Close cooperation between Semi1 and Semi2 proteins is essential for pronuclear positioning in .

During sexual reproduction in the ciliate , meiosis occurs in the germline micronucleus, resulting in the formation of four haploid micronuclei. Of these, only one is selected to evade autophagy, and subsequently migrates to the membrane junction with the partner cell for reciprocal pronuclear exchange. We previously demonstrated that the transmembrane protein Semi1 is essential for this nuclear migration.

Giant Seebeck Effect of Dibenzo[g,p]chrysene and its Derivatives: Deuteration and Substituent Effects and Relationship with Interlayer Distance.

Thermoelectric properties of undoped crystals of dibenzo[g,p]chrysene (DBC), deuterated DBC (DBC-d16), and 2,10-dimethyl-DBC (DBC-Me2) have been studied to obtain some insights into the relationship between the structural parameters of materials and the giant Seebeck effect. X-ray crystallography showed one-dimensional columnar packing with the interlayer distances (d) for DBC-d16, DBC, and DBC-Me2 were 3.78 Å, 3.

Assessing the performance of chest x-ray screening in detecting early-stage lung cancer in the general population.

Chest x-ray (CXR) is widely used for lung cancer screening in Japan. We evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of CXR in detecting early lung cancer and its histological types. We cross-referenced lung cancer municipality screening data with the regional cancer registry database.

Histone Modification-Dependent Transcriptional Regulation of Defence Genes in Early Response of Arabidopsis to Spodoptera litura Attack.

Histone modification is a cellular process for transcriptional regulation. In herbivore-damaged plants, activation of genes involved in defence responses is required for antiherbivore properties, but little is known about how the chromatin remodelling system is involved. In Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) plants responding to Spodoptera litura larvae, HAC1 and HDA6, a histone acetyltransferase and a histone deacetylase, respectively, were found here to be involved in histone H3 (Lys9; H3K9) acetylation/deacetylation at the promoter region of the plant defensin gene PDF1.

Generation and Application of All Possible Conformations of Cyclic Tryptophan within and beyond Post-translational Modification.

Isoprenylation of the indole C3-position of tryptophan accompanied by cyclization (c-Trp) is one of the most attractive post-translational modifications because of C-C bond formation and drastic conformational alteration. As the modification generates two stereoisomers of the 6/5/5-fused ring system and consequently, a mixture of four possible conformations as considered in proline, it is expected to influence the biological activity in quorum sensing pheromone ComX containing the c-Trp residue. In this study, the simultaneous control of the amide equilibrium and pyrrolidine ring puckering was achieved by utilizing an N-carbamoylated and α-methylated 6/5/5-fused ring system.

Relationship Between Serum ω-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Concentration and Fatty Acid Fraction of Epicardial Adipose Tissue in Patients With Cardiovascular Disease.

Background: ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, C20:5ω3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22:6ω3), are widely regarded as cardioprotective. EPA, but not DHA, has been reported to prevent fibrosis in heart failure. The relationship between the ω-3 PUFA fraction in epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and vascular inflammation in patients with cardiovascular disease remains unclear.

Comparison of long- and short-rest periods during high-intensity interval exercise on transcriptomic responses in equine skeletal muscle.

The purpose of this study was to elucidate the skeletal muscle transcriptomic response unique to rest duration during high-intensity interval exercise. Thoroughbred horses performed three 1-min bouts of exercise at their maximal oxygen uptake (10.7-12.

Factors Associated With Delayed Hospital Arrival After Stroke Onset: An Observational Study in Thanh Hoa Province, Vietnam.

Background: Delayed hospital arrival lowers the proportion of patients with stroke receiving recanalization therapy and results in poor outcomes. This study investigated the factors associated with pre-hospital delays in hospital arrival after stroke onset in the Thanh Hoa Province, Vietnam.

Methods: Clinical data were collected from stroke patients within seven days of symptom onset who were prospectively registered in this study.

Perspectives of people with schizophrenia on clinical outcome scales and patient-reported outcome measures: a qualitative study.

Background: Over the past half-century, numerous scales have been designed to quantify outcomes in people with severe mental health disorders. However, little is known about the views of people diagnosed with schizophrenia on individual outcome scales, particularly outside of European countries.

Aim: We conducted a qualitative study to examine the perspectives of people with schizophrenia on multiple scales in Japan.

Projection of future gastric cancer incidence and health-care service demand by geographic area in Kanagawa, Japan.

Projections of future gastric cancer incidence and the demand for health-care services for gastric cancer patients by geographic area will assist local authorities in determining health-care needs, allocating medical resources, and planning services. This study aims to project the future incidence of gastric cancer, estimate the number of patients per medical institution, and decompose the net changes in cases to assess the impact of population aging by geographic area. Our projections are based on population-based cancer registry data, census data from 2000 to 2020, and the projected population for 2025-2045 in Kanagawa, Japan.

Preliminary Screening for Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Using an AI Chatbot as a Genetic Counselor: Clinical Study.

Background: Hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) is a major type of hereditary cancer. Establishing effective screening to identify high-risk individuals for HBOC remains a challenge. We developed a prototype of a chatbot system that uses artificial intelligence (AI) for preliminary HBOC screening to determine whether individuals meet the National Comprehensive Cancer Network BRCA1/2 testing criteria.

Effects of muscle contraction induced by electrical stimulation on fascial gliding: Evaluation by ultrasonography.

