start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol= cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page= end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20251114 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Dorsolateral Cervical Cord T2 Hyperintensity in KIF1C-Related Disease (Spastic Paraplegia 58): Two Long-Duration Cases en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Pathogenic variants in KIF1C cause Spastic Paraplegia 58 (SPG58), typically presenting with cerebellar ataxia and spastic paraparesis. We report two unrelated patients with spastic paraparesis, cerebellar ataxia, and tremor. Whole-exome sequence analysis identified novel homozygous variants in the motor domain of KIF1C (NM_006612.6): c.921G>A (p.Trp307Ter) and c.607C>T (p.Arg203Trp). In addition to the canonical brain MRI showing leukoencephalopathy with posterior dominance and hyperintensity along the corticospinal tracts, both patients showed symmetric T2 hyperintensity confined to the lateral and dorsal columns of the cervical cord. Given the long disease durations (22 and 51 years), these findings may represent late-emerging or previously overlooked spinal cord involvement and broaden the neuroradiological spectrum of SPG58. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=MitsutakeAkihiko en-aut-sei=Mitsutake en-aut-mei=Akihiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=OsakiMasao en-aut-sei=Osaki en-aut-mei=Masao kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=MatsukawaTakashi en-aut-sei=Matsukawa en-aut-mei=Takashi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=OsakoMiho en-aut-sei=Osako en-aut-mei=Miho kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakeuchiChisen en-aut-sei=Takeuchi en-aut-mei=Chisen kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=IshiuraHiroyuki en-aut-sei=Ishiura en-aut-mei=Hiroyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=MitsuiJun en-aut-sei=Mitsui en-aut-mei=Jun kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=KurokawaRyo en-aut-sei=Kurokawa en-aut-mei=Ryo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=MoriHarushi en-aut-sei=Mori en-aut-mei=Harushi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakahashiYuji en-aut-sei=Takahashi en-aut-mei=Yuji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=GotoJun en-aut-sei=Goto en-aut-mei=Jun kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= en-aut-name=TsujiShoji en-aut-sei=Tsuji en-aut-mei=Shoji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=12 ORCID= en-aut-name=TodaTatsushi en-aut-sei=Toda en-aut-mei=Tatsushi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=13 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Neurology, Tokyo Metropolitan Kita Medical and Rehabilitation Center for the Disabled kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Neurology, Tokyo Metropolitan Kita Medical and Rehabilitation Center for the Disabled kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Neurology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Precision Medicine Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Radiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Jichi Medical University kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo kn-affil= affil-num=12 en-affil=Institute of Medical Genomics, International University of Health and Welfare kn-affil= affil-num=13 en-affil=Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo kn-affil= en-keyword=cerebellar ataxia kn-keyword=cerebellar ataxia en-keyword=hereditary spastic paraplegia kn-keyword=hereditary spastic paraplegia en-keyword=KIF1C kn-keyword=KIF1C en-keyword=leukoencephalopathy kn-keyword=leukoencephalopathy END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=94 cd-vols= no-issue=3 article-no= start-page=401 end-page=407 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=2025 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Effect of Storage Temperature and a Sugar-ester Edible Coating on Postharvest Quality and Storage Life of ‘Fuyu’ Persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb.) en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=In ‘Fuyu’ persimmons (Diospyros kaki Thunb.), crunchiness is a preferred postharvest attribute among both distributors and consumers. The present study first examined softening characteristics during storage at 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25°C. Fruit stored at 0°C remained firm for 84 d, while that stored at 5°C had a 100% softening rate within 35 d. At 10 and 15°C, over 70% of fruit softened within 49 d and 63 d, respectively. The softening rate was relatively slower at 20 and 25°C, with only 27% softened fruit after 56 d at 25°C. The potential of a newly developed sugar-ester (SE) edible coating to delay fruit softening and maintain postharvest quality was then assessed during storage at 0 and 25°C. Uncoated fruit stored at 0°C for 56 d developed chilling injury (CI) symptoms (rapid fruit softening and peel browning) within 2 d of rewarming at 20°C. These CI symptoms were notably mitigated in SE-coated fruit. At 25°C, SE coating also delayed fruit softening and peel color change in addition to reducing fruit shrinkage. In conclusion, in ‘Fuyu’ persimmons ambient temperature (20–25°C) storage in combination with an edible SE coating is recommended for the high demand Christmas and new year seasons and 0°C storage with an edible SE coating is suitable for longer storage and distribution. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=MuqadasMaqsood en-aut-sei=Muqadas en-aut-mei=Maqsood kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=MitaloOscar W. en-aut-sei=Mitalo en-aut-mei=Oscar W. kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=OhashiKyohei en-aut-sei=Ohashi en-aut-mei=Kyohei kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=OtsukiTakumi en-aut-sei=Otsuki en-aut-mei=Takumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=YanoChikara en-aut-sei=Yano en-aut-mei=Chikara kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=HejaziZiaurrahman en-aut-sei=Hejazi en-aut-mei=Ziaurrahman kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=HiraNatsuki en-aut-sei=Hira en-aut-mei=Natsuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=UshijimaKoichiro en-aut-sei=Ushijima en-aut-mei=Koichiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=KuboYasutaka en-aut-sei=Kubo en-aut-mei=Yasutaka kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life Science, Natural Science and Technology Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life Science, Natural Science and Technology Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life Science, Natural Science and Technology Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life Science, Natural Science and Technology Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Graduate School of Agriculture, University of Miyazaki kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Shiga R&D Center, Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life Science, Natural Science and Technology Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life Science, Natural Science and Technology Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=chilling injury kn-keyword=chilling injury en-keyword=long-term storage kn-keyword=long-term storage en-keyword=postharvest life kn-keyword=postharvest life en-keyword=shrinkage kn-keyword=shrinkage en-keyword=softening kn-keyword=softening END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=63 cd-vols= no-issue=13 article-no= start-page=1863 end-page=1872 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=20240701 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Activated CD4+ T Cell Proportion in the Peripheral Blood Correlates with the Duration of Cytokine Release Syndrome and Predicts Clinical Outcome after Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cell Therapy en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Objective Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy is an emerging and effective therapy for relapsed or refractory diffuse large B cell lymphoma (R/R DLBCL). The characteristic toxicities of CAR T cell therapy include cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and prolonged cytopenia. We investigated the factors associated with these complications after CAR T cell therapy by analyzing lymphocyte subsets following CAR T cell infusion.
Methods We retrospectively analyzed peripheral blood samples on days 7, 14, and 28 after tisagenlecleucel (tisa-cel) infusion by flow cytometry at our institution between June 2020 and September 2022.
Patients Thirty-five patients with R/R DLBCL who received tisa-cel therapy were included.
Results A flow cytometry-based analysis of blood samples from these patients revealed that the proportion of CD4+CD25+CD127+ T cells (hereafter referred to as "activated CD4+ T cells" ) among the total CD4+ T cells on day 7 after tisa-cel infusion correlated with the duration of CRS (r=0.79, p<0.01). In addition, a prognostic analysis of the overall survival (OS) using time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curves indicated a significantly more favorable OS and progression-free survival of patients with a proportion of activated CD4+ T cells among the total CD4+ T cells <0.73 (p=0.01, and p<0.01, respectively).
Conclusion These results suggest that the proportion of activated CD4+ T cells on day 7 after tisa-cel infusion correlates with the CRS duration and predicts clinical outcomes after CAR T cell therapy. Further studies with a larger number of patients are required to validate these observations. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=KitamuraWataru en-aut-sei=Kitamura en-aut-mei=Wataru kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=AsadaNoboru en-aut-sei=Asada en-aut-mei=Noboru kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=IkegawaShuntaro en-aut-sei=Ikegawa en-aut-mei=Shuntaro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=FujiwaraHideaki en-aut-sei=Fujiwara en-aut-mei=Hideaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=KamoiChihiro en-aut-sei=Kamoi en-aut-mei=Chihiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=EnnishiDaisuke en-aut-sei=Ennishi en-aut-mei=Daisuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=NishimoriHisakazu en-aut-sei=Nishimori en-aut-mei=Hisakazu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=FujiiKeiko en-aut-sei=Fujii en-aut-mei=Keiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=FujiiNobuharu en-aut-sei=Fujii en-aut-mei=Nobuharu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=MatsuokaKen-ichi en-aut-sei=Matsuoka en-aut-mei=Ken-ichi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=MaedaYoshinobu en-aut-sei=Maeda en-aut-mei=Yoshinobu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Hematology and Oncology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Hematology and Oncology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Hematology and Oncology, Okayama University Hospital, Japan kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Hematology and Oncology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Hematology and Oncology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Center for Comprehensive Genomic Medicine, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Hematology and Oncology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Division of Clinical Laboratory, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Division of Blood Transfusion, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Department of Hematology and Oncology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Department of Hematology and Oncology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= en-keyword=chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy kn-keyword=chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy en-keyword=diffuse large B cell lymphoma kn-keyword=diffuse large B cell lymphoma en-keyword=flow cytometry kn-keyword=flow cytometry en-keyword=cytokine release syndrome kn-keyword=cytokine release syndrome en-keyword=prolonged cytopenia kn-keyword=prolonged cytopenia END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=15 cd-vols= no-issue=11 article-no= start-page=1178 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20251030 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Sensory Modality-Dependent Interplay Between Updating and Inhibition Under Increased Working Memory Load: An ERP Study en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Background/Objectives: Working memory (WM) performance relies on the coordination of updating and inhibition functions within the central executive system. However, their interaction under varying cognitive loads, particularly across sensory modalities, remains unclear. Methods: This study examined how sensory modality modulates flanker interference under increasing WM loads. Twenty-two participants performed a visual n-back task at three load levels (1-, 2-, and 3-back) while ignoring visual (within-modality) or auditory (cross-modality) flankers. Results: Behaviorally, increased WM load (2- and 3-back) led to reduced accuracy (AC) and prolonged reaction times (RTs) in both conditions. In addition, flanker interference was observed under the 2-back condition in both the visual within-modality (VM) and audiovisual cross-modality (AVM) tasks. However, performance impairment emerged at a lower load (2-back) in the VM condition, whereas in the AVM condition, it only emerged at the highest load (3-back). Significant performance impairment in the AVM condition occurred at higher WM loads, suggesting that greater WM load is required to trigger interference. Event-related potential (ERP) results showed that N200 amplitudes increased significantly for incongruent flankers under the highest WM load (3-back) in the visual within-modality condition, reflecting greater inhibitory demands. In the cross-modality condition, enhanced N200 was not observed across all loads and even reversed at low load (1-back). Moreover, the results also showed that P300 amplitude increased with load in the within-modality condition but decreased in the cross-modality condition. Conclusions: These results demonstrated that the interaction between updating and inhibition is shaped by both WM load and sensory modality, further supporting a sensory modality-specific resource allocation mechanism. The cross-modality configurations may enable more efficient distribution of cognitive resources under high load, reducing interference between concurrent executive demands. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=LuoYuxi en-aut-sei=Luo en-aut-mei=Yuxi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=GuoAo en-aut-sei=Guo en-aut-mei=Ao kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=WuJinglong en-aut-sei=Wu en-aut-mei=Jinglong kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=YangJiajia en-aut-sei=Yang en-aut-mei=Jiajia kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Psychology, Institute of Education, China West Normal University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen University of Advanced Technology kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=workingmemory load kn-keyword=workingmemory load en-keyword=attentional resource allocation kn-keyword=attentional resource allocation en-keyword=modality-specific interference kn-keyword=modality-specific interference en-keyword=inhibitory control kn-keyword=inhibitory control en-keyword=executive function kn-keyword=executive function en-keyword=sensory modality kn-keyword=sensory modality END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=19 cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page=1599114 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250519 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Effects of visual spatial frequency on audiovisual interaction: an event-related potential study en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Spatial frequency is a fundamental characteristic of visual signals that modulates the audiovisual integration behavior, but the neural mechanisms underlying spatial frequency are not well established. In the present study, the high temporal resolution of event-related potentials was used to investigate how visual spatial frequency modulates audiovisual integration. A visual orientation discrimination task was used, and the spatial frequency of visual stimuli was manipulated under three conditions. Results showed that the influence of visual spatial frequency on audiovisual integration is a dynamic process. The earliest audiovisual integration occurred over the left temporal-occipital regions in the early sensory stage (60–90 ms) for high spatial frequency conditions but was absent for low and middle spatial frequency conditions. In addition, audiovisual integration over fronto-central regions was delayed as spatial frequency increased (from 230–260 ms to 260–320 ms). The integration effect was also observed over parietal and occipital regions at 350–380 ms, and its strength gradually decreased at higher spatial frequencies. These discrepancies in the temporal and spatial distributions of audiovisual integration imply that the role of spatial frequency varies between early sensory and late cognitive stages. The findings of this study offer the first neural demonstration that spatial frequency modulates audiovisual integration, thus providing a basis for studying complex multisensory integration, especially in semantic and emotional domains. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=WuFengxia en-aut-sei=Wu en-aut-mei=Fengxia kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=RenYanna en-aut-sei=Ren en-aut-mei=Yanna kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=HaoTengfei en-aut-sei=Hao en-aut-mei=Tengfei kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=YangJingjing en-aut-sei=Yang en-aut-mei=Jingjing kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=WuQiong en-aut-sei=Wu en-aut-mei=Qiong kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=YangJiajia en-aut-sei=Yang en-aut-mei=Jiajia kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=WangMeng en-aut-sei=Wang en-aut-mei=Meng kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=School of Artificial Intelligence, Changchun University of Science and Technology kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Psychology, College of Humanities and Management, Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=School of Artificial Intelligence, Changchun University of Science and Technology kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=School of Artificial Intelligence, Changchun University of Science and Technology kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Psychology, Suzhou University of Science and Technology kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=School of Artificial Intelligence, Changchun University of Science and Technology kn-affil= en-keyword=spatial frequency kn-keyword=spatial frequency en-keyword=visual orientation discrimination kn-keyword=visual orientation discrimination en-keyword=audiovisual integration kn-keyword=audiovisual integration en-keyword=early sensory stage kn-keyword=early sensory stage en-keyword=late cognitive stage kn-keyword=late cognitive stage en-keyword=event-related potentials kn-keyword=event-related potentials END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=260 cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page=115195 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=202512 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=An entangled material made from fiber aerosol deposition method en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=This study demonstrates the successful application of Aerosol Deposition (AD) technology to short carbon fibers (length < 1 mm), enabling the rapid, three-dimensional (3D) fabrication of objects with vertical growth rates up to 0.3 mm/s, a significant improvement over conventional additive manufacturing. Through a series of experiments using this novel Fiber Aerosol Deposition (FAD) technology, three fiber lengths (47, 85, and 111 μm) and four substrate materials (carbon, polypropylene, polyethylene, and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS)) were investigated. Our findings indicate that both carbon substrate entanglement and fiber length critically influence deposition efficiency. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray computed tomography (CT) analyses reveal that during formation, longer fibers (>100 μm) initially create a cage-like framework, which is subsequently filled by shorter fibers. Density measurements and fiber distribution analysis confirmed that structures predominantly composed of shorter fibers exhibit higher packing densities, consistent with their role as filler material. These results collectively suggest that the FAD method’s formation mechanism relies on frictional entanglement rather than the room-temperature impact consolidation (RTIC) effect characteristic of traditional AD. This breakthrough presents a promising new technique for forming short fibers into functional 3D architectures, with potential applications extending to proteins, polymer fibers, and biomaterial fibers. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=YuHongwu en-aut-sei=Yu en-aut-mei=Hongwu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=IkedaNaoshi en-aut-sei=Ikeda en-aut-mei=Naoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=MoriMasakazu en-aut-sei=Mori en-aut-mei=Masakazu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=KanoJun en-aut-sei=Kano en-aut-mei=Jun kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=ParkJae-Hyuk en-aut-sei=Park en-aut-mei=Jae-Hyuk kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=AkedoJun en-aut-sei=Akedo en-aut-mei=Jun kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Faculty of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, University of Okayama kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Faculty of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, University of Okayama kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Ryukoku University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Faculty of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, University of Okayama kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=School of Advanced Materials Science & Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology kn-affil= en-keyword=Aerosol deposition kn-keyword=Aerosol deposition en-keyword=Thick film kn-keyword=Thick film en-keyword=Room temperature kn-keyword=Room temperature en-keyword=Ceramic coating kn-keyword=Ceramic coating en-keyword=RTIC kn-keyword=RTIC en-keyword=Carbon fiber kn-keyword=Carbon fiber END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=177 cd-vols= no-issue=4 article-no= start-page=e70398 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=202507 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Comparative Transcriptome Reveals ART1-Dependent Regulatory Pathways for Fe Toxicity Response in Rice Roots en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Iron (Fe) is an essential element for plants, but an excess supply can have detrimental effects. Fe toxicity induces complex physiological and genetic responses, and due to this complexity, the knowledge of transcriptional regulatory mechanisms under Fe toxicity is very limited. Previous studies suggested that plant responses to excess Fe involve oxidative stress caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS), which itself causes transcriptional changes. We hypothesized that dissecting these complex responses could lead to the identification of a novel factor and conducted a comparative transcriptome analysis using roots of rice plants exposed to nutrient solutions containing 1 or 5 mM of hydrogen peroxide (a major form of ROS) or 300 mg L−1 of Fe (as FeSO4). Genes induced by hydrogen peroxide overlapped with 62%, 49%, and 30% of Fe toxicity-upregulated genes at 3 h, 1 day, and 3 days following treatment initiation. Subsequent gene co-expression analyses classified genes into 21 groups with varying responsiveness to ROS and Fe toxicity. Genes in group 15 were specifically upregulated by Fe toxicity and overlapped significantly with aluminum (Al)-inducible genes and target genes of the Zn-finger transcription factor, ART1, which regulates Al response in rice roots. Additional experiments using the art1 knock-out mutant demonstrated that ART1 is crucial for upregulating genes such as STAR2 and FRDL4 in response to Fe toxicity. This study reveals the contribution of ART1-dependent regulatory pathways in rice roots under Fe toxicity. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=UedaYoshiaki en-aut-sei=Ueda en-aut-mei=Yoshiaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=YamajiNaoki en-aut-sei=Yamaji en-aut-mei=Naoki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=WissuwaMatthias en-aut-sei=Wissuwa en-aut-mei=Matthias kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Crop, Livestock and Environment Division, Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Crop, Livestock and Environment Division, Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences kn-affil= en-keyword=ART1 kn-keyword=ART1 en-keyword=gene co-expression analysis kn-keyword=gene co-expression analysis en-keyword=iron toxicity kn-keyword=iron toxicity en-keyword=reactive oxygen species kn-keyword=reactive oxygen species en-keyword=rice kn-keyword=rice END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=30 cd-vols= no-issue=8 article-no= start-page=1537 end-page=1544 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250528 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Phase-Ib dose-finding and pharmacokinetic trial of metformin combined with nivolumab for refractory/recurrent solid tumors en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Background Our previous findings showed that the addition of metformin to nivolumab resulted in remarkable tumor regression and increased the number of tumor-infiltrating T cells in mouse models. Therefore, we conducted a phase Ib study using combination therapy with nivolumab and metformin in patients with refractory/recurrent solid tumors.
Methods This study consisted of two parts: 1, evaluating the maximum tolerated dose (MTD), safety, pharmacokinetics in solid tumors, and 2, principally investigating the safety at the recommended dose limited to thoracic and pancreatic cancers. Metformin and nivolumab were administered orally at doses of 750–2,250 mg/day and biweekly at a fixed intravenous dose of 3 mg/kg, respectively. Dose-limiting toxicity was evaluated within the first 4 weeks. Both metformin and nivolumab were continued until disease progression or discontinued because of toxicity.
Results In total, 17 and 24 patients were enrolled in parts 1 and 2, respectively. One patient experienced increased pancreatic enzyme levels (grade 4) and lactic acidosis (grade 3). No Grade 5 adverse events were observed. MTD was not reached up to 2,250 mg/day of metformin, 2,250 mg/day was selected for part 2. An objective response was observed in 4 of 41 patients. One-year progression-free and overall survival rates were 9.8% and 56.8%, respectively. Two patients remained alive without disease progression for more than three years.
Conclusions Nivolumab and metformin combination therapy was well-tolerated and showed preliminary signals of efficacy in a subset of patients. Further verification of the underlying mechanism in cases where treatment is effective is required.
Trial registration numbers UMIN registration number 000028405 https://upload.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr_e/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000031915. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=KuboToshio en-aut-sei=Kubo en-aut-mei=Toshio kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=KatoHironari en-aut-sei=Kato en-aut-mei=Hironari kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=HoriguchiShigeru en-aut-sei=Horiguchi en-aut-mei=Shigeru kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=KozukiToshiyuki en-aut-sei=Kozuki en-aut-mei=Toshiyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=AsagiAkinori en-aut-sei=Asagi en-aut-mei=Akinori kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=YoshidaMichihiro en-aut-sei=Yoshida en-aut-mei=Michihiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=UdonoHeiichiro en-aut-sei=Udono en-aut-mei=Heiichiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=KiuraKatsuyuki en-aut-sei=Kiura en-aut-mei=Katsuyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=HottaKatsuyuki en-aut-sei=Hotta en-aut-mei=Katsuyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Allergy and Respiratory Medicine, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Thoracic Oncology and Medicine, NHO Shikoku Cancer Center kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, NHO Shikoku Cancer Center kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Center for Innovative Clinical Medicine, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Immunology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Allergy and Respiratory Medicine, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of Allergy and Respiratory Medicine, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= en-keyword=Pancreatic cancer kn-keyword=Pancreatic cancer en-keyword=Thoracic tumors kn-keyword=Thoracic tumors en-keyword=Phase Ib kn-keyword=Phase Ib en-keyword=Anti-PD-1 antibody kn-keyword=Anti-PD-1 antibody en-keyword=Nivolumab kn-keyword=Nivolumab en-keyword=Metformin kn-keyword=Metformin END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=21 cd-vols= no-issue=1 article-no= start-page=e70052 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20251214 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Japanese Adult Day Service Nurses' Bathing Decisions for Persons Requiring Long‐Term Care: A Focused Ethnography en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Introduction: Adult day services in Japan operate under the Long-Term Care Insurance Law, and care is provided mainly by caregivers. However, because doctors are often not on site, nurses manage the health of the person requiring long-term care. Adult day services provide bathing and functional training; however, although Japanese-style bathing relieves fatigue and brings a sense of well-being, it also entails the risk of bathing accidents for those in need of care. To continue living at home, those in need of care who have difficulty bathing at home must be provided with safe bathing during adult day services and supported in returning home safely. Nurses are responsible for accurately assessing the health status of users and implementing safe bathing. This study aimed to identify how nurses working in adult day services make bathing decisions for home-dwelling persons requiring long-term care.
Method: Qualitative manifest and latent content analyses were performed using a focused ethnography.
Findings: Six themes were identified: ‘gather information to compare with baseline’, ‘make observations based on information from others to understand the big picture’, ‘give persons time to get in shape’, ‘consideration of life at home’, ‘determining the need for medical institutions’ and ‘devise ways to communicate to promote collaboration’.
Conclusions: Adult day service nurses' decisions about whether to bathe persons requiring care are characterised by their emphasis on information from others, consideration of the home living conditions of persons requiring care and their wishes regarding bathing. In addition, based on their observations, they determine the need for cooperation with medical institutions and communicate this information to family members and multiple professions. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=MiyoshiKanako en-aut-sei=Miyoshi en-aut-mei=Kanako kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=MoriKeiko en-aut-sei=Mori en-aut-mei=Keiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Graduate School of Health Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Graduate School of Health Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=adult day service kn-keyword=adult day service en-keyword=clinical judgement kn-keyword=clinical judgement en-keyword=community kn-keyword=community en-keyword=home care kn-keyword=home care en-keyword=multidisciplinary collaboration kn-keyword=multidisciplinary collaboration en-keyword=nurses kn-keyword=nurses en-keyword=persons requiring care kn-keyword=persons requiring care END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=55 cd-vols= no-issue=5 article-no= start-page=547 end-page=555 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250223 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Multicenter, open-label, randomized, controlled study to test the utility of electronic patient-reported outcome monitoring in patients with unresectable advanced cancers or metastatic/recurrent solid tumors en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Electronic patient-reported outcome (ePRO) monitoring for patients undergoing cancer chemotherapy may provide qualified and early detection of adverse events or disease-related symptoms, leading to improved patient care. The aim of this study is to examine whether addition of ePRO monitoring to routine medical care contributes to improved overall survival and quality of life of cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Patients with unresectable advanced cancers or metastatic/recurrent solid tumors receiving systemic chemotherapy will be randomized to an ePRO monitoring group and a usual care group. The ePRO group will conduct weekly symptom monitoring using an electronic device after study enrollment until the end of the study. Monitoring results will be returned to medical personnel and used as information for patient care. The primary endpoints are overall survival and health related quality of life. The initial target sample size for the study was 1500 patients. However, due to delays in enrollment, the target was readjusted to 500 patients. Enrollment has been completed, and the study is now in the follow-up phase. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=TairaNaruto en-aut-sei=Taira en-aut-mei=Naruto kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=KiyotaNaomi en-aut-sei=Kiyota en-aut-mei=Naomi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=KikawaYuichiro en-aut-sei=Kikawa en-aut-mei=Yuichiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=IchiharaEiki en-aut-sei=Ichihara en-aut-mei=Eiki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=KatoKyoko en-aut-sei=Kato en-aut-mei=Kyoko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=KubotaKaoru en-aut-sei=Kubota en-aut-mei=Kaoru kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=TateishiRyosuke en-aut-sei=Tateishi en-aut-mei=Ryosuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakataAkinobu en-aut-sei=Nakata en-aut-mei=Akinobu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakamuraKeiichiro en-aut-sei=Nakamura en-aut-mei=Keiichiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=NaritaYukiya en-aut-sei=Narita en-aut-mei=Yukiya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=HottaKatsuyuki en-aut-sei=Hotta en-aut-mei=Katsuyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= en-aut-name=IwataHiroji en-aut-sei=Iwata en-aut-mei=Hiroji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=12 ORCID= en-aut-name=GemmaAkihiko en-aut-sei=Gemma en-aut-mei=Akihiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=13 ORCID= en-aut-name=ShimozumaKojiro en-aut-sei=Shimozuma en-aut-mei=Kojiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=14 ORCID= en-aut-name=MuroKei en-aut-sei=Muro en-aut-mei=Kei kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=15 ORCID= en-aut-name=IwamotoTetsuya en-aut-sei=Iwamoto en-aut-mei=Tetsuya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=16 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakumotoYuki en-aut-sei=Takumoto en-aut-mei=Yuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=17 ORCID= en-aut-name=ShiroiwaTakeru en-aut-sei=Shiroiwa en-aut-mei=Takeru kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=18 ORCID= en-aut-name=FukudaTakashi en-aut-sei=Fukuda en-aut-mei=Takashi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=19 ORCID= en-aut-name=YamaguchiTakuhiro en-aut-sei=Yamaguchi en-aut-mei=Takuhiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=20 ORCID= en-aut-name=HagiwaraYasuhiro en-aut-sei=Hagiwara en-aut-mei=Yasuhiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=21 ORCID= en-aut-name=MinamiHironobu en-aut-sei=Minami en-aut-mei=Hironobu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=22 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Kawasaki Medical School kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Cancer Center, Kobe University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Breast Surgery, Kansai Medical University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Center for Clinical Oncology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Medical Oncology, National Hospital Organization Nagoya Medical Center kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Pulmonary Medicine and Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Nippon Medical School kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Center for Innovative Clinical Medicine, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=12 en-affil=Department of Advanced Clinical Research and Development, Nagoya City University kn-affil= affil-num=13 en-affil=Department of Pulmonary Medicine and Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Nippon Medical School kn-affil= affil-num=14 en-affil=Department of Biomed Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Ritsumeikan University kn-affil= affil-num=15 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=16 en-affil=Center for Outcomes Research and Economic Evaluation for Health, National Institute of Public Health kn-affil= affil-num=17 en-affil=Center for Outcomes Research and Economic Evaluation for Health, National Institute of Public Health kn-affil= affil-num=18 en-affil=Center for Outcomes Research and Economic Evaluation for Health, National Institute of Public Health kn-affil= affil-num=19 en-affil=Center for Outcomes Research and Economic Evaluation for Health, National Institute of Public Health kn-affil= affil-num=20 en-affil=Division of Biostatistics, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=21 en-affil=Department of Biostatistics, Division of Health Sciences and Nursing, The University of Tokyo Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=22 en-affil=Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Department of Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= en-keyword=electronic patient-reported outcomes monitoring kn-keyword=electronic patient-reported outcomes monitoring en-keyword=advanced cancers kn-keyword=advanced cancers en-keyword=systemic chemotherapy kn-keyword=systemic chemotherapy en-keyword=randomized controlled study kn-keyword=randomized controlled study en-keyword=quality of life kn-keyword=quality of life en-keyword=overall survival kn-keyword=overall survival END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=6 cd-vols= no-issue=8 article-no= start-page=954 end-page=963 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250819 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Long-term functional and quality of life outcomes after cementless minimally invasive extendable endoprosthesis replacement in skeletally immature patients with bone sarcomas at the lower limb a Japanese Musculoskeletal Oncology Group (JMOG) study en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Aims
Extendable endoprostheses are utilized to reconstruct segmental defects following resection of bone sarcomas in skeletally immature children. However, there remains a paucity of data regarding long-term functional and quality of life outcomes.
Methods
We conducted a retrospective, multicentre study and reviewed 45 children who underwent cementless minimally invasive extendable endoprosthetic replacement. Anatomical sites included the distal femur (n = 29), proximal femur (n = 4), proximal tibia (n = 11), and total femur (n = 1). The mean follow-up period was 12 years. The mean age at extendable endoprosthetic replacement was ten years (5 to 15). Most patients (96%, 43/45) had reached skeletal maturity at the final follow-up.
Results
The ten-year endoprosthetic failure-free survival rate was 60%. Of the 45 patients, 25 (56%) had 42 complications which were frequently related to structural failure (45%, 19/42), with extension mechanism jamming being the most common (n = 7, 17%). Excluding lengthening procedures, 20 patients (44%) underwent additional surgery with a mean of two surgeries per patient. The mean limb-length discrepancy at the final follow-up was 2.3 cm. Limb salvage was achieved in 44 (98%) patients. The mean Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) scores, Toronto Extremity Salvage Score (TESS), and EuroQol five-dimension five-level questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L) were 78%, 92%, and 92% at the last follow-up, respectively. Multiple additional surgeries (≥ 2 times) for complications were associated with worse MSTS scores compared with those without multiple additional surgeries (p = 0.009). Moreover, limb-length discrepancy > 3 cm showed significantly worse MSTS scores compared with those ≤ 3 cm (p = 0.019).
