[Development of next-generation antimicrobials with unique mechanisms of action].

To combat drug-resistant bacteria, it is essential to develop new antimicrobial agents with novel mechanisms of action that demonstrate therapeutic efficacy. Lysocin E, discovered by our group, is a novel antibiotic with a unique mechanism of action that targets menaquinone. Compared to other antibiotics, lysocin E exhibits extremely potent bactericidal activity in a very short time.

Successful Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for Nodal Epstein-Barr Virus-positive T/NK-cell Lymphoma.

Nodal Epstein-Barr virus-positive T/NK-cell lymphoma (EB-nTNKL) is an extremely rare disease characterized by an aggressive clinical course and poor prognosis, for which treatment strategies have not yet been established. We herein report a young man with EB-nTNKL. Although initial chemotherapies, including L-asparaginase, failed to produce a good response, subsequent myeloablative allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloHSCT) resulted in favorable disease control and a long-term disease-free survival.

Emerging computational and machine learning methodologies for proton-conducting oxides: materials discovery and fundamental understanding.

This review presents computational and machine learning methodologies developed during a 5-year research project on proton-conducting oxides. The main goal was to develop methodologies that could assist in materials discovery or provide new insights into complex proton-conducting oxides. Through these methodologies, three new proton-conducting oxides, including both perovskite and non-perovskites, have been discovered.

Associations of anaemia and iron deficiency with health-related quality of life in patients with chronic kidney disease stage G3b-5 in Japan: sub analysis of the Reach-J CKD cohort study.

Background: Iron deficiency is a major contributor to anaemia in chronic kidney diseases. The association of anaemia and iron deficiency with health-related quality of life in Japanese patients with non-dialysis chronic kidney disease has not been examined. In this study, we evaluated anaemia and iron deficiency in patients with chronic kidney disease G3b-5 and examined their associations with health-related quality of life.

A Case of a Dentigerous Cyst with a Malformed Tooth in the Mandible of a Child.

This study reports a rare case of a dentigerous cyst in a malformed tooth in the mandible of a 5-year-old Japanese boy. Panoramic radiography revealed a cystic lesion with hard tissues inside. The patient underwent surgery under general anesthesia.

A Pilot Study on the Drug Price Revision Strategy in Japan: A Comparison Among Fiscal Years 2018, 2020, and 2022.

Japan has resumed its health technology assessment to decide how to reduce high-cost drug prices. While drug price rules in Japan are comprehensive, they do not necessarily capture differences in product characteristics. This study examined the drug price revision strategy in Japan using migraine treatment with triptans as an example.

The structural and functional impacts of rationally designed cyclic peptides on self-assembly-mediated functionality.

Compared with their linear counterparts, cyclic peptides, characterized by their unique topologies, offer superior stability and enhanced functionality. In this review article, the rational design of cyclic peptide primary structures and their significant influence on self-assembly processes and functional capabilities are comprehensively reviewed. We emphasize how strategically modifying amino acid sequences and ring sizes critically dictate the formation and properties of peptide nanotubes (PNTs) and complex assemblies, such as rotaxanes.

Identification of as a positive awn regulator from two wild rice species.

The awn is a bristle-like appendage that protrudes from the seed tip and plays a critical role in preventing feed damage and spreading habitats in many grass species, including rice. While all wild species in the genus have awns, this trait has been eliminated in domesticated species due to its obstructive nature to agricultural processes. To date, several genes involved in awn development have been identified in wild rice, and which are ancestral species of cultivated rice in Asia and Africa, respectively.

A Case of Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy Caused by Epcoritamab.

A female patient aged in her 50s had presented with the onset of follicular lymphoma (FL) with left mandibular swelling, with a pathological grade of 1 and clinical stage of Ⅳ (Ann Arbor staging). Cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisolone, and rituximab (R-CHOP) resulted in complete molecular remission (CMR). The patient experienced two recurrences, and treatments were successful; however, the side effect of continuous lymphocytopenia existed eight years after the onset.

Real world effectiveness of early ensitrelvir treatment in patients with SARS-CoV-2, a retrospective case series.

Background: Ensitrelvir, a 3C-like protease inhibitor, received emergency approval in Japan in November 2022 for treating non-hospitalized patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19. However, confirmation of its real-world clinical effectiveness is limited.

Methods: This retrospective study evaluated 18 vaccinated outpatients (15 men; median age, 39.

Evaluation of the safety of drainless uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for the treatment of primary spontaneous pneumothorax: a two-institution retrospective study.

