Identification of Acetyl, Propionyl, and Butanoyl Derivatives of THC and Its Analogs, and Their Synthetic By-Products in Oils and a Herbal Product.

Since 2021, products claiming to contain Δ-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ-THC) analogs have been distributed online and in physical stores, including liquid cartridges for electronic cigarettes, herbal products, and gummy products. This study identified the ingredients in products claiming to contain THC analogs distributed online. Seven oil products and one herbal product were analyzed via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatography-photodiode array-mass spectrometry (LC-PDA-MS).

[Setting of Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for Pesticides in Foods].

Under the Food Sanitation Law, standards for the production and specifications of food ingredients for distribution may be established. Food that does not meet these standards is prohibited from being distributed. For pesticide residues in food, maximum residue limits (MRLs) are set for each pesticide and food type.

Impact of Reduction of 2% Topical Ganciclovir on Recurrence of Cytomegalovirus Iritis.

Purpose: To examine the recurrence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) iritis in patients using low-dose ganciclovir (GCV) eye drops.

Methods: We included patients with dormant CMV iritis who were treated using 2% GCV eye drops at the University of Tokyo Hospital between January and June 2023 and whose dosage of GCV eye drops was required to be reduced due to the unstable GCV supply. Patients were excluded if they had active CMV retinitis and underwent corneal transplantation.

Virtual imaging trials in medicine: A brief takeaway of the lessons from the first international summit.

Background: The rapid advancement of medical technologies presents significant challenges for researchers and practitioners. While traditional clinical trials remain the gold standard, they are often limited by high costs, lengthy durations, and ethical constraints. In contrast, in-silico trials and digital twins have emerged not only as efficient and ethical alternatives but also as a complementary technology that can extend beyond classical trials to predict and design new strategies.

Structural effects of high laser power densities on an early bacteriorhodopsin photocycle intermediate.

Time-resolved serial crystallography at X-ray Free Electron Lasers offers the opportunity to observe ultrafast photochemical reactions at the atomic level. The technique has yielded exciting molecular insights into various biological processes including light sensing and photochemical energy conversion. However, to achieve sufficient levels of activation within an optically dense crystal, high laser power densities are often used, which has led to an ongoing debate to which extent photodamage may compromise interpretation of the results.

Dietary Differences by Job Type and Industry Among Workers in Japan During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic forced people to change their lifestyles. We examined dietary differences by job type and industry among workers during the pandemic. This cross-sectional study was conducted using data an internet survey.

News coverage of older drivers' fatal car crashes: is it over-represented?

Background: Japan's stringent licensing policies for older drivers have not been questioned, possibly due to negative perceptions of older drivers potentially influenced by media coverage of their car crashes. We examined whether older drivers' fatal crashes are over-represented in the news articles.

Methods: To examine the news coverage of fatal crashes that occurred between January 2016 and December 2020, we extracted driver- and crash-related data from articles reporting fatal crashes in the two best-selling newspapers, Yomiuri and Asahi.

[Identification of Δ-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Δ-THC Analogs, with Different Lengths of Alkyl Chain at C-3 Position, in Oil Products Distributed on the Internet].

Since around 2021, products claiming to contain a Δ-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) analog with different lengths of alkyl chain at C-3 position have been sold on the internet in Japan. Δ-THC has a pentyl group derived from the precursor olivetol at the C-3 position. These products include liquid cartridges for electronic cigarettes, herbal products, and gummy products.

Real-time observation of a metal complex-driven reaction intermediate using a porous protein crystal and serial femtosecond crystallography.

Determining short-lived intermediate structures in chemical reactions is challenging. Although ultrafast spectroscopic methods can detect the formation of transient intermediates, real-space structures cannot be determined directly from such studies. Time-resolved serial femtosecond crystallography (TR-SFX) has recently proven to be a powerful method for capturing molecular changes in proteins on femtosecond timescales.

Estimation of threshold thickness of residual normal tissue in lung dysfunction detectable by dynamic chest radiography: A virtual imaging trial.

Background: Dynamic chest radiography (DCR) is a recently developed functional x-ray imaging technique that detects pulmonary ventilation impairment as a decrease in changes in lung density during respiration. However, the diagnostic performance of DCR is uncertain owing to an insufficient number of clinical cases. One solution is virtual imaging trials (VITs), which is an emerging alternative method for efficiently evaluating medical imaging technology via computer simulation techniques.

Proceedings Virtual Imaging Trials in Medicine 2024.

This submission comprises the proceedings of the 1st Virtual Imaging Trials in Medicine conference, organized by Duke University on April 22-24, 2024. The listed authors serve as the program directors for this conference. The VITM conference is a pioneering summit uniting experts from academia, industry and government in the fields of medical imaging and therapy to explore the transformative potential of in silico virtual trials and digital twins in revolutionizing healthcare.

Association of placental weight at birth with maternal whole blood concentration of heavy metals (cadmium, lead, mercury, selenium, and manganese): The Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS).

Background: Lifelong health is dependent on prenatal growth and development, influenced by the placental intrauterine environment. Charged with dual functions--exchange of oxygen and nutrients as well as a barrier against toxins--the placenta itself is susceptible to environmental exposure to heavy metals.

Objective: To examine the use of placenta weight as a biomarker for heavy metal exposure using a large Japanese cohort of pregnant women.

Visualizing the DNA repair process by a photolyase at atomic resolution.

Photolyases, a ubiquitous class of flavoproteins, use blue light to repair DNA photolesions. In this work, we determined the structural mechanism of the photolyase-catalyzed repair of a cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer (CPD) lesion using time-resolved serial femtosecond crystallography (TR-SFX). We obtained 18 snapshots that show time-dependent changes in four reaction loci.

Deep learning-based cardiothoracic ratio measurement on chest radiograph: accuracy improvement without self-annotation.

Background: A reproducible and accurate automated approach to measuring cardiothoracic ratio on chest radiographs is warranted. This study aimed to develop a deep learning-based model for estimating the cardiothoracic ratio on chest radiographs without requiring self-annotation and to compare its results with those of manual measurements.

Methods: The U-net architecture was designed to segment the right and left lungs and the cardiac shadow, from chest radiographs.

A versatile approach to high-density microcrystals in lipidic cubic phase for room-temperature serial crystallography.

Serial crystallography has emerged as an important tool for structural studies of integral membrane proteins. The ability to collect data from micrometre-sized weakly diffracting crystals at room temperature with minimal radiation damage has opened many new opportunities in time-resolved studies and drug discovery. However, the production of integral membrane protein microcrystals in lipidic cubic phase at the desired crystal density and quantity is challenging.

Mapping protein dynamics at high spatial resolution with temperature-jump X-ray crystallography.

Understanding and controlling protein motion at atomic resolution is a hallmark challenge for structural biologists and protein engineers because conformational dynamics are essential for complex functions such as enzyme catalysis and allosteric regulation. Time-resolved crystallography offers a window into protein motions, yet without a universal perturbation to initiate conformational changes the method has been limited in scope. Here we couple a solvent-based temperature jump with time-resolved crystallography to visualize structural motions in lysozyme, a dynamic enzyme.

Association between maternal fish consumption during pregnancy and preterm births: the Japan Environment and Children's Study.

Background: Fish are a rich source of essential nutrients that protect against preterm birth. However, as fish can absorb environmental pollutants, their consumption can also increase the risk of preterm birth. This study aimed to assess whether maternal fish consumption during pregnancy is associated with preterm birth in a nationwide large Japanese cohort that consumed relatively high amounts and many types of fish.

Characterization of the lysergic acid diethylamide analog, 1-(thiophene-2-carbonyl)-N,N-diethyllysergamide (1T-LSD) from a blotter product.

Recently, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) analogs have appeared worldwide as designer drugs. In this study, we identified a distributed LSD analog from a paper-sheet product. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), liquid chromatography-photodiode array-mass spectrometry (LC-PDA-MS), and liquid chromatography with hybrid quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF-MS) were used to analyze the sheet product.