Conclusion
Extendable endoprostheses were associated with a high complication rate and need for additional surgeries over time, especially for structural-related complications. Despite this, successful limb salvage with reasonable function/quality of life and small limb-length discrepancy were achievable in the long term. Patients’ function in the long term depended on the experience of postoperative complications and limb-length discrepancy. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=TsudaYusuke en-aut-sei=Tsuda en-aut-mei=Yusuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=NishidaYoshihiro en-aut-sei=Nishida en-aut-mei=Yoshihiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=SakamotoAkio en-aut-sei=Sakamoto en-aut-mei=Akio kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=OguraKoichi en-aut-sei=Ogura en-aut-mei=Koichi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=FujiwaraTomohiro en-aut-sei=Fujiwara en-aut-mei=Tomohiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=SekitaTetsuya en-aut-sei=Sekita en-aut-mei=Tetsuya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=KawanoHirotaka en-aut-sei=Kawano en-aut-mei=Hirotaka kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=KobayashiHiroshi en-aut-sei=Kobayashi en-aut-mei=Hiroshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The University of Tokyo Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Rehabilitation, Nagoya University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Musculoskeletal Oncology and Rehabilitation, National Cancer Center Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Musculoskeletal Oncology and Rehabilitation, National Cancer Center Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Teikyo University School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The University of Tokyo Hospital kn-affil= END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=60 cd-vols= no-issue=12 article-no= start-page=1584 end-page=1595 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250906 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Combination chemotherapy for older patients with unresectable biliary tract cancer: a prospective observational study using propensity-score matched analysis (JON2104-B) en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Background: Systemic chemotherapy with gemcitabine plus S-1 (GEM + S-1), GEM + CDDP plus S-1 (GEM + CDDP + S-1), or gemcitabine plus cisplatin (GEM + CDDP) is standard treatment for advanced biliary tract cancer (aBTC). We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of combination chemotherapy in older patients with aBTC.
Methods: This multicenter prospective observational study (JON2104-B, UMIN000045156) included patients aged ≥ 70 years with aBTC. Inverse-probability weighting propensity-score analyses (IPW) were used to compare overall survival (OS) as the primary endpoint and progression-free survival (PFS) across treatment groups.
Results: This study included 305 patients between August 2021 and January 2023. Of them, 75, 131, 26, 52, and 10 received GEM + CDDP + S-1, GEM + CDDP, GEM + S-1, gemcitabine, and S-1; their median ages were 74, 75, 77.5, 80, and 80 years, and approximately 24%, 16.8%, 23.1%, 9.6%, and 0% had G-8 scores of > 14, respectively. GEM + CDDP had a safety profile comparable to that of GEM + CDDP + S-1 but was more toxic than gemcitabine. Per IPW, the hazard ratio (HR) for GEM + CDDP + S-1 versus GEM + CDDP was 0.80 for OS (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.55–1.17) and 0.55 for PFS (95% CI 0.38–0.80). The HR for GEM + CDDP versus gemcitabine was 0.74 for OS (95% CI 0.42–1.29) and 0.79 for PFS (95% CI 0.42–1.49).
Conclusions: GEM + CDDP + S-1 was associated with longer PFS without additional toxicity than GEM + CDDP for fit older patients. However, the OS for both were not statistically different. The efficacies of GEM + CDDP and gemcitabine for vulnerable older patients did not also differ significantly. These findings highlight the importance of vulnerability in patients with aBTC. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=KobayashiSatoshi en-aut-sei=Kobayashi en-aut-mei=Satoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakachiKohei en-aut-sei=Nakachi en-aut-mei=Kohei kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=YamamotoKouji en-aut-sei=Yamamoto en-aut-mei=Kouji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=UenoMakoto en-aut-sei=Ueno en-aut-mei=Makoto kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=MarukiYuta en-aut-sei=Maruki en-aut-mei=Yuta kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=IkezawaKenji en-aut-sei=Ikezawa en-aut-mei=Kenji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=TerashimaTakeshi en-aut-sei=Terashima en-aut-mei=Takeshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=ShimizuSatoshi en-aut-sei=Shimizu en-aut-mei=Satoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=OshimaKotoe en-aut-sei=Oshima en-aut-mei=Kotoe kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=TsujiKunihiro en-aut-sei=Tsuji en-aut-mei=Kunihiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=MasakiYoshiharu en-aut-sei=Masaki en-aut-mei=Yoshiharu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= en-aut-name=TsumuraHidetaka en-aut-sei=Tsumura en-aut-mei=Hidetaka kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=12 ORCID= en-aut-name=ShibukiTaro en-aut-sei=Shibuki en-aut-mei=Taro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=13 ORCID= en-aut-name=OzakaMasato en-aut-sei=Ozaka en-aut-mei=Masato kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=14 ORCID= en-aut-name=OkanoNaohiro en-aut-sei=Okano en-aut-mei=Naohiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=15 ORCID= en-aut-name=OkamuraYukiyasu en-aut-sei=Okamura en-aut-mei=Yukiyasu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=16 ORCID= en-aut-name=UmemotoKumiko en-aut-sei=Umemoto en-aut-mei=Kumiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=17 ORCID= en-aut-name=SatohTatsunori en-aut-sei=Satoh en-aut-mei=Tatsunori kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=18 ORCID= en-aut-name=KojimaYasushi en-aut-sei=Kojima en-aut-mei=Yasushi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=19 ORCID= en-aut-name=ShiojiKazuhiko en-aut-sei=Shioji en-aut-mei=Kazuhiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=20 ORCID= en-aut-name=NebikiHiroko en-aut-sei=Nebiki en-aut-mei=Hiroko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=21 ORCID= en-aut-name=DoiToshifumi en-aut-sei=Doi en-aut-mei=Toshifumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=22 ORCID= en-aut-name=NaganumaAtsushi en-aut-sei=Naganuma en-aut-mei=Atsushi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=23 ORCID= en-aut-name=KataokaShigeki en-aut-sei=Kataoka en-aut-mei=Shigeki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=24 ORCID= en-aut-name=KitaEmiri en-aut-sei=Kita en-aut-mei=Emiri kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=25 ORCID= en-aut-name=AsamaHiroyuki en-aut-sei=Asama en-aut-mei=Hiroyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=26 ORCID= en-aut-name=TsuchiyaKaoru en-aut-sei=Tsuchiya en-aut-mei=Kaoru kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=27 ORCID= en-aut-name=UnnoMichiaki en-aut-sei=Unno en-aut-mei=Michiaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=28 ORCID= en-aut-name=AshidaReiko en-aut-sei=Ashida en-aut-mei=Reiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=29 ORCID= en-aut-name=MatsumotoKazuyuki en-aut-sei=Matsumoto en-aut-mei=Kazuyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=30 ORCID= en-aut-name=OhnoIzumi en-aut-sei=Ohno en-aut-mei=Izumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=31 ORCID= en-aut-name=ItoiTakao en-aut-sei=Itoi en-aut-mei=Takao kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=32 ORCID= en-aut-name=NegoroYuji en-aut-sei=Negoro en-aut-mei=Yuji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=33 ORCID= en-aut-name=SakamotoYasunari en-aut-sei=Sakamoto en-aut-mei=Yasunari kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=34 ORCID= en-aut-name=ArimaShiho en-aut-sei=Arima en-aut-mei=Shiho kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=35 ORCID= en-aut-name=AsagiAkinori en-aut-sei=Asagi en-aut-mei=Akinori kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=36 ORCID= en-aut-name=OkuyamaHiroyuki en-aut-sei=Okuyama en-aut-mei=Hiroyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=37 ORCID= en-aut-name=KomatsuYoshito en-aut-sei=Komatsu en-aut-mei=Yoshito kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=38 ORCID= en-aut-name=KobayashiNoritoshi en-aut-sei=Kobayashi en-aut-mei=Noritoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=39 ORCID= en-aut-name=NaganoHiroaki en-aut-sei=Nagano en-aut-mei=Hiroaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=40 ORCID= en-aut-name=FuruseJunji en-aut-sei=Furuse en-aut-mei=Junji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=41 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, Kanagawa Cancer Center kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Medical Oncology, Tochigi Cancer Center kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Biostatistics, Yokohama City University School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, Kanagawa Cancer Center kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil= kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Oncology, Osaka International Cancer Institute kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, Kanazawa University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, Kanazawa University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Division of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Shizuoka Cancer Center kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, Ishikawa Prefectural Central Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=12 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterological Oncology, Hyogo Cancer Center kn-affil= affil-num=13 en-affil=Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital East kn-affil= affil-num=14 en-affil=Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Medicine Department, Cancer Institute Hospital of Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research kn-affil= affil-num=15 en-affil=Department of Medical Oncology, Kyorin University Faculty of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=16 en-affil=Division of Digestive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Nihon University School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=17 en-affil=Department of Clinical Oncology, St. Marianna University School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=18 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, Shizuoka General Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=19 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, National Center for Global Health and Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=20 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, Niigata Cancer Center Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=21 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, Osaka City General Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=22 en-affil=Department of Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=23 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, National Hospital Organization Takasaki General Medical Center kn-affil= affil-num=24 en-affil=Department of Clinical Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine Faculty of Medicine, Kyoto University kn-affil= affil-num=25 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, Chiba Cancer Center kn-affil= affil-num=26 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, Fukushima Medical University kn-affil= affil-num=27 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Musashino Red Cross Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=28 en-affil=Department of Surgery, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=29 en-affil=Second Department of Internal Medicine, Wakayama Medical University kn-affil= affil-num=30 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=31 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=32 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, Tokyo Medical University kn-affil= affil-num=33 en-affil=Department of Oncologial Medicine, Kochi Health Sciences Center kn-affil= affil-num=34 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, International University of Health and Welfare Atami Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=35 en-affil=Digestive and Lifestyle Diseases, Kagoshima University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=36 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, National Hospital Organization Shikoku Cancer Center kn-affil= affil-num=37 en-affil=Department of Medical Oncology, Kagawa University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=38 en-affil=Department of Cancer Chemotherapy, Hokkaido University Hospital Cancer Center kn-affil= affil-num=39 en-affil=Department of Oncology, School of Medicine Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama City University kn-affil= affil-num=40 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterological, Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=41 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, Kanagawa Cancer Center kn-affil= en-keyword=Biliary tract cancer kn-keyword=Biliary tract cancer en-keyword=Unresectable kn-keyword=Unresectable en-keyword=Chemotherapy kn-keyword=Chemotherapy en-keyword=Older kn-keyword=Older en-keyword=Survival kn-keyword=Survival END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol= cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page= end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20251127 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=EUS-Guided Versus Percutaneous Transhepatic Drainage of Liver Abscesses: A Multicenter Endohepatology Study in Western Japan (EPIC-LA Study) en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Objective: Percutaneous transhepatic liver abscess drainage (PTAD) and endoscopic ultrasound-guided liver abscess drainage (EUS-LAD) have several limitations. Recently, because of technical improvements in echoendoscope maneuvers, EUS-guided access for the right hepatic lobe has been reported. The aim of this multicenter, retrospective study was to compare clinical outcomes of PTAD and EUS-LAD including the right hepatic lobe in West Japan.
Method: This retrospective, multicenter study included consecutive patients with liver abscesses between January 2019 and November 2024. The primary outcome in this study was the clinical success rate compared between EUS-LAD and PTAD.
Results: During the study period, 1012 consecutive patients developed liver abscesses. Of them, 734 patients were excluded, 43 underwent EUS-LAD and 235 patients underwent PTAD. After propensity score-matched analysis, the clinical success rate was significantly higher in the EUS-LAD group (97.7%, 42/43) than in the PTAD group (79.1%, 34/43) (p = 0.007). After a propensity score-matched analysis, 25 patients were included in each group. The clinical success rate was significantly higher in the EUS-LAD group (100%, 25/25) than in the PTAD group (84%, 21/25) (p = 0.037). Adverse events were also significantly higher in the PTAD group (16%, 5/25) than in the EUS-LAD group (p = 0.025). In addition, the median length of hospital stay was significantly shorter in the EUS-LAD group (15 days) than in the PTAD group (22 days) (p = 0.005).
Conclusions: EUS-LAD using a metal stent might be one of the options, but further randomized, controlled trials are needed. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=OguraTakeshi en-aut-sei=Ogura en-aut-mei=Takeshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=KurodaTaira en-aut-sei=Kuroda en-aut-mei=Taira kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=MatsuuraTakanori en-aut-sei=Matsuura en-aut-mei=Takanori kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=KitadaiJun en-aut-sei=Kitadai en-aut-mei=Jun kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=KitagawaKoh en-aut-sei=Kitagawa en-aut-mei=Koh kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=ItonagaMasahiro en-aut-sei=Itonaga en-aut-mei=Masahiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakeshitaKotaro en-aut-sei=Takeshita en-aut-mei=Kotaro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=MatsumoriTomoaki en-aut-sei=Matsumori en-aut-mei=Tomoaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=EmoriTomoya en-aut-sei=Emori en-aut-mei=Tomoya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakenakaMamoru en-aut-sei=Takenaka en-aut-mei=Mamoru kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=ImaiHajime en-aut-sei=Imai en-aut-mei=Hajime kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= en-aut-name=MandaiKoichiro en-aut-sei=Mandai en-aut-mei=Koichiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=12 ORCID= en-aut-name=ShintaniShuhei en-aut-sei=Shintani en-aut-mei=Shuhei kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=13 ORCID= en-aut-name=FujimoriNao en-aut-sei=Fujimori en-aut-mei=Nao kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=14 ORCID= en-aut-name=ShiomiHideyuki en-aut-sei=Shiomi en-aut-mei=Hideyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=15 ORCID= en-aut-name=AsadaMasanori en-aut-sei=Asada en-aut-mei=Masanori kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=16 ORCID= en-aut-name=SagamiRyota en-aut-sei=Sagami en-aut-mei=Ryota kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=17 ORCID= en-aut-name=MaruyamaHirotsugu en-aut-sei=Maruyama en-aut-mei=Hirotsugu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=18 ORCID= en-aut-name=IkeuraTsukasa en-aut-sei=Ikeura en-aut-mei=Tsukasa kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=19 ORCID= en-aut-name=ShimataniMasaaki en-aut-sei=Shimatani en-aut-mei=Masaaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=20 ORCID= en-aut-name=NishikioriHidefumi en-aut-sei=Nishikiori en-aut-mei=Hidefumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=21 ORCID= en-aut-name=MatsumotoKazuyuki en-aut-sei=Matsumoto en-aut-mei=Kazuyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=22 ORCID= en-aut-name=KokubuMasahito en-aut-sei=Kokubu en-aut-mei=Masahito kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=23 ORCID= en-aut-name=KamadaHideki en-aut-sei=Kamada en-aut-mei=Hideki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=24 ORCID= en-aut-name=IshidaYusuke en-aut-sei=Ishida en-aut-mei=Yusuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=25 ORCID= en-aut-name=HakodaAkitoshi en-aut-sei=Hakoda en-aut-mei=Akitoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=26 ORCID= en-aut-name=KitanoMasayuki en-aut-sei=Kitano en-aut-mei=Masayuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=27 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Pancreatobiliary Advanced Medical Center, Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Gastroenterology Center, Ehime Prefectural Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, Nara Medical University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Second Department of Internal Medicine, Wakayama Medical University kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, Tane General Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, Wakayama Rosai Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine Graduate School of Medical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, Okanami General Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=12 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, Kyoto Second Red Cross Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=13 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, Shiga University of Medical Science kn-affil= affil-num=14 en-affil=Department of Medicine and Bioregulatory Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University kn-affil= affil-num=15 en-affil=Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Diseases, Department of Gastroenterology, Hyogo Medical University kn-affil= affil-num=16 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Japanese Red Cross Osaka Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=17 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University kn-affil= affil-num=18 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University kn-affil= affil-num=19 en-affil=Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Kansai Medical University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=20 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Kansai Medical University Medical Center kn-affil= affil-num=21 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, Oita San-ai Medical Center kn-affil= affil-num=22 en-affil=Department of Endoscopy, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=23 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology and Metabology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=24 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology and Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University kn-affil= affil-num=25 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology and Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Fukuoka University kn-affil= affil-num=26 en-affil=2nd Department of Internal Medicine, Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University kn-affil= affil-num=27 en-affil=Second Department of Internal Medicine, Wakayama Medical University kn-affil= en-keyword=drainage kn-keyword=drainage en-keyword=endoscopic ultrasound-guided liver abscess drainage kn-keyword=endoscopic ultrasound-guided liver abscess drainage en-keyword=EUS kn-keyword=EUS en-keyword=liver abscess kn-keyword=liver abscess en-keyword=percutaneous transhepatic liver abscess drainage kn-keyword=percutaneous transhepatic liver abscess drainage END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=191 cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page=107586 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2026 dt-pub=202602 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Experimental approach of internal dose map visualization during helical CT examinations: importance of X-ray incident direction analysis and central internal dose estimation en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=During computed tomography (CT) examination, radiation exposures should be appropriately managed taking into considering the effects of bowtie filter, the heel effect and over-beaming effect. Furthermore, the analysis of an X-ray incident direction is important. The purpose of this study is to develop a procedure to obtain two-dimensional (2D) internal dose distributions based on actual measurements of surface dose distribution and central internal dose data. Experiments were conducted using a clinical CT scanner and four cylindrical polyacetal resin (POM) phantoms having diameters of 15–30 cm. The entrance surface doses and the central internal dose were measured by placing the optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dosimeters on the surface and inner part of the phantom, respectively, during helical CT scans. The X-ray incident direction at the slice containing the dosimeter was estimated based on the noise distribution analysis of the CT image. Then, circumferential surface dose distributions were determined as a function of the X-ray incident direction. Based on these experimental data, we succeeded in visualizing the 2D dose distributions. The obtained dose distribution was inhomogeneous, clearly reflecting the influence of factors such as the heel effect. The uncertainty due to our methodology was estimated to be from 4.3 % to 7.4 %. Our methodology needs central internal dose data, and the absence of this data introduced additional systematic uncertainties of +6.9 % to −11.4 %. In conclusion, correcting for the effect of the X-ray incident directions for entrance surface dose and adding the central inner dose data can improve the reliability of the internal dose distribution. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=HayashiHiroaki en-aut-sei=Hayashi en-aut-mei=Hiroaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakegamiKazuki en-aut-sei=Takegami en-aut-mei=Kazuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=NishigamiRina en-aut-sei=Nishigami en-aut-mei=Rina kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=KobayashiDaiki en-aut-sei=Kobayashi en-aut-mei=Daiki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=GotoSota en-aut-sei=Goto en-aut-mei=Sota kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=AsaharaTakashi en-aut-sei=Asahara en-aut-mei=Takashi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=KimotoNatsumi en-aut-sei=Kimoto en-aut-mei=Natsumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakemitsuMasaki en-aut-sei=Takemitsu en-aut-mei=Masaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=IshiiRin en-aut-sei=Ishii en-aut-mei=Rin kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=MorimotoShinichi en-aut-sei=Morimoto en-aut-mei=Shinichi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=MakiMotochika en-aut-sei=Maki en-aut-mei=Motochika kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=College of Transdisciplinary Sciences for Innovation, Kanazawa University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Radiological Technology, Yamaguchi University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Faculty of Health Sciences, Kobe Tokiwa University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Radiological Technology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Radiological Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, Junshin Gakuen University kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Radiological Technology, Yamaguchi University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=College of Transdisciplinary Sciences for Innovation, Kanazawa University kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Meditec Japan Co., Ltd. kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Meditec Japan Co., Ltd. kn-affil= en-keyword=Computed tomography kn-keyword=Computed tomography en-keyword=Medical dosimetry kn-keyword=Medical dosimetry en-keyword=Internal dose distribution kn-keyword=Internal dose distribution en-keyword=X-ray incident direction kn-keyword=X-ray incident direction en-keyword=Optically stimulated luminescence dosimeter kn-keyword=Optically stimulated luminescence dosimeter END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=17 cd-vols= no-issue=1 article-no= start-page=2586329 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20251130 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Asiatic acid, a novel ciprofloxacin adjuvant inhibits Shigella flexneri infection en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Bacterial infection caused by intracellular pathogens such as Shigella flexneri is a rapidly increasing global health concern that requires urgent and necessary action. The dearth of licensed vaccines against shigellosis and the decline in susceptibility to conventional antibiotics has encouraged the development of new antibiotic principles and drugs. The treatment options are decreasing faster than the discovery rate of new antibacterial agents. Combinatorial approach of antibiotics with non-antibiotic adjuvants is a promising aspect to treat resistant bacterial infections. Asiatic acid, a membrane-disrupting triterpenoid with wide antimicrobial and immunomodulatory properties, can potentiate antibiotics, but the exact mechanisms remain broadly unexplored. Therefore, in this study, we screened the interaction of asiatic acid with several antibiotics. The results showed synergistic interactions of asiatic acid with antibiotics against susceptible and multidrug-resistant S. flexneri clinical isolates. Particularly important was the interaction of asiatic acid with the quinolone antibiotics ciprofloxacin and nalidixic acid. A detailed study showed that combined treatment of asiatic acid with ciprofloxacin inhibited S. flexneri biofilm formation and resistance development. An increase in membrane disruption and depolarization upon co-treatment was evident by surface electron and confocal microscopy. In addition, asiatic acid and ciprofloxacin synergism was identified to inhibit efflux activity and intracellular bacterial viability. However, asiatic acid showed no synergistic toxicity with ciprofloxacin towards mammalian cells. The antibacterial activity was further verified in a S. flexneri infected mice model. Therapeutic benefits were evident with reduced bacterial burden, recovery from intestinal tissue damage and increase in mice survivability. The results showed that this combination can target the bacterial membrane, efflux pump proteins and biofilm formation, thereby preventing resistance development. The combination treatment offers a proof of concept in targeting essential bacterial activities and might be developed into a novel and efficient treatment alternative against S. flexneri. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=MaitraPriyanka en-aut-sei=Maitra en-aut-mei=Priyanka kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=BhuktaSamhati en-aut-sei=Bhukta en-aut-mei=Samhati kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=GopeAnimesh en-aut-sei=Gope en-aut-mei=Animesh kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=KayetPratanu en-aut-sei=Kayet en-aut-mei=Pratanu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=BasakSurajit en-aut-sei=Basak en-aut-mei=Surajit kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=MiyoshiShin-Ichi en-aut-sei=Miyoshi en-aut-mei=Shin-Ichi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=KitaharaKei en-aut-sei=Kitahara en-aut-mei=Kei kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=DuttaShanta en-aut-sei=Dutta en-aut-mei=Shanta kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=BhattacharyaSushmita en-aut-sei=Bhattacharya en-aut-mei=Sushmita kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Division of Biochemistry, ICMR-National Institute for Research in Bacterial Infections kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Division of Biochemistry, ICMR-National Institute for Research in Bacterial Infections kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Division of Clinical Medicine, ICMR-National Institute for Research in Bacterial Infections kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Division of Bioinformatics, ICMR-National Institute for Research in Bacterial Infections kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Division of Bioinformatics, ICMR-National Institute for Research in Bacterial Infections kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Collaborative Research Center of Okayama University for Infectious Diseases in India, ICMR-National Institute for Research in Bacterial Infections kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Bacteriology, ICMR-National Institute for Research in Bacterial Infections kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Division of Biochemistry, ICMR-National Institute for Research in Bacterial Infections kn-affil= en-keyword=Shigella flexneri kn-keyword=Shigella flexneri en-keyword=asiatic acid kn-keyword=asiatic acid en-keyword=ciprofloxacin kn-keyword=ciprofloxacin en-keyword=adjuvant kn-keyword=adjuvant en-keyword=membrane damage kn-keyword=membrane damage en-keyword=depolarization kn-keyword=depolarization en-keyword=nuclear damage kn-keyword=nuclear damage en-keyword=efflux inhibitor kn-keyword=efflux inhibitor END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol= cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page= end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250111 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=A Linear Search Algorithm for Resource Allocation in Frequency Domain Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=This paper proposes a linear search algorithm for resource allocation in frequency domain non-orthogonal multiple access based on the low-density signature (LDS). Although the proposed linear search enables the non-orthogonal multiple access to achieve superior transmission performance, the proposed linear search makes the resource allocation implemented with lower and fixed computational complexity. The performance of the non-orthogonal access based on the proposed linear search is evaluated by computer simulation. The proposed linear search algorithm makes the non-orthogonal multiple access achieve a gain of about 6 dB at the BER of 10–5 when the overloading ratio is set to 2. The complexity of the non-orthogonal access based on the proposed linear search algorithm is approximately half as much as that of the conventional low complexity resource allocation when the overloading ratio is 2, if the complexity is evaluated in terms of the number of additions. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=DennoSatoshi en-aut-sei=Denno en-aut-mei=Satoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=OhbaYuto en-aut-sei=Ohba en-aut-mei=Yuto kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=HouYafei en-aut-sei=Hou en-aut-mei=Yafei kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Faculty of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Faculty of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Faculty of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=non-orthogonal multiple access kn-keyword=non-orthogonal multiple access en-keyword=frequency domain kn-keyword=frequency domain en-keyword=linear search kn-keyword=linear search en-keyword=low complexity kn-keyword=low complexity END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=5 cd-vols= no-issue=1 article-no= start-page=ycaf192 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=202501 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Proliferation of a bloom-forming phytoplankton via uptake of polyphosphate-accumulating bacteria under phosphate-limiting conditions en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Harmful algal blooms negatively impact the ecosystem and fisheries in affected areas. Eutrophication is a major factor contributing to bloom occurrence, and phosphorus is particularly important in limiting the growth of bloom-forming algae. Although algae efficiently utilize orthophosphate (Pi) as a phosphorous source over other molecular forms, Pi is often limited in the marine environment. While uptake and utilization of soluble inorganic and organic phosphorous by bloom-forming algae has been extensively studied, the details of geochemical and biological phosphorous cycling remain to be elucidated. Here, we report for the first time that the bloom-forming alga Heterosigma akashiwo can phagocytose bacteria and grow under phosphate-depleted conditions. The addition of Vibrio comitans to Pi-depleted H. akashiwo enabled the alga propagate to high cell densities, whereas other bacterial strains had only a minor effect. Importantly, V. comitans accumulates polyphosphate—a linear polymer of Pi—at high levels. The extent of algal proliferation induced by the addition of Vibrio species and polyphosphate-accumulating Escherichia coli correlated strongly with their polyphosphate content, indicating that bacterial polyphosphate served as an alternative PO43− source for H. akashiwo. The direct uptake of polyphosphate-accumulating bacteria through algal phagocytosis may represent a novel biological phosphorous-cycling pathway in marine ecosystems. The role of polyphosphate-accumulating marine bacteria as a hidden phosphorous source required for bloom formation warrants further investigation. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=FukuyamaSeiya en-aut-sei=Fukuyama en-aut-mei=Seiya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=UsamiFumiko en-aut-sei=Usami en-aut-mei=Fumiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=HirotaRyuichi en-aut-sei=Hirota en-aut-mei=Ryuichi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=SatohAyano en-aut-sei=Satoh en-aut-mei=Ayano kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=OharaShizuka en-aut-sei=Ohara en-aut-mei=Shizuka kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=KondoKen en-aut-sei=Kondo en-aut-mei=Ken kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=GomibuchiYuki en-aut-sei=Gomibuchi en-aut-mei=Yuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=YasunagaTakuo en-aut-sei=Yasunaga en-aut-mei=Takuo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=OndukaToshimitsu en-aut-sei=Onduka en-aut-mei=Toshimitsu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=KurodaAkio en-aut-sei=Kuroda en-aut-mei=Akio kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=KoikeKazuhiko en-aut-sei=Koike en-aut-mei=Kazuhiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= en-aut-name=UekiShoko en-aut-sei=Ueki en-aut-mei=Shoko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=12 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Research Institute of Environment, Agriculture and Fisheries , Osaka Prefecture kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Physics and Information Technology, Faculty of Computer Science and Systems Engineering, Kyushu Institute of Technology kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Physics and Information Technology, Faculty of Computer Science and Systems Engineering, Kyushu Institute of Technology kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Hatsukaichi Branch, Fisheries Technology Institute , Fisheries Research and Education Agency kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University kn-affil= affil-num=12 en-affil=Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University kn-affil= END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=20 cd-vols= no-issue=8 article-no= start-page=e0328792 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250814 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Risk stratification for the prediction of skeletal-related events in patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer with bone metastases en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Skeletal-related events (SREs) are common in patients with bone metastases from castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Despite advances in prostate cancer treatment, clinically validated predictive models for SREs in CRPC patients with bone metastases remain elusive. This gap in prognostic tools hinders optimal patient management and treatment planning for this high-risk population. This study aimed to develop a prediction model for SRE by investigating potential risk factors and classifying them into different groups. This model can be used to identify patients at high risk of SREs who need close follow-up. Between 2004 and 2013, 68 male patients with bone metastases from CRPC who were treated at our institute were evaluated for survival without SREs and survival without SREs of the spinal cord. The study analyzed clinical data at enrollment to identify risk factors for initial and spinal SREs. Multivariate analysis revealed that a high count of metastatic vertebrae, along with visceral or lymph node metastases, were significant risk factors. Patients were categorized into four subgroups based on the number of vertebral metastases and presence of visceral or lymph node metastases: 1) extensive vertebral and both types of metastases, 2) extensive vertebral without additional metastases, 3) some vertebral with other metastases, 4) some vertebral without additional metastases. The first SRE and spinal SRE occurred significantly sooner in the first subgroup compared to others. Incidence rates at 12 months for the first SRE were 56%, 40%, 27%, and 5%, and for the first spinal SRE were 47%, 40%, 27%, and 0% respectively. Patients with extensive vertebral and additional metastases require vigilant monitoring to mitigate SREs. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=HamadaMasanori en-aut-sei=Hamada en-aut-mei=Masanori kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakataEiji en-aut-sei=Nakata en-aut-mei=Eiji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakaharaRyuichi en-aut-sei=Nakahara en-aut-mei=Ryuichi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=SugiharaShinsuke en-aut-sei=Sugihara en-aut-mei=Shinsuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=KatayamaHaruyoshi en-aut-sei=Katayama en-aut-mei=Haruyoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=ItanoTakuto en-aut-sei=Itano en-aut-mei=Takuto kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=InoueTomohiro en-aut-sei=Inoue en-aut-mei=Tomohiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakihiraShota en-aut-sei=Takihira en-aut-mei=Shota kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=AkezakiYoshiteru en-aut-sei=Akezaki en-aut-mei=Yoshiteru kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=OzakiToshifumi en-aut-sei=Ozaki en-aut-mei=Toshifumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil= kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil= kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil= kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil= kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil= kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil= kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil= kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil= kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil= kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil= kn-affil= END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=27 cd-vols= no-issue=1 article-no= start-page=219 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20251121 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Does perioperative discontinuation of anti-rheumatic drugs increase postoperative complications in orthopedic surgery for rheumatoid arthritis? en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Objective This study aimed to investigate whether discontinuation of biological or targeted synthetic antirheumatic disease-modifying drugs (bDMARDs or tsDMARDs) influences the incidence of postoperative complications in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) undergoing orthopedic surgery.
Methods A retrospective multicenter cohort study including patients receiving bDMARDs or tsDMARDs who underwent orthopedic surgery was conducted. Data collected encompassed the duration of drug discontinuation and postoperative adverse events, such as delayed wound healing, surgical site infection (SSI), disease flare-ups, and mortality. The association between drug discontinuation and these outcomes was analyzed. Multivariate analyses were conducted to identify potential risk factors for these events.
Results A total of 2,060 cases were initially enrolled. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, data from 1,953 patients were analyzed. No significant differences were observed between the groups regarding delayed wound healing, SSI, or mortality. However, the incidence of disease flare-ups was substantially higher in the drug discontinuation group and in the interleukin (IL)-6 inhibitor group. Multivariate analysis identified that tumor necrosis factor α and IL-6 inhibitor use was associated with a higher risk of delayed wound healing relative to T-cell function modifiers.
