The prognostic importance of the negative regulators of ferroptosis, GPX4 and HSPB1, in patients with colorectal cancer.

The prognostic value of negative regulators of ferroptosis in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) has not yet been fully elucidated. The present study performed a systematic identification and selection of candidate negative regulators of ferroptosis using The Cancer Genome Atlas data cohort (n=367), followed by clinical validation through immunohistochemistry of samples from patients with CRC (n=166) and further evaluation. analysis identified specific light-chain subunit of the cystine/glutamate antiporter, AIFM2, NFE2L2, FTH1, GLS2, glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) and heat shock protein β-1 (HSPB1) genes as possible candidates.

Distribution of serum adiponectin isoforms in pediatric patients with steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome.

Background: Serum adiponectin circulates in three multimeric isoforms: high-molecular-weight (HMW), middle-molecular-weight (MMW), and low-molecular-weight (LMW) isoforms. Potential change in the circulating adiponectin levels in patients with nephrotic syndrome (NS) remain unknown. This study aimed to assess the levels of total adiponectin and the distribution of its isoforms in pediatric patients with NS.

Valganciclovir prophylaxis for cytomegalovirus infection in pediatric kidney transplant recipients: a single-center experience.

Background: There are two approaches for treating cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection occurring after kidney transplantation (KTx). One is preemptive therapy in which treatment is started after confirming positive CMV antigenemia using periodic antigenemia assay. The other approach is prophylactic therapy in which oral valganciclovir (VGCV) is started within 10 days after KTx and continued for 200 days.

A pediatric patient with hyponatremic hypertensive syndrome without persistent hypertension in acute phase: A case report and review of literature.

Hyponatremic hypertensive syndrome is characterized by hypertension, hyponatremia, and hypokalemia due to unilateral renal artery stenosis. We herein report a 1-year-old hyponatremic hypertensive syndrome infant without persistent hypertension in the acute phase. On the ninth hospital day, his systolic and diastolic blood pressure increased up to 154-160 and 70-84 mmHg, respectively.

Morphologic Analysis of Urinary Podocytes in Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis.

Background: The development of glomerulosclerosis in FSGS is associated with a reduction in podocyte number in the glomerular capillary tufts. Although it has been reported that the number of urinary podocytes in FSGS exceeds that of minimal-change nephrotic syndrome, the nature of events that promote podocyte detachment in FSGS remains elusive.

Methods: In this study, we provide detailed, morphologic analysis of the urinary podocytes found in FSGS by examining the size of the urinary podocytes from patients with FSGS, minimal-change nephrotic syndrome, and GN.

10-Plex Digital Polymerase Chain Reaction with Four-Color Melting Curve Analysis for Simultaneous and Genotyping.

Digital PCR (dPCR) is a promising method for performing liquid biopsies that quantifies nucleic acids more sensitively than real-time PCR. However, dPCR shows large fluctuations in the fluorescence intensity of droplets or wells due to insufficient PCR amplification in the small partitions, limiting the multiplexing capability of using the fluorescence intensity. In this study, we propose a measurement method that combines dPCR with melting curve analysis for highly multiplexed genotyping.

KRAS genotyping by digital PCR combined with melting curve analysis.

Digital PCR (dPCR) has been developed as a method that can quantify nucleic acids more sensitively than real-time PCR. However, dPCR exhibits large fluctuations in the fluorescence intensity of the compartment, resulting in low accuracy. The main cause is most likely due to insufficient PCR.

Difficult Renal Pathological Classification in a Case of Pediatric Nephrotic Syndrome.

The underlying histopathology is very important in determining patient management, as the histopathology usually has direct repercussions on the treatment response and clinical course. However, the impact of the method used to assess renal biopsies, i.e.

Efficacy of rituximab therapy against intractable steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome.

Background: Some cases of childhood steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS) are intractable. We examined the cases of three patients with SRNS resistant to various treatment, but who achieved complete remission after being treated with rituximab (RTX) followed by methylprednisolone pulse (MP) therapy.

Methods: A retrospective chart review of all new-onset SRNS in the period from January 1997 to December 2013 was performed.

Structure of a thermophilic F1-ATPase inhibited by an ε-subunit: deeper insight into the ε-inhibition mechanism.

F1-ATPase (F1) is the catalytic sector in F(o)F1-ATP synthase that is responsible for ATP production in living cells. In catalysis, its three catalytic β-subunits undergo nucleotide occupancy-dependent and concerted open-close conformational changes that are accompanied by rotation of the γ-subunit. Bacterial and chloroplast F1 are inhibited by their own ε-subunit.

Evaluation protocols of hand grip strength in individuals with rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic review.

Hand grip strength is a useful measurement for individuals with rheumatoid arthritis, since this disease is often associated with functional anomalies of the hands and a consequent reduction in muscular strength. Thus, the standardization of the test protocol is important in relation to make reproducible and reliable studies. The aim of this systematic review was to verify the parameters associated with the measurement of the hand grip strength in individuals with rheumatoid arthritis.

System-on-fluidics immunoassay device integrating wireless radio-frequency-identification sensor chips.

A simple and sensitive point-of-care-test (POCT) device for chemiluminescence (CL) immunoassay was devised and tested. The device consists of a plastic flow-channel reactor and two wireless-communication sensor chips, namely, a photo-sensor chip and a temperature-sensor chip. In the flow-channel reactor, a target antigen is captured by an antibody immobilized on the inner wall of the flow-channel and detected with enzyme labeled antibody by using CL substrate.

Identification of glucose transporter 4 knockdown-dependent transcriptional activation element on the retinol binding protein 4 gene promoter and requirement of the 20 S proteasome subunit for transcriptional activity.

Retinol binding protein 4 (RBP4) is the transport protein that carries retinol in blood. RBP4 was described recently as a new adipokine that reduced insulin sensitivity. Mice lacking glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) in adipocytes have enhanced Rbp4 gene expression; however, the molecular mechanism is unknown.

An integrative in silico approach for discovering candidates for drug-targetable protein-protein interactions in interactome data.

Background: Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) are challenging but attractive targets for small chemical drugs. Whole PPIs, called the 'interactome', have been emerged in several organisms, including human, based on the recent development of high-throughput screening (HTS) technologies. Individual PPIs have been targeted by small drug-like chemicals (SDCs), however, interactome data have not been fully utilized for exploring drug targets due to the lack of comprehensive methodology for utilizing these data.

Crystal structure of a major fragment of the salt-tolerant glutaminase from Micrococcus luteus K-3.

Glutaminase of Micrococcus luteus K-3 (intact glutaminase; 48kDa) is digested to a C-terminally truncated fragment (glutaminase fragment; 42kDa) that shows higher salt tolerance than that of the intact glutaminase. The crystal structure of the glutaminase fragment was determined at 2.4A resolution using multiple-wavelength anomalous dispersion (MAD).

Complete sequencing and characterization of 21,243 full-length human cDNAs.

As a base for human transcriptome and functional genomics, we created the "full-length long Japan" (FLJ) collection of sequenced human cDNAs. We determined the entire sequence of 21,243 selected clones and found that 14,490 cDNAs (10,897 clusters) were unique to the FLJ collection. About half of them (5,416) seemed to be protein-coding.

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic studies of salt-tolerant glutaminase from Micrococcus luteus K-3.

Glutaminase from the marine bacterium Micrococcus luteus K-3 (Micrococcus glutaminase) is a salt-tolerant protein which shows equivalent activities both in the absence and the presence of 3 M sodium chloride and is distinct from halophilic proteins, which are inactivated in the absence of salt. To investigate the mechanisms of the salt-tolerant adaptation of Micrococcus glutaminase, the glutaminase and its major fragment containing about 80% of the protein were crystallized using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method. The glutaminase crystals belong to space group P622, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 111.

Full-color imaging through a turbid medium by use of photorefractive coherence gating and a technique to separate the recording spaces.

We demonstrate full-color imaging through a turbid medium by use of photorefractive coherence gating and a technique to separate the recording space of each color from those of the other colors. We found that the recording spaces must be separate when a multicolor image is recorded in a photorefractive crystal to prevent the interference of the holograms with one another. For full-color imaging we used a He-Cd white-light laser, which is compact and useful for full-color holography.

Quantitative Evaluation of Nystagmus by an Image-analysis System.

Purpose: We attempted to apply a newly developed image-analysis system for measurement and analysis of nystagmus.Method: Eye movements were recorded by digital video through a head-mounted charge coupled device (CCD) camera. The recorded movie was converted into black and white in order to detect the area of the pupil.

[Quantitative evaluation of nystagmus by an image-analysis system].

Purpose: We attempted to apply a newly developed image-analysis system for measurement and analysis of nystagmus.

Method: Eye movements were recorded by digital video through a head-mounted charge coupled device (CCD) camera. The recorded movie was converted into black and white in order to detect the area of the pupil.

Systematic identification, classification, and characterization of the open reading frames which encode novel helicase-related proteins in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by gene disruption and Northern analysis.

Helicase-related proteins play important roles in various cellular processes incuding DNA replication, DNA repair, RNA processing and so on. It has been well known that the amino acid sequences of these proteins contain several conserved motifs, and that the open reading frames (ORFs) which encode helicase-related proteins make up several gene families. In this study, we have identified 134 ORFs that encode helicase-like proteins in the Saccharomyces genome, based on similarity with the ORFs of authentic helicase and helicase-related proteins.

A long-range physical map of human chromosome 21q22.1 band from the YAC continuum.

The human Chromosome (Chr) 21q22.1 region contains several genes for cytokines and neurotransmitters and the gene for superoxide dismutase (mutant forms of which can cause familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). A region of approximately 5.

1.8-megabases fine physical map encompassing IFNAR and AML1 loci on human chromosome 21q22.1.

A long-range restriction map of the 1.8-megabases (mb) region encompassing the area between the interferon-alpha receptor and the acute myelogenous leukemia loci on human chromosome 21q22.1 was constructed after analysis of both the contiguous yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) clones and genomic DNA.