A three-dimensional kinematic analysis of bipedal walking in a white-handed gibbon (Hylobates lar) on a horizontal pole and flat surface.

Gibbons, a type of lesser ape, are brachiators but also walk bipedally and without forelimb assistance, not only on the ground but also on tree branches. The arboreal bipedal walking strategy of the gibbons has been studied in previous studies in relation to two-dimensional (2D) kinematic analysis. However, because tree branches and the ground differ greatly in width, leading to a constrained foot contact point on the tree branches, gibbons must adjust their 3D joint motions of trunk and hindlimb on the tree branches.

Cluster analysis identifies the differential impact of disease activity and severity on functional status and patient satisfaction in rheumatoid arthritis: the FRANK registry.

Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the differential impact of disease activity and severity on functional status and patient satisfaction in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) using cluster analysis on data from the FRANK registry.

Methods: Data from 3,619 RA patients in the FRANK registry were analysed. Patients were grouped using hierarchical and k-means cluster analyses based on age, physician's global assessment (PhGA), patient's pain assessment (PtPA), and Steinbrocker stage.

Internal carotid artery dissection leading to occlusion in a patient with nonelongated styloid process: illustrative case.

Background: Eagle syndrome is characterized by an elongated styloid process causing mechanical stress on the internal carotid artery (ICA). The authors present the case of a patient who had cervical ICA dissection with a nonelongated styloid process.

Observations: A 43-year-old man presented with left hemiparesis and hemispatial neglect.

Myeloid Cells Induce Infiltration and Activation of B Cells and CD4+ T Follicular Helper Cells to Sensitize Brain Metastases to Combination Immunotherapy.

Brain metastasis (BM) is a poor prognostic factor in cancer patients. Despite showing efficacy in many extracranial tumors, immunotherapy with anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody (mAb) or anti-CTLA-4 mAb appears to be less effective against intracranial tumors. Promisingly, recent clinical studies have reported that combination therapy with anti-PD-1 and anti-CTLA-4 mAbs has a potent antitumor effect on BM, highlighting the need to elucidate the detailed mechanisms controlling the intracranial tumor microenvironment (TME) to develop effective immunotherapeutic strategies.

The Three-Class Annotation Method Improves the AI Detection of Early-Stage Osteosarcoma on Plain Radiographs: A Novel Approach for Rare Cancer Diagnosis.

: Developing high-performance artificial intelligence (AI) models for rare diseases is challenging owing to limited data availability. This study aimed to evaluate whether a novel three-class annotation method for preparing training data could enhance AI model performance in detecting osteosarcoma on plain radiographs compared to conventional single-class annotation. : We developed two annotation methods for the same dataset of 468 osteosarcoma X-rays and 378 normal radiographs: a conventional single-class annotation (1C model) and a novel three-class annotation method (3C model) that separately labeled intramedullary, cortical, and extramedullary tumor components.

Third trimester fetal 4D flow MRI with motion correction.

Purpose: To correct maternal breathing and fetal bulk motion during fetal 4D flow MRI.

Methods: A Doppler-ultrasound fetal cardiac-gated free-running 4D flow acquisition was corrected post hoc for maternal respiratory and fetal bulk motion in separate automated steps, with optional manual intervention to assess and limit fetal motion artifacts. Compressed-sensing reconstruction with a data outlier rejection algorithm was adapted from previous work.

Association between diet quality during pregnancy of mothers and that of 3-year-old offspring: a prospective hospital-based birth cohort study.

Children's eating habits are established early in life and parents play a major role therein. Pregnancy is a teachable moment for the promotion of healthy eating because many women are concerned about their babies' health and have frequent contact with healthcare providers. We aimed to investigate the association between diet quality during pregnancy and the offspring.

Structural characterization of pyruvic oxime dioxygenase, a key enzyme in heterotrophic nitrification.

Nitrification by heterotrophic microorganisms is an important part of the nitrogen cycle in the environment. The enzyme responsible for the core function of heterotrophic nitrification is pyruvic oxime dioxygenase (POD). POD is a non-heme, Fe(II)-dependent enzyme that catalyzes the dioxygenation of pyruvic oxime to produce pyruvate and nitrite.

Association Between Change in Prognostic Nutritional Index During Neoadjuvant Therapy and Dental Occlusal Support in Patients with Esophageal Cancer Under Neoadjuvant Therapy: A Retrospective Longitudinal Pilot Study.

A high prognostic nutritional index (PNI) is associated with good prognosis in patients with esophageal cancer. However, nutritional status often decreases during neoadjuvant therapy. Functional tooth units (FTUs) provide an index for the status of posterior occlusal support.

Predictive marker for response to trifluridine/tipiracil plus bevacizumab in metastatic colorectal cancer patients.

Objective: Trifluridine/tipiracil (FTD/TPI) is one of the options for late-line treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the specific patient populations that would particularly benefit from it remain unclear. This study attempted to identify predictive markers of chemotherapy efficacy with trifluridine/tipiracil (FTD/TPI), focusing on the RNA-editing enzyme adenosine deaminase acting on RNA 1 (ADAR1) expression and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR).

