Hydrogen gas and the gut microbiota are potential biomarkers for the development of experimental colitis in mice.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic disease characterised by repeated relapses and remissions and a high recurrence rate even after symptom resolution. The primary method for IBD diagnosis is endoscopy; however, this method is expensive, invasive, and cumbersome to use serially. Therefore, more convenient and non-invasive methods for IBD diagnosis are needed.

Insulated π-Conjugated Azido Scaffolds for Stepwise Functionalization via Huisgen Cycloaddition on Metal Oxide Surfaces.

In organic-inorganic hybrid devices, fine interfacial controls by organic components directly affect the device performance. However, fabrication of uniformed interfaces using π-conjugated molecules remains challenging due to facile aggregation by their strong π-π interaction. In this report, a π-conjugated scaffold insulated by covalently linked permethylated α-cyclodextrin moiety with an azido group is synthesized for surface Huisgen cycloaddition on metal oxides.

Detection of PPB-Level HS Concentrations in Exhaled Breath Using Au Nanosheet Sensors with Small Variability, High Selectivity, and Long-Term Stability.

The continuous monitoring of hydrogen sulfide (HS) in exhaled breath enables the detection of health issues such as halitosis and gastrointestinal problems. However, HS sensors with high selectivity and parts per billion-level detection capability, which are essential for breath analysis, and facile fabrication processes for their integration with other devices are lacking. In this study, we demonstrated Au nanosheet HS sensors with high selectivity, ppb-level detection capability, and high uniformity by optimizing their fabrication processes: (1) insertion of titanium nitride (TiN) as an adhesion layer to prevent Au agglomeration on the oxide substrate and (2) N annealing to improve nanosheet crystallinity.

Origin of the High Selectivity of the Pt-Rh Thin-Film H Gas Sensor Studied by Ambient-Pressure X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy at Working Conditions.

The Pt-Rh thin-film sensors exhibit excellent sensitivity and selectivity for H gas detection. Here, we studied the mechanism of highly selective detection of H by the Pt-Rh thin-film sensors with ambient-pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (AP-XPS) measurements at working conditions, which were paralleled with electric resistivity measurements. The elemental composition and chemical state of surface Pt and Rh drastically change depending on the background gas environments, which directly link to the sensor response.

Simultaneous Detection of Mixed-Gas Components by Ionic-Gel Sensors with Multiple Electrodes.

The sensing of gas components in a mixed gas is required for breath-based health monitoring and diagnosis. In this work, we report the simultaneous detection of mixed-gas components using a sensor consisting of [EMIM][BF]-based ionic gel with four electrodes made of Au, Pt, Rh, and Cr. The voltage between any given pair of electrodes depends on the gas molecules absorbed in the ionic gel and the elements the electrodes are made of.

Dose-response relationships of accelerometer-measured sedentary behaviour and physical activity with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Background: Although a few studies have confirmed the association of accelerometer-measured sedentary behaviour (SB) and physical activity (PA) with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), PA intensity and co-dependent daily time-use of movement behaviours are yet to be studied.

Aims: To cross-sectionally examine the dose-response relationship between accelerometer-measured SB or PA and NAFLD using cubic spline analysis and the interdependence of movement behaviours over 24 hours with compositional data analysis.

Methods: Data were obtained between May 2017 and February 2020 from 1914 people who were not heavy alcohol drinkers using health check-ups at the Meiji Yasuda Shinjuku Medical Center, Tokyo.

AP-XPS analysis of a Pt thin-film sensor for highly sensitive H detection.

In situ ambient-pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (AP-XPS) combined with resistivity measurement was performed for a Pt thin-film H2 gas sensor. We experimentally demonstrate that the chemical state of the Pt surface changes under working conditions, and it directly links to the sensing performance. Moreover, the operating principle is discussed at the atomic scale.

Preservation of the nipple-areola complex in skin-sparing mastectomy for early breast cancer.

