Characterization of the Azotobacter vinelandii nitrogenase complex expressed in Escherichia coli toward further activity improvement.

We previously constructed an Escherichia coli strain expressing 16 nitrogen fixation (nif) and 2 nif-related genes from Azotobacter vinelandii and improved nitrogenase activity to some extent by enhancing NifH-related functions. In the present study, we analyzed the formation of dinitrogenase, a heterotetrameric NifDK, produced in E. coli, using gel-filtration chromatography and blue native PAGE to gain insight into further increases in nitrogenase activity.

Synergistic Effects of Anti-echinococcosis Drug Candidates Combined With Atovaquone in Culture Assays and Mice With Primary Infections of Echinococcus multilocularis.

Background Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is a fatal zoonotic disease distributed mainly in the Northern Hemisphere. At present, its curative treatment relies on surgery, and the development of effective drugs is needed. We previously demonstrated the anti-echinococcal effect of atovaquone (ATV) as a mitochondrial complex III inhibitor in both in vitro and in vivo experiments.

Naloxone selectively inhibits vasoconstriction caused by phenylephrine but not endogenous noradrenaline in the rat mesenteric vasculature.

Although naloxone is an antagonist of the opioid µ receptor, its effect on the peripheral sympathetic nerve function in the blood vessels has not yet been definitively elucidated. Therefore, we examined the effects of naloxone on vasoconstriction of the vascular smooth muscle of rats. Isolated rat mesenteric vascular-intestinal loop preparations were treated with either endogenous or exogenous α adrenoceptor agonists followed by prazosin, a selective antagonist of the α adrenoceptor, or naloxone, and noradrenaline overflow was measured.

Five-item Modified Frailty Index in Elderly Patients Undergoing Laparoscopic Colorectal Surgery Predicts Postoperative Complications.

Background/aim: Owing to underlying diseases and decreased physiological functions, frailty in elderly patients may be associated with adverse postoperative complications and mortality. To date, there are various frailty assessment methods, with the five-item modified frailty index (mFI-5) being an objective and concise evaluation tool. This study aimed to clarify whether mFI-5 scoring, a measure of frailty, can predict postoperative outcomes in elderly patients undergoing laparoscopic colorectal surgery.

State analysis of a biobased hydrogel subjected to freeze and thaw processes by X ray absorption spectroscopy using synchrotron radiation.

Freezing hydrogels can compromise their network structures and modify their properties as a result of ice crystal formation. Therefore, understanding the internal structure, including ice crystals and the state of chemical components within hydrogels, is essential. In this study, we evaluated the elemental distribution in bio-based hydrogels subjected to freezing-thaw process using X-ray absorption spectroscopy with synchrotron radiation.

Optimal treatment strategy for patients with pancreatic cancer having positive peritoneal cytology: A nationwide multicenter retrospective cohort study supervised by the Japanese Society of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery.

Background: The aim of this study was to determine the optimal treatment for patients with pancreatic cancer (PaCa) having positive peritoneal cytology (PPC).

Methods: This multicenter retrospective study included patients with PPC treated at 78 high-volume centers between January 2012 and December 2020. Prognoses after resection (S-group) and initiation of nonsurgical treatment (N-group) were compared.

A prospective randomized controlled study evaluating efficacy of Daikenchuto in the treatment of postoperative abdominal pain and bloating following hepatectomy.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of TJ-100 TSUMURA Daikenchuto (DKT) Extract Granules in preventing post-hepatectomy digestive symptoms and the effects on small intestinal mucosal atrophy.

Methods: Eligible patients were randomly assigned to the DKT therapy and usual care groups in a 1:1 ratio. The DKT therapy group was administered DKT for 14 days after surgery or until the day of discharge if the patient left the hospital before 14 days, and the usual care group did not receive DKT.

Micromixer driven by bubble-induced acoustic microstreaming for multi-ink 3D bioprinting.

Recently, the 3D printing of cell-laden hydrogel structures, known as bioprinting, has received increasing attention owing to advances in tissue engineering and drug screening. However, a micromixing technology that efficiently mixes viscous bioinks under mild conditions is needed. Therefore, this study presents a novel method for achieving homogeneous mixing of multiple inks in 3D bioprinting through acoustic stimulation.

Genome profiling with targeted adaptive sampling long-read sequencing for pediatric leukemia.

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Generation of human hepatobiliary organoids with a functional bile duct from chemically induced liver progenitor cells.

Background: Liver disease imposes a significant medical burden that persists due to a shortage of liver donors and an incomplete understanding of liver disease progression. Hepatobiliary organoids (HBOs) could provide an in vitro mini-organ model to increase the understanding of the liver and may benefit the development of regenerative medicine.

Methods: In this study, we aimed to establish HBOs with bile duct (BD) structures and mature hepatocytes (MHs) using human chemically induced liver progenitor cells (hCLiPs).

Fully-Covered Self-Expandable Metal Stent for Hepaticojejunostomy Anastomotic Stricture After Living Donor Liver Transplantation: A Case Series.

Introduction: We prospectively evaluated 3 cases regarding the usefulness of fully-covered self-expandable metal stents (FCSEMSs) for hepaticojejunostomy anastomotic stricture (HAS) after living donor liver transplantation (LDLT), which could not be resolved with conventional treatment using a plastic stent.

