The N-Terminal Fragment of Urine Titin Is Not a Product of Degradation by Calpain 3.

Introduction: A 20 kDa fragment at the N-terminus of titin is highly excreted in the urine of patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), making urine titin a prominent biomarker for muscle breakdown. This N-terminal fragment is presumed to be a product of degradation by a protein-degrading enzyme, calpain 3; however, whether calpain 3 is required remains unclear. We aimed to determine whether urine titin elevation occurs in the absence of calpain 3.

Effect of Diabetes on Outcomes in Patients With Incurable/Unresectable and Advanced/Recurrent Colorectal Cancer Receiving mFOLFOX6.

Background/aim: The high mortality rate associated with colon cancer in patients with diabetes is well-established; however, the underlying mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. Here, we investigated the efficacy of modified FOLFOX6 (mFOLFOX6) therapy, which is frequently used in colon cancer treatment, in patients with and without comorbid diabetes.

Patients And Methods: The participants in this retrospective cohort study received mFOLFOX6 therapy as a first-line treatment for incurable/ unresectable and advanced/recurrent colon cancer.

Impact of electrical muscle stimulation-induced muscle contractions on endogenous pain modulatory system: a quantitative sensory testing evaluation.

Background: Exercise-induced hypoalgesia (EIH) is characterized by a reduction in pain perception and sensitivity across both exercising and non-exercising body parts during and after a single bout of exercise. EIH is mediated through central and peripheral mechanisms; however, the specific effect of muscle contraction alone on EIH remains unclear. Moreover, previous studies on electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) have primarily focused on local analgesic effects, often relying on subjective pain reports.

Cardiovascular toxicity risk assessment of tyrosine kinase inhibitors: a pharmacovigilance study using the VigiBase database.

Introduction: Advances in the early detection and treatment of cancer have significantly improved the prognosis of patients with cancer. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are effective targeted treatments for various malignancies that act by inhibiting kinase activity. Although these drugs share a common mechanism of action, they differ in their targeted kinases, pharmacokinetics, and side effects.

Protein corona formation on different-shaped CdSe/CdS semiconductor nanocrystals.

Nanoparticles (NPs) have been widely studied and applied in medical and pharmaceutical fields. When NPs enter the environment, they are covered with protein molecules to form the so-called "protein corona". Because NPs and proteins are comparable in size, the shape of NPs has a significant impact on NP-protein interactions.

Potential of boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) for myxofibrosarcoma.

Myxofibrosarcoma, a rare malignant tumor, predominantly affects the extremities of the elderly. Because of its invasive nature amputation is sometimes required, resulting in serious deterioration of quality of life. Therefore, cell lines established from amputated surgical specimens of myxofibrosarcoma in the upper limbs of elderly patients were used to create a myxofibrosarcoma-bearing animal model and to investigate the therapeutic effect of BNCT thereon.

Relationship between functional independence measure scores and timed up-and-go time in postoperative elderly patients with vertebral and hip fractures.

[Purpose] To analyze the correlation between the timed up-and-go time and functional independence measure total score in postoperative elderly patients with vertebral and hip fractures. [Participants and Methods] The total functional independence measure scores and timed up-and-go times of 87 Japanese patients aged ≥65 years with a history of vertebral or hip fracture surgery were analyzed. Patients were classified based on age (<85 or ≥85 years), sex (female or male), fracture type (vertebral or hip fracture), and postoperative period (early or late).

[Development of a Virtual Reality Training Tool Promoted at Skill Acquisition in Preparatory Clinical Education for Pharmacy Students and Verification of Its Educational Effectiveness: Preparation of Liquid Medications].

In recent years, virtual reality (VR) technology has garnered attention as an educational tool. It is believed to be beneficial to utilize VR technology for the acquisition of pharmacist skills. Therefore, we developed a VR training tool aimed at acquiring skills in the preparation of pharmaceuticals in preparatory clinical education for pharmacy students.

Ovalbumin-induced food allergy suppression via regulatory T cell expansion mediated by a TNFR2 agonist in mice.

