Characterization of Helicobacter pylori-Naïve Early Gastric Cancers.

Aim: Helicobacter pylori-naïve gastric cancers(GCs) have not been well documented. We aimed to characterize early H. pylori-naïve GCs.

Feasibility of Autologous Fibrin Glue and Polyglycolic Acid Sheets to Prevent Delayed Bleeding after Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection of Gastric Neoplasms in Patients Receiving Antithrombotic Therapy.

Background/aims: Delayed bleeding is one of the most serious complications following gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) under antithrombotic therapy. As a safety measure, for patients receiving antithrombotic therapy, we covered the ESD ulcer with autologous fibrin glue (prepared using autologous blood) alone or with polyglycolic acid (PGA) sheets.

Methods: From July 2014 to November 2015, 20 patients with gastric neoplasms who were receiving antithrombotic therapy were enrolled in this study.

Oral adsorbent AST-120 ameliorates gut environment and protects against the progression of renal impairment in CKD rats.

Background: Oral charcoal adsorbent AST-120 (AST) is reported to ameliorate renal dysfunction by the absorption of toxic substance in the gut. Recent study revealed that, in CKD, gut environment is disturbed including the decrease in tight junctions and Lactobacillus (Lact). In this study, we examined whether AST improves the renal dysfunction through gut environment.

Acceleration of Olfactory Receptor Gene Loss in Primate Evolution: Possible Link to Anatomical Change in Sensory Systems and Dietary Transition.

Primates have traditionally been regarded as vision-oriented animals with low olfactory ability, though this "microsmatic primates" view has been challenged recently. To clarify when and how degeneration of the olfactory system occurred and to specify the relevant factors during primate evolution, we here examined the olfactory receptor (OR) genes from 24 phylogenetically and ecologically diverse primate species. The results revealed that strepsirrhines with curved noses had functional OR gene repertoires that were nearly twice as large as those for haplorhines with simple noses.

Monitoring Transcriptomic Changes in Soil-Grown Roots and Shoots of Arabidopsis thaliana Subjected to a Progressive Drought Stress.

Numerous experiments have been performed in Arabidopsis to monitor changes in gene expression that occur in response to a variety of abiotic and biotic stresses, different growth conditions, and at various developmental stages. In addition, gene expression patterns have also been characterized among wild-type and mutant genotypes. Despite these numerous reports, transcriptional changes occurring in roots of soil-grown plants subjected to a progressive drought stress have remained undocumented.

Transcriptomic analysis of Arabidopsis thaliana plants treated with the Ky-9 and Ky-72 histone deacetylase inhibitors.

Histone acetylation plays a pivotal role in plant growth and development, and is regulated by the antagonistic relationship between histone acetyltransferase (HAT) and histone deacetylase (HDAC). We previously revealed that some HDAC inhibitors confer high-salinity stress tolerance in plants. In this study, we identified two HDAC inhibitors, namely Ky-9 and Ky-72, which enhanced the high-salinity stress tolerance of Arabidopsis thaliana.

Subgroup Analysis Stratified by Baseline Pancreatic β-cell Function in a Japanese Study of Dulaglutide in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.

Introduction: This analysis investigated the relationship between baseline fasting pancreatic β-cell function and efficacy in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) treated with once-weekly dulaglutide 0.75 mg (dulaglutide) or once-daily liraglutide 0.9 mg (liraglutide) for up to 52 weeks.

Comparison of immune microenvironments between primary tumors and brain metastases in patients with breast cancer.

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors are reported to be effective in patients with brain metastases. However, detailed characteristics of the brain metastasis immune microenvironment remain unexplored.

Results: The median tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) category in brain metastases was 5% (1-70%).

Utility of Endoscopic Examination in the Diagnosis of Acute Graft-versus-Host Disease in the Lower Gastrointestinal Tract.

Background And Aims: We retrospectively investigated the incidence of acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in the lower gastrointestinal (GI) tract and the diagnostic accuracy of endoscopy.

Methods: Of 1231 patients who underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation between January 2005 and December 2014, 186 of whom underwent colonoscopy and biopsy and had no cytomegalovirus infection. The endoscopic findings and histologic diagnosis from these 186 patients were retrospectively analyzed.

Quantitative Expression of Hepatobiliary Transporters and Functional Uptake of Substrates in Hepatic Two-Dimensional Sandwich Cultures: A Comparative Evaluation of Upcyte and Primary Human Hepatocytes.

