Diversity, connectivity and negative interactions define robust microbiome networks across land, stream, and sea.

In this era of rapid global change, factors influencing the stability of ecosystems and their functions have come into the spotlight. For decades the relationship between stability and complexity has been investigated in modeled and empirical systems, yet results remain largely context dependent. To overcome this we leverage a multiscale inventory of fungi and bacteria ranging from single sites along an environmental gradient, to habitats inclusive of land, sea and stream, to an entire watershed.

Symbiotic fungi alter plant resource allocation independent of water availability.

Premise: The ability of plants to adapt or acclimate to climate change is inherently linked to their interactions with symbiotic microbes, notably fungi. However, it is unclear whether fungal symbionts from different climates have different impacts on the outcome of plant-fungal interactions, especially under environmental stress.

Methods: We tested three provenances of fungal inoculum (originating from dry, moderate or wet environments) with one host plant genotype exposed to three soil moisture regimes (low, moderate and high).

Clinical Importance of Protein Intake in Hospitalized Elderly Patients With Heart Failure.

Background: The relationship between protein intake and the long-term prognosis of elderly patients with heart failure remains poorly understood. We investigated the association between predischarge protein intake and long-term prognosis in hospitalized elderly patients with heart failure.

Methods And Results: A single-center, retrospective analysis of hospitalized patients aged ≥65 years with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction was conducted.

In vivo functional significance of direct physical interaction between Period and Cryptochrome in mammalian circadian rhythm generation.

In the current model, the auto-negative feedback action of Period (Per) and Cryptochrome (Cry) on their own transcription is the hallmark mechanism driving cell-autonomous circadian rhythms. Although this model likely makes sense even if Per and Cry undertake this action in a mutually independent manner, many studies have suggested the functional significance of direct physical interaction between Per and Cry. However, even though the interaction is a biochemical process that pertains to the fundamentals of the circadian oscillator, its in vivo contribution to circadian rhythm generation remains undefined.

Networks as tools for defining emergent properties of microbiomes and their stability.

The potential promise of the microbiome to ameliorate a wide range of societal and ecological challenges, from disease prevention and treatment to the restoration of entire ecosystems, hinges not only on microbiome engineering but also on the stability of beneficial microbiomes. Yet the properties of microbiome stability remain elusive and challenging to discern due to the complexity of interactions and often intractable diversity within these communities of bacteria, archaea, fungi, and other microeukaryotes. Networks are powerful tools for the study of complex microbiomes, with the potential to elucidate structural patterns of stable communities and generate testable hypotheses for experimental validation.

Serum Lactate Clearance as a Predictive Biomarker for Optimal Graft Perfusion in Living Donor Liver Transplantation.

Background: The optimal balance between the graft volume (GV) and portal venous flow (PVF) in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) is unclear. As lactate is mainly metabolized in the liver, perioperative lactate levels are reportedly a useful biomarker for early graft dysfunction (EGD). The present study analyzed perioperative lactate levels according to the PVF.

A retrospective study investigating the risk of graft loss in living donor liver transplant cases where size mismatching is predicted from graft-to-recipient weight ratio.

Background/purpose: Living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) is vital for pediatric end-stage liver disease due to organ shortages. The graft-to-recipient weight ratio (GRWR) preoperatively measured predicts the outcomes of LDLT. We typically target between 0.

Factors predicting the need for liver transplantation in biliary atresia patients after 18 years of age.

Purpose: We aimed to identify factors predicting the need for future liver transplantation (LT) at 18 years of age in patients with biliary atresia (BA).

Methods: BA patients with native liver survival at > 18 years of age were retrospectively reviewed. The clinical characteristics, outcomes, hepatobiliary function, and liver fibrosis markers of native liver survivors (NLS group) were compared with patients who subsequently underwent LT (LT group).

Dysmorphic megakaryocytes in TAFRO syndrome: A case series from a single institute.

TAFRO syndrome is a rare systemic inflammatory disorder of unknown etiology characterized by thrombocytopenia, anasarca, fever, reticulin myelofibrosis, renal dysfunction, and organomegaly. The diagnosis of TAFRO syndrome can be challenging; however, prompt diagnosis is vital because TAFRO syndrome is a progressive and life-threatening disease. We have showcased five patients with TAFRO syndrome who had similar bone marrow (BM) findings that could be considered the findings that characterize TAFRO syndrome.

Performance evaluation and user experience of BT-50 transportation unit with automated and scheduled quality control measurements.

