Loss of hepatocyte growth factor activator inhibitor type 1 (HAI-1) upregulates MMP-9 expression and induces degradation of the epidermal basement membrane.

Hepatocyte growth factor activator inhibitor type 1 (HAI-1), which is encoded by the SPINT1 gene, is a membrane-associated serine proteinase inhibitor abundantly expressed in epithelial tissues. We had previously demonstrated that HAI-1 is critical for placental development, epidermal keratinization, and maintenance of keratinocyte morphology by regulating cognate proteases, matriptase and prostasin. After performing ultrastructural analysis of Spint1-deleted skin tissues, our results showed that Spint1-deleted epidermis exhibited partially disrupted epidermal basement-membrane structures.

Prediction of grading of ovarian endometrioid carcinoma using conventional MRI features.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate MRI findings of ovarian endometrioid carcinoma (OEC) as a predictor of histological grade.

Materials And Methods: This study included 60 patients with histopathologically confirmed OEC (20, 30, and 10 with grades 1, 2, and 3, respectively). Clinical and MRI results were retrospectively reviewed.

Adjunctive effects of eltrombopag on immunosuppressive therapy for childhood aplastic anemia.

Eltrombopag is used with first-line immunosuppressive therapy for adult aplastic anemia, although its practical utility in childhood remains unclear. We retrospectively analyzed the outcomes of pediatric patients who received eltrombopag in Japan. Of the 27 eligible patients, 23 (85%) were previously treated, and 15 (56%) had severe or very-severe disease.

Impact of long-term trends on outcomes in the management of colonic diverticular bleeding: mediation analyses in a large multicenter study.

Background: Despite accumulating evidence and recommendations for management of colonic diverticular bleeding (CDB), the changes in its clinical management and outcomes remain unknown.

Methods: We performed a retrospective tendency analysis on a biennial basis, a propensity score-matched cohort study between the first and latter half groups, and mediation analyses to compare the diagnostic and treatment methods between January 2010 and December 2019 (CODE BLUE-J Study).

Results: A total of 6575 patients with CDB were included.

Nano vesicles derived from edible plants ∼A new player that contributes to the function of foods∼.

Nano-sized vesicles are ubiquitous in vegetables, fruits, and other edible plants. We have successfully prepared nanovesicles (NVs) from over 150 edible plants. These results suggest that the daily intake of NVs from various foods and their roles in food function are promising novel approaches for explaining the health-promoting properties of edible plants.

Impact of intravascular ultrasound on limb events in endovascular therapy for patients with peripheral arterial disease: insights from the TOMA-CODE registry.

Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) has become a standard procedure for performing coronary intervention, but its impact on peripheral endovascular therapy (EVT) remains unclear. To assess the usefulness of IVUS during EVT, this study analyzed over 2000 consecutive patients from the TOkyo-taMA peripheral vascular intervention research COmraDE (TOMA-CODE) registry with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in Japan. The primary outcome was chronic limb events (a composite of clinically driven target lesion revascularization (cTLR) and major amputation) during a two-year follow-up period.

STIL Overexpression Is Associated with Chromosomal Numerical Abnormalities in Non-Small-Cell Lung Carcinoma Through Centrosome Amplification.

STIL is a regulatory protein essential for centriole biogenesis, and its dysregulation has been implicated in various diseases, including malignancies. However, its role in non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) remains unclear. In this study, we examined STIL expression and its potential association with chromosomal numerical abnormalities (CNAs) in NSCLC using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset, immunohistochemical analysis, and in vitro experiments with NSCLC cell lines designed to overexpress STIL.

Etomoxir suppresses the expression of PPARgamma2 and inhibits the thermogenic gene induction of brown adipocytes through pathways other than β-oxidation inhibition.

Brown adipocytes are characterized by a high abundance of mitochondria, allowing them to consume fatty acids for heat production. Increasing the number of brown adipocytes is considered a promising strategy for combating obesity. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying their differentiation remain poorly understood.

Impact of the relationship between renal pedicles and tumors on surgical outcomes for non-high-risk abdominal neuroblastoma.

