Gene Selection of Methionine-Dependent Melanoma and Independent Melanoma by Variable Selection Using Tensor Decomposition.

Methionine is an essential amino acid. Dietary methionine restriction is associated with decreased tumor growth in preclinical studies and extended lifespans in animal models. The mechanism by which methionine restriction inhibits tumor growth while sparing normal cells is not fully understood.

Heterodimeric Ciliary Dynein f/I1 Adopts a Distinctive Structure, Providing Insight Into the Autoinhibitory Mechanism Common to the Dynein Family.

Dyneins are huge motor protein complexes that are essential for cell motility, cell division, and intracellular transport. Dyneins are classified into three major subfamilies, namely cytoplasmic, intraflagellar-transport (IFT), and ciliary dyneins, based on their intracellular localization and functions. Recently, several near-atomic resolution structures have been reported for cytoplasmic/IFT dyneins.

KaiC family ATPases in the nonheterocystous nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium Leptolyngbya boryana.

A circadian clock is reconstituted in vitro by incubating three proteins, KaiA, KaiB, and KaiC from the non-nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 in the presence of ATP. Leptolyngbya boryana is a filamentous cyanobacterium that grows diazotrophically under microoxic conditions. Among the aforementioned proteins, KaiC is the main clock oscillator belonging to the RecA ATPase superfamily.

Total Synthesis of Exiguolide Stereoisomers: Impact of Stereochemical Permutation on Reactivity, Conformation, and Biological Activity.

(-)-Exiguolide is a marine macrolide natural product with potent anticancer activity. In this study, the total synthesis of exiguolide stereoisomers, (9)-exiguolide, (9,13)-exiguolide, and (9,13,19)-exiguolide, was achieved by capitalizing on our macrocyclization/transannular pyran cyclization strategy. The impact of the stereochemical permutation on the reactivity of advanced intermediates, the conformation of the macrocyclic skeleton, and the antiproliferative activity against human cancer cells were investigated in detail.

Novel artificial intelligence-based identification of drug-gene-disease interaction using protein-protein interaction.

The evaluation of drug-gene-disease interactions is key for the identification of drugs effective against disease. However, at present, drugs that are effective against genes that are critical for disease are difficult to identify. Following a disease-centric approach, there is a need to identify genes critical to disease function and find drugs that are effective against them.

Novel photochromic system using methylene blue reduction with l-ascorbic acid.

A novel photochromic system was discovered, in which leucomethylene blue, reduced by l-ascorbic acid, was irradiated with 405 nm visible light, resulting in the solution undergoing a colorless-to-blue transition. The process was then repeated, with the solution returning to its colorless state when left undisturbed. This photochromic reaction is sensitive enough to be driven by a blue-violet LED lamp and enables figures to be drawn in solution with a laser pointer.

The retrieval of neutral and positive autobiographical memories: a pilot study.

Background: Several studies have shown that the retrieval of positive memories may play a role in emotional regulation. However, it is unclear whether the effects of neutral and positive autobiographical memories differ. It is necessary to confirm whether genuinely neutral autobiographical memories can be retrieved without bias when prompted to recall neutral memories.

Tracing ALS Degeneration: Insights from Spinal Cord and Cortex Transcriptomes.

Background/objectives: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the loss of upper and lower motor neurons. Key factors contributing to neuronal death include mitochondrial energy damage, oxidative stress, and excitotoxicity. The frontal cortex is crucial for action initiation, planning, and voluntary movements whereas the spinal cord facilitates communication with the brain, walking, and reflexes.

Quantum Stream Cipher Based on Holevo-Yuen Theory: Part II.

This paper discusses the foundation of security theory for the Quantum stream cipher based on the Holevo-Yuen theory, which allows the use of "optical amplifiers". This type of cipher is a technology that provides information-theoretic security (ITS) to optical data transmission by randomizing ultrafast optical communication signals with quantum noise. In general, the quantitative security of ITS is evaluated in terms of the unicity distance in Shannon theory.

Unbuckling the 18-Crown-6 Ether Belt Around Metal Ions: Forging the Connection to the Condensed Phase.

Crown ethers are central to supramolecular chemistry, recognizing and binding specific ions in solution. The most well-known, 18-Crown-6 (18C6), preferentially captures K in an aqueous solution, while gas phase binding of 18C6 with alkali metal ions decreases linearly with an increasing ionic radius. Why the high affinity for Li and Na in the gas phase is dramatically reduced with hydration remains an open question in understanding the K selectivity in the aqueous phase.

Impact of Pre-Hospital Intravenous Infusion on Physiological Parameters in Severe Trauma Patients.

Introduction The relationship between pre-hospital intravenous (IV) infusions administered by emergency life-saving technicians (ELSTs) to trauma patients in shock and the resulting variability in their vital signs before hospital arrival remains unclear. In 2014, Japan approved the use of lactated Ringer's solution via IV by ELSTs for patients aged 15 and older with non-cardiac arrest and shock symptoms not caused by cardiogenic factors. However, the impact of pre-hospital IV infusions on physiological parameters in severely injured trauma patients is still unknown.

Excited State Dynamics of Geometrical Evolution of α-Substituted Dibenzoylmethanatoboron Difluoride Complex with Aggregation-Induced Emission Property.

