A tandem conversion process for the synthesis of polyitaconic acid from glucose in the Aspergillus terreus culture.

In this study, a bio-based vinylidene monomer, itaconic acid (IA), produced by a fungus Aspergillus terreus NBRC 6123 was polymerized in the culture. The inhibition of IA polymerization by the culture components was eased by extraction with 4-methyltetrahydropyran (4mTHP). The extraction with 4mTHP for 4 days under aerobic condition resulted in IA production at 67.

Comparative and Functional Analysis of Exosomal microRNAs During Semelparous Reproduction in Ayu Fish ().

As a life history strategy, some semelparous organisms, such as the ayu fish (), reproduce only once in their lifetime and then die. They invest heavily in their single reproductive event, producing many offspring. However, the regulatory mechanisms that trigger mortality after reproduction are not well understood.

Zig-zag ScAlN 12-layer for shear mode BAW transformer application in rectenna.

Wireless power transfer (WPT) with rectennas is important for IoT sensor applications. Miniature GHz voltage transformers are more attractive than a large-size charge pump to operate the rectifiers efficiently. In this study, GHz bulk acoustic wave (BAW) piezoelectric transformers based on c-axis zig-zag polarization-inverted ScAlN thin films are proposed.

High-Throughput Centrifuge Force Microscopy Reveals Dynamic Immune-Cell Avidity at the Single-Cell Level.

Cell-cell binding, mediated by the physical interactions of receptors and their ligands, plays a fundamental role in immune processes such as immune surveillance and T-cell activation. However, current approaches for measuring cell avidity often lack either throughput or quantitative precision. Here, we introduce a high-throughput approach for quantifying cell binding lifetimes and strength using a centrifuge force microscope (CFM)-a compact microscope operating within a standard benchtop centrifuge.

Single-shot incoherent digital holography based on generalised three-step phase-shifting method with 1D phase grating.

Incoherent digital holography (IDH) is a passive holographic 3D imaging technique under spatially incoherent light. Single-shot recording with high light-utilization efficiency and high spatial resolution is a challenge in IDH. Herein, we propose a single-shot three-step phase-shifting IDH system with a 1D phase grating that has a line-and-space structure.

Posterior capsular release improves intraoperative flexion contracture without affecting knee kinematics in posterior-stabilized total knee arthroplasty.

Objectives: Posterior capsular release (PCR) is widely performed in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) for late-stage knee osteoarthritis with severe flexion contracture. PCR enables obtaining an appropriate bone gap, resulting in an improvement in the knee extension angle after TKA. Despite its efficacy, little is known about its influence on knee kinematics.

Sarcomatoid pleural mesothelioma evaluated using diffusion-weighted whole-body imaging with background body signal suppression.

An 83-year-old man with a history of asbestos exposure presented with dyspnea. Thoracic computed tomography showed right-sided pleural effusion and heterogeneous pleural thickening with calcified plaques. Thoracentesis revealed exudative fluid, and the cytology results were negative for malignancy.

Arrival time mapping with O-gas PET for cerebrovascular steno-occlusive diseases: a comparative study with CT perfusion.

Background: Positron emission tomography (PET) with O-gas for quantifying cerebral blood flow (CBF) and oxygen metabolism is the gold standard for assessing hemodynamics in ischemic cerebrovascular disease. However, conventional O-gas PET methods do not provide information on regional arrival timing, a hemodynamic parameter typically measured using computed tomography (CT) perfusion with contrast media. This study demonstrated that O-gas PET with a state-of-the-art clinical PET scanner and optimized analysis can generate arrival time maps.

Association between the presence or absence of muscle mass assessment in sarcopenia diagnosis and poor health outcomes: A follow-up study of older outpatients at a frailty clinic.

Aim: Recently, some researchers have questioned the inclusion of muscle mass as a diagnostic criterion for sarcopenia. We examined the longitudinal association between the presence or absence of muscle mass assessment in sarcopenia diagnosis and the incidence of poor health outcomes.

Methods: This 1-year follow-up study included 730 Japanese outpatients aged ≥65 years without disabilities who visited the frailty clinic.

Comparison of immunogenicity of 17 Burkholderia mallei antigens and whole cell lysate using indirect ELISA.

Glanders is a World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH)-notifiable equine disease caused by the infection of Burkholderia mallei, and is endemic in Mongolia, South Asia, Africa, and South America. While the complement fixation test (CFT) has been widely used for serodiagnosis of glanders and is considered a standard serological test, it has several limitations. These limitations include poor specificity, labor intensive techniques, variability in antigen and protocol.

Prediction of Low Bone Mass for Japanese Female Athletes Using Machine Learning.

Attainment of optimal bone mineral density (BMD) in female athletes is a very important aspect of ensuring their well-being throughout their lives, and monitoring of BMD is essential to avoid fractures and bone-related injuries. Several tools for assessing bone health already exist, but either lack the practicality required for continuous monitoring or are not suited for the young female athlete demographic. Because of this, this study has the main objective of developing a binary classifier to discriminate between normal and low bone mass individuals among younger female athletes using features extracted from a questionnaire.

Conservative management of an expanding intracranial epidural abscess: illustrative case.

Background: Management of intracranial epidural abscess (ICEA) typically requires a combination of surgical drainage and antibiotic therapy. However, the indications for neurosurgical drainage of ICEA have not been well established by evidence-based data and remain controversial. This article describes a case of ICEA that enlarged during antibiotic therapy but was managed successfully without neurosurgical drainage.

Long-term Outcomes of Biological Reconstruction for Primary Bone Sarcoma of the Humerus.

Background/aim: Options for the reconstruction of bone defects following resection of primary bone sarcomas of the humerus include massive endoprostheses or biological reconstruction. We report the oncological, clinical, and functional outcomes in patients treated with biological reconstructions.

Patients And Methods: This study included 23 consecutive patients with primary bone sarcoma of humerus who underwent resection and biological reconstructions at a single institution.

Cardiotocography-Based Experimental Comparison of Artificial Intelligence and Human Judgment in Assessing Fetal Asphyxia During Delivery.

Cardiotocography (CTG) has long been the standard method for monitoring fetal status during delivery. Despite its widespread use, human error and variability in CTG interpretation contribute to adverse neonatal outcomes, with over 70% of stillbirths, neonatal deaths, and brain injuries potentially avoidable through accurate analysis. Recent advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) offer opportunities to address these challenges by complementing human judgment.

Fetal-to-fetal kidney transplantation in utero.

Potter sequence consists of various symptoms associated with renal dysplasia. For bilateral renal agenesis, there is no hope of survival. As a novel therapeutic approach for Potter sequence, we develop a unique approach of "transplantation of fetal kidneys from a different species during the fetal stage.

Escalón: A Prospective Randomized Trial of Corneal Endothelial Cell Therapy in Subjects With Corneal Edema.

Purpose: Escalón is a prospective, randomized, double-masked, parallel-group trial designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of cultured human corneal endothelial cells (CECs) and the Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK) inhibitor Y-27632 for treating corneal edema secondary to endothelial dysfunction.

Methods: Eligible eyes with bullous keratopathy (N = 18) or Fuchs dystrophy (N = 4) were randomized to receive endothelial polishing and a single intracameral injection containing 1 x 106 CECs and 10, 20, or 100 μM Y-27632. The primary outcome was safety based on incidence and severity of ocular and nonocular treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs).

T cell immune response to influenza vaccination when administered prior to and following autologous CAR-T cell therapy.

Background: Chimeric antigen receptor-modified T (CAR-T) cell therapies are gaining wider use in relapsed and refractory malignancies. However, data on vaccination in this population is lacking. We evaluated T cell responses in an established cohort of CAR-T recipients and healthy controls before and after 2019-2020 influenza vaccination.

Meaning composition in the processing of transposed-constituent compound nonwords.

