Molecular Origami: Designing Functional Molecules of the Future.

In the field of chemical biology, DNA origami has been actively researched. This technique, which involves folding DNA strands like origami to assemble them into desired shapes, has made it possible to create complex nanometer-sized structures, marking a major breakthrough in nanotechnology. On the other hand, controlling the folding mechanisms and folded structures of proteins or shorter peptides has been challenging.

Characteristics of storage and voiding symptoms in adult patients with type 2 diabetes with lower urinary tract symptoms.

Aims: We aimed to assess the relationships between lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and various parameters including diabetes complications in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Methods: In this single-center cross-sectional study, we enrolled 404 patients hospitalized for diabetes. We ultimately analyzed data from 160 patients.

Exploring the Impact of Water Content in Solvent Systems on Photochemical CO Reduction Catalyzed by Ruthenium Complexes.

To achieve artificial photosynthesis, it is crucial to develop a catalytic system for CO reduction using water as the electron source. However, photochemical CO reduction by homogeneous molecular catalysts has predominantly been conducted in organic solvents. This study investigates the impact of water content on catalytic activity in photochemical CO reduction in -dimethylacetamide (DMA), using [Ru(bpy)] (bpy: 2,2'-bipyridine) as a photosensitizer, 1-benzyl-1,4-dihydronicotinamide (BNAH) as an electron donor, and two ruthenium diimine carbonyl complexes, [Ru(bpy)(CO)] and (Cl)-[Ru(Ac--NHMe)(CO)Cl] (: 5'-amino-2,2'-bipyridine-5-carboxylic acid), as catalysts.

-Schistosomal activity and ADMET properties of 1,2,5-oxadiazinane-containing compound synthesized by visible-light photoredox catalysis.

The incorporation of saturated nitrogen-containing heterocycle 1,2,5-oxadiazinane into small molecules represents a compelling avenue in drug discovery due to its unexplored behavior within biological systems and incomplete protocols for synthesis. In this study, we present 1,2,5-oxadiazinane, an innovative heterocyclic bioisostere of piperizin-2-one and novel chemotype of the -schistosomal drug praziquantel (PZQ), which has been the only clinical drug available for three decades. PZQ is associated with significant drawbacks, including poor solubility, a bitter taste, and low metabolic stability.

Post-meal endogenous insulin secretion was significantly lower in head than in body/tail cancer of the pancreas.

The Aim: Pancreatic cancer, a rapidly progressive malignancy, is often diagnosed in patients with diabetes. The incidence of pancreatic cancer has risen dramatically over recent decades. Early diagnosis of this malignancy is generally difficult because the symptoms do not become apparent until the disease has progressed, generally leading to a poor outcome.

Randomized trial of an intensified, multifactorial intervention in patients with advanced-stage diabetic kidney disease: Diabetic Nephropathy Remission and Regression Team Trial in Japan (DNETT-Japan).

Aims/introduction: We evaluated the efficacy of multifactorial intensive treatment (IT) on renal outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes and advanced-stage diabetic kidney disease (DKD).

Materials And Methods: The Diabetic Nephropathy Remission and Regression Team Trial in Japan (DNETT-Japan) is a multicenter, open-label, randomized controlled trial with a 5-year follow-up period. We randomly assigned 164 patients with advanced-stage diabetic kidney disease (urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio ≥300 mg/g creatinine, serum creatinine level 1.

Syntheses and Characterization of a Pair of Isomers of Heteroleptic Bis(Bidentate) Ruthenium(II) Complexes with Two Different Monodentate Ligands.

Two isomers of heteroleptic bis(bidentate) ruthenium(II) complexes with dimethyl sulfoxide (dmso) and chloride ligands, trans(Cl,N )- and trans(Cl,N )-[Ru(bpy)Cl(dmso-S)(Hdpa)] (bpy: 2,2'-bipyridine; Hdpa: di-2-pyridylamine), are synthesized. This is the first report on the selective synthesis of a pair of isomers of cis-[Ru(L)(L')XY] (L≠L': bidentate ligands; X≠Y: monodentate ligands). The structures of the ruthenium(II) complexes are clarified by means of X-ray crystallography, and the signals in the H NMR spectra are assigned based on H- H COSY spectra.

Crystal Structures of Flavone C-Glycosides from Oolong Tea Leaves: Chafuroside A Dihydrate and Chafuroside B Monohydrate.

Chafuroside A and chafuroside B are flavone C-glycosides isolated from oolong tea leaves. They have a number of beneficial pharmacological activities related to antiinflammation at various concentrations. However, no crystallographic study of chafurosides has yet been reported.

Abnormal glucose tolerance in a patient with pheochromocytoma and ACTH-independent subclinical Cushing's syndrome involving the same adrenal gland.

Coexistence of adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH)-independent subclinical Cushing’s syndrome (SCS) with pheochromocytoma involving the same adrenal tumor is rare. Moreover, no previous reports have compared pre- and postoperative insulin sensitivities in these cases. A 74-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with hyperhidrosis, dry mouth, and weight loss.

Serum lactate levels are associated with serum alanine aminotransferase and total bilirubin levels in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A cross-sectional study.

Aims: It was recently reported that lactate acts as a metabolic mediator and rises in the diabetic state, but the physiological effects are as yet poorly understood. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the significance of serum lactate elevation in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients.

Methods: Fasting serum lactate levels, hematological and inflammatory serum markers and anthropometric parameters, obtained employing bioelectric impedance analysis, were measured in 103 patients with T2DM.

