Operating characteristics of unequal allocation ratios in platform trials with the staggered addition of drugs using binary endpoints.

Background: One recommendation for the allocation ratio between multiple drugs and a shared placebo control group in platform trials (PTs) is to use a :1 allocation ratio for the placebo group relative to the drug group, where is the number of drug groups with ongoing patient enrollment during the trials. However, the practical utility of such unequal allocation ratios in PTs lacks adequate study.

Methods: We compared the performances of equal and unequal allocation ratios through simulations to imitate practical PTs using only concurrent controls and binary endpoints for hospitalized patients with infectious diseases.

From Foreshock 30-Second Waves to Magnetospheric Pc3 Waves.

Ultra-low frequency waves, with periods between 1-1000 s, are ubiquitous in the near-Earth plasma environment and play an important role in magnetospheric dynamics and in the transfer of electromagnetic energy from the solar wind to the magnetosphere. A class of those waves, often referred to as Pc3 waves when they are recorded from the ground, with periods between 10 and 45 s, are routinely observed in the dayside magnetosphere. They originate from the ion foreshock, a region of geospace extending upstream of the quasi-parallel portion of Earth's bow shock.

Using machine learning models for cuffless blood pressure estimation with ballistocardiogram and impedance plethysmogram.

Introduction: Blood pressure (BP) serves as a crucial parameter in the management of three prevalent chronic diseases, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, and cerebrovascular diseases. However, the conventional sphygmomanometer, utilizing a cuff, is unsuitable for the approach of mobile health (mHealth).

Methods: Cuffless blood pressure measurement, which eliminates the need for a cuff, is considered a promising avenue.

Association between neurological outcomes and prehospital time in patients with out-of-hospital cardiopulmonary arrest.

Introduction: Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) remains an important health care issue. Considering the importance of such a time course after cardiac arrest, detailed evaluation of the prehospital time (i.e.

Involvement of lncRNA MIR205HG in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and IL-33 regulation via Alu elements.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) causes remodeling of the distal lung. Pulmonary remodeling is histologically characterized by fibrosis, as well as appearance of basal cells; however, the involvement of basal cells in IPF remains unclear. Here, we focus on the long noncoding RNA MIR205HG, which is highly expressed in basal cells, using RNA sequencing.

Manuscript Smoking Behavior-related Genetic Variants and Lung Cancer Risk in Japanese: an Assessment by Mediation Analysis.

Cigarette smoking is one of the most important risk factors for lung cancer. Genetic studies have shown that smoking behavior-related genetic variants are directly associated with lung cancer, independent of smoking behavior, mainly in European populations. A recent genome-wide association study in Japan identified five loci associated with the number of cigarettes smoked per day.

Comparison of KJOC Scores in College Athletes With and Without Arm Trouble Across Overhead Sports.

Context: Shoulder and elbow problems are common among athletes in overhead sports, making 7 it essential to understand the characteristics of active athletes with arm trouble to improve and prevent upper extremity disorders. The Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic (KJOC) Score is widely used to evaluate upper extremity functionality in this population. Objective: (1) To compare the KJOC score between athletes with and without arm trouble in various overhead sports; and (2) to clarify the relationship between subjective competitive levels and functional characteristics using correlation analysis of the KJOC score questions.

18-year plant reproductive phenology dataset from Lambir, Borneo, including four large general flowering events.

Flowering and fruiting phenology can have large impacts on a plant's reproductive success. In many plant species, these phenological events are controlled by seasonal climatic cues, resulting in one-year reproductive cycles. However, parts of SE Asian tropical forests have an aseasonal climate with irregular fluctuations.

Postural strategy for two potential targets considering motor costs for postural stabilization and probabilistic information.

When an intended action has multiple potential goals, individuals should consider multiple possibilities about future events to react successfully. Previous studies on arm reaching using a "go-before-you-know" paradigm have found that hand trajectories under multiple potential targets were spatially averaged between targets and biased based on probabilistic information about the targets. Using a target-stepping task while standing, we recently observed that a pre-step posture was planned more advantageously for stepping to the target with higher motor costs for postural stabilization.

