A Case of Pediatric Sjögren's Syndrome Diagnosed With Microcalcifications in Both Parotid Glands.

Sjögren's syndrome (SS), an autoimmune disease primarily affecting the exocrine glands, particularly the lacrimal and salivary glands, typically manifests as sicca symptoms (dry mouth and dry eyes). However, these symptoms are uncommon in pediatric patients. We present a case of a 13-year-old boy diagnosed with SS following the detection of bilateral parotid gland microcalcifications during a computed tomography scan for headache evaluation.

The bioconversion of dietary α-linolenic acid to eicosapentaenoic acid in Bombyx mori.

n-3 Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LC-PUFAs), including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), are essential multifunctional nutrients in animals. Microorganisms such as microalgae are known to be n-3 LC-PUFA producers in aquatic environments. Various aquatic invertebrates, including Harpacticoida copepods, and a few terrestrial invertebrates, such as the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, possess n-3 LC-PUFA biosynthetic enzymes.

Selective analysis of intracellular UDP-GlcNAc and UDP-GalNAc by hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Uridine diphosphate--acetylglucosamine (UDP-GlcNAc) is one of the major nucleotide sugars in living organisms and serves as the key donor substrate for the post-translational modification of protein -GlcNAcylation. It undergoes interconversion to its epimer uridine diphosphate--acetylgalactosamine (UDP-GalNAc), which acts as a sugar donor initiating mucin-type -linked glycosylation. The intracellular levels of the two differ between the cell lines and largely fluctuate in response to metabolic perturbations, and recent studies have focused on the details of their biosynthesis or turnover.

Clinical application of endoscopic soft palate augmentation in the treatment of velopharyngeal insufficiency.

Velopharyngeal structure augmentation with the injection of autologous fat tissue into the nasal mucosa of the soft palate has been reported previously. However, as the injection points in the velopharyngeal space cannot be observed directly, these injections may be difficult to perform accurately. This report describes a new endoscope-assisted approach in which the materials for velopharyngeal structure augmentation are administered while observing the injection points directly, also enabling adjustment of the amount of material injected.

A universal method to analyze cellular internalization mechanisms via endocytosis without non-specific cross-effects.

Endocytosis is an essential biological process for nutrient absorption and intercellular communication; it can also be used to accelerate the cellular internalization of drug delivery carriers. Clarifying the cellular uptake mechanisms of unidentified endogenous and exogenous molecules and designing new effective drug delivery systems require an accurate, specific endocytosis analysis methodology. Therefore, we developed a method to specifically evaluate cellular internalization via three main endocytic pathways: clathrin- and caveolae-mediated endocytosis, and macropinocytosis.

Obturator pyomyositis and labium majus cellulitis: A case report and literature review.

Pyomyositis is a rare, subacute, deep bacterial infection of the skeletal muscle. When treatment is delayed, pyomyositis causes abscess formation and progresses to sepsis; therefore, its early diagnosis is important. However, the clinical presentation and laboratory findings of pyomyositis are not specific; hence, diagnosis often takes time.

Kampo formulas alleviate aging-related emotional disturbances and neuroinflammation in male senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 mice.

Aging-induced neuroinflammation, also known as neuroinflammaging, plays a pivotal role in emotional disturbances, including depression and anxiety, in older individuals, thereby leading to cognitive dysfunction. Although numerous studies have focused on therapeutic strategies for cognitive impairment in older individuals, little research has been performed on treating its preceding emotional disturbances. Here, we examined whether Kampo formulas (kososan [KS], nobiletin-rich kososan [NKS], and hachimijiogan [HJG]) can ameliorate aging-induced emotional disturbances and neuroinflammation in mice.

Applied Improvisation Enhances the Effects of Behavioral Activation on Symptoms of Depression and PTSD in High School Students Affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake.

Background: The education system can serve as a community-based resource to support the provision of long-term follow-up care after large-scale disasters. While school-based interventions conducted after a disaster have been confirmed to reduce symptoms of depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), adolescents often exhibit low treatment motivation. Traditional methods used to encourage treatment motivation include fun activities, such as applied improv (AIM).

Neuroinflammaging underlies emotional disturbances and circadian rhythm disruption in young male senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 mice.

