A comparative study of PD-L1 immunohistochemical assays with four reliable antibodies in thymic carcinoma.

Currently, four immunohistochemical assays are registered with the US Food and Drug Administration to detect the expression of PD-L1. We investigated the PD-L1 expression in thymic carcinomas using these four diagnostic assays. The cases of 53 patients were reviewed and their specimens were subjected to four PD-L1 assays with different antibodies (SP142, SP263, 22C3, and 28-8).

The CCR4-NOT deadenylase complex controls Atg7-dependent cell death and heart function.

Shortening and removal of the polyadenylate [poly(A)] tail of mRNA, a process called deadenylation, is a key step in mRNA decay that is mediated through the CCR4-NOT (carbon catabolite repression 4-negative on TATA-less) complex. In our investigation of the regulation of mRNA deadenylation in the heart, we found that this complex was required to prevent cell death. Conditional deletion of the CCR4-NOT complex components Cnot1 or Cnot3 resulted in the formation of autophagic vacuoles and cardiomyocyte death, leading to lethal heart failure accompanied by long QT intervals.

Brain Region-dependent Heterogeneity and Dose-dependent Difference in Transient Microglia Population Increase during Lipopolysaccharide-induced Inflammation.

Numerous studies have reported the importance of microglial activation in various pathological conditions, whereas little attention has been given to the point for dynamics of microglial population under infection-induced inflammation. In the present study, the single systemic stimulation of 100 μg/kg lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced robust microglial proliferation only in the circumventricular organs (CVOs) and their neighboring brain regions. More than half of microglia similarly showed proliferative activity in the CVOs and their neighboring brain regions after 1 mg/kg LPS stimulation, while this stimulation expanded microglia-proliferating brain regions including the hypothalamus, medulla oblongata, and limbic system.

Occlusal force is correlated with cognitive function directly as well as indirectly via food intake in community-dwelling older Japanese: From the SONIC study.

Background: Growing evidence suggests that oral health may be an important factor associated with cognitive function in aged populations. However, many previous studies on this topic used insensitive oral indicators or did not include certain essential covariates. Thus, we examined the association between occlusal force and cognitive function in a large sample of older adults, controlling for dietary intake, vascular risk factors, inflammatory biomarkers, depression, and genetic factors.

Epididymal phospholipidosis is a possible mechanism for spermatotoxicity induced by the organophosphorus insecticide fenitrothion in rats.

Fenitrothion (FNT) is used worldwide in agricultural and public health settings. Spermatogenesis is a toxicological target of FNT under high-dose exposure. Although anti-androgenic action is postulated to be the mechanism associated with this toxicity, few studies have examined histopathology of androgen-dependent male accessory sex organs.

Achromobacter Infection Is Rare in Japanese Patients with Pulmonary B-cell Lymphoma.

Objective Achromobacter xylosoxidans (A. xylosoxidans) has been recently reported to have an association with the development of pulmonary mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma in patients from European countries. However, the prevalence rates for A.

Clinical significance of tryptophan catabolism in Hodgkin lymphoma.

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO) is an enzyme catabolizing tryptophan (Trp) into the kynurenine (Kyn) pathway. The purpose of the present study was to determine the clinical significance of Trp catabolism in newly diagnosed Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) patients. We quantified serum Trp and Kyn in 52 HL patients, and analyzed their associations with different clinical parameters including serum soluble CD30 concentration.

Genomic Characterization of Chromosomal Insertions: Insights into the Mechanisms Underlying Chromothripsis.

Chromosomal insertions are rare structural rearrangements, and the molecular mechanisms underlying their origin are unknown. In this study, we used whole genome sequencing to analyze breakpoints and junction sequences in 4 patients with chromosomal insertions. Our analysis revealed that none of the 4 cases involved a simple insertion mediated by a 3-chromosomal breakage and rejoining events.

Combined Venom Gland Transcriptomic and Venom Peptidomic Analysis of the Predatory Ant Odontomachus monticola.

Ants (hymenoptera: Formicidae) have adapted to many different environments and have become some of the most prolific and successful insects. To date, 13,258 ant species have been reported. They have been classified into 333 genera and 17 subfamilies.

Association between dietary patterns and cognitive function among 70-year-old Japanese elderly: a cross-sectional analysis of the SONIC study.

Background: An increasing number of studies in Western countries have shown that healthy dietary patterns may have a protective effect against cognitive decline and dementia. However, information on this relationship among non-Western populations with different cultural settings is extremely limited. We aim to examine the relationship between dietary patterns and cognitive function among older Japanese people.

Enzymatically modified isoquercitrin supplementation intensifies plantaris muscle fiber hypertrophy in functionally overloaded mice.

Background: Enzymatically modified isoquercitrin (EMIQ) is produced from rutin using enzymatic hydrolysis followed by treatment with glycosyltransferase in the presence of dextrin to add glucose residues. EMIQ is absorbed in the same way as quercetin, a powerful antioxidant reported to prevent disused muscle atrophy by targeting mitochondria and to have ergogenic effects. The present study investigated the effect of EMIQ on skeletal muscle hypertrophy induced by functional overload.

Improved clonality detection in B-cell lymphoma using a semi-nested modification of the BIOMED-2 PCR assay for IGH rearrangement: A paraffin-embedded tissue study.

The BIOMED-2 PCR protocol for targeting the IGH gene is widely employed for detecting clonality in B-cell malignancies. Unfortunately, the detection of clonality with this method is not very sensitive when paraffin sections are used as a DNA source. To increase the sensitivity, we devised a semi-nested modification of a JH consensus primer.

