Drought responsive transcriptional regulations and expressional marker genes of Japanese cedar, Cryptomeria japonica (L.f.) D.Don.

The selection of plant genotypes characterized by wellness and stable growth under drought-stress conditions amid ongoing climate change is an important challenge in forest tree breeding. The introduction of molecular markers will enable efficient selection of breeding materials that are resistant to drought stress in forest trees as well as in crop species. Japanese cedar, Cryptomeria japonica, the most dominant forest species in Japan, grows well on mesic sites and is characterized by intraspecific variation in its drought-stress response.

Extensive methylation analysis of circulating tumor DNA in plasma of patients with gastric cancer.

DNA methylation is known to be involved in tumor progression. This is the first study to perform an extensive methylation analysis of plasma circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) using targeted bisulfite sequencing in gastric cancer (GC) patients to evaluate the usefulness of ctDNA methylation as a new biomarker. Sixteen patients who received chemotherapy for recurrent GC were included.

An Intraspecific Negative Correlation Between the Repair Capacity of Photoinhibition of Cold Acclimated Plants and the Habitat Temperature.

Both the activity of photosynthesis and the repair of damaged photosystems decline in cold environments, which may increase the extent of the damage of photosynthetic machinery by light, namely photoinhibition. We hypothesized that plants in colder habitats may possess greater tolerance to photoinhibition, especially in low-temperature conditions. We measured the rate of photoinhibition, rate of photoinhibition repair and other thylakoid activities in cold environments using 298 Arabidopsis thaliana ecotypes and studied the relationships among the indicators of photoinhibition tolerance and climatic data of the habitat of each ecotype.

Accelerated senescence exacerbates α-synucleinopathy in senescence-accelerated prone 8 mice via persistent neuroinflammation.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by the formation of α-synuclein (α-syn) aggregates, which lead to dopaminergic neuronal degeneration. The incidence of PD increases with age, and senescence is considered to be a major risk factor for PD. In this study, we evaluated the effect of senescence on PD pathology using α-synuclein preformed fibrils (PFF) injection model in senescence-accelerated mice.

Role of dedicated port cleaning devices in laparoscopic surgery.

Background: Various techniques have been used to prevent smudge on a laparoscope when inserting through trocars; however, there has been no standardized method. The purpose of this study was to compare the performance of different cleaning techniques with or without using dedicated devices, and to evaluate the features of cleaning devices.

Methods: The smudge was created in the standard 12-mm and 5-mm ports using pseudo-blood, and port cleaning was attempted using 5 different methods: (1) a surgical gauze + surgical forceps, (2) a surgical gauze + laparoscopic forceps, (3) a small laparoscopic gauze + laparoscopic forceps, (4) a cylinder-type cleaner (Endo Wiper; Osaki Medical), and (5) a swab-type cleaner (Port Cleaner; Hakuzo Medical).

Triple-regulated conditionally replicating adenovirus for effective and safer treatment of peritoneal carcinomatosis.

There is no effective therapy for peritoneal carcinomatosis derived from gastric cancer. An ideal conditionally replicating adenovirus (CRA) that selectively replicates in and kills cancer cells has not been developed for gastric cancer-derived peritoneal carcinomatosis. Using our platform technology of CRA regulated and treating tumors with multiple factors (m-CRA), we generated two types of survivin-responsive m-CRAs, Surv.

[Development of off-the-shelf universal T cell therapies from ES/iPS cells: applications in cancer and viral infection].

Methods in which patient-derived T cells are genetically modified in vitro and administered to patients have been demonstrated effective in the area of cancer immunotherapy. However, these methods have some unresolved issues such as cost, time, and unstable quality. Several groups have developed strategies to overcome these barriers by regenerating T cells from iPSCs.

The role of LPA receptor signaling in modulating cellular responses of colon cancer cells co-cultured with lymphoid endothelial cells under hypoxic stress.

Solid tumors are formed by cancer cells and the surrounding non-cancer stromal cells under hypoxic conditions, collectively referred to as the tumor microenvironment (TME). Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) receptor (LPA to LPA) signaling is crucial in regulating tumor progression. This study investigated the impact of LPA receptor signaling on the biological behaviors of colon cancer DLD-1 cells co-cultured with lymphatic endothelial SVEC4-10 cells under hypoxic conditions.

Order-Order Transition in Statistical Copolymer Thin Film Induced by LCST-Type Behavior.

In this paper, we describe the formation of an ordered structure in a copolymer thin film through hydration, which subsequently transitions to a different ordered structure upon dehydration. A statistical copolymer of poly(-octadecyl acrylamide--hydroxymethyl acrylamide) with a comonomer content ratio of 1:1, denoted as p(ODA50/HEAm50), was synthesized via free radical copolymerization. We prepared a thin film of this copolymer on a solid substrate and annealed it at 60 °C under humid conditions.

