Development of the membrane ceiling method for in vitro spermatogenesis.

Spermatogenesis is one of the most complex processes of cell differentiation and its failure is a major cause of male infertility. Therefore, a proper model that recapitulates spermatogenesis in vitro has been long sought out for basic and clinical research. Testis organ culture using the gas-liquid interphase method has been shown to support spermatogenesis in mice and rats.

A modeling study to define guidelines for antigen screening in schools and workplaces to mitigate COVID-19 outbreaks.

Background: In-person interaction offers invaluable benefits to people. To guarantee safe in-person activities during a COVID-19 outbreak, effective identification of infectious individuals is essential. In this study, we aim to analyze the impact of screening with antigen tests in schools and workplaces on identifying COVID-19 infections.

Refining breast cancer genetic risk and biology through multi-ancestry fine-mapping analyses of 192 risk regions.

Genome-wide association studies have identified approximately 200 genetic risk loci for breast cancer, but the causal variants and target genes are mostly unknown. We sought to fine-map all known breast cancer risk loci using genome-wide association study data from 172,737 female breast cancer cases and 242,009 controls of African, Asian and European ancestry. We identified 332 independent association signals for breast cancer risk, including 131 signals not reported previously, and for 50 of them, we narrowed the credible causal variants down to a single variant.

Blood DNA virome associates with autoimmune diseases and COVID-19.

Aberrant immune responses to viral pathogens contribute to pathogenesis, but our understanding of pathological immune responses caused by viruses within the human virome, especially at a population scale, remains limited. We analyzed whole-genome sequencing datasets of 6,321 Japanese individuals, including patients with autoimmune diseases (psoriasis vulgaris, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) or multiple sclerosis) and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), or healthy controls. We systematically quantified two constituents of the blood DNA virome, endogenous HHV-6 (eHHV-6) and anellovirus.

ZIC1 is a context-dependent medulloblastoma driver in the rhombic lip.

Transcription factors are frequent cancer driver genes, exhibiting noted specificity based on the precise cell of origin. We demonstrate that ZIC1 exhibits loss-of-function (LOF) somatic events in group 4 (G4) medulloblastoma through recurrent point mutations, subchromosomal deletions and mono-allelic epigenetic repression (60% of G4 medulloblastoma). In contrast, highly similar SHH medulloblastoma exhibits distinct and diametrically opposed gain-of-function mutations and copy number gains (20% of SHH medulloblastoma).

Using transformer-based models and social media posts for heat stroke detection.

Event-based surveillance is crucial for the early detection and rapid response to potential public health risks. In recent years, social networking services (SNS) have been recognized for their potential role in this domain. Previous studies have demonstrated the capacity of SNS posts for the early detection of health crises and affected individuals, including those related to infectious diseases.

Subfamily evolution analysis using nuclear and chloroplast data from the same reads.

The chloroplast (cp) genome is a widely used tool for exploring plant evolutionary relationships, yet its effectiveness in fully resolving these relationships remains uncertain. Integrating cp genome data with nuclear DNA information offers a more comprehensive view but often requires separate datasets. In response, we employed the same raw read sequencing data to construct cp genome-based trees and nuclear DNA phylogenetic trees using Read2Tree, a cost-efficient method for extracting conserved nuclear gene sequences from raw read data, focusing on the Aurantioideae subfamily, which includes Citrus and its relatives.

Machine learning based prediction model for bile leak following hepatectomy for liver cancer.

Objective: We sought to develop a machine learning (ML) preoperative model to predict bile leak following hepatectomy for primary and secondary liver cancer.

Methods: An eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) model was developed to predict post-hepatectomy bile leak using data from the ACS-NSQIP database. The model was externally validated using data from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) multi-institutional databases.

A whole gamma imaging prototype for higher quantitative imaging ofZr-labeled antibodies in a tumor mouse model.

PET has become an important clinical modality but is limited to imaging positron emitters. Recently, PET imaging withZr, which has a half-life of 3 days, has attracted much attention in immuno-PET to visualize immune cells and cancer cells by targeting specific antibodies on the cell surface. However,Zr emits a single gamma ray at 909 keV four times more frequently than positrons, causing image quality degradation in conventional PET.

Risk factors affecting quality of life in children with epilepsy and their caregivers: A secondary analysis of a cross-sectional online survey in Japan.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the quality of life (QOL) in children with epilepsy and their caregivers, as well as the caregiver burden, through a secondary analysis of a cross-sectional online survey in Japan.

Methods: Eligible participants were caregivers of children (aged < 18 years) diagnosed with epilepsy. Children's QOL was measured using the daily living subset of the Japanese version of the Quality of Life in Children with Epilepsy (QOLCE-Js52).

Complement classical and alternative pathway activation contributes to diabetic kidney disease progression: a glomerular proteomics on kidney biopsies.

Increasing evidence points toward an essential role for complement activation in the pathogenesis of diabetic kidney disease (DKD). However, the precise molecular mechanisms remain unclear, and the pathway predominantly contributing to complement activation in DKD is of particular interest. In this study, the glomerular proteome, especially the profiles of the complement proteins, was analyzed in kidney biopsies from 40 DKD patients and 10 normal controls using laser microdissection-assisted liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LMD-LC-MS/MS).

Spatiotemporal patterns in active four-state Potts models.

Many types of spatiotemporal patterns have been observed under nonequilibrium conditions. Cycling through four or more states can provide specific dynamics, such as the spatial coexistence of multiple phases. However, transient dynamics have only been studied by previous theoretical models, since absorbing transition into a uniform phase covered by a single state occurs in the long-time limit.

Oral applause sign in progressive supranuclear palsy.