Effect of Oral Nutritional Supplements Composed of High Protein on Body Weight Loss After Gastrectomy.

Background/aim: Body weight loss (BWL) after gastrectomy for gastric cancer (GC) decreases postoperative quality of life and survival in patients with GC. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of oral nutritional supplements composed of high protein on BWL in the early period following gastrectomy.

Patients And Methods: Pre- and postoperative body weight and skeletal muscle mass were measured using bioelectrical impedance analysis in patients undergoing radical gastrectomy for GC and analyzed retrospectively.

Association between elementary and middle school children with mixed/foreign parents and influenza vaccination in Japan.

Background: The number of children with foreign parents is increasing in Japan; however, the percentage of these children receiving the recommended annual influenza vaccination, which must be paid for voluntarily, may be quite low. Socioeconomic status may influence voluntary vaccination decisions. This study explored the association between elementary and middle school children with mixed (either of the parents was non-Japanese) /foreign parents (both parents were non-Japanese) and influenza vaccination in Japan, stratified by household income and maternal education.

An effective surgical educational system in the era of robotic surgery: "Double-Surgeon Technique" in robotic gastrectomy for minimally invasive surgery.

Purpose: Gastric cancer (GC) remains a major malignancy. Robotic gastrectomy (RG) has gained popularity due to various advantages. Despite those advantages, many hospitals lack the necessary equipment for RG and are still performing laparoscopic gastrectomy (LG) due to its established minimal invasiveness and safety.

Longitudinal Metabolomics Reveals Metabolic Dysregulation Dynamics in Patients with Severe COVID-19.

A dysregulated metabolism has been studied as a key aspect of the COVID-19 pathophysiology, but its longitudinal progression in severe cases remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate metabolic dysregulation over time in patients with severe COVID-19 requiring mechanical ventilation (MV). In this single-center, prospective, observational study, we obtained 236 serum samples from 118 adult patients on MV in an ICU.

Role of primary care for individuals with childhood-onset neurologic conditions.

Background: Individuals with childhood-onset neurologic conditions often face challenges in the pediatric-to-adult health care transition (HCT). Furthermore, the importance of implementing primary care is unrecognized. We investigated the situation of adults with childhood-onset neurologic conditions from the perspective of health care professionals (HCPs) in community- and hospital-based primary care practice.

A service evaluation of the implementation of a novel digital intervention for hypertension self-monitoring and management system in primary care (SHIP): protocol for a mixed methods study.

Background: Hypertension is a key risk factor for death and disability, and blood pressure reduction is associated with significant reductions in cardiovascular risk. Large trials have shown that interventions including self-monitoring of blood pressure can reduce blood pressure but real-world data from wider implementation are lacking.

Aim: The self-monitoring and management service evaluation in primary care (SHIP) study will evaluate a novel digital intervention for hypertension management and medication titration platform ("Hypertension-Plus") that is currently undergoing initial implementation into primary care in several parts of the UK.

A fusion protein of polyphosphate kinase 1 (PPK1) and a Nudix hydrolase is involved in inorganic polyphosphate accumulation in the unicellular red alga Cyanidioschyzon merolae.

Inorganic polyphosphate (polyP) is a linear polymer of phosphate that plays various roles in cells, including in phosphate and metal homeostasis. Homologs of the vacuolar transporter chaperone 4 (VTC4), catalyzing polyP synthesis in many eukaryotes, are absent in red algae, which are among the earliest divergent plant lineages. We identified homologs of polyphosphate kinase 1 (PPK1), a conserved polyP synthase in bacteria, in 42 eukaryotic genomes, including 31 species detected in this study and 12 species of red algae.

Association of calcaneal pitch angle with recurrence of postoperative hallux valgus in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Hallux valgus (HV) and flatfoot deformities are frequently seen in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This study aimed to determine whether flatfoot deformity contributes to the recurrence of HV in RA patients. This study examined 62 feet from 45 RA patients who were diagnosed with HV and underwent the first metatarsal joint-preserving surgery between November 2010 and October 2021.

Starvation changes the pre-rRNA accumulations in Caenorhabditis elegans.

The precursor rRNA (pre-rRNA) processing pathway in Caenorhabditis elegans remains unidentified. We have determined the cleavage site within the internal transcribed spacer 2, which generates pre-rRNA f of 5.8S rRNA and pre-rRNA g of 26S rRNA.

Optimization of workflow processes for sustainable paternal involvement: case study of an academic "daddy surgeon" in Japan.

Work-life balance is often discussed in Japan. Yet surgeons find it challenging to take paternity leave because of their demanding surgical duties and a strong sense of responsibility. One Japanese male surgeon had his first paternity experience as a research fellow in the US.

Process performance of in-situ bio-methanation for co-digestion of sewage sludge and lactic acid, aiming to utilize waste poly-lactic acid as methane.

This study examined hydrogen conversion efficiency and operational stability in pilot-scale in-situ bio-methanation during the co-digestion of sewage sludge and lactic acid (partially derived from waste poly-lactic acid). Parallel laboratory-scale experiments were also conducted. In the pilot, hydrogen conversion efficiency decreased from 98.