Viologen-Radical-Driven Hydrogen Evolution from Water Catalyzed by Co-NHC Catalysts: Radical Scavenging by Nitrate and Volmer-Heyrovsky-like CPET Pathway.

The factors controlling the catalytic activity in photochemical hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) are studied in detail for two macrocyclic cobalt compounds bearing two N-heterocyclic carbenes and two pyridyl donors ( and , where has a methoxy substituent on each pyridyl ligand). The present study adopts an aqueous photosystem consisting of EDTA, [Ru(bpy)] (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine), and MV (MV = methylviologen) at pH = 5. Both catalysts are shown to promote HER in a similar efficiency (TON = 12-13 in 6 h), revealing a minor contribution of the electron-donating methoxy substituents.

5-Aminosalicylic Acid Distribution into the Intestinal Membrane Along the Gastrointestinal Tract After Oral Administration in Rats.

Background: 5-Aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA), the first-line therapy for ulcerative colitis, is a poorly soluble zwitterionic drug. Unformulated 5-ASA is thought to be extensively absorbed in the small intestine.

Methods: The pH-dependent solubility of 5-ASA in vitro and the intestinal membrane distribution of 5-ASA and its N-acetyl metabolite (AC-5-ASA) after the oral administration of 5-ASA were examined in fed rats.

Clinicopathological evaluation of the efficacy of endoscopic treatment for sessile serrated lesions comparing endoscopic mucosal resection, cold snare polypectomy, and underwater endoscopic mucosal resection.

Objectives: Recently, various endoscopic treatments for colorectal polyps have been reported, including cold snare polypectomy (CSP) and underwater endoscopic mucosal resection (UEMR), in addition to EMR. However, a precise treatment strategy for sessile serrated lesions (SSL) has not been established. In this study, we analyzed the clinicopathological features of SSL resected by EMR, CSP, and UEMR to determine the most suitable treatment for SSL.

Initial experience of a novel surgical assist robot "Saroa" featuring tactile feedback and a roll-clutch system in radical prostatectomy.

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of the Saroa Surgical Robot System in robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RARP). We enrolled 60 patients who underwent RARP using either the Saroa (n = 9) or da Vinci Xi (n = 51) systems at Jikei University Kashiwa Hospital from January 2022 to March 2024. We compared preoperative characteristics, perioperative outcomes, complications, and postoperative urinary continence at three months between the two groups.

Features of internal absorbed dose microdistribution in biological tissue irradiated by 31SiO2 microparticles compared with dose microdistribution from exposure to 56MnO2 particles.

Radiobiological studies are ongoing to understand the consequences of internal exposure to neutron-activated radioactive microparticles, which were sprayed over experimental rats and mice. Special attention in these experiments is given to internal irradiation with radioactive microparticles with short-lived neutron-activated radionuclides 31Si (T1/2 = 2.62 h) and 56Mn (T1/2 = 2.

Relevance of oxidative stress for small intestinal injuries induced by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: A multicenter prospective study.

Several reports revealed that oxidative stress was involved in the mouse model of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAIDs)-induced small intestinal mucosal injuries. Thus, we aimed to investigate in the prospective clinical study, that the relevance of oxidative stress balance in small intestinal mucosal injury in NSAIDs users. We prospectively included 60 patients who had been taking NSAIDs continuously for more than 3 months and exhibited obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (number UMIN 000011775).

Commensal Neisseria Inhibit Porphyromonas Gingivalis Invasion of Gingival Epithelial Cells.

Purpose: Periodontal disease is caused by periodontal invasion by pathogens such as Porphyromonas gingivalis. Although recent metagenomic analyses have shown that oral commensal bacteria are abundant in the mouth of healthy individuals, few studies have experimentally verified the benefits and functions of oral commensal bacteria in periodontal diseases. In this study, we focused on Neisseria among the oral commensal bacteria and aimed to experimentally verify its effects on P.

Stepwise Improvement of Cerebral Hemodynamics in Staged Angioplasty for Carotid Artery Stenosis.

