these loci in detail, we examined the histopathological changes resulting from experimental cryptorchidism or transient scrotal heat stress (SHS) in the testes of C57BL/6-based congenic strains (B6.

MRL/MpJ-Fas(lpr) mice show abnormalities in ovarian function and morphology with the progression of autoimmune disease.

The immune system is known to affect reproductive function, and maternal-fetal immune tolerance is essential for a successful pregnancy. To investigate the relationship between autoimmune disease and female reproductive function, we performed a comparative analysis of the ovarian phenotypes for C57BL/6 mice, autoimmune disease-prone MRL/MpJ (MRL/+) mice and congenic MRL/MpJ-Fas(lpr) (MRL/lpr) mice harboring a mutation in the Fas gene that speeds disease onset. Both MRL-background strains showed earlier vaginal opening than C57BL/6 mice.

Susceptibility to male infertility: replication study in Japanese men looking for an association with four GWAS-derived loci identified in European men.

Purpose: A previous genome-wide association study in European men identified four single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) loci associated with male infertility. Our aim was to replicate, if possible, the association of these SNPs with Japanese male infertility.

Methods: We genotyped four SNPs (rs5911500, rs10246939, rs2059807, and rs11204546) in 517 Japanese patients with male infertility and 369 fertile controls using SNP-specific real-time polymerase chain reaction TaqMan assays.

The onset of heat-induced testicular calcification in mice: involvement of the telomeric locus on chromosome 1.

Spermatocytes of MRL/MpJ mice are more heat resistant than those of C57BL/6 mice in experimental cryptorchidism. This phenotype depends in part on the locus at the 81-cM region of MRL/MpJ-type chromosome 1 (Chr 1). To evaluate the function of this locus, we examined pathological changes in mouse testes resulting from transient scrotal heat stress.

Genomic analysis of the appearance of ovarian mast cells in neonatal MRL/MpJ mice.

In MRL/MpJ mice, ovarian mast cells (OMCs) are more abundant than in other mouse strains, and tend to distribute beneath the ovarian surface epithelium at birth. This study investigated the factors regulating the appearance of neonatal OMCs in progeny of the cross between MRL/MpJ and C57BL/6N strains. F1 neonates had less than half the number of OMCs than MRL/MpJ.