TNF-α exacerbates SARS-CoV-2 infection by stimulating CXCL1 production from macrophages.

Since most genetically modified mice are C57BL/6 background, a mouse-adapted SARS-CoV-2 that causes lethal infection in young C57BL/6 mice is useful for studying innate immune protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection. Here, we established two mouse-adapted SARS-CoV-2, ancestral and Delta variants, by serial passaging 80 times in C57BL/6 mice. Although young C57BL/6 mice were resistant to infection with the mouse-adapted ancestral SARS-CoV-2, the mouse-adapted SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant caused lethal infection in young C57BL/6 mice.

Plasma Metabolite Profiles Between In-Center Daytime Extended-Hours and Conventional Hemodialysis.

Background: Protein-energy wasting, characterized by disordered body protein catabolism resulting from metabolic and nutritional derangements, is associated with adverse clinical outcomes in patients undergoing hemodialysis. Extended-hours hemodialysis (≥6 h per treatment session) offers both enhanced removal of uremic solutes and better fluid management, generally allowing more liberalized dietary protein and calorie intake. This study aimed to evaluate the difference in plasma metabolite profiles among patients receiving in-center daytime extended-hours hemodialysis and those receiving conventional hemodialysis.

Quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA) and Performance Status Scoring Systems as Prognostic Predictors in Pneumococcal Community-Acquired Pneumonia.

Background and aim , or pneumococcus, is one of the most common pathogens responsible for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), which can progress to sepsis and lead to severe illness. Several clinical scoring systems are widely used to assess the severity of CAP and sepsis. This study aims to evaluate the clinical factors that predict mortality in pneumococcal CAP (pCAP).

A comprehensive review of peroxiredoxin 4, a redox protein evolved in oxidative protein folding coupled with hydrogen peroxide detoxification.

Peroxiredoxin (PRDX) primarily employs electrons from thioredoxin in order to reduce peroxides. PRDX4 mainly resides either in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) lumen or in extracellular spaces. Due to the usage of alternative promoters, a first exon is transcribed from different regions of the Prdx4 gene, which results in two types of mRNAs.

Succinic semialdehyde derived from the gut microbiota can promote the proliferation of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma cells.

Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) is a refractory blood cancer with severe immunodeficiency resulting from retroviral infection. ATLL develops in only 5 % of HTLV-1-infected individuals, but the entire mechanism of ATLL progression remains unknown. Since recent studies have reported that the gut microbiome influences the progression of various diseases, we hypothesized that ATLL is also related to the gut microbiome and aimed to investigate this relationship.

Machine-learning-based identification of patients with IgA nephropathy using a computerized medical billing database.

The billing database of the universal healthcare system in Japan potentially includes large-cohort data of patients with immunoglobulin A nephropathy, diagnosis codes aimed at billing should not be directly used for clinical research because of the risk of misdiagnosis. To solve this problem, we aimed to develop a novel method for identifying patients with immunoglobulin A nephropathy from billing data using machine learning. The medical records and bills of 3,743 patients who consulted nephrologists at a single center were extracted.

Augmented triboelectric properties of graphene-filled poly(vinylidene difluoride--hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) nanofibers.

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) are devices that convert mechanical energy into electrical energy through the triboelectric effect, supplying power to a wide array of advanced sensing and monitoring systems. In this work, we utilized graphene-filled nanofibrous poly(vinylidene difluoride--hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) as TENGs, employing electrospinning technology. We examined how the dielectric characteristics and transferred charge of the electrification mat affect the output of TENGs.

[Fundamental Study on Artifacts and Displacement Force of Cosmetics Such as Eye Makeup in MRI Examinations].

Purpose: In MRI examinations, makeup cosmetics may cause image artifacts or be adsorbed by a static magnetic field. However, there are no reports on each cosmetic material ingredient. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the displacement force and image artifacts caused by cosmetic ingredients and to clarify the cosmetic ingredients that need to be removed.

Structure of Ion Pair Receptor Combined with LiCl in Concentrated Acetonitrile Solutions Studied by Neutron Diffraction with Li/Li Isotopic Substitution Method.

Neutron diffraction measurements with the Li/Li isotopic substitution method have been carried out to obtain direct structural information on the ion pair receptor, CHON, combined with LiCl ion pair in concentrated acetonitrile solutions. The difference interference term, Δ(), was derived from the difference between the total interference term observed for Li- and Li-enriched sample solutions. Structural parameters concerning the LiCl-receptor complex were determined by the least-squares fitting analysis of the observed Δ().

Protocol of a nation-wide post-bereavement survey on quality of hospice and palliative care: J-HOPE 5 study.

Background: Maintaining quality of care and improving the quality of life (QOL) of patients and their families are important issues in palliative care. Therefore, there is a need to continuously evaluate the quality and outcomes of the care provided. In Japan, the Japan hospice and palliative evaluation (J-HOPE) study series has been conducted every three to four years since 2010, and we will conduct the fifth J-HOPE study (J-HOPE5).

Predictors of recurrence and survival after salivary gland cancer surgery: A multicenter, retrospective study in northern Japan.

Objectives: Salivary gland cancer is a rare disease composed of more than 20 histological types with different grades of malignancy. The aim of this multicenter, retrospective study was to identify the most important predictors affecting recurrence and survival after surgery.