Motivated by the compositional semantics perspective (Marelli, 2023), which regards the meaning-combination process as playing an important role in the recognition of polymorphemic words, the present study revisited a study by Crepaldi et al. (2013, Experiment 1) to reevaluate the role of semantic transparency in the processing of nonwords comprising existing morphemes. We replicated the transposed compound interference effect, namely, the greater difficulty in rejecting a nonword generated by reversing the order of the morpheme constituents (e.

A design principle for neuronal firing with up-down oscillation through Na dynamics.

Nonrapid eye movement sleep is characterized by high-amplitude and low-frequency electroencephalography signals. These signals are thought to be produced by the synchronized activity of cortical neurons, demonstrating the alternating bursting (up) and resting (down) states. Here, such an activity is referred to as up-down oscillation (UDO).

Severe Atopic Dermatitis With Increasing Daytime Sleepiness Following Nemolizumab Administration: A Case Report.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) often impairs daytime activities and quality of life (QOL) owing to intense pruritus, which disrupts sleep. Nemolizumab, an interleukin (IL)-31 receptor α inhibitor, has emerged as a promising treatment that can alleviate itching and enhance both nighttime rest and daytime functioning. We report the case of a 16-year-old boy with severe AD that was refractory to multiple therapies, including topical steroids, immunomodulators, topical Janus kinase (JAK) and phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) inhibitors, moisturizers, and oral antihistamines.

Soymilk yogurt prepared using TOKAI 759m ameliorates cognitive function through gut microbiota modulation in high-fat diet mice.

Recent studies have confirmed that obesity leads to neuroinflammation and cognitive decline. This study aimed to examine whether soymilk yogurt prepared using TOKAI 759m could prevent cognitive decline and neuroinflammation progression in mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD). C57BL/6NJcl male mice were grouped according to the following dietary interventions and monitored for 15 weeks: (1) normal control diet, (2) HFD, (3) HFD with soymilk (SM), (4) HFD with soymilk yogurt (SY), and (5) HFD with bacterial cells of the starter strain (BC).

Continuous glucose monitoring with low-glucose alerts in insulin-treated drivers with diabetes: A randomized crossover study.

Aims: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) with low-glucose alerts for preventing hypoglycemia in insulin-treated drivers with diabetes.

Methods: This single-center, open-label, randomized crossover study involved 30 insulin-treated participants with diabetes who drove cars at least thrice weekly in Japan. Participants underwent two 4-week periods: an alert period using CGM with active low-glucose alerts and a no-alert period using blinded CGM without low-glucose alerts, separated by an eight-week washout period.

Intervention Response of Muscle Architecture and Composition Markers Assessed via Ultrasound Imaging: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials.

Objectives: To evaluate the response of skeletal muscle architecture (fascicle length and pennation angle) and composition (echo intensity) markers assessed by ultrasonography to intervention in older adults.

Design: This is a subsection of a more comprehensive systematic review of clinical trials focusing on changes in muscle quality, registered in PROSPERO (registration number: CRD42022357116).

Setting And Participants: Randomized controlled trials evaluating the effectiveness of interventions lasting ≥8 weeks in adults aged ≥60 years on fascicle length, pennation angle, and echo intensity.

Septin 3 regulates memory and L-LTP-dependent extension of endoplasmic reticulum into spines.

Transient memories are converted to persistent memories at the synapse and circuit/systems levels. The synapse-level consolidation parallels electrophysiological transition from early- to late-phase long-term potentiation of synaptic transmission (E-/L-LTP). While glutamate signaling upregulations coupled with dendritic spine enlargement are common underpinnings of E-LTP and L-LTP, synaptic mechanisms conferring persistence on L-LTP remain unclear.

Liver fatty acid-binding protein point-of-care testing detects heat-induced organ damage: a pilot study in Japanese male self-defense force personnel.

Heat-related illnesses cause multiple organ injuries, including acute kidney injury (AKI). Recent studies have reported that heat-induced AKI can progress to chronic kidney disease (CKD). We previously reported that urinary levels of liver fatty acid-binding protein (L-FABP) are elevated in patients with severe heat-related illness.