Aging causes psychological dysfunction and neurodegeneration, and can lead to cognitive impairments. Although numerous studies have reported that neurodegeneration and subsequent cognitive impairments are involved in neuroinflammation, relationship between psychological disturbance and neuroinflammation with aging (neuroinflammaging) remains unclear. Here, to clarify the relationship, we examined whether neuroinflammaging affects emotional behaviors in senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 (SAMP8) mice.

Contribution of Human Liver and Intestinal Carboxylesterases to the Hydrolysis of Selexipag In Vitro.

In liver microsomes, selexipag (NS-304; ACT-293987) mainly undergoes hydrolytic removal of the sulfonamide moiety by carboxylesterase 1 (CES1) to yield the pharmacologically active metabolite MRE-269 (ACT-333679). However, it is not known how much CES in the liver and intestine contributes to the hydrolysis of selexipag or how selexipag is metabolized in the intestine, including by hydrolysis. To obtain a better understanding of selexipag metabolism in humans, we determined the percentage contribution of CES1 and carboxylesterase 2 (CES2) to the hydrolysis of selexipag and 7 of its analogs with different sulfonamide moieties and evaluated its nonhydrolytic metabolism in human liver microsomes and human intestinal microsomes (HIMS).

Details-First, Show Context, Overview Last: Supporting Exploration of Viscous Fingers in Large-Scale Ensemble Simulations.

Visualization research often seeks designs that first establish an overview of the data, in accordance to the information seeking mantra: "Overview first, zoom and filter, then details on demand". However, in computational fluid dynamics (CFD), as well as in other domains, there are many situations where such a spatial overview is not relevant or practical for users, for example when the experts already have a good mental overview of the data, or when an analysis of a large overall structure may not be related to the specific, information-driven tasks of users. Using scientific workflow theory and, as a vehicle, the problem of viscous finger evolution, we advocate an alternative model that allows domain experts to explore features of interest first, then explore the context around those features, and finally move to a potentially unfamiliar summarization overview.

Improvement Effects of Wasabi (Wasabiajaponica) Leaves and Allyl Isothiocyanate on Stomach Lesions of Mongolian Gerbils Infected with Helicobacter pylori.

The relationship between Helicobacter pylori infection and gastric cancer associated with stomach lesions has been reported. Improvement of the adverse effects induced by H. pylori is required for human health.

Development of a simple measurement method for GluR2 protein expression as an index of neuronal vulnerability.

estimating strategies for potential neurotoxicity are required to screen multiple substances. In a previous study, we showed that exposure to low-concentrations of some chemicals, such as organotin, decreased the expression of GluR2 protein, which is a subunit of alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid (AMPA)-type glutamate receptors, and led to neuronal vulnerability. This result suggested that GluR2 decreases as an index of neuronal cell sensitivity and vulnerability to various toxic insults.

Increased lodging resistance in long-culm, low-lignin gh2 rice for improved feed and bioenergy production.

Lignin modification has been a breeding target for the improvements of forage digestibility and energy yields in forage and bioenergy crops, but decreased lignin levels are often accompanied by reduced lodging resistance. The rice mutant gold hull and internode2 (gh2) has been identified to be lignin deficient. GH2 has been mapped to the short arm of chromosome 2 and encodes cinnamyl-alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD).

Determination of absolute quantum efficiency of X-ray nano phosphors by thin film photovoltaic cells.

The absolute optical power at 611 nm emitting from Eu doped Gd2O3 nano phosphors upon X-ray excitation from a microfocus X-ray source operated at 100 kV was measured with thin film photovoltaic cells (TFPCs), whose optical response was calibrated using an He-Ne laser at 632 nm. The same TFPCs were also used to determine the absorbed X-ray power by the nano phosphors. These measurements provided a convenient and inexpensive way to determine the absolute quantum efficiency of nano phosphors, normally a difficult task.

Pregnancy outcomes after emergent laparoscopic surgery for acute adnexal disorders at less than 10 weeks of gestation.

Aim: To report our experience with pregnancy outcomes after emergent laparoscopic surgery for acute adnexal disorders at less than 10 weeks of gestation when surgical intervention could be more invasive to intrauterine pregnancy.

Methods: Gasless multiport laparoscopic surgery or transumbilical laparoendoscopic single-site surgery was performed with securing of the surgical view by the abdominal wall-lift method. Intraoperative autologous blood salvage and donation was performed in cases associated with significant hemoperitoneum.