Deficient functional expression of drug transporters incapacitates most hepatic cell lines as a reliable tool for evaluating transporter-mediated drug-drug interactions. Recently, genetically modified cells (referred to as upcyte hepatocytes) have emerged as an expandable, noncancerous source of human hepatic cells. Herein, we quantified mRNA and protein levels of key hepatobiliary transporters and we assessed associated uptake activity in short- and long-term cultures of upcyte human hepatocytes (UHH) in comparison to cryopreserved primary human hepatocytes (cPHH).

Assessment of T2 Relaxation Times for Normal Canine Knee Articular Cartilage by T2 Mapping Using 1.5-T Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

 This study aims to assess and compare the T2 relaxation times for articular cartilage of normal canine stifle joints in four regions by T2 mapping using a 1.5-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).   prospective study: 20 hindlimbs (left and right) from 10 normal healthy beagle dogs ( = 20).

Real-world Experience of Anti-tumor Necrosis Factor Therapy for Internal Fistulas in Crohn's Disease: A Retrospective Multicenter Cohort Study.

Background: Internal fistula in Crohn's disease is a condition likely to require surgery, although few reports showed successful medical treatments such as anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapy. We performed a multicenter retrospective cohort study to investigate the outcome of anti-TNF therapy for internal fistula in Crohn's disease.

Methods: Data were retrospectively collected from patients with Crohn's disease diagnosed with internal fistula treated with anti-TNF agents (infliximab or adalimumab) between January 2002 and November 2015.

The Distinct Roles of Class I and II RPD3-Like Histone Deacetylases in Salinity Stress Response.

Histone acetylation is an essential process in the epigenetic regulation of diverse biological processes, including environmental stress responses in plants. Previously, our research group identified a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor (HDI) that confers salt tolerance in Arabidopsis (). In this study, we demonstrate that class I HDAC (HDA19) and class II HDACs (HDA5/14/15/18) control responses to salt stress through different pathways.

Screening for biliary atresia.

Early diagnosis followed by proper KP is essential for the improvement of long-term prognosis for patients with BA. It is increasingly accepted that KP at ≤ 30 days of age significantly improves native liver survival rate. Published analyses in English and Japanese indicate that screening by SCC and DB/CB is potentially feasible.

Clinical predictors of pathological complete response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in triple-negative breast cancer.

The response of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) to chemotherapy is heterogeneous; particular subtype classifications based on mRNA gene expression analysis have been demonstrated to be associated with a pathological complete response (pCR). The aim of the present study was to investigate additional clinical and pathological characteristics associated with pCR status. The pathological and clinical characteristics of 40 TNBC patients who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery were retrospectively analyzed by dividing the cases into two groups according to the response to treatment: pCR (n=12) and non-pCR (n=28).

Durable complete response in HER2-positive breast cancer: a multicenter retrospective analysis.

Purpose: Though advanced and metastatic epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive disease is not curable, a small proportion of patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer remain in prolonged complete remission with anti-HER2 treatment. We hypothesized that some cases of HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer may be curable. In this large, multicenter retrospective study, we aimed to assess the long-term outcomes for patients with a durable response to trastuzumab.

Vascular density of superficial esophageal squamous cell carcinoma determined by direct observation of resected specimen using narrow band imaging with magnifying endoscopy.

Observation of the microvasculature using narrow band imaging (NBI) with magnifying endoscopy is useful for diagnosing superficial squamous cell carcinoma. Increased vascular density is indicative of cancer, but not many studies have reported differences between cancerous and noncancerous areas based on an objective comparison. We observed specimens of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) using NBI magnification, and determined the vascular density of cancerous and noncancerous areas.

Formation of friable embryogenic callus in cassava is enhanced under conditions of reduced nitrate, potassium and phosphate.

Agrobacterium-mediated transformation is an important research tool for the genetic improvement of cassava. The induction of friable embryogenic callus (FEC) is considered as a key step in cassava transformation. In the present study, the media composition was optimized for enhancing the FEC induction, and the effect of the optimized medium on gene expression was evaluated.

Ethanol Enhances High-Salinity Stress Tolerance by Detoxifying Reactive Oxygen Species in and Rice.

High-salinity stress considerably affects plant growth and crop yield. Thus, developing techniques to enhance high-salinity stress tolerance in plants is important. In this study, we revealed that ethanol enhances high-salinity stress tolerance in and rice.

Erratum: Acetate-mediated novel survival strategy against drought in plants.

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