Comprehensive Search for Genes Involved in Thalidomide Teratogenicity Using Early Differentiation Models of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells: Potential Applications in Reproductive and Developmental Toxicity Testing.

Developmental toxicity testing is essential to identify substances that may harm embryonic development. This study aimed to establish a protocol for evaluating developmental toxicity using human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) by analyzing cellular activity and gene expression changes. Two ICH S5(R3) positive substances, valproic acid (VPA), which is a substance previously detected as positive by other test methods, and thalidomide (Thalido), were examined during early trichoderm differentiation without fetal bovine serum.

Effect of starter on metabolites in Japanese alcoholic beverage sake made from the sake rice .

In sake brewing, the steamed rice is used in 2 ways, added to sake-mash and making rice. Rice- is made from the steamed rice by using starter, and its quality is an important determinant of the aroma/taste of sake. The sake rice (KOS) was developed in Niigata Prefecture by crossing 2 sake rice varieties, and .

Analysis of metabolites in Japanese alcoholic beverage sake made from the sake rice .

In sake brewing, the steamed rice is used in two ways, added to sake-mash (as ) and making . The rice is an important determinant for the quality of sake, as the metabolites in sake affect its taste/aroma. The sake rice (KOS) was developed in Niigata Prefecture by genetically crossing two sake rice, and .

The potential aroma and flavor compounds in Vitis sp. cv. Koshu and V. vinifera L. cv. Chardonnay under different environmental conditions.

Background: Koshu, a hybrid of Vitis vinifera L. and V. davidii Foex, is the most popular indigenous cultivar for wine production in Japan.

Identification of baseline gene expression signatures predicting therapeutic responses to three biologic agents in rheumatoid arthritis: a retrospective observational study.

Background: According to EULAR recommendations, biologic DMARDs (bDMARDs) such as tumor necrosis factor inhibitor, tocilizumab (TCZ), and abatacept (ABT) are in parallel when prescribing to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients who have shown insufficient response to conventional synthetic DMARDs. However, most prediction studies of therapeutic response to bDMARDs using gene expression profiles were focused on a single bDMARD, and consideration of the results from the perspective of RA pathophysiology was insufficient. The aim of this study was to identify the specific molecular biological features predicting the therapeutic outcomes of three bDMARDs (infliximab [IFX], TCZ, and ABT) by studying blood gene expression signatures of patients before biologic treatment in a unified test platform.

Islet-derived damage-associated molecular pattern molecule contributes to immune responses following microencapsulated neonatal porcine islet xenotransplantation in mice.

Background: Clinical allogeneic islet transplantation has become an attractive procedure for type 1 diabetes mellitus treatment. However, there is a severe shortage of human donors. Microencapsulated neonatal porcine islet (NPI) xenotransplantation may be an alternative transplantation procedure.

Cardiac phase-targeted dynamic load on left ventricle differentially regulates phase-sensitive gene expressions and pathway activation.

The heart has remarkable capacity to adapt to mechanical load and to dramatically change its phenotype. The mechanism underlying such diverse phenotypic adaptations remains unknown. Since systolic overload induces wall thickening, while diastolic overload induces chamber enlargement, we hypothesized that cardiac phase-sensitive mechanisms govern the adaptation.

The overexpression of Twinkle helicase ameliorates the progression of cardiac fibrosis and heart failure in pressure overload model in mice.

Myocardial mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number decreases in heart failure. In post-myocardial infarction mice, increasing mtDNA copy number by overexpressing mitochondrial transcription factor attenuates mtDNA deficiency and ameliorates pathological remodeling thereby markedly improving survival. However, the functional significance of increased mtDNA copy number in hypertensive heart disease remains unknown.

Recombinant mitochondrial transcription factor A protein inhibits nuclear factor of activated T cells signaling and attenuates pathological hypertrophy of cardiac myocytes.

The overexpression of mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) attenuates the decrease in mtDNA copy number after myocardial infarction, ameliorates pathological hypertrophy, and markedly improves survival. However, non-transgenic strategy to increase mtDNA for the treatment of pathological hypertrophy remains unknown. We produced recombinant human TFAM protein (rhTFAM).

Retropharyngeal hematoma from parathyroid hemorrhage in a hemodialysis patient.

A case of a spontaneous retropharyngeal hematoma in a patient on chronic hemodialysis is described. A 75-year-old man presented with a 5-day history of throat discomfort and neck swelling. He had been on hemodialysis for chronic renal failure with secondary hyperparathyroidism.

Congenital cholesteatoma: posterior lesions and the staging system.

Objectives: We described the characteristics of congenital cholesteatoma in Japanese patients and assessed whether the staging system is useful for predicting the rate of residual disease, the need for reexploration, and surgical outcomes.

Methods: We performed a retrospective chart analysis of 23 consecutive patients with congenital cholesteatoma.

Results: The proportion of cases with anterior-superior quadrant involvement was significantly lower in the Asian group than in Western patients.

Preparation of microcapsules containing a curing agent for epoxy resin by polyaddition reaction with the self-assembly of phase-separated polymer method in an aqueous dispersed system.

To prepare cured epoxy resin particles encapsulating a curing agent (diamine), the self-assembly of phase-separated polymer (SaPSeP) method was developed to be applicable to polyaddition reaction of a stoichiometrically imbalanced system. The SaPSeP method was developed by the authors for preparation of micrometer-sized, hollow cross-linked polymer particles by radical polymerization based on the self-assembly of phase-separated polymer at the inner interface of particles. Although a polyaddition reaction, in general, requires that the reactants are in stoichiometric balance for the cure reaction to proceed well, diamine was successfully encapsulated within a cured epoxy resin shell by utilizing the SaPSeP method regardless of stoichiometric imbalance.

Long descending motor tract axons and their control of neck and axial muscles.

It has been tacitly assumed that a long descending motor tract axon consists of a private line connecting the cell of origin to a single muscle, as a motoneuron innervates a single muscle. However, this notion of a long descending motor tract referred to as a private line is no longer tenable, since recent studies have showed that axons of all major long descending motor tracts send their axon collaterals to multiple spinal segments, suggesting that they may exert simultaneous influences on different groups of spinal interneurons and motoneurons of multiple muscles. The long descending motor systems are divided into two groups, the medial and the lateral systems including interneurons and motoneurons.