Antimicrobial and food barrier properties of polyvinyl alcohol-lactic acid food packaging films.

Microbial contamination and the need for sustainable food production are driving the shift toward biodegradable food packaging materials. There is an urgent need to develop smart food packaging materials that can prevent contamination and prolong the shelf life of meat. To achieve this, the physical-chemical characteristics of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based packaging films were enhanced through incorporation of lactic acid and anthocyanins to act as a pH indicator.

Adaptive radiation of the genus in the Bonin Islands revealed through double-digest restriction site-associated DNA sequencing analysis.

The Bonin Islands, comprised of the Mukojima, Chichijima, and Hahajima Islands, are known for their isolated and distinctive habitats, hosting a diverse array of endemic flora and fauna. In these islands, adaptive radiation has played a remarkable role in speciation, particularly evident in the genus that is represented by three species: and exclusive to the Chichijima Islands, and , distributed across the entire Bonin Islands. Notably, exhibits multiple ecotypes, differing in leaf hair density, flowering time, and tree size.

Positive emotions for promoting quality improvement of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation therapy for COVID-19: In situ interprofessional simulation.

Aim: The requirement during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) treatment regardless of experience caused high levels of anxiety among healthcare professionals. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an in situ interprofessional simulation training conducted to improve readiness and preparedness for ECMO management of patients with COVID-19 at a non-high-volume ECMO centre.

Methods: Three emergency physicians, three clinical engineers and two nurses attended the 3-h simulation held at Hirosaki University Hospital in December 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Temporal and individual variation in the feeding habits of Asiatic black bears ().

Foraging plays a vital role in the survival of wildlife, and shifts in food availability can impact species fitness and survival. Ursids are known to consume a wide variety of foods and are known to be opportunistic omnivores. Consequently, seasonal shifts in diet, which correspond to temporal and spatial shifts in the availability of food resources, have long captivated researchers studying the foraging behavior of Ursidae.

Usefulness of health checkup-based indices in identifying metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.

Aims: The application of indices in the context of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) remains unexplored. We aimed to validate the ability of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), fatty liver index (FLI), and hepatic steatosis index (HSI) to identify MASLD during health checkups.

Methods: We recruited 627 participants and utilized their health checkup data and ultrasound to assess the potential of using ALT, FLI, and HSI as indices for MASLD; this was indicated by the area under the curve (AUC) and restricted cubic spline (RCS) model.

Evaluating the maturation of mental health systems in developing countries.

Background: Given the need for a simple tool to evaluate mental healthcare provision at the local level, we compared the duration of untreated mental illness (DUM) and duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) between rural and urban areas in Cambodia, and Cambodia's DUP was also compared with that of other countries.

Methods: DUM and background data were obtained at the first consultation from 940 participants in Phnom Penh (PP), the capital city, and Siem Reap province (SR) in 2016-2017. DUP data were obtained from DUM by excluding individuals with nonpsychotic mental illnesses (e.

Development of PCR primers enabling the design of flexible sticky ends for efficient concatenation of long DNA fragments.

We developed chemically modified PCR primers that allow the design of flexible sticky ends by introducing a photo-cleavable group at the phosphate moiety. Nucleic acid derivatives containing -nitrobenzyl photo-cleavable groups with a -butyl group at the benzyl position were stable during strong base treatment for oligonucleotide synthesis and thermal cycling in PCR reactions. PCR using primers incorporating these nucleic acid derivatives confirmed that chain extension reactions completely stopped at position 1 before and after the site of the photo-cleavable group was introduced.

STOP1-regulated () is involved in proton/malate co-secretion for Al tolerance in Arabidopsis.

Proton (H) release is linked to aluminum (Al)-enhanced organic acids (OAs) excretion from the roots under Al rhizotoxicity in plants. It is well-reported that the Al-enhanced organic acid excretion mechanism is regulated by SENSITIVE TO PROTON RHIZOTOXICITY1 (STOP1), a zinc-finger TF that regulates major Al tolerance genes. However, the mechanism of H release linked to OAs excretion under Al stress has not been fully elucidated.

Effects of organic mulching on moisture and temperature of soil in greenhouse production of tomato under unheated greenhouse cultivation in the cold zone of China.

In the cold zone of China, winter is cold and long and has a short duration of sunshine. Unheated earthen-wall solar greenhouses are used for tomato production in winter in this region. This was an experimental investigation of different organic mulching materials (newspaper, bran, and grass) on the soil temperature, soil moisture, tomato yield, fruit quality, and water use efficiency.

Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on gastroenterological surgeries in 2020: A study using the National Clinical Database of Japan.

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the effect of the coronavirus disease pandemic on the number of surgeries for gastroenterological cancer cases in Japan.

Methods: The data recorded in the National Clinical Database of Japan between 2018 and 2020 were utilized for this study. Five specific surgeries for primary cancers and surgery for acute diffuse peritonitis were considered the primary endpoints.

Enantioselective aromatic Claisen rearrangement of allyl 2-naphthyl ethers catalyzed by π-Cu(ii) complexes.

The first catalytic enantioselective aromatic Claisen rearrangement of allyl 2-naphthyl ethers using 5-10 mol% of π-copper(ii) complexes is reported. A Cu(OTf) complex with an l-α-homoalanine amide ligand gave ()-products in up to 92% ee. Conversely, a Cu(OSOCF) complex with an l--leucine amide ligand gave ()-products in up to 76% ee.

