Lipoprotein(a) as a Predictor of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver After Pancreatectomy.

Background/aim: Lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) is a complex protein involved in the transport of insoluble lipids in plasma. Its expression is predominantly genetically determined, with 70% to over 90% influenced by the number of Kringle IV type 2 domains. This study investigated the association between preoperative serum Lp(a) level and development of post-pancreatectomy nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in patients who underwent pancreatectomy.

BIL7 enhances plant growth by regulating the transcription factor BIL1/BZR1 during brassinosteroid signaling.

Brassinosteroids (BRs) are plant steroid hormones that regulate plant development and environmental responses. BIL1/BZR1, a master transcription factor that regulates approximately 3000 genes in the BR signaling pathway, is transported to the nucleus from the cytosol in response to BR signaling; however, the molecular mechanism underlying this process is unknown. Here, we identify a novel BR signaling factor, BIL7, that enhances plant growth and positively regulates the nuclear accumulation of BIL1/BZR1 in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Timing of TS1 adjuvant chemotherapy as a prognostic factor in recurrent pancreatic cancer after surgery.

Aim: Prognosis of pancreatic cancer is improved by combining postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy and preoperative adjuvant chemotherapy with surgery, while the importance of extended dissection surgery has decreased. To better understand prognostic factors of recurrence, we focused on the timing of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with pancreatic cancer.

Methods: One hundred patients who underwent pancreatectomy or pancreaticoduodenectomy and chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer were classified into early and late postoperative adjuvant therapy initiation groups.

Laser-Driven Proton-Only Acceleration in a Multicomponent Near-Critical-Density Plasma.

An experimental investigation of collisionless shock ion acceleration is presented using a multicomponent plasma and a high-intensity picosecond duration laser pulse. Protons are the only accelerated ions when a near-critical-density plasma is driven by a laser with a modest normalized vector potential. The results of particle-in-cell simulations imply that collisionless shock may accelerate protons alone selectively, which can be an important tool for understanding the physics of inaccessible collisionless shocks in space and astrophysical plasma.

Second harmonic generation of focused beams on the LFEX laser facility.

There is a strong demand for efficient second harmonic generation (SHG) in ultra-intense short-pulse lasers. This paper demonstrates the generation of an unconverted fundamental (1ω)+second harmonics (2ω) mixed laser on the LFEX laser system. The experimental setup utilizes 0.

Complex anisotropy ratio of third harmonic generation in a semiconductor using a terahertz free electron laser.

The nonlinear susceptibility in the terahertz region is expected to have a non-negligible imaginary part originating from the momentum-dependent scattering time of free carriers, but it has been scarcely reported. By utilizing an intense 4 THz beam from a terahertz free electron laser, we investigated the azimuth angle dependence of the third harmonic generation (THG) from semiconductors. The observed angular anisotropy of THG revealed the contribution of the imaginary part of the nonlinear susceptibility originating from the momentum-scattering time relation in addition to its real part originating from the band nonparabolicity.

Anticoagulation management for cardiopulmonary bypass using TEG® 6 s in a patient receiving both heparin and dabigatran.

Background: It is difficult to evaluate adequate dose of heparin for cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) by activated clotting time (ACT) in a patient receiving both heparin and dabigatran because dabigatran can also prolong ACT. We evaluated the effect of dabigatran by thromboelastography (TEG) to determine adequate heparin dose for CPB.

Case Presentation: An 81-year-old woman receiving both heparin and dabigatran was scheduled for an emergency surgical repair of iatrogenic atrial septal perforation.

Clinical Impact of Lipoprotein (a) and Cumulative Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Exposure on Coronary Artery Disease in Patients with Heterozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia.

Aims: Elevated lipoprotein (a) (Lp[a]), predominantly determined by genetic variability, causes atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), particularly in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). We aimed to elucidate the clinical impact of Lp(a) and cumulative exposure to low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) on CAD in patients with FH.

Methods: One hundred forty-seven patients clinically diagnosed with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH) were retrospectively investigated.

Upper motor neuron-predominant motor neuron disease presenting as atypical parkinsonism: A clinicopathological study.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by upper and lower motor neuron signs. There are, however, cases where upper motor neurons (UMNs) are predominantly affected, leading to clinical presentations of UMN-dominant ALS or primary lateral sclerosis. Furthermore, cases exhibiting an UMN-predominant pattern of motor neuron disease (MND) presenting with corticobasal syndrome (CBS) have been sparsely reported.

Arginase 2 attenuates ulcerative colitis by antioxidant effects of spermidine.

Background: Spermidine suppress oxidative stress and is involved in various disease pathogenesis including ulcerative colitis (UC). Arginase 2 (ARG2) plays a central role in the synthesis of spermidine. This study aimed to clarify the effect of endogenously produced spermidine on colitis.

BRZ-INSENSITIVE-LONG HYPOCOTYL8 inhibits kinase-mediated phosphorylation to regulate brassinosteroid signaling.

Glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3) is an evolutionarily conserved serine/threonine protein kinase in eukaryotes. In plants, the GSK3-like kinase BRASSINOSTEROID-INSENSITIVE 2 (BIN2) functions as a central signaling node through which hormonal and environmental signals are integrated to regulate plant development and stress adaptation. BIN2 plays a major regulatory role in brassinosteroid (BR) signaling and is critical for phosphorylating/inactivating BRASSINAZOLE-RESISTANT 1 (BZR1), also known as BRZ-INSENSITIVE-LONG HYPOCOTYL 1 (BIL1), a master transcription factor of BR signaling, but the detailed regulatory mechanism of BIN2 action has not been fully revealed.

Association between Brain White Matter Lesions and Disease Activity in HAM/TSP Patients.

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) patients may have brain white matter (WM) lesions, but the association of these lesions with disease activity is poorly understood. We retrospectively evaluated the brain WM lesions of 22 HAM/TSP patients (male 4: female 18) including 5 rapid progressors, 16 slow progressors, and 1 very slow progressor. The severity of WM brain lesions on axial Fluid Attenuated Inversion Recovery images was evaluated utilizing the Fazekas scale, cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers, and proviral load in peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

Validation study of the Japanese version of the King's Parkinson's Disease Pain Scale and the King's Parkinson's Disease Pain Questionnaire.

Introduction: The King's Parkinson's Disease Pain Scale (KPPS)/King's Parkinson's Disease Pain Questionnaire (KPPQ) was developed as a tool to quantitatively assess pain in patients with Parkinson's disease (PwPD). Here, we conducted a Japanese multicenter validation study to verify the reliability of KPPS/KPPQ in Japanese PwPD.

Methods: PwPD, ≥20 years, with unexplained pain were included; those with a definitive primary cause of pain other than PD were excluded.

Perry Disease: Bench to Bedside Circulation and a Team Approach.

With technological applications, especially in genetic testing, new diseases have been discovered and new disease concepts have been proposed in recent years; however, the pathogenesis and treatment of these rare diseases are not as well established as those of common diseases. To demonstrate the importance of rare disease research, in this paper we focus on our research topic, Perry disease (Perry syndrome). Perry disease is a rare autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder clinically characterized by parkinsonism, depression/apathy, weight loss, and respiratory symptoms including central hypoventilation and central sleep apnea.

Impact of weight loss for depressive symptom in mid-stage patients with Parkinson's disease: a 4-year follow-up study.

Introduction: Weight loss is one of the non-motor symptoms frequently seen in patients with Parkinson's disease (PwPD). Weight loss in PwPD is known to be negatively associated with motor and other non-motor symptoms and has been shown to influence the prognosis of PD. In this study, we followed weight change over a 4-year period in PwPD at a single institution and investigated the relationship between weight change and patients' motor and non-motor symptoms.

Microlesion Effect Induced by Electrode Implantation in the Posteroventral Globus Pallidus Interna for Severe Dystonic Tics.

Background: Tourette syndrome (TS) is a neurologic condition characterized by motor and phonic tics. Dystonic tics, including blepharospasm, are considered atypical or unusual in severe TS.

Case Report: We report a severe case of TS with facial dystonic tics resembling blepharospasm in which the microlesion effect and a sustained therapeutic effect was observed with bilateral globus pallidus interna (GPi) deep brain stimulation (DBS).

Weight loss in Parkinson's disease: A retrospective comparison between oral medication and device-assisted therapies.

Objective: Weight loss (WL) is the most common symptom among patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and has been reported to start several years before the diagnosis of PD. The relationship between WL and PD treatment is complex. This study aimed to characterize the impact of PD treatment on WL and find clues to establish the administration of nutrition for patients with PD.

Recurrent left ventricular thrombus due to essential thrombocythemia complicated by COVID-19.

Unlabelled: Essential thrombocythemia is a risk factor for thrombosis and hemorrhage. During the perioperative period of cardiac surgery, the risk of thrombosis and hemorrhage increases. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is also associated with thrombosis.

Discovery and SAR of JTE-151: A Novel RORγ Inhibitor for Clinical Development.

A number of RORγ inhibitors have been reported over the past decade. There were also several examples advancing to human clinical trials, however, none of them has reached the market yet, suggesting that there could be common obstacles for their future development. As was expected from the general homology of nuclear receptor ligands, insufficient selectivity as well as poor physicochemical properties were identified as potential risks for a RORγ program.

BN-Embedded Aromatic Hydrocarbon Synthesis via Nucleophilic Diboration Reactions.

Activation of bis(pinacolato)diboron with aromatic lithium amide promotes diboration of the proximal C-C triple bond, leading to BN-embedded aromatic compounds. In situ treatment of the initially generated spirocyclic borate intermediate with aqueous acid or organometallic reagents enables ligand installation on the endocyclic boron atom.

Duodenal microbiome in chronic kidney disease.

Background: The intestinal microbiome is involved in the pathogenesis of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Despite its importance, the microbiome of the small intestinal mucosa has been little studied due to sampling difficulties, and previous studies have mainly focused on fecal sources for microbiome studies. We aimed to characterize the small intestinal microbiome of CKD patients by studying the microbiome collected from duodenal and fecal samples of CKD patients and healthy controls.