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.

Effect of spermidine intake on skeletal muscle regeneration after chemical injury in male mice.

Skeletal muscle has a high regenerative ability and maintains homeostasis by rapidly regenerating from frequent damage caused by intense exercise or trauma. In sports, skeletal muscle damage occurs frequently due to intense exercise, so practical methods to promote skeletal muscle regeneration are required. Recent studies have shown that it may be possible to promote skeletal muscle regeneration through new pathways, such as promoting autophagy and improving mitochondrial function.

Catalytic partial oxidation of methane over oxide-ion-conductive lanthanum silicate apatites.

A lanthanum silicate LaSiO (LSO) crystallizes in an apatite-type structure and has been known as a promising oxide-ion conductor. Here, we report the activity of LSO for catalytic partial oxidation of methane (CPOX) to synthesis gas. The LSO catalyst demonstrated relatively high catalytic activity from 500 to 700 °C, with CH conversion reaching 22.

Transcriptomic analysis of sexually dimorphic cypris larvae of the rhizocephalan barnacle Peltogasterella gracilis.

Peltogasterella gracilis (Cirripedia: Rhizocephala), a crustacean parasite of hermit crabs, displays genotypic sex determination. Its larvae are planktonic, and female larvae settle on the host. Subsequently, the females control the host's behavior by spreading a root-like structure called "the interna" within the host's body, and form sacs containing eggs called "the externae" outside the host's body.

The continuous increase in the number of newly medically attended cases of herpes zoster did not accelerate during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in Kanagawa, Japan.

Possible changes in the epidemiology of herpes zoster (HZ) since the emergence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is an unfolding topic. The number of newly medically attended cases (NMAC) of HZ during the pandemic in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, was quantitatively investigated using a claims database. The study period was from April 2017 to March 2022.

Maternal Broccoli Powder Intake Ameliorates Insulin Resistance and Inflammation via AMPK/mTOR Pathway in the Livers of High-Fructose-Fed Male Rat Offspring Exposed to Maternal Protein Restriction.

Scope: Sub-optimal prenatal conditions such as maternal undernutrition during pregnancy and lactation posit high risks of adult metabolic diseases. High fructose intake causes insulin resistance and liver inflammation contributing to metabolic diseases. However, food-based preventive measure for these metabolic diseases in the offspring is under-researched.

Association of psychosocial factors at work with fertility and menstrual disorders: A systematic review.

Objectives: This systematic review aimed to assess the association between psychosocial factors in the workplace and menstrual abnormalities or fertility, focusing on literature implementing a prospective cohort design.

Methods: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, and Japan Medical Abstracts Society electronic databases for studies published from inception to February 26, 2020, and updated the search in PubMed on May 29, 2024. Inclusion criteria were (P) adult female workers (over 18 years old), (E) presence of adverse psychosocial factors at work, (C) absence of adverse psychosocial factors at work, and (O) any menstrual cycle disorders, menstrual-related symptoms, or fertility issues.

Survival strategies of microalgae in response to fluctuating brine environments in Saroma-ko Lagoon sea ice, Hokkaido, Japan.

This study investigated the changes in sea ice temperature, microalgae species distribution, shape changes, and photosynthetic activity observed in the first-year ice that forms in winter in Saroma-ko Lagoon, Hokkaido, Japan. Temperatures at the bottom of the ice remained constant at -1.7°C, near the freezing point, while they varied between -6 and -1°C with diel fluctuations at the surface layer.

Smartphone-Based Digital Peer Support for a Walking Intervention Among Public Officers in Kanagawa Prefecture: Single-Arm Pre- and Postintervention Evaluation.

Background: Digital peer support, defined as peer support delivered through technology such as smartphone apps, may be promising to promote activity in the form of step counts. Interactions among users have a positive impact on retention rates, and apps with social elements show significant improvements in daily step count. However, the feasibility of digital peer support in promoting physical activity (PA) is unknown; therefore, its effectiveness on step count and the clinical implications remain unconfirmed.

A primordial noble gas component discovered in the Ryugu asteroid and its implications.

Ryugu is the C-type asteroid from which material was brought to Earth by the Hayabusa2 mission. A number of individual grains and fine-grained samples analysed so far for noble gases have indicated that solar wind and planetary (known as P1) noble gases are present in Ryugu samples with concentrations higher than those observed in CIs, suggesting the former to be more primitive compared to the latter. Here we present results of analyses of three fine-grained samples from Ryugu, in one of which Xe concentration is an order of magnitude higher than determined so far in other samples from Ryugu.

Patch-free streaming contrast-rebalanced dichoptic cartoons versus patching for treatment of amblyopia in children aged 3 to 5 years: a pilot, randomized clinical trial.

Background: We developed and tested a dichoptic treatment designed for younger children that can be viewed freely and involves a dichoptic manipulation of a popular animation series that enables contrast-rebalancing without disrupting fusion. Our aim was to assess whether this novel amblyopia treatment is superior to patching in children aged 3-5 years.

Methods: A total of 34 children with amblyopia were randomly assigned to contrast-rebalanced dichoptic cartoons (4 hours/week) or patching (14 hours/week) for 2 weeks.

Akt1 deficiency does not affect fiber type composition or mitochondrial protein expression in skeletal muscle of male mice.

Insulin-like growth factor-1-induced activation of ATP citrate lyase (ACLY) improves muscle mitochondrial function through an Akt-dependent mechanism. In this study, we examined whether Akt1 deficiency alters skeletal muscle fiber type and mitochondrial function by regulating ACLY-dependent signaling in male Akt1 knockout (KO) mice (12-16 weeks old). Akt1 KO mice exhibited decreased body weight and muscle wet weight, with reduced cross-sectional areas of slow- and fast-type muscle fibers.

Resting-state functional connectivity involved in tactile orientation processing.

Background: Grating orientation discrimination (GOD) is commonly used to assess somatosensory spatial processing. It allows discrimination between parallel and orthogonal orientations of tactile stimuli applied to the fingertip. Despite its widespread application, the underlying mechanisms of GOD, particularly the role of cortico-cortical interactions and local brain activity in this process, remain elusive.

Stabilizing the Interphase in an Ultra-High-Nickel Cathode Enabling High-Performance Lithium-Ion Batteries.

High-nickel (Ni ≥ 90%) cathodes which have a high specific capacity hold great potential for next-generation lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, their practical application is restricted by their high interfacial reactivity because of the presence of residual lithium (Li) compounds on the surface. Herein, the LiNiCoMnO (NCM90) cathode is surface-modified with sulfur (S) via a simple and feasible dry mixing and low-temperature heat treatment, converting the residual lithium compound on the surface into inactive lithium sulfate (LiSO).

Polypeptide N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase-15 regulates adipogenesis in human SGBS cells.

Adipogenesis involves intricate molecular mechanisms regulated by various transcription factors and signaling pathways. In this study, we aimed to identify factors specifically induced during adipogenesis in the human preadipocyte cell line, SGBS, but not in the mouse preadipocyte cell line, 3T3-L1. Microarray analysis revealed distinct gene expression profiles, with 1460 genes induced in SGBS cells and 1297 genes induced in 3T3-L1 cells during adipogenesis, with only 297 genes commonly induced.