Conclusion In orthopedic surgery for patients with RA, maintaining the standard or the half of administration interval of bDMARD appears safe in the preoperative period. However, the drug discontinuation may increase the risk of postoperative flare-ups, particularly with IL-6 inhibitors. In addition, T-cell function modifiers may be associated with a lower risk of delayed wound healing, suggesting their safety profile in this context. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=ItoHiromu en-aut-sei=Ito en-aut-mei=Hiromu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=IshikawaHajime en-aut-sei=Ishikawa en-aut-mei=Hajime kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=TsujiShigeyoshi en-aut-sei=Tsuji en-aut-mei=Shigeyoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakayamaMasanori en-aut-sei=Nakayama en-aut-mei=Masanori kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=NishidaKeiichiro en-aut-sei=Nishida en-aut-mei=Keiichiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=MochizukiTakeshi en-aut-sei=Mochizuki en-aut-mei=Takeshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=EbinaKosuke en-aut-sei=Ebina en-aut-mei=Kosuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=KojimaToshihisa en-aut-sei=Kojima en-aut-mei=Toshihisa kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=MatsumotoTakumi en-aut-sei=Matsumoto en-aut-mei=Takumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=KubotaAyako en-aut-sei=Kubota en-aut-mei=Ayako kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakajimaArata en-aut-sei=Nakajima en-aut-mei=Arata kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= en-aut-name=KanekoAtsushi en-aut-sei=Kaneko en-aut-mei=Atsushi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=12 ORCID= en-aut-name=MatsushitaIsao en-aut-sei=Matsushita en-aut-mei=Isao kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=13 ORCID= en-aut-name=HaraRyota en-aut-sei=Hara en-aut-mei=Ryota kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=14 ORCID= en-aut-name=SakurabaKoji en-aut-sei=Sakuraba en-aut-mei=Koji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=15 ORCID= en-aut-name=AkasakiYukio en-aut-sei=Akasaki en-aut-mei=Yukio kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=16 ORCID= en-aut-name=MatsubaraTsukasa en-aut-sei=Matsubara en-aut-mei=Tsukasa kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=17 ORCID= en-aut-name=MochidaYuichi en-aut-sei=Mochida en-aut-mei=Yuichi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=18 ORCID= en-aut-name=KanbeKatsuaki en-aut-sei=Kanbe en-aut-mei=Katsuaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=19 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakagawaNatsuko en-aut-sei=Nakagawa en-aut-mei=Natsuko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=20 ORCID= en-aut-name=MurataKoichi en-aut-sei=Murata en-aut-mei=Koichi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=21 ORCID= en-aut-name=MomoharaShigeki en-aut-sei=Momohara en-aut-mei=Shigeki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=22 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kurashiki Central Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Rheumatology, Niigata Rheumatic Center kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Osaka Minami Medical Center kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, International University of Health and Welfare kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Locomotive Pain Center, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kamagaya General Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Osaka University Faculty of Medicine Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Nagoya University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Tokyo kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Toho University Omori Medical Center kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, Toho University Sakura Medical Center kn-affil= affil-num=12 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Nagoya Medical Center kn-affil= affil-num=13 en-affil=Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Kanazawa Medical University kn-affil= affil-num=14 en-affil=The Center for Rheumatic Diseases, Nara Medical University kn-affil= affil-num=15 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kyushu Medical Center kn-affil= affil-num=16 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kyushu University kn-affil= affil-num=17 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Matsubara Mayflower Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=18 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Yokohama City University Medical Center kn-affil= affil-num=19 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Nippori Orthopaedics and Rheumatic Clinic kn-affil= affil-num=20 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kakogawa Medical Center kn-affil= affil-num=21 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=22 en-affil=Endowed Course for Advanced Therapy for Musculoskeletal Disorders, Keio University School of Medicine kn-affil= en-keyword=Rheumatoid arthritis kn-keyword=Rheumatoid arthritis en-keyword=Orthopaedic surgery kn-keyword=Orthopaedic surgery en-keyword=DMARD kn-keyword=DMARD en-keyword=Perioperative complications kn-keyword=Perioperative complications END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol= cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page= end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20251123 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=A rare case of supratentorial ependymosarcoma harboring ZFTA::RELA fusion en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Ependymosarcoma is an exceedingly rare variant of ependymoma characterized by a mixture of ependymomatous and sarcomatous components. We report a case of supratentorial ependymosarcoma harboring a ZFTA::RELA fusion in a 10-year-old girl. Histologically, the tumor comprised an ependymomatous component resembling clear cell ependymoma and a sarcomatous component. ZFTA::RELA fusion was confirmed in both components. Genome-wide methylation profiling classified both components as supratentorial ependymoma, ZFTA fusion–positive by the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) CNS tumor classifier v12b8. However, their copy number alteration profiles were distinct. The ependymomatous component exhibited a gain of chromosome 1q and a loss of chromosomes 1p, 9, and 19q, while the sarcomatous component showed a loss of chromosome 14. These findings suggest that both components may have differentiated from a common precursor despite their distinct morphologies. The patient underwent gross total resection followed by adjuvant chemoradiotherapy and remains recurrence-free eight years post-treatment. Further investigation of additional cases is warranted to better understand the pathogenesis of this rare tumor. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=MatsumotoYuji en-aut-sei=Matsumoto en-aut-mei=Yuji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=SurugaYasuki en-aut-sei=Suruga en-aut-mei=Yasuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=SatomiKaishi en-aut-sei=Satomi en-aut-mei=Kaishi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=InoueYohei en-aut-sei=Inoue en-aut-mei=Yohei kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=HattoriYasuhiko en-aut-sei=Hattori en-aut-mei=Yasuhiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=IshidaJoji en-aut-sei=Ishida en-aut-mei=Joji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=KurozumiKazuhiko en-aut-sei=Kurozumi en-aut-mei=Kazuhiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=NobusawaSumihito en-aut-sei=Nobusawa en-aut-mei=Sumihito kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=HiratoJunko en-aut-sei=Hirato en-aut-mei=Junko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=TanakaTakehiro en-aut-sei=Tanaka en-aut-mei=Takehiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=YanaiHiroyuki en-aut-sei=Yanai en-aut-mei=Hiroyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= en-aut-name=WashioKana en-aut-sei=Washio en-aut-mei=Kana kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=12 ORCID= en-aut-name=IchimuraKoichi en-aut-sei=Ichimura en-aut-mei=Koichi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=13 ORCID= en-aut-name=IchikawaTomotsugu en-aut-sei=Ichikawa en-aut-mei=Tomotsugu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=14 ORCID= en-aut-name=OtaniYoshihiro en-aut-sei=Otani en-aut-mei=Yoshihiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=15 ORCID= en-aut-name=TanakaShota en-aut-sei=Tanaka en-aut-mei=Shota kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=16 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Neurological Surgery, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Neurological Surgery, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Kyorin University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Neurological Surgery, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Neurological Surgery, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Neurological Surgery, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Neurosurgery, Hamamatsu University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Human Pathology, Gunma University School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of Pathology, Public Tomioka General Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Department of Pathology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Department of Pathology, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=12 en-affil=Department of Pediatrics, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=13 en-affil=Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Kyorin University kn-affil= affil-num=14 en-affil=Department of Neurosurgery, Kagawa Prefectural Central Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=15 en-affil=Department of Neurological Surgery, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=16 en-affil=Department of Neurological Surgery, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= en-keyword=Ependymoma kn-keyword=Ependymoma en-keyword=Ependymosarcoma kn-keyword=Ependymosarcoma en-keyword=ZFTA kn-keyword=ZFTA en-keyword=RELA kn-keyword=RELA en-keyword=Methylation profiling kn-keyword=Methylation profiling END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=82 cd-vols= no-issue=2 article-no= start-page=26-1566 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2026 dt-pub=2026 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=放射線治療装置の回転座標系誤差が軸外targetの照射精度に及ぼす影響とTG142のトレランスの評価 en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract=Purpose: The aim of this study was to quantitatively evaluate the impact of gantry, collimator, and couch rotational errors in a linear accelerator on the irradiation accuracy of off-isocenter targets, and to assess the validity of the rotational error tolerance (±1.0°) specified in American Association of Physicists in Medicine TG142. Methods: Using an Elekta linear accelerator (Elekta, Stockholm, Sweden) and the MultiMet-WL QA phantom (Sun Nuclear, Melbourne, FL, USA), an off-isocenter Winston–Lutz test was performed on six targets. In addition to baseline measurements, six conditions were evaluated by intentionally introducing rotational errors of +0.5° and +1.0° in the collimator, gantry, and couch. The vector distance (S value) between the field center and the target center, as well as positional deviations in each direction (gantry-target: GT, left-right: LR, anterior-posterior: AP), were analyzed. Results: Targets located farther from the isocenter exhibited more significant positional deviations. The collimator rotation had the greatest impact; at 7 cm from the isocenter, even a 0.5° error resulted in a maximum S value of 1.24 mm. Couch rotation had the next largest effect, while gantry rotation had relatively smaller effects, likely because most targets were located near the gantry’s rotational axis. The rotational errors mainly caused geometric deviations with direction-dependent positional shifts. Conclusion: The effects of the collimator and couch were substantial, with positional deviations exceeding 1 mm even for a 0.5° rotation error. The influence of the gantry was relatively small and dependent on the target configuration. For irradiation of off-axis targets, the TG142 tolerance of ±1.0° should be regarded as a minimum standard that must be strictly observed regardless of the type of linear accelerator. However, depending on the target arrangement, clinically adequate margins may not be ensured. These findings suggest the necessity of applying stricter criteria according to target configuration and emphasize the importance of regular quality assurance. kn-abstract=【目的】放射線治療装置の回転座標系の誤差が軸外targetの照射精度に及ぼす影響を定量的に評価し，TG142における回転座標系誤差（±1.0°）のトレランスの妥当性を検討する．【方法】Elekta社製放射線治療装置（Elekta, Stockholm, Sweden）とMultiMet-WL QAファントム（Sun Nuclear, Melbourne, FL, USA）を用いて，6個のtargetに対してoff isocenterのWinston–Lutz test（WL test）を実施した．Baselineの測定に加え，意図的にcollimator，gantry，couchに+0.5°, +1.0°回転誤差を加えた6条件で測定を行い，照射野中心とtarget中心のベクトル距離（S値）および各方向（gantry-target: GT, left-right: LR, anterior-posterior: AP）の位置ずれを解析した．【結果】Isocenterからの距離が大きいtargetほど位置ずれが顕著であった．特にcollimator回転誤差の影響が最も大きく，isocenterから7 cm離れたtargetでは0.5°の回転誤差でもS値が最大1.24 mmに達した．次に影響が大きかったのはcouch回転であり，gantry回転はtargetの配置が回転軸に近いものが多く相対的に影響が少なかった．回転座標系の誤差は幾何学的誤差の影響が強く，位置ずれに方向依存性があった．【結語】Collimatorやcouchの影響が大きく，0.5°の誤差でも1 mm以上の位置ずれが生じることがあった．Gantryの影響はtargetの配置依存があり，相対的に小さかった．軸外targetの照射において，TG142の±1.0°のトレランスは放射線治療装置の種類にかかわらず最低限遵守するべき基準であり，targetの配置次第では臨床的に十分なマージンを保証できない可能性が示された．Target配置に応じたより厳格な基準と定期的quality assurance（QA）の重要性が示唆された． en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=NakayamaTakahiro en-aut-sei=Nakayama en-aut-mei=Takahiro kn-aut-name=中山貴裕 kn-aut-sei=中山 kn-aut-mei=貴裕 aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=TanabeYoshinori en-aut-sei=Tanabe en-aut-mei=Yoshinori kn-aut-name=田辺悦章 kn-aut-sei=田辺 kn-aut-mei=悦章 aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=FujiiYasushi en-aut-sei=Fujii en-aut-mei=Yasushi kn-aut-name=藤井康志 kn-aut-sei=藤井 kn-aut-mei=康志 aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Radiology, Public Mutual Aid Association Chugoku Central Hospital kn-affil=公立学校共済組合中国中央病院放射線科 affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Radiological Technology, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil=岡山大学学術研究院保健学域放射線技術科学専攻 affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Radiology, Public Mutual Aid Association Chugoku Central Hospital kn-affil=公立学校共済組合中国中央病院放射線科 en-keyword=off-isocenter Winston–Lutz test kn-keyword=off-isocenter Winston–Lutz test en-keyword=rotation error kn-keyword=rotation error en-keyword=off-axis targets kn-keyword=off-axis targets en-keyword=Elekta kn-keyword=Elekta en-keyword=TG142 kn-keyword=TG142 END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=145 cd-vols= no-issue=1 article-no= start-page=373 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250715 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Changes in the anatomical positions of the femoral nerve and artery in the lateral and supine positions: a multicenter retrospective study en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Introduction Femoral nerve palsy and femoral artery injury are serious complications of total hip arthroplasty. However, few studies have compared the anatomical positions of these structures in different patient positions. This study aimed to compare the anatomical positions of the femoral nerve and artery in the lateral and supine positions.
Materials and methods This multicenter retrospective study included 111 patients who underwent lateral and supine computed tomography (CT) from 2016 to 2023. CT images were reconstructed in the anterior pelvic plane. The horizontal distance from the anterior margin of the acetabulum to the femoral nerve (Distance N) and femoral artery (Distance A) was measured. The difference in Distance N between the two positions (ΔLateral–supine Distance N) was calculated by subtracting the supine value from the lateral value.
Results The average Distance N was 26.5 ± 5.1 mm in the lateral position and 21.1 ± 4.4 mm in the supine position, with the nerve located significantly closer to the acetabulum in the supine position (P < 0.001). Similarly, the average Distance A was 26.8 ± 5.4 mm in the lateral position and 20.4 ± 4.9 mm in the supine position (P < 0.001). Multiple regression analysis showed that Distance N in the lateral position was significantly shorter in female patients and those with low body weight. In addition, low body weight correlated with a smaller ΔLateral–supine Distance N.
Conclusions The femoral nerve and artery are located closer to the anterior margin of the acetabulum in the supine position than in the lateral position. Low body weight was an independent predictor of shorter Distance N in both positions and a smaller ΔLateral–supine Distance N. These findings underscore the importance of considering patient positioning during total hip arthroplasty, particularly in patients with low body weight, to reduce neurovascular risks. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=OkudaRyuichiro en-aut-sei=Okuda en-aut-mei=Ryuichiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=TetsunagaTomonori en-aut-sei=Tetsunaga en-aut-mei=Tomonori kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=YamadaKazuki en-aut-sei=Yamada en-aut-mei=Kazuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=TetsunagaTomoko en-aut-sei=Tetsunaga en-aut-mei=Tomoko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=KouraTakashi en-aut-sei=Koura en-aut-mei=Takashi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=InoueTomohiro en-aut-sei=Inoue en-aut-mei=Tomohiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=MasadaYasutaka en-aut-sei=Masada en-aut-mei=Yasutaka kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=YamamotoTetsuya en-aut-sei=Yamamoto en-aut-mei=Tetsuya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=MatsumotoShin en-aut-sei=Matsumoto en-aut-mei=Shin kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=IkumaHisanori en-aut-sei=Ikuma en-aut-mei=Hisanori kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=KomatsubaraTadashi en-aut-sei=Komatsubara en-aut-mei=Tadashi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= en-aut-name=OkazakiYuki en-aut-sei=Okazaki en-aut-mei=Yuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=12 ORCID= en-aut-name=OzakiToshifumi en-aut-sei=Ozaki en-aut-mei=Toshifumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=13 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Musculoskeletal Health Promotion, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Medical Materials for Musculoskeletal Reconstruction, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Sports Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kagawa Prefectural Central Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Okayama Rosai Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=12 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=13 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=Total hip arthroplasty kn-keyword=Total hip arthroplasty en-keyword=Femoral artery kn-keyword=Femoral artery en-keyword=Femoral nerve kn-keyword=Femoral nerve en-keyword=Computed tomography kn-keyword=Computed tomography en-keyword=Lateral position kn-keyword=Lateral position en-keyword=Supine position kn-keyword=Supine position END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=61 cd-vols= no-issue=6 article-no= start-page=973 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250524 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Accuracy Verification of a Computed Tomography-Based Navigation System for Total Hip Arthroplasty in Severe Hip Dysplasia: A Simulation Study Using 3D-Printed Bone Models of Crowe Types II, III, and IV en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Background and Objective: The use of computed tomography (CT)-based navigation systems has been shown to improve surgical accuracy in total hip arthroplasty. However, there is limited literature available about the application of CT-based navigation systems in severe hip dysplasia. This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of a CT-based navigation system in patients with severe hip dysplasia using three-dimensional (3D)-printed bone models. Methods: 3D-printed bone models were generated from CT data of patients with severe hip dysplasia (Crowe type II, 10 hips; type III, 10 hips; and type IV, 10 hips). The accuracy of automatic segmentation, success rate, point-matching accuracy across different registration methods, and deviation values at reference points after registration were assessed. Results: For the combined cohort of Crowe II, III, and IV cases (n = 30), the Dice Similarity Coefficient and Jaccard Index were 0.99 ± 0.01 and 0.98 ± 0.02, respectively. These values indicate a high level of segmentation accuracy. The “Matching with true and false acetabulum + iliac crest” method achieved a 100% success rate across all groups, with mean deviations of 0.08 ± 0.28 mm in the Crowe II group, 0.12 ± 0.33 mm in the Crowe III group, and 0.14 ± 0.50 mm in the Crowe IV group (p = 0.572). In the Crowe IV group, the anterior superior iliac spine deviation was significantly lower using the “Matching with true and false acetabulum + iliac crest” method compared to the “Matching with true and false acetabulum” method (0.28 ± 0.49 mm vs. 3.29 ± 2.56 mm, p < 0.05). Conclusions: This study demonstrated the high accuracy of automatic AI-based segmentation, with a Dice Similarity Coefficient of 0.99 ± 0.01 and a Jaccard Index of 0.98 ± 0.02 in the combined cohort of Crowe type II, III, and IV cases (n = 30). The matching success rate was 100%, with additional points on the iliac crest, which improved matching accuracy and reduced deviations, depending on the case. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=OkudaRyuichiro en-aut-sei=Okuda en-aut-mei=Ryuichiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=TetsunagaTomonori en-aut-sei=Tetsunaga en-aut-mei=Tomonori kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=YamadaKazuki en-aut-sei=Yamada en-aut-mei=Kazuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=TetsunagaTomoko en-aut-sei=Tetsunaga en-aut-mei=Tomoko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=KouraTakashi en-aut-sei=Koura en-aut-mei=Takashi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=InoueTomohiro en-aut-sei=Inoue en-aut-mei=Tomohiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=MasadaYasutaka en-aut-sei=Masada en-aut-mei=Yasutaka kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=OkazakiYuki en-aut-sei=Okazaki en-aut-mei=Yuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=OzakiToshifumi en-aut-sei=Ozaki en-aut-mei=Toshifumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Musculoskeletal Health Promotion, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Sports Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= en-keyword=total hip arthroplasty kn-keyword=total hip arthroplasty en-keyword=CT-based navigation kn-keyword=CT-based navigation en-keyword=bone model kn-keyword=bone model en-keyword=artificial intelligence kn-keyword=artificial intelligence en-keyword=Ortoma Treatment Solution kn-keyword=Ortoma Treatment Solution END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=190 cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page=149 end-page=155 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20251128 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title=Characteristics of the Amount of Physical Activity of Eighth Graders Attending Special Needs Schools during Their School Days kn-title=特別支援学校に通う中学2年生の学校生活での身体活動量の特徴 en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=　In this study, data from a survey completed before the spread of COVID-19 were used to measure the amount of physical activity in school among eighth graders attending special-needs schools and compared with the WHO Guidelines for Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior. The subjects were 16 eighth graders in public special-needs schools. In addition to height and weight, the physical activity survey during school life was measured using a uniaxial accelerometer (Kenz Lifecorder GS 4-second version: LC). 7534 ± 2275 steps/day for boys, 6411 ± 1614 steps/day for girls, and middle and high intensity activity time (MVPA) was 19.3 ± 10.3 minutes/day for boys and 16.7 ± 8.3 minutes/day for girls. These results suggest that eighth graders attending special needs schools are well below the WHO Guidelines for Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior standard of 60 minutes/day for children and adolescents with disabilities (5-17 years old ) for both boys and girls. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=ADACHIMinoru en-aut-sei=ADACHI en-aut-mei=Minoru kn-aut-name=足立稔 kn-aut-sei=足立 kn-aut-mei=稔 aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Faculty of Education, Okayama University kn-affil=岡山大学学術研究院教育学域 en-keyword=Physical activity kn-keyword=Physical activity en-keyword=School life kn-keyword=School life en-keyword=Special needs schools kn-keyword=Special needs schools en-keyword=WHO guidelines kn-keyword=WHO guidelines END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=30 cd-vols= no-issue=5 article-no= start-page=e70057 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=202505 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=A Case of IgA Nephropathy With Membranoproliferative Glomerulonephritis-Like Features Miyu Kanazawa, en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=A 73-year-old man was referred due to the onset of nephrotic-range proteinuria. He had been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis 18 years prior and had achieved remission with treatment, including methotrexate and janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor. Although routine follow-ups had not revealed any urinary abnormalities, subsequent tests detected proteinuria and hematuria in the absence of infection or other symptoms. As the urinary abnormalities persisted, with a serum albumin decrease and proteinuria measuring 5.7 g/day, indicating nephrotic syndrome, the patient was referred to our hospital for further evaluation, and a renal biopsy was performed. Light microscopy revealed mesangial cell proliferation, endocapillary proliferation and double-contoured basement membranes. Immunofluorescence microscopy showed IgA-dominant deposits in both mesangial areas and glomerular capillary walls. Transmission electron microscopy demonstrated electron-dense deposits in the mesangium and subendothelial regions, leading to the diagnosis of membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN)-type IgA nephropathy. Immunostaining with the Gd-IgA1 (galactose-deficient IgA1)-specific antibody (KM55) was positive, consistent with the diagnosis. Following the initiation of steroid therapy, proteinuria rapidly decreased, achieving complete remission within 5 months. IgA nephropathy with MPGN-like features often presents as nephrotic syndrome, differing from the typical pathological and clinical presentation of IgA nephropathy, making differentiation from secondary MPGN and other diseases sometimes challenging. This case suggests that KM55 staining may offer additional information in differentiating atypical IgA nephropathy with non-classical pathological features. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=KanazawaMiyu en-aut-sei=Kanazawa en-aut-mei=Miyu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=TsujiKenji en-aut-sei=Tsuji en-aut-mei=Kenji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=AokiRyoya en-aut-sei=Aoki en-aut-mei=Ryoya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=SueMihiro en-aut-sei=Sue en-aut-mei=Mihiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=MiyakeHiromasa en-aut-sei=Miyake en-aut-mei=Hiromasa kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=UchidaNaruhiko en-aut-sei=Uchida en-aut-mei=Naruhiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakanohHiroyuki en-aut-sei=Nakanoh en-aut-mei=Hiroyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=FukushimaKazuhiko en-aut-sei=Fukushima en-aut-mei=Kazuhiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=UchidaHaruhito A. en-aut-sei=Uchida en-aut-mei=Haruhito A. kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=WadaJun en-aut-sei=Wada en-aut-mei=Jun kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Okayama University Medical School kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Nephrology, Rheumatology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Okayama University Medical School kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Nephrology, Rheumatology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Nephrology, Rheumatology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Nephrology, Rheumatology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Nephrology, Rheumatology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Nephrology, Rheumatology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of Chronic Kidney Disease and Cardiovascular Disease, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Department of Nephrology, Rheumatology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= en-keyword=Gd-IgA1 kn-keyword=Gd-IgA1 en-keyword=IgA nephropathy kn-keyword=IgA nephropathy en-keyword=membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis kn-keyword=membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis en-keyword=nephrotic syndrome kn-keyword=nephrotic syndrome en-keyword=rheumatoid arthritis kn-keyword=rheumatoid arthritis END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=15 cd-vols= no-issue=1 article-no= start-page=5762 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250217 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Hypoglycemia and hyperinsulinemia induced by phenolic uremic toxins in CKD and DKD patients en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Patients with end-stage renal disease have lower fasting plasma glucose and HbA1c levels, with significantly higher insulin levels. For a long time, it has been believed that this higher insulin level in renal failure is due to decreased insulin clearance caused by reduced renal function. However, here we reported that accumulation of the gut microbiota-derived uremic toxin, phenyl sulfate (PS) in the renal failure, increased insulin secretion from the pancreas by enhanced glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. Other endogenous sulfides compounds which accumulated as in the renal failure also increased glucose-stimulated insulin secretion from β-cell. With RNA-seq analyses and gene knock down, we demonstrated that insulin secretion evoked by PS was mediated by Ddah2. In addition, we also found that PS increased insulin resistance through lncRNA expression and Erk phosphorylation in the adipocytes. To confirm the relationship between PS and glucose metabolism in human, we recruited 2 clinical cohort studies (DKD and CKD) including 462 patients, and found that there was a weak negative correlation between PS and HbA1c. Because these trials did not measure fasting insulin level, we alternatively used the urinary C-peptide/creatinine ratio (UCPCR) as an indicator of insulin resistance. We found that PS may induce insulin resistance in patients with eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2. These data suggest that the accumulation of uremic toxins modulates glucose metabolism and induced insulin resistance in CKD and DKD patients. Considering HbA1c as a reflection of chronic hyperglycemia and UCPCR as a reflection of chronic hyperinsulinemia, our findings indicate that PS is negatively associated with hyperglycemia independent of CKD, and positively associated with hyperinsulinemia in DKD patients. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=TonguYoshiyasu en-aut-sei=Tongu en-aut-mei=Yoshiyasu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=KasaharaTomoko en-aut-sei=Kasahara en-aut-mei=Tomoko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=AkiyamaYasutoshi en-aut-sei=Akiyama en-aut-mei=Yasutoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=SuzukiTakehiro en-aut-sei=Suzuki en-aut-mei=Takehiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=HoHsin-Jung en-aut-sei=Ho en-aut-mei=Hsin-Jung kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=MatsumotoYotaro en-aut-sei=Matsumoto en-aut-mei=Yotaro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=KujiraiRyota en-aut-sei=Kujirai en-aut-mei=Ryota kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=KikuchiKoichi en-aut-sei=Kikuchi en-aut-mei=Koichi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=NataKoji en-aut-sei=Nata en-aut-mei=Koji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=KanzakiMakoto en-aut-sei=Kanzaki en-aut-mei=Makoto kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=SuzukiKenshin en-aut-sei=Suzuki en-aut-mei=Kenshin kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= en-aut-name=WatanabeShun en-aut-sei=Watanabe en-aut-mei=Shun kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=12 ORCID= en-aut-name=KawabeChiharu en-aut-sei=Kawabe en-aut-mei=Chiharu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=13 ORCID= en-aut-name=MiyataYui en-aut-sei=Miyata en-aut-mei=Yui kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=14 ORCID= en-aut-name=ItaiShun en-aut-sei=Itai en-aut-mei=Shun kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=15 ORCID= en-aut-name=ToyoharaTakafumi en-aut-sei=Toyohara en-aut-mei=Takafumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=16 ORCID= en-aut-name=SuzukiChitose en-aut-sei=Suzuki en-aut-mei=Chitose kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=17 ORCID= en-aut-name=TanakaTetsuhiro en-aut-sei=Tanaka en-aut-mei=Tetsuhiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=18 ORCID= en-aut-name=WadaJun en-aut-sei=Wada en-aut-mei=Jun kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=19 ORCID= en-aut-name=TomiokaYoshihisa en-aut-sei=Tomioka en-aut-mei=Yoshihisa kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=20 ORCID= en-aut-name=AbeTakaaki en-aut-sei=Abe en-aut-mei=Takaaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=21 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Tohoku University School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Clinical Biology and Hormonal Regulation, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Laboratory of Oncology, Pharmacy Practice and Sciences, Tohoku University Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Clinical Biology and Hormonal Regulation, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Clinical Biology and Hormonal Regulation, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Laboratory of Oncology, Pharmacy Practice and Sciences, Tohoku University Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Laboratory of Oncology, Pharmacy Practice and Sciences, Tohoku University Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Clinical Biology and Hormonal Regulation, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of Medical Biochemistry, School of Pharmacy, Iwate Medical University kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tohoku University kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Tohoku University School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=12 en-affil=Department of Clinical Biology and Hormonal Regulation, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=13 en-affil=Department of Clinical Biology and Hormonal Regulation, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=14 en-affil=Department of Clinical Biology and Hormonal Regulation, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=15 en-affil=Department of Clinical Biology and Hormonal Regulation, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=16 en-affil=Department of Clinical Biology and Hormonal Regulation, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=17 en-affil=Department of Clinical Biology and Hormonal Regulation, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=18 en-affil=Division of Nephrology, Endocrinology, and Vascular Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=19 en-affil=Department of Nephrology, Rheumatology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=20 en-affil=Laboratory of Oncology, Pharmacy Practice and Sciences, Tohoku University Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=21 en-affil=Department of Clinical Biology and Hormonal Regulation, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= en-keyword=CKD, DKD, Phenyl sulfate, Uremic toxin, Insulin secretion, Insulin resistance, Gut microbiota kn-keyword=CKD, DKD, Phenyl sulfate, Uremic toxin, Insulin secretion, Insulin resistance, Gut microbiota END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=254 cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page=108998 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=202506 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Cellulose nanofibers boost soil water availability, plant growth, and irrigation water use efficiency under deficit irrigation en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Under climate change, even previously rainfall-prone areas may experience droughts, and effective strategies are vital for soil conservation. Owing to their cutting-edge water absorption and storage properties, cellulose nanofibers (CNF) are expected to increase soil water availability and help plants resist water stress. However, the role of CNF in improving plant growth and soil water retention under various irrigation regimes is not yet known. We evaluated the effects of CNFs on plant available water (PAW), germination, plant growth, and irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) under both adequate and deficit irrigation conditions. Plant cultivation experiments were conducted using different CNF dosages (0%, 0.1%, 0.5%, and 1.0%), irrigation levels (I100, I50, and I25), and soil types (sandy and silty loam). The results indicated that CNF significantly increased field capacity (FC) and PAW in both soil types, with PAW in CNF-amended soils increasing by up to 110% and 88% in sandy and silty loam soil, respectively, at 1% CNF dosage. In germination tests, CNF showed no phytotoxicity and supported the germination process during water stress, with enhancements of up to 64% and 163% at I50 and up to 125% and 214% at I25 in germination percentage and germination index, respectively. Plant growth experiments revealed that CNF addition helped plants resist water stress, maintaining plant height and weight close to those under full irrigation, while using 50% less water. IWUE analyses demonstrated that CNF enhanced IWUE, with increases of up to 56% under sufficient watering (I100), 169% under moderate water stress (I50), and 120% under severe water stress (I25), at 1% CNF dosage. These findings highlight the potential of CNF as a multifaceted amendment, offering practical solutions for addressing water scarcity challenges and contributing to more resilient and sustainable agricultural practices. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=NgoAn Thuy en-aut-sei=Ngo en-aut-mei=An Thuy kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=NguyenManh Cong en-aut-sei=Nguyen en-aut-mei=Manh Cong kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=MaedaMorihiro en-aut-sei=Maeda en-aut-mei=Morihiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=MoriYasushi en-aut-sei=Mori en-aut-mei=Yasushi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Nong Lam University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=Cellulose nanofibers kn-keyword=Cellulose nanofibers en-keyword=Available water kn-keyword=Available water en-keyword=Plant growth kn-keyword=Plant growth en-keyword=Irrigation water use efficiency kn-keyword=Irrigation water use efficiency en-keyword=Deficit irrigation kn-keyword=Deficit irrigation en-keyword=Water stress kn-keyword=Water stress END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=2025 cd-vols= no-issue=1 article-no= start-page=e240121 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250127 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Adult hypophosphatasia presenting with recurrent acute joint pain en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Hypophosphatasia (HPP) is a genetic disorder due to pathological variants in ALPL, the gene encoding tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase (ALP). HPP is typically associated with bone-related symptoms, such as bone deformity, fractures and bone pain in children, but can appear in adults with symptoms resembling arthritis. A 22-year-old male experienced repeated and severe sudden attacks of joint pain in the elbows and knees. Magnetic resonance imaging and joint ultrasonography showed joint effusions indicating chronic inflammation. Blood biochemical tests revealed a remarkably low serum ALP level, and repeated examination confirmed a sustained low ALP level; urine phosphoethanolamine, plasma inorganic pyrophosphate and plasma pyridoxal-5′-phosphate levels were elevated, raising concern for HPP. While the patient had no history of premature loss of primary teeth, fragility fractures, muscle weakness or abnormalities in growth, genetic testing revealed a likely pathogenic and a pathogenic heterozygous variant in the ALPL gene, i.e., c.979T>C (p.Phe327Leu) and c.1559del (p.Leu520Argfs), confirming HPP. Additional genetic testing of his parents showed a heterozygous c.1559del variant in his father and a heterozygous c.979T>C variant in his mother. A diagnosis of adult HPP due to compound heterozygous mutations was therefore confirmed. Enzyme replacement therapy with asfotase alfa was then introduced; no attacks of arthralgia occurred in the 1-year period since then. This case highlights the possibility of HPP in adults who present clinically with repeated joint symptoms and low serum ALP levels but without bone-related symptoms. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=YoshidaHayao en-aut-sei=Yoshida en-aut-mei=Hayao kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=MurakamiTakaaki en-aut-sei=Murakami en-aut-mei=Takaaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=OgawaAtsubumi en-aut-sei=Ogawa en-aut-mei=Atsubumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=SunouchiTakashi en-aut-sei=Sunouchi en-aut-mei=Takashi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=HidakaNaoko en-aut-sei=Hidaka en-aut-mei=Naoko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=ItoNobuaki en-aut-sei=Ito en-aut-mei=Nobuaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=MurakamiHiromi en-aut-sei=Murakami en-aut-mei=Hiromi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=KawasakiHidenori en-aut-sei=Kawasaki en-aut-mei=Hidenori kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=AkiyamaTomoyuki en-aut-sei=Akiyama en-aut-mei=Tomoyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakajimaKatsumi en-aut-sei=Nakajima en-aut-mei=Katsumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=YabeDaisuke en-aut-sei=Yabe en-aut-mei=Daisuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= en-aut-name=YamamotoTaizo en-aut-sei=Yamamoto en-aut-mei=Taizo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=12 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Diabetes and Endocrinology, Shiga General Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Diabetes and Endocrinology, Shiga General Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Division of Nephrology and Endocrinology, The University of Tokyo Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Division of Nephrology and Endocrinology, The University of Tokyo Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Osteoporosis Center, The University of Tokyo Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Genomic Medicine, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Genomic Medicine, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of Child Neurology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Department of Diabetes and Endocrinology, Shiga General Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Nutrition, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=12 en-affil=Department of Diabetes and Endocrinology, Shiga General Hospital kn-affil= en-keyword=hypophosphatasia kn-keyword=hypophosphatasia en-keyword=genetic disorders kn-keyword=genetic disorders en-keyword=bone kn-keyword=bone END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol= cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page= end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20251019 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Impact of methotrexate-dosing regimens for GVHD prophylaxis on clinical outcomes of HLA-matched allogeneic HSCT en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Severe graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) remains a major complication of allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT), necessitating optimal immunosuppressive strategies. This retrospective study used data from the Japanese Transplant Registry Unified Management Program to compare three methotrexate (MTX)-dosing regimens for GVHD prophylaxis in patients undergoing human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-matched allo-HSCT: a low-dose 3-day regimen (Ld3:10 mg/m2 on day 1, 7 mg/m2 on days 3 and 6), a low-dose 4-day regimen (Ld4: Ld3 with an additional 7 mg/m2 on day 11) and an original-dose 3-day regimen (Od3: 15 mg/m2 on day 1, 10 mg/m2 on days 3 and 6). Among 2537 analysed patients, Ld3 was the most commonly used regimen. Multivariate analyses showed no significant differences in the cumulative incidence of grade II–IV acute GVHD among regimens. However, Od3 was associated with an increased risk of grade III–IV acute GVHD, and Ld4 was linked to delayed neutrophil engraftment. This study is the first large-scale retrospective analysis of the impact of different MTX-dosing regimens on the outcomes of HLA-matched allo-HSCT, providing valuable insights into optimal MTX-dosing strategies in clinical practice. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=SuzukiTomotaka en-aut-sei=Suzuki en-aut-mei=Tomotaka kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=JoTomoyasu en-aut-sei=Jo en-aut-mei=Tomoyasu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=YoshifujiKota en-aut-sei=Yoshifuji en-aut-mei=Kota kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=KondoTadakazu en-aut-sei=Kondo en-aut-mei=Tadakazu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=DokiNoriko en-aut-sei=Doki en-aut-mei=Noriko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=KandaYoshinobu en-aut-sei=Kanda en-aut-mei=Yoshinobu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=NishidaTetsuya en-aut-sei=Nishida en-aut-mei=Tetsuya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=OnishiYasushi en-aut-sei=Onishi en-aut-mei=Yasushi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=AsadaNoboru en-aut-sei=Asada en-aut-mei=Noboru kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=FukudaTakahiro en-aut-sei=Fukuda en-aut-mei=Takahiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=SawaMasashi en-aut-sei=Sawa en-aut-mei=Masashi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= en-aut-name=HasegawaYuta en-aut-sei=Hasegawa en-aut-mei=Yuta kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=12 ORCID= en-aut-name=SerizawaKentaro en-aut-sei=Serizawa en-aut-mei=Kentaro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=13 ORCID= en-aut-name=OtaShuichi en-aut-sei=Ota en-aut-mei=Shuichi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=14 ORCID= en-aut-name=TanakaMasatsugu en-aut-sei=Tanaka en-aut-mei=Masatsugu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=15 ORCID= en-aut-name=YoshimitsuMakoto en-aut-sei=Yoshimitsu en-aut-mei=Makoto kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=16 ORCID= en-aut-name=AtsutaYoshiko en-aut-sei=Atsuta en-aut-mei=Yoshiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=17 ORCID= en-aut-name=KandaJunya en-aut-sei=Kanda en-aut-mei=Junya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=18 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Hematology and Oncology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Hematology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Hematology, Institute of Science Tokyo kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Hematology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Hematology Division, Tokyo Metropolitan Cancer and Infectious Diseases Centre, Komagome Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Division of Hematology, Jichi Medical University Saitama Medical Centre kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Hematology, Japanese Red Cross Aichi Medical Centre Nagoya Daiichi Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Hematology, Tohoku University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of Hematology and Oncology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Department of Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation, National Cancer Centre Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Department of Hematology and Oncology, Anjo Kosei Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=12 en-affil=Department of Hematology, Hokkaido University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=13 en-affil=Department of Hematology and Rheumatology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=14 en-affil=Department of Hematology, Sapporo Hokuyu Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=15 en-affil=Department of Hematology, Kanagawa Cancer Centre kn-affil= affil-num=16 en-affil=Department of Hematology and Rheumatology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University kn-affil= affil-num=17 en-affil=Japanese Data Centre for Haematopoietic Cell Transplantation kn-affil= affil-num=18 en-affil=Department of Hematology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University kn-affil= en-keyword=allo-HSCT kn-keyword=allo-HSCT en-keyword=dosing regimens kn-keyword=dosing regimens en-keyword=graft-versus-host disease kn-keyword=graft-versus-host disease en-keyword=GVHD prophylaxis kn-keyword=GVHD prophylaxis en-keyword=methotrexate kn-keyword=methotrexate END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=9 cd-vols= no-issue=18 article-no= start-page=4640 end-page=4653 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250912 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Refinement of day 28 treatment response criteria for acute GVHD: a collaboration study of the JSTCT and MAGIC en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Overall response (OR) that combines complete (CR) and partial responses (PR) is the conventional end point for acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) trials. Because PR includes heterogeneous clinical presentations, reclassifying PR could produce a better end point. Patients in the primary treatment cohort from the Japanese Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (JSTCT) were randomly divided into training and validation sets. In the training set, a classification and regression tree algorithm generated day 28 refined response (RR) criteria based on symptoms at treatment and day 28. We then evaluated RR for primary and second-line treatments, using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and negative predictive value (NPV) for 6-month nonrelapse mortality as performance measures. RR considered patients with grade 0/1 at day 28 without additional treatment as responders. RR for primary treatment produced higher AUCs than OR with small improvement of NPVs in both validation sets: JSTCT (AUC, 0.73 vs 0.69 [P < .001]; NPV, 92.0% vs 89.6% [P < .001]) and the Mount Sinai Acute GVHD International Consortium (MAGIC; AUC, 0.71 vs 0.68 [P = .032]; NPV, 90.9% vs 89.8% [P = .009]). RR for second-line treatment produced similar AUCs but much higher NPVs than OR in both validation sets of JSTCT (AUC, 0.64 vs 0.63 [P = .775]; NPV, 74.5% vs 66.0% [P < .001]) and MAGIC (AUC, 0.67 vs 0.64 [P = .105]; NPV, 86.8% vs 76.1% [P = .004]). Classifying persistent but mild skin symptoms as responses and residual lower gastrointestinal GVHD as nonresponses were major drivers in improving the prognostic performance of RR. Our externally validated day 28 RR would serve as a better end point than conventional criteria in future first- and second-line treatment trials. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=AkahoshiYu en-aut-sei=Akahoshi en-aut-mei=Yu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=InamotoYoshihiro en-aut-sei=Inamoto en-aut-mei=Yoshihiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=SpyrouNikolaos en-aut-sei=Spyrou en-aut-mei=Nikolaos kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakasoneHideki en-aut-sei=Nakasone en-aut-mei=Hideki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=DinizMarcio A. en-aut-sei=Diniz en-aut-mei=Marcio A. kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=AsadaNoboru en-aut-sei=Asada en-aut-mei=Noboru kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=AyukFrancis en-aut-sei=Ayuk en-aut-mei=Francis kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=ChoeHannah K. en-aut-sei=Choe en-aut-mei=Hannah K. kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=DokiNoriko en-aut-sei=Doki en-aut-mei=Noriko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=EtoTetsuya en-aut-sei=Eto en-aut-mei=Tetsuya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=EtraAaron M. en-aut-sei=Etra en-aut-mei=Aaron M. kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= en-aut-name=HexnerElizabeth O. en-aut-sei=Hexner en-aut-mei=Elizabeth O. kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=12 ORCID= en-aut-name=HiramotoNobuhiro en-aut-sei=Hiramoto en-aut-mei=Nobuhiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=13 ORCID= en-aut-name=HoganWilliam J. en-aut-sei=Hogan en-aut-mei=William J. kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=14 ORCID= en-aut-name=HollerErnst en-aut-sei=Holler en-aut-mei=Ernst kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=15 ORCID= en-aut-name=KataokaKeisuke en-aut-sei=Kataoka en-aut-mei=Keisuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=16 ORCID= en-aut-name=KawakitaToshiro en-aut-sei=Kawakita en-aut-mei=Toshiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=17 ORCID= en-aut-name=TanakaMasatsugu en-aut-sei=Tanaka en-aut-mei=Masatsugu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=18 ORCID= en-aut-name=TanakaTakashi en-aut-sei=Tanaka en-aut-mei=Takashi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=19 ORCID= en-aut-name=UchidaNaoyuki en-aut-sei=Uchida en-aut-mei=Naoyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=20 ORCID= en-aut-name=VasovaIngrid en-aut-sei=Vasova en-aut-mei=Ingrid kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=21 ORCID= en-aut-name=YoshiharaSatoshi en-aut-sei=Yoshihara en-aut-mei=Satoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=22 ORCID= en-aut-name=IshimaruFumihiko en-aut-sei=Ishimaru en-aut-mei=Fumihiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=23 ORCID= en-aut-name=FukudaTakahiro en-aut-sei=Fukuda en-aut-mei=Takahiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=24 ORCID= en-aut-name=ChenYi-Bin en-aut-sei=Chen en-aut-mei=Yi-Bin kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=25 ORCID= en-aut-name=KandaJunya en-aut-sei=Kanda en-aut-mei=Junya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=26 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakamuraRyotaro en-aut-sei=Nakamura en-aut-mei=Ryotaro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=27 ORCID= en-aut-name=AtsutaYoshiko en-aut-sei=Atsuta en-aut-mei=Yoshiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=28 ORCID= en-aut-name=FerraraJames L. M. en-aut-sei=Ferrara en-aut-mei=James L. M. kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=29 ORCID= en-aut-name=KandaYoshinobu en-aut-sei=Kanda en-aut-mei=Yoshinobu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=30 ORCID= en-aut-name=LevineJohn E. en-aut-sei=Levine en-aut-mei=John E. kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=31 ORCID= en-aut-name=TeshimaTakanori en-aut-sei=Teshima en-aut-mei=Takanori kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=32 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Division of Hematology/Medical Oncology, The Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Blood and Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, Fujita Health University School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Division of Hematology/Medical Oncology, The Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Division of Hematology, Jichi Medical University Saitama Medical Center kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Population Health Science and Policy, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Hematology and Oncology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Stem Cell Transplantation, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Division of Hematology, Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Hematology Division, Tokyo Metropolitan Cancer and Infectious Diseases Center, Komagome Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Department of Hematology, Hamanomachi Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Division of Hematology/Medical Oncology, The Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai kn-affil= affil-num=12 en-affil=Department of Medicine and Abramson Cancer Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania kn-affil= affil-num=13 en-affil=Department of Hematology, Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=14 en-affil=Division of Hematology, Mayo Clinic kn-affil= affil-num=15 en-affil=Department of Hematology and Oncology, Internal Medicine III, University of Regensburg kn-affil= affil-num=16 en-affil=Division of Molecular Oncology, National Cancer Center Research Institute kn-affil= affil-num=17 en-affil=Department of Hematology, National Hospital Organization Kumamoto Medical Center kn-affil= affil-num=18 en-affil=Department of Hematology, Kanagawa Cancer Center kn-affil= affil-num=19 en-affil=Division of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation, National Cancer Center Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=20 en-affil=Department of Hematology, Federation of National Public Service Personnel Mutual Aid Associations Toranomon Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=21 en-affil=Department of Internal Medicine 5, Hematology and Oncology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg and University Hospital Erlangen kn-affil= affil-num=22 en-affil=Department of Hematology, Hyogo Medical University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=23 en-affil=Technical Department, Japanese Red Cross Blood Service Headquarters kn-affil= affil-num=24 en-affil=Division of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation, National Cancer Center Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=25 en-affil=Hematopoietic Cell Transplant and Cellular Therapy Program, Massachusetts General Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=26 en-affil=Department of Hematology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University kn-affil= affil-num=27 en-affil=Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope kn-affil= affil-num=28 en-affil=Japanese Data Center for Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation kn-affil= affil-num=29 en-affil=Division of Hematology/Medical Oncology, The Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai kn-affil= affil-num=30 en-affil=Division of Hematology, Jichi Medical University Saitama Medical Center kn-affil= affil-num=31 en-affil=Division of Hematology/Medical Oncology, The Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai kn-affil= affil-num=32 en-affil=Department of Hematology, Hokkaido University Faculty of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=17 cd-vols= no-issue=11 article-no= start-page=e97797 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20251125 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Long-Term Outcome of Xenon-Arc Photocoagulation for Retinopathy of Prematurity in the 1970s in Japan: Eleven Patients With 32- to 49-Year Follow-Up en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Objectives: Photocoagulation or cryocautery, or their combinations, are the standard of care for retinopathy of prematurity at the recommended timing, which is based on the International Classification of Retinopathy of Prematurity. In Japan, the effectiveness of xenon-arc photocoagulation and cryocautery in retinopathy of prematurity was reported on an empirical basis first in 1968, and became the standard of care in retinopathy of prematurity in the 1970s, 10 years earlier compared with the other countries. In this study, we reported the up to 49 years visual outcome of 11 patients with retinopathy of prematurity who underwent xenon-arc photocoagulation and cryocautery in the 1970s.
Methods: A retrospective review was made on the medical records of 11 consecutive patients who underwent xenon-arc photocoagulation for retinopathy of prematurity in the years 1974 to 1980, and were followed up until the period from 2009 to 2025. The birthweight ranged from 865 g to 2300 g at a median of 1350 g, and the gestational age at birth ranged from 27 weeks to 36 weeks at a median of 30 weeks. The corrected gestational age at the time of photocoagulation ranged from 32 weeks to 53 weeks, with a median of 37 weeks. Oxygen was given to all 11 patients, except for one who was born in the earliest year 1974. The retinopathy of prematurity was at stage 3 in both eyes of seven patients, with plus disease signs in four patients, at stage 2 with and without plus disease in two patients, at stage 2 and stage 3 in each eye of one patient, and at stage 1 with plus disease in both eyes of one patient. The entire 360-degree photocoagulation was given in seven patients, while partial photocoagulation was applied in four patients. Additional cryocautery was applied in six patients.
Results: The age at the last visit ranged from 32 to 49 years with a median of 46 years. At the last visit, seven patients showed the best-corrected visual acuity in decimals of 0.8 or better in both eyes. One dizygotic twin showed no light perception in the phthisic right eye and 0.1 in the left eye with macular degeneration and nystagmus after he underwent cataract surgery at the age of 34 years. The other twin had the best-corrected visual acuity of 0.5 in the right eye and 0.02 in the left eye due to macular degeneration after he underwent cataract surgeries in both eyes at the age of 36 years. Two patients developed rhegmatogenous retinal detachment in one eye at the age of 44 and 41 years, respectively, and underwent vitrectomy with silicone oil tamponade, resulting in visual acuity of 0.1 and 0.3, respectively. Two patients experienced vitreous hemorrhage in one eye, which was absorbed spontaneously at the ages of 37 years and 42 years, respectively. One patient underwent partial scleral buckling for localized rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. No patient used intraocular pressure-lowering eyedrops.
Conclusion: Most patients with xenon-arc photocoagulation for retinopathy of prematurity in the 1970s maintained standard levels of visual acuity up to 49 years in the follow-up. Cataract, retinal detachment, and vitreous hemorrhage were noted as late complications and were coped with on an individual basis. The conclusion would have a meaning, even though not novel, that the patients with retinopathy of prematurity would have benefited from the xenon-arc photocoagulation and cryocautery. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=MatsuoToshihiko en-aut-sei=Matsuo en-aut-mei=Toshihiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=MatsuoNobuhiko en-aut-sei=Matsuo en-aut-mei=Nobuhiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Healthcare Science, Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Ophthalmology, Okayama University Medical School kn-affil= en-keyword=1970s kn-keyword=1970s en-keyword=cataract kn-keyword=cataract en-keyword=cryocautery kn-keyword=cryocautery en-keyword=japan kn-keyword=japan en-keyword=late complications kn-keyword=late complications en-keyword=neonatology kn-keyword=neonatology en-keyword=retinal detachment kn-keyword=retinal detachment en-keyword=retinopathy of prematurity kn-keyword=retinopathy of prematurity en-keyword=vitreous hemorrhage kn-keyword=vitreous hemorrhage en-keyword=xenon-arc photocoagulation kn-keyword=xenon-arc photocoagulation END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=214 cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page=111341 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2026 dt-pub=202602 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=The influence of lubricant additives and surface roughness and hardness of material on the damage behavior of gears en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=This study investigates the influence of lubricant additives, surface roughness, and material hardness on gear damage behavior under boundary lubrication conditions. We conducted both the Short-term Test and the Standard Test using an FZG gear test machine to evaluate how lubricant additives and gear surface roughness influence damage progression when the surface roughness exceeds the oil-film thickness. Acid phosphate ester effectively suppressed micropitting through surface smoothing but led to severe damage such as pitting and scuffing during prolonged use. In contrast, sulfurized fatty oil promoted mild wear, delaying catastrophic failures and extending gear life. Higher surface roughness accelerated wear, while increased hardness reduced deformation but it expanded damage areas. The study found that initial surface roughness and its progress during load stages strongly correlate with gear durability. Measurement of arithmetic mean roughness after sufficient running-in under actual load conditions proved useful for predicting long-term performance. These findings highlight the importance of selecting lubricant formulations tailored to specific gear operating environments and damage modes. Understanding the interplay between lubrication chemistry and material properties enables the design of more durable gear systems. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=OhnoTakuya en-aut-sei=Ohno en-aut-mei=Takuya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=ShiotaTadashi en-aut-sei=Shiota en-aut-mei=Tadashi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=FujiiMasahiro en-aut-sei=Fujii en-aut-mei=Masahiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Faculty of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Faculty of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Faculty of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=Tribology kn-keyword=Tribology en-keyword=Gears kn-keyword=Gears en-keyword=Fatigue kn-keyword=Fatigue en-keyword=Micropitting kn-keyword=Micropitting en-keyword=Scuffing kn-keyword=Scuffing en-keyword=Pitting kn-keyword=Pitting en-keyword=Lubricant additives kn-keyword=Lubricant additives END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=152 cd-vols= no-issue=22 article-no= start-page=dev204763 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20251115 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=ROS produced by Dual oxidase regulate cell proliferation and haemocyte migration during leg regeneration in the cricket en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Many animals regenerate lost body parts through several signalling pathways; however, the triggers that initiate regeneration remain unclear. In the present study, we focused on the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by the NADPH oxidase Dual oxidase (Duox) during cricket leg regeneration. The results showed that ROS levels were upregulated during leg regeneration and decreased by DuoxRNAi. In DuoxRNAi nymphs, wound closure and scab formation were incomplete 2 days after amputation, and hypertrophy occurred in the distal region of the regenerating legs at 5 days after amputation. In addition, the hypertrophic phenotype was induced by DuoxARNAi and NADPH oxidase inhibitor treatment. During hypertrophy, haemocytes, including plasmatocytes, oenocytoids and granulocytes, accumulated. Proliferation of haemocytes in regenerating legs was not increased by DuoxRNAi; however, haemocyte accumulation was regulated by the Spatzle (Spz) family molecules, which are Toll receptor ligands. As the exoskeleton of DuoxRNAi nymphs was thinner than that of the control, excessive haemocyte accumulation can cause hypertrophy in DuoxRNAi nymphs. Thus, Duox-derived ROS are involved in wound healing and haemocyte accumulation through the Spz/Toll signalling pathway during leg regeneration in crickets. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=Okumura-HironoMisa en-aut-sei=Okumura-Hirono en-aut-mei=Misa kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=BandoTetsuya en-aut-sei=Bando en-aut-mei=Tetsuya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=HamadaYoshimasa en-aut-sei=Hamada en-aut-mei=Yoshimasa kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=ArakiMotoo en-aut-sei=Araki en-aut-mei=Motoo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=OhuchiHideyo en-aut-sei=Ohuchi en-aut-mei=Hideyo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Cytology and Histology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Cytology and Histology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Cytology and Histology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Urology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Cytology and Histology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= en-keyword=Regeneration kn-keyword=Regeneration en-keyword=Reactive oxygen species (ROS) kn-keyword=Reactive oxygen species (ROS) en-keyword=NADPH oxidase (Nox) kn-keyword=NADPH oxidase (Nox) en-keyword=Dual oxidase (Duox) kn-keyword=Dual oxidase (Duox) en-keyword=Inflammation kn-keyword=Inflammation en-keyword=Gryllus bimaculatus kn-keyword=Gryllus bimaculatus END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol= cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page= end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20251124 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Evaluation of the small-field output factor in eclipse modeling methods using representative beam and measured data with averaged ionization chamber and diode detector measurements en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Beam modeling for radiotherapy treatment planning systems (RTPS) can be performed using representative beam data (RBD) or direct measurements. However, RBD typically excludes output factor (OPF) measurements for fields smaller than 3 × 3 cm2. The Eclipse treatment planning system addresses this limitation by incorporating measured OPF data for fields as small as 1 × 1 cm2. Although existing studies have primarily examined the accuracy of small-field OPFs for plastic scintillator detectors, studies directly comparing the OPF values obtained through RBD modeling with and without OPF measurements for small field sizes are limited. Therefore, this study proposes a novel measurement approach using data averaged from an ion chamber and diode detector for small-field dosimetry to provide critical insights into the integration of OPFs for these small field sizes in RBD-based beam modeling. We systematically evaluated the impact of small-field OPF measurements on beam modeling accuracy by comparing three distinct approaches: (1) RBD-based modeling without small-field OPF data, (2) RBD-based modeling incorporating measured small-field OPF data, and (3) modeling based solely on measured data, with and without the inclusion of 1 × 1 cm2 field sizes. In addition, we compared OPF values obtained from a W2 plastic scintillator detector with the averaged OPF values from a PinPoint 3D ion chamber and EDGE diode detector across multiple beam energies and flattening filter-free (FFF) configurations. Our analysis included field sizes ranging from 1 × 1 cm2 to 40 × 40 cm2. The results demonstrated that for square fields, OPF calculation differences between RBD modeling with and without measured data were < 1.5%, < 4.5%, and < 4.5% at 1 × 1 cm2, and < 0.5%, < 1.5%, and < 1.5% at 2  ×  2 cm2, respectively. The RBD group exhibited a trend in which the OPF difference increased with the expansion of the irradiation field size. Notably, the most significant variations between modeling approaches occurred along the upper jaw expansion direction in rectangular fields. This suggests that a thorough evaluation is necessary for modeling results with an OPF ≤  1 × 1 cm2. This study highlights the advantages and disadvantages of beam modeling using measured OPF and RBD, providing valuable insights for future facilities that rely solely on RBD for beam modeling. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=NishiokaKunio en-aut-sei=Nishioka en-aut-mei=Kunio kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=KuniiYuki en-aut-sei=Kunii en-aut-mei=Yuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=TanabeYoshinori en-aut-sei=Tanabe en-aut-mei=Yoshinori kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=SakamotoYuichi en-aut-sei=Sakamoto en-aut-mei=Yuichi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakamotoAkira en-aut-sei=Nakamoto en-aut-mei=Akira kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakahashiShotaro en-aut-sei=Takahashi en-aut-mei=Shotaro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Radiology, Tokuyama Central Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Radiology, Tokuyama Central Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Radiological Technology, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Radiology, Tokuyama Central Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Radiology, Tokuyama Central Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Radiology, Tokuyama Central Hospital kn-affil= en-keyword=Beam modeling kn-keyword=Beam modeling en-keyword=Plastic scintillator detector kn-keyword=Plastic scintillator detector en-keyword=Small irradiation field kn-keyword=Small irradiation field en-keyword=Output factor kn-keyword=Output factor END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol= cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page= end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20251119 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=The Role of the Mylohyoid Line in the Spread of Mandibular Odontogenic Deep Neck Infection en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Introduction: Although mandibular odontogenic deep neck infections are occasionally fatal, the transmission pathway has not been elucidated.
Materials and Methods: This multicenter retrospective study was comprised of the patients of both sexes who were over 18 years of age and who had mandibular odontogenic deep neck abscesses. The patients' characteristics, laboratory tests, and radiographic findings were analyzed.
Results: One hundred eighteen patients with mandibular odontogenic deep neck abscesses were included. Bone resorption superior to the mylohyoid line and the related abscess formation in submandibular space or submental space were both significantly associated with the presence of sublingual space abscess. In addition, the type of causative tooth was not a risk factor for abscess formation in both the sublingual space and “submandibular or submental” space.
