Genetic analysis of a Yayoi individual from the Doigahama site provides insights into the origins of immigrants to the Japanese Archipelago.

Mainland Japanese have been recognized as having dual ancestry, originating from indigenous Jomon people and immigrants from continental East Eurasia. Although migration from the continent to the Japanese Archipelago continued from the Yayoi to the Kofun period, our understanding of these immigrants, particularly their origins, remains insufficient due to the lack of high-quality genome samples from the Yayoi period, complicating predictions about the admixture process. To address this, we sequenced the whole nuclear genome of a Yayoi individual from the Doigahama site in Yamaguchi prefecture, Japan.

Clinical Outcomes of Use of the Porous Glass Membrane Pumping Emulsification Device During Transarterial Chemoembolization for Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Background/aim: The porous glass membrane pumping emulsification device enhances local therapeutic effects of transarterial chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, limited clinical outcomes have been reported. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of transarterial chemoembolization using the glass membrane pumping emulsification device for HCC.

Patients And Methods: Between 2019 and 2023, 58 patients (median age=73 years) with unresectable HCC underwent 73 transarterial chemoembolizations using the glass membrane pumping emulsification device at the Nagoya University Hospital.

Bioarchaeological study of ancient Teotihuacans based on complete mitochondrial genome sequences and diet isotopes.

Background: The Teotihuacan civilisation was the largest one in ancient Mesoamerica. The Teotihuacan city was born in the north-eastern Basin of Mexico around the second century BC, reached its peak in the fourth century AD, and had cultural influence throughout Mesoamerica. At its peak, the size of the city reached more than 20 km, and the total population is estimated to have increased from 100,000 to 200,000.

Diversity in matrilineages among the Jomon individuals of Japan.

Background: The Jomon period of Japan is characterised by a unique combination of sedentary and hunting/gathering lifestyles, spanning for more than 10,000 years from the final Pleistocene to the Holocene. The transition from the preceding Palaeolithic period to the Jomon period is known to have begun with the appearance of pottery usage. However, knowledge of the genetic background of the Jomon people is still limited.

New genicular joint angle criteria for flexor muscle () during the terrestrial mammals walking.

Background: The genicular or knee joint angles of terrestrial mammals remain constant during the stance phase of walking; however, the angles differ among taxa. The knee joint angle is known to correlate with taxa and body mass among extant mammals, yet several extinct mammals, such as desmostylians, do not have closely related descendants. Furthermore, fossils lose their soft tissues by the time they are unearthed, making body mass estimates difficult.

Successful Treatment with Steroids in a Patient with Vanishing Bile Duct Syndrome and Acute Tubular Necrosis.

Vanishing bile duct syndrome (VBDS) is a rare but potentially serious cholestatic liver disease caused by various etiologies, including drugs. We herein report a complicated case of VBDS with acute tubular necrosis (ATN) that improved significantly with steroid treatment. An Asian man in his 30s was admitted with the acute onset of severe jaundice and a decline in the renal function.

Distinct features of two lipid droplets types in cell nuclei from patients with liver diseases.

Lipid droplets (LDs) have been observed in the nuclei of hepatocytes; however, their significance in liver disease remains unresolved. Our purpose was to explore the pathophysiological features of intranuclear LDs in liver diseases. We included 80 patients who underwent liver biopsies; the specimens were dissected and fixed for electron microscopy analysis.

[A case of hepatitis C virus-related mixed cryoglobulinemic vasculitis with chronic diarrhea].

A woman in her 50s with a medical history of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection presented to our hospital with arthralgia, diarrhea, and fever. We performed colonoscopy and found scattered erosions at the terminal ileum. Furthermore, the biopsy specimen from the ileum and colon showed non-specific enterocolitis.

The Residual Structure of Unfolded Proteins was Elucidated from the Standard Deviation of NMR Intensity Differences.

Introduction: Sensitive methods are necessary to identify the residual structure in an unfolded protein, which may be similar to the functionally native structure. Signal intensity in NMR experiments is useful for analyzing the line width for a dynamic structure; however, another contribution is contained.

Methods: Here, the signal-intensity difference along the sequence was used for probability to calculate the standard deviation.

Atomic-Scale Observations of Oxygen Release Degradation in Sulfide-Based All-Solid-State Batteries with Layered Oxide Cathodes.

All-solid-state batteries exhibit considerable potential for applications in electric vehicles. Understanding and controlling the oxygen release from the layered cathode active material are essential in achieving long-term operation of all-solid-state batteries because the oxygen release degrades the cathode material and the solid electrolyte, triggering capacity degradation. In this study, we verified the specific interface where the oxygen release is accelerated by atomic-scale scanning transmission electron microscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy analyses.

Event-Related Desynchronization and Corticomuscular Coherence Observed During Volitional Swallow by Electroencephalography Recordings in Humans.

Swallowing in humans involves many cortical areas although it is partly mediated by a series of brainstem reflexes. Cortical motor commands are sent to muscles during swallow. Previous works using magnetoencephalography showed event-related desynchronization (ERD) during swallow and corticomuscular coherence (CMC) during tongue movements in the bilateral sensorimotor and motor-related areas.

Relationship between respiratory muscle endurance and dyspnea during high-intensity exercise in trained distance runners.

