Performance of ChatGPT-3.5 and ChatGPT-4o in the Japanese National Dental Examination.

Objectives: In this study, we compared the performance of ChatGPT-3.5 to that of ChatGPT-4o in the context of the Japanese National Dental Examination, which assesses clinical reasoning skills and dental knowledge, to determine their potential usefulness in dental education.

Methods: ChatGPT's performance was assessed using 1399 (55% of the exam) of 2520 questions from the Japanese National Dental Examinations (111-117).

Identification of herbal drug extracts that promote growth of in high-fat diet fed mice.

Unlabelled: Disruption of the gut microbiota causes metabolic dysfunction, and intervention in the gut microbiota has the potential to improve host glucose metabolism. is an intestinal bacterium involved in anti-obesity and insulin resistance. Developing interventions to increase would be useful for new treatment strategies.

High-mobility group box 1 fragment ameliorates chronic pancreatitis induced by caerulein in mice.

Background: Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is a progressive disease characterized by pancreatic fibrosis for which effective treatment options are lacking. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have shown potential for fibrosis treatment but face limitations in clinical application. The high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) fragment mobilizes MSCs from bone marrow into the blood and has emerged as a promising therapeutic agent for tissue regeneration in various pathological conditions.

History and future perspectives of adipose tissue macrophage biology.

Macrophages contribute to adipose tissue homeostasis; however, they are also thought to be responsible for insulin resistance in obesity. Macrophages, which were oversimplified in past methodologies, have become rather difficult to understand comprehensively as recent developments in research methodology have revealed their diversity. This review highlights recent studies on adipose tissue macrophages, identifies controversial issues that need to be resolved and proposes a scenario for further development of adipose tissue macrophage biology.

Lipoarabinomannan mediates localized cell wall integrity during division in mycobacteria.

The growth and division of mycobacteria, which include clinically relevant pathogens, deviate from that of canonical bacterial models. Despite their Gram-positive ancestry, mycobacteria synthesize and elongate a diderm envelope asymmetrically from the poles, with the old pole elongating more robustly than the new pole. The phosphatidylinositol-anchored lipoglycans lipomannan (LM) and lipoarabinomannan (LAM) are cell envelope components critical for host-pathogen interactions, but their physiological functions in mycobacteria remained elusive.

Characterization of Diabetic Striatopathy With Repeated Follow-Up Using Multiple Imaging Studies.

Diabetic striatopathy is a rare condition with a prevalence of less than one in 100,000. Herein, we report a case of diabetic striatopathy exacerbated by hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia, with repeated follow-up with multiple imaging studies. This case suggested that putamen neuronal loss and dysfunction, gliosis, and ischemia are associated with diabetic striatopathy pathophysiology.

Isoxanthohumol improves obesity and glucose metabolism via inhibiting intestinal lipid absorption with a bloom of Akkermansia muciniphila in mice.

Objective: Polyphenols have health-promoting effects, such as improving insulin resistance. Isoxanthohumol (IX), a prenylated flavonoid found in beer hops, has been suggested to reduce obesity and insulin resistance; however, the mechanism remains unknown.

Methods: High-fat diet-fed mice were administered IX.

A cell wall synthase accelerates plasma membrane partitioning in mycobacteria.

Lateral partitioning of proteins and lipids shapes membrane function. In model membranes, partitioning can be influenced both by bilayer-intrinsic factors like molecular composition and by bilayer-extrinsic factors such as interactions with other membranes and solid supports. While cellular membranes can departition in response to bilayer-intrinsic or -extrinsic disruptions, the mechanisms by which they partition de novo are largely unknown.

Factors associated with the response to atezolizumab/bevacizumab combination therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background And Aim: The purpose of this study was to analyze factors associated with the overall survival (OS) of atezolizumab/bevacizumab combination therapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (aHCC). We also assessed the OS of patients with ineffective therapy and those who discontinued treatment owing to adverse events (AEs).

Methods: This retrospective multicenter study involved 139 patients with aHCC who received atezolizumab/bevacizumab combination therapy between November 2020 and September 2022.

Heterogeneity of adipose tissue-resident macrophages-beyond M1/M2 paradigm.

Adipose tissue-resident macrophages (ATMs) are reported to be important for maintaining adipose tissue remodeling and homeostasis. ATMs were classified for the first time in 2007 into the M1 and M2 types. This theory suggests that in the non-obese adipose tissue, the anti-inflammatory, alternatively activated macrophages (AAMs) predominate, and regulate tissue homeostasis, remodeling, and insulin sensitivity.

Efficacy of Autologous Skeletal Myoblast Cell Sheet Transplantation for Liver Regeneration in Liver Failure.

Background: No effective therapies have yet been established for liver regeneration in liver failure. Autologous skeletal myoblast cell sheet transplantation has been proven to improve cardiac function in patients with heart failure, and one of the mechanisms has been reported to be a paracrine effect by various growth factors associated with liver regeneration. Therefore, the present study focused on the effect of myoblast cells on liver regeneration in vitro and in vivo.

Clinical Impact of Ischemic Time of the Pancreas or Kidney Graft on Simultaneous Pancreas-Kidney Transplantation: A Single-Institution Study in Japan.

Background: Total ischemic time (TIT) potentially affects graft survival in organ transplantation. However, in simultaneous pancreas-kidney (SPK) transplantation, the impact of TIT of the pancreas (P-TIT) and kidney graft (K-TIT) on posttransplant outcomes remains unclear. This study investigated the impact of P-TIT and K-TIT on postoperative outcomes in patients after SPK at our institution in Japan.