Conclusions: When an odontogenic lesion is located superior to the mylohyoid line, the abscess tends to initially form in the sublingual space and subsequently spread to the submandibular or submental space. Since any mandibular tooth can lead to abscess formation in these regions, oral and maxillofacial surgeons should carefully assess the anatomical position of the lesion and accurately identify the causative tooth. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=IwataEiji en-aut-sei=Iwata en-aut-mei=Eiji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=ObataKyoichi en-aut-sei=Obata en-aut-mei=Kyoichi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=KikutaShogo en-aut-sei=Kikuta en-aut-mei=Shogo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=KanekoNaoki en-aut-sei=Kaneko en-aut-mei=Naoki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=SatoKotaro en-aut-sei=Sato en-aut-mei=Kotaro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=KitagawaNorio en-aut-sei=Kitagawa en-aut-mei=Norio kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakeshitaYohei en-aut-sei=Takeshita en-aut-mei=Yohei kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=MatsuoKatsuhisa en-aut-sei=Matsuo en-aut-mei=Katsuhisa kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=SameshimaJunsei en-aut-sei=Sameshima en-aut-mei=Junsei kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=TachibanaAkira en-aut-sei=Tachibana en-aut-mei=Akira kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=KawanoShintaro en-aut-sei=Kawano en-aut-mei=Shintaro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= en-aut-name=KusukawaJingo en-aut-sei=Kusukawa en-aut-mei=Jingo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=12 ORCID= en-aut-name=AkashiMasaya en-aut-sei=Akashi en-aut-mei=Masaya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=13 ORCID= en-aut-name=IbaragiSoichiro en-aut-sei=Ibaragi en-aut-mei=Soichiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=14 ORCID= en-aut-name=IwanagaJoe en-aut-sei=Iwanaga en-aut-mei=Joe kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=15 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Dental and Oral Medical Center, Kurume University School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Section of Oral and Maxillofacial Oncology, Division of Maxillofacial Diagnostic and Surgical Sciences, Faculty of Dental Science, Kyushu University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Nagoya University, Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Anatomy, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Institute of Science Tokyo kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Okayama University, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Dental and Oral Medical Center, Kurume University School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Section of Oral and Maxillofacial Oncology, Division of Maxillofacial Diagnostic and Surgical Sciences, Faculty of Dental Science, Kyushu University kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Kakogawa Central City Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Section of Oral and Maxillofacial Oncology, Division of Maxillofacial Diagnostic and Surgical Sciences, Faculty of Dental Science, Kyushu University kn-affil= affil-num=12 en-affil=Dental and Oral Medical Center, Kurume University School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=13 en-affil=Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Kobe University kn-affil= affil-num=14 en-affil=Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=15 en-affil=Dental and Oral Medical Center, Kurume University School of Medicine kn-affil= en-keyword=causative tooth kn-keyword=causative tooth en-keyword=mylohyoid line kn-keyword=mylohyoid line en-keyword=odontogenic deep neck abscesses kn-keyword=odontogenic deep neck abscesses en-keyword=odontogenic deep neck infections kn-keyword=odontogenic deep neck infections en-keyword=transmission pathway kn-keyword=transmission pathway END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=47 cd-vols= no-issue=1 article-no= start-page=95 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250311 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=A case of a large venous ring around the mandibular condyle en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Anatomical details regarding venous drainage of the head and neck are an important matter for surgeons to avoid unnecessary complications such as hemorrhage. This report describes a case of the large venous ring around the mandibular condyle found in the cadaver. The left maxillofacial region of a latex-injected embalmed male cadaver (82 years of age at death) was dissected. The large two maxillary veins ran lateral to the capsule and superior to the mandibular notch and coursed posteroinferiorly to merge, and one trunk was formed at the posterior border of the ramus. It then received the superficial temporal vein superiorly to form the retromandibular vein (RMV). In addition, three maxillary veins were drained from the pterygoid venous plexus (PVP), medial to the ramus, one maxillary vein drained from the PVP into the RMV trunk, while two maxillary veins drained from the PVP into the anterior division of the RMV. All five large veins lateral and medial to the condyle drained from the PVP into the RMV. The knowledge of such an anatomical variation might prevent intraoperative bleeding in the temporomandibular joint region. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=NishiKeitaro en-aut-sei=Nishi en-aut-mei=Keitaro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=OkuiTatsuo en-aut-sei=Okui en-aut-mei=Tatsuo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakeshitaYohei en-aut-sei=Takeshita en-aut-mei=Yohei kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=KusukawaJingo en-aut-sei=Kusukawa en-aut-mei=Jingo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=TubbsR. Shane en-aut-sei=Tubbs en-aut-mei=R. Shane kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=IwanagaJoe en-aut-sei=Iwanaga en-aut-mei=Joe kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Maxillofacial Diagnostic and Surgical Science, Field of Oral and Maxillofacial Rehabilitation, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Maxillofacial Diagnostic and Surgical Science, Field of Oral and Maxillofacial Rehabilitation, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Dental and Oral Medical Center, Kurume University School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Neurosurgery, Clinical Neuroscience Research Center, Tulane University School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Dental and Oral Medical Center, Kurume University School of Medicine kn-affil= en-keyword=Maxillary vein kn-keyword=Maxillary vein en-keyword=Temporomandibular joint kn-keyword=Temporomandibular joint en-keyword=Cadaver kn-keyword=Cadaver en-keyword=Anatomy kn-keyword=Anatomy END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=57 cd-vols= no-issue=2 article-no= start-page=31 end-page=47 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20251125 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title=Reasons why gains or losses from the transfer of monetary claims are classified as miscellaneous income: Is it because it corresponds to interest rate, or is it to deal with the problems associated with the treatment of bad debt losses kn-title=金銭債権の譲渡による損益が雑所得に区分される理由―金利に該当するからなのか，それとも貸倒損失処理に伴う問題への対処なのか― en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract=　Gains or losses from the transfer of monetary claims are excluded from the assets that are the basis of transfer income under Basic Income Tax Instruction 33-1. For as long as 50 years, the Tax Authority has offered two different explanations for this exclusion:（1）“This is because gains from the transfer of monetary claims are interest rate.” and（2）“This is to address the unreasonableness of receiving tax benefits by treating losses from the transfer of monetary claims as bad debt losses,”
　This paper compares these two different explanations by the Tax Authority and shows that the better explanation is（2）“This is to address the unreasonableness of receiving tax benefits by treating losses from the transfer of monetary claims as bad debt losses.”
　In addition, because of fundamental doubts about the explanation that “gains from the transfer of monetary claims are interest rate,” this paper conducts an in-depth study of this point and clarify that this explanation is not appropriate. kn-abstract=　金銭債権の譲渡による損益は，所得税基本通達33-1により譲渡所得の基因となる資産から除外される。この理由について課税当局は50年もの長きにわたり，①「金銭債権の譲渡による利益は金利に該当するからである」，との説明と，②「金銭債権の譲渡による損失を貸倒処理して税制上の恩典を受けることから生ずる不合理に対処するためである」，とする2つの異なる説明を行ってきている。
　本稿は課税当局によるこの2つの説明の比較検討を行い，②の「金銭債権の譲渡による損失を貸倒処理して税制上の恩典を受けることから生ずる不合理に対処するためである」，との説明の方がより優れていることを明らかにするものである。
　また「金銭債権の譲渡による利益は金利に該当する」との説明に根本的な疑問を感じたことから，この点について深い検討を行い，この説明は適切でないことを明らかにするものである。 en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=NakagawaYoshiyuki en-aut-sei=Nakagawa en-aut-mei=Yoshiyuki kn-aut-name=中川吉之 kn-aut-sei=中川 kn-aut-mei=吉之 aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil= kn-affil= END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=33 cd-vols= no-issue=1 article-no= start-page=22 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20251031 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Protective impact of landiolol against acute lung injury following hemorrhagic shock and resuscitation in rats en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Hemorrhagic shock and resuscitation (HSR) induces pulmonary inflammation, leading to acute lung injury (ALI). Notably, blocking β1 receptors can lead to organ protection through anti‑inflammatory and anti‑apoptotic effects. Additionally, although the β1 receptor pathway is blocked by the β1 blocker, the β2 receptor pathway may be preserved and activate the 5' adenosine monophosphate‑activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway. The present study aimed to examine whether administration of the β1 blocker landiolol could achieve lung protection in a model of HSR‑ALI, alongside improvements in inflammation and apoptosis. Male Sprague‑Dawley rats underwent hemorrhage keeping their mean arterial pressure at 30 mmHg for 1 h. Resuscitation by reinfusion was initiated to restore blood pressure to pre‑hemorrhage levels for >15 min, followed by a 45‑min stabilization period to create the HSR‑ALI model. Landiolol (100 mg/kg/min) or saline was continuously administered after resuscitation. The lung tissues, which were collected for assessing inflammation and apoptosis‑related damage, underwent analyses, including histological examination, neutrophil count, assessment of lung wet/dry weight ratio, detection of the mRNA levels of tumor necrosis factor‑α (TNF‑α) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), identification of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick‑end labeling (TUNEL)‑positive cells, and evaluation of caspase‑3 expression. In addition, phosphorylated AMPKα (pAMPKα) expression was tested via western blotting. Compared with the HSR/saline group, the HSR/landiolol group demonstrated a reduction in lung tissue damage score, and significant reductions in neutrophil count, lung wet/dry weight ratio, lung TNF‑α and iNOS mRNA levels, TUNEL‑positive cells and cleaved caspase‑3 expression. Furthermore, landiolol administration following HSR treatment increased pAMPKα expression. No significant hypotension occurred between the HSR/landiolol and HSR/saline groups; and blood loss did not differ significantly between the groups. In conclusion, landiolol administration after HSR reduced lung inflammation and apoptosis, suggesting a potential improvement in tissue damage. Furthermore, pAMPKα activation in the HSR/landiolol group may be the mechanism underlying the pulmonary protective effects of landiolol. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=SakamotoRisa en-aut-sei=Sakamoto en-aut-mei=Risa kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=ShimizuHiroko en-aut-sei=Shimizu en-aut-mei=Hiroko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakamuraRyu en-aut-sei=Nakamura en-aut-mei=Ryu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=LuYifu en-aut-sei=Lu en-aut-mei=Yifu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=LiYaqiang en-aut-sei=Li en-aut-mei=Yaqiang kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=OmoriEmiko en-aut-sei=Omori en-aut-mei=Emiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakahashiToru en-aut-sei=Takahashi en-aut-mei=Toru kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=MorimatsuHiroshi en-aut-sei=Morimatsu en-aut-mei=Hiroshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Anesthesiology and Resuscitology, Okayama University, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Anesthesiology and Resuscitology, Okayama University Medical School kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Anesthesiology and Resuscitology, Okayama University Medical School kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Human Anatomy, Shantou University Medical College kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Anesthesiology and Resuscitology, Okayama University, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Anesthesiology and Resuscitology, Okayama University, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Anesthesiology, Okayama Saidaiji Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Anesthesiology and Resuscitology, Okayama University, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= en-keyword=HSR kn-keyword=HSR en-keyword=lung injury kn-keyword=lung injury en-keyword=landiolol kn-keyword=landiolol en-keyword=β1 blocker kn-keyword=β1 blocker en-keyword=inflammation kn-keyword=inflammation en-keyword=apoptosis kn-keyword=apoptosis END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=106 cd-vols= no-issue=7 article-no= start-page=002079 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250725 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Virus taxonomy proposal summaries: a searchable and citable resource to disseminate virus taxonomy advances en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Taxonomic classification of cellular organisms requires the publication of descriptions and proposed names of species and the deposition of specimens. Virus taxonomy is developed through a different system of annual submission of formal taxonomy proposals (TPs) that can be submitted by anyone but are typically prepared by a study group appointed by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) and consisting of experts on a particular group of viruses. These are initially evaluated by an expert subcommittee and by the executive committee (EC) of the ICTV. EC-approved TPs are then submitted for evaluation and a ratification vote by the wider ICTV membership. Following ratification, the new taxonomy is annually updated in the Master Species List, associated databases and bioinformatic resources. The process is consistent, creates traceability in assignments and supports a fully evaluated, hierarchical classification and nomenclature of all taxonomic ranks from species to realms. The structure also facilitates large-scale and coordinated changes to virus taxonomy, such as the recent introduction of a binomial species nomenclature.
TPs are available on the ICTV website after ratification, but they are not indexed in bibliographic databases and are not easily cited. Authors of TPs do not receive citation credit for adopted proposals, and their voluntary contributions are largely invisible in the published literature. For greater visibility of TPs and their authors, the ICTV will commence the annual publication of summaries of all TPs from each ICTV subcommittee. These summaries will provide a searchable compendium of all annual taxonomy changes and additions as well as direct links to the Master Species List and other ICTV bioinformatic resources. Their publication will provide due credit and citations for their authors, form the basis for disseminating taxonomy decisions and promote greater visibility and accessibility to taxonomy changes for the virology community. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=MayneRichard en-aut-sei=Mayne en-aut-mei=Richard kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=SimmondsPeter en-aut-sei=Simmonds en-aut-mei=Peter kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=SmithDonald B. en-aut-sei=Smith en-aut-mei=Donald B. kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=AdriaenssensEvelien M. en-aut-sei=Adriaenssens en-aut-mei=Evelien M. kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=LefkowitzElliot J. en-aut-sei=Lefkowitz en-aut-mei=Elliot J. kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=OksanenHanna M. en-aut-sei=Oksanen en-aut-mei=Hanna M. kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=ZerbiniFrancisco Murilo en-aut-sei=Zerbini en-aut-mei=Francisco Murilo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=Alfenas-ZerbiniPoliane en-aut-sei=Alfenas-Zerbini en-aut-mei=Poliane kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=AylwardFrank O en-aut-sei=Aylward en-aut-mei=Frank O kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=Freitas-AstúaJuliana en-aut-sei=Freitas-Astúa en-aut-mei=Juliana kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=HendricksonR. Curtis en-aut-sei=Hendrickson en-aut-mei=R. Curtis kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= en-aut-name=HughesHolly R. en-aut-sei=Hughes en-aut-mei=Holly R. kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=12 ORCID= en-aut-name=KrupovicMart en-aut-sei=Krupovic en-aut-mei=Mart kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=13 ORCID= en-aut-name=KuhnJens H. en-aut-sei=Kuhn en-aut-mei=Jens H. kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=14 ORCID= en-aut-name=ŁobockaMałgorzata en-aut-sei=Łobocka en-aut-mei=Małgorzata kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=15 ORCID= en-aut-name=MushegianArcady R. en-aut-sei=Mushegian en-aut-mei=Arcady R. kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=16 ORCID= en-aut-name=PenzesJudit en-aut-sei=Penzes en-aut-mei=Judit kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=17 ORCID= en-aut-name=MuñozAlejandro Reyes en-aut-sei=Muñoz en-aut-mei=Alejandro Reyes kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=18 ORCID= en-aut-name=RobertsonDavid L. en-aut-sei=Robertson en-aut-mei=David L. kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=19 ORCID= en-aut-name=RouxSimon en-aut-sei=Roux en-aut-mei=Simon kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=20 ORCID= en-aut-name=RubinoLuisa en-aut-sei=Rubino en-aut-mei=Luisa kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=21 ORCID= en-aut-name=SabanadzovicSead en-aut-sei=Sabanadzovic en-aut-mei=Sead kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=22 ORCID= en-aut-name=SuzukiNobuhiro en-aut-sei=Suzuki en-aut-mei=Nobuhiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=23 ORCID= en-aut-name=TurnerDann en-aut-sei=Turner en-aut-mei=Dann kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=24 ORCID= en-aut-name=Van DoorslaerKoenraad en-aut-sei=Van Doorslaer en-aut-mei=Koenraad kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=25 ORCID= en-aut-name=VarsaniArvind en-aut-sei=Varsani en-aut-mei=Arvind kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=26 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Quadram Institute Bioscience kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Departamento de Fitopatologia/BIOAGRO, Universidade Federal de Viçosa kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Departamento de Microbiologia, Universidade Federal de Viçosa kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Embrapa Cassava and Fruits, Cruz das Almas kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham kn-affil= affil-num=12 en-affil=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention kn-affil= affil-num=13 en-affil=Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR6047, Archaeal Virology Unit kn-affil= affil-num=14 en-affil=Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health kn-affil= affil-num=15 en-affil=Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics of the Polish Academy of Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=16 en-affil=Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, National Science Foundation kn-affil= affil-num=17 en-affil=Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine, Rutgers University kn-affil= affil-num=18 en-affil=Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de los Andes kn-affil= affil-num=19 en-affil=MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research kn-affil= affil-num=20 en-affil=Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory kn-affil= affil-num=21 en-affil=Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto per la Protezione Sostenibile delle Piante, Sede Secondaria di Bari kn-affil= affil-num=22 en-affil=Department of Agricultural Science and Plant Protection, Mississippi State University kn-affil= affil-num=23 en-affil=Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=24 en-affil=Molecular Biology, University of the West of England kn-affil= affil-num=25 en-affil=Department of Immunobiology, School of Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences, BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona Cancer Center kn-affil= affil-num=26 en-affil=The Biodesign Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, School of Life Sciences, Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University kn-affil= en-keyword=ICTV kn-keyword=ICTV en-keyword=master species list kn-keyword=master species list en-keyword=taxonomy proposal kn-keyword=taxonomy proposal en-keyword=virus taxonomy kn-keyword=virus taxonomy END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=67 cd-vols= no-issue=1 article-no= start-page=e70258 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=202501 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Early-life exposures and child health outcomes: A narrative review of LSN21 research in Japan en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Background: The Longitudinal Survey of Newborns in the 21st Century (LSN21) tracks two Japanese national birth cohorts—2001 (baseline n = 47,010) and 2010 (n = 38,554)—from infancy through young adulthood, capturing parenting practices and family environments. Most studies analyze single exposures or outcomes. We conducted a narrative review summarizing the findings published by the Okayama University group on diverse health and developmental outcomes.
Methods: We reviewed 59 LSN21 papers (2013–2025), extracting data on exposures, outcomes, and methods. Evidence was categorized into four exposure types (infant feeding, sleep, environmental, and perinatal) and three outcome domains (obesity, allergies/respiratory tract infections, and neurobehavioral development), including cohort comparisons.
Results: Exclusive breastfeeding was associated with a lower obesity risk at ages 7 (adjusted odds ratio 0.55, 95% confidence interval 0.39–0.78) and 15, later puberty, and fewer hospitalizations. Short or irregular sleep before age 3 was linked to behavioral problems and injuries. Maternal smoking and prenatal air pollution were associated with respiratory conditions and developmental challenges. Preterm birth and small-for-gestational-age predicted delays, especially without catch-up growth by age 2. Pneumococcal vaccination likely contributed to declining otitis media after 2010. Additional findings included associations between outdoor play and reduced obesity risk, and complex relationships between breastfeeding and food allergies that varied by infantile eczema status.
Conclusions: LSN21 findings highlight modifiable early-life factors (breastfeeding, sleep patterns, and smoke-free environments) and identify preterm and growth-restricted children for priority monitoring. While LSN21's strength lies in longitudinal social assessments, complementary perspectives from other Japanese cohorts could enhance understanding of biological mechanisms and intergenerational effects. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=MatsumotoNaomi en-aut-sei=Matsumoto en-aut-mei=Naomi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=MatsuoRumi en-aut-sei=Matsuo en-aut-mei=Rumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=YamamuraYuka en-aut-sei=Yamamura en-aut-mei=Yuka kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=TsugeTakahiro en-aut-sei=Tsuge en-aut-mei=Takahiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=KadowakiTomoka en-aut-sei=Kadowaki en-aut-mei=Tomoka kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=UraguchiKensuke en-aut-sei=Uraguchi en-aut-mei=Kensuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=TamaiKei en-aut-sei=Tamai en-aut-mei=Kei kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakamuraKazue en-aut-sei=Nakamura en-aut-mei=Kazue kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakeuchiAkihito en-aut-sei=Takeuchi en-aut-mei=Akihito kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=YorifujiTakashi en-aut-sei=Yorifuji en-aut-mei=Takashi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Epidemiology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Epidemiology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Epidemiology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Epidemiology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Epidemiology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Epidemiology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Epidemiology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Division of Neonatology, NHO Okayama Medical Center kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=breastfeeding kn-keyword=breastfeeding en-keyword=child health kn-keyword=child health en-keyword=environmental exposure kn-keyword=environmental exposure en-keyword=longitudinal studies kn-keyword=longitudinal studies en-keyword=perinatal kn-keyword=perinatal END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=13 cd-vols= no-issue=1 article-no= start-page=234 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20251114 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Rotenone targets midbrain astrocytes to produce glial dysfunction-mediated dopaminergic neurodegeneration en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Exposure to pesticides, such as rotenone or paraquat, is an environmental factor that plays an important role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). Rotenone induces PD-like pathology and is therefore used to develop parkinsonian animal models. Dopaminergic neurotoxicity caused by rotenone has been attributed to the inhibition of mitochondrial complex I, oxidative stress and neuroinflammation; however, the mechanisms underlying selective dopaminergic neurodegeneration by rotenone remain unclear. To resolve this, we focused on glial diversity and examined whether the brain region-specific glial response to rotenone could determine the vulnerability of dopaminergic neurons using primary cultured neurons, astrocytes and microglia from the midbrain and striatum of rat embryos and rotenone-injected PD model mice. Direct neuronal treatment with low-dose rotenone failed to damage dopaminergic neurons. Conversely, rotenone exposure in the presence of midbrain astrocyte and microglia or conditioned media from rotenone-treated midbrain glial cultures containing astrocytes and microglia produced dopaminergic neurotoxicity, but striatal glia did not. Surprisingly, conditioned media from rotenone-treated midbrain astrocytes or microglia monocultures did not affect neuronal survival. We also demonstrated that rotenone targeted midbrain astrocytes prior to microglia to induce dopaminergic neurotoxicity. Rotenone-treated astrocytes produced secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) extracellularly, which induced microglial proliferation, increase in IL-1β and TNF-α, and NF-κB (p65) nuclear translocation in microglia, resulting in dopaminergic neurodegeneration. In addition, rotenone exposure caused the secretion of NFAT-related inflammatory cytokines and a reduction in the level of an antioxidant metallothionein (MT)-1 from midbrain glia. Furthermore, we observed microglial proliferation and a decrease in the number of MT-positive astrocytes in the substantia nigra, but not the striatum, of low-dose rotenone-injected PD model mice. Our data highlight that rotenone targets midbrain astrocytes, leading to SPARC secretion, which promotes the neurotoxic conversion of microglia and leads to glial dysfunction-mediated dopaminergic neurodegeneration. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=MiyazakiIkuko en-aut-sei=Miyazaki en-aut-mei=Ikuko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=IsookaNami en-aut-sei=Isooka en-aut-mei=Nami kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=KikuokaRyo en-aut-sei=Kikuoka en-aut-mei=Ryo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=ImafukuFuminori en-aut-sei=Imafuku en-aut-mei=Fuminori kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=MasaiKaori en-aut-sei=Masai en-aut-mei=Kaori kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=TomimotoKana en-aut-sei=Tomimoto en-aut-mei=Kana kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=SakaguchiMasakiyo en-aut-sei=Sakaguchi en-aut-mei=Masakiyo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=SogawaChiharu en-aut-sei=Sogawa en-aut-mei=Chiharu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=SogawaNorio en-aut-sei=Sogawa en-aut-mei=Norio kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=KitamuraYoshihisa en-aut-sei=Kitamura en-aut-mei=Yoshihisa kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=AsanumaMasato en-aut-sei=Asanuma en-aut-mei=Masato kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Medical Neurobiology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Medical Neurobiology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Medical Neurobiology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Medical Neurobiology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Medical Neurobiology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Medical Neurobiology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Cell Biology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Food and Health Sciences, Faculty of Environmental Studies, Hiroshima Institute of Technology kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of Medical Neurobiology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Department of Pharmacotherapy, School of Pharmacy, Shujitsu University kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Department of Medical Neurobiology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= en-keyword=Rotenone kn-keyword=Rotenone en-keyword=Astrocyte kn-keyword=Astrocyte en-keyword=Microglia kn-keyword=Microglia en-keyword=SPARC kn-keyword=SPARC en-keyword=Parkinson's disease kn-keyword=Parkinson's disease END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=14 cd-vols= no-issue=17 article-no= start-page=6122 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250829 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Potential of Kidney Exchange Programs (KEPs) in Japan for Donor-Specific Antibody-Positive Kidney Transplants: A Questionnaire Survey on KEPs and a Multi-Institutional Study Conducting Virtual Cross-Matching Simulations en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Objectives: To clarify the need for a kidney exchange program (KEP) in Japan by conducting a questionnaire survey on KEPs and simulated KEPs by virtual cross-matching based on past cases of transplantation avoidance. Methods: In addition to the content regarding KEPs, an electronic survey was conducted to investigate the number of cases of kidney transplant abandonment due to “immunological” reasons over the past 10 years (2012–2021). Virtual cross-matching was conducted to simulate the feasibility of avoiding immunological risks and enabling kidney transplantation in patients who were previously unable to undergo the procedure. Results: The survey received responses from 107 facilities (response rate: 81.7%). In response to the question about the necessity of a KEP in Japan, 71 facilities (66.4%) indicated that KEPs are necessary. In addition, 251 living-donor kidney transplants were abandoned for “immunological” reasons over the past decade (2012–2021). Among the 80 pairs for which detailed information was available, virtual cross-matching simulations showed that 37/80 pairs (46.3%) were donor-specific antibody (DSA)-negative for blood type-matched combinations, and 41/80 pairs (51.3%) were DSA-negative for blood type-incompatible transplants. Conclusions: The need for a KEP in Japan and its potential usefulness were demonstrated. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=ItoTaihei en-aut-sei=Ito en-aut-mei=Taihei kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=ItoMiki en-aut-sei=Ito en-aut-mei=Miki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=AidaNaohiro en-aut-sei=Aida en-aut-mei=Naohiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=KuriharaKei en-aut-sei=Kurihara en-aut-mei=Kei kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=TeraoAkihiro en-aut-sei=Terao en-aut-mei=Akihiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=WataraiYoshihiko en-aut-sei=Watarai en-aut-mei=Yoshihiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=SaitoMitsuru en-aut-sei=Saito en-aut-mei=Mitsuru kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=KakuKeizo en-aut-sei=Kaku en-aut-mei=Keizo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=IshiiDaisuke en-aut-sei=Ishii en-aut-mei=Daisuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=SekiguchiSatoshi en-aut-sei=Sekiguchi en-aut-mei=Satoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=YonedaTatsuo en-aut-sei=Yoneda en-aut-mei=Tatsuo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= en-aut-name=UnagamiKohei en-aut-sei=Unagami en-aut-mei=Kohei kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=12 ORCID= en-aut-name=TasakiMasayuki en-aut-sei=Tasaki en-aut-mei=Masayuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=13 ORCID= en-aut-name=IwamotoHitoshi en-aut-sei=Iwamoto en-aut-mei=Hitoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=14 ORCID= en-aut-name=ArakiMotoo en-aut-sei=Araki en-aut-mei=Motoo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=15 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakahashiKazuhiro en-aut-sei=Takahashi en-aut-mei=Kazuhiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=16 ORCID= en-aut-name=YamanakaKazuaki en-aut-sei=Yamanaka en-aut-mei=Kazuaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=17 ORCID= en-aut-name=SugimotoMikio en-aut-sei=Sugimoto en-aut-mei=Mikio kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=18 ORCID= en-aut-name=NishikawaKouhei en-aut-sei=Nishikawa en-aut-mei=Kouhei kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=19 ORCID= en-aut-name=SetoChikashi en-aut-sei=Seto en-aut-mei=Chikashi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=20 ORCID= en-aut-name=MuramatsuMasaki en-aut-sei=Muramatsu en-aut-mei=Masaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=21 ORCID= en-aut-name=AsaiToshihiro en-aut-sei=Asai en-aut-mei=Toshihiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=22 ORCID= en-aut-name=IwamiDaiki en-aut-sei=Iwami en-aut-mei=Daiki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=23 ORCID= en-aut-name=YamadaYasutoshi en-aut-sei=Yamada en-aut-mei=Yasutoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=24 ORCID= en-aut-name=YamanagaShigeyoshi en-aut-sei=Yamanaga en-aut-mei=Shigeyoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=25 ORCID= en-aut-name=KomatsuTomonori en-aut-sei=Komatsu en-aut-mei=Tomonori kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=26 ORCID= en-aut-name=MiuraMasayoshi en-aut-sei=Miura en-aut-mei=Masayoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=27 ORCID= en-aut-name=NoharaTakahiro en-aut-sei=Nohara en-aut-mei=Takahiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=28 ORCID= en-aut-name=MaruyamaMichihiro en-aut-sei=Maruyama en-aut-mei=Michihiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=29 ORCID= en-aut-name=MiyauchiYuki en-aut-sei=Miyauchi en-aut-mei=Yuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=30 ORCID= en-aut-name=TanakaToshiaki en-aut-sei=Tanaka en-aut-mei=Toshiaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=31 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakamuraMichio en-aut-sei=Nakamura en-aut-mei=Michio kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=32 ORCID= en-aut-name=HottaKiyohiko en-aut-sei=Hotta en-aut-mei=Kiyohiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=33 ORCID= en-aut-name=KenmochiTakashi en-aut-sei=Kenmochi en-aut-mei=Takashi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=34 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine, School of Medicine, Fujita Health University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine, School of Medicine, Fujita Health University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine, School of Medicine, Fujita Health University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine, School of Medicine, Fujita Health University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine, School of Medicine, Fujita Health University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Transplant Surgery, Japanese Red Cross Aichi Medical Center Nagoya Daini Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Division of Blood Purification, Akita University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Surgery and Oncology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of Urology, Kitasato University of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Transplantation Surgery, Japan Community Healthcare Organization Sendai Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Unit of Dialysis, Department of Urology, Nara Medical University kn-affil= affil-num=12 en-affil=Organ Transplant Medicine, Tokyo Women’s Medical University kn-affil= affil-num=13 en-affil=Division of Urology, Department of Regenerative & Transplant Medicine, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University kn-affil= affil-num=14 en-affil=Department of Kidney Transplantation Surgery, Tokyo Medical University Hachioji Medical Center kn-affil= affil-num=15 en-affil=Department of Urology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=16 en-affil=Department of Gastrointestinal and Hepatobiliary Pancreatic Surgery, University of Tsukuba kn-affil= affil-num=17 en-affil=Department of Urology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=18 en-affil=Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, Adrenal Surgery and Renal Transplantation, Kagawa University kn-affil= affil-num=19 en-affil=Department of Nephro-Urologic Surgery and Andrology, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=20 en-affil=Department of Urology, Toyama Prefectural Central Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=21 en-affil=Department of Nephrology, Toho University Faculty of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=22 en-affil=Department of Kidney Transplant and Dialysis, Osaka City General Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=23 en-affil=Division of Renal Surgery and Transplantation, Department of Urology, Jichi Medical University kn-affil= affil-num=24 en-affil=Department of Blood Purification, Kagoshima University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=25 en-affil=Department of Transplant Surgery, Japanese Red Cross Kumamoto Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=26 en-affil=Department of Urology, Chukyo Hospital, Japan Community Healthcare Organization kn-affil= affil-num=27 en-affil=Department of Renal Transplantation Surgery and Urology, Sapporo Hokuyu Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=28 en-affil=Department of Urology, Kanazawa University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=29 en-affil=Department of Frontier Surgery, Chiba University School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=30 en-affil=Department of Urology, Ehime University kn-affil= affil-num=31 en-affil=Department of Urology, Sapporo Medical University kn-affil= affil-num=32 en-affil=Department of Transplant Surgery, Tokai University School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=33 en-affil=Department of Renal and Genitourinary Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Hokkaido University kn-affil= affil-num=34 en-affil=Department of Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine, School of Medicine, Fujita Health University kn-affil= en-keyword=kidney transplantation kn-keyword=kidney transplantation en-keyword=donor-specific antibodies kn-keyword=donor-specific antibodies en-keyword=kidney exchange program kn-keyword=kidney exchange program en-keyword=virtual cross-matching kn-keyword=virtual cross-matching END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=50 cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page=114240 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2026 dt-pub=202601 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Effects of grain size and crystal orientation on tensile properties of pure titanium thin wires en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=To clarify the effects of the grain size and crystal orientation on the tensile properties of pure titanium thin wires, tensile and stepwise tensile tests were conducted on pure titanium wires with diameters of approximately 180 μm and different average grain sizes (52, 37, 23, and 3.8 μm). When the grain size was large, the fracture strain was significantly smaller, the variation in tensile strength was larger, and the grain size threshold for such properties was a grain-size ratio to wire diameter of 0.13 or greater. For larger grain sizes, the slip system with the highest modified Schmid factor (MSF), which is the Schmid factor divided by the critical resolved shear stress of each slip system, was activated in all 15 grains whereas for smaller grain sizes, the percentage of slip systems activated with the highest MSF was slightly lower. In addition, the fracture location in a thin wire with larger grain sizes was highly correlated with the average MSF of the grains in the cross-section. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=SakamotoJunji en-aut-sei=Sakamoto en-aut-mei=Junji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=TadaNaoya en-aut-sei=Tada en-aut-mei=Naoya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=UemoriTakeshi en-aut-sei=Uemori en-aut-mei=Takeshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Faculty of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Faculty of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Faculty of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=Tensile properties kn-keyword=Tensile properties en-keyword=Pure titanium kn-keyword=Pure titanium en-keyword=Thin wire kn-keyword=Thin wire en-keyword=Slip deformation kn-keyword=Slip deformation en-keyword=Grain size kn-keyword=Grain size en-keyword=Crystal orientation kn-keyword=Crystal orientation en-keyword=Cross-section kn-keyword=Cross-section END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol= cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page= end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250704 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Admission prognostic nutritional index predicts prolonged hospitalization in severe odontogenic deep neck infections en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Objectives Severe odontogenic deep neck infections (DNIs) can be life threatening. This study investigated the nutritional status of affected patients and evaluated the usefulness of the Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI) at admission in helping maxillofacial surgeons identify, at presentation, those likely to require extended hospitalization.
Methods A total of 112 patients treated for odontogenic deep neck abscesses and necrotizing soft tissue infections at five hospitals in Japan. Patients were included. Patients were categorized by length of hospitalization duration and factors associated with prolonged hospitalization were analyzed using propensity score matching to minimize bias. Spearman’s rank correlation analysis was also performed to assess the relationship between PNI and hospitalization duration.
Results Fifty patients (44.6%) required hospitalization for more than 14 days. Multivariate analysis identified PNI ≤ 41.2 (odds ratio [OR] = 2.79) and the presence of abscesses in multiple deep neck spaces (OR = 2.76) as significant predictors of prolonged hospitalization. Propensity score analysis confirmed the significant association between PNI and length of hospitalization duration (P = 0.048). In addition, Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was r = − 0.471 (P < 0.001), indicating a moderate negative correlation.
Conclusion The admission PNI may serve as a useful adjunctive indicator for predicting prolonged hospitalization in patients with severe odontogenic DNIs, as it reflects both nutritional status and systemic inflammation. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=IwataEiji en-aut-sei=Iwata en-aut-mei=Eiji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=ObataKyoichi en-aut-sei=Obata en-aut-mei=Kyoichi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=KikutaShogo en-aut-sei=Kikuta en-aut-mei=Shogo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=KanekoNaoki en-aut-sei=Kaneko en-aut-mei=Naoki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=SatoKotaro en-aut-sei=Sato en-aut-mei=Kotaro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=KitagawaNorio en-aut-sei=Kitagawa en-aut-mei=Norio kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakeshitaYohei en-aut-sei=Takeshita en-aut-mei=Yohei kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=MatsuoKatsuhisa en-aut-sei=Matsuo en-aut-mei=Katsuhisa kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=SameshimaJunsei en-aut-sei=Sameshima en-aut-mei=Junsei kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=TachibanaAkira en-aut-sei=Tachibana en-aut-mei=Akira kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=KawanoShintaro en-aut-sei=Kawano en-aut-mei=Shintaro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= en-aut-name=KusukawaJingo en-aut-sei=Kusukawa en-aut-mei=Jingo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=12 ORCID= en-aut-name=AkashiMasaya en-aut-sei=Akashi en-aut-mei=Masaya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=13 ORCID= en-aut-name=IwanagaJoe en-aut-sei=Iwanaga en-aut-mei=Joe kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=14 ORCID= en-aut-name=IbaragiSoichiro en-aut-sei=Ibaragi en-aut-mei=Soichiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=15 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Dental and Oral Medical Center, Kurume University School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Section of Oral and Maxillofacial Oncology, Division of Maxillofacial Diagnostic and Surgical Sciences, Faculty of Dental Science, Kyushu University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Anatomy, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Institute of Science Tokyo kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Dental and Oral Medical Center, Kurume University School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Section of Oral and Maxillofacial Oncology, Division of Maxillofacial Diagnostic and Surgical Sciences, Faculty of Dental Science, Kyushu University kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Kakogawa Central City Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Section of Oral and Maxillofacial Oncology, Division of Maxillofacial Diagnostic and Surgical Sciences, Faculty of Dental Science, Kyushu University kn-affil= affil-num=12 en-affil=Dental and Oral Medical Center, Kurume University School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=13 en-affil=Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=14 en-affil=Dental and Oral Medical Center, Kurume University School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=15 en-affil=Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=Odontogenic deep neck infections kn-keyword=Odontogenic deep neck infections en-keyword=Nutrition status kn-keyword=Nutrition status en-keyword=Prognostic nutritional index kn-keyword=Prognostic nutritional index en-keyword=Prolonged hospitalization kn-keyword=Prolonged hospitalization en-keyword=Multiple spaces with abscess kn-keyword=Multiple spaces with abscess END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=281 cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page=111174 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2026 dt-pub=202601 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=N-terminal domains and site-specific glycosylation regulate the secretion of avian melanocortin inverse agonists, agouti signaling protein (ASIP) and agouti-related protein (AGRP) en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Agouti signaling protein (ASIP) and agouti-related protein (AGRP) are paralogous inverse agonists of melanocortin receptors with distinct physiological roles, but their structural and biochemical properties in birds remain poorly understood. Here, we characterized chicken ASIP and AGRP proteins. Analysis of available sequences revealed that a motif resembling the mammalian proprotein convertase 1/3 (PC1/3, also known as PCSK1) cleavage site is conserved across a broad range of avian orders, but Western blot analysis of transfected Chinese hamster ovary (CHO-K1) cells and chicken hypothalamus detected no cleavage, suggesting that avian AGRP may not be post-translationally processed at this site. Chicken ASIP mRNA contains an in-frame upstream ATG (uATG) and a putative N-linked glycosylation site at Asn-42, both conserved across multiple avian orders. Overexpression in CHO-K1 cells showed that ASIP translated from either ATG produces a mature protein of the same size that is N-glycosylated at Asn-42 and exhibits markedly lower secretion efficiency than AGRP. Domain-swapping experiments revealed that the N-terminal domain reduces secretion, whereas a naturally occurring ASIP-b variant with an additional N-glycan at Asn-47 shows enhanced secretion. Proteasome inhibition increased intracellular ASIP, and endoglycosidase H (Endo H) sensitivity indicated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) retention, suggesting that the N-terminal domain limits secretion via ER-associated proteasomal degradation. These findings reveal species-specific post-translational regulation of avian melanocortin inverse agonists, in which N-terminal features and site-specific N-glycosylation determine secretion efficiency, likely contributing to their distinct roles in pigmentation and hypothalamic energy balance. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=FukuchiHibiki en-aut-sei=Fukuchi en-aut-mei=Hibiki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=WatanabeRyoya en-aut-sei=Watanabe en-aut-mei=Ryoya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=IidaYuna en-aut-sei=Iida en-aut-mei=Yuna kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakanoSaya en-aut-sei=Nakano en-aut-mei=Saya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=MizutaniAya en-aut-sei=Mizutani en-aut-mei=Aya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=AboTatsuhiko en-aut-sei=Abo en-aut-mei=Tatsuhiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=AizawaSayaka en-aut-sei=Aizawa en-aut-mei=Sayaka kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakeuchiSakae en-aut-sei=Takeuchi en-aut-mei=Sakae kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=Agouti signaling protein kn-keyword=Agouti signaling protein en-keyword=Agouti-related protein kn-keyword=Agouti-related protein en-keyword=Avian melanocortin inverse agonists kn-keyword=Avian melanocortin inverse agonists en-keyword=Post-translational modification kn-keyword=Post-translational modification en-keyword=N-linked glycosylation kn-keyword=N-linked glycosylation en-keyword=Protein secretion kn-keyword=Protein secretion END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=17 cd-vols= no-issue=9 article-no= start-page=e92587 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250917 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=The Intranasal Administration of Semaphorin 3A Inhibitor in a Mouse Model of Olfactory Disorder en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=This study investigated the effects of intranasal administration of a semaphorin 3A inhibitor (Sema3A-I) in a mouse model of olfactory disorder, where olfactory sensory neuron (OSN) axons had been severely damaged. We performed axotomy (transection of OSN axons) of the OSNs in mice and administered Sema3A‑I intranasally to seven mice and saline to another seven mice. Following treatment, we assessed the thickness of the olfactory epithelium and the regeneration ratio of OSN axons. Intranasal administration of Sema3A-I did not significantly promote OSN regeneration, axonal outgrowth, or improve axonal projection compared to saline administration. Although Sema3A-I administration showed some promotion of axonal outgrowth, the difference was not statistically significant. Continuous subcutaneous administration of Sema3A-I in rats after axotomy promotes OSN regeneration and axonal outgrowth. Given that intranasal administration is minimally invasive, we believe that it may still be a feasible route when combined with additional treatment strategies. Further investigation into administration methods and therapeutic combinations is warranted. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=MuraiAya en-aut-sei=Murai en-aut-mei=Aya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=NodaMinori en-aut-sei=Noda en-aut-mei=Minori kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=ShimizuAiko en-aut-sei=Shimizu en-aut-mei=Aiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakaharaJunko en-aut-sei=Takahara en-aut-mei=Junko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=MakiharaSeiichiro en-aut-sei=Makihara en-aut-mei=Seiichiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=AndoMizuo en-aut-sei=Ando en-aut-mei=Mizuo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Division of Technical Support for Medical Science, Department of Comprehensive Technical Solutions, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=axon growth kn-keyword=axon growth en-keyword=intranasal administration kn-keyword=intranasal administration en-keyword=olfactory disorder kn-keyword=olfactory disorder en-keyword=olfactory sensory neurons kn-keyword=olfactory sensory neurons en-keyword=semaphorin3a kn-keyword=semaphorin3a END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=15 cd-vols= no-issue=1 article-no= start-page=27684 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250729 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=The significance of adding posterior decompression to spine stabilization in metastatic spinal surgery: a multicenter prospective study en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=The usefulness of spine stabilization for treating metastatic spinal tumors with tumor-induced instability has been reported. However, no reports have prospectively evaluated the effectiveness of adding posterior decompression to stabilization surgery for improving symptoms. This multicenter prospective study aimed to determine whether adding posterior decompression to spine stabilization surgery for metastatic spinal tumors affects postoperative outcomes and complications. A total of 263 patients who underwent spine stabilization with (n = 189) or without (n = 74) decompression were analyzed. Patient demographics, the Spinal Instability Neoplastic Score (SINS), and the Epidural Spinal Cord Compression (ESCC) score were recorded. The outcomes were assessed preoperatively and at 1 and 6 months postoperatively in terms of neurological status, the Barthel Index, the EQ-5D-5 L, and the visual analog scale (VAS). Decompression was primarily performed in patients with severe neurological deficits and high-grade ESCC. Both groups showed postoperative improvement. Propensity score matching was applied to adjust for baseline differences. After matching, there were no significant differences in functional improvement between the decompression and nondecompression groups, and the complication rates were comparable. In matched patients presenting primarily with spinal instability and pain, the addition of decompression did not appear to confer a significant functional benefit within 6 months postoperatively. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=TominagaHiroyuki en-aut-sei=Tominaga en-aut-mei=Hiroyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=KawamuraIchiro en-aut-sei=Kawamura en-aut-mei=Ichiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=ShimadaHirofumi en-aut-sei=Shimada en-aut-mei=Hirofumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=SasakiHiromi en-aut-sei=Sasaki en-aut-mei=Hiromi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=TaniguchiNoboru en-aut-sei=Taniguchi en-aut-mei=Noboru kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=ShirataniYuki en-aut-sei=Shiratani en-aut-mei=Yuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=SuzukiAkinobu en-aut-sei=Suzuki en-aut-mei=Akinobu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=TeraiHidetomi en-aut-sei=Terai en-aut-mei=Hidetomi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=ShimizuTakaki en-aut-sei=Shimizu en-aut-mei=Takaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=KakutaniKenichiro en-aut-sei=Kakutani en-aut-mei=Kenichiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=KandaYutaro en-aut-sei=Kanda en-aut-mei=Yutaro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= en-aut-name=IshiharaMasayuki en-aut-sei=Ishihara en-aut-mei=Masayuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=12 ORCID= en-aut-name=PakuMasaaki en-aut-sei=Paku en-aut-mei=Masaaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=13 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakahashiYohei en-aut-sei=Takahashi en-aut-mei=Yohei kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=14 ORCID= en-aut-name=FunayamaToru en-aut-sei=Funayama en-aut-mei=Toru kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=15 ORCID= en-aut-name=MiuraKousei en-aut-sei=Miura en-aut-mei=Kousei kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=16 ORCID= en-aut-name=ShirasawaEiki en-aut-sei=Shirasawa en-aut-mei=Eiki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=17 ORCID= en-aut-name=InoueHirokazu en-aut-sei=Inoue en-aut-mei=Hirokazu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=18 ORCID= en-aut-name=KimuraAtsushi en-aut-sei=Kimura en-aut-mei=Atsushi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=19 ORCID= en-aut-name=IimuraTakuya en-aut-sei=Iimura en-aut-mei=Takuya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=20 ORCID= en-aut-name=MoridairaHiroshi en-aut-sei=Moridaira en-aut-mei=Hiroshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=21 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakajimaHideaki en-aut-sei=Nakajima en-aut-mei=Hideaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=22 ORCID= en-aut-name=WatanabeShuji en-aut-sei=Watanabe en-aut-mei=Shuji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=23 ORCID= en-aut-name=AkedaKoji en-aut-sei=Akeda en-aut-mei=Koji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=24 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakegamiNorihiko en-aut-sei=Takegami en-aut-mei=Norihiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=25 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakanishiKazuo en-aut-sei=Nakanishi en-aut-mei=Kazuo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=26 ORCID= en-aut-name=SawadaHirokatsu en-aut-sei=Sawada en-aut-mei=Hirokatsu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=27 ORCID= en-aut-name=MatsumotoKoji en-aut-sei=Matsumoto en-aut-mei=Koji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=28 ORCID= en-aut-name=FunabaMasahiro en-aut-sei=Funaba en-aut-mei=Masahiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=29 ORCID= en-aut-name=SuzukiHidenori en-aut-sei=Suzuki en-aut-mei=Hidenori kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=30 ORCID= en-aut-name=FunaoHaruki en-aut-sei=Funao en-aut-mei=Haruki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=31 ORCID= en-aut-name=OshigiriTsutomu en-aut-sei=Oshigiri en-aut-mei=Tsutomu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=32 ORCID= en-aut-name=HiraiTakashi en-aut-sei=Hirai en-aut-mei=Takashi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=33 ORCID= en-aut-name=OtsukiBungo en-aut-sei=Otsuki en-aut-mei=Bungo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=34 ORCID= en-aut-name=KobayakawaKazu en-aut-sei=Kobayakawa en-aut-mei=Kazu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=35 ORCID= en-aut-name=UotaniKoji en-aut-sei=Uotani en-aut-mei=Koji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=36 ORCID= en-aut-name=ManabeHiroaki en-aut-sei=Manabe en-aut-mei=Hiroaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=37 ORCID= en-aut-name=TanishimaShinji en-aut-sei=Tanishima en-aut-mei=Shinji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=38 ORCID= en-aut-name=HashimotoKo en-aut-sei=Hashimoto en-aut-mei=Ko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=39 ORCID= en-aut-name=IwaiChizuo en-aut-sei=Iwai en-aut-mei=Chizuo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=40 ORCID= en-aut-name=YamabeDaisuke en-aut-sei=Yamabe en-aut-mei=Daisuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=41 ORCID= en-aut-name=HiyamaAkihiko en-aut-sei=Hiyama en-aut-mei=Akihiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=42 ORCID= en-aut-name=SekiShoji en-aut-sei=Seki en-aut-mei=Shoji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=43 ORCID= en-aut-name=GotoYuta en-aut-sei=Goto en-aut-mei=Yuta kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=44 ORCID= en-aut-name=MiyazakiMasashi en-aut-sei=Miyazaki en-aut-mei=Masashi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=45 ORCID= en-aut-name=WatanabeKazuyuki en-aut-sei=Watanabe en-aut-mei=Kazuyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=46 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakamaeToshio en-aut-sei=Nakamae en-aut-mei=Toshio kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=47 ORCID= en-aut-name=KaitoTakashi en-aut-sei=Kaito en-aut-mei=Takashi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=48 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakashimaHiroaki en-aut-sei=Nakashima en-aut-mei=Hiroaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=49 ORCID= en-aut-name=NagoshiNarihito en-aut-sei=Nagoshi en-aut-mei=Narihito kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=50 ORCID= en-aut-name=KatoSatoshi en-aut-sei=Kato en-aut-mei=Satoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=51 ORCID= en-aut-name=ImagamaShiro en-aut-sei=Imagama en-aut-mei=Shiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=52 ORCID= en-aut-name=WatanabeKota en-aut-sei=Watanabe en-aut-mei=Kota kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=53 ORCID= en-aut-name=InoueGen en-aut-sei=Inoue en-aut-mei=Gen kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=54 ORCID= en-aut-name=FuruyaTakeo en-aut-sei=Furuya en-aut-mei=Takeo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=55 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Osaka Metropolitan University kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Osaka Metropolitan University kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=12 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kansai Medical University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=13 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kansai Medical University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=14 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Keio University kn-affil= affil-num=15 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Institute of Medicine, University of Tsukuba kn-affil= affil-num=16 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Institute of Medicine, University of Tsukuba kn-affil= affil-num=17 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kitasato University School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=18 en-affil=Rehabilitation Center, Jichi Medical University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=19 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedics, Jichi Medical University kn-affil= affil-num=20 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Dokkyo Medical University kn-affil= affil-num=21 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Dokkyo Medical University kn-affil= affil-num=22 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Fukui kn-affil= affil-num=23 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Fukui kn-affil= affil-num=24 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=25 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=26 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kawasaki Medical School kn-affil= affil-num=27 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Nihon University School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=28 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Nihon University School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=29 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedics Surgery, Yamaguchi University Graduate school of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=30 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedics Surgery, Yamaguchi University Graduate school of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=31 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, International University of Health and Welfare Narita Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=32 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=33 en-affil=Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Institute of Science Tokyo kn-affil= affil-num=34 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kyoto University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=35 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University kn-affil= affil-num=36 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=37 en-affil=Department of Orthopedics, Tokushima University kn-affil= affil-num=38 en-affil=Division of Orthopedic Surgery, Department of Sensory and Motor Organs, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University kn-affil= affil-num=39 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=40 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Gifu University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=41 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Iwate Medical University kn-affil= affil-num=42 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Tokai University School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=43 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Toyama kn-affil= affil-num=44 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Nagoya City University kn-affil= affil-num=45 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University kn-affil= affil-num=46 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=47 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University kn-affil= affil-num=48 en-affil=Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=49 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=50 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Keio University kn-affil= affil-num=51 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University kn-affil= affil-num=52 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=53 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Keio University kn-affil= affil-num=54 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kitasato University School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=55 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University kn-affil= en-keyword=Metastatic spinal tumors kn-keyword=Metastatic spinal tumors en-keyword=Spine stabilization kn-keyword=Spine stabilization en-keyword=Decompression kn-keyword=Decompression en-keyword=Propensity score matching kn-keyword=Propensity score matching en-keyword=Multicenter prospective study kn-keyword=Multicenter prospective study en-keyword=The epidural spinal cord compression (ESCC) score kn-keyword=The epidural spinal cord compression (ESCC) score END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol= cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page= end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20251020 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Coupling effects of biochar and sediment microbial fuel cells on CH4 and CO2 emissions from straw-amended paddy soil en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Purpose The independent incorporation of biochar and sediment microbial fuel cells (SMFCs) into paddy soil has been shown to reduce methane (CH4) emissions. However, the application of rice straw into paddy soil enhances the availability of labile carbon that stimulates methanogen growth, counteracting the mitigation effects of both methods. This study, therefore, aimed to investigate the effect of coupling biochar and SMFC on CH4 and CO2 emissions from straw-amended paddy soil.
Materials and methods Single chamber SMFC setups constructed using acrylic columns (height, 25 cm; inner diameter, 9 cm) with six treatments were established using soil amended with 0% (0BC), 1% (1BC), and 2% (2BC) biochar: with and without SMFC conditions. Stainless steel mesh (15 × 3 cm) and graphite felt (6 × 5 cm) were used as anode and cathode materials, respectively.
Results Cumulative emission of CH4 in the 0BC treatment with SMFC was 39% less than in that without SMFC. Biochar addition and SMFC operation together further reduced CH4 emission by 57% and 60% in 1BC and 2BC treatments, respectively, compared to that in the 0BC treatment without SMFC operation. The relative abundance of microbial communities indicated methane-oxidizing bacteria were enriched in the presence of biochar and hydrogenotrophic Methanoregula were suppressed by SMFC operation. This suggested that SMFC mainly inhibited CH4 production by outcompeting hydrogenotrophic archaea.
Conclusion The use of biochar made from leftover rice straw has an interactive effect on SMFC operation and both methods can be used to reduce CH4 emission from straw-amended paddy soil. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=BekeleAdhena Tesfau en-aut-sei=Bekele en-aut-mei=Adhena Tesfau kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=MaedaMorihiro en-aut-sei=Maeda en-aut-mei=Morihiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakaharaNozomi en-aut-sei=Nakahara en-aut-mei=Nozomi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=HashiguchiAyumi en-aut-sei=Hashiguchi en-aut-mei=Ayumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=SomuraHiroaki en-aut-sei=Somura en-aut-mei=Hiroaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=AkaoSatoshi en-aut-sei=Akao en-aut-mei=Satoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakanoChiyu en-aut-sei=Nakano en-aut-mei=Chiyu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=NishinaYuta en-aut-sei=Nishina en-aut-mei=Yuta kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Faculty of Science and Engineering, Doshisha University kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Comprehensive Technical Solutions, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=Electrogenesis kn-keyword=Electrogenesis en-keyword=Methane oxidation kn-keyword=Methane oxidation en-keyword=Pyrolysis kn-keyword=Pyrolysis en-keyword=Paddy field kn-keyword=Paddy field en-keyword=Methanogens kn-keyword=Methanogens END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=22 cd-vols= no-issue=6 article-no= start-page=836 end-page=849 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20251028 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=C1orf50 Accelerates Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition and the Cell Cycle of Hepatocellular Carcinoma en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Background/Aim: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a heterogeneous liver cancer with limited treatment options and a poor prognosis in advanced stages. To identify novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets, we investigated the role of chromosome 1 open reading frame 50 (C1orf50), a gene with a previously uncharacterized function in HCC.
Materials and Methods: We performed a comprehensive transcriptome data analysis of the human hepatocellular carcinoma project from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and subsequently validated the oncogenic roles of C1orf50 using HCC cell lines.
Results: Using transcriptomic and clinical data from TCGA, we stratified 355 primary HCC samples based on C1orf50 expression levels. Patients with high C1orf50 expression exhibited significantly shorter overall survival, suggesting its association with aggressive tumor behavior. Differential expression and enrichment analyses revealed that C1orf50-high tumors were enriched in oncogenic pathways, including epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), cell cycle activation, and stemness-related properties. Transcriptional regulatory network analysis detected 456 significantly dysregulated regulons, including ZEB1/2 and E2F2, key drivers of EMT and cell cycle, in the C1orf50-high group. In addition, we observed increased YAP1/TAZ signaling, further linking C1orf50 to stemness and therapeutic resistance. Functional data from CRISPR-based dependency screening suggested that several transcription factors up-regulated in the C1orf50-high state, such as ZBTB11 and CTCE, are essential for the survival of HCC cells. These findings indicate potential therapeutic vulnerabilities and support the rationale for targeting C1orf50-associated pathways.
Conclusion: C1orf50 is a novel biomarker of poor prognosis in HCC and a key regulator of oncogenic features such as EMT, cell cycle progression, and stemness. This study highlights the therapeutic potential of targeting C1orf50-related networks in aggressive subtypes of liver cancer. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=TANAKAATSUSHI en-aut-sei=TANAKA en-aut-mei=ATSUSHI kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=OTANIYUSUKE en-aut-sei=OTANI en-aut-mei=YUSUKE kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=MAEKAWAMASAKI en-aut-sei=MAEKAWA en-aut-mei=MASAKI kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=ROGACHEVSKAYAANNA en-aut-sei=ROGACHEVSKAYA en-aut-mei=ANNA kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=PEÑATIRSO en-aut-sei=PEÑA en-aut-mei=TIRSO kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=CHINVANESSA D. en-aut-sei=CHIN en-aut-mei=VANESSA D. kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=TOYOOKASHINICHI en-aut-sei=TOYOOKA en-aut-mei=SHINICHI kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=ROEHRLMICHAEL H. en-aut-sei=ROEHRL en-aut-mei=MICHAEL H. kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=FUJIMURAATSUSHI en-aut-sei=FUJIMURA en-aut-mei=ATSUSHI kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=UMass Chan Medical School, UMass Memorial Medical Center kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of General Thoracic Surgery and Breast and Endocrinological Surgery, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of Cellular Physiology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= en-keyword=C1orf50 kn-keyword=C1orf50 en-keyword=hepatocellular carcinoma kn-keyword=hepatocellular carcinoma en-keyword=stemness kn-keyword=stemness en-keyword=cell cycle kn-keyword=cell cycle en-keyword=epithelial‑mesenchymal transition kn-keyword=epithelial‑mesenchymal transition END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol= cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page=417 end-page=431 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20251015 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Evaluation of a Startup Program Identification for Efficient and Accurate IoT Security Investigations en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Not all file in firmware are executed while using Internet of Things (IoT) devices and hundreds to approximately a thousand executable and linkable format files exist in one firmware. Therefore, security investigations without prioritization may lead to investigate programs that are not executed while using IoT devices first. This has resulted in inefficient security investigations. To perform efficient security investigations, we proposed a method that can identify programs executed during the startup process. However, only two firmware were used for the evaluation which can only evaluate one of the two startup sequences in the OpenWrt-based firmware. In addition, security investigations to validate whether the proposed method addresses the problem of inefficient security investigations were limited to OpenWrt-based firmware. In this study, we use more firmware data for evaluation and validation. We use nine firmware not used in previous studies including startup methods that have not previously been used for evaluation. In addition, we increase the number of firmware used for validation to 225. The evaluation results demonstrate that the proposed method can identify with only few false positives. The validation demonstrates that efficiency can be improved and prioritizing investigations by considering the proposed method result is worthwhile. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=ShimamotoYuta en-aut-sei=Shimamoto en-aut-mei=Yuta kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=PhinyodomJiratchaya en-aut-sei=Phinyodom en-aut-mei=Jiratchaya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=YoshimotoRyota en-aut-sei=Yoshimoto en-aut-mei=Ryota kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=UekawaHiroyuki en-aut-sei=Uekawa en-aut-mei=Hiroyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=AkiyamaMitsuaki en-aut-sei=Akiyama en-aut-mei=Mitsuaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=YamauchiToshihiro en-aut-sei=Yamauchi en-aut-mei=Toshihiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=School of Engineering, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=NTT Social Informatics Laboratories kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=NTT Social Informatics Laboratories kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Faculty of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=Internet of Things kn-keyword=Internet of Things en-keyword=Firmware kn-keyword=Firmware en-keyword=Startup script kn-keyword=Startup script en-keyword=SysVinit kn-keyword=SysVinit END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=135 cd-vols= no-issue=10 article-no= start-page=106504 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250904 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Terahertz Field Control of Electronic-Ferroelectric Anisotropy at Room Temperature in LuFe2⁢O4 en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Electronic ferroelectrics, with polarization 𝑷 induced by strongly correlated charges, are expected to show ultrafast, huge, and flexible responses required in future optoelectronics. Although the challenges for ultrafast manipulation of such a polarization are ongoing, the expected advantages have been unclear. In this Letter, we demonstrate an unprecedentedly large increase by a factor of 2.7 in optical second harmonic generation at room temperature in the prototypical electronic ferroelectrics, the rare-earth ferrite LuFe2⁢O4, by applying a terahertz field of 260  kV/cm. The transient anisotropy indicates that the direction of macroscopic polarization can be controlled three dimensionally on subpicosecond timescales, offering additional degrees of freedom in controlling polarization. Although the polarization response is in phase concerning the terahertz field, its sensitivity increased with delay, indicating that cooperative interactions among microscopic domains play an important role in the unprecedented response. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=ItohHirotake en-aut-sei=Itoh en-aut-mei=Hirotake kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=MinakamiRyusei en-aut-sei=Minakami en-aut-mei=Ryusei kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=YuHongwu en-aut-sei=Yu en-aut-mei=Hongwu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=TsuruokaRyohei en-aut-sei=Tsuruoka en-aut-mei=Ryohei kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=AmanoTatsuya en-aut-sei=Amano en-aut-mei=Tatsuya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=KawakamiYohei en-aut-sei=Kawakami en-aut-mei=Yohei kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=KoshiharaShin-ya en-aut-sei=Koshihara en-aut-mei=Shin-ya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=FujiwaraKosuke en-aut-sei=Fujiwara en-aut-mei=Kosuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=IkedaNaoshi en-aut-sei=Ikeda en-aut-mei=Naoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=OkimotoYoichi en-aut-sei=Okimoto en-aut-mei=Yoichi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=IwaiShinichiro en-aut-sei=Iwai en-aut-mei=Shinichiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Tohoku University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Tohoku University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Institute of Science Tokyo kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Tohoku University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Tohoku University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Tohoku University kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Institute of Science Tokyo kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Institute of Science Tokyo kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Tohoku University kn-affil= END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=89 cd-vols= no-issue=11 article-no= start-page=337 end-page=343 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20251101 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Ti-18Nb-xAl合金の構成相と材料特性に及ぼすAl添加量の影響 en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=The Ti-18mass%Nb alloy with a quenched α” martensitic structure exhibited a high damping capacity. However, there are issues such as lower strength than annealed α+β structure and decreasing damping capacity due to heating until 400 K. Therefore, in this study, to address these issues, we investigated the effect of Al addition on the constituent phases and material properties of Ti-18Nb-xAl alloys. The crystal structure was determined by examining the lattice constant and unit volume using X-ray diffraction, and optical microscopy was also performed. The material properties were investigated by Vickers hardness, Young’s modulus, internal friction, tensile tests, and DSC measurements. Vickers hardness and tensile strength increased with increasing Al content. This is thought to be due to the combined effects of the refinement of the microstructure and solid-solution strengthening due to Al addition. The Young’s modulus increased slightly from 0Al to 1Al, but increased significantly to 4Al. Internal friction was highest for 0Al and decreased for 4Al, whereas 7Al showed a higher value than 1Al. In the DSC heating curves, there was a decrease in the exothermic peak starting temperature and an increase in the phase-transformation heat with the addition of Al, except for 1Al. It was suggested that these changes in Ti-18Nb-xAl alloys were influenced by the structure of the quenched α” phase, texture, and pseudoelasticity or phase transformation by deformation. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=MantaniYoshikazu en-aut-sei=Mantani en-aut-mei=Yoshikazu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakemotoYoshito en-aut-sei=Takemoto en-aut-mei=Yoshito kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Institute of Technology (KOSEN), Suzuka College kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Faculty of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=ternary titanium alloy kn-keyword=ternary titanium alloy en-keyword=martensite kn-keyword=martensite en-keyword=lattice constant kn-keyword=lattice constant en-keyword=hardness kn-keyword=hardness en-keyword=Young’s modulus kn-keyword=Young’s modulus en-keyword=internal friction kn-keyword=internal friction en-keyword=cyclic tensile test kn-keyword=cyclic tensile test en-keyword=texture kn-keyword=texture END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=23 cd-vols= no-issue=5 article-no= start-page=234 end-page=249 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=2025 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Biochar-amended Sediment Microbial Fuel Cells for Water Quality Improvement in Intensive and Extensive Pond Drainages in Central Vietnam en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=The use of nutrient-rich feed in shrimp farming in Central Vietnam has led to high nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) contents in the pond sediment. The objectives of the study were to assess the effectiveness of biochar-sediment microbial fuel cells (BC-SMFCs) in suppressing P and N release from two types of sediment in intensive (Int) and extensive (Ext) pond drainages in Central Vietnam. Single chamber SMFCs were set up and operated under open or closed-circuit (no SMFC or SMFC) conditions. Coconut shell biochar (BC) was amended to sediments at 1%. For Int-sediment, total phosphorus (TP) release was reduced by no BC-SMFCs through co-precipitation with Fe. On the other hand, BC-SMFCs did not suppress TP release because P was released from BC and organic matter decomposition was enhanced in the sediment. Application of BC enhanced organic N mineralization in the sediment. Nitrification and denitrification occurred in the overlying water, reducing mineral N concentrations. For Ext-sediment, BC addition and SMFC conditions did not affect TP and total nitrogen (TN) release because of low initial organic matter content, and less reductive condition. Our study suggested that the effect of SMFCs was masked by BC which released more P from Int-sediment to the water. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=NguyenUyen Tu en-aut-sei=Nguyen en-aut-mei=Uyen Tu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=MaedaMorihiro en-aut-sei=Maeda en-aut-mei=Morihiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=SomuraHiroaki en-aut-sei=Somura en-aut-mei=Hiroaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakaharaNozomi en-aut-sei=Nakahara en-aut-mei=Nozomi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=PereraGamamada Liyanage Erandi Priyangika en-aut-sei=Perera en-aut-mei=Gamamada Liyanage Erandi Priyangika kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakanoChiyu en-aut-sei=Nakano en-aut-mei=Chiyu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=LeHuu Tien en-aut-sei=Le en-aut-mei=Huu Tien kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=NishinaYuta en-aut-sei=Nishina en-aut-mei=Yuta kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Comprehensive Technical Solutions, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Education, Science and Technology Quang Tri Branch, Hue University kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=biochar kn-keyword=biochar en-keyword=Central Vietnam kn-keyword=Central Vietnam en-keyword=electricity generation kn-keyword=electricity generation en-keyword=redox potential kn-keyword=redox potential en-keyword=shrimp farming kn-keyword=shrimp farming END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=36 cd-vols= no-issue=10 article-no= start-page=105028 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=202510 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Evaluating the effects of electrolytes on the interaction forces between alumina surfaces in polyacrylic acid solutions using atomic force microscopy en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Evaluation and control of ceramic slurry at the microscopic level are critical to ensure consistent quality in manufactured ceramics. Notably, metal ions such as Mg2+ and Al3+ are common in ceramic slurries and significantly influence the stability of particle. This study applied atomic force microscopy to investigate the interaction forces between alumina particle surfaces in the presence of different concentrations of three metal ions and polyacrylic acid (PAA), a widely used dispersant.
The attractive forces observed at low PAA concentrations were attributed to polymer bridging between alumina surfaces, whereas the repulsive forces observed at high PAA concentrations were attributed to the domination of steric repulsion between adsorbed PAA molecules. The presence of multivalent metal ions, such as Mg2+ and Al3+, modulated these interactions; an increasing ion valence induced a transition from repulsive to attractive force, primarily owing to electrostatic screening, which caused conformational collapse of the PAA chains and diminished the range of steric repulsion. Similarly, increasing the concentration of these metal ions decreased the range of repulsive forces, eventually resulting in a net attraction driven by the same electrostatic and polymer conformation mechanisms. Notably, the addition of 0.1 M AlCl3 produced an anomalous long-range attraction between surfaces that could not be explained by conventional mechanisms, such as polymer bridging or electrostatic interactions between charge domains. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=KishimotoNaoto en-aut-sei=Kishimoto en-aut-mei=Naoto kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=KajiRyota en-aut-sei=Kaji en-aut-mei=Ryota kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=TsuchiyaKatsumi en-aut-sei=Tsuchiya en-aut-mei=Katsumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=ImamuraKoreyoshi en-aut-sei=Imamura en-aut-mei=Koreyoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=IshidaNaoyuki en-aut-sei=Ishida en-aut-mei=Naoyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Faculty of Science and Engineering, Doshisha University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Faculty of Science and Engineering, Doshisha University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Faculty of Science and Engineering, Doshisha University kn-affil= en-keyword=Interaction force kn-keyword=Interaction force en-keyword=Alumina surface kn-keyword=Alumina surface en-keyword=Anionic polyelectrolyte kn-keyword=Anionic polyelectrolyte en-keyword=Coexisting electrolyte kn-keyword=Coexisting electrolyte en-keyword=Atomic force microscopy kn-keyword=Atomic force microscopy END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=19 cd-vols= no-issue=1 article-no= start-page=468 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250929 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=The safety and efficacy of finasteride for transgender men with androgenetic alopecia: a case series en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Background Testosterone replacement therapy is commonly used in transgender men for masculinization. One of the most common adverse effects of testosterone replacement therapy is androgenetic alopecia. In Japan, finasteride is approved exclusively for cisgender men and is not indicated for transgender men. The aim of this clinical trial was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of finasteride in transgender men with androgenetic alopecia.
Case presentation This study included three transgender men (assigned female at birth, identifying as male), aged 44, 43, and 29 years. All participants were of Asian ethnicity. A clinical trial was conducted from October 2021 to December 2023. Transgender men aged 20–60 years who had not undergone hysterectomy, were undergoing testosterone replacement therapy, and who had been diagnosed with stage ≥ II androgenetic alopecia on the basis of the Norwood–Hamilton scale were recruited. The participants initiated treatment with 0.2 mg of finasteride per day for 3 months (phase 1). If no adverse events above grade 2 occurred, the dose was increased to 1.0 mg per day for an additional 3 months (phase 2). The primary endpoints were the incidence of treatment-related adverse events at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months, as well as the rate of participants continuing treatment at 3 months. None of the patients experienced serious adverse events at 3 months, and all the patients extended their treatment to a total of 6 months. Improvements of at least one stage on the N–H scale were observed, but two participants experienced resumption of menstruation.
Conclusion Finasteride appears to be a safe and effective treatment for androgenetic alopecia in transgender men undergoing testosterone replacement therapy. However, its potential for reducing some of the effects of testosterone replacement therapy warrants further investigation. Trial registration: jRCT, jRCTs061210040, registered 7 October 2021, https://jrct.mhlw.go.jp/latest-detail/jRCTs061210040. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=TominagaYusuke en-aut-sei=Tominaga en-aut-mei=Yusuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=KobayashiTomoko en-aut-sei=Kobayashi en-aut-mei=Tomoko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=MatsumotoYuko en-aut-sei=Matsumoto en-aut-mei=Yuko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=SakoTomoko en-aut-sei=Sako en-aut-mei=Tomoko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=MoriwakeTakatoshi en-aut-sei=Moriwake en-aut-mei=Takatoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=HoriiSatoshi en-aut-sei=Horii en-aut-mei=Satoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=SadahiraTakuya en-aut-sei=Sadahira en-aut-mei=Takuya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=KatayamaSatoshi en-aut-sei=Katayama en-aut-mei=Satoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=IwataTakehiro en-aut-sei=Iwata en-aut-mei=Takehiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=NishimuraShingo en-aut-sei=Nishimura en-aut-mei=Shingo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=BekkuKensuke en-aut-sei=Bekku en-aut-mei=Kensuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= en-aut-name=EdamuraKohei en-aut-sei=Edamura en-aut-mei=Kohei kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=12 ORCID= en-aut-name=WatanabeMasami en-aut-sei=Watanabe en-aut-mei=Masami kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=13 ORCID= en-aut-name=ArakiMotoo en-aut-sei=Araki en-aut-mei=Motoo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=14 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Urology, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Urology, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Urology, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Urology, Hiroshima City Hiroshima Citizens Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Urology, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Urology, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Urology, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Urology, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of Urology, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Department of Urology, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Department of Urology, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=12 en-affil=Department of Urology, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=13 en-affil=Center for Innovative Clinical Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=14 en-affil=Department of Urology, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= en-keyword=Finasteride kn-keyword=Finasteride en-keyword=Dihydrotestosterone kn-keyword=Dihydrotestosterone en-keyword=Transgender men kn-keyword=Transgender men en-keyword= Androgenetic alopecia kn-keyword= Androgenetic alopecia en-keyword=Resumption of menstruation kn-keyword=Resumption of menstruation END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=79 cd-vols= no-issue=5 article-no= start-page=339 end-page=343 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=202510 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Evaluation of Scleral Adjustment Method: A Novel Adjustable Suture Technique in Strabismus Surgery en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=To determine whether passing a pole suture through the sclera at two points provides fixation comparable to that of a sliding noose, we measured the tensile strength of the suture‒sclera interface during simulated traction. In this in vitro study, three suture patterns were evaluated in porcine eyeballs, using 6-0 polyglycolic acid sutures. Patterns A (control), B (second suture pass perpendicular), and C (second suture pass in the same direction) were compared. The tensile strength of each pattern was measured 20 times using a KANON TK300CN, and the results were analyzed using the Kruskal‒Wallis test. Pattern A showed a tensile strength of 2±4 gram-force (gf) (range: 0-12). Pattern B showed 112±38 gf (range: 61-184). Pattern C showed 139±31 gf (range: 97-204). Patterns B and C had significantly higher tensile strengths than Pattern A (p<0.001). Although Pattern C was not significantly different from Pattern B (p=0.363), it exhibited the highest tensile strength. Lifting the suture between the first and second suture passes allows for an adjustable suture length, suggesting that adjustability can be achieved using only the sclera. This scleral adjustment method with a second suture pass offers a durable means of securing extraocular muscles and may represent a valuable addition to adjustable suturing techniques. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=HamasakiIchiro en-aut-sei=Hamasaki en-aut-mei=Ichiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=ShibataKiyo en-aut-sei=Shibata en-aut-mei=Kiyo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Lino Eye Clinic kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Lino Eye Clinic kn-affil= en-keyword=scleral adjustment method kn-keyword=scleral adjustment method en-keyword=adjustable suture technique kn-keyword=adjustable suture technique en-keyword=hang-loose method kn-keyword=hang-loose method en-keyword=tensile strength kn-keyword=tensile strength en-keyword=polyglycolic acid sutures kn-keyword=polyglycolic acid sutures END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=14 cd-vols= no-issue=17 article-no= start-page=6102 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250828 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Risk Factors for Perioperative Urinary Tract Infection After Living Donor Kidney Transplantation Characterized by High Prevalence of Desensitization Therapy: A Single-Center Analysis en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Background/Objectives: Limited research exists on risk factors for urinary tract infections (UTIs) in kidney transplant recipients, particularly in high-risk groups such as ABO-incompatible or donor-specific antibody (DSA)-positive cases. Early UTIs, especially within the first month post-transplant, impact on acute rejection and long-term graft outcomes, highlighting the need for risk factor identification and management. Methods: Among 157 living donor kidney transplant cases performed at our institution between 2009 and 2024, 128 patients were included after excluding cases with >72 h of perioperative prophylactic antibiotics or urological complications. UTI was defined as the presence of pyuria and a positive urine culture, accompanied by clinical symptoms requiring antibiotic treatment, occurring within one month post-transplantation. Results: The median onset of UTI was postoperative day 8 (interquartile range, IQR: 6.8–9.3). No subsequent acute rejection episodes were observed. The median serum creatinine at 1 month postoperatively was 1.3 mg/dL (IQR: 1.1–1.7), and this was not significantly different from those who did not develop UTI. In univariate analysis, low or high BMI (<20 or >25), longer dialysis duration (>2.5 years), desensitization therapy (plasmapheresis + rituximab), elevated preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (≥3), and longer warm ischemic time (WIT) (≥7.8 min) were significantly associated with an increased infection risk of UTI (p = 0.010, 0.036, 0.028, 0.015, and 0.038, respectively). Multivariate analyses revealed that abnormal BMI, longer dialysis duration, desensitization therapy, and longer WIT were independent risk factors for UTI (p = 0.012, 0.031, 0.008, and 0.033, respectively). The incidence of UTI increased with the number of risk factors: 0% (0/16) for zero, 10% (5/48) for one, 31% (16/51) for two, 45% (5/11) for three, and 100% (2/2) for four risk factors. Conclusions: Desensitization therapy, BMI, dialysis duration, and WIT were identified as independent risk factors for perioperative UTI. In patients with risk factors, additional preventive strategies should be considered, with extended antibiotic prophylaxis being one potential option. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=NishimuraShingo en-aut-sei=Nishimura en-aut-mei=Shingo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=InoueShota en-aut-sei=Inoue en-aut-mei=Shota kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=SekitoTakanori en-aut-sei=Sekito en-aut-mei=Takanori kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=TsuboiIchiro en-aut-sei=Tsuboi en-aut-mei=Ichiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=TokunagaMoto en-aut-sei=Tokunaga en-aut-mei=Moto kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=YoshinagaKasumi en-aut-sei=Yoshinaga en-aut-mei=Kasumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=MaruyamaYuki en-aut-sei=Maruyama en-aut-mei=Yuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=MitsuiYosuke en-aut-sei=Mitsui en-aut-mei=Yosuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=YamanoiTomoaki en-aut-sei=Yamanoi en-aut-mei=Tomoaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=KawadaTatsushi en-aut-sei=Kawada en-aut-mei=Tatsushi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=KubotaRisa en-aut-sei=Kubota en-aut-mei=Risa kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= en-aut-name=SadahiraTakuya en-aut-sei=Sadahira en-aut-mei=Takuya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=12 ORCID= en-aut-name=TominagaYusuke en-aut-sei=Tominaga en-aut-mei=Yusuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=13 ORCID= en-aut-name=IwataTakehiro en-aut-sei=Iwata en-aut-mei=Takehiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=14 ORCID= en-aut-name=KatayamaSatoshi en-aut-sei=Katayama en-aut-mei=Satoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=15 ORCID= en-aut-name=BekkuKensuke en-aut-sei=Bekku en-aut-mei=Kensuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=16 ORCID= en-aut-name=EdamuraKohei en-aut-sei=Edamura en-aut-mei=Kohei kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=17 ORCID= en-aut-name=WadaKoichiro en-aut-sei=Wada en-aut-mei=Koichiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=18 ORCID= en-aut-name=KobayashiYasuyuki en-aut-sei=Kobayashi en-aut-mei=Yasuyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=19 ORCID= en-aut-name=ArakiMotoo en-aut-sei=Araki en-aut-mei=Motoo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=20 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Urology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Urology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Inflammation and Immunity, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Urology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Urology, NHO Okayama Medical Center kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Urology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Inflammation and Immunity, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Urology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of Urology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Department of Urology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Department of Urology, NHO Okayama Medical Center kn-affil= affil-num=12 en-affil=Department of Urology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=13 en-affil=Department of Urology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=14 en-affil=Department of Urology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=15 en-affil=Department of Urology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=16 en-affil=Department of Urology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=17 en-affil=Department of Urology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=18 en-affil=Department of Urology, Shimane University Faculty of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=19 en-affil=Department of Urology, Hiroshima City Hiroshima Citizens Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=20 en-affil=Department of Urology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= en-keyword=living donor kidney transplantation kn-keyword=living donor kidney transplantation en-keyword=urinary tract infection kn-keyword=urinary tract infection en-keyword=perioperative kn-keyword=perioperative en-keyword=desensitization kn-keyword=desensitization en-keyword=rituximab kn-keyword=rituximab en-keyword=plasmapheresis kn-keyword=plasmapheresis en-keyword=body mass index kn-keyword=body mass index en-keyword=dialysis duration kn-keyword=dialysis duration en-keyword=warm ischemic time kn-keyword=warm ischemic time en-keyword=prophylactic antimicrobials kn-keyword=prophylactic antimicrobials END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=6 cd-vols= no-issue=3 article-no= start-page=52 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250908 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=An Extension of Input Setup Assistance Service Using Generative AI to Unlearned Sensors for the SEMAR IoT Application Server Platform en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Nowadays, Internet of Things (IoT) application systems are broadly applied to various sectors of society for efficient management by monitoring environments using sensors, analyzing sampled data, and giving proper feedback. For their fast deployment, we have developed Smart Environmental Monitoring and Analysis in Real Time (SEMAR) as an integrated IoT application server platform and implemented the input setup assistance service using prompt engineering and a generative AI model to assist connecting sensors to SEMAR with step-by-step guidance. However, the current service cannot assist in connections of the sensors not learned by the AI model, such as newly released ones. To address this issue, in this paper, we propose an extension to the service for handling unlearned sensors by utilizing datasheets with four steps: (1) users input a PDF datasheet containing information about the sensor, (2) key specifications are extracted from the datasheet and structured into markdown format using a generative AI, (3) this data is saved to a vector database using chunking and embedding methods, and (4) the data is used in Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) to provide additional context when guiding users through sensor setup. Our evaluation with five generative AI models shows that OpenAI’s GPT-4o achieves the highest accuracy in extracting specifications from PDF datasheets and the best answer relevancy (0.987), while Gemini 2.0 Flash delivers the most balanced results, with the highest overall RAGAs score (0.76). Other models produced competitive but mixed outcomes, averaging 0.74 across metrics. The step-by-step guidance function achieved a task success rate above 80%. In a course evaluation by 48 students, the system improved the student test scores, further confirming the effectiveness of our proposed extension. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=KotamaI Nyoman Darma en-aut-sei=Kotama en-aut-mei=I Nyoman Darma kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=FunabikiNobuo en-aut-sei=Funabiki en-aut-mei=Nobuo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=PandumanYohanes Yohanie Fridelin en-aut-sei=Panduman en-aut-mei=Yohanes Yohanie Fridelin kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=BrataKomang Candra en-aut-sei=Brata en-aut-mei=Komang Candra kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=PradhanaAnak Agung Surya en-aut-sei=Pradhana en-aut-mei=Anak Agung Surya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=Noprianto en-aut-sei=Noprianto en-aut-mei= kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, The University of Osaka kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=Internet of Things kn-keyword=Internet of Things en-keyword=artificial intelligence kn-keyword=artificial intelligence en-keyword=Retrieval-Augmented Generation kn-keyword=Retrieval-Augmented Generation en-keyword=review kn-keyword=review en-keyword=application server platform kn-keyword=application server platform en-keyword=SEMAR kn-keyword=SEMAR en-keyword=sensor input kn-keyword=sensor input END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=16 cd-vols= no-issue=8 article-no= start-page=709 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250820 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=A Phrase Fill-in-Blank Problem in a Client-Side Web Programming Assistant System en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Mastering client-side Web programming is essential for the development of responsive and interactive Web applications. To support novice students’ self-study, in this paper, we propose a novel exercise format called the phrase fill-in-blank problem (PFP) in the Web Programming Learning Assistant System (WPLAS). A PFP instance presents a source code with blanked phrases (a set of elements) and corresponding Web page screenshots. Then, it requests the user to fill in the blanks, and the answers are automatically evaluated through string matching with predefined correct answers. By increasing blanks, PFP can come close to writing a code from scratch. To facilitate scalable and context-aware question creation, we implemented the PFP instance generation algorithm in Python using regular expressions. This approach targets meaningful code segments in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript that reflect the interactive behavior of front-end development. For evaluations, we generated 10 PFP instances for basic Web programming topics and 5 instances for video games and assigned them to students at Okayama University, Japan, and the State Polytechnic of Malang, Indonesia. Their solution results show that most students could solve them correctly, indicating the effectiveness and accessibility of the generated instances. In addition, we investigated the ability of generative AI, specifically ChatGPT, to solve the PFP instances. The results show 86.7% accuracy for basic-topic PFP instances. Although it still cannot fully find answers, we must monitor progress carefully. In future work, we will enhance PFP in WPLAS to handle non-unique answers by improving answer validation for flexible recognition of equivalent responses. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=QiHuiyu en-aut-sei=Qi en-aut-mei=Huiyu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=LiZhikang en-aut-sei=Li en-aut-mei=Zhikang kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=FunabikiNobuo en-aut-sei=Funabiki en-aut-mei=Nobuo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=Sandi KyawHtoo Htoo en-aut-sei=Sandi Kyaw en-aut-mei=Htoo Htoo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=KaoWen Chung en-aut-sei=Kao en-aut-mei=Wen Chung kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Information and Communication Systems, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Information and Communication Systems, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Information and Communication Systems, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Information and Communication Systems, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Electrical Engineering, National Taiwan Normal University kn-affil= en-keyword=Web client programming kn-keyword=Web client programming en-keyword=Web game kn-keyword=Web game en-keyword=HTML kn-keyword=HTML en-keyword=CSS kn-keyword=CSS en-keyword=JavaScript kn-keyword=JavaScript en-keyword=phrase fill-in-blank problem kn-keyword=phrase fill-in-blank problem en-keyword=regular expression kn-keyword=regular expression en-keyword=generative AI kn-keyword=generative AI END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=16 cd-vols= no-issue=7 article-no= start-page=588 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250708 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=A Map Information Collection Tool for a Pedestrian Navigation System Using Smartphone en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Nowadays, a pedestrian navigation system using a smartphone has become popular as a useful tool to reach an unknown destination. When the destination is the office of a person, a detailed map information is necessary on the target area such as the room number and location inside the building. The information can be collected from various sources including Google maps, websites for the building, and images of signs. In this paper, we propose a map information collection tool for a pedestrian navigation system. To improve the accuracy and completeness of information, it works with the four steps: (1) a user captures building and room images manually, (2) an OCR software using Google ML Kit v2 processes them to extract the sign information from images, (3) web scraping using Scrapy (v2.11.0) and crawling with Apache Nutch (v1.19) software collects additional details such as room numbers, facilities, and occupants from relevant websites, and (4) the collected data is stored in the database to be integrated with a pedestrian navigation system. For evaluations of the proposed tool, the map information was collected for 10 buildings at Okayama University, Japan, a representative environment combining complex indoor layouts (e.g., interconnected corridors, multi-floor facilities) and high pedestrian traffic, which are critical for testing real-world navigation challenges. The collected data is assessed in completeness and effectiveness. A university campus was selected as it presents a complex indoor and outdoor environment that can be ideal for testing pedestrian navigations in real-world scenarios. With the obtained map information, 10 users used the navigation system to successfully reach destinations. The System Usability Scale (SUS) results through a questionnaire confirms the high usability. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=BatubulanKadek Suarjuna en-aut-sei=Batubulan en-aut-mei=Kadek Suarjuna kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=FunabikiNobuo en-aut-sei=Funabiki en-aut-mei=Nobuo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=BrataKomang Candra en-aut-sei=Brata en-aut-mei=Komang Candra kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=KotamaI Nyoman Darma en-aut-sei=Kotama en-aut-mei=I Nyoman Darma kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=KyawHtoo Htoo Sandi en-aut-sei=Kyaw en-aut-mei=Htoo Htoo Sandi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=HidayatiShintami Chusnul en-aut-sei=Hidayati en-aut-mei=Shintami Chusnul kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Informatics, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember kn-affil= en-keyword=pedestrian navigation kn-keyword=pedestrian navigation en-keyword=map information kn-keyword=map information en-keyword=optical character recognition (OCR) kn-keyword=optical character recognition (OCR) en-keyword=smartphones kn-keyword=smartphones en-keyword=web scraping kn-keyword=web scraping en-keyword=system usability scale (SUS) kn-keyword=system usability scale (SUS) END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=105 cd-vols= no-issue=4 article-no= start-page=1157 end-page=1167 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250505 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Effect of environmental conditions on seed germination and seedling growth in Cuscuta campestris en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Dodder (Cuscuta) is an obligate parasitic plant that cannot survive without a host and causes significant damage to crop yields. To understand its growth characteristics before parasitism, we examined the effects of environmental conditions on seed germination and seedling growth in Cuscuta campestris Yunck. Among various factors, we focused on the effects of light, pH, temperature, sugars, salts, hormones, amino acids and polyamines on seeds sown on agar plates. Regarding the effect of light on germination, far-red light was preferable rather than red light and the reversible response of seeds to red and far-red light was confirmed, implicating a phytochrome-mediated signaling pathway opposite to that in many seed plants. Among the amino acids, aspartic acid and alanine had a promotive effect, while histidine had an inhibitory effect on germination. We further found that, in addition to gibberellic acid, methyl jasmonate stimulated both germination and shoot elongation. While 2,4-D extended the viability of trichomes around the root cap, kinetin induced the formation of scale leaves on the shoot and undifferentiated cell clusters at the base of the shoot and root tip. Real-time reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) experiments confirmed that the expression of a putative RbcS gene for photosynthesis showed no response to light, whereas that of a Phytochrome A homolog increased in the dark. Our results indicate that some of the molecular mechanisms involved in responding to light and hormone signals are uniquely modified in dodder seedlings, providing clues for understanding the survival strategy of parasitic plants. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=NagaoKoki en-aut-sei=Nagao en-aut-mei=Koki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakahashiTaku en-aut-sei=Takahashi en-aut-mei=Taku kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=YokoyamaRyusuke en-aut-sei=Yokoyama en-aut-mei=Ryusuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University kn-affil= en-keyword=Cuscuta kn-keyword=Cuscuta en-keyword=Environmental conditions kn-keyword=Environmental conditions en-keyword=Germination kn-keyword=Germination en-keyword=Hormone responses kn-keyword=Hormone responses en-keyword=Seedling growth kn-keyword=Seedling growth END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=16 cd-vols= no-issue=1 article-no= start-page=519 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250926 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Specific induction of right ventricular-like cardiomyocytes from human pluripotent stem cells en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Background Applications employing human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hPSC-CMs) require well-characterized, chamber-specific hPSC-CMs. Distinct first heart field (FHF) and second heart field (SHF) cardiac progenitor populations give rise to the left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular (RV) cardiomyocytes, respectively. This developmental difference in cardiomyocyte origin suggests that chamber-specific cardiomyocytes have unique characteristics. Therefore, efficient strategies to differentiate human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) specifically to LV-like or RV-like cardiomyocytes are needed and it is still unknown whether there is a phenotypic difference between LV-like cardiomyocytes and RV-like cardiomyocytes derived from hPSCs.
Methods An established hPSC cardiac differentiation protocol employing sequential GSK3β inhibition followed by Wnt inhibition (GiWi) was modified by addition of insulin or BMP antagonists during mesoderm formation. Cardiac progenitor populations were evaluated for FHF and SHF markers, and differentiated hPSC-CMs were characterized for chamber-specific markers.
Results The GiWi protocol produced mainly FHF-like progenitor cells that gave rise to LV-like cardiomyocytes. Inhibition of endogenous BMP signaling during mesoderm induction using insulin or BMP antagonists reduced expression of FHF markers and increased expression of SHF markers in cardiac progenitor cells. hPSC-CMs arising from the SHF-like progenitor cells showed an RV-like gene expression pattern and exhibited phenotypic differences in spontaneous contraction rate, Ca2+ transients, and cell size compared to control LV-like cardiomyocytes.
Conclusion This study establishes methodology to generate RV-like hPSC-CMs to support the development of disease modeling research using chamber-specific hPSC-CMs. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=SaitoYukihiro en-aut-sei=Saito en-aut-mei=Yukihiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakamuraKazufumi en-aut-sei=Nakamura en-aut-mei=Kazufumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=KatanosakaYuki en-aut-sei=Katanosaka en-aut-mei=Yuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=IidaToshihiro en-aut-sei=Iida en-aut-mei=Toshihiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=KusumotoDai en-aut-sei=Kusumoto en-aut-mei=Dai kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=SatoRyushi en-aut-sei=Sato en-aut-mei=Ryushi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=AdachiRiki en-aut-sei=Adachi en-aut-mei=Riki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=ShimizuSatoshi en-aut-sei=Shimizu en-aut-mei=Satoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=KurokawaJunko en-aut-sei=Kurokawa en-aut-mei=Junko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=AkagiSatoshi en-aut-sei=Akagi en-aut-mei=Satoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=YoshidaMasashi en-aut-sei=Yoshida en-aut-mei=Masashi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= en-aut-name=MiyoshiToru en-aut-sei=Miyoshi en-aut-mei=Toru kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=12 ORCID= en-aut-name=MoritaHiroshi en-aut-sei=Morita en-aut-mei=Hiroshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=13 ORCID= en-aut-name=NaruseKeiji en-aut-sei=Naruse en-aut-mei=Keiji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=14 ORCID= en-aut-name=NishidaMikako en-aut-sei=Nishida en-aut-mei=Mikako kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=15 ORCID= en-aut-name=UdonoHeiichiro en-aut-sei=Udono en-aut-mei=Heiichiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=16 ORCID= en-aut-name=ZhangJianhua en-aut-sei=Zhang en-aut-mei=Jianhua kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=17 ORCID= en-aut-name=YuasaShinsuke en-aut-sei=Yuasa en-aut-mei=Shinsuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=18 ORCID= en-aut-name=KampTimothy J. en-aut-sei=Kamp en-aut-mei=Timothy J. kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=19 ORCID= en-aut-name=ItoHiroshi en-aut-sei=Ito en-aut-mei=Hiroshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=20 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Physiology, Okayama University Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Biomedical Informatics and Molecular Biology, The Sakaguchi Laboratory, Keio University School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Bio-Informational Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Bio-Informational Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Bio-Informational Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of Bio-Informational Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Department of Chronic Kidney Disease and Cardiovascular Disease, Okayama University Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=12 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=13 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Therapeutics, Okayama University Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=14 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Physiology, Okayama University Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=15 en-affil=Department of Metabolic Immune Regulation, Okayama University Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=16 en-affil=Department of Metabolic Immune Regulation, Okayama University Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=17 en-affil=Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health kn-affil= affil-num=18 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=19 en-affil=Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health kn-affil= affil-num=20 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= en-keyword=Human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes kn-keyword=Human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes en-keyword=Anterior second heart field kn-keyword=Anterior second heart field en-keyword=Right ventricle kn-keyword=Right ventricle en-keyword=Bone morphogenetic protein kn-keyword=Bone morphogenetic protein END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=36 cd-vols= no-issue=6 article-no= start-page=732 end-page=740 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=202511 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Causal Approaches to Disease Progression Analyses en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Epidemiologic analyses that aim to quantify exposure effects on disease progression are not uncommon. Understanding the implications of these studies, however, is complicated, in part because different causal estimands could, at least in theory, be the target of such analyses. Here, to facilitate interpretation of these studies, we describe different settings in which causal questions related to disease progression can be asked, and consider possible estimands. For clarity, our discussion is structured around settings defined based on two factors: whether the disease occurrence is manipulable or not, and the type of outcome. We describe relevant causal structures and sets of response types, which consist of joint potential outcomes of disease occurrence and disease progression, and argue that settings where interventions to manipulate disease occurrence are not plausible are more common, and that, in this case, principal stratification might be an appropriate framework to conceptualize the analysis. Further, we suggest that the precise definition of the outcome of interest, in particular of what constitutes its permissible levels, might determine whether potential outcomes linked to disease progression are definable in different strata of the population. Our hope is that this paper will encourage additional methodological work on causal analysis of disease progression, as well as serve as a resource for future applied studies. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=GonçalvesBronner P. en-aut-sei=Gonçalves en-aut-mei=Bronner P. kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=SuzukiEtsuji en-aut-sei=Suzuki en-aut-mei=Etsuji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=disease progression kn-keyword=disease progression en-keyword=causal inference kn-keyword=causal inference en-keyword=principal stratification kn-keyword=principal stratification en-keyword=controlled direct effects kn-keyword=controlled direct effects en-keyword=potential outcomes kn-keyword=potential outcomes END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=66 cd-vols= no-issue=7 article-no= start-page=1044 end-page=1060 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250527 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Oxygen supply is a prerequisite for response to aluminum in cultured cells of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Responses to aluminum (Al) were investigated in tobacco cells (cell line SL) in a calcium-sucrose solution for up to 24 h under shaking (aerobic) condition. Microarray analysis of upregulated and downregulated genes under Al exposure and following Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis of biological process category revealed only one GO term to be enriched for the upregulated genes, “response to chitin,” annotated with genes encoding transcription factors (NtERF1 and NtMYB3) and MAP kinase (WIPK), and nine GO terms for the downregulated genes, including “cell wall loosening” and “lipid transport,” annotated with genes encoding expansin (NtEXPA4) and lipid transfer protein (LTP)/LTP-like (NtLTP3 and NtEIG-C29), respectively. Al triggered the production of nitric oxide (NO) then reactive oxygen species (ROS). Addition of NO scavenger 2-(4-carboxyphenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide decreased the levels of NO and a part of the transcriptional changes described above, but increased the levels of ROS and a loss of growth capacity, suggesting a role of the NO to induce the transcriptional changes partly and to repress these toxic responses under Al exposure. Under non-shaking (anaerobic) condition, the cells exhibited upregulation of several hypoxia-responsive genes. The cells exposed to Al exhibited the same level of Al accumulation but much lower levels of the Al responses including NO production, ROS production, a loss of growth capacity, citrate secretion, and a part of the transcriptional changes described above, compared with the cells under shaking condition. These results suggest that coexistence of oxygen with Al is necessary to trigger the Al responses related to toxicity and tolerance. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=TsuchiyaYoshiyuki en-aut-sei=Tsuchiya en-aut-mei=Yoshiyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=KatsuharaMaki en-aut-sei=Katsuhara en-aut-mei=Maki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=SasakiTakayuki en-aut-sei=Sasaki en-aut-mei=Takayuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=YamamotoYoko en-aut-sei=Yamamoto en-aut-mei=Yoko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=aluminum toxicity kn-keyword=aluminum toxicity en-keyword=aluminum-responsive genes kn-keyword=aluminum-responsive genes en-keyword=cell wall loosening kn-keyword=cell wall loosening en-keyword=chitin-responsive genes kn-keyword=chitin-responsive genes en-keyword=dioxygen kn-keyword=dioxygen en-keyword=hypoxia kn-keyword=hypoxia END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=18 cd-vols= no-issue=2 article-no= start-page=22 end-page=32 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250805 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Data inventory, processing, and reporting on plant blindness among high school students in three schools in West Java en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Plant blindness is a problem related to a person's inability to realize, recognize, and know the benefits and roles of plants. After some research, there was a shift in the term, from Plant Blindness to Plant Awareness Disparity. This study aims to find out the prevalence of Plant Blindness in three high schools in West Java. The method used in this study is descriptive Cross sectional. The results of this study revealed that there were differences in the level of plant awareness in the three schools studied. One of the schools in the city of Bandung showed the highest plant awareness rate. In addition, it was also found that students who had a high level of plant awareness had a high perception of plant awareness. As a follow-up, further research can be carried out to collect more data so that it becomes a whole population. In addition, researchers can then use additional instruments so that more things can be revealed about plant blindness. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=SorayaPuan Helwa Rezha en-aut-sei=Soraya en-aut-mei=Puan Helwa Rezha kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=SolihatRini en-aut-sei=Solihat en-aut-mei=Rini kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=SanjayaYayan en-aut-sei=Sanjaya en-aut-mei=Yayan kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=HaradaTaro en-aut-sei=Harada en-aut-mei=Taro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Biology Education, Faculty of Mathematics and Science Education, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Biology Education, Faculty of Mathematics and Science Education, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Biology Education, Faculty of Mathematics and Science Education, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Graduate School of Education, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=Descriptive statistics kn-keyword=Descriptive statistics en-keyword=Inferential statistics kn-keyword=Inferential statistics en-keyword=Plant Blindness kn-keyword=Plant Blindness END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=142 cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page=104967 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=202506 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Cross-feeding between beneficial and pathogenic bacteria to utilize eukaryotic host cell-derived sialic acids and bacteriophages shape the pathogen-host interface milieu en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Under an inflamed-intestinal milieu, increased free sialic acids are associated with the overgrowth of some pathogenic bacterial strains. Recently, the protective immunomodulatory activity of gut bacteriophages (phages) has also been highlighted. However, the role of phages in triple reciprocal interactions between pathogenic bacteria, beneficial bacteria, and their host cell sialic acids has not been studied so far. We established a sialidase-explicit model in which beneficial and pathogenic bacteria interact through cross-feeding and competition for free sialic acid using a human triple co-culture cell model incorporating colonocytes (T84 cells), monocytes (THP-1 cells), and hepatocytes (Huh7 cells). Triple co-cultured cells were challenged with Gram-positive Bifidobacterium bifidum (B. bifidum) and Gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 (P. a PAO1) in the absence or presence of its KPP22 phage in two different cell culture mediums: 1) standard Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM) and 2) DMEM with 2,3-dehydro-2-deoxy-N-acetylneuraminic acid (DANA). Changes in physiological, functional, and structural health markers of stimulated cocultured cells were evaluated. The concentrations of sialic acid and pro-inflammatory cytokines in the cell culture supernatants were quantified. P. a PAO1 triggered the release of interleukin 6 and 8 (IL-6 and IL-8), accompanied by increased levels of free sialic acid, reduced viability of co-cultured cells, and disrupted the integrity of the cellular monolayer. These disruptive effects were markedly attenuated by KPP22 phage and B. bifidum. In addition to well-documented differences in the structure and composition of the bacterial cell walls of Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria and bifidobacteria, two distinct factors seem to be pivotal in modulating the pathogen-host interface milieu: (i) the presence of phages and (ii) the utilization of free sialic acids secreted from host cells by bifidobacteria. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=GhadimiDarab en-aut-sei=Ghadimi en-aut-mei=Darab kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=Fölster-HolstRegina en-aut-sei=Fölster-Holst en-aut-mei=Regina kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=BlömerSophia en-aut-sei=Blömer en-aut-mei=Sophia kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=EbsenMichael en-aut-sei=Ebsen en-aut-mei=Michael kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=RöckenChristoph en-aut-sei=Röcken en-aut-mei=Christoph kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=UchiyamaJumpei en-aut-sei=Uchiyama en-aut-mei=Jumpei kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=MatsuzakiShigenobu en-aut-sei=Matsuzaki en-aut-mei=Shigenobu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=BockelmannWilhelm en-aut-sei=Bockelmann en-aut-mei=Wilhelm kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Max Rubner-Institut kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Clinic of Dermatology, Venerology und Allergology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Clinic of Dermatology, Venerology und Allergology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Städtisches MVZ Kiel GmbH (Kiel City Hospital), Department of Pathology kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Institute of Pathology, Kiel University, University Hospital, Schleswig-Holstein kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Bacteriology, Graduate School of Medicine Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, Kochi Gakuen University kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Max Rubner-Institut kn-affil= en-keyword=Bacterial sialidase kn-keyword=Bacterial sialidase en-keyword=Inflammation kn-keyword=Inflammation en-keyword=Cytokines kn-keyword=Cytokines en-keyword=Infection kn-keyword=Infection en-keyword=Bifidobacteria kn-keyword=Bifidobacteria en-keyword=Phages kn-keyword=Phages END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=13 cd-vols= no-issue=12 article-no= start-page=25 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=20241216 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Disruption of the Enterococcus faecalis–Induced Biofilm on the Intraocular Lens Using Bacteriophages en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Purpose: To compare the effects of bacteriophages (phages) and vancomycin on Enterococcus faecalis–induced biofilms on the intraocular lens.
Methods: E. faecalis strains EF24, GU02, GU03, and phiEF14H1 were used. The expression of the enterococcus surface protein (esp) gene was analyzed using polymerase chain reaction. Phages or vancomycin was added to the biofilms formed on culture plates or acrylic intraocular lenses. The biofilms were quantified after staining with crystal violet. The structure of the biofilms was analyzed using scanning electron microscopy.
Results: E. faecalis strains EF24, GU02, and GU03 formed biofilms on cell culture plates; however, the esp-negative GU03 strain had a significantly lower biofilm-forming ability than the esp-positive strains EF24 and GU02. The addition of phiEF14H1 resulted in a significant reduction in biofilm mass produced by both EF24 and GU02 compared with the untreated control. However, the addition of vancomycin did not degrade the biofilms. Phages significantly degraded biofilms and reduced the viable EF24 and GU02 bacteria on the intraocular lens.
Conclusions: Phages can degrade biofilms formed on the intraocular lens and destroy the bacteria within it. Thus, phage therapy may be a new treatment option for refractory and recurrent endophthalmitis caused by biofilm-forming bacteria.
Translational Relevance: Phage therapy, a novel treatment option for refractory and recurrent endophthalmitis caused by biofilm-forming bacteria, effectively lyses E. faecalis–induced biofilms. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=KishimotoTatsuma en-aut-sei=Kishimoto en-aut-mei=Tatsuma kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=FukudaKen en-aut-sei=Fukuda en-aut-mei=Ken kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=IshidaWaka en-aut-sei=Ishida en-aut-mei=Waka kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=KuwanaAozora en-aut-sei=Kuwana en-aut-mei=Aozora kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=TodokoroDaisuke en-aut-sei=Todokoro en-aut-mei=Daisuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=UchiyamaJumpei en-aut-sei=Uchiyama en-aut-mei=Jumpei kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=MatsuzakiShigenobu en-aut-sei=Matsuzaki en-aut-mei=Shigenobu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=YamashiroKenji en-aut-sei=Yamashiro en-aut-mei=Kenji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Ophthalmology, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Bacteriology, Graduate School of Medicine Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, Kochi Gakuen University kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University kn-affil= en-keyword=biofilm kn-keyword=biofilm en-keyword=bacteriophage kn-keyword=bacteriophage en-keyword=intraocular lens kn-keyword=intraocular lens en-keyword=endophthalmitis kn-keyword=endophthalmitis en-keyword=cataract kn-keyword=cataract en-keyword=enterococcus faecalis kn-keyword=enterococcus faecalis END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=133 cd-vols= no-issue=9 article-no= start-page=555 end-page=561 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250901 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Preparation and structural characterization of nanoporous silica/magnesium(II)-whitlockite composite particles en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=The preparation of particles composed of nanoporous silica (NS) and Mg2+-whitlockite (Mg-WH) would provide valuable insights for designing particles for biomedical applications. In this study, NS and Mg-WH composite particles were successfully synthesized. The addition of chitosan during synthesis possibly promoted the crystallization of calcium phosphate phases in the composite particles. Pore size distribution analysis of the particles showed a maximum at 3.2 nm. Investigating the adsorption of methylene blue onto the particles in a phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) showed that the saturated adsorption amount of methylene blue on the particles was significantly higher than that on commercial hydroxyapatite. The composite particles provided important results for potential applications as drug carriers for bone regeneration and repair. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=KataokaTakuya en-aut-sei=Kataoka en-aut-mei=Takuya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=HirotaDaiki en-aut-sei=Hirota en-aut-mei=Daiki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=FujiiEiji en-aut-sei=Fujii en-aut-mei=Eiji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=YoshiokaTomohiko en-aut-sei=Yoshioka en-aut-mei=Tomohiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=HayakawaSatoshi en-aut-sei=Hayakawa en-aut-mei=Satoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Faculty of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Industrial Technology Center of Okayama Prefecture kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Faculty of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Faculty of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=Nanoporous silica kn-keyword=Nanoporous silica en-keyword=Magnesium(II)-whitlockite kn-keyword=Magnesium(II)-whitlockite en-keyword=Composite particle kn-keyword=Composite particle en-keyword=Drug carriers for bone regeneration and repair kn-keyword=Drug carriers for bone regeneration and repair END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=1869 cd-vols= no-issue=12 article-no= start-page=130860 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250913 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=The F54L mutation of Thioredoxin shows protein instability and increased fluctuations of the catalytic center en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Thioredoxin is a ubiquitous redox protein that acts as an electron donor via its conserved dithiol motif (C32GPC35), catalyzing dithiol–disulfide exchange to regulate the redox state of target proteins. It supports antioxidant defense via peroxiredoxins, facilitates DNA synthesis by donating electrons to ribonucleotide reductase, and regulates redox-sensitive signaling pathways, including those controlling transcription and apoptosis. Neuronal degeneration and chronic kidney disease have been observed in Txn-F54L mutant rats; however, the details of why the Txn mutation causes these phenomena remain unknown. The present study aimed to elucidate the functional and structural changes caused by the F54L mutation. The Thioredoxin-F54L showed less insulin-reducing activity and more thermosensitivity to denaturation in the body temperature range compared to the wild type. The crystal structure revealed that F54 forms hydrophobic interactions with the surrounding hydrophobic amino acids. In addition, molecular dynamics simulation predicts increased fluctuations around the F54L mutation and a tendency for the distance between residues C32 and C35 at the catalytic center to be widened. The increased distance between residues C32 and C35 of the catalytic center may affect the reducing activity of the enzyme on the substrate. The finding that Thioredoxin-F54L is prone to denaturation at normal body temperature may reduce the normally functioning Thioredoxin. These molecular characteristics of Thioredoxin-F54L may be related to brain and kidney disease development in the Txn-F54L rats. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=BabaTakumi en-aut-sei=Baba en-aut-mei=Takumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=UenoGo en-aut-sei=Ueno en-aut-mei=Go kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=OheChika en-aut-sei=Ohe en-aut-mei=Chika kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=SajiShuku en-aut-sei=Saji en-aut-mei=Shuku kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=YamamotoSachiko en-aut-sei=Yamamoto en-aut-mei=Sachiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=YamamotoMasaki en-aut-sei=Yamamoto en-aut-mei=Masaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakagawaHiroshi en-aut-sei=Nakagawa en-aut-mei=Hiroshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=OkazakiNobuo en-aut-sei=Okazaki en-aut-mei=Nobuo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=OuchidaMamoru en-aut-sei=Ouchida en-aut-mei=Mamoru kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=Kawasaki-OhmoriIori en-aut-sei=Kawasaki-Ohmori en-aut-mei=Iori kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakeshitaKohei en-aut-sei=Takeshita en-aut-mei=Kohei kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Life Science Research Infrastructure Group, Advanced Photon Technology Division, RIKEN SPring-8 Center kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Life Science Research Infrastructure Group, Advanced Photon Technology Division, RIKEN SPring-8 Center kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Life Science Research Infrastructure Group, Advanced Photon Technology Division, RIKEN SPring-8 Center kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Structural Biology Division, Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Structural Biology Division, Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Life Science Research Infrastructure Group, Advanced Photon Technology Division, RIKEN SPring-8 Center kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Materials Sciences Research Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Neutron Science and Technology Center, Comprehensive Research Organization for Science and Society (CROSS) kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of Molecular Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Section of Developmental Physiology and Pathology, Faculty of Education, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Life Science Research Infrastructure Group, Advanced Photon Technology Division, RIKEN SPring-8 Center kn-affil= en-keyword=Txn kn-keyword=Txn en-keyword=Thioredoxin kn-keyword=Thioredoxin en-keyword=Protein instability kn-keyword=Protein instability en-keyword=Thermosensitivity kn-keyword=Thermosensitivity en-keyword=Crystal structure kn-keyword=Crystal structure en-keyword=Molecular dynamics simulation kn-keyword=Molecular dynamics simulation END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol= cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page= end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250921 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Urbanised landscape and microhabitat differences can influence flowering phenology and synchrony in an annual herb en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=1. Flowering phenology, a crucial determinant of plant reproductive success and biotic interactions, is susceptible to urbanisation. Numerous studies have shown the impact of urbanised landscapes on flowering phenology based on comparisons along urban–rural gradients. Phenological patterns among microenvironments in the urban ecosystem have received less attention, although they often offer unique habitats with varying artificial influences, such as roadsides, drainage ditches and vacant lots. If differences in microenvironments diversify flowering phenology, the urban matrix might reduce flowering synchrony with neighbouring populations, limiting outcrossing opportunities and therefore reducing reproductive success.
2. We investigated the flowering phenology and synchrony of the native annual herb Commelina communis in approximately 250 populations at two rural and two urban sites over 3 years. To determine the effect of microhabitat differences, we categorised the microhabitats of C. communis populations into five types: drains, roadsides, vacant land, farmland and forest edge. In some study populations, we investigated reproductive success (seed set) to estimate the degree of outcross pollination limitation.
3. Our findings revealed that populations in urban sites exhibited earlier flowering onset and longer flowering duration compared to rural locations. Besides, we did not detect consistent patterns of flowering onset, peak and duration among the different microhabitat types. For flowering synchrony, we found that the population in urban sites, growing in drain habitats, and with artificial disturbances exhibited relatively lower interpopulation flowering synchrony, suggesting their phenology differed from neighbouring populations within the same landscape. Additionally, populations in urban sites, especially those growing in drain and roadside habitats, suffered severe outcross pollen limitation compared to those in rural landscapes.
4. Synthesis and applications. In conclusion, our results indicate that in addition to landscape changes associated with urbanisation, variations in local microhabitats also influence the flowering phenology and synchrony of C. communis populations. Urbanised landscapes and differences in microhabitats could contribute to the diversification of phenological patterns between populations, potentially having a negative impact on the reproductive success of native plant species. These findings highlight the need to consider not only spatial but also temporal fragmentation from diversified flowering phenology when addressing conservation in the urban matrix. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=FujiwaraHinata en-aut-sei=Fujiwara en-aut-mei=Hinata kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=YamaguchiHiroto en-aut-sei=Yamaguchi en-aut-mei=Hiroto kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakataKazuyoshi en-aut-sei=Nakata en-aut-mei=Kazuyoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=KatsuharaKoki R. en-aut-sei=Katsuhara en-aut-mei=Koki R. kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=artificial disturbance kn-keyword=artificial disturbance en-keyword=Commelina kn-keyword=Commelina en-keyword=drainage ditches kn-keyword=drainage ditches en-keyword=flowering synchrony kn-keyword=flowering synchrony en-keyword=roadside kn-keyword=roadside en-keyword=ruderal plants kn-keyword=ruderal plants en-keyword=temporal fragmentation kn-keyword=temporal fragmentation en-keyword=urban ecology kn-keyword=urban ecology END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=400 cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page=51 end-page=71 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=202507 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Lithium- and oxygen-isotope compositions of a Si-rich nebular reservoir determined from chondrule constituents in the Sahara 97103 EH3 chondrite en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Here we report the in situ ion-microprobe analyses of the Li- and O-isotope compositions of enstatite, FeO-rich pyroxene, olivine, glass, and cristobalite grains from six chondrule-related objects from the Sahara 97103 EH3 chondrite. The O-isotope composition of the enstatite grains scattered around the intersection between the terrestrial fractionation and primitive chondrule minerals lines. Whereas, that of olivine varied along the primitive chondrule minerals line. Based on the mineralogy, we found cristobalite formed as a result of Si saturation, instead of the reduction of FeO-rich silicates, consistent with Si-enrichment of whole rock enstatite chondrites. Based on the mineralogy and O-isotope compositions, we infer that olivines in some chondrules are relict grains. In chondrules that contained olivine, no abundant niningerite [(Mg,Fe,Mn)S] was observed. Thus, enstatite formation can be explained by the interaction of an olivine precursor with additional SiO2 (Mg2SiO4 + SiO2 → Mg2Si2O6), instead of sulfidation (Mg2SiO4 + S → 1/2 Mg2Si2O6 + MgS + 1/2 O2). Using the equation Mg2SiO4 + SiO2 → Mg2Si2O6 and the O-isotope compositions of enstatite and olivine, the O-isotope composition of the additional SiO2 was estimated. Based on the O-isotope composition, we infer that there could be a Si-rich gas with an elevated Δ17O value similar to, or greater than the second trend line (Δ17O = 0.9 ‰) suggested by Weisberg et al. (2021), during chondrule formation. The variation in the Li-isotope compositions of enstatite and olivine grains from EH3 chondrules is smaller than that for the same phases from CV3 chondrules. The variation in the Li-isotope compositions of the enstatite and olivine grains from EH3 chondrules is also smaller than that of their O-isotope compositions. During the recycling of enstatite-chondrite chondrules, both Li- and O-isotope compositions were homogenized. Although enstatite is the major carrier of Li in EH3 chondrules, the Li-isotope composition (δ7Li) of enstatite is lower than that of whole rock EH3 chondrites, suggesting the existence of a phase with higher δ7Li. Meanwhile, the Li-isotope composition and concentration (δ7Li, [Li]) of enstatite is higher than that of olivine. The Li-isotope composition of the Si-rich gas was estimated to be δ7Li = 1 ‰, using a similar mass-balance calculation as applied for the O-isotope composition. The Li-isotope composition of the Si-rich gas from the enstatite-chondrite-chondrule forming-region, is consistent with that of whole rock EH3 chondrites, and differs significantly from that of the Si-rich gas from the carbonaceous-chondrite-chondrule forming-region (δ7Li = −11 ‰) determined by a previous study. We speculate that the Si-rich gas in the carbonaceous-chondrite-chondrule forming-region maintained the Li-isotope heterogeneity inherited from light lithium synthesized by galactic cosmic-ray spallation in the interstellar medium. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=Douglas-SongTorii en-aut-sei=Douglas-Song en-aut-mei=Torii kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=OtaTsutomu en-aut-sei=Ota en-aut-mei=Tsutomu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=YamanakaMasahiro en-aut-sei=Yamanaka en-aut-mei=Masahiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=KitagawaHiroshi en-aut-sei=Kitagawa en-aut-mei=Hiroshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=TanakaRyoji en-aut-sei=Tanaka en-aut-mei=Ryoji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=PotiszilChristian en-aut-sei=Potiszil en-aut-mei=Christian kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=KunihiroTak en-aut-sei=Kunihiro en-aut-mei=Tak kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=The Pheasant Memorial Laboratory Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=The Pheasant Memorial Laboratory Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=The Pheasant Memorial Laboratory Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=The Pheasant Memorial Laboratory Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=The Pheasant Memorial Laboratory Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=The Pheasant Memorial Laboratory Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=The Pheasant Memorial Laboratory Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=Lithium kn-keyword=Lithium en-keyword=Oxygen kn-keyword=Oxygen en-keyword=Trace elements kn-keyword=Trace elements en-keyword=Chondrule kn-keyword=Chondrule en-keyword=Enstatite chondrite kn-keyword=Enstatite chondrite en-keyword=SIMS kn-keyword=SIMS en-keyword=Sulfidation kn-keyword=Sulfidation en-keyword=Silicification kn-keyword=Silicification END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol= cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page=pcaf098 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250822 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Thylakostasis: key factors in thylakoid membrane organization with emphasis on biogenesis and remodeling proteins in vascular plants en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=The thylakoid membrane (TM), a defining feature for almost all oxygen-evolving photosynthetic organisms, serves as the structural foundation for light-driven energy conversion. In vascular plants, the TM evolved into a complex architecture composed of single-layered stroma thylakoids and stacked grana thylakoids, enabling the spatial organization of two photosystems (PSII and PSI) to optimize light capture and energy transfer. In addition, two membrane regions, one connecting these two compartments (grana margin) and the other corresponding to the curvature domain in grana, function in dissipating excess energy, balancing electron transfer, and maintaining functional PSII. Recent advances in electron microscopy imaging and proteome analysis of membrane subcompartments have provided new insights into the structure and dynamic adaptations of the TM in response to diverse environmental conditions. To describe the mechanisms that govern TM architecture, dynamics, and integrity, I am introducing the concept of “thylakostasis” (thylakoid homeostasis). Here, I provide an overview of the molecular components and processes central to thylakostasis, including the biosynthesis of lipids, chlorophyll, and proteins. I focus particularly on the membrane remodeling proteins whose functions have been elucidated recently, such as VIPP1, a member of the evolutionarily conserved PspA/ESCRT-III superfamily; FZL, a dynamin-like GTPase; and CURT1, a curvature-inducing protein unique to photosynthetic organisms. Together, these factors orchestrate TM biogenesis, remodeling, and adaptive flexibility that is essential for photosynthetic efficiency. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=SakamotoWataru en-aut-sei=Sakamoto en-aut-mei=Wataru kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=chloroplast kn-keyword=chloroplast en-keyword=ESCRT-III (endosomal sorting complex required for transport complex III) kn-keyword=ESCRT-III (endosomal sorting complex required for transport complex III) en-keyword=grana kn-keyword=grana en-keyword=membrane trafficking kn-keyword=membrane trafficking en-keyword=photosynthesis kn-keyword=photosynthesis en-keyword=stroma thylakoid kn-keyword=stroma thylakoid END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=18 cd-vols= no-issue=1 article-no= start-page=wrae175 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=202401 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Cyanorhodopsin-II represents a yellow-absorbing proton-pumping rhodopsin clade within cyanobacteria en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Microbial rhodopsins are prevalent in many cyanobacterial groups as a light-energy-harvesting system in addition to the photosynthetic system. It has been suggested that this dual system allows efficient capture of sunlight energy using complementary ranges of absorption wavelengths. However, the diversity of cyanobacterial rhodopsins, particularly in accumulated metagenomic data, remains underexplored. Here, we used a metagenomic mining approach, which led to the identification of a novel rhodopsin clade unique to cyanobacteria, cyanorhodopsin-II (CyR-II). CyR-IIs function as light-driven outward H+ pumps. CyR-IIs, together with previously identified cyanorhodopsins (CyRs) and cyanobacterial halorhodopsins (CyHRs), constitute cyanobacterial ion-pumping rhodopsins (CyipRs), a phylogenetically distinct family of rhodopsins. The CyR-II clade is further divided into two subclades, YCyR-II and GCyR-II, based on their specific absorption wavelength. YCyR-II absorbed yellow light (λmax = 570 nm), whereas GCyR-II absorbed green light (λmax = 550 nm). X-ray crystallography and mutational analysis revealed that the difference in absorption wavelengths is attributable to slight changes in the side chain structure near the retinal chromophore. The evolutionary trajectory of cyanobacterial rhodopsins suggests that the function and light-absorbing range of these rhodopsins have been adapted to a wide range of habitats with variable light and environmental conditions. Collectively, these findings shed light on the importance of rhodopsins in the evolution and environmental adaptation of cyanobacteria. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=Hasegawa-TakanoMasumi en-aut-sei=Hasegawa-Takano en-aut-mei=Masumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=HosakaToshiaki en-aut-sei=Hosaka en-aut-mei=Toshiaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=KojimaKeiichi en-aut-sei=Kojima en-aut-mei=Keiichi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=NishimuraYosuke en-aut-sei=Nishimura en-aut-mei=Yosuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=KuriharaMarie en-aut-sei=Kurihara en-aut-mei=Marie kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakajimaYu en-aut-sei=Nakajima en-aut-mei=Yu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=Ishizuka-KatsuraYoshiko en-aut-sei=Ishizuka-Katsura en-aut-mei=Yoshiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=Kimura-SomeyaTomomi en-aut-sei=Kimura-Someya en-aut-mei=Tomomi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=ShirouzuMikako en-aut-sei=Shirouzu en-aut-mei=Mikako kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=SudoYuki en-aut-sei=Sudo en-aut-mei=Yuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=YoshizawaSusumu en-aut-sei=Yoshizawa en-aut-mei=Susumu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Laboratory for Protein Functional and Structural Biology, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Laboratory for Protein Functional and Structural Biology, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Laboratory for Protein Functional and Structural Biology, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Laboratory for Protein Functional and Structural Biology, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo kn-affil= en-keyword=cyanobacteria kn-keyword=cyanobacteria en-keyword=microbial rhodopsin kn-keyword=microbial rhodopsin en-keyword=ecology kn-keyword=ecology en-keyword=evolution kn-keyword=evolution END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=14 cd-vols= no-issue=17 article-no= start-page=6207 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250902 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Evaluation of the Diagnostic Performance of the Brush/Biopsy Rapid On-Site Evaluation (B-ROSE) in Cases of Bile Duct Stricture: A Prospective, Pilot Study en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=settingsOrder Article Reprints Open AccessArticle Evaluation of the Diagnostic Performance of the Brush/Biopsy Rapid On-Site Evaluation (B-ROSE) in Cases of Bile Duct Stricture: A Prospective, Pilot Study by Nao Hattori 1,Daisuke Uchida 1,2,*,Kei Harada 1,Ryosuke Sato 1ORCID,Taisuke Obata 1,Akihiro Matsumi 1ORCID,Kazuya Miyamoto 1ORCID,Hiroyuki Terasawa 1ORCID,Yuki Fujii 1,Koichiro Tsutsumi 1ORCID,Shigeru Horiguchi 1,Kazuyuki Matsumoto 1ORCID andMotoyuki Otsuka 1 1 Department of Gastroenterology, Okayama University Hospital, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Kita-ku, Okayama 700-8558, Japan 2 Center for Innovative Clinical Medicine, Okayama University Hospital, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Kita-ku, Okayama 700-8558, Japan * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. J. Clin. Med. 2025, 14(17), 6207; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14176207 Submission received: 23 June 2025 / Revised: 21 August 2025 / Accepted: 26 August 2025 / Published: 2 September 2025 (This article belongs to the Section Gastroenterology & Hepatopancreatobiliary Medicine) Downloadkeyboard_arrow_down Browse Figures Versions Notes Abstract Background: Biliary strictures are diagnosed using endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) with brush cytology and biopsy. However, brush cytology shows a sensitivity of 9–56.1% and a diagnostic accuracy of 43–65.4%, while biopsy demonstrates a sensitivity of 48%. Both methods exhibit high specificity but limited sensitivity. While rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE) is effective in endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA), its application in ERCP-obtained samples remains underexplored. Methods: This prospective pilot study was conducted at Okayama University Hospital from April 2019 to July 2024. Patients requiring ERCP-guided sampling for bile duct strictures were included. ROSE was applied to brush cytology with up to three additional attempts and to imprint cytology from biopsy samples with up to two attempts. Diagnostic accuracy was assessed based on pathology and clinical course. Results: Among 37 patients (median age: 73 years, add range, and male–female ratio: 27:10), 18 had hilar and 19 had distal bile duct strictures. Brush cytology required one, two, or three attempts in twenty-six, six, and five cases, respectively, whereas biopsy required one or two attempts in thirty-five and two cases, respectively. Among the thirty-seven cases, thirty-five were malignant and two were benign. The B-ROSE group showed a sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 71.4%, 100.0%, and 73.0%, respectively, compared to lower accuracy in the conventional group, where single brush cytology attempts yielded a sensitivity of 48.6% and an accuracy of 48.6%, and single biopsy attempts showed a sensitivity of 68.6% and an accuracy of 70.3%. Conclusions: B-ROSE improves diagnostic accuracy, reduces repeat sampling, and minimizes patient burden in ERCP-based diagnosis of bile duct strictures, making it a valuable addition to current diagnostic protocols. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=HattoriNao en-aut-sei=Hattori en-aut-mei=Nao kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=UchidaDaisuke en-aut-sei=Uchida en-aut-mei=Daisuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=HaradaKei en-aut-sei=Harada en-aut-mei=Kei kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=SatoRyosuke en-aut-sei=Sato en-aut-mei=Ryosuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=ObataTaisuke en-aut-sei=Obata en-aut-mei=Taisuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=MatsumiAkihiro en-aut-sei=Matsumi en-aut-mei=Akihiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=MiyamotoKazuya en-aut-sei=Miyamoto en-aut-mei=Kazuya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=TerasawaHiroyuki en