Patient-Reported Improvements in Patients with PNH Treated with Iptacopan from Two Phase 3 Studies.

Iptacopan, a first-in-class, oral, selective complement factor B inhibitor, demonstrated efficacy and safety as monotherapy in C5 inhibitor (C5i)-experienced (APPLY-PNH [NCT04558918]) and C5i-naive (APPOINT-PNH [NCT04820530]) patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH). In APPLY-PNH and APPOINT-PNH, changes in fatigue (FACIT-Fatigue) and health-related quality of life (HRQOL; EORTC QLQ-C30) from baseline to Day 168 were evaluated. The proportion of patients achieving meaningful within-patient change (MWPC) on the FACIT-Fatigue and 4 EORTC QLQ-C30 subscales (physical functioning, role functioning, fatigue, dyspnea) was evaluated using anchor-based thresholds.

Intestinal Foxl1+ cell-derived CXCL12 maintains epithelial homeostasis by modulating cellular metabolism.

Several mesenchymal cell populations are known to regulate intestinal stem cell (ISC) self-renewal and differentiation. However, the influences of signaling mediators derived from mesenchymal cells other than ISC niche factors on epithelial homeostasis remain poorly understood. Here, we show that host and microbial metabolites, such as taurine and GABA, act on PDGFRαhigh Foxl1high sub-epithelial mesenchymal cells to regulate their transcription.

A surgical case of right atrial wall perforation caused by an invasive angiosarcoma.

Cardiac angiosarcoma is a rare, diagnostically elusive disease with a poor prognosis. Herein, we describe the case of a 61-year-old man who presented with cardiac tamponade caused by perforation of the right atrial wall resulting from an invasive angiosarcoma. The tumour, which had spread throughout the entire right atrial free wall, was resected under cardiopulmonary bypass.

Vertical wind profile distribution within canopy layer based on representative geometry model using wind tunnel experiment.

This study examined the mean and turbulent wind speed distribution within the canopy height of a tropical urban campus based on a representative geometry model via wind tunnel experiments. The vertical wind profiles were analysed around two high-rise buildings, Menara Razak (MR) and Residensi Tower (RT) at both wind directions (22.5° and 202.

Examination of the requirements for powered air-purifying respirator (PAPR) utilization as an alternative to lockdown.

With the emergence of COVID-19 variants and new viruses, it remains uncertain when the next pandemic will occur. A lockdown is considered the last resort to halt the spread of infection; however, it causes significant economic and social damage. Therefore, exploring less harmful alternatives during such scenarios is crucial.

In Vitro Analysis of Pressure Resistance in the Paul Glaucoma Implant and Ahmed ClearPath 250 With and Without Polypropylene Thread Inside the Tube.

Purpose: Pressure resistance characteristics of the Paul glaucoma implant (PGI) and Ahmed ClearPath 250 (ACP), with and without the insertion of polypropylene thread in their tubes, were evaluated.

Methods: The in vitro flow pressure was evaluated at varying flow rates, both with and without threads (6-0 for PGI and 4-0 or 3-0 for ACP). Cross-sectional areas of the tube lumen and thread were measured to calculate pressure resistance using the Hagen-Poiseuille equation.

Green tea consumption and cerebral white matter lesions in community-dwelling older adults without dementia.

This study investigated the association between green tea or coffee consumption with cerebral white matter lesions and hippocampal and total brain volumes among 8766 community-dwelling participants recruited from the Japan Prospective Studies Collaboration for Aging and Dementia between 2016 and 2018. A Food Frequency Questionnaire was used to assess green tea and coffee consumption, whereas brain magnetic resonance imaging was performed to assess cerebral white matter lesions, hippocampal volume, and total brain volume. Multivariable-adjusted analysis revealed significant correlations between fewer cerebral white matter lesions and higher green tea consumption, whereas no significant differences were found between green tea consumption and hippocampal or total brain volume.

Preliminary evaluation of ex vivo and in vivo skin permeability of aromatic amines.

A potential link has been reported between skin exposure to aromatic amines, such as ortho-toluidine (OT) and 3,3'-dichloro-4,4'-diaminodiphenylmethane (MOCA), and bladder cancer cases observed in Japanese chemical factories. To evaluate this association, we explored the permeability of OT and MOCA through pig skin and investigated the subsequent changes in plasma and urine concentrations in rats following percutaneous exposure. Employing Yucatan micropig skin, we first executed a permeability test by affixing the skin to a diffusion cell and applying 14C-labeled OT or MOCA.

History of Lens Care Products in Japan: Insights From Advertisements in the Journal of the Japan Contact Lens Society for 65 Years.

This review examines the history of contact lens (CL) care products, particularly focusing on hard contact lenses (HCLs) like those made from polymethyl methacrylate and rigid gas permeable (RGP) materials. Although literature on CL history is extensive, there is limited information on the history of CL care products, especially in Japan. This review uses advertisements from the Journal of the Japan Contact Lens Society from 1959 to 2023 to trace the evolution of these products.

Effects of different educational interventions on cervical cancer knowledge and human papillomavirus vaccination uptake among young women in Japan: Preliminary results of a cluster randomized controlled trial.

The incidence and mortality rates of cervical cancer are increasing among young Japanese women. In November 2021, the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare reinstated the active recommendation of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, after it had been suspended in June 2013 due to reports of adverse reactions. However, vaccine hesitancy is prevalent in the younger generation in Japan.