Dummy run study for outlining and plan quality of intensity-modulated radiotherapy in elderly patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma: The Japan clinical oncology group study JCOG1910 (AgedGlio-PIII).

Background: A dummy run was conducted to ensure the quality of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) before registration in a randomized phase III study of elderly patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma by the Japan Clinical Oncology Group 1910 (JCOG1910).

Methods: All 41 institutions enrolled in this study were required to report outlining that included gross tumor volume (GTV), clinical target volume (CTV), planning target volume (PTV), and treatment planning for one benchmark case. First, deviations in outlining were evaluated using the Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) and mean distance agreement (MDA), compared to reference targets delineated by the research secretariat.

Potential Role of Trap Clone Accumulation Areas (TCAAs) in Sustaining Pluripotency in Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells.

Analysis of gene trap clones (TCs) revealed the existence of regions where TCs accumulate in the absence of genes. These regions were designated as trap clone accumulation areas (TCAAs). To ascertain the physiological function of TCAAs, negative control regions devoid of genes and TCs (NC1 and NC11), two randomly selected known gene sets (G1 and G11), and a set of genes presumed to be involved in maintaining pluripotency in embryonic stem (ES) cells (GP) were generated and compared with TCAAs.

Health position paper and redox perspectives - Bench to bedside transition for pharmacological regulation of NRF2 in noncommunicable diseases.

Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) is a redox-activated transcription factor regulating cellular defense against oxidative stress, thereby playing a pivotal role in maintaining cellular homeostasis. Its dysregulation is implicated in the progression of a wide array of human diseases, making NRF2 a compelling target for therapeutic interventions. However, challenges persist in drug discovery and safe targeting of NRF2, as unresolved questions remain especially regarding its context-specific role in diseases and off-target effects.

Two New Halimanes with a γ-Lactone from Croton argyratus.

The phytochemical investigation of the rainforest plant Croton argyratus (Euphorbiaceae) led to the isolation of two halimane-type diterpenes, crotargyolides A (1) and B (2), with an uncommon γ-lactone ring at C-5 and C-9, together with a crotofolane-type diterpene, 3-hydroxylated crotofolin C (3, crokocrotogenoid A), and the known clerodane diterpenes, junceic acid (4) and epoxyjunceic acid (5). The structures of the newly isolated compounds were elucidated by various NMR techniques, high resolution (HR)MS analysis, and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectroscopy. The proposed biosynthetic pathway of 1 from 4 was discussed.

Spiromeroterpenoids from the Higher Plants.

Meroterpenoids are a distinctive class of natural products found in various organisms, including animals, plants, bacteria, algae, and particularly fungi. Among them, spiromeroterpenoids, which have a spiro-ring connecting a terpenoid and a non-terpenoid moiety, are markedly unique. Currently, only a limited number of plants from the families Myrtaceae, Hypericaceae, Annonaceae, Asteraceae, and Lauraceae are known to biosynthesize spiromeroterpenoids.

Biallelic genome engineering to create isogenic induced pluripotent stem cells modelling Huntington's disease.

We developed Huntington's disease (HD) modelling induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) by genome engineering of iPSCs from healthy donors. For this, we established a homologous-recombination-based biallelic substitution technique called the allele-specific universal knock-in system (asUKiS). asUKiS allows for scarless and allele-by-allele substitution of the entire region encompassing not only the polyQ-repeat but also the associated genetic modifiers surrounding the repeat region, allowing us to generate five iPSC lines with identical genetic modifiers on both alleles, differing only in polyQ repeat numbers.

Insights into in-situ free nitrous acid induced extracellular polymeric substances changes and membrane fouling mitigation in a nitritation membrane bioreactor.

This study investigated the effectiveness of free nitrous acid (FNA) on mitigating membrane fouling, with the associated mechanisms, in two nitritation membrane bioreactors (MBRs) operated with Nitrosomonas-enriched culture. Results showed that FNA stress, regulated by pH and nitrite concentration, maintained a low-level fouling as opposed to the control MBR where trans-membrane pressure (TMP) exceeded 30 kPa. Compared to the control MBR, production of biofilm in the FNA stressed MBR was reduced by 68.

Prevalence, clinical profiles, and prognosis of Isaacs syndrome: A nationwide survey study in Japan.

Objectives: To elucidate current epidemiological, clinical, and immunological profiles, and the treatment of Isaacs syndrome in Japan.

Methods: We conducted a nationwide survey using established methods. Questionnaires were sent to neurological facilities throughout Japan to identify Isaacs syndrome patients seen between April 2018 and March 2021.

Elite athlete initiatives in school mental health: crafting an art-based educational methodology for promoting mental health help-seeking.

Art-based practices have been expected and incorporated into adolescent mental health education, enhanced by their potential to promote positive psychosocial development and foster resilience. Elite athletes, while encountering similar challenges as adolescents-such as reluctance to seek psychological support-occupy a distinctive position due to their capacity to exert substantial influence on youth. This paper presents the development and conceptualization of a novel, elite athlete-led mental health education framework that employs artistic expression as a core modality.

Effect of spesolimab on sustained disease control in patients with generalized pustular psoriasis: Post hoc analysis of the EFFISAYIL 2 study.

Background: Generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP) is a chronic inflammatory disease with an unpredictable disease course. Long-term treatment goals include sustained resolution of skin symptoms, prevention of new flares, and improvement in quality of life (QoL).

Objective: To compare the effect of the interleukin-36 receptor monoclonal antibody spesolimab 600 mg subcutaneous (SC) loading dose (LD) followed by 300 mg SC every 4 weeks (q4w) versus placebo on skin symptoms and QoL burden in patients with GPP.

Phosphate Flame Retardants and Plasticizers and Their Association with Reproductive and Steroid Hormone Levels among Peripubertal-Aged Children: The Hokkaido Birth Cohort Study.

This cross-sectional study investigated associations between exposure to organophosphate flame retardants and plasticizers (PFRs) and reproductive and steroid hormones in peripubertal children from the Hokkaido Birth Cohort (429 children aged 9-12 years; between September 2017 and March 2020). Thirteen urinary PFR metabolites and 14 plasma steroid hormones were investigated using LC-MS/MS and four reproductive hormones were investigated using immunoassays. Linear regression for single PFR, quantile g-computation, and Bayesian machine kernel regression (BKMR) models for the PFR mixtures were used to examine the association between hormones and PFRs.

Association Between the Intensity and Frequency of Swallowing Rehabilitation and Oral Intake at Discharge in Older Patients with Acute Post-stroke Dysphagia.

This retrospective cohort study aimed to clarify the concurrent effects of intensity and frequency of early swallowing rehabilitation for post-stroke dysphagia. Using data from acute-care hospitals included in the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination database between April 2020 and March 2021, we identified patients aged ≥65 years with dysphagia after acute stroke on admission who received swallowing rehabilitation within three days of hospitalization. Swallowing rehabilitation within seven days of hospitalization, starting from admission, was categorized into four types according to intensity (long/short per day) and frequency (high/low proportion of days performed).

Heartbeat evoked potentials reflect interoceptive awareness during an emotional situation.

Interoception, the ability to perceive internal bodily signals, involves various mental processes. This study investigated moments when individuals experienced a change in their interoceptive state. Interoception affects the subjective feelings of emotions.

A mini-hairpin shaped nascent peptide blocks translation termination by a distinct mechanism.

Protein synthesis by ribosomes produces functional proteins but also serves diverse regulatory functions, which depend on the coding amino acid sequences. Certain nascent peptides interact with the ribosome exit tunnel to arrest translation and modulate themselves or the expression of downstream genes. However, a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms of such ribosome stalling and its regulation remains elusive.

Predictors of Left Atrial Thrombi for Subsequent Thromboembolisms: Risk Factors Derived from Echocardiography.

Background: Evidence regarding the management of left atrial thrombi (LATs) is limited.

Objectives: We aimed to investigate factors associated with subsequent thromboembolism in patients with LATs and explored potential management approaches.

Methods: This multicenter retrospective study consecutively enrolled patients who underwent morphological assessment of LAT using echocardiography.