Android avatar improves educational effects by embodied anthropomorphization.

After the COVID-19 pandemic, the adoption of distance learning has been accelerated in educational institutions in multiple countries. In addition to using a videoconferencing system with camera images, avatars can also be used for remote classes. In particular, an android avatar with a sense of presence has the potential to provide higher quality education than a video-recorded lecture.

Taste Preference and Metabolic Rate of Trehalose in Chickens.

Trehalose (Tre) is composed of two molecules of D-glucose joined by an α,α-1,1 glucosidic linkage. Because Tre is utilized by the gut microbiome and enhances gut immunity in chickens, it is used as a feed ingredient. However, taste preference and metabolic dynamics of Tre in chickens are not fully understood.

Recyclable and air-stable colloidal manganese nanoparticles catalyzed hydrosilylation of alkenes with tertiary silane.

We synthesized ,-dimethylformamide (DMF)-stabilized manganese nanoparticles (Mn NPs) in a one-step process under air using manganese(ii) chloride as the precursor. The Mn NPs were characterized in terms of particle size, oxidation state, and local structure using annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (ADF-STEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). The results indicate that Mn NPs are divalent nanosized particles with Mn-O bonds.

Effects of upper extremity blood flow restriction training on muscle strength and hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Low load resistance training with blood flow restriction (LL-BFRT) has been shown to improve muscle strength and hypertrophic function. The effect of LL-BFRT on lower extremity muscle improvement has been widely discussed. However, no studies have discussed the effect of this training method on the upper extremity muscles until now.

Roles of perivascular adipose tissue in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis - an update on recent findings.

Lifestyle-related diseases, such as atherosclerosis and diabetes, are now considered to be a series of diseases caused by chronic inflammation. Adipose tissue is considered to be an endocrine organ that not only plays a role in lipid storage, heat production, and buffering, but also produces physiologically active substances and is involved in chronic inflammation. Perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) surrounding blood vessels similarly produces inflammatory and anti-inflammatory physiologically active substances that act on blood vessels either directly or via the bloodstream.

Genetic variability in strains isolated in a Japanese hospital.

Objectives: is a significant pathogen causing invasive meningococcal disease, posing clinical and public health concerns worldwide. This study aimed to investigate the genetic characteristics of clinical isolates at Okayama University Hospital in Japan.

Methods: Between 2018 and 2023, five clinical strains were isolated, of which three were subjected to the antimicrobial susceptibility testing and whole genetic analysis using MiSeq platform (Illumina, San Diego, CA, USA).

Efficacy and safety of avalglucosidase alfa in Japanese patients with late-onset and infantile-onset Pompe diseases: A case series from clinical trials.

Background: The efficacy and safety of avalglucosidase alfa for Pompe disease (PD) have been demonstrated in a global Phase 3 trial (COMET) in patients with late-onset PD (LOPD) and a global Phase 2 trial (Mini-COMET) in patients with infantile-onset PD (IOPD). This case series examines the individual results of three Japanese patients enrolled in these trials.

Methods: Case reports were assembled from data collected in the COMET and Mini-COMET trials.

Hydroxycitric acid reconstructs damaged articular cartilages by modifying the metabolic cascade in chondrogenic cells.

Objective: Osteoarthritis, a degenerative joint disease, requires innovative therapies due to the limited ability of cartilage to regenerate. Since mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) provide a cell source for chondrogenic cells, we hypothesize that chemicals capable of enhancing the chondrogenic potential of MSCs with transforming growth factor-beta (TGFβ) in vitro may similarly promote chondrogenesis in articular cartilage in vivo.

Design: Chemical compounds that enhance the TGFβ signaling for chondrogenesis were investigated utilizing mesenchymal stem cells derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells.

Efficacy and safety of interferon-alpha 1b injection into the intervertebral foramen with ultrasonic guidance in patients with postherpetic neuralgia: study protocol for a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter clinical trial.

Purpose: Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is a type of refractory neuropathic pain that causes significant suffering, disability, economic loss, and medical burden. In this study, we aim to evaluate the efficacy and safety of interferon (IFN)-α1b injection into the intervertebral foramen of patients with PHN.

Patients And Methods: This is a study protocol for a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled multicenter clinical trial.

Adrenaline Dilution in Dental Local Anesthetic Cartridges: A Practical Method Using the Inner Needle of Intravenous Catheter.

Local anesthesia is a routine medical procedure for dentists. To achieve the desired anesthetic effect of lidocaine and favorable hemostatic effects by adrenaline, the combination of 2% lidocaine + 1:80,000 adrenaline is commonly used, including in dental patients with underlying diseases for whom adrenaline in local anesthetics is problematic due to its vasoconstrictive effects, as the adrenaline concentration in dental local anesthetic cartridges in Japan is commercially set at 1:80,000. To reduce the effect of adrenaline on the cardiovascular system, adrenaline is sometimes diluted in dental local anesthetic cartridges.

Gemcitabine-Based Chemotherapy for Advanced Soft Tissue Sarcoma: Identifying the Appropriate Dose and Schedule.

Background In 2024, reimbursement for gemcitabine-docetaxel therapy (GEM-DOC; gemcitabine 900 mg/m on days 1 and 8 and docetaxel 70 mg/m on day 8 every 21 days, GEM 900-DOC 70) to treat recurrent/metastatic soft tissue sarcoma (STS) was made in Japan. Methods We retrospectively reviewed clinical records of advanced/metastatic STS patients who underwent off-label gemcitabine-containing chemotherapy at the Cancer Institute Hospital of the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research between February 2007 and October 2019. Results Of 115 enrolled patients, 51 were treated with GEM-DOC (26 patients received the dose as previously stated) and the other 64 with gemcitabine monotherapy.

Effect of Proteinuria Before Lenvatinib Administration on Treatment Response After Atezolizumab Bevacizumab Combination Therapy.

Aim: We investigated the impact of proteinuria on the therapeutic effect before lenvatinib administration as second-line treatment after atezolizumab-bevacizumab.

Methods: We examined 64 patients who were administered lenvatinib as second-line treatment after discontinuation of atezolizumab and bevacizumab. Proteinuria assessed before lenvatinib administration was considered severe if the qualitative value test (QV) was 3+ or the urine protein/creatinine ratio (UPCR) was ≥ 2.

Comparative Study of Remimazolam and Midazolam During Sedated Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopy: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis.

Aim: This study aimed to compare the use of remimazolam and midazolam in upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in Japan as a sub-analysis of data from an investigator-initiated clinical trial of remimazolam.

Methods And Results: Patients in two groups were matched using propensity score matching. We evaluated the time from the end of the gastrointestinal endoscopy until discharge, the time from the end of the procedure until awakening, and adverse events.

Comprehensive treatment strategy in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus-related pulmonary artery hypertension: a case report.

Background: Although the prognosis in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has dramatically improved, pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH) is one of the life-threatening comorbidities associated with SLE. The management of the comorbidity is occasionally challenging due to the lack of consensus regarding treatment options including immunosuppressive agents, selective pulmonary vasodilators, and cardiac rehabilitation.

Case Summary: A 28-year-old female who terminated prednisolone after remission of SLE by her own discretion 3 years ago developed dyspnoea on effort.

Nickel-catalyzed cross-coupling of 2-fluorobenzofurans with arylboronic acids via aromatic C-F bond activation.

2-Fluorobenzofurans underwent efficient nickel-catalyzed coupling with arylboronic acids through the activation of aromatic C-F bonds. This method allowed us to successfully synthesize a range of 2-arylbenzofurans with various substituents. The reaction, which proceeded under mild conditions, involved β-fluorine elimination from nickelacyclopropanes formed by the interaction of 2-fluorobenzofurans with zero-valent nickel species.

Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease: 6 years old boy rare case in Syria.

Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease (KFD) is a rare condition first identified in Japan in 1972. It typically presents with high fever and lymph node swelling, and may be linked to autoimmune conditions or viral infections. A 6-year-old boy presented with cervical enlargement and recurrent high fever.

Longitudinal evaluation of cotton wool spot following rapid glycemic improvement using wide-field multimodal imaging.

Purpose: To report a case of a diabetic patient undergoing rapid glycemic improvement characterized by the development and resolution of cotton wool spot (CWS), with detailed structural and vascular assessment using wide-field multimodal imaging, including wide-field color fundus photography and wide-field optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA).

Observations: A 47-year-old man with poorly controlled Type 2 diabetes mellitus developed CWS in his right eye 3 months after initiating insulin therapy, which coincided with a significant reduction in HbA1c levels. Wide-field color fundus photography and wide-field OCTA were performed before, during, and after CWS appeared.

Quantifying the accelerated diffusion and cost savings of global solar photovoltaic supply chains.

Solar photovoltaic (PV) is critical for achieving the 2030 global target of tripling renewable power capacity. Over the past two decades, the global supply chain has significantly reduced the cost of solar PV products enabling widespread adoption. However, many countries are now implementing decoupling measures to enhance supply chain security and boost local economies.

Thunb.: a review on phytochemical composition and pharmacological activities.

Thunb. (. ) is a shrub or tree of the genus , family Lamiaceae, which is widely distributed in China, Korea, India, Japan and Philippines.

Comparing efficacy and safety of low-dose versus standard-dose antiplatelet therapy in stroke patients: a meta-analysis.

Background: Stroke is the leading cause of disability globally, with antiplatelet therapy being crucial for secondary prevention but also increasing bleeding risks. This requires careful dosage adjustments to balance thrombosis and bleeding risks.

Objective: This study compared the efficacy and safety of low-dose versus standard-dose antiplatelet therapy in stroke patients.

A Case of Long-Term Undiagnosed Cyclodialysis Cleft Following Tanito Microhook Trabeculotomy.

Persistent hypotony following Tanito microhook trabeculotomy (TMH) is rare but may occur due to the development of cyclodialysis clefts. We report a case of a Japanese man in his 40s who developed persistent hypotony and hypotony maculopathy after TMH in the left eye. Fourteen months after the surgery, the patient was referred to our institution due to prolonged hypotony that remained undiagnosed and untreated despite evaluations with gonioscopy and anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) at the referring clinic.

Systemic administration of induced pluripotent stem cell-derived mesenchymal stem cells improves cardiac function through extracellular vesicle-mediated tissue repair in a rat model of ischemic cardiomyopathy.

Introduction: Systemic administration of induced pluripotent stem cell-derived mesenchymal stem cells (iPS-MSCs) has a therapeutic effect on myocardial ischemia. However, the therapeutic mechanism underlying systemic iPS-MSC-based therapy for ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) remains unclear. We investigated the therapeutic effects of iPS-MSCs through extracellular vesicle (EV)-mediated tissue repair in a rat model of ICM.