Tuberculostearic Acid Controls Mycobacterial Membrane Compartmentalization.

The intracellular membrane domain (IMD) is a laterally discrete region of the mycobacterial plasma membrane, enriched in the subpolar region of the rod-shaped cell. Here, we report genome-wide transposon sequencing to discover the controllers of membrane compartmentalization in Mycobacterium smegmatis. The putative gene showed the most significant effect on recovery from membrane compartment disruption by dibucaine.

Oleic acid stimulates cell proliferation and BRD4-L-MYC-dependent glucose transporter transcription through PPARα activation in ovarian cancer cells.

Fatty acids (FAs) play important roles in cell membrane structure maintenance, energy production via β-oxidation, and as extracellular signaling molecules. Prior studies have demonstrated that exposure of cancer cells to FAs affects cell survival, cell proliferation, and cell motility. Oleic acid (OA) has somewhat controversial effects in cancer cells, with both pro- and anti-cancer effects, depending on cell type.

Depletion of CD206 M2-like macrophages induces fibro-adipogenic progenitors activation and muscle regeneration.

Muscle regeneration requires the coordination of muscle stem cells, mesenchymal fibro-adipogenic progenitors (FAPs), and macrophages. How macrophages regulate the paracrine secretion of FAPs during the recovery process remains elusive. Herein, we systemically investigated the communication between CD206 M2-like macrophages and FAPs during the recovery process using a transgenic mouse model.

Prognostic Impact of Gastroduodenal Artery Involvement in Cancer of the Pancreatic Head.

Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) contacting major arteries such as the celiac, common hepatic, and superior mesenteric artery is linked to poor prognosis and classified as borderline resectable. Although PDAC involving the gastroduodenal artery (GDA) is considered resectable, the prognostic impact of GDA involvement remains unclear. Here we investigated the prognostic impact of GDA involvement in PDAC after resection.

Inositol acylation of phosphatidylinositol mannosides: a rapid mass response to membrane fluidization in mycobacteria.

Mycobacteria share an unusually complex, multilayered cell envelope, which contributes to adaptation to changing environments. The plasma membrane is the deepest layer of the cell envelope and acts as the final permeability barrier against outside molecules. There is an obvious need to maintain the plasma membrane integrity, but the adaptive responses of the plasma membrane to stress exposure remain poorly understood.

Significance of post-progression therapy after tyrosine kinase inhibitors for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background And Aim: Molecular-targeted therapies such as sorafenib and lenvatinib have long been used as first-line treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (aHCC). However, adverse events or limited therapeutic effects may necessitate the change to another therapeutic option, known as post-progression therapy. To investigate the significance of post-progression therapy, we analyzed the outcomes of aHCC patients following first-line molecular-targeted therapy in a real-world study.

Cell Wall Damage Reveals Spatial Flexibility in Peptidoglycan Synthesis and a Nonredundant Role for RodA in Mycobacteria.

Cell wall peptidoglycan is a heteropolymeric mesh that protects the bacterium from internal turgor and external insults. In many rod-shaped bacteria, peptidoglycan synthesis for normal growth is achieved by two distinct pathways: the Rod complex, comprised of MreB, RodA, and a cognate class B penicillin-binding protein (PBP), and the class A PBPs (aPBPs). In contrast to laterally growing bacteria, pole-growing mycobacteria do not encode an MreB homolog and do not require SEDS protein RodA for growth.

Increased Vascular Permeability Due to Spread and Invasion of in the Wound Infection Exacerbates Potentially Fatal Necrotizing Disease.

is known to cause necrotizing soft tissue infections (NSTIs). However, the pathogenic mechanism causing cellulitis, necrotizing fasciitis, muscle necrosis, and rapidly developing septicemia in humans have not been fully elucidated. Here, we report a multilayer analysis of tissue damage after subcutaneous bacterial inoculation as a murine model of NSTIs.

Surface analysis of titanium disks with strontium coating.

Peri-implantitis is one of the most common complications after dental implant placement. Researchers have demonstrated that the peri-implantitis tends to occur around dental implants with a rough surface rather than those with a smooth surface. We aimed to investigate the ability of a smooth titanium (Ti) surface containing strontium (Sr) to enhance bone formation as a result of strontium's capacity to support osteoblast proliferation and differentiation.

Astaxanthin, a Marine Carotenoid, Maintains the Tolerance and Integrity of Adipose Tissue and Contributes to Its Healthy Functions.

Recently, obesity-induced insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease have become major social problems. We have previously shown that Astaxanthin (AX), which is a natural antioxidant, significantly ameliorates obesity-induced glucose intolerance and insulin resistance. It is well known that AX is a strong lipophilic antioxidant and has been shown to be beneficial for acute inflammation.

Fate of adipocyte progenitors during adipogenesis in mice fed a high-fat diet.

Objective: Expansion of adipose tissue during obesity through the recruitment of newly generated adipocytes (hyperplasia) is metabolically healthy, whereas that through the enlargement of pre-existing adipocytes (hypertrophy) leads to metabolic complications. Accumulating evidence from genetic fate mapping studies suggests that in animal models receiving a high-fat diet (HFD), only adipocyte progenitors (APs) in gonadal white adipose tissue (gWAT) have proliferative potential. However, the proliferative potential and differentiating capacity of APs in the inguinal WAT (iWAT) of male mice remains controversial.