Purpose: To assess the impact of the relationship between renal pedicles and tumors on surgical outcomes in patients with non-high-risk abdominal neuroblastoma.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed cases of neuroblastoma without metastasis treated at our hospital between March 2002 and December 2023. Cases in which surgical resection was performed were divided into three groups according to imaging findings at the time of diagnosis and before surgery: Group E (tumor encasing renal pedicles), Group C (tumor in contact with renal pedicles), and Group S (tumor separated from renal pedicles).

Klotho supplementation decreases blood pressure and albuminuria in mice with lupus nephritis.

Klotho deficiency is prevalent in various chronic kidney diseases. Although klotho is known to bind transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) receptor 1 to antagonize renal fibrosis, TGFβ also maintains regulatory T cells with inducing forkhead box protein P3 (FOXP3). Female New Zealand Black/White F (NZBWF1) mice were divided into two groups (n=10 for each): one group was treated with daily subcutaneous injection of klotho protein (30 μg/kg/day) for 8 weeks, and the other only received vehicle.

Endoscopic hemostasis with a self-assembling peptide gel during endoscopic submucosal dissection and cold-snare polypectomy in the duodenum: Prospective exploratory study (with video).

Objectives: A novel self-assembling peptide gel (SAPG) was recently developed for hemostasis during endoscopic resection (ER) as an alternative for electrocoagulation and clip placement. Therefore, this exploratory study aimed to evaluate the hemostatic effect of SAPG on bleeding during ER of the duodenum.

Methods: Patients with superficial duodenal epithelial tumors who underwent endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) or cold-snare polypectomy (CSP) between June 2022 and October 2023 were enrolled in the study.

Prognostic Factors Associated with 2-year Mortality in Patients with Intermittent Claudication Treated with Endovascular Therapy for Femoropopliteal Lesions: Results from the Multicenter PROCYON Study.

Aim: Few studies have evaluated the midterm prognosis of patients with intermittent claudication who underwent endovascular therapy (EVT) for femoropopliteal lesions. Therefore, we aimed to assess 2-year mortality and prognostic factors in these patients.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 947 patients who underwent EVT for intermittent claudication between January 2018 and December 2021 at eight Japanese cardiovascular centers.

Clinical Features and Current Pharmacotherapy of OAB in Practice: Ideal and Reality.

Introduction: The present study aimed to investigate the prescribing patterns of anticholinergics (anti-AChR) or β3-adrenergic agonists (βA) in the pharmacotherapy of overactive bladder (OAB) and to evaluate the differences in the frequency of adverse events (AEs) between the two types of drugs using a large-scale medical claims database.

Methods: This cohort study was conducted using the JMDC claims database between May 2015 and April 2023. Patient characteristics, prescription and treatment patterns of anti-AChR and βA, and the incidence of AEs have been described.

Performance of ChatGPT-4o on the Japanese Medical Licensing Examination: Evalution of Accuracy in Text-Only and Image-Based Questions.

This study evaluated the performance of ChatGPT with GPT-4 Omni (GPT-4o) on the 118th Japanese Medical Licensing Examination. The study focused on both text-only and image-based questions. The model demonstrated a high level of accuracy overall, with no significant difference in performance between text-only and image-based questions.

Regulation of Branchial Anoctamin 1 Expression in Freshwater- and Seawater-Acclimated Japanese Medaka, Oryzias latipes.

In euryhaline teleosts, the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) in seawater (SW)-type chloride cells facilitates apical Cl secretion for SW adaptation, while alternative Cl excretion pathways remain understudied. This study investigates the role of the calcium-activated chloride channel, Anoctamin 1 (ANO1), in the gills of the euryhaline Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) under hyperosmolality and cortisol (CORT) influence. Acclimation to artificial SW, NaCl, mannitol, or glucose significantly upregulated ANO1 and CFTR mRNA expression in gills, unlike urea treatment.

Impact of the Individual Operator Experience and Learning Curve of a Novel Size Adjustable Cryoballoon.

Background: Cryoballoon ablation is less operator-dependent than radiofrequency ablation. Recently, size-adjustable cryoballoons (SA-CBs) have become available. We sought to analyze the individual baseline operator experience's impact on procedural results.

Nerve regeneration using a Bio 3D conduit derived from umbilical cord-Derived mesenchymal stem cells in a rat sciatic nerve defect model.

Unlabelled: Human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (UC-MSCs), which can be prepared in advance and are presumed to be advantageous for nerve regeneration, have potential as a cell source for Bio 3D conduits. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the nerve regeneration ability of Bio 3D conduits made from UC-MSCs using a rat sciatic nerve defect model.

