Quantification of wildlife visits to pig farms via camera traps in Japan.

Infectious diseases in livestock not only cause significant economic losses but also affect food security. Although wildlife may be involved in these infectious diseases by serving as reservoirs, research has primarily focused on livestock and related species. Moreover, while these species represent a potential threat in wildlife-borne infectious diseases, comprehensive surveys of the presence of various species are limited.

Localized Pulmonary Edema Secondary to Pulmonary Embolism.

A 47-year-old man had localized pulmonary edema (LPE) and a massive pulmonary embolism. The cause of LPE was believed to be a high blood supply to the spared pulmonary artery territories without a thrombus. The patient was successfully treated with unfractionated heparin and thrombolytic agents.

Phytochemical evaluation, embryotoxic, and teratogenic effects of Buwakan (Decalobanthus peltatus (L.) A.R.Simões & Staples) leaf extracts on duck embryo.

Decalobanthus peltatus is a woody vine that is commonly utilized in traditional Southeast Asian medicinal preparations. Despite the documented therapeutic uses of D. peltatus, there is hardly any information regarding its toxic effects on its consumers.

Elucidation of a Thermodynamical Feature Attributed to Substrate Binding to the Prokaryotic H/Oligopeptide Cotransporter YdgR with Calorimetric Analysis: The Substrate Binding Driven by the Change in Entropy Implies the Release of Bound Water Molecules from the Binding Pocket.

Here, we have elucidated the substrate recognition mechanism by a prokaryotic H/oligopeptide cotransporter, YdgR, using isothermal titration calorimetry. Under acidic conditions (pH 6.0), the binding of a dipeptide, Val-Ala, to YdgR elicited endothermic enthalpy, which compensated for the increase in entropy due to dipeptide binding.

Comparison of Surgical and Oncological Outcomes of Laparoscopic and Open Gastrectomy for Pathologically Serosa-Invasive (pT4a) Advanced Gastric Cancer-Retrospective Propensity Score-Matched Analysis.

We aimed to clarify the operative feasibility and oncological efficacy of a laparoscopic gastrectomy (LG) for pT4a gastric cancer through comparison with open gastrectomy (OG). We compared surgical and oncological outcomes in 178 patients with pT4a gastric cancer who underwent LG or OG between 2002 and 2016; the background was adjusted using propensity score matching. After score matching, 45 patients were included in each group.

Feasibility of using PALSAR technology as a signal amplifier for antibody bridging assay.

The immunogenicity testing of oligonucleotide drugs using an antibody bridging assay has been scarcely investigated. We developed a highly sensitive antibody bridging assay model and assessed it using probe alteration link self-assembly reactions (PALSAR) technology as a signal amplifier. The concentration of each probe was optimized, and the bridging assay model was compared with and without signal amplification.

Effects of changes in skeletal muscle mass on the prognosis of pediatric malignant solid tumors.

Purpose: This study aims to clarify the relationship between changes in skeletal muscle mass during treatment and prognosis of pediatric malignant solid tumors.

Methods: Patients with pediatric malignant solid tumors who were treated at Kyushu University Hospital from 2007 to 2017 were divided into two groups: the progression-free survival (PFS) group and the relapse/death (R/D) group; the psoas major muscle volume (PMV) was then compared. We also measured the PMV and psoas muscle area (PMA) of pediatric patients with no complications who underwent surgery for acute appendicitis (control) and compared the values with those of patients with malignant tumors.

The pentameric hydrocoel lobes organize adult pentameral structures in a sea cucumber, Apostichopus japonicus.

Despite being one of the bilaterians, the body plan of echinoderms shifts from bilateral symmetry to five-fold radial, or pentaradial symmetry during embryogenesis or their metamorphosis. While the clarification of the developmental mechanism behind this transition will be a basis for understanding their unique body plan evolution, it is still poorly understood. With this regard, the hydrocoel, a mesodermal coelom formed on the left side of bilateral larva, would be a clue for understanding the mechanism as it is the first pentaradial structure that appears before metamorphosis and develops into the water vascular system of adults.

Kraft lignin and its derivates - A study on the adsorption of mono and multielement metals, potential use for noble metal recycling and an alternative material for solid base catalyst.

Lignin is a natural polymer containing diverse functional groups and displaying an affinity for metals. Kraft lignin can be used as a carbon source, as a cleaving lignin structure for aromatic macromers or in the addition and modification of functional groups by the development of new active chemical sites. In this context, the aim of the present study is to investigate the adsorption of mono and multi-element metals solutions on lignin derivatives (unmodified Kraft lignin, acetylated Kraft lignin, charcoal Kraft lignin and activated carbon Kraft lignin).

