A comparative study of changes in H/M under spinning permanent magnet stimulation, repetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation, and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation in healthy individuals.

Unlabelled: Kiso A, Maeda H, Otaka Y, Mori H, Kagaya H. A comparative study of changes in H/M under spinning permanent magnet stimulation, repetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation, and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation in healthy individuals. Jpn J Compr Rehabil Sci 2024; 15: 58-62.

Bimetallic Ru-Ir/Rh complexes for catalytic allyl alcohol reduction to propylene.

Bimetallic Ru-Ir/Rh complexes with the Ru-based metalloligand -(bpy)Ru(PPh) (RuP) serve as catalysts for the selective reduction of allyl alcohol to propylene, employing H gas or an electrochemical setup. Metal-metal bonded key π-allyl intermediates [(RuP)M(η-CH)] (M = Ir, Rh) are identified, advancing the understanding of the catalytic processes.

18-β-Glycyrrhetinic Acid Promotes Hair Growth by Stimulating the Proliferation of Dermal Papilla Cells and Outer Root Sheath Cells, and Extends the Anagen Phase by Inhibiting 5α-Reductase.

18-β-Glycyrrhetinic acid, a major component of licorice, stimulated the proliferation of both dermal papilla cells and outer root sheath cells isolated from human hair follicles. Thus, suggesting that this compound promotes hair growth. Furthermore, this compound inhibited the activity of testosterone 5α-reductase, an enzyme responsible for converting androgen to dihydroandrogen, with an IC of 137.

Ginsenosides in Panax ginseng Extract Promote Anagen Transition by Suppressing BMP4 Expression and Promote Human Hair Growth by Stimulating Follicle-Cell Proliferation.

Studies showing that Panax ginseng promotes hair growth have largely been conducted using mice; there are few reports on how P. ginseng affects human hair growth. In particular, little is known about its effect on the telogen to anagen transition.

Inhibitory effect of strawberry geranium (Saxifraga stolonifera) on Toll-like receptor 2-mediated inflammatory response in human skin keratinocytes.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Strawberry geranium (Saxifraga stolonifera [L.] Meeb) has traditionally been used as a drug to treat skin disorders in Japan. However, little is known about its physiological effects on skin keratinocytes.

Cepharanthine induces the proliferation of human dermal papilla cells and stimulates vascular endothelial growth factor expression through increased intracellular calcium mobilization and hypoxia-inducible factor activation.

Background: Cepharanthine (CEP), a compound extracted from the vine Stephania cephalantha, is commonly prescribed to treat alopecia areata; however, the scientific evidence for its efficacy is limited.

Aim: To investigate the effect of CEP and its structural analogues on human hair growth in vitro.

Methods: The effects of CEP and three of its structural analogues on the proliferation of human dermal papilla cells (hDPCs) and human outer root sheath cells (hORSCs) were investigated.

Tolloid-Like 1 Negatively Regulates Hepatic Differentiation of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Through Transforming Growth Factor Beta Signaling.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms in Tolloid-like 1 (TLL1) and the expression of are known to be closely related to hepatocarcinogenesis after hepatitis C virus elimination or liver fibrosis in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. TLL1 is a type of matrix metalloprotease and has two isoforms in humans, with the short isoform showing higher activity. However, the functional role of TLL1 in human liver development is unknown.

FGF signal is not required for hepatoblast differentiation of human iPS cells.

Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived hepatocyte-like cells are expected to be utilized in pharmaceutical research and regenerative medicine. In general, human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells are differentiated into hepatocyte-like cells through definitive endoderm cells and hepatoblast-like cells using various growth factors that are essential for liver development. Although recombinant bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) and fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) are widely used in the hepatoblast differentiation, hepatoblast differentiation process has not been fully modified.

Optimal measurement position estimation by discriminant analysis based on Wilks' lambda for myoelectric hand control.

This paper describes an optimal measurement position estimation by the discriminant analysis based on Wilks' lambda for the myoelectric hand control. In the past studies, the myoelectric signals were measured from the same positions for the motions discrimination. However, the optimal measurement positions of the myoelectric signals for the motion discrimination are different according to the remaining muscle situation of amputees.

Disturbance road adaptive driving control of power-assisted wheelchair using fuzzy inference.

This paper describes a novel driving control scheme of electric power-assisted wheelchairs for assistive driving on various large disturbance roads. The "electric power-assisted wheelchair" which assists the driving force by electric motors is expected to be widely used as a mobility support system for elderly people and disabled people; however, there are lots of large disturbance roads such as uphill roads and rough roads and operators need to row the hand-rims with the larger power load on such roads in order to obtain the enough driving velocity. For example the wheelchair might move backward on uphill roads due to the driving torque shortage.

Cellular locations of proteinases and association with vesicles in Porphyromonas gingivalis.