Case Report: All patients underwent LDLT with Roux-en-Y reconstruction; therefore, a short-type double-balloon enteroscope was used for the endoscopic procedures. HAS was observed on enteroscopic view of endoscopy in patients 1 and 2, and cholangiography revealed dilatation of the intrahepatic bile duct.

Machine/deep learning-assisted hemoglobin level prediction using palpebral conjunctival images.

Palpebral conjunctival hue alteration is used in non-invasive screening for anaemia, whereas it is a qualitative measure. This study constructed machine/deep learning models for predicting haemoglobin values using 150 palpebral conjunctival images taken by a smartphone. The median haemoglobin value was 13.

Scalable interconnection using a superconducting flux qubit.

Superconducting quantum computers are rapidly reaching scales where bottlenecks to scaling arise from the practical aspects of the fabrication process. To improve quantum computer performance, implementation technology that guarantees the scalability of the number of qubits is essential. Increasing the degrees of freedom in routing by 2.

Improvement of the nitrogenase activity in Escherichia coli that expresses the nitrogen fixation-related genes from Azotobacter vinelandii.

The transfer of nitrogen fixation (nif) genes from diazotrophs to non-diazotrophic hosts is of increasing interest for engineering biological nitrogen fixation. A recombinant Escherichia coli strain expressing Azotobacter vinelandii 18 nif genes (nifHDKBUSVQENXYWZMF, iscA, and nafU) were previously constructed and showed nitrogenase activity. In the present study, we constructed several E.

Cyanobacteria Lectin (MVL) Interacts with SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Receptor Binding Domains (RBDs) via Protein-Protein Interaction.

The emergence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) posed a major challenge to healthcare systems worldwide, especially as mutations in the culprit Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) complicated the development of vaccines and antiviral drugs. Therefore, the search for natural products with broad anti-SARS-CoV-2 capabilities is an important option for the prevention and treatment of similar infectious diseases. Lectins, which are widely recognized as antiviral agents, could contribute to the development of anti-SARS-CoV-2 drugs.

FANCD2 counteracts O-methylguanine-induced mismatch repair-dependent apoptosis.

Background: Sn1-type alkylating agents methylate the oxygen atom on guanine bases thereby producing O-methylguanine. This modified base could pair with thymine and cytosine, resulting in the formation of O-methylguanine/thymine mismatch during DNA replication, recognized by the mismatch repair (MMR) complex, which then initiates the DNA damage response and subsequent apoptotic processes. In our investigation of the molecular mechanisms underlying MMR-dependent apoptosis, we observed FANCD2 modification upon the activity of alkylating agent N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU).

Bloom syndrome DNA helicase mitigates mismatch repair-dependent apoptosis.

Generation of O-methylguanine (O-meG) by DNA-alkylating agents such as N-methyl N-nitrosourea (MNU) activates the multiprotein mismatch repair (MMR) complex and the checkpoint response involving ATR/CHK1 and ATM/CHK2 kinases, which may in turn trigger cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. The Bloom syndrome DNA helicase BLM interacts with the MMR complex, suggesting functional relevance to repair and checkpoint responses. We observed a strong interaction of BLM with MMR proteins in HeLa cells upon treatment with MNU as evidenced by co-immunoprecipitation as well as colocalization in the nucleus as revealed by dual immunofluorescence staining.

DCLK1 Expression and its Functional Significance in Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma and Bil-IN Stage.

Background/aim: Although several studies in some neoplasms have reported correlation between the expression levels of Doublecortin-like kinase1(DCLK1) and carcinogenesis, its role in cholangiocarcinoma remains unknown.

Materials And Methods: DCLK1 expression in normal epithelium (NE), biliary intraepithelial neoplasia (BilIN)1∼3, and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) were investigated immuno-histochemically. The molecular effects of DCLK1 were investigated by gene silencing using RNAi [DCLK1-tagrgeting (siDCLK1)].

A case of acute appendicitis caused by obstruction due to caecal cancer.

Acute appendicitis supposedly results from appendix obstruction caused by various conditions, including caecal cancer. Here, we report an adenocarcinoma found in the specimen of a 65-year-old man diagnosed with acute appendicitis. The adenocarcinoma was detected in the appendix stump after emergency laparoscopic appendectomy.

Characterization of Chitosan Hydrogels Obtained through Phenol and Tripolyphosphate Anionic Crosslinking.

Chitosan is a deacetylated polymer of chitin that is extracted mainly from the exoskeleton of crustaceans and is the second-most abundant polymer in nature. Chitosan hydrogels are preferred for a variety of applications in bio-related fields due to their functional properties, such as antimicrobial activity and wound healing effects; however, the existing hydrogelation methods require toxic reagents and exhibit slow gelation times, which limit their application in biological fields. Therefore, a mild and rapid gelation method is necessary.

Automated escape system: identifying prey's kinematic and behavioral features critical for predator evasion.

Identifying the kinematic and behavioral variables of prey that influence evasion from predator attacks remains challenging. To address this challenge, we have developed an automated escape system that responds quickly to an approaching predator and pulls the prey away from the predator rapidly, similar to real prey. Reaction distance, response latency, escape speed and other variables can be adjusted in the system.