Analysis of the Correlation between Cholesterol Levels in Blood Using Clinical Data and Hair Using Mass Spectrometry Imaging.

Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) is a technique that visualizes the distribution of molecules by ionizing the components on the surface of a sample and directly detecting them. Previously, MSI using hair has primarily been used in the forensic field to detect illegal drugs. On the other hand, there are few examples of using this technology for health monitoring.

Acute Effects of a Hop-Stabilization Warm-Up Program on Dynamic Balance, Ground Reaction Force, and Muscle Activity During Cutting Movements in Collegiate Athletes with Chronic Ankle Instability.

First-time lateral ankle sprains often lead to chronic ankle instability (CAI), with 47% facing recurrent injuries, emphasizing the need for preventive measures. Side-cutting movements in sports pose a risk for CAI individuals due to potential biomechanical control alterations. While the hop-stabilization warm-up program has proven effective in preventing ankle sprains, its specific acute impact on CAI individuals lacks substantial evidence.

The Validity and Reliability of a Smartphone Application for Break-Point Angle Measurement during Nordic Hamstring Exercise.

Background: A recently developed smartphone application (Nordic Angle) allows the automatic calculation of the break-point angle (BPA) during Nordic hamstring exercise (NHE) without transferring the collected data to a computer. The BPA is the point at which the hamstrings are unable to withstand force. However, the validity of the BPA values obtained by this method has not been examined.

Associations of eccentric force variables during jumping and eccentric lower-limb strength with vertical jump performance: A systematic review.

The purpose of this systematic review was to summarize the associations of eccentric force variables during jumping and eccentric lower-limb strength with vertical jump performance. A literature search was conducted in September 2022 using PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus. Thirteen cross-sectional studies investigating the relationship between eccentric force and strength variables, such as force, rate of force development (RFD), power, time, and velocity, and vertical jump performance, including the jump height, reactive strength index (RSI), and reactive strength index-modified (RSImod), were included in this systematic review.

aMAP score prediction of hepatocellular carcinoma occurrence and incidence-free rate after a sustained virologic response in chronic hepatitis C.

Aims: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) can still occur in hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients who have achieved a sustained virologic response (SVR), which remains an important clinical issue in the direct-acting antivirals era. The current study investigated the clinical utility of the aMAP score (consisting of age, male, albumin-bilirubin, and platelets) for predicting HCC occurrence in HCV patients achieving an SVR by direct-acting antivirals.

Methods: A total of 1113 HCV patients without HCC history, all of whom achieved an SVR, were enrolled for clinical comparisons.

Investigation of the Effect of KIR-HLA Pairs on Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Hepatitis C Virus Cirrhotic Patients.

Natural killer cells are partially mediated through the binding of killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) with human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I ligands. This investigation examined the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in relation to KIR-HLA pairs in patients with compensated hepatitis C virus (HCV)-associated cirrhosis. A total of 211 Japanese compensated HCV cirrhotic cases were retrospectively enrolled.

A Phase II, Multicenter, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study of Benralizumab, a Humanized Anti-IL-5R Alpha Monoclonal Antibody, in Patients With Eosinophilic Chronic Rhinosinusitis.

Background: Strong eosinophil infiltration in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyp (CRSwNP) is highly associated with recalcitrance and higher nasal polyp recurrence rate after surgery. The prevalence of eosinophilic CRSwNP (ECRS) is increasing in Asian countries including Japan. Benralizumab is a humanized anti-IL-5R alpha monoclonal antibody that depletes eosinophils by antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity.

Loss of cell wall integrity genes cpxA and mrcB causes flocculation in Escherichia coli.

Flocculation has been recognized for hundreds of years as an important phenomenon in brewing and wastewater treatment. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain elusive. The lack of a distinct phenotype to differentiate between slow-growing mutants and floc-forming mutants prevents the isolation of floc-related gene by conventional mutant screening.

KIR/HLA genotypes confer susceptibility and progression in patients with autoimmune hepatitis.

Unlabelled: Natural killer (NK) cells are key participants in the innate immune response. Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) are involved in the activation and inhibition of NK cells through the recognition of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I molecules. We investigated the impact of KIR/HLA combinations on susceptibility and long-term clinical outcome in Japanese patients with type 1 autoimmune hepatitis (AIH).

The mechanosensitive channel YbdG from has a role in adaptation to osmotic up-shock.

Mechanosensitive channels play an important role in the adaptation of cells to hypo-osmotic shock. Among members of this channel family in , the exact function and physiological role of the mechanosensitive channel homolog YbdG remain unclear. Characterization of YbdG's physiological role has been hampered by its lack of measurable transport activity.

Enhancement of K-strategy evolution in histidine utilization using a container with compartments.