We hypothesized that the trained distance runners, who have a relatively high respiratory muscle endurance, but not high respiratory muscle strength, have lower dyspneic sensations during submaximal running. Twenty-one male collegiate distance runners participated. Incremental respiratory endurance tests (IRET) and maximal inspiratory mouth pressure (PImax) measurements were performed under resting conditions.

Knee Valgus during Jump Landing Is Related to the Inaccuracy of Knee Position Recognition in Healthy Young Women.

Objective: Knee valgus during jump landing is a cause of knee injuries during sports activities. Body recognition is important for maintaining the knees and other body parts in their proper positions. The aim of this study was to investigate whether knee valgus during jump landing in healthy young women is related to the inaccuracy of recognition of bilateral knee positions in the squatting position.

The number of SNPs required for distinguishing Japanese from other East Asians.

In some cases, it is necessary to estimate the national origin of an unknown subject in forensic medicine. The use of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers appears to be very effective for this purpose, since genome-wide SNP genotype data of many human populations are publicly available. In this study, we examined the number of SNPs that could objectively and accurately distinguish Japanese subjects (1KG-JPT) from the other East Asians (1KG-CDX, -CHB, -CHS, and -KHV) using the combination of principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis.

A biomolecular anthropological investigation of William Adams, the first SAMURAI from England.

William Adams (Miura Anjin) was an English navigator who sailed with a Dutch trading fleet to the far East and landed in Japan in 1600. He became a vassal under the Shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu, was bestowed with a title, lands and swords, and became the first SAMURAI from England. "Miura" comes from the name of the territory given to him and "Anjin" means "pilot".

A study of 8,300-year-old Jomon human remains in Japan using complete mitogenome sequences obtained by next-generation sequencing.

Ancient human remains have been assigned to their mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplogroups. To obtain efficiently deep and reliable nucleotide sequences of ancient DNA of interest, we achieved target enrichment followed by next-generation sequencing (NGS). Complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) sequences were obtained for three human remains from the Iyai rock-shelter site of the Initial Jomon Period in Japan.

MitoIMP: A Computational Framework for Imputation of Missing Data in Low-Coverage Human Mitochondrial Genome.

The incompleteness of partial human mitochondrial genome sequences makes it difficult to perform relevant comparisons among multiple resources. To deal with this issue, we propose a computational framework for deducing missing nucleotides in the human mitochondrial genome. We applied it to worldwide mitochondrial haplogroup lineages and assessed its performance.

Phellilane L, Sesquiterpene Metabolite of Phellinus linteus: Isolation, Structure Elucidation, and Asymmetric Total Synthesis.

A new cyclopropane-containing sesquiterpenoid, phellilane L (1), was isolated from the medicinal mushroom Phellinus linteus ("Meshimakobu" in Japanese), a member of the Hymenochaetaceae family and a well-known fungus that is widely used in East Asia. The planar structure of 1 was determined on the basis of spectroscopic analysis. The authors achieved the first total synthesis of 1.

Causal effect of intra-abdominal pressure on maximal voluntary isometric hip extension torque.

Purpose: Intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) has been recently shown to be associated specifically with maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVC) torque of hip extension, although the causal relationship remains unclear. The present study aimed to elucidate whether IAP has a causal effect on hip extension MVC torque.

Methods: IAP during hip extension MVC was changed by controlling the lung volume (i.

Non-Aqueous Primary Li-Air Flow Battery and Optimization of its Cathode through Experiment and Modeling.

A primary Li-air battery has been developed with a flowing Li-ion free ionic liquid as the recyclable electrolyte, boosting power capability by promoting superoxide diffusion and enhancing discharge capacity through separately stored discharge products. Experimental and computational tools are used to analyze the cathode properties, leading to a set of parameters that improve the discharge current density of the non-aqueous Li-air flow battery. The structure and configuration of the cathode gas diffusion layers (GDLs) are systematically modified by using different levels of hot pressing and the presence or absence of a microporous layer (MPL).

Corrigendum: γ-Ionylidene-type sesquiterpenoids possessing antimicrobial activity against Porphyromonas gingivalis from Phellinus linteus and their absolute structure determination.

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

Spectrophotometric photodynamic detection involving extracorporeal treatment with hexaminolevulinate for bladder cancer cells in voided urine.

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility of hexaminolevulinate (HAL) for the photodynamic detection of cancer cells in voided urine.

Methods: This study included 50 patients with bladder cancer that was confirmed histologically after transurethral resection (bladder cancer group) and 50 outpatients without a history of urothelial carcinoma or cancer-related findings (no malignancy group). One third of the voided urine samples were incubated with aminolevulinic acid (ALA-treated samples), one third were incubated with HAL (HAL-treated samples), and the remaining samples were incubated without treatment (untreated samples).

Characterization of complete mitochondrial genomes of indigenous Mayans in Mexico.

Background: The authors have previously published the complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) sequences of two indigenous Mesoamerican populations, Mazahua (n = 25) and Zapotec (n = 88).

Methods: This study determined the complete mitogenome sequences of nine unrelated individuals from the indigenous Maya population living in Mexico.

Results: Their mitogenome sequences could be classified into either of the haplogroups A2 and C1.