Involvement of nuclear receptor corepressor 2 (NCOR2) in estrogen-induced repression of arcuate Kiss1 expression in female rats.

Hypothalamic arcuate (ARC) kisspeptin neurons are considered the gonadotropin-releasing hormone pulse generator in rats. In virgin rats, the expression of the ARC kisspeptin gene (Kiss1) is repressed by proestrous levels of estradiol-17β (high E2) but not by diestrous levels of E2 (low E2). In lactating rats, ARC Kiss1 expression is repressed by low E2 during late lactation.

All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality Associated with Long-Term Exposure to Fine Particulate Matter in Japan: The Ibaraki Prefectural Health Study.

Aims: Long-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM) is causally associated with mortality and cardiovascular disease. However, in terms of cardiovascular cause-specific outcomes, there are fewer studies about stroke than about coronary heart disease, particularly in Asia. Furthermore, there remains uncertainty regarding the PM-respiratory disease association.

Actual Use of Budesonide Enteric-Coated Capsules for Crohn's Disease in Japan: Analysis of Health Insurance Big Data.

Using a large health insurance database in Japan, we examined the real-world usage of budesonide enteric-coated capsules (BUD) in treating Crohn's disease. We analyzed data from the Japan Medical Data Center claims database for Crohn's disease patients prescribed BUD from April 2016 to March 2021, focusing on prescription status, adverse events (AEs), monitoring tests, and concomitant medications over 2 years following BUD initiation. Patients were categorized into two groups based on BUD usage duration: ≤1 year and >1 year.

A 3D Cell-Culture System That Uses Nano-Fibrillated Bacterial Cellulose to Prepare a Spherical Formulation of Culture Cells.

A 3-dimensional (3D) cell culture is now being actively pursued to accomplish the in vivo-like cellular morphology and biological functions in cell culture. We recently obtained nano-fibrillated bacterial cellulose (NFBC). In this study, we developed a novel NFBC-based 3D cell-culture system, the OnGel method, and the Suspension method.

Assessment of Risk of Acidosis in Patients with Mild-to-Moderate Chronic Kidney Disease Treated with Intravenous Branched-Chain Amino Acid-Enriched Solution: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis.

Intravenous administration of branched-chain amino acid (BCAA)-enriched solution is contraindicated in patients with severe chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, there have been no reports on its risks in patients with mild-to-moderate CKD. In this study, we compared the incidence of acidosis between patients with mild-to-moderate CKD (estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] ≥30 and <60 mL/min/1.

Impact of Daily High Ergosterol Intake for 14 Weeks in Ovariectomized Rats on Cholesterol and Vitamin D Biosynthesis Pathways.

Postmenopausal women are at a higher risk of developing dyslipidemia and osteoporosis due to estrogen deficiency, necessitating regular vitamin D supplementation and the use of cholesterol inhibitors, respectively, to prevent these conditions. Despite current treatments, alternatives are needed to address both conditions simultaneously. Ergosterol, a precursor of vitamin D, is a fungal sterol converted to brassicasterol by 7-dehydrocholesterol reductase, a cholesterol biosynthesis enzyme that converts 7-dehydrocholesterol (a precursor of vitamin D) into cholesterol.

Plasma membrane-coated nanoparticles and membrane vesicles to orchestrate multimodal antitumor immunity.

Background: A number of immunotherapeutic approaches have been developed and are entering the clinic. Bispecific antibodies (BsAbs) are one of these modalities and induce robust efficacy by endogenous T cells in several hematological malignancies. However, most of the treated patients experience only a temporary benefit.

Toward the Synthesis of Strychnos Alkaloids: Effective Construction of Fused Cyclohexane and Pyrrolidine Portion of the Strychnos Skeleton via Domino Intermolecular and Intramolecular S2 Cyclization.

A method for preparing the fused cyclohexane and pyrrolidine portion of the strychnos skeleton has been developed using domino intermolecular and intramolecular S2 cyclization. Using this method, the formation of pyrrolidine proceeded smoothly with good yield without the E2 elimination product. This reaction condition is effective for synthesizing the fused cyclohexane and pyrrolidine portion of the strychnos skeleton.

Influences of 5-hydroxytriptamine on sperm hyperactivation and in vitro fertility in rats.

The neurotransmitter, 5-hydroxytriptamine (5-HT), is well known. Furthermore, it enhances the acrosome reaction, hyperactivation, and in vitro fertilization (IVF) success in hamsters and mice. In the present study, we examined whether 5-HT enhances hyperactivation and increases IVF success in rats.

[Support methods and effectiveness to reduce maternal depression and anxiety in Japan: A literature review].

Objectives　In Japan, support services are provided to help postpartum women within one year after childbirth. This study conducted a literature review of these support methods and their effectiveness in reducing depression and anxiety among postpartum women.Methods　We searched for Japanese and English literature published until August 2023 using the PubMed, Igaku Chuo Zasshi, CiNii Research, and Cochrane Library databases.

[Residential areas, travel burdens, and children with cancer: Analysis of mobility and mortality ratios using data from Japan's national population-based cancer registry].

Objectives　Although childhood cancer treatment has recently become centralized at specialized hospitals worldwide, the relationship between mortality ratios and living in rural areas or traveling long distances for treatment remains controversial. In the present study, we examined whether regional differences in patient mobility and mortality ratios exist in Japan.Methods　We investigated 10,713 patients with cancer aged ≤18 years, diagnosed between 2016 and 2019, registered in the national cancer registry data.

[Health status and living conditions of fathers of multiple babies: Analysis of the Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions].

Objective　This study explored the physical and mental health status and living conditions of fathers raising 0-year-old multiples in Japan compared with those raising singletons to gain insight into fathers' health issues and the need for support.Methods　Household and health data from the Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions (2016, 2019, and 2022) were used. Because of the small number of fathers with multiples in each dataset, three datasets were combined.

Association Between Cannula Size of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation and Prognosis in Patients With Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest - A Secondary Analysis of the SAVE-J II Study.

Background: Selecting an appropriate cannula size is crucial for achieving an adequate extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) flow rate. However, the association between ECMO cannula size and the prognosis of patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) has not been fully elucidated. We examined the associations between ECMO cannula size and neurological outcomes and survival at discharge in patients with OHCA who received ECMO.

Prevalence of nonrestorative sleep before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: based on a nationwide cross-sectional survey among Japanese in 2019 and 2022.

Background: Japanese people sleep less compared to other countries around the world. Using a large nationally representative survey in 2019 and 2022, we investigated whether sleep duration and nonrestorative sleep (NRS) among Japanese people have improved or worsened due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: Data were drawn from the Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions, a nationwide cross-sectional sample based on self-administered questionnaires.

Nanoscale visualization of crack tips inside molten corium-concrete interaction debris using 3D-FIB-SEM with multiphase positional misalignment correction.

Characterizing molten corium-concrete interaction (MCCI) fuel debris in Fukushima reactors is essential to develop efficient methods for its removal. To enhance the accuracy of microscopic observation and focused ion beam (FIB) microsampling of MCCI fuel debris, we developed a three-dimentional FIB scanning electron microscopy (SEM) technique with a multiphase positional misalignment (MPPM) correction method. This system automatically aligns voxel positions, corrects contrast, and removes artifacts from a series of over 500 SEM images.

Giant, unruptured, partially thrombosed right MCA aneurysm treated with 2 bypasses and excision.

Aneurysms of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) account for up to 40% of all unruptured intracranial aneurysms [1-3] and 14% to 20% of ruptured ones. [4-5] Giant MCA aneurysms are rare, representing 10% of cases [6], but carry an aggressive natural history, with the UCAS Japan study reporting an annual rupture rate of ∼ 17%. [7].

Fluorescence molecular imaging-guided photodynamic therapy for early breast cancer in the prone position: feasibility evaluation with Monte Carlo simulations.

Introduction: The successful diagnosis and treatment of early-stage breast cancer enhances the quality of life of patients. As a promising alternative to recently developed magnetic resonance imaging-guided radiotherapy, we proposed fluorescence molecular imaging-guided photodynamic therapy (FMI-guided PDT), which requires no expensive equipment. In the FMI simulations, ICG-C11 which has emission peaks at near-infrared wavelengths was used as the FMI agent.

Surgical and Long-term Outcomes of Combined Organ Resection for Esophageal Cancer Invading Adjacent Organs: Experience of 90 Consecutive Cases.

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of and long-term survival with combined organ resection for esophageal cancer (EC).

Background: The optimal treatment strategy for EC that is invading adjacent organs is not established.

Methods: Ninety patients with EC invading adjacent organs who underwent combined organ resection after induction treatments during 2003-2023 in our institute were eligible for the study.

Chemical associations of selenium oxyanions in metal oxides derived from layered double hydroxides: Implication for the immobilization of radionuclides.

Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) can effectively stabilize Se oxyanions, yet the thermal stability of Se oxyanions incorporated into LDHs remains unclear. In this study, calcination products of three types of LDHs loaded with SeO2- 3 or SeO2-4 were analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (XAFS) and leaching tests. It has been found that SeO2-4 can be reduced to SeO2- 3 in the Fe-containing LDHs after calcination at temperatures above 450 °C.

Nation-wide surveillance of ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) on dogs and cats in Singapore.

Companion animals are major reservoirs of zoonotic parasites and pathogens. Among these, ticks and tick-borne pathogens are of particular concern. Efforts to study the zoonotic risks associated with companion animals in Singapore have been hampered by a poor understanding of the ticks of local dogs and cats.

HDAC3 and Snail2 complex promotes melanoma metastasis by epigenetic repression of IGFBP3.

The treatment of metastatic melanoma has long posed a complex challenge within clinical practice. Previous studies have found that EMT transcription factors are essential in the development of various cancers through their induction of EMT. Here, we demonstrate that Snail2 expression is dramatically increased in melanoma and is associated with an adverse prognosis.

Exogenous L-fucose attenuates depression induced by chronic unpredictable stress: implicating core fucosylation has an antidepressant potential.

Core fucosylation is one of the most essential modifications of the N-glycans, catalyzed by α1,6-fucosyltransferase (Fut8), which transfers fucose from guanosine 5'-diphosphate (GDP)-fucose to the innermost N-acetylglucosamine residue of N-glycans in an α1-6 linkage. Our previous studies demonstrated that lipopolysaccharide (LPS) can induce a more robust neuroinflammatory response in Fut8 homozygous knockout (KO) (Fut8) and heterozygous KO (Fut8) mice contrasted to the wild-type (Fut8) mice. Exogenous administration of L-fucose suppressed LPS-induced neuroinflammation.

JAK/STAT3 signaling promotes pain and depression-like behaviors in rats with bone cancer pain by regulating Th17 cell differentiation.

Background: Pain and depression are common complications in patients with advanced cancer, which significantly affects their quality of life and survival. Dysregulation of the JAK/STAT3 pathway in the central nervous system is associated with pain and brain inflammatory disorders, but its role in bone cancer pain (BCP) remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the specific role of the JAK/STAT3 pathway in the amygdala in BCP.

Neurological function is restored post-ischemic stroke in zebrafish, with aging exerting a deleterious effect on its pathology.

Ischemic stroke (IS) is a pathological condition characterized by the cessation of blood flow due to factors such as thrombosis, inflicting severe damage to the cranial nervous system and resulting in numerous disabilities including memory impairments and hemiplegia. Despite the critical nature of this condition, therapeutic options remain limited, with a pressing challenge being the development of treatments aimed at restoring neurological function. In this study, we leveraged zebrafish, renowned for their exceptional regenerative capabilities, to analyze the pathology of IS and the subsequent recovery process.