Uterine sutures at prior caesarean section and placenta accreta in subsequent pregnancy: a case-control study.

Objective: To clarify the effects of uterine myometrial suture techniques at prior caesarean section on the incidence of pathologically diagnosed placenta accreta in placenta praevia with prior caesarean section (PPPC).

Design: Case-control study.

Setting: Eleven tertiary referral hospitals in central Japan.

Uterine adenomyoma with exophytic subserosal growth: case report of rare manifestation with image diagnosis and laparoscopic-assisted excision.

Uterine adenomyoma is a nodular aggregated form of adenomyosis composed of heterotopic endometrial or endometrium-like structures in the myometrium, with adjacent myometrial hyperplasia. Although adenomyoma is not extremely rare, reports of adenomyoma showing exophytic subserosal growth are limited. A 32-year-old nulligravida woman had sudden onset of lower abdominal pain.

Increased expression of sphingosine kinase in the amnion during labor.

Introduction: Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), a bioactive lipid, has been reported to regulate inflammation processes. The onset of labor is thought to be related to inflammation. We therefore hypothesized that S1P might be involved in the onset of labor.

[The lipid metabolism abnormality in patients administered with olanzapine].

The atypical antipsychotic medication olanzapine is a useful agent in acute and maintenance treatment of schizophrenia and related disorders. It has beneficial effects on both positive and negative symptoms, an early onset of antipsychotic action and a favourable side effect profile. On the other hand, olanzapine has many reports of causing weight gain, glucose metabolism disturbances and lipidosis.

Ectopic expression of GIP in pancreatic β-cells maintains enhanced insulin secretion in mice with complete absence of proglucagon-derived peptides.

Glucagon and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) are produced in pancreatic α-cells and enteroendocrine L-cells, respectively, in a tissue-specific manner from the same precursor, proglucagon, that is encoded by glucagon gene (Gcg), and play critical roles in glucose homeostasis. Here, we studied glucose homeostasis and β-cell function of Gcg-deficient mice that are homozygous for a Gcg-GFP knock-in allele (Gcg(gfp/gfp)). The Gcg(gfp/gfp) mice displayed improved glucose tolerance and enhanced insulin secretion, as assessed by both oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test (IPGTT).

Fertility and pregnancy-associated ß-cell proliferation in mice deficient in proglucagon-derived peptides.

Proglucagon, which is encoded by the glucagon gene (Gcg), is the precursor of several peptide hormones, including glucagon and glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1). Whereas glucagon stimulates hepatic glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis, GLP-1 stimulates insulin secretion to lower blood glucose and also supports ß-cell proliferation and protection from apoptotic stimuli. Pregnancy is a strong inducer of change in islet function, however the roles of proglucagon-derived peptides in pregnancy are only partially understood.

Opposing roles of glucocorticoid receptor and mineralocorticoid receptor in trimethyltin-induced cytotoxicity in the mouse hippocampus.

The organotin trimethyltin (TMT) is known to cause neuronal degeneration in the murine brain. Earlier studies indicate that TMT-induced neuronal degeneration is enhanced by adrenalectomy and prevented by exogenous glucocorticoid. The aim of this study was to investigate the regulation of TMT neuroxicity by corticosterone receptors including type I (mineralocorticoid receptor, MR) and type II (glucocorticoid receptor, GR) in adult mice.

Trimethyltin initially activates the caspase 8/caspase 3 pathway for damaging the primary cultured cortical neurons derived from embryonic mice.

The organotin trimethyltin (TMT) is well known to cause neuronal damage in the central nervous system. To elucidate the mechanisms underlying the toxicity of TMT toward neurons, we prepared primary cultures of neurons from the neocortex of mouse embryos. A continuous exposure to TMT produced a decrease in cell viability as well as an increase in the number of cells with nuclear condensation/shrinkage at the exposure time window up to 24 hr.

Low-grade salivary duct carcinoma of the parotid gland: report of a case with immunohistochemical analysis.

Salivary duct carcinoma (SDC) is a highly aggressive malignancy of the salivary glands. However, one type of SDC, which shows minimal invasion and better prognosis, is known as low-grade SDC (LG-SDC). This report presents an additional case of LG-SDC of the parotid gland.