The applause sign (AS) is a recognized phenomenon observed in progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and other neurological conditions where individuals produce over three claps following a request to clap only thrice after a demonstration. In this study, we introduced a novel linguistic phenomenon termed the oral applause sign (OAS) associated with the AS. The OAS is characterized by increased repetition counts of Japanese repetitive onomatopoeic words, such as uttering "pata-pata-pata" instead of the expected "pata-pata.

Cholestasis due to biliary obstruction can cause cardiogenic shock with bradycardia by delaying the elimination of arotinolol.

Cardiogenic shock with bradycardia due to beta-blockers is well-documented; however, this condition in association with arotinolol is unreported. We present a case of cardiogenic shock resulting from delayed arotinolol clearance caused by bile duct obstruction. A man in his 60s presented to our hospital with jaundice.

Demystifying the art of isotope-enabled hydrological and climate modelling.

Over the last 20 years, we have dramatically improved hydrometeorological data including isotopes, but are we making the most of this data? Stable isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen in the water molecule (stable water isotopes - SWI) are well known tracers of the global hydrological cycle producing critical climate science. Despite this, stable water isotopes are not explicitly included in influential climate reports (e.g.

Nursing Practices for Preventing Delirium in Patients with Cancer with Prognoses of Months and Weeks: A Multi-Site Cross-Sectional Study in Japan.

Background: Delirium is a condition characterized by an acute and transient disturbance in attention, cognition, and consciousness. It is increasingly prevalent at the end of life in patients with cancer. While non-pharmacological nursing interventions are essential for delirium prevention, their effectiveness in terminally ill patients with cancer remains unclear.

Kolmogorov-Hinze Scales in Turbulent Superfluids.

When a two-component mixture of immiscible fluids is stirred, the fluids are split into smaller domains with more vigorous stirring. We numerically investigate the sizes of such domains in a fully developed turbulent state of a two-component superfluid stirred with energy input rate ε. For the strongly immiscible condition, the typical domain size is shown to be proportional to ε^{-2/5}, as predicted by the Kolmogorov-Hinze theory in classical fluids.

Black Box Work Extraction and Composite Hypothesis Testing.

Work extraction is one of the most central processes in quantum thermodynamics. However, the prior analysis of optimal extractable work has been restricted to a limited operational scenario where complete information about the initial state is given. Here, we introduce a general framework of black box work extraction, which addresses the inaccessibility of information on the initial state.

Disentangling Sources of Momentum Fluctuations in Xe+Xe and Pb+Pb Collisions with the ATLAS Detector.

High-energy nuclear collisions create a quark-gluon plasma, whose initial condition and subsequent expansion vary from event to event, impacting the distribution of the eventwise average transverse momentum [P([p_{T}])]. Disentangling the contributions from fluctuations in the nuclear overlap size (geometrical component) and other sources at a fixed size (intrinsic component) remains a challenge. This problem is addressed by measuring the mean, variance, and skewness of P([p_{T}]) in ^{208}Pb+^{208}Pb and ^{129}Xe+^{129}Xe collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.

Minimum Scaling Model and Exact Exponents for the Nambu-Goldstone Modes in the Vicsek Model.

We investigate the scaling behavior of Nambu-Goldstone modes in the ordered phase of the Vicsek model, introducing a phenomenological equation of motion incorporating a previously overlooked nonlinear term. This term arises from the interaction between velocity fields and density fluctuations, leading to new scaling behaviors. We derive exact scaling exponents in two dimensions, which reproduce the isotropic scaling behavior reported in a prior numerical simulation.

Characteristics of split-step skills of the world's top athletes in badminton.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to quantitatively measure the split-step skills of the world's top badminton players to clarify the characteristics underlying these skills when moving into the forehand position in the rear court.

Methods: We analyzed the four best ranking players (1st to 4th) in the men's singles competition at the World Badminton Federation (BWF) World Championships 2023, a world tournament whose match videos are available online. Analysis 1 was conducted to determine the location of the players' feet on the court when performing a split-step while moving to the forehand rear court, as well as the width of the stance and the reaction time from that stance to taking the first step.

A Series of AnO Complexes (An = U, Np, Pu) with NO-Donating Schiff-Base Ligands: Systematic Trends in the Molecular Structures and Redox Behavior.

In their + V and + VI oxidation states, actinide elements (U, Np, and Pu) are commonly encountered in characteristic linear dioxo structures, known as actinyl ions (AnO; An = U, Np, Pu, = 1, 2). A systematic understanding of the structural and redox behavior of AnO/AnO complexes is expected to provide valuable information for controlling the behavior of An elements in natural environments and in nuclear fuel cycles while enabling the development of spintronics and new reactivities that utilize the anisotropic spin of the 5f electrons. However, systematic trends in the behavior of AnO/AnO complexes remain poorly understood.

Nicotine enhances the stemness and tumorigenicity in intestinal stem cells via Hippo-YAP/TAZ and Notch signal pathway.

Cigarette smoking is a well-known risk factor inducing the development and progression of various diseases. Nicotine (NIC) is the major constituent of cigarette smoke. However, knowledge of the mechanism underlying the NIC-regulated stem cell functions is limited.

Aging in a weighted ensemble of excitable and self-oscillatory neurons: The role of pairwise and higher-order interactions.

We investigate the aging transition in networks of excitable and self-oscillatory units as the fraction of inherently excitable units increases. Two network topologies are considered: a scale-free network with weighted pairwise interactions and a two-dimensional simplicial complex with weighted scale-free pairwise and triadic interactions. Without triadic interactions, the aging transition from collective oscillations to oscillation death (inhomogeneous stationary states) can occur either suddenly or through an intermediate state of partial oscillation.