Material And Methods: A total of 543 patients with salivary gland cancers that underwent curative surgery between 2012 and 2022 in 13 institutions in northern Japan were evaluated in this study.

Room-temperature synthesis of triple-cation green perovskite quantum dots for optoelectronic applications.

The development of multi-cation perovskite quantum dots (PQDs) is limited by the low availability of fitting A-site cations due to the unsuitable radii of a large gamut of amine cations. The impact of oversized or undersized cations on the perovskite structure is detrimental to the structural stabilization and electroluminescence efficiency of the PQDs. Researchers are actively seeking suitable-sized cations to mitigate perovskite defect formation and optimize charge carrier confinement within the PQDs.

Clinical and microbiological effectiveness of pulsed-xenon ultraviolet light disinfection in a neonatal intensive care unit in Japan.

Background: Meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a common causative agent of serious healthcare-related infections in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). In adult ICUs, pulsed-xenon ultraviolet (PX-UV) disinfection of environmental surfaces, along with alcohol-based hand hygiene and terminal cleaning, has been demonstrated to reduce the MRSA acquisition rate.

Aim: To explore the impact of PX-UV use in NICUs on reducing MRSA transmission.

Biological Agent and Total Hip Arthroplasty in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Purpose: Therapies for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have shown significant improvement since the introduction of biological agents (BIO) in 2003 and Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKi) in 2013 in Japan. The rate of orthopedic surgery, including total hip arthroplasties (THA), may reflect trends in disease severity, management, and health outcomes.

Materials And Methods: An analysis of data on THAs performed at our institutes for treatment of RA with BIO or non-BIO therapy from 2004 to 2021 was conducted.

Association of Japanese cedar pollen sensitization in children with Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus sensitization and maternal sensitization: Insights from the Yamanashi adjunct study within the Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS).

Background: In recent years, the prevalence of allergic rhinitis (AR) in Japanese children has increased significantly. Multiple sensitization and genetic factors are associated with the development of AR, and moreover, multiply sensitized children are more likely to have parents with AR. This research investigated the association of Japanese cedar pollen (JCP) sensitization in children with Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (DP) sensitization and with maternal JCP sensitization.

Chromosome Counting at Meiosis and Mitosis of Mouse Oocytes and Embryos Using Super-Resolution Live-Cell Imaging and CRISPR/dCas9-Mediated Live-FISH.

Live cell imaging techniques are now essential for capturing chromosomal segregation in fertilized eggs. Although better spatiotemporal resolution of fluorescence observations could provide more information, higher phototoxicity may occur. Super-resolution microscopy is generally considered unsuitable for live cell imaging because of the considerable cell damage.

Advanced maternal age elevates the prevalence of hypertensive disorders in women of Japanese, independent of blood pressure: a study from the Japan Environment and Children's study.

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) are leading causes of maternal and infant mortality, and maternal age is a known factor influencing maternal and pediatric outcomes during childbirth. This study aimed to clarify the impact of maternal age-specific blood pressure (BP) and its patterns on the risk of HDP using data from a large nationwide study in Japan. This cohort study (N = 100,949) used data from the Japan Environment and Children's Study.

Nationwide Survey on Incidence and Management of Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis in Japan.

Objectives: To investigate the incidence, laryngeal distribution, management, and postoperative clinical course of patients with newly diagnosed adult-onset recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) in Japan.

Methods: An initial brief questionnaire was sent to 782 institutions, including all 101 core and 627 collaborating institutions providing board certification programs accredited by the Japanese Society of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. A detailed questionnaire regarding patient age, sex, Derkay's score, surgery, and postoperative clinical course was sent to 196 institutions caring for patients with either newly or previously diagnosed RRP.

Safety and immunogenicity of mRNA-1345 RSV vaccine coadministered with an influenza or COVID-19 vaccine in adults aged 50 years or older: an observer-blinded, placebo-controlled, randomised, phase 3 trial.

Background: Coadministration of a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine with seasonal influenza or SARS-CoV-2 vaccines could reduce health-care visits and increase vaccination uptake in older adults who are at high risk for severe respiratory disease. The RSV mRNA-1345 vaccine demonstrated efficacy against RSV disease with acceptable safety in the ConquerRSV trial in adults aged 60 years and older. We aimed to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of mRNA-1345 coadministered with a seasonal influenza vaccine or SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine.

[National Survey on Procedure Dose of Endovascular Treatment for Lower Extremity Artery Disease].

Purpose: The objective of this study is to elucidate the current status of procedural radiation doses for endovascular treatment (EVT) of lower extremity artery disease (LEAD) in Japan and to validate the diagnostic reference level (DRL) quantity.

Methods: Survey requests were mailed to 493 facilities across Japan. The study targeted cases of EVT for LEAD performed between April 1, 2020, and March 31, 2022, with a maximum of 10 cases collected per facility.

Antibacterial, Transparency, and Mechanical Properties of Cationic Radical Initiator Triggered Polystyrene Sheets Obtained by Thermal Blending.

Polystyrene (PS) is widely used because of its transparency, mechanical strength, and ease of production. With rising health concerns, antibacterial PS is increasingly sought after, but few polymer-based antibacterial agents have been prepared to date. In this study, polystyrene was synthesized using a cationic radical initiator, 2,2'-azobis-[2-(1,3-dimethyl-4,5-dihydro-1-imidazol-3-ium-2-yl)] propane triflate (ADIP), and evaluated as an antibacterial additive.