Quaternary Radiation of Spring Ephemerals.

The emergence of East Asian spring ephemerals and the unique ecosystem can be attributed primarily to vicariance, brought about by the Quaternary rifting of the Okinawa Trough, the formation of the East China Sea, and the isolation of the island chains of Ryukyu, Japan, and Taiwan from the Asian continent. The northern forests of Japan, dominated by and the associated , present a captivating display of spring-flowering ephemerals, including , , , and . Among these, is also considered part of the spring ephemerals.

Long-term mental health crisis among municipal public employees caused by the Fukushima nuclear accident and subsequent disasters: Questionnaire survey 10 years postdisaster.

Aim: After the Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011, several municipal offices were forced to evacuate, and municipal public employees (MPEs) had to perform many administrative tasks related to the disaster. Typhoons and the COVID-19 pandemic also affected the area afterwards. We conducted a survey for MPEs to investigate the mental health impacts and related factors.

Launching a child and adolescent psychiatry training program in Mongolia inspired by Japanese models.

This manuscript details the development and implementation of Mongolia's first official training program for child and adolescent psychiatry (CAP) specialists. This initiative, inspired by and developed in collaboration with Japanese CAP training models, addresses the substantial gap in specialized mental health services for children and adolescents in Mongolia. Our discussion elaborates on the collaborative efforts between the Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences, Nagoya University, and other partnering institutions, reflecting on the initial outcomes and the strategic importance of this program.

Generation and characterization of OX40-ligand fusion protein that agonizes OX40 on T-Lymphocytes.

OX40, a member of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor superfamily, is expressed on the surface of activated T cells. Upon interaction with its cognate ligand, OX40L, OX40 transmits costimulatory signals to antigen-primed T cells, promoting their activation, differentiation, and survivalprocesses essential for the establishment of adaptive immunity. Although the OX40-OX40L interaction has been extensively studied in the context of disease treatment, developing a substitute for the naturally expressed membrane-bound OX40L, particularly a multimerized OX40L trimers, that effectively regulates OX40-driven T cell responses remains a significant challenge.

Single-cell transcriptome analysis of medaka lymphocytes reveals absence of fully mature T cells in the thymus and the T-lineage commitment in the kidney.

The cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying lymphocyte development are diverse among teleost species. Although recent scRNA-seq analyses of zebrafish hematopoietic cells have advanced our understanding of teleost hematopoiesis, comparative studies using another genetic model, medaka, which is evolutionarily distant among teleosts, is useful for understanding commonality and species-specificity in teleosts. In order to gain insight into how different molecular and cellular mechanisms of lymphocyte development in medaka and zebrafish, we established a () mutant medaka, which exhibited defects in V(D)J rearrangement of lymphocyte antigen receptor genes, accordingly lacking mature B and T cells.

Nationwide multi-centric prospective study for the identification of biomarkers to predict the treatment responses of nivolumab through comprehensive analyses of pretreatment plasma exosome mRNAs from head and neck cancer patients (BIONEXT study).

Background: Nivolumab paved a new way in the treatment of patients with recurrent or metastatic (RM) head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (RM-HNSCC). However, the limited rates of long-term survivors (< 20%) demand a robust prognostic biomarker. This nationwide multi-centric prospective study aimed to identify a plasma exosome (PEX) mRNA signature, which serves as a companion diagnostic of nivolumab and provides a biological clue to develop effective therapies for a majority of non-survivors.

Association between complete blood cell count-derived inflammatory biomarkers and gallstones prevalence in American adults under 60 years of age.

Background: The trend of gallstones occurring in younger populations has become a noteworthy public health issue. This study aims to investigate the association between complete blood cell count (CBC)-derived inflammatory indicators and gallstones in adults under 60 years of age in the United States.

Methods: This cross-sectional study used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2017 to 2020.

Inhibition of hippocampal interleukin-6 receptor-evoked signalling normalises long-term potentiation in dystrophin-deficient mice.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), an X-linked neuromuscular disorder, characterised by progressive immobility, chronic inflammation and premature death, is caused by the loss of the mechano-transducing signalling molecule, dystrophin. In non-contracting cells, such as neurons, dystrophin is likely to have a functional role in synaptic plasticity, anchoring post-synaptic receptors. Dystrophin-expressing hippocampal neurons are key to cognitive functions such as emotions, learning and the consolidation of memories.