Staged angioplasty (SAP) is used as an alternative to preventing cerebral hyperperfusion syndrome (CHS) after carotid artery stenting (CAS), particularly among patients with compromised cerebral haemodynamics. Although SAP is presumed to prevent CHS by gradually restoring cerebral blood flow (CBF), few studies have examined haemodynamic changes, and none have evaluated CBF during the chronic phase of SAP. In the present study, in addition to the clinical outcome of SAP, we measured both resting CBF and cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) throughout all stages of SAP, including the chronic phase, using quantitative N-isopropyl-p-[I-123] iodoamphetamine (I-IMP) single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and evaluated the effects of SAP on cerebral haemodynamics.

Early experience with daratumumab-containing regimens in patients with light-chain cardiac amyloidosis.

Background: Immunoglobulin light-chain (AL) amyloidosis is a lethal condition resulting from misfolded immunoglobulin ALs produced by clonal CD38-positive plasma cells. Treatment with daratumumab, an anti-human CD38 monoclonal antibody, led to higher frequencies of complete hematologic response and better clinical outcomes compared with conventional treatment. This study sought to evaluate the survival benefit of daratumumab-containing regimens in patients with AL cardiac amyloidosis.

One-Step Maleimide-Based Dual Functionalization of Protein N-Termini.

Maleimide derivatives are privileged reagents for chemically modifying proteins through the Michael addition reaction with cysteine due to their selectivity, operational simplicity, and commercial availability. However, since accessible free cysteine is rarely found in natural proteins, it is highly desirable to find alternative targets to enable direct bioconjugation of proteins with maleimides. In this study, we have developed an operationally simple and straightforward method for the N-terminal modification of proteins without the need for mutagenesis via a copper(II)-mediated [3+2] cycloaddition reaction with maleimides and 2-pyridinecarboxaldehyde (2-PCA) derivatives under non-denaturing conditions at pH 6 and 37 °C in aqueous media.

The preparation and evaluation of granulated chitosan-catechin tablets with excellent disintegration properties.

In this study, we prepared granulated chitosan (G-CS)/catechin tablets with excellent disintegration properties. We then compared their physical properties, dissolution behavior, and pharmacokinetic profile to non-granulated chitosan (N-CS)/catechin tablets. During the tableting process, the G-CS/catechin tablets demonstrated significantly higher compatibility and superior manufacturability, as evidenced by lower ejection and detachment stress than the N-CS/catechin tablets.

Possible involvement of Toll-like receptor 8-positive monocytes/macrophages in the pathogenesis of Sjögren's disease.

Background: Sjögren's disease (SjD) is an autoimmune disease marked by lymphocytic infiltration of salivary and lacrimal glands, leading to glandular dysfunction, where CD4-positive helper T (Th) cells and their cytokines are crucial in the pathogenesis. Recent studies have demonstrated that Toll-like receptors (TLRs), particularly those recognizing immune complexes containing DNA and RNA, contribute to Th cell activation in various autoimmune diseases. This study explores the expression and function of these TLRs in SjD.

Development and accuracy of an artificial intelligence model for predicting the progression of hip osteoarthritis using plain radiographs and clinical data: a retrospective study.

Background: Predicting the progression of hip osteoarthritis (OA) remains challenging, and no reliable predictive method has been established. This study aimed to develop an artificial intelligence (AI) model to predict hip OA progression via plain radiographs and patient data and to determine its accuracy.

Methods: This retrospective study utilized anteroposterior pelvic radiographs of consecutive patients with hip OA who underwent primary unilateral total hip arthroplasty.

Stable and Minimum Size Solubilization of Membrane Proteins with Cocktails of Phospholipid Analogues.

Membrane proteins (MPs) play important roles in various cellular processes and are major targets for drugs. Solubilization of MPs is often needed for structural and biophysical studies. For high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance measurements, there is a size limit of the sample (<100 kDa), and a high thermal stability at an increased temperature is required.

Mini nutritional assessment short form as a predictor of mortality among older adults with dementia residing in group homes: A 5-year longitudinal study.

Background & Aims: Many people with dementia frequently experience various health-related problems and are known to have poor nutritional status. However, very few studies have examined the nutritional status of dementia residents in group homes, which play an important role in a society-wide system of support for people with dementia, or the relationship between nutritional status and long-term prognosis. This study was conducted to determine the nutritional status of group-home residents and to examine the relationship between nutritional status and the 5-year survival rate.

Machine Learning Predicts the Need for Surgical Intervention in Adhesive Small Bowel Obstruction.

Objectives: To explore the predictive performance on the need for surgical intervention in patients with adhesive small bowel obstruction (ASBO) using machine-learning (ML) algorithms and investigate the optimal timing for transition to surgery.

Methods: One hundred and six patients with ASBO who initially underwent long transnasal intestinal tube (LT) decompression were enrolled in this retrospective study. Traditional logistic regression analysis and ML algorithms were used to evaluate the risk of need for surgical intervention.

Harnessing DNA computing and nanopore decoding for practical applications: from informatics to microRNA-targeting diagnostics.

DNA computing represents a subfield of molecular computing with the potential to become a significant area of next-generation computation due to the high programmability inherent in the sequence-dependent molecular behaviour of DNA. Recent studies in DNA computing have extended from mathematical informatics to biomedical applications, with a particular focus on diagnostics that exploit the biocompatibility of DNA molecules. The output of DNA computing devices is encoded in nucleic acid molecules, which must then be decoded into human-recognizable signals for practical applications.

Phenotypic variability of RP1-related inherited retinal dystrophy associated with the c.5797 C > T (p.Arg1933*) variant in the Japanese population.

The phenotypes of RP1-related inherited retinal dystrophies (RP1-IRD), causing autosomal dominant (AD) and autosomal recessive (AR) diseases, vary depending on specific RP1 variants. A common nonsense mutation near the C-terminus, c.5797 C > T (p.

Factors related to surgical site infection in spinal instrumentation surgery: a retrospective study in Japan.

Study Design: A retrospective study.

Purpose: To identify factors involved in surgical site infections (SSIs) after spinal instrumentation surgery performed at a single institution.

Overview Of Literature: SSIs after spinal instrumentation surgery are a serious complication.

Embolization of posterior fossa meningiomas supplied with meningohypophyseal trunk by using BCA and dual balloon protection.

Background And Purpose: Efficacy of tumor embolization for posterior fossa meningioma is controversial due to the lack of adequate embolization for dangerous feeders. Of these, a meningohypophyseal trunk (MHT) has high therapeutic value despite the high risks associated with embolization.

Materials And Methods: To analyze the utility of preoperative MHT embolization for posterior fossa meningiomas using BCA with dual balloon protection, a single center retrospective record review was performed on eight consecutive patients who underwent preoperative tumor embolization via the MHT for posterior fossa meningiomas between 2020 and 2024.

Impact of a novel-covered colonic stent in obstructive colon cancer.

Background: Although the short-term outcomes of bridge-to-surgery (BTS) procedures using self-expandable metal stents are favorable, concerns remain regarding worsened prognosis due to tissue injury in the tumor area. Herein, we describe a newly developed covered stent, the Kawasumi Jabara colonic stent™, designed to reduce tissue damage/injury associated with stent-related complications in BTS procedures. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the Kawasumi Jabara colonic stent as a BTS for obstructive colorectal cancer (OCC).

The presence of a ghost infarct core is associated with fast core growth in acute ischemic stroke.

Introduction: The overestimation of ischemic core volume by CT perfusion (CTP) is a critical concern in the selection of candidates for reperfusion therapy. This phenomenon is termed a ghost infarct core (GIC). Core growth rate (CGR) is an indicator of ischemic severity.

Internal radiation dose estimates in organs of Wistar rats exposed to sprayed neutron-activated 31SiO2 microparticles: first results of international multicenter study.

Neutron-activated 31Si is an almost pure beta emitter and is one of the short-lived radionuclides, including beta-gamma emitter 56Mn, which were created in a form of residual radioactivity in the early period after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The features of the biological effects of internal irradiation by these radionuclides are a subject of scientific discussions and research. The publication presents data on internal radiation doses in experimental Wistar rats that were exposed to sprayed neutron-activated microparticles of 31SiO2.