Effective combination of corticosteroid and cyclosporine A for immunoglobulin A nephropathy with membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis features: a case report.

Immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) is the most common primary glomerulonephritis worldwide with heterogeneous histopathological phenotypes. Although IgAN with membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN)-like features has been reported in children and adults, treatment strategies for this rare IgAN subtype have not been established. Here, we present the case of a 56-year-old man with no history of kidney disease who initially presented with nephrotic syndrome.

A case of neuron-derived neurotrophic factor-positive, syphilis-related membranous nephropathy that achieved spontaneous remission.

Neuron-derived neurotrophic factor (NDNF) was discovered as a target antigen in membranous nephropathy (MN) caused by syphilis. However, there have been few reports of NDNF-positive MN in Japan. A 19-year-old female patient was admitted to our hospital with nephrotic syndrome and acute kidney injury.

Uncovering the complexity of source mechanism in an anisotropic coal mine using sequential inversion.

Accurate characterisation of seismic source mechanisms in mining environments is crucial for effective hazard mitigation, but it is complicated by the presence of anisotropic geological conditions. Neglecting anisotropic effects during moment tensor (MT) inversion introduces significant distortions in the retrieved source characteristics. In this study, we investigated the impact of ignoring anisotropy during MT inversion on the reliability of hazard assessment.

Imaging phenotype reveals that disulfirams induce protein insolubility in the mitochondrial matrix.

The cell painting assay is useful for understanding cellular phenotypic changes and drug effects. To identify other aspects of well-known chemicals, we screened 258 compounds with the cell painting assay and focused on a mitochondrial punctate phenotype seen with disulfiram. To elucidate the reason for this punctate phenotype, we looked for clues by examining staining steps and gene knockdown as well as examining protein solubility and comparing cell lines.

Histological effects of combined therapy involving scar resection, decellularized scaffolds, and human iPSC-NS/PCs transplantation in chronic complete spinal cord injury.

Chronic complete spinal cord injury (SCI) is difficult to treat because of scar formation and cavitary lesions. While human iPS cell-derived neural stem/progenitor cell (hNS/PC) therapy shows promise, its efficacy is limited without the structural support needed to address cavitary lesions. Our study investigated a combined approach involving surgical scar resection, decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) hydrogel as a scaffold, and hNS/PC transplantation.

Effect of hot isostatic pressing treatment on the thermoelectric power factors of zinc oxides.

The effect of hot isostatic pressing (HIP) on the thermoelectric power factor of zinc oxide (ZnO) has been examined. ZnO is expected to be a potential n-type oxide thermoelectric material that could enhance the thermoelectric conversion efficiency. The HIP treatment is useful for densifying the material and controlling crystal defects in the material by applying high temperatures and pressures simultaneously.

Development of respiratory motion-resolved hepatobiliary phase cine-magnetic resonance imaging for stereotactic body radiotherapy in liver tumor.

Cine-magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been used to track respiratory-induced motion of the liver and tumor and assist in the accurate delineation of tumor volume. Recent developments in compressed sensitivity encoding (SENSE; CS) have accelerated temporal resolution while maintaining contrast resolution. This study aimed to develop and assess hepatobiliary phase (HBP) cine-MRI scans using CS.

Usefulness of the "En face view" method for diagnosing perimembranous ventricular septal defects.

Background: Perimembranous ventricular septal defect (VSD) can be classified as having trabecular, inlet, or outlet extension. The surgical approach used in patch closure depends on the which valve of the tricuspid valve to suture around and the avoidance of the specialized conducting system. This retrospective study evaluated the usefulness of the "En face view" method for classifying perimembranous VSD.

Evaluation of Facial Symmetry in Congenital Unilateral Lower Lip Palsy Patients with Depressor Labii Inferioris Muscle Resection.

Background: Congenital hypoplasia of the depressor labii inferioris muscle can lead to Asymmetrical crying facies(ACF). The objective of this research was to examine the alterations in both static and dynamic facial symmetry following the resection of the depressor labii inferioris on the healthy side through an intraoral approach.