Methods: A Bio 3D conduit was fabricated using a Bio 3D printer by placing UC-MSC spheroids into thin needles according to predesigned 3D data.

Quasi-One-Dimensional Spin Dynamics in a Molecular Spin Liquid System.

The molecular triangular lattice system, β^{'}-EtMe_{3}Sb[Pd(dmit)_{2}]_{2}, is considered as a candidate material for the quantum spin liquid state, although ongoing debates arise from recent controversial results. Here, the results of electron spin resonance and muon-spin relaxation measurements on β^{'}-EtMe_{3}Sb[Pd(dmit)_{2}]_{2} are presented. Both results indicate characteristic behaviors related to quasi-one-dimensional spin dynamics, whereas the direction of anisotropy found in electron spin resonance is in contradiction with previous theories.

Evaluation of urinary vanin-1 for the early prediction of cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury during neoadjuvant chemotherapy for esophageal cancer.

Purpose: Cisplatin (CDDP) induces acute kidney injury (AKI) as a side effect during neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). Urinary vanin-1 excretion may increase during CDDP treatment. We investigated whether urinary vanin-1 is an early biomarker for CDDP-induced AKI.

Diversification of single-cell growth dynamics under starvation influences subsequent reproduction in a clonal bacterial population.

Most of the microbes in nature infrequently receive nutrients and are thus in slow- or non-growing states. How quickly they can resume their growth upon an influx of new resources is crucial to occupy environmental niches. Isogenic microbial populations are known to harbor only a fraction of cells with rapid growth resumption, yet little is known about the physiological characteristics of those cells and their emergence in the population.

Clinical features of atypical solid-type congenital pulmonary airway malformation (CPAM) type 1.

Introduction: Type 1 congenital pulmonary airway malformation (CPAM) is characterized by large, dilated cysts that rapidly expand due to aeration immediately after birth, often necessitating surgical resection. In atypical cases of CPAM type 1, fetal T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) reveals a low-intensity solid lung mass containing multiple irregular T2 high-intensity areas.

Methods: Data were retrospectively collected for infants with atypical CPAM type 1 born at our hospital between March 2002 and December 2022.

Impact of Underdosing of Direct Oral Anticoagulants on Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Background: Underdoses of direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) are sometimes prescribed due to bleeding risk concerns in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). We investigated the prevalence of DOAC underdosing and its impact on clinical outcomes in AF patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods And Results: This multicenter observational cohort study enrolled patients with AF on DOAC undergoing PCI between January 2015 and March 2021 at 15 institutions across Japan.

Effects of NaCl Treatment on Root Nodule Formation, Isoflavone Secretion in Soybean, and Nodulation Gene Expression in Rhizobia.

We herein investigated the effects of salt (NaCl) stress on soybean nodulation by rhizobial strains. We specifically exami-ned: (1) the effects of NaCl on nodule maturity and positioning by inoculating three rhizobial strains (Bradyrhizobium diazoefficiens USDA110, Bradyrhizobium elkanii USDA31, and Sinorhizobium fredii USDA191) onto soybean variety CNS, (2) the effects of the NaCl treatment on isoflavones (daidzein and genistein) secretion by CNS, (3) the effects of the NaCl treatment on gene expression induced by daidzein and genistein in rhizobia, and (4) the effects of the NaCl treatment on rhizobial growth. The results obtained were as follows: (1) the NaCl treatment delayed nodule development and reduced nodulation on the primary root following the USDA110 inoculation, minimal sensitivity regarding nodule formation in the USDA 31 inoculation, and significantly increased the mature nodule number and nodules on the primary root following the USDA 191 inoculation.

A nationwide questionnaire study evaluated kidney injury associated with Beni-koji tablets in Japan.

Red yeast rice, traditionally used in Asian cuisine and increasingly marketed as a dietary supplement for cholesterol management, has recently been linked to kidney dysfunction in Japan. In late 2023 to early 2024, multiple cases involving specific Beni-koji (red yeast rice) tablets from three different Beni-koji preparations, prompted a safety reevaluation. Although citrinin, a known nephrotoxin of red yeast rice, was not produced by the implicated strains, new safety concerns emerged.