Transition-metal-free dibenzoxazepinone synthesis by hypervalent iodine-mediated chemoselective arylocyclizations of -functionalized salicylamides.

We have developed transition-metal-free synthetic methodologies for dibenzoxazepinones utilizing salicylamides as starting materials and employing two distinct types of successive hypervalent iodine-mediated arylocyclizations. This synthetic protocol encompasses selective phenol -arylation of salicylamides with diaryliodonium salts, followed by electrophilic aromatic amination utilizing chemically or electronically generated hypervalent iodine reagents in the second stage of the process.

Biomechanical effects of saddle height changes in leisure cycling with unilateral transtibial prostheses: A simulated study.

Cycling is a beneficial physical activity for rehabilitating individuals with lower-limb amputations and serves as a feasible leisure sport. However, the optimal bicycle configuration for cycling with a unilateral transtibial prosthesis at leisure levels has not been investigated. For saddle height at professional cycling levels, existing literature suggests utilizing the same configuration as that used by intact cyclists, where the knee reaches 25-35° at maximum extension.

Bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (B/F/TAF) in treatment-naïve and treatment-experienced people with HIV: 12-month virologic effectiveness and safety outcomes in the BICSTaR Japan cohort.

BICSTaR (BICtegravir Single Tablet Regimen) is an ongoing, observational cohort study assessing the virologic effectiveness and safety of bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (B/F/TAF) in treatment-experienced (TE) and treatment-naïve (TN) people with HIV across 14 countries over 24 months. We present 12-month outcomes from participants in the BICSTaR Japan cohort. Retrospective and prospective data were pooled from people with HIV aged ≥20 years receiving B/F/TAF within routine clinical care in Japan.

tomoseqr: A Bioconductor package for spatial reconstruction and visualization of 3D gene expression patterns based on RNA tomography.

RNA tomography computationally reconstructs 3D spatial gene expression patterns genome-widely from 1D tomo-seq data, generated by RNA sequencing of cryosection samples along three orthogonal axes. We developed tomoseqr, an R package designed for RNA tomography analysis of tomo-seq data, to reconstruct and visualize 3D gene expression patterns through user-friendly graphical interfaces. We show the effectiveness of tomoseqr using simulated and real tomo-seq data, validating its utility for researchers.

Correlates of COVID-19 conspiracy theory beliefs in Japan: A cross-sectional study of 28,175 residents.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with an increase in conspiracy theories worldwide. However, in Japan, the prevalence of COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs has remained unclear. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence and correlates of COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs using a survey of 28,175 residents of Japan aged 16-81 years old.

Macro- and microscopic anatomy of the digestive tract in the red-eared slider (Emydidae: Trachemys scripta elegans).

The red-eared sliders (Emydidae: Trachemys scripta) is characterised by a high adaptability to a variety of environment and threatens the habitat of Japanese native species. The ability to digest a variety of diets may attribute to the high adaptive capacity of this species to various environments, however, the digestive morphology remains scarcely described in red-eared sliders. In this study, we investigated the macro- and microscopic anatomy of the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and large intestine in red-eared sliders.

Impact of thermal denaturation on renal volume reduction after partial nephrectomy using soft coagulation hemostasis.

Partial nephrectomy has become the gold standard treatment for small renal masses. This study aimed to assess the impact of soft coagulation hemostasis on parenchymal volume reduction of the operated kidney after an open partial nephrectomy. We retrospectively reviewed 94 patients with small renal tumors who underwent open partial nephrectomy with soft-coagulation hemostasis at our institution.

Induction Agents for Tracheal Intubation in Critically Ill Patients.

Objectives: Concise definitive review of the use of induction agents in critically ill patients undergoing tracheal intubation and their association with outcomes.

Data Sources: Original publications were retrieved through a PubMed search with search terms related to induction agents for tracheal intubation in critically ill patients.

Study Selection: We included randomized controlled trials and observational studies that reported patient outcomes.

Schizophrenia-related Xpo7 haploinsufficiency leads to behavioral and nuclear transport pathologies.

Recent genetic studies by the Schizophrenia Exome Sequencing Meta-Analysis (SCHEMA) consortium have identified that protein-truncating variants of exportin 7 (XPO7) can increase the risk of schizophrenia (odds ratio, 28.1). Here we show that mice with Xpo7 haploinsufficiency (Xpo7 mice) present with cognitive and social behavioral impairments.

Association between equivalized annual household income and regular medical visits for hypertensive patients since the COVID-19 outbreak.

Previous studies have shown an increase in blood pressure during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic even among patients receiving antihypertensive treatment. This study aims to evaluate the association between equivalized annual household income and refraining from regular medical visits for hypertensive patients since the COVID-19 outbreak. We analyzed data from the Japan COVID-19 and Society Internet Survey (JACSIS), including 2832 hypertensive patients aged 20-79 years from the 2020 survey and at least one survey between 2021 and 2023.

Mitochondrial YME1L1 governs unoccupied protein translocase channels.

Mitochondrial protein import through the outer and inner membranes is key to mitochondrial biogenesis. Recent studies have explored how cells respond when import is impaired by a variety of different insults. Here, we developed a mammalian import blocking system using dihydrofolate reductase fused to the N terminus of the inner membrane protein MIC60.

Marked point process variational autoencoder with applications to unsorted spiking activities.

Spike train modeling across large neural populations is a powerful tool for understanding how neurons code information in a coordinated manner. Recent studies have employed marked point processes in neural population modeling. The marked point process is a stochastic process that generates a sequence of events with marks.