Purpose: Skin-sparing mastectomy (SSM) enables a radical cure of breast cancer while overcoming the cosmetic issues related to surgery. We review our experience of performing SSMs and assess whether preservation of the nipple-areola complex (NAC) could have been an option for some patients who underwent SSM.

Methods: The subjects of this retrospective study were women who underwent SSM that utilized four incision types; namely, the so-called tennis racket incision, a periareolar and midaxillary incision, an areola-sparing and midaxillary incision, and a small transverse elliptical incision.

Long-Term Follow-Up of Node-Negative Breast Cancer Patients Evaluated via Sentinel Node Biopsy After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy.

Background: Sentinel node biopsy (SNB) is used to accurately assess axillary lymph node status in patients with node-negative breast cancer. However, its use after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is controversial. We retrospectively assessed the usefulness of SNB after NAC by comparing axillary recurrence rates and other parameters in patients with clinically node-negative breast cancer who underwent SNB after NAC or without NAC.

Impact of physical activity on nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in people with nonalcoholic simple fatty liver: A prospective cohort study.

Preventing nonalcoholic simple fatty liver (NASFL) from progressing to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a key to avoiding cirrhosis. Physical activity (PA) may help manage fatty liver; however, there is a lack of prospective studies showing an association between PA and NASH. Our current prospective study investigated whether PA prevents NASFL from progressing to NASH.

Triple-negative breast cancer exhibits a favorable response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy independent of the expression of topoisomerase IIα.

The present study retrospectively analyzed the utility of topoisomerase IIα expression as a prognostic marker to predict the neoadjuvant chemotherapeutic response and survival among different breast cancer subtypes. The patients were subtyped and the expression of topoisomerase IIα was determined using immunohistochemistry. All patients (n=147) received an anthracycline-containing regimen preoperatively, and 139 (95%) patients also received docetaxel.

Deionization of Dopants in Silicon Nanofilms Even with Donor Concentration of Greater than 10(19) cm(-3).

Understanding the dopant properties in heavily doped nanoscale semiconductors is essential to design nanoscale devices. We report the deionization or finite ionization energy of dopants in silicon (Si) nanofilms with dopant concentration (ND) of greater than 10(19) cm(-3), which is in contrast to the zero ionization energy (ED) in bulk Si at the same ND. From the comparison of experimentally observed and theoretically calculated ED, we attribute the deionization to the suppression of metal-insulator transition in highly doped nanoscale semiconductors in addition to the quantum confinement and the dielectric mismatch, which greatly increase ED in low-doped nanoscale semiconductors.

Prospective study of physical activity and sleep in middle-aged and older adults.

Introduction: Few prospective cohort studies have examined the association between physical activity (PA) and insomnia prevention, and the effective PA intensity remains unclear. This prospective study explores how PA intensity prevents incident short sleep duration and subjective insufficient sleep in middle-aged and older adults.

Methods: A self-reported questionnaire gathered data on sleep and PA variables, including moderate low-intensity PA (MLPA); moderate high-intensity PA (MHPA); and vigorous-intensity PA (VPA), during health checkups conducted in Meiji Yasuda Shinjuku Medical Center in Tokyo.

Effects of the oriental herbal medicine Bofu-tsusho-san in obesity hypertension: a multicenter, randomized, parallel-group controlled trial (ATH-D-14-01021.R2).

Objective: There is no clinical evidence that supports the benefit of integrative medicine, defined as combination therapy of oriental and western medicine, on obesity-related hypertension. This study evaluates the efficacy of Bofu-tsusho-san (BOF), an oriental herbal medicine, on the ambulatory blood pressure (BP) profile in hypertensive patients with obesity.

Methods: The study design was a multicenter, randomized, open-label, parallel-group controlled trial in 107 hypertensive patients with obesity.

Modulation of thermoelectric power factor via radial dopant inhomogeneity in B-doped Si nanowires.