Methods: Patients exhibiting palsy of the depressor labii inferioris muscles were included in the study.

Automatic scent creation by cheminformatics method.

The sense of smell is fundamental for various aspects of human existence including the flavor perception, environmental awareness, and emotional impact. However, unlike other senses, it has not been digitized. Its digitalization faces challenges such as the lack of reliable odor sensing technology or the precise scent delivery through olfactory displays.

Structural MRI study of Pareidolia and Visual Hallucinations in Drug-Naïve Parkinson's disease.

Visual hallucinations (VH) and pareidolia, a type of minor hallucination, share common underlying mechanisms. However, the similarities and differences in their brain regions remain poorly understood in Parkinson's disease (PD). A total of 104 drug-naïve PD patients underwent structural MRI and were assessed for pareidolia using the Noise Pareidolia Test (NPT) were enrolled.

PLK1 overexpression suppresses homologous recombination and confers cellular sensitivity to PARP inhibition.

The overexpression of Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) is associated with poor clinical outcomes in various malignancies, making it an attractive target for anticancer therapies. Although recent studies suggest PLK1's involvement in homologous recombination (HR), the impact of its overexpression on HR remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the effect of PLK1 overexpression on HR using bioinformatics and experimental approaches.

ICEmST contributes to colonization of Salmonella in the intestine of piglets.

Salmonella enterica serovar 4,[5],12:i:- sequence type 34 (ST34) has recently become a global concern for public and animal health. The acquisition of mobile genetic element ICEmST, which contains two copper tolerance gene clusters, cus and pco, influences the epidemic success of this clone. Copper is used as a feed additive in swine at levels that potentially lead to selection pressure for Enterobacteriaceae; however, it remains unclear whether the copper tolerance system of ICEmST functions in vivo.

S100A4 contributes to colorectal carcinoma aggressive behavior and to chemoradiotherapy resistance in locally advanced rectal carcinoma.

To investigate the functional role of S100A4 in advanced colorectal carcinoma (Ad-CRC) and locally advanced rectal carcinoma (LAd-RC) receiving neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCRT). We analyzed histopathological and immunohistochemical sections from 150 patients with Ad-CRC and 177 LAd-RC patients treated with NCRT. S100A4 knockout (KO) HCT116 cells were also used.

Low functional liver imaging score is associated with poor prognosis following hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Liver function affects the prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aimed to investigate the prognostic impact of the functional liver imaging score (FLIS), assessed using gadoxetic acid-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging, on long-term outcomes following hepatectomy for HCC. The FLIS was assessed in 235 patients who underwent initial hepatectomy for HCC.

Density-dependent flow generation in active cytoskeletal fluids.

The actomyosin cytoskeleton, a protein assembly comprising actin fibers and the myosin molecular motor, drives various cellular dynamics through contractile force generation at high densities. However, the relationship between the density dependence of the actomyosin cytoskeleton and force-controlled ordered structure remains poorly understood. In this study, we measured contraction-driven flow generation by varying the concentration of cell extracts containing the actomyosin cytoskeleton and associated nucleation factors.

Evaluation of overwintering risk of tropical and subtropical insect pests in temperate regions.

Recent changes in climate and environments have promoted the range expansion of insect pests of tropical and subtropical origins into temperate regions. For more accurate and faster risk assessment of this expansion, we developed a novel indicator to link a physiologically derived parameter of chilling injury with the survival of insect populations in nature by using two insects, Spodoptera frugiperda and Cicadulina bipunctata with tropical and subtropical origins, and one cool-adapted insect, Laodelphax striatellus. The parameter derived from a proportional increment in the time to 99.

Effect of exogenous treatment with zaxinone and its mimics on rice root microbiota across different growth stages.

Enhancing crops productivity to ensure food security is one of the major challenges encountering agriculture today. A promising solution is the use of biostimulants, which encompass molecules that enhance plant fitness, growth, and productivity. The regulatory metabolite zaxinone and its mimics (MiZax3 and MiZax5) showed promising results in improving the growth and yield of several crops.

Efficacy of glutathione inhibitor eprenetapopt against the vulnerability of glutathione metabolism in SMARCA4-, SMARCB1- and PBRM1-deficient cancer cells.

Mutation of genes related to the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex is detected in 20% of all cancers. The SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex comprises about 15 subunits and is classified into three subcomplexes: cBAF, PBAF, and ncBAF. Previously, we showed that ovarian clear cell carcinoma cells deficient in ARID1A, a subunit of the cBAF complex, are synthetic lethal with several genes required for glutathione (GSH) synthesis and are therefore sensitive to the GSH inhibitor eprenetapopt (APR-246).

Optimized fuzzy logic and sliding mode control for stability and disturbance rejection in rotary inverted pendulum.

This paper presents a novel and comprehensive control framework for the Rotary Inverted Pendulum (RIP), focusing on a hybrid control strategy that addresses the limitations of conventional methods in nonlinear and complex systems. The proposed controller synergistically combines an Optimized Fuzzy Logic Controller (OFLC) with Sliding Mode Control (SMC), leveraging the strengths of both techniques to achieve superior performance. The integration of Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) into the OFLC significantly enhances its adaptability and precision, while the SMC law provides robust disturbance rejection and system stability.

Early prediction of functional impairment at hospital discharge in patients with osteoporotic vertebral fracture: a machine learning approach.

Although conservative treatment is commonly used for osteoporotic vertebral fracture (OVF), some patients experience functional disability following OVF. This study aimed to develop prediction models for new-onset functional impairment following admission for OVF using machine learning approaches and compare their performance. Our study consisted of patients aged 65 years or older admitted for OVF using a large hospital-based database between April 2014 and December 2021.

Generation of highly stable electron beam via the control of hydrodynamic instability.

By employing the stabilizer in the supersonic gas nozzle to produce the plasma density profile with a sharp downramp, we have experimentally demonstrated highly stable electron beam acceleration based on the shock injection mechanism in laser wakefield acceleration with the use of a compact Ti:sapphire laser. A quasi-monoenergetic electron beam with a peak energy of 315 MeV ± 12.5 MeV per shot is generated.

Muscle synergy in several locomotor modes in chimpanzees and Japanese macaques, and its implications for the evolutionary origin of bipedalism through shared muscle synergies.

Recent evidence indicates that human ancestors utilized a combination of quadrupedal walking, climbing, and bipedal walking. Therefore, the origin of bipedalism may be linked to underlying mechanisms supporting diverse locomotor modes. This study aimed to elucidate foundations of varied locomotor modes from the perspective of motor control by identifying muscle synergies and demonstrating similarities in synergy compositions across different locomotor modes in chimpanzees and Japanese macaques.

Association between antinuclear antibodies status and preterm birth in Japanese pregnant women: a prospective cohort study from Adjunct Study of the Japan Environment and Children's Study.

Background: Antinuclear antibodies (ANA) are important biomarkers for the diagnosis of autoimmune diseases; however, the general population also tests positive at a low frequency, especially in women. Although the effects of various autoimmune diseases on pregnancy outcomes have been studied, the association of ANA with pregnancy outcomes in healthy individuals is unclear. Preterm birth (PTB), a major cause of neonatal death or long-term health problems, is a complex condition with a multifactorial etiology, and the underlying mechanism remains unclear.

Comparison of different puncture needles used for endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle biopsy of Gastrointestinal subepithelial lesions (≤ 2 cm) with respect to the adequacy of specimen collection: study protocol for a multicenter randomized prospective trial.

Background: Gastrointestinal subepithelial lesions (SELs) range from benign to malignant. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided fine-needle biopsy (EUS-FNB) is used widely for pathological diagnosis of SELs. Early diagnosis and treatment are important because all Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) have some degree of malignant potential.