Chemical Compositions of the Marine Red Alga Laurencia composita Collected in Japan.

Marine red alga Laurencia composita was collected from seven sampling locations in Japan, and all samples were identified based on morphological studies as well as rbcL sequencing analysis. This is the first report of the isolation of (-)-8-bromo-9-hydroxy-(E)-γ-bisabolene (1) as a natural product, and bisabolene-type and β-chamigrene-type sesquiterpenes found in L. composita collected in Japan.

In Vitro Selection of Collagen-Binding Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Containing Genetically Encoded Mussel-Inspired Adhesive Amino Acids.

Protein immobilization technology is important in medical and industrial applications. We previously reported all-in-one in vitro selection, wherein a collagen-binding vascular endothelial growth factor (CB-VEGF) was identified from a fusion library of random and VEGF sequences. However, its interaction chemistry is mainly limited to the interaction established by the 20 canonical amino acids.

Revival of the heat shock response after two decades with a small Hsp in a critical but distinct act.

The heat stress response is an essential defense mechanism in all organisms. Heat shock proteins (Hsps) are produced in response to thermal stress, with their expression levels regulated by heat shock transcription factors. In the key transcription factor σ positively regulates Hsp expression.

Effectiveness of Chemoimmunotherapy in Small-cell Lung Cancer Patients With a Poor Performance Status or Higher Neutrophil/Lymphocyte Ratio.

Background/aim: Chemoimmunotherapy has improved overall survival in patients with extensive small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). However, the backgrounds of patients enrolled in clinical trials tend to differ from those of patients treated in clinical practice, and the effectiveness of chemoimmunotherapy may be unclear in some populations, including patients with poor performance status. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of chemoimmunotherapy for SCLC patients in clinical practice while focusing on several subgroups.

The Effectiveness and Safety of the Short-Course Therapy in Liver Transplant Recipients With Uncomplicated Gram-Negative Bacteremia: A Retrospective Study.

Introduction: The appropriate duration of therapy for uncomplicated gram-negative bloodstream infection (GN-BSI) in liver transplant (LTx) recipients remains unknown. This study aims to explore the effectiveness of a short-course antimicrobial therapy.

Methods: This retrospective study was performed in a single LTx center in Japan.

Changes in Personal Behaviors During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Nationwide Three-Year Longitudinal Study in Japan.

Few longitudinal studies have examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on personal behaviors. This study investigated changes in four social behaviors among the Japanese public during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, using four-wave longitudinal data (2020-2023) from the Japan COVID-19 and Society Internet Survey (JACSIS). In total, 8622 respondents continuously participated in the surveys.

Therapeutic targeting of factor D and MASP3 in complement-mediated diseases: Lessons learned from mouse studies.

The alternative pathway (AP) plays a major role in many complement-mediated human diseases. Factor D (FD), a rate-limiting enzyme in AP complement activation, is an attractive therapeutic target. Unlike other complement proteins, FD is synthesized primarily in adipose tissue, and its levels in human blood are relatively low.

Modified reconstruction procedure in subtotal esophagectomy with retrosternal gastric pull up to reduce anastomotic leakage: a propensity score-matched analysis.

One risk factor for anastomotic leakage (AL) after esophagectomy with retrosternal gastric reconstruction is excessive compression of the gastric tube at the thoracic inlet. In this study, we evaluated the effect of our modified procedure to reduce AL by placing the esophagogastric anastomosis below the thoracic inlet. Between January 2008 and December 2022, 174 consecutive patients underwent subtotal esophagectomy with retrosternal gastric pull up, followed by circular stapler anastomosis in our hospitals.

Glyburide Suppresses Inflammation-Related Colorectal Tumorigenesis Through Inhibition of NLRP3 Inflammasome.

Colorectal cancer represents one of the most serious complications of inflammatory bowel disease. The NLRP3 inflammasome plays a pivotal role in the onset and progression of inflammatory bowel disease and is also implicated in colorectal cancer. This study aimed to investigate whether NLRP3 deficiency or glyburide, a sulfonylurea used for diabetes management and known as an NLRP3 inhibitor, could suppress colitis and its related colorectal tumorigenesis.

Estimation of reference interval for neutrophil activity evaluation systems: a interim report.

Neutrophils play an important role in innate immunity and produce reactive oxygen species, but they can also cause inflammation and oxidative stress that can damage their own tissues. We have developed neutrophil activity evaluation systems that simultaneously monitors superoxide radicals and hypochlorite ions secreted by stimulated neutrophils in a few microliters of whole blood and have conducted clinical studies in humans. Here, we report normal reference intervals with our systems based on the results of 3,082 persons who underwent comprehensive cancer screening between February 2020 and March 2022.

Adverse Events in Targeted Therapy for Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma Predict Clinical Outcomes.

To assess the impact of adverse event (AE) severity, caused by targeted therapy, on overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a total of 183 patients with HCC treated with atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (40), lenvatinib (57), sorafenib (79), cabozantinib (3), ramucirumab (3), and regorafenib (1) were included in this study. Age-, AFP-, and ALBI score-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) of AE grades 1 to 3 versus grade 0 for OS and PFS were calculated using Cox proportional hazards models. The linear trend of the HRs was assessed by calculating the values for this trend.

Laparoscopic endoscopic cooperative surgery for gastric subepithelial lesion during laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy for severe obesity.

Background: The frequency of pathologies detected incidentally before, during, and after a bariatric surgery, such as subepithelial lesion (SEL) of the stomach, is likely to rise as bariatric surgery becomes more common.

Case Presentation: A 49-year-old female patient presented with severe obesity, for which laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) was planned. During a preoperative examination, endoscopy revealed a 10 mm SEL in the posterior wall of the upper body of the stomach.

A case of refractory chylothorax due to an unenclosed esophageal hiatus after subtotal esophagectomy treated with lipiodol lymphangiography.

Background: Chylothorax, a rare but serious complication following esophagectomy, can lead to dehydration, malnutrition, and even mortality. Surgical intervention is considered when conservative treatment is ineffective; however, in some refractory cases, the cause of chylothorax remains unclear. We report a case of refractory chylothorax caused by abdominal chyle leakage into the pleural space via an unenclosed esophageal hiatus.

Combination of a membrane bioreactor with a rotating biological contactor holding several diverse metazoans can reduce excess sludge with fouling mitigation.

In a membrane bioreactor (MBR) system, in situ sludge reduction techniques induce membrane fouling. To address this challenge, we incorporated a rotating mesh carrier, which can adsorb organic matter and provide a habitat for metazoans, into the anoxic tank of a conventional anoxic/oxic-MBR (A/O-MBR) system, termed rotating biological contactor-MBR (RBC-MBR), and evaluated treatment performance. Over 151 days, lab-scale RBC-MBR and A/O-MBR were used to treat municipal sewage.

An observational study on the efficacy of targeted therapy for pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma.

Background: Pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma is a rare tumor that is resistant to cytotoxic agents. This observational study aimed to evaluate the detection rate of driver gene alteration and the efficacy of targeted therapy for pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma.

Methods: We established a database of patients with pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma and their clinical information, including EGFR mutation, ALK fusion gene, ROS1 fusion gene, BRAF mutation, and MET exon 14 skipping mutation.

Optimizing Tinnitus Management: The Important Role of Hearing Aids with Sound Generators.

Hearing aids (HAs), especially those with sound generators (SGs), are used in the management of tinnitus. However, their comparative efficacies and long-term outcomes remain unknown. Therefore, we investigated the efficacy and long-term outcomes of tinnitus therapy using various HA SG models.