We demonstrate a modulation of thermoelectric power factor via a radial dopant inhomogeneity in B-doped Si nanowires. These nanowires grown via vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) method were naturally composed of a heavily doped outer shell layer and a lightly doped inner core. The thermopower measurements for a single nanowire demonstrated that the power factor values were higher than those of homogeneously B-doped Si nanowires.

Clinical relevance and low tumor-initiating properties of oligometastatic breast cancer in pulmonary metastasectomy.

Metastatic breast cancer is a systemic disease. However, certain subsets of patients, such as those with oligometastatic breast cancer (OMBC), have long-term survival prospects. Our aim was to evaluate the clinical relevance of OMBC in pulmonary metastasectomy of recurrent breast cancer.

Physical activity and risk of fatty liver in people with different levels of alcohol consumption: a prospective cohort study.

Objective: To investigate whether physical activity affects the future incidence of fatty liver in people with never-moderate and heavy alcohol consumption.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: Health check-up programme at Meiji Yasuda Shinjuku Medical Center in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo, Japan.

Usefulness of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography for intracystic breast tumors: a report of three cases.

Cystic breast lesions are caused by a wide spectrum of breast diseases and can range from simple cysts to malignant tumors. Ultrasonography is a good tool for evaluation of the morphology and vascularity of cystic breast lesions. We report three patients in whom contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) was used to evaluate intracystic tumors.

An Extracellular Matrix Molecule, Secreted by the Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition is Associated With Lymph Node Metastasis of Thyroid Papillary Carcinoma.

Background: Papillary thyroid carcinoma often has lymph node metastasis, compared with follicular thyroid carcinoma. The study showed that epithelial-mesenchymal transition occurs in carcinoma cells during the first stage of metastasis, where some extracellular matrix molecules are secreted in large quantities. Sialic acid carried by fibronectin as the antigen of the monoclonal antibody (MoAb) JT-95, was detected in 90% of papillary thyroid carcinoma cases, and in a few follicular thyroid carcinomas, in the extracellular matrix of thyroid carcinoma cells.

Clinical comparison of four types of skin incisions for skin-sparing mastectomy and immediate breast reconstruction.

Purpose: Skin-sparing mastectomy (SSM) and immediate breast reconstruction (IBR) has become popular as an effective procedure for patients with early breast cancer. We herein report an overview of the four types of skin incisions used for SSM.

Methods: The records of 111 consecutive breast cancer patients, who received SSM and IBR from 2003 to 2012, were reviewed retrospectively.

Phase II clinical trial of high-dose toremifene as primary hormone therapy in aromatase inhibitor-resistant breast cancer.

Background: Third-generation aromatase inhibitors(AIs)are now common in adjuvant hormone therapy for breast cancer in postmenopausal women. However, a suitable treatment has yet to be established for patients who develop cancer recurrence during or after adjuvant AI therapy.

Patients And Methods: This prospective study evaluated the efficacy and safety of 120mg/day toremifene citrate(TOR-120)administered orally to 23 patients with recurrent breast cancer who were receiving or had received adjuvant AI therapy.

DYRK2 controls the epithelial-mesenchymal transition in breast cancer by degrading Snail.

The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays a fundamental role in the early stages of breast cancer invasion. Snail, a zinc finger transcriptional repressor, is an important regulator of EMT. Snail is phosphorylated by GSK3β and is subsequently degraded by βTrCP-mediated ubiquitination.

Breast cancer screening and the changing population pyramid of Japan.

Background: Breast cancer has been the most prevalent cancer in Japan since the 1990s. The mortality from breast cancer is increasing in Japan, whereas in other industrialized countries it has been decreasing since 1990. On the other hand, Japan faces unparalleled growth in its aging population.

[Which biomarkers can we use?].

Gene array testing defined the intrinsic biological subtypes including"luminal A", "luminal B", "HER2-enriched" and "basal" within breast cancer. These subtypes may be approximated using clinicopathological immunochemistry rather than gene expression array criteria. These subtypes have different epidemiological risk factors, different natural histories, and different response to systemic and local therapies.