Usefulness of Novel Image-Enhanced Endoscopy for Predicting Maintenance of Clinical Remission in Ulcerative Colitis.

Purpose: The performance of endoscopic evaluation of ulcerative colitis (UC) using conventional scoring, including Mayo endoscopic subscore (MES) and ulcerative colitis endoscopic index of severity (UCEIS), is not satisfactory. Recently, the usefulness of novel image-enhanced endoscopy (IEE) such as texture and color enhancement imaging (TXI) and red dichromatic imaging (RDI) has been reported in the endoscopic evaluation of UC. We evaluated the performance of IEEs in UC, particularly focusing on the correlation with MES and UCEIS, and prediction of relapse.

The Apparent Diffusion Coefficient Color Map for Evaluating a Large Ischemic Core.

Introduction: Our previous work demonstrated that evaluating large ischemic cores using the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) could predict EVT outcomes, with the most frequent ADC (peak ADC) ≥520×10 mm/s associated with better clinical results. Since the degree of ADC reduction reflects the severity of ischemic stress, this study aimed to assess the utility of an ADC color map in visualizing this stress.

Patients And Methods: This retrospective cohort study included consecutive patients with a low Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography Score (ASPECTS) using diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) who underwent successful EVT recanalization between April 2014 and March 2023.

Plasma membrane-coated nanoparticles and membrane vesicles to orchestrate multimodal antitumor immunity.

Background: A number of immunotherapeutic approaches have been developed and are entering the clinic. Bispecific antibodies (BsAbs) are one of these modalities and induce robust efficacy by endogenous T cells in several hematological malignancies. However, most of the treated patients experience only a temporary benefit.

The Prevalence and Clinical Characteristics of -Associated Hearing Loss in 15,684 Hearing Loss Patients.

belongs to the unconventional myosin superfamily, and the myosin IIIa protein localizes on the tip of the stereocilia of vestibular and cochlear hair cells. Deficiencies in have been reported to cause the deformation of hair cells into abnormally long stereocilia with an increase in spacing. is a rare causative gene of autosomal recessive sensorineural hearing loss (DFNB30), with only 13 cases reported to date.

Novel Variants and Clinical Features of Hearing Loss in a Large Japanese Cohort.

Background/objectives: The gene is responsible for autosomal recessive non-syndromic sensorineural hearing loss and is assigned as DFNB18B. To date, 44 causative variants have been reported to cause non-syndromic hearing loss. However, the detailed clinical features for -associated hearing loss remain unclear.

Phytochemicals that Regulate Oviposition Mistakes of Eurema mandarina on Oxalis corniculata.

Eurema mandarina is a pierid butterfly that primarily feeds on plants in the family Fabaceae. In mainland Japan, adult females preferentially lay eggs on Albizia julibrissin and Lespedeza cuneata. In the field, females may oviposit on non-fabaceous plants, although rarely.

Successful use of avacopan in a case of ANCA-associated vasculitis with treatment-resistant medium-sized vessel involvement.

We report the case of a 75-year-old woman who presented with fever, right back pain, paresthesia in the right extremities, erythema, purpura, and nodules. She had previously initiated dialysis due to rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis and was transferred to our hospital. Imaging studies revealed multiple cerebral and splenic infarcts and hemorrhage encapsulating the right kidney, likely due to microaneurysms in multiple renal arteries.

Robot-Assisted CT-guided Biopsy with an Artificial Intelligence-Based Needle-Path Generator: An Experimental Evaluation Using a Phantom Model.

Purpose: To investigate the feasibility of a robotic system with artificial intelligence-based lesion detection and path planning for CT-guided biopsy, compared to the conventional freehand technique.

Materials And Methods: Eight nodules within an abdominal phantom, incorporating the simulated vertebrae and ribs, were designated as targets. A robotic system was used for lesion detection, trajectory generation, and needle-holder positioning.

AI enabled, mobile soil pH classification with colorimetric paper sensors for sustainable agriculture.