Food allergies represent a growing health concern worldwide, characterized by abnormal immune responses to specific dietary antigens. This condition is often associated with a dysregulation of immune tolerance, especially within the intestinal mucosa. Regulatory T cells (Tregs), a crucial subset of lymphocytes, play a central role in maintaining peripheral immune tolerance and are abundant in the intestinal lamina propria.

Clinical and Genetic Profiles of 5q- and Non-5q-Spinal Muscular Atrophy Diseases in Pediatric Patients.

Background: Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a genetic disease characterized by loss of motor neurons in the spinal cord and lower brainstem. The term "SMA" usually refers to the most common form, 5q-SMA, which is caused by biallelic mutations in (located on chromosome 5q13). However, long before the discovery of , it was known that other forms of SMA existed.

Increased Red Cell Superoxide Dismutase Activity Is Associated with Cancer Risk: A Hidaka Cohort Study.

Unlabelled: Superoxide dismutase (SOD) catalyzes the highly reactive superoxide anion to form hydrogen peroxide, which facilitates cell proliferation and death. We investigated whether red cell SOD (R-SOD) activity is associated with an increased risk of cancer in a Japanese general population. We prospectively analyzed data from 1,921 participants (800 men and 1,121 women; age, 58.

Facilitating positive emotions in people with challenges by combining conventional occupational training and a novel farming program: a feasibility study.

Objective: Japan has a system of occupational therapy programs known as self-reliance training (training for daily living), which helps people with various disabilities lead more meaningful lives. Recently, it has been shown that green care farms are beneficial for dementia care and that agricultural and horticultural work has a positive impact on people with intellectual disabilities and mental disorders. This study examined the health-improving effects of farm activities and developed an attractive program for adolescents with developmental and intellectual disabilities who use independent training facilities.

Alkoxy Exchange Strategy for the Synthesis of ,-Dimethylated (Alkoxy)triazinediones as Solid Reagents for Acid-Catalyzed -Alkylation.

,-Dimethylated (alkoxy)triazinediones (DMATs-R) with eight different -alkyl groups (R), such as benzyl, allyl, and -butyl groups, were synthesized in 61-94% yield through the alkoxy exchange reaction of DMAT-Me with the corresponding alcohol. Molecular sieves were added to the reaction mixture to shift the alkoxy exchange equilibrium toward the product via the absorptive removal of the methanol formed . All the DMATs-R were obtained as stable solids, in contrast to previously reported ,-diallyl analogs that included oil compounds.

Insulin-inspired hippocampal neuron-targeting technology for protein drug delivery.

Hippocampal neurons can be the first to be impaired with neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Most drug candidates for causal therapy of AD cannot either enter the brain or accumulate around hippocampal neurons. Here, we genetically engineered insulin-fusion proteins, called hippocampal neuron-targeting (Ht) proteins, for targeting protein drugs to hippocampal neurons because insulin tends to accumulate in the neuronal cell layers of the hippocampus.

Facilitating cholangiocarcinoma inhibition by targeting CD47.

Immune evasion is one of the mechanisms by which cancer cells acquire immunity during cancer development and progression. One of these is the increased expression of cluster of differentiation 47 (CD47), a transmembrane glycoprotein that protects cells from phagocytic elimination. The interaction between CD47 and signal regulatory protein alpha (SIRPα) on macrophages alleviates the phagocytic signal.

An 18-month multimodal intervention trial for preventing dementia: J-MINT PRIME Tamba.

Background: The number of people with dementia is increasing in Japan, and establishing evidence for preventing dementia is necessary.

Methods: This study was a randomized controlled trial in cognitively normal community-dwelling older adults aged 65 to 85 with diabetes and/or hypertension. Participants were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio.

Bicyclic-Ammonium-Incorporated Ylidic Nitrogen Groups for Strong π-Electron Donation in Push-Pull Benzene π-Conjugated Systems.

Ylidic nitrogen-based π-electron-donating groups, (quinuclidinio)amidyl (QA) and (1-azanorbornanio)amidyl (ANA) groups, were developed to shift the absorption of push-pull benzenes toward longer wavelengths. Changing the pyrrolidinyl group to the QA or ANA group achieved a bathochromic shift of 45-100 nm in the maximum absorption wavelength, depending on the push-pull π-conjugated system investigated (-nitrobenzene, 1,8-naphthalimide, and an azo dye).