Understanding marital stability through work-family experiences in proximal and distal contexts: Comparing United States and Japan.

Objective: Guided by Gottman's framework of marital stability and the ecological theories, the present study aims to understand the relationships between work-family spillover and marital stability within two levels of context-the relational and social cultural contexts.

Background: The relational context of marriage is manifested by spousal relationships-spousal support and strain, which would moderate the relationship between work-family spillover and marital stability. Identified relationships also unfold within sociocultural contexts.

Investigation of the Feasibility and Safety of a Highly Intensive Penetration Technique for Recanalization in Severe Calcified Femoropopliteal Occlusive Lesions: A Retrospective Observational Study.

Background And Aims: When dealing with severely calcified lesions in endovascular therapy (EVT) for lower extremity artery disease (LEAD), navigating through severely calcified chronic total occlusion (CTO) using hard-tip guidewires can be challenging. To address this issue, we employed a novel highly intensive penetration (HIP) technique. This technique involves modifying the tail of a 0.

Clinical outcomes and biomechanics in bicruciate-retaining total knee arthroplasty.

Purpose: To clarify the influence of biomechanics on post-operative clinical outcomes in bicruciate-retaining total knee arthroplasty (BCR-TKA).

Methods: Severe medial osteoarthritis who underwent BCR-TKA were examined. Each patient was asked to perform a squat (weight-bearing [WB]) and active assisted knee flexion (non-WB [NWB]) under single fluoroscopy surveillance.

Anterior-Posterior Abdominal Diameter and Waist Circumference Have Comparable Predictive Ability for Visceral Fat Area.

Objective: Waist circumference measurement is commonly used as a method for predicting the visceral fat area. However, waist circumference is difficult to measure, and there is a large margin of error between measurements. Visceral fat is adipose tissue that accumulates in the abdominal cavity, and when it accumulates in excess, abdominal computed tomography reveals a prominent protrusion of the anterior-posterior diameter of the abdomen in a coronal section at the umbilicus level.

Primordial black holes and their gravitational-wave signatures.

In the recent years, primordial black holes (PBHs) have emerged as one of the most interesting and hotly debated topics in cosmology. Among other possibilities, PBHs could explain both some of the signals from binary black hole mergers observed in gravitational-wave detectors and an important component of the dark matter in the Universe. Significant progress has been achieved both on the theory side and from the point of view of observations, including new models and more accurate calculations of PBH formation, evolution, clustering, merger rates, as well as new astrophysical and cosmological probes.

Hata-Yanagiya physical activity calculation system: a novel global positioning system-based method for accurate estimation of oxygen consumption during walking and running.

Introduction: Marathon running has become increasingly popular among amateur athletes, many of whom maintain speeds of 8-9 km/h. However, existing methods for estimating oxygen consumption (VO) during running and walking-such as the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) equations and commercial activity monitors-often lack accuracy and transparency. This study introduces the Hata-Yanagiya Physical Activity Calculation (HYPAC) system, a novel approach for estimating VO using Global Positioning System (GPS) and map data.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Oral Health Perception, Hygiene Behaviors, and Oral Health-Related Quality of Life in Myanmar.

Background And Aims: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted various aspects of daily life, including oral health. However, limited research has explored the effects of the pandemic on oral health perceptions, hygiene behaviors, and their subsequent influence on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in underserved settings. This study aims to assess changes in oral health perceptions and behaviors during the pandemic and their impact on OHRQoL in Myanmar.

Safety and Efficacy of a 6-Month Placement of a Fully Covered Self-Expanding Metallic Stent for Refractory Benign Biliary Stricture: A Multicenter Prospective Study.

Background And Aim: Managing benign biliary stricture endoscopically is complicated and challenging. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a 6-month placement of a fully covered self-expanding metallic stent for refractory benign biliary stricture.

Methods: Twenty-two patients with refractory benign biliary stricture (13 with chronic pancreatitis and 9 without) were recruited from five higher tertiary care centers.

Optimizing oral 3-hydroxybutyrate dosage using pharmacokinetic model to improve cognitive function and mood in healthy subjects.