Objectives: Even in the current era of hematology analyzer automation and peripheral equipment, quality control sample measurement remains a manual task, leading to variability in quality control data and increased workload. In this study, we evaluated the performance of quality control measurement using the BT-50 Transportation Unit (BT-50, Sysmex, Kobe, Japan), equipped with a scheduled automatic quality control function, to ensure measurement accuracy and streamline the workflow of hematology testing.

Methods: We evaluated the automatic measurement performance of quality control samples using the BT-50 for six representative blood test parameters: WBC (white blood cell), RBC (red blood cell), HGB (hemoglobin), HCT (hematocrit), PLT (platelet), and RET% (reticulocyte percent).

Fast proton conductors for low humidity: hydrophilic sulfonated and phosphonated polysilsesquioxanes with Al-O-P crosslinks.

Proton-conducting polysilsesquioxane oligomers with core-shell structures consisting of hydrophilic silica-rich cores surrounded by an organic layer with sulfonic and phosphonic acid groups were synthesized. They were crosslinked by mixing with phosphoric acid and aluminum ions to form a hydrophilic Al-O-P framework. The resulting polymers were clear, uniform, flexible, and exhibited a high proton conductivity above 100 °C in non-humidified low-humidity air (∼22 mS cm at 120 °C and ∼1%RH) because of their high sulfonic acid concentration and high water retention capability.

Crystal structures of the alkali aluminoboracites BAlOCl ( = Li, Na).

Single crystals of alkali aluminoboracites, BAlOCl ( = Li, Na), were grown using the self-flux method, and their isotypic cubic crystal structures were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. NaBAlOCl is the first reported sodium boracite, and its lattice parameter [13.5904 (1) Å] is the largest among the boracites consisting of a cation-oxygen framework reported so far.

Temperature dependence of narrow-band UVB photoluminescence of silica-(Gd,Pr)POtransparent glass-ceramic phosphors.

The effect of temperature on photoluminescence (PL) due to theP→S(= 5/2, 7/2) transitions of Gdions was examined between 200 and 500 K for a sol-gel-derived silica-(Gd,Pr)POtransparent glass-ceramic phosphor with negligible concentration quenching under excitation into the 5d-4f transition of Prions at 220 nm. The intensity of the narrow-band ultraviolet B (UVB) PL at ∼313 nm associated with theP→Stransition slightly increased between 200 and 300 K, but was decreased to ∼86% and ∼62% of that at 300 K when temperature was raised to 400 and 500 K, respectively. The observed magnitude of the thermal quenching of the UVB PL intensity was agreed well with that recorded in a prototype narrow-band UVB lamp consisting of another silica-(Gd,Pr)POtransparent glass-ceramic window and a KrCl excimer lamp as a light source at 222 nm.

The advantages of duct-to-duct biliary reconstruction in pediatric living donor liver transplantation.

Background/purpose: Whether Roux-en-Y hepatic jejunectomy (HJ) or duct-to-duct biliary reconstruction (DD) is more useful in pediatric living donor liver transplantation has not yet been fully investigated. Therefore, to assess the feasibility and safety of DD, we compared the surgical outcomes of DD to HJ.

Methods: We divided 45 patients, excluding those with biliary atresia, into the DD group (n = 20) and the HJ group (n = 25), according to the type of biliary reconstruction they received.

Cutting-edge regenerative therapy for Hirschsprung disease and its allied disorders.

Hirschsprung disease (HSCR) and its associated disorders (AD-HSCR) often result in severe hypoperistalsis caused by enteric neuropathy, mesenchymopathy, and myopathy. Notably, HSCR involving the small intestine, isolated hypoganglionosis, chronic idiopathic intestinal pseudo-obstruction, and megacystis-microcolon-intestinal hypoperistalsis syndrome carry a poor prognosis. Ultimately, small-bowel transplantation (SBTx) is necessary for refractory cases, but it is highly invasive and outcomes are less than optimal, despite advances in surgical techniques and management.

Poly(cyclohexylsilsesquioxane)-Based Hydrophilic Thermoset-Resistant Deep-Ultraviolet-Transparent Glasses with Low Melting Temperatures.