Organic molecules with an aggregation-induced emission (AIE) property have been attracting much attention from the viewpoint of application to solid state emissive materials. For the AIE mechanism, quantum mechanical studies proposed the restriction of the intramolecular motion (RIM) model with the contribution of the conical intersection (CI) and deduced the importance of the restricted access to a conical intersection (RACI) in the potential energy surface (PES). Although these theoretical studies have contributed to the elucidation of AIE phenomena, direct detection of the reaction dynamics is indispensable to clarify the actual PES and the deactivation mechanism.

Tailoring Hematite Photoanodes for Improved PEC Performance: The Role of Alcohol Species Revealed by SHAP Analysis.

We explore the synergistic effects of TiO underlayers and varied alcohol species in the precursor solutions on the photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance of hematite photoanodes. Utilizing a robust machine learning (ML) framework combined with comprehensive analytical data sets, we systematically investigate how these modifications influence key physical and chemical properties, directly impacting the efficiency of water splitting processes. Our approach employs an ML model that integrates SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) to quantitatively assess the impact of each dominant descriptor selected in the analytical data on the PEC performance, and they were combined with the SHAP values' dependence on the experimental operations.

Relationship between fat-free mass index and nutrient intake in protein supplement user among Japanese collegiate soccer athletes.

Purpose: Protein supplements are widely used by athletes, prompting the scrutiny of their impact on low energy availability. This study investigated whether habitual protein supplement use is linked to physical characteristics and nutrient intake in Japanese university soccer athletes. In addition, an attempt was made to examine the differences in physical characteristics and nutrient intake according to muscle mass in protein supplement users using the fat-free mass index (FFMI), which reflects muscle mass.

Novel large empirical study of deep transfer learning for COVID-19 classification based on CT and X-ray images.

The early and highly accurate prediction of COVID-19 based on medical images can speed up the diagnostic process and thereby mitigate disease spread; therefore, developing AI-based models is an inevitable endeavor. The presented work, to our knowledge, is the first to expand the model space and identify a better performing model among 10,000 constructed deep transfer learning (DTL) models as follows. First, we downloaded and processed 4481 CT and X-ray images pertaining to COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients, obtained from the Kaggle repository.

Microfluidics-based stable production of monodisperse giant unilamellar vesicles by oil-phase removal from double emulsion.

Giant liposomes, or giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs), have been utilized as cell-size bioreactors to replicate the physical and chemical properties of biological cells. However, conventional methods for preparing GUVs typically lack precise control over their size. Several research groups have recently developed microfluidic techniques to create monodisperse GUVs by generating water-in-oil-in-water (W/O/W) droplets with a thin oil layer that subsequently transform into GUVs.

Prevalence of Anemia and Hemoglobin Distribution Based on Large-scale Occupational Health Examination Data.

Objective To calculate the prevalence of anemia based on sex and age using large-scale occupational health examination data, confirm the Hb) distribution in the elderly, and examine the standard for screening for anemia in Japan. Methods Using existing large-scale occupational health examination data of patients who underwent health examinations between April 2015 and March 2022, we calculated the prevalence of anemia based on sex and age. Patients We included 416,366 patients aged 20-89 years who underwent health checkups at health checkup facilities in Japan.

Na + -driven pH regulation by Na+/H+ antiporters promotes photosynthetic efficiency in cyanobacteria.

Photosynthetic organisms have developed mechanisms to regulate light reactions in response to varying light conditions. Photosynthetic electron transport leads to the formation of a ΔpH across the thylakoid membrane (TM), which is crucial for regulating electron transport. However, other pH modulators remain to be identified, particularly in cyanobacteria.

Model-based estimation of heart movements using microwave Doppler radar sensor.

Background: Heart rate is one of the most crucial vital signs and can be measured remotely using microwave Doppler radar. As the distance between the body and the Doppler radar sensor increases, the output signal weakens, making it difficult to extract heartbeat waveforms. In this study, we propose a new template-matching method that addresses this issue by simulating Doppler radar signals.

Romantic bias in judging the attractiveness of faces wearing masks.

The spread of COVID-19 has drastically increased the number of people wearing masks in public areas and the opportunities to evaluate others' faces based on limited information. This study investigates the cognitive bias in judging the attractiveness of faces partially hidden by sanitary masks. Experiment 1 revealed that men rated women's faces as more attractive when wearing masks, specifically in the context of rating women as romantic partners; however, this mask bias was absent when men rated women as friends.

Iriomoteolide-1a and -1b: Structure Elucidation by Integrating NMR Spectroscopic Analysis, Theoretical Calculation, and Total Synthesis.

The structure of iriomoteolide-1a, a marine macrolide with potent cytotoxic activity against human cancer cells, has been under scrutiny for more than a decade since the first total synthesis of the proposed structure was achieved by Horne. Here we disclose the correct structure of iriomoteolide-1a. Given a huge number of possible stereoisomers, we adopted an integrated strategy toward the structure elucidation of iriomoteolide-1a: (1) NMR spectroscopic analysis/molecular mechanics-based conformational analysis for configurational reassignment of the macrolactone domain; (2) model synthesis for validating the reassigned configuration of the macrolactone domain; (3) GIAO NMR calculation/DP4+ analysis of side chain stereoisomers; and (4) total synthesis of the most likely structure.