Introduction: The brain uses ketones, mainly 3-hydroxybutyrate (3-HB), as an alternative energy source. Therefore, oral intake of 3-HB may help maintain brain health. Previous studies indicated that achieving a maximum concentration (C) of 3-HB in plasma at 0.

Surgical management of endometrial cancer in patient with musculocontractural Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome harboring pathogenic variants in CHST14 (mcEDS-CHST14): A case report.

Introduction: Musculocontractural Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (mcEDS) is a rare autosomal recessive connective tissue disorder caused by systemic depletion of dermatan sulfate. Symptoms characteristic of mcEDS include multiple contractures, fragile skin with subcutaneous bleeding, and hypermobile joints, which suggest difficulty in perioperative management. However, safe surgical techniques and perioperative management of this disorder remain unknown because of its rarity.

Imputation for Lipidomics and Metabolomics (ImpLiMet): a web-based application for optimization and method selection for missing data imputation.

Motivation: Missing values are prevalent in high-throughput measurements due to various experimental or analytical reasons. Imputation, the process of replacing missing values in a dataset with estimated values, plays an important role in multivariate and machine learning analyses. The three missingness patterns, including missing completely at random, missing at random, and missing not at random, describe unique dependencies between the missing and observed data.

Predictors for recurrence of drug use among males on probation for methamphetamine use in Japan: a one-year follow-up study.

Background: Methamphetamine use is related to severe health, social, and criminal challenges. However, there is limited evidence regarding the factors associated with the recurrence of drug use among individuals who have used methamphetamine, particularly within populations involved in the criminal justice system. This study aimed to identify predictors of illicit drug use at a one-year follow-up among males in Japan who have used methamphetamine and are involved in the criminal justice system.

Differences in Ocular Biometry Between Short-Axial and Normal-Axial Eyes in the Elderly Japanese.

Purpose: Among patients with angle-closure glaucoma, it is common to have a short-axial eye, which also makes it difficult to select an appropriate intraocular lens. Previous studies have focused on the ocular biometry of the long-axial eye, whereas only a few reports have focused on the short-axial eye. This study aimed to clarify the characteristics of the short-axial eye on ocular biometry among the elderly Japanese.

Orsay virus infection rate declines with age in .

The intracellular pathogen response is regulated by multiple genes in . How such responses change with age is largely unknown. Thus, we investigated potential age-dependent changes in the immune response to the -specific Orsay virus .

Canine adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal cells inhibit the growth of canine hematologic malignancy cell lines.

Introduction: Intestinal lymphoma may be latent in some dogs with chronic inflammatory enteropathy. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have potential therapeutic applications for refractory chronic inflammatory enteropathy, but their impact on the development of potential intestinal lymphomas has not yet been evaluated. Therefore, this study was performed to investigate the effect of canine adipose-derived MSCs (cADSCs) on the growth of canine lymphoma cell lines to assess the safety of MSC-based therapy in terms of pro- and anti-tumorigenic effects.

Development of chimeric antigen receptor T cells targeting cancer-expressing podocalyxin.

Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy has revolutionized the treatment of CD19-positive B-cell malignancies. However, the field is rapidly evolving to target other antigens, such as podocalyxin (PODXL), a transmembrane protein implicated in tumor progression and poor prognosis in various cancers. This study explores the potential of PODXL-targeted CAR-T cells, utilizing a cancer-specific monoclonal antibody (CasMab) technique to enhance the specificity and safety of CAR-T cell therapy.

Cost-Effectiveness and Clinical Outcomes of Controlled Ovarian Stimulation With Follitropin Delta and Follitropin Alfa: A Retrospective Study.

Aim: This study compared the cost-effectiveness of two recombinant follicle-stimulating hormones (rFSH) formulations, Follitropin Delta and Follitropin Alfa, in controlled ovarian stimulation using cumulative live birth rates as an efficacy indicator.

Methodology: This retrospective study was conducted across five clinics in Japan from April 2022 to December 2023, involving 446 first assisted reproductive technology (ART) cycles (200 with Follitropin Delta and 246 with Follitropin Alfa) were treated with rFSH monotherapy using either Follitropin Delta or Follitropin Alfa. We compared clinical outcomes such as cumulative pregnancy and live birth rates and analyzed cost-effectiveness using the cumulative live birth rates as the efficacy indicator and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER).