Adolescent social isolation decreases colonic goblet cells and impairs spatial cognition through the reduction of cystine.

Negative experiences during adolescence, such as social isolation (SI), bullying, and abuse, increase the risk of psychiatric diseases in adulthood. However, the pathogenesis of psychiatric diseases induced by these factors remain poorly understood. In adolescents, stress affects the intestinal homeostasis in the gut-brain axis.

Do elevated preoperative serum inflammatory markers influence surgical site or periprosthetic joint infections following primary total hip arthroplasty?

Background: We aimed to determine whether elevated preoperative serum inflammatory markers influence surgical site infections (SSIs) and periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs) after primary total hip arthroplasty (THA).

Methods: In this retrospective single-institution study, 1115 patients who underwent primary THA were enrolled. Cases of SSI/PJI were identified.

Patients' Trajectory With Lung Cancer From Treatment Initiation to End-Of-Life: A Retrospective Cohort Study Using Claims Data in Japan.

Introduction: This study aimed to describe the course of patients with lung cancer from treatment initiation to end-of-life.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study used Claims Data from the National Health Insurance and Advanced Elderly Medical Service System. We analyzed data from patients newly diagnosed with lung cancer between April 2013 and March 2021 who had been hospitalized at our University Hospital in urban area.

Common genetic etiologies of sensorineural hearing loss in Koreans.

Hearing loss is the most common sensory disorder. Genetic factors contribute substantially to this condition, although allelic heterogeneity and variable expressivity make a definite molecular diagnosis challenging. To provide a brief overview of the genomic landscape of sensorineural hearing loss in Koreans, this article reviews the genetic etiologies of nonsyndromic hearing loss in Koreans as well as the clinical characteristics, genotype-phenotype correlations, and pathogenesis of hearing loss arising from common variants observed in this population.

α-Synuclein pathology as a target in neurodegenerative diseases.

α-Synuclein misfolds into pathological forms that lead to various neurodegenerative diseases known collectively as α-synucleinopathies. In this Review, we provide a comprehensive overview of pivotal advances in α-synuclein research. We examine structural features and physiological functions of α-synuclein and summarize current insights into key post-translational modifications, such as nitration, phosphorylation, ubiquitination, sumoylation and truncation, considering their contributions to neurodegeneration.

Simultaneous surgery for gastrostomy and laryngotracheal separation in a patient with Tay‒Sachs disease.

Genetic testing identified novel compound heterozygous missense variants in the HEXA gene (NM_00520.6: c.775A>C and NM_000520.

Impact of longitudinal changes in serum uric acid levels and weight gain on new-onset atrial fibrillation-The Nishimura Health Survey: a retrospective cohort study.

Objective: Uric acid (UA) and obesity are significant risk factors for new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF). Based on the pathogenesis mechanisms of new-onset AF involving obesity and UA, it is possible that UA and weight gain may interact with each other. We investigated the impact of UA and weight gain on new-onset AF using a simple measure of weight change over time, 'weight gain of ≥10 kg after age 20'.

Efficacy and safety of everolimus for patients with focal cortical dysplasia type 2.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of everolimus in treating seizures associated with focal cortical dysplasia type 2 (FCD 2).

Methods: A prospective, crossover, placebo-controlled clinical trial (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03198949) enrolled patients aged 4-40 years with pathologically confirmed FCD 2 and a history of ≥3 seizures per month for two out of the 3 months prior to screening.

A more elaborate genetic clock for clonal species.

The genetic clock is a well-established tool used in evolutionary biology for estimating divergence times between species, individuals, or cells based on DNA sequence changes. Yu et al. have revisited the clock to make it applicable to clonal multicellular organisms that expand through asexual reproduction mechanisms, enabling more comprehensive evolutionary tracking.

Histological Improvement of Hepatic Fibrosis of Decompensated Liver Cirrhosis after Prednisolone and Azathioprine Treatment in a Patient with Autoimmune Hepatitis.

The treatment of the underlying cause of liver disease may potentially reverse hepatic fibrosis. However, it remains uncertain whether improvement in fibrosis can be observed in decompensated liver cirrhosis (LC). Here, we present a case of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH)-related LC in which histological improvement of fibrosis was achieved despite the presence of decompensated LC.

Cervical CT Angiography: The Advantage of Ultra-High-Resolution CT Versus Conventional HRCT.