Partial redescriptions of three holothurians with hook papillae (Apodida: Chiridotidae): Taeniogyrus japonicus (Marenzeller, 1882), T. dendyi (Mortensen, 1925), Scoliorhapis theelii (Heding, 1928).

New specimens of Taeniogyrus japonicus (Marenzeller) were collected from Iwami coast and Sado island of the Sea of Japan. According to detailed observations of external and internal organs, we transferred T. japonicus, T.

Differential Effect of Fat Intake on Blood Pressure in Healthy Japanese Women with and without the Variant of Fat Mass and Obesity-Associated Gene.

A high-fat diet is believed to be a risk factor for hypertension through inducing obesity. It has been reported that variants of the fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) and beta-3 adrenergic receptor (B3AR) genes are associated with obesity and blood pressure. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of dietary fat on blood pressure with or without the variant of the FTO and B3AR genes.

Aortic and bronchial perforation caused by a vascular clip 3 years after its placement.

Vascular clips are currently acknowledged as a safe and efficient tool for vessel ligation in every surgical field. Here, we describe a case of massive haemoptysis due to perforation of both the aorta and bronchus, caused by a titanium clip that was placed between them 3 years ago. The present case highlights the rare but life-threatening complications that clips can cause in the mediastinum, especially when placed between a fixed structure and a large blood vessel or respiratory tract.

A case of acute appendicitis incarcerated in obturator hernia.

An 85 year-old woman was transferred with a chief complaint of right thigh pain persisting for 5 days. Abdominal contrast-enhanced computed tomography clearly depicted a swollen appendix incarcerated in the right obturator cavity. She underwent an emergent laparoscopic appendectomy and the simultaneous repair of the obturator hernia.

Disruption of the glomerular basement membrane associated with nutcracker syndrome and double inferior vena cava in Noonan syndrome: a case report.

Background: Nutcracker syndrome (NCS) is characterized by compression of the left renal vein (LRV) between the aorta and the superior mesenteric artery. While rare, NCS was reported to be accompanied by double inferior vena cava (IVC). We herein report a case of Noonan syndrome (NS) with double IVC who presented with macrohematuria and proteinuria.

Clinical Benefits of Routine Feeding Jejunostomy Tube Placement in Patients Undergoing Esophagectomy.

Background: Routine placement of a feeding jejunostomy tube (FJT) following esophagectomy remains controversial due to the risk of complications including small bowel obstruction (SBO). This study aimed to evaluate FJT placement following esophagectomy.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study included consecutive 229 patients undergoing thoracoscopic esophagectomy between January 2010 and June 2020.

Selective translation of epigenetic modifiers affects the temporal pattern and differentiation of neural stem cells.

The cerebral cortex is formed by diverse neurons generated sequentially from neural stem cells (NSCs). A clock mechanism has been suggested to underlie the temporal progression of NSCs, which is mainly defined by the transcriptome and the epigenetic state. However, what drives such a developmental clock remains elusive.

Derivedness Index for Estimating Degree of Phenotypic Evolution of Embryos: A Study of Comparative Transcriptomic Analyses of Chordates and Echinoderms.

Species retaining ancestral features, such as species called living fossils, are often regarded as less derived than their sister groups, but such discussions are usually based on qualitative enumeration of conserved traits. This approach creates a major barrier, especially when quantifying the degree of phenotypic evolution or degree of derivedness, since it focuses only on commonly shared traits, and newly acquired or lost traits are often overlooked. To provide a potential solution to this problem, especially for inter-species comparison of gene expression profiles, we propose a new method named "derivedness index" to quantify the degree of derivedness.

Model difference in the effect of cilostazol on the development of experimental pulmonary hypertension in rats.

Background: Preventing pulmonary vascular remodeling is a key strategy for pulmonary hypertension (PH). Causes of PH include pulmonary vasoconstriction and inflammation. This study aimed to determine whether cilostazol (CLZ), a phosphodiesterase-3 inhibitor, prevents monocrotaline (MCT)- and chronic hypoxia (CH)-induced PH development in rats.

Successful management of Wilms tumor accompanied by traumatic renal injury: a case report.

When a tumor and trauma coexist, the treatment strategy must be established while considering their interaction. We herein report a 5-month-old girl with Wilms tumor complicated by blunt renal trauma. She was involved in a traffic accident and had hemorrhagic shock due to renal bleeding.