We found that locations of arginine-specific gingipain (RGP) in the cellular fractions in the crude extract, envelope, vesicles, and culture supernatants were 48%, 16%, 17%, and 31%, respectively, and the corresponding values of lysine-specific gingipain (KGP) were 47%, 10%, 7%, and 36%, respectively. Although the molecular mass of RGP in the culture supernatant had been determined as 43 kDa, and that of KGP had been as 48 kDa, molecular masses of both proteinases solubilized from the vesicles were estimated to be over 1,500 kDa, since they eluted in the void volume of the column in the gel filtration on Sephacryl S-300. There was no reduction of molecular size by the following treatment with SDS, high-concentration NaCl, or urea.

Hemoglobin binding activity and hemoglobin-binding protein of Prevotella nigrescens.

Prevotella nigrescens, lacking siderophores was found to bind to the hemoproteins. The binding was observed also in the envelope which was prepared by sonication of the cell. The binding occurred in the pH-dependent manner; the binding was observed below neutral pHs of the incubation mixtures but only slightly observed in the neutral and alkaline pHs.

Robust motion discrimination based on human forearm myoelectric potential by adaptive fuzzy inference considering muscle fatigue.

This paper describes a robust motion discrimination method based on the myoelectric potential of human forearm by the adaptive fuzzy inference considering the muscle fatigue. In the conventional studies, a motion discrimination based on the myoelectric potential of human forearm realizes the high discrimination precision. However, the characteristic of the myoelectric potential gradually changes for muscle fatigue.

Antimalarial activity enhancement in hydroxymethylcarbonyl (HMC) isostere-based dipeptidomimetics targeting malarial aspartic protease plasmepsin.

Plasmepsin (Plm) is a potential target for new antimalarial drugs, but most reported Plm inhibitors have relatively low antimalarial activities. We synthesized a series of dipeptide-type HIV protease inhibitors, which contain an allophenylnorstatine-dimethylthioproline scaffold to exhibit potent inhibitory activities against Plm II. Their activities against Plasmodium falciparum in the infected erythrocyte assay were largely different from those against the target enzyme.

Design of inhibitors against HIV, HTLV-I, and Plasmodium falciparum aspartic proteases.

Aspartic proteases have emerged as targets for substrate-based inhibitor design due to their vital roles in the life cycles of the organisms that cause AIDS, malaria, leukemia, and other infectious diseases. Based on the concept of mimicking the substrate transition-state, we designed and synthesized a novel class of aspartic protease inhibitors containing the hydroxymethylcarbonyl (HMC) isostere. An unnatural amino acid, allophenylnorstatine [Apns; (2 S ,3 S )-3-amino-2-hydroxy-4-phenylbutyric acid], was incorporated at the P1 site in a series of peptidomimetic compounds that mimic the natural substrates of the HIV, HTLV-I, and malarial aspartic proteases.

Search for substrate-based inhibitors fitting the S2' space of malarial aspartic protease plasmepsin II.

Plasmepsin (Plm) has been identified as an important target for the development of new antimalarial drugs, since its inhibition leads to the starvation of Plasmodium falciparum. A series of substrate-based dipeptide-type Plm II inhibitors containing the hydroxymethylcarbonyl isostere as a transition-state mimic were synthesized. The general design principle was provision of a conformationally restrained hydroxyl group (corresponding to the set residue at the P2' position in native substrates) and a bulky unit to fit the S2' pocket.

High-affinity inhibition of a family of Plasmodium falciparum proteases by a designed adaptive inhibitor.

Drug development against viral or microbial targets is often compounded by the existence of naturally occurring polymorphisms or drug resistant mutations. In the case of Plasmodium falciparum, the etiological agent of malaria, four related and essential proteases, plasmepsin I, II, and IV and the histo-aspartyl protease (HAP), have been identified in the food vacuole of the parasite. Since all of these enzymes are involved in the hemoglobin degradation of infected victims, the simultaneous inhibition of the four enzymes can be expected to lead to a faster starvation of the parasite and to delay the onset of drug resistance, since four enzymes will need to mutate in a concerted fashion.

Analysis of amide bond formation with an alpha-hydroxy-beta-amino acid derivative, 3-amino-2-hydroxy-4-phenylbutanoic acid, as an acyl component: byproduction of homobislactone.

In the synthesis of peptidomimetics containing alpha-hydroxy-beta-amino acid, the coupling of this N(beta)-protected beta-amino acid with amine components was generally performed without the protection of its alpha-hydroxyl group. However, the formation of dipeptides in low yield was often observed when sterically hindered amine components were used. Boc-Apns-OH [Apns: (2S,3S)-3-amino-2-hydroxy-4-phenylbutanoic acid, allophenylnorstatine] (6), which is one of such beta-amino acid derivatives, is intensively employed as a core structure in the development of HIV-1 protease inhibitors.

[Surgical treatment for thoracoabdominal and suprarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm].

We experienced 4 cases of thoracoabdominal and suprarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm in the last 6 months. There were 3 males and 1 female ranging in age from 43 to 66 years, 2 with an etiology of aortitis syndrome, 1 with non-specific inflammation and 1 with atherosclerosis. In all cases the modified Hardy procedure was employed.