Pre-treatment depiction of the cervical arteries is important for better intra-arterial infusion therapy of malignant head and neck tumors. There have not been any studies on the image quality of ultra-high-resolution computed tomography (U-HRCT) for cervical CT angiography (CTA). The aim of this study is to evaluate the advantages of U-HRCT over conventional HRCT for cervical CTA; Methods: Forty-one patients underwent cervical CTA prior to selective intra-arterial infusion chemotherapy for malignant head and neck tumors.

Identification of Molecular Subtypes and Prognostic Traits Based on Chromosomal Instability Phenotype-Related Genes in Lung Adenocarcinoma.

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) exhibits significant molecular heterogeneity; however, previous studies have not fully explored its classification into distinct molecular subtypes. Here, we identified LUAD-significant chromosomal instability (CIN) phenotype genes ( = 24) using a TCGA-LUAD cohort ( = 592) and evaluated their ability to predict pathologic grade. Unsupervised clustering and principal component analysis revealed that LUAD patients could be classified into CIN phenotype-related subtypes (Group, Group, and Group), each exhibiting distinct transcriptomic patterns.

Minimal Clinically Important Differences With the Outcomes of the App-Based Japanese Allergic Conjunctival Diseases Quality of Life Questionnaire: Cross-Sectional Observational Study.

Background: Assessing changes in quality of life in patients with hay fever-related allergic conjunctivitis requires validated and clinically meaningful metrics. A minimal clinically important difference (MCID) that can be applied to assess Domain II of the Japanese Allergic Conjunctival Disease Quality of Life Questionnaire (JACQLQ) in a smartphone app setting has yet to be determined.

Objective: This cross-sectional observational study aimed to determine MCIDs for the app-based JACQLQ in assessing hay fever-related allergic conjunctivitis.

Liposomal Codelivery of Doxorubicin and Curcumin Sensitizes Antitumor Activity and Reduces Tumor Metastasis.

Multidrug resistance (MDR) is a major obstacle to traditional cancer treatment using chemotherapeutic agents like doxorubicin (DOX). MDR affects drug dosage regimens and enables the recurrence and metastasis of cancer. Because DOX causes severe side effects at high dosages, it is important to use an MDR modulator to make cancer cells sensitive to DOX.

A case of autoimmune factor XIII deficiency due to clearance-accelerating and inhibitory anti-FXIII autoantibodies.

A 63-year-old man, previously diagnosed with multiple autoimmune diseases, developed life-threatening bleeding after gastrectomy for stomach cancer. He survived due to treatment with factor XIII (FXIII) concentrates immediately after his FXIII antigen (Ag) level was reported to be < 5% of normal. Detailed examination by the Japanese Collaborative Research Group on autoimmune coagulation factor deficiencies revealed the presence of anti-FXIII-A and anti-FXIII-B subunit autoantibodies on immunoblot analyses, and thus autoimmune FXIII deficiency (AiF13D) was diagnosed based on the Japanese and international diagnostic criteria.

Role of gut microbiota in inflammatory bowel disease pathogenesis.

The role of the gut microbiota, especially bacterial flora, in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is becoming clearer. Advances in gut microbiota analysis and the use of gnotobiotics models have underscored the importance of gut bacteria and their metabolites in the progression of IBD. Fecal microbiota transplantation has shown promise in clinical trials for ulcerative colitis started as Advanced Medical Care B in Japan, raising expectations for its outcomes.

Parents' Expectations of Parent Training programs for Parents of Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Japan.

Background: The efficacy of parent training for neurodevelopmental disorders has been demonstrated in numerous studies. This study conducted a needs assessment of Japanese parents regarding parent training for neurodevelopmental disorders.

Methods: Responses from 806 parents of children with neurodevelopmental disorders, as well as those with suspected but undiagnosed neurodevelopmental disorders, who had not yet received parent training were analyzed.

An Optimal Transport Medium for SARS-CoV-2 Detection in the Direct Method of Rapid Microfluidic PCR System.

Background: Recently developed rapid real-time reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) systems adopting microfluidic thermal cycling technology are ideal for point-of-care (POC) testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Because the RNA extraction step before real-time RT-PCR is rate-limiting, a direct RNA extraction method (direct method) that adopts chemical viral lysis and eliminates RNA purification steps is preferable for rapid real-time RT-PCR. In the direct method, selecting the transport medium is essential because it may be introduced into subsequent real-time RT-PCR steps, but might inhibit PCR.