Purpose: This study investigates the effects of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES)-induced muscle contraction on fascial gliding between the muscle and adjacent tissues and identifies factors that affect fascial gliding.

Methods: The gliding between the epimysium of the vastus lateralis muscle and the subcutaneous tissue was measured using a diagnostic ultrasound system during the subject's knee joint was flexed passively. The deep temperature, deep blood flow, and tissue hardness of the vastus lateralis muscle were measured to identify factors contributing to the changes in fascial gliding.

Association between gut microbiota and locomotive syndrome risk in healthy Japanese adults: a cross-sectional study.

This cross-sectional study examined the association between gut microbiota composition and locomotive syndrome in 568 healthy Japanese adults (36.8% male, median age 58.5 years) using data from the Kanagawa "ME-BYO" Prospective Cohort Study.

Prenatal exposure to antibiotics and the risk of orofacial clefts: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Orofacial clefts (OFCs), including cleft lip, cleft palate and combined cleft lip and palate, are among the most common craniofacial malformations in newborns and present significant healthcare challenges. Emerging evidence has raised concerns regarding the potential impact of prenatal exposure to antibiotics on fetal development. Antibiotics prescribed during pregnancy-particularly those that cross the placental barrier-may pose teratogenic risks.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of first line pembrolizumab monotherapy for high programmed cell death ligand 1 expressed, advanced non-small cell lung cancer in Japan.

Background: Pembrolizumab monotherapy significantly extends progression-free and overall survival compared to platinum-based chemotherapy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but also has a significant impact on medical costs.

Aim: To clarify the health economic evidence for selecting the first-line treatment for patients with stage IV advanced NSCLC with a programmed cell death ligand 1 tumor proportion score of 50% or greater in Japan, we assessed the cost-effectiveness of pembrolizumab monotherapy compared with that of platinum-based chemotherapy.

Method: Using a Markov model, the study simulated three health states for patients, based on clinical data and utility values from KEYNOTE-024.

Supra-ceramics: a molecule-driven frontier of inorganic materials.

Discoveries and technological innovations over the past decade are transforming our understanding of the properties of ceramics, such as 'hard', 'brittle', and 'homogeneous'. For example, inorganic crystals containing molecular anions exhibit excellent secondary battery characteristics, and the fusion of inorganic solids and molecules results in innovative catalytic functions and physical properties. Different from the conventional ceramics such as metal oxides that are formed by monatomic cations and anions, unique properties and functions can be expected in molecular-incorporated inorganic solids, due to the asymmetric and dynamic properties brought about by the constituent molecular units.

Body mass index and breast cancer risk in premenopausal and postmenopausal East Asian women: a pooled analysis of 13 cohort studies.

Background: It has been suggested that the association between body mass index and breast cancer risk differs between Asian women and Western women. We aimed to assess the associations between body mass index and breast cancer incidence in East Asian women.

Methods: Pooled analyses were performed using individual participant data of 319,189 women from 13 cohort studies in Japan, Korea, and China.

Association between discontinuity of care and patient trust in the usual rheumatologist among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Patient trust plays a central role in the patient-physician relationship. This study aimed to determine whether the number of outpatient visits with a covering rheumatologist is associated with patient trust in their usual rheumatologist.

Methods: Japanese adults with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who met the 1997 revised classification criteria of the American College of Rheumatology and had outpatient visits with a covering rheumatologist in the past year were included.

Holistic Evaluation of the Gut Microbiota through Data Envelopment Analysis: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: The gut microbiome plays a crucial role in human health, but maintaining a healthy gut microbiome remains challenging. Current approaches often focus on individual components rather than providing a holistic assessment.

Objectives: To introduce and evaluate a novel approach using data envelopment analysis (DEA) for assessing gut microbiota efficiency and identifying potential targets for personalized interventions.

Functional and structural analyses of IMP-27 metallo-β-lactamase: evolution of IMP-type enzymes to overcome Zn(II) deprivation.

IMP-type metallo-β-lactamases are di-Zn(II) enzymes that can inactivate a wide range of bicyclic β-lactam agents used in clinical practice. IMP-27 shares 82% amino acid sequence identity with IMP-1, the first IMP-type enzyme identified. Herein, we conducted structural determination, kinetic, and chelating agent resistance analyses of IMP-27.

Development and Validation of the Participation Questionnaire for Preschoolers with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Structural Validity, Internal Consistency, and Construct Validity.

Aim: This study aimed to develop the Participation Questionnaire for Preschoolers (PQP) and validate its psychometric properties as a disability-specific tool designed to assess participation in preschool-aged children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited caregivers of 412 children, including those diagnosed with ASD and those at risk for neurodevelopmental disorders. Participants were recruited from child development facilities, medical institutions, and developmental support websites across Japan.

Factors Associated With the Suspension of Domiciliary Dental Care for Older Adults During the First Wave of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic: A Comparative Study in the Japanese Local Government.

Objective The novel coronavirus has reduced the availability of dental services, including domiciliary dental care. The suspension of dental treatment worsens the dental condition. However, the impact on domiciliary dental care during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic remains unclear.

Rethinking the four-wing problem in plesiosaur swimming using bio-inspired decentralized control.

A locomotor system that can function across different environmental conditions and produce a range of performances is one of the most critical abilities needed for extant and extinct animals in order to survive and maximise their competitive fitness. Recent engineering-inspired paleontological studies have reconstructed feasible locomotor patterns in extinct animals. However, it is still challenging to describe how extinct animals successfully adjust their locomotor patterns to new situations (e.