Elevated bile acid metabolism and microbiome are associated with suppressed cell proliferation and better survival in breast cancer.

Bile acids are metabolized by the gut microbiome and are involved in fat absorption. Contrary to their carcinogenic role in gastrointestinal cancers, bile acids have been reported to inhibit cancer cell proliferation in breast cancer. The microbiome of breast cancer tissues may also influence cancer proliferation.

Fertilization modes and the evolution of sperm characteristics in marine fishes: Paired comparisons of externally and internally fertilizing species.

Fertilization mode may affect sperm characteristics, such as morphology, velocity, and motility. However, there is little information on how fertilization mode affects sperm evolution because several factors (e.g.

Immediate postnatal central hypothyroidism caused by maternal Graves' disease: Importance of early screening.

This report illustrates a case of central hypothyroidism in a newborn immediately after birth caused by maternal Graves' disease. Infants from mothers with Graves' disease require careful examination without waiting for neonatal screening results, even though the mother's thyroid function is normal at birth or the newborn does not have goiter.

Cryostorage of unstable -acetylglucosaminyltransferase-V by synthetic zwitterions.

We report biocompatible materials for cryostorage of unstable proteins such as cancer-related enzyme, -acetylglucosaminyltransferase-V (GnT-V). GnT-V activity and the amount of protein after freezing were better retained in synthetic zwitterion solutions than in the glycerol solution. This study highlights the potential utility of synthetic zwitterions as novel cryoprotectants.

International Retrospective Cohort Study of Conversion Therapy for Stage IV Gastric Cancer 1 (CONVO-GC-1).

Aim: Much attention has been paid to conversion therapy for stage IV gastric cancer, however, its operative comorbidities and survival benefit have not yet been clarified. CONVO-GC-1, an international retrospective cohort study, was designed to investigate the role of conversion surgery in Japan, Korea, and China.

Methods: The rate of operative complications was the primary endpoint and the overall survival (OS), according to the four-category criteria previously published (Gastric Cancer:19; 2016), was analyzed as the secondary endpoint.

APOBEC3F expression in triple-negative breast cancer is associated with tumor microenvironment infiltration and activation of cancer immunity and improved survival.

The apolipoprotein B mRNA-editing enzyme catalytic polypeptide-like (APOBEC) causes a point mutation from cytidine to uracil in DNA and/or RNA. The role of APOBEC3A and APOBEC3B in breast cancer has been well described, whereas that of APOBEC3F remains unknown. To investigate the clinical relevance of APOBEC3F expression, we analyzed a total of 3000 breast cancer cases from multiple independent large patient cohorts including METABRIC, TCGA, GSE75688, and GSE114725.

Intratumoral lymphatic endothelial cell infiltration reflecting lymphangiogenesis is counterbalanced by immune responses and better cancer biology in the breast cancer tumor microenvironment.

Lymphangiogenesis, the generation of new lymphatic vessels from existing ones, results from the dynamic interactions of lymphatic endothelial cells and the tumor microenvironment (TME). It is well known that lymphangiogenesis occurs during the initial stage of metastasis in various types of malignant tumors. However, it is currently not used as a biomarker partially because gold standard method to quantify it is labor and cost intensive.

Intratumoral density of regulatory T cells is a predictor of host immune response and chemotherapy response in colorectal cancer.

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are a subset of CD4+ T lymphocytes known to dampen the host immune response against cancer cells. Within the tumor microenvironment, Tregs are potent facilitators of immune tolerance, and a higher proportion of Tregs compared to cytotoxic T cells predicts a worse outcome in most solid tumors. We studied the association between Treg density, and cancer biology and clinical outcome in colorectal cancer (CRC).

An infant with X-linked anhidrotic ectodermal dysplasia with immunodeficiency presenting with pneumonia: A case report.

pneumonia associated with primary immunodeficiency should be considered in infants with slowly progressing cyanosis, even without fever or respiratory symptoms. Genetic counseling is crucial for incontinentia pigmenti families in advance of pregnancy because lethal infections can occur before the diagnosis of X-linked anhidrotic ectodermal dysplasia with immunodeficiency.

Increased intratumor heterogeneity, angiogenesis and epithelial to mesenchymal transition pathways in metaplastic breast cancer.

Metaplastic breast cancer (MBC) constitutes a rare but unique histologic entity with poor prognosis. We hypothesized that MBC possesses unique genetic profile and tumor immune microenvironment. MBC cases were identified from a total of 10827 breast cancer entries in the Cancer Genome Atlas Data Set (TCGA) and the AACR-GENIE (Genomics Evidence Neoplasia Information Exchange) cohorts.

Formation of biogenic amines in fish: Dietary intakes and health risk assessment.

Biogenic amines (BAs) are toxicants that are produced during the proteolytic activities of some microorganisms, or naturally during the metabolism of their precursor amino acids. The objective of this study was to estimate the formed BAs in six types of fish retailed in Egypt including tilapia, mullet, mackerel, sardine, herring, and tuna. In addition, total mesophilic (TMC) and total psychrophilic (TPsC) bacterial counts were investigated.