Corrigendum: Novel missense mutation in DLL4 in a Japanese sporadic case of Adams-Oliver syndrome.

This corrects the article DOI: 10.1038/jhg.2017.

Assessing competence at a higher level among older adults: development of the Japan Science and Technology Agency Index of Competence (JST-IC).

Background And Aims: Older adults' ever-improving health and changing lifestyles necessitate the development of a scale that can better measure their competence at a higher level. We developed the Japan Science and Technology Agency Index of Competence (JST-IC) via item analysis and assessed its psychometric properties.

Methods: Participants were 1306 community-dwelling older adults (623 men and 683 women, 74.

Cyclin-dependent kinase 9 is a novel specific molecular target in adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma.

Cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9), a subunit of the positive transcription elongation factor b (P-TEFb) complex, regulates gene transcription elongation by phosphorylating the C-terminal domain (CTD) of RNA polymerase II (RNAPII). The deregulation of CDK9/P-TEFb has important implications for many cancer types. BAY 1143572 is a novel and highly selective CDK9/P-TEFb inhibitor currently being investigated in phase 1 studies.

MYB, MYBL1, MYBL2 and NFIB gene alterations and MYC overexpression in salivary gland adenoid cystic carcinoma.

Aims: Adenoid cystic carcinoma (AdCC) is one of the most common salivary gland malignancies and the long-term prognosis is poor. In this study, we examined alterations of AdCC-associated genes, MYB, MYBL1, MYBL2 and NFIB, and their target molecules, including MYC. The results were correlated to clinicopathological profile of the patients.

Isolation of biologically active peptides from the venom of Japanese carpenter bee, .

Background: Mass spectrometry-guided venom peptide profiling is a powerful tool to explore novel substances from venomous animals in a highly sensitive manner. In this study, this peptide profiling approach is successfully applied to explore the venom peptides of a Japanese solitary carpenter bee, (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Apidae: Anthophila: Xylocopinae: Xylocopini). Although interesting biological effects of the crude venom of carpenter bees have been reported, the structure and biological function of the venom peptides have not been elucidated yet.

Intragenic deletion detected by whole-genome sequencing in congenital myasthenic syndromes.

Objective: To identify the genetic cause in a patient affected by ptosis and exercise-induced muscle weakness and diagnosed with congenital myasthenic syndromes (CMS) using whole-genome sequencing (WGS).

Methods: Candidate gene screening and WGS analysis were performed in the case. Allele-specific PCR was subsequently performed to confirm the copy number variation (CNV) that was suspected from the WGS results.

Maintenance of persistent activity in a frontal thalamocortical loop.

Persistent neural activity maintains information that connects past and future events. Models of persistent activity often invoke reverberations within local cortical circuits, but long-range circuits could also contribute. Neurons in the mouse anterior lateral motor cortex (ALM) have been shown to have selective persistent activity that instructs future actions.

A case with concurrent duplication, triplication, and uniparental isodisomy at 1q42.12-qter supporting microhomology-mediated break-induced replication model for replicative rearrangements.

Background: Complex genomic rearrangements (CGRs) consisting of interstitial triplications in conjunction with uniparental isodisomy (isoUPD) have rarely been reported in patients with multiple congenital anomalies (MCA)/intellectual disability (ID). One-ended DNA break repair coupled with microhomology-mediated break-induced replication (MMBIR) has been recently proposed as a possible mechanism giving rise to interstitial copy number gains and distal isoUPD, although only a few cases providing supportive evidence in human congenital diseases with MCA have been documented.

Case Presentation: Here, we report on the chromosomal microarray (CMA)-based identification of the first known case with concurrent interstitial duplication at 1q42.

Novel missense mutation in DLL4 in a Japanese sporadic case of Adams-Oliver syndrome.

Adams-Oliver syndrome (AOS, OMIM; 100300) is a rare genetic disease characterized by aplasia cutis congenita, terminal transverse limb defects and cutis marmorata with vascular anomalies such as congenital heart defects. The etiology of this syndrome has remained largely unknown but defective Notch signaling during vascular formation has been suggested. Here we describe a sporadic Japanese newborn case with clinically diagnosed AOS.

Striated duct adenoma presenting with intra-tumoral hematoma and papillary thyroid carcinoma-like histology.

Striated duct adenoma of the salivary gland is a rare benign tumor characterized by unilayered duct epithelium and striations of the tumor cell membranes. To the best of our knowledge, only six cases have been reported in the literature. Here we report an additional case, which was complicated by an intra-tumoral hematoma on clinical presentation and by papillary thyroid carcinoma-like histology on intra-operative frozen section diagnosis.

Expression of cancer/testis antigens in salivary gland carcinomas with reference to MAGE-A and NY-ESO-1 expression in adenoid cystic carcinoma.

Aims: Cancer/testis antigens (CTAs) are detected in cancer cells but not in healthy normal tissues, with the exception of gametogenic tissues. CTAs are highly immunogenic proteins, and thus represent ideal targets for cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-mediated specific immune therapy. The aim of this study was to screen CTA expression in various types of salivary gland carcinoma and to clarify clinicopathological significance of MAGE-A and NY-ESO-1 expression in adenoid cystic carcinomas (AdCCs) of the salivary gland, which is one of the most common salivary gland carcinomas, and usually has a fatal outcome.