Silsesquioxane (SQ)-based glasses with low melting temperatures were prepared by the cosolvent-free (solventless) hydrolytic polycondensation of organotrimethoxysilanes with cyclopentyl (-Pe) and cyclohexyl (-Hx) groups. Copolymers consisting of phenylsilsesquioxane (Ph-SQ) units and -Pe-SQ units [poly(Ph---Pe-SQ)] or -Hx-SQ units [poly(Ph---Hx-SQ)] were melted at 140 °C and formed clear glasses. The glasses prepared by this method contained many residual SiOH groups and exhibited high adhesive strength to microscope glass plates, metals, and several polymers.

The Factors Associated with the Selection of Early Excision Surgery for Congenital Biliary Dilatation with a Prenatal Diagnosis.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to clarify the appropriate management after birth for congenital biliary dilatation (CBD, choledochal cyst) patients with a prenatal diagnosis.

Method: Thirteen patients with a prenatal diagnosis of CBD who underwent liver biopsy during excision surgery were divided into two groups and retrospectively analyzed: group A, with liver fibrosis above F1 and group B, without liver fibrosis.

Results: Excision surgery was performed earlier in group A (F1-F2), at a median of 106 days old (p = 0.

A ridge-to-reef ecosystem microbial census reveals environmental reservoirs for animal and plant microbiomes.

Microbes are found in nearly every habitat and organism on the planet, where they are critical to host health, fitness, and metabolism. In most organisms, few microbes are inherited at birth; instead, acquiring microbiomes generally involves complicated interactions between the environment, hosts, and symbionts. Despite the criticality of microbiome acquisition, we know little about where hosts' microbes reside when not in or on hosts of interest.

Massive bleeding from a duodenal ulcer in a child with influenza infection: A case report of endoscopic findings.

Gastrointestinal bleeding or perforation following influenza infection is rare. We encountered a pediatric case of hemorrhagic duodenal ulcer following influenza A infection. The patient was a 1-year and 4-month-old boy who was diagnosed with influenza A infection and treated with laninamivir octanoate.

Phenylphosphonate surface functionalisation of MgMnO with 3D open-channel nanostructures for composite slurry-coated cathodes of rechargeable magnesium batteries operated at room temperature.

Spinel-type MgMnO, prepared by a propylene-oxide-driven sol-gel method, has a high surface area and structured bimodal macro- and mesopores, and exhibits good electrochemical properties as a cathode active material for rechargeable magnesium batteries. However, because of its hydrophilicity and significant water adsorption properties, macroscopic aggregates are formed in composite slurry-coated cathodes when 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) is used as a non-aqueous solvent. Functionalising the surface with phenylphosphonate groups was found to be an easy and effective technique to render the structured MgMnO hydrophobic and suppress aggregate formation in NMP-based slurries.

The role of cell-autonomous circadian oscillation of Cry transcription in circadian rhythm generation.

The current model of the mammalian circadian clock describes cell-autonomous and negative feedback-driven circadian oscillation of Cry and Per transcription as the core circadian rhythm generator. However, the actual contribution of this oscillation to circadian rhythm generation remains undefined. Here we perform targeted disruption of cis elements indispensable for cell-autonomous Cry oscillation.

Active Middle Ear Implant in a Patient with Neurofibromatosis Type 1 and Multiple Calvarial Defects: A Case Report.

Bony abnormalities, including sphenoid dysplasia and calvarial defects, are well recognized in patients with neurofibromatosis type 1. However, having multiple calvarial defects is rare. We present a case of a 35-year-old Japanese male patient who was referred to our hospital because of hearing loss.

A homogeneous high-DAR antibody-drug conjugate platform combining THIOMAB antibodies and XTEN polypeptides.

The antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) is a well-validated modality for the cell-specific delivery of small molecules with impact expanding rapidly beyond their originally-intended purpose of treating cancer. However, antibody-mediated delivery (AMD) remains inefficient, limiting its applicability to targeting highly potent payloads to cells with high antigen expression. Maximizing the number of payloads delivered per antibody is one key way in which delivery efficiency can be improved, although this has been challenging to carry out; with few exceptions, increasing the drug-to-antibody ratio (DAR) above ∼4 typically destroys the biophysical properties and efficacy for ADCs.

Palisading-like arrangement of immature ganglion cell in myenteric ganglia is a unique pathological feature of immaturity of ganglia.

Background: Immaturity of ganglia (IG), an allied disorder of Hirschsprung disease (AD-HSCR), develops as neonatal ileus, but the dysmotility spontaneously resolves after several months. The diagnosis of IG using HE staining is often difficult. We herein report a new pathological finding of IG called the 'palisading-like pattern', which may be helpful for improving the diagnostic accuracy.