Novel Mechanisms Modulating Palmitate-Induced Inflammatory Factors in Hypertrophied 3T3-L1 Adipocytes by AMPK.

Objective: A growing body of evidence indicates that AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) contributes to not only energy metabolic homeostasis but also the inhibition of inflammatory responses. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. To elucidate the role of AMPK, in this study, we observed the effects of AMPK activation on monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) release in mature 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

Metabolic effects of Tofogliflozin are efficiently enhanced with appropriate dietary carbohydrate ratio and are distinct from carbohydrate restriction.

Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) exert their antidiabetic effects by promoting urinary glucose excretion. Nutrition therapy is obviously important, but little is known about the interactions between SGLT2i agents and carbohydrate restriction. Therefore, we studied these interactions using an obese diabetic animal model.

The Novel Mechanisms Concerning the Inhibitions of Palmitate-Induced Proinflammatory Factor Releases and Endogenous Cellular Stress with Astaxanthin on MIN6 β-Cells.

Astaxanthin, an antioxidant agent, can protect pancreatic β-cells of db/db mice from glucotoxicity and resolve chronic inflammation in adipose tissue. Nonetheless, the effects of astaxanthin on free-fatty-acid-induced inflammation and cellular stress in β-cells remain to be demonstrated. Meanwhile, palmitate enhances the secretion of pro-inflammatory adipokines monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor).

Development and validation of the Pachinko/Pachi-Slot Playing Ambivalence Scale.

Background: A scale aimed at measuring ambivalence among people with pachinko/pachi-slot playing disorder, the Pachinko/Pachi-Slot Playing Ambivalence Scale (PPAS), was developed and its reliability and validity ascertained.

Methods: A total of 522 participants (average year: 48.0) who were residing in Tokyo Metropolitan Area, and had played pachinko within the previous year completed questions relating to demographics, four gambling-related scales (including South Oaks Gambling Screen) and two general ambivalence scales (including Ambivalence over Emotional Expressiveness Questionnaire).

Anti-stress Effect of Green Tea with Lowered Caffeine on Humans: A Pilot Study.

Theanine, an amino acid in tea, has significant anti-stress effects on animals and humans. However, the effect of theanine was blocked by caffeine and gallate-type catechins, which are the main components in tea. We examined the anti-stress effect of green tea with lowered caffeine, low-caffeine green tea, on humans.

Photocatalytic CO Reduction by Periodic Mesoporous Organosilica (PMO) Containing Two Different Ruthenium Complexes as Photosensitizing and Catalytic Sites.

A periodic mesoporous organosilica (PMO) containing 2,2'-bipyridine (bpy) ligands within the framework (BPy-PMO) has great potential for designing novel catalysts by modifying metal complexes. A photosensitizing site (Ru(PS)) was introduced by treating cis-[Ru(bpy) (dimethylsulfoxide)Cl]Cl with BPy-PMO. Then a catalytic site (Ru(Cat)) was brought in Ru(PS) -BPy-PMO by reaction with a ruthenium polymer [Ru(CO) Cl ] .

Efficacy and safety of sitagliptin as compared with glimepiride in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus aged ≥ 60 years (START-J trial).

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of sitagliptin administered to elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) for 1 year as compared with glimepiride. Patients aged ≥60 years with T2DM and inadequately controlled blood glucose were randomly assigned to sitagliptin 50 mg once daily or glimepiride 0.5 mg once daily for 52 weeks.

Temperature dependence of photocatalytic CO reduction by trans(Cl)-Ru(bpy)(CO)Cl: activation energy difference between CO and formate production.

The temperature dependence of photocatalytic CO reduction by trans(Cl)-Ru(bpy)(CO)Cl (bpy: 2,2'-bipyridine) has been researched in ethanol (EtOH)/N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMA) solutions containing [Ru(bpy)] (a photosensitizer) and 1-benzyl-1,4-dihydronicotinamide (BNAH, an electron donor). The catalytic system efficiently reduces CO to carbon monoxide (CO) with formate (HCOO) as a minor product. The mechanism of the catalysis consists of the electron-relay cycle and the catalytic cycle: in the former cycle the photochemically generated reduced species of the photosensitizer injects an electron to the catalyst, and in the latter the catalyst reduces CO.

Preparation of Orally Disintegrating Tablets Containing Powdered Tea Leaves with Enriched Levels of Bioactive Compounds by Means of Microwave Irradiation Technique.

In the present study, a microwave treatment process has been applied to prepare orally disintegrating tablets (ODTs) containing powdered tea leaves with enriched levels of the anti-inflammatory compounds such as chafuroside A (CFA) and chafuroside B (CFB). The use of distilled water as the adsorbed and granulation solvents in this preparation process afforded tablets with a long disintegration time (more than 120 s). The CFA and CFB contents of these tablets did not also change after 4 min of microwave irradiation due to the tablet temperature, which only increased to 100°C.

Correction: Long-Term Low Carbohydrate Diet Leads to Deleterious Metabolic Manifestations in Diabetic Mice.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Clinical effect of real time pulse rate monitoring with a portable pulsimeter on physical exercise therapy for male patients with type 2 diabetes.

In patients with type 2 diabetes, it is recommended that exercise therapy is performed using heart rate as an index of exercise intensity. This study was designed to clinically evaluate whether continuous exercise therapy with a portable pulsimeter for self-monitoring of the pulse rate influences glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes. We randomly assigned 23 male patients to a pulse displayed group (in which the portable pulsimeter displayed a pulse rate) or a pulse non-displayed group (in which the portable pulsimeter only recorded the data and did not display a pulse rate).