Background: Uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (U-VATS) offers good cosmetic outcomes with minimal pain for the treatment of primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP). Moreover, the early removal of postoperative chest drains reduces postoperative pain and hospitalization duration for patients with PSP. We aimed to investigate the safety and feasibility of drainless U-VATS in patients with PSP and compare postoperative outcomes between specialists and residents.

Adherence to Healthy Prepregnancy Lifestyle and Risk of Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Objective: To quantify the association between a combination of modifiable prepregnancy lifestyle factors and the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs).

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: The Japan Environment and Children's Study.

Utilization of relative evaluation of pancreatic perfusion CT parameters to support appropriate pancreatic adenocarcinoma diagnosis.

Objectives: To investigate the effect of relative evaluation of perfusion computed tomography (PCT) parameters in the diagnosis of pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAC).

Methods: Of the 117 patients in which PCT was performed (May 2019 to June 2023), 99 patients with mass lesions (MLs), including 50 PAC and 11 patients with mass-forming pancreatitis (MFP), and 15 patients without MLs but with main pancreatic duct (MPD) abnormalities, including 6 PAC and 7 no diagnosis of malignancy (NDM) cases were enrolled in this study. Parameter values were obtained from parametric maps of blood flow (BF), blood volume (BV), and mean transit time (MTT) for the ML and abnormal MPD part (AMP), pancreas and spleen.

Implications of the apparent extinction of B/Yamagata-lineage human influenza viruses.

Following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the number of influenza viruses circulating globally fell to historically low numbers. Although influenza A and B/Victoria lineage viruses returned to normal patterns by 2022, B/Yamagata-lineage viruses have not been identified since 2020. The implications of the apparent extinction of this lineage of viruses on vaccine composition, and the risk of their re-introduction into the human population are discussed.

Association between small for gestational age and motor coordination difficulties in children aged 5-6 years: Insights from the Hokkaido Study on Environment and Children's Health.

Background: Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) presents motor skill delays in early childhood and has been associated with later maladaptation, necessitating early intervention. However, research on the potential risk factors, particularly in preschool-aged children, remains scarce.

Aims: We aimed to explore the association between small for gestational age (SGA) and other factors and motor coordination problems in 5-6-year-olds from the Hokkaido Study on Environment and Children's Health Cohort.

Right atrial strain measured by 2D speckle-tracking echocardiography is associated with poor cardiac outcomes in patients with heart failure.

Right heart failure (HF) is a poor prognostic factor in patients with HF. The right atrial (RA) function has attracted less attention than the right ventricular (RV) function. The association of RA reservoir strain evaluated by 2D speckle-tracking echocardiography (2DSTE) with clinical outcomes in patients with HF remains unclear.

Structure-mutagenicity relationships on quinoline and indole analogues in the Ames test.

Background: Although the in silico predictive ability of the Ames test results has recently made remarkable progress, there are still some chemical classes for which the predictive ability is not yet sufficient due to a lack of Ames test data. These classes include simple heterocyclic compounds. This study aimed to investigate the mutagenicity and structure-mutagenicity relationships for some heterocycles in the Ames test.

Impact of resistant starch type 3 on fecal microbiota and stool frequency in Thai adults with chronic constipation randomized clinical trial.

Constipation poses a significant health concern affecting individuals of varying ages and geographic locations worldwide. While the impacts of numerous probiotics on constipation are well-characterized, there has been limited assessment of the potential prebiotic effects of resistant starches. We therefore conducted a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled, clinical trial of resistant starch type 3 (RS-3) in Thai adults with self-reported chronic constipation.

Renal tubular damage as an independent risk factor for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in a community-based population: the Takahata study.

Background: Renal tubular damage plays a crucial role in the development of end-stage kidney disease, a risk factor for cardiovascular events and mortality. However, the relationship between renal tubular damage and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality rates in the general population remains unclear. To address this gap, we conducted a cohort study in the general population using the urinary β2-microglobulin-creatinine ratio (UBCR) as a marker of renal tubular damage.

Safety and immunogenicity of full-dose quadrivalent influenza vaccine in children 6-35 months of age in China: A randomized, double-blind, clinical trial.

A half-dose influenza vaccine (7.5 μg hemagglutinin per strain) has been used for children under 3 years of age for a long time. However, several studies indicate that a full-dose influenza vaccine (15 μg hemagglutinin per strain) may bring more benefit to this population without increasing the risk of adverse reactions.