Evolutionary strategies in growth improvement can be classified into r- or K-strategies. The former strategy corresponds to an evolutionary increase in growth rate, whereas the latter corresponds to an increase in the maximum amount of organisms or carrying capacity. What determines the strategies to be adopted during evolution? Spatial structures that compartmentalize the population into small patches are key to inducing the K-strategy.

KIR2DL2 combined with HLA-C1 confers risk of hepatitis C virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma in younger patients.

Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) are involved in the activation and inhibition of natural killer cells. Although combinations of KIRs and HLA have been associated with spontaneous and treatment-induced clearance of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, their roles are not fully understood in the context of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development. We enrolled 787 consecutive patients with chronic HCV infection, which included 174 cases of HCC, and 325 healthy subjects to clarify the involvement of HLA-Bw and C, KIRs, and major histocompatibility complex class I chain-related gene A (MICA) gene polymorphisms (rs2596542 and rs1051792) in chronic HCV infection and HCV-related HCC.

Association between KIR-HLA combination and ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease in a Japanese population.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) consists of ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD). Natural killer cell responses play a crucial role in autoimmune disease through innate immunity, in which killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) are closely involved. Although the genetic combination of KIRs with their specific HLA class I ligands has been associated with IBD in Caucasians, such KIR-HLA receptor-ligand combinations are not fully understood in the Japanese.

Comparison of the prevalence and characteristics of food hypersensitivity among adolescent and older women.

Background And Objectives: Although food hypersensitivity is a public health concern, its documentation among the elderly is limited. The current study aims to compare the prevalence and characteristics of food hypersensitivity among adolescent women between aged 18-24 with among older women >50 years of age.

Methods And Study Design: 660 female university students between the ages of 18 and 24 who volunteered were enrolled as adolescent subjects.

Increased oxidative stress in patients with severe disability: Association with nutrition.

Background: Previous studies have described a role of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of various pediatric disorders, but investigation into oxidative stress status in patients with severe disability remains limited. The aim of the present study was therefore to clarify the oxidative stress status in patients with severe disability, focusing specifically on intake of three major nutrients and micronutrients with antioxidant activities.

Methods: Thirty-one patients with severe disability (mean age, 14.

The Ingestion of a Fructose-Containing Beverage Combined with Fat Cream Exacerbates Postprandial Lipidemia in Young Healthy Women.

Aim: To investigate the acute effects of the ingestion of a fructose-containing beverage combinedwith fat on postprandial lipoprotein metabolism.

Methods: Twelve young healthy Japanese women with apolipoprotein E phenotype 3/3 were enrolled in this study. At each of four sessions, the subjects ingested one of four sugar beverages containing fructose and/or glucose (total: 0.

Expression of acidosis-dependent genes in human cancer nests.

Previous studies investigating cancer cells cultured at acidic pH have shown that the expression level of ~700 genes were more than two-fold higher than those of the cells cultured in alkaline medium at pH 7.5. The aim of the present study was to confirm whether these acidosis-induced genes are expressed in human cancer tissues.

The ingestion of a fructose-containing beverage combined with fat cream exacerbates postprandial lipidemia in young healthy women.

Aim: To investigate the acute effects of the ingestion of a fructose-containing beverage combined with fat on postprandial lipoprotein metabolism.

Methods: Twelve young healthy Japanese women with apolipoprotein E phenotype 3/3 were enrolled in this study. At each of four sessions, the subjects ingested one of four sugar beverages containing fructose and/or glucose (total: 0.

Acidic environments enhance the inhibitory effect of statins on proliferation of synovial cells.

Many previous studies in animal models and clinical investigations have suggested that statins are useful chemotherapeutics against rheumatoid arthritis, whereas in vitro experiments using synovial cell lines showed no significant effect of statins on cell proliferation until now. Since synovial fluid in rheumatoid joint knee was found to be acidic, we examined the effect of statins on human synovial sarcoma cell line SW982 cells in acidic medium. Statins suppressed the proliferation of SW982 cells at pH6.

Simultaneous ingestion of fructose and fat exacerbates postprandial exogenous lipidemia in young healthy Japanese women.

Aim: To investigate the acute effects of the simultaneous ingestion of fructose and fat on postprandial lipoprotein metabolism in healthy young women.

Methods: Nine young healthy Japanese women with a normal weight (body mass index: 18.5≤-< 25 kg/m(2)), a normal ovarian cycle and an apolipoprotein E 3/3 phenotype were enrolled as participants and studied on four occasions.

Respiration and the F₁Fo-ATPase enhance survival under acidic conditions in Escherichia coli.

Besides amino acid decarboxylation, the ADP biosynthetic pathway was reported to enhance survival under extremely acidic conditions in Escherichia coli (Sun et al., J. Bacteriol.