Impact of cellular ATP levels on cell viability in response to fluorouracil through lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) receptor-4 (LPA) and LPA in colon cancer cells.

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) signaling via LPA receptors (LPA to LPA) mediates various aspects of cancer cell behaviors. This study aimed to investigate the variation in intracellular ATP levels and its impact on cell viability in response to fluorouracil (5-FU) through LPA and LPA in colon cancer DLD-1 cells. LPA and LPA are linked to Gs and Gi proteins.

Long-Term Outcomes of the Treatment for Gastric Tube Cancer After Esophagectomy for Esophageal Cancer.

Background: The long-term outcomes of gastric tube cancer (GTC) are unclear. This study therefore aimed to clarify clinicopathologic features and the long-term outcomes of patients with GTC.

Methods: The 25 patients who were diagnosed with GTC between April 2003 and December 2022 at our hospital were eligible for inclusion in this retrospective study, and this included 27 lesions.

An optimal promoter regulating cytokine transgene expression is crucial for safe and effective oncolytic virus immunotherapy.

In general, ensuring safety is the top priority of a new modality. Although oncolytic virus armed with an immune stimulatory transgene (OVI) showed some promise, the strategic concept of simultaneously achieving maximum effectiveness and minimizing side effects has not been fully explored. We generated a variety of survivin-responsive "conditionally replicating adenoviruses that can target and treat cancer cells with multiple factors (m-CRAs)" (Surv.

Ultrathin Ionic Diodes with Electrostatically Heterogeneous Hybrid Interfaces of Nanoporous SiO Nanofilms and Polymer Layer-by-Layer Multilayers.

Nanofluidic ionic diodes have attracted much attention due to their unique functions as unidirectional ion transportation ability and promising applications from molecular sensing, and energy harvesting to emerging neuromorphic devices. However, it remains a challenge to fabricate diode-like nanofluidic systems with ultrathin film thickness <100 nm. Herein the formation of ultrathin ionic diodes from hybrid nanoassemblies of nanoporous (NP) SiO nanofilms and polyelectrolyte layer-by-layer (LbL) multilayers is described.

Robotic gastrectomy using hinotori™ Surgical Robot System: Initial case series.

Background: This study aims to prove the feasibility and safety of robotic gastrectomy using the hinotori™ Surgical Robot System (Medicaroid Corporation, Kobe, Japan).

Methods: We retrospectively enrolled the 16 patients who underwent gastrectomy by the hinotori™ Surgical Robot System for gastric cancer at our hospital between June 2023 and January 2024. Console surgeons performed almost all lymphadenectomies, including the clipping of vessels.

FFAR-mediated signaling drives migration of pancreatic cancer cells in hypoxic fibroblast co-cultures.

The tumor microenvironment (TME) comprises cancer and non-cancerous stromal cells, including fibroblasts. Free fatty acids (FFAs) regulate various biological responses by binding to G protein-coupled FFA receptors (FFARs). In this study, we examined the impact of FFAR1 and FFAR4 on the cell migration of pancreatic cancer PANC-1 cells co-cultured with 3T3 fibroblast cells under hypoxic conditions.

Lowering pH optimum of activity of SshEstI, a slightly alkaliphilic archaeal esterase of the hormone-sensitive lipase family.

SshEstI, a carboxylesterase from the thermoacidophilic archaeon Saccharolobus shibatae, is a member of the hormone-sensitive lipase family that displays slightly alkaliphilic activity with an optimum activity at pH 8.0. In this study, three distinct strategies were explored to confer acidophilic properties to SshEstI.

Predictors of probable attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in elderly patients with mild cognitive impairment visiting a memory clinic.

Aim: Characteristics of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) that persist into old age are often confused with symptoms of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and the actual rate of probable ADHD in people with MCI is unknown. This study estimated the proportion of MCI patients with probable ADHD and investigated the factors to identify MCI patients with probable ADHD.

Methods: We recruited 36 elderly patients (11 males, 25 females, mean age 72.

Enhancing surgical outcomes in elderly gastric cancer patients: the role of comprehensive preoperative assessment and support.

Background: As the prevalence of gastric cancer rises in aging populations, managing surgical risks and comorbidities in elderly patients presents a unique challenge. The Comprehensive Preoperative Assessment and Support (CPAS) program, through comprehensive preoperative assessments, aims to mitigate surgical stress and improve outcomes by enhancing patient awareness and preparation. This study investigates the efficacy of a CPAS program, incorporating frailty and sarcopenia evaluations, to improve short-term outcomes in elderly gastric cancer patients.