For optimizing production yield while limiting negative environmental impact, sustainable agriculture benefits from real-time, on-the-spot chemical analysis of soil at low cost. Colorimetric paper sensors are ideal candidates, however, their automated readout and analysis in the field is needed. Using mobile technology for paper sensor readout could, in principle, enable the application of machine-learning models for transforming colorimetric data into threshold-based classes that represent chemical concentration.

Engineering of acyl ligase domain in non-ribosomal peptide synthetases to change fatty acid moieties of lipopeptides.

Cyclic lipopeptides (CLPs) produced by the genus Bacillus are amphiphiles composed of hydrophilic amino acid and hydrophobic fatty acid moieties and are biosynthesised by non-ribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs). CLPs are produced as a mixture of homologues with different fatty acid moieties, whose length affects CLP activity. Iturin family lipopeptides are a family of CLPs comprising cyclic heptapeptides and β-amino fatty acids and have antimicrobial activity.

A new tube chamber system for evaluation of anterior chamber pressure during phacoemulsification tested in porcine eyes.

Aim: To measure the optimal anterior chamber pressure (ACP) for safe phacoemulsification using a new tube chamber system with internal pressure measurement function in the porcine eye.

Methods: The 20-gauge and 21-gauge straight tips with yellow and orange sleeves, respectively, were covered by a test chamber combined with a pressure sensor for measuring ACP. This was measured for 20s from 10s after starting aspiration in the linear mode using vacuum levels of 200 and 150 mm Hg with a 20-gauge tip, and 300 and 250 mm Hg with a 21-gauge tip.

Seasonal activities, morphological characteristics, and veterinary importance of Haemaphysalis mageshimaensis in Ishigaki and Yonaguni, Okinawa, Japan.

Ticks are of veterinary importance as they transmit various pathogens to animals. In Yaeyama, Okinawa, Japan, Haemaphysalis longicornis became the dominant tick species after the eradication of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus in the 1990s. However, any recent changes remained unclear due to lack of surveys.

Influence of Worsening Renal Function and Baseline Chronic Kidney Disease on Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Chronic Coronary Syndromes: Insights From the REAL-CAD Study.

Background: The effect of worsening renal function and baseline chronic kidney disease (CKD) on outcomes in patients with chronic coronary syndrome in the setting of optimal medical therapy remains unknown.

Methods And Results: The REAL-CAD (Randomized Evaluation of Aggressive or Moderate Lipid Lowering Therapy With Pitavastatin in Coronary Artery Disease) study is a prospective, multicenter, randomized trial of high-dose (pitavastatin 4 mg/day) or low-dose (pitavastatin 1 mg/day) statin therapy in 12 118 patients with chronic coronary syndrome. The primary end point was a composite of cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, stroke, or unstable angina requiring hospitalization (major adverse cardiac and cerebral events [MACCE]).

Anticancer effect of the antirheumatic drug leflunomide on oral squamous cell carcinoma by the inhibition of tumor angiogenesis.

Objectives: Leflunomide (LEF) is a conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug and suppresses T-cell proliferation and activity by inhibiting pyrimidine synthesis using dihydroorotase dehydrogenase (DHODH); however, several studies have demonstrated that LEF possesses anticancer and antiangiogenic effects in some malignant tumors. Therefore, we investigated the anticancer and antiangiogenic effects of LEF on oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).

Methods: To evaluate the inhibitory effect of LEF on OSCC, cell proliferation and wound-healing assays using human OSCC cell lines were performed.

Efficacy of Magnifying Texture and Color Enhancement Imaging With Indigo Carmine as an Alternative to Crystal Violet for Colorectal Tumors.

Background: Pit pattern diagnosis using crystal violet staining for colorectal tumors is useful for qualitative and depth diagnosis. However, due to its reported carcinogenic potential, the use of crystal violet has been restricted. This study was aimed at investigating the efficacy of texture and color enhancement imaging (TXI) magnification in pit pattern diagnosis.

A simple inland culture system provides insights into ascidian post-embryonic developmental physiology.

Maintenance and breeding of experimental organisms are fundamental to life sciences, but both initial and running costs, and hands-on zootechnical demands can be challenging for many laboratories. Here, we first aimed to further develop a simple protocol for reliable inland culture of tunicate model species of the genus. We cultured both and in controlled experimental conditions, with a focus on dietary variables, and quantified growth and maturation parameters.

Bronchial structural changes analyzed with three-dimensional computed tomography correlate with severe acute graft-versus-host disease after allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Severe acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) can occur during allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT), causing considerable morbidity and mortality. Although several biomarkers have been reported for predicting acute GVHD, they are often difficult to measure in routine clinical practice. Recently, three-dimensional computed tomography (3D-CT) has been used to quantify the detailed bronchial structure, which might correlate with acute GVHD.

Comparing the effectiveness of four antihistamines with olopatadine in healthy Thoroughbred horses.

We compared the antihistamine effect of four new antihistamines with olopatadine, which is used to treat equine allergic diseases. Six healthy Thoroughbred horses received oral doses of olopatadine (50 mg), levocetirizine (50 mg), bilastine (200 mg), rupatadine (100 mg), and desloratadine (50 mg) at >2-week intervals. The effects were investigated by measurement of the wheal area induced by histamine intradermal injection, and inhibition rate was compared with positive and negative controls.

Impact of NAFLD-related SNPs on the carotid atherosclerosis development; a five-year prospective observational study.

Background And Aims: The prevalence of metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), formerly known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), has become a significant public health concern with an increased atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk. This study investigates the impact of NAFLD-related single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on carotid atherosclerosis development in a Japanese population without diabetes, dyslipidemia, and hypertension.

Methods: The prospective observational study, part of the Kyushu and Okinawa Population Study (KOPS), included 945 participants (median age 55 [47, 63]) without carotid atherosclerosis, increased alcohol intake, diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypertension, or chronic hepatitis at baseline.

Clinical characteristics and antimicrobial susceptibility of infection over a 5-year trend at a university hospital in Japan.

() is known to cause intra-abdominal and anaerobic bloodstream infections. However, clinical insights and information on antimicrobial susceptibility in infections are limited. This study aimed to elucidate the clinical characteristics and antimicrobial susceptibility of infections.

Expanding the concept of ID conversion in TogoID by introducing multi-semantic and label features.

Background: TogoID ( https://togoid.dbcls.jp/ ) is an identifier (ID) conversion service designed to link IDs across diverse categories of life science databases.

Unveiling the susceptibility of nanosecond pulsed electric field on intracellular function in breast cancerous and normal cells using fluorescence imaging.

Modulation in cellular function and cell death through electrostimulation of intracellular organelles with the application of 50 ns pulsed electric field (nsPEF) have been investigated in breast cancerous MCF7 and normal MCF10A cells by developing a three-dimensional microelectrode device integrated with a fluorescence microscope. The findings revealed that nsPEF induced distinct effects on intracellular functions and dynamics in MCF7 and MCF10A cells. MCF10A cells exhibited significantly higher survivability than MCF7 cells, with different modes of cell death observed between them.

Comparison of hypothermic and normothermic targeted temperature management in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients with acute coronary syndrome: a nationwide retrospective study.

Background: Targeted temperature management (TTM) is considered a beneficial treatment for improving outcomes in patients with OHCA due to acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The comparative benefits of hypothermic TTM (32-34°C) versus normothermic TTM (35-36°C) are unclear. This study compares these TTM strategies in improving neurological outcomes and survival rates in OHCA patients with ACS.

Development and validation of an algorithm for identifying patients undergoing dialysis from patients with advanced chronic kidney disease.

Background: Identifying patients on dialysis among those with an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 15 mL/min/1.73 m remains challenging. To facilitate clinical research in advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) using electronic health records, we aimed to develop algorithms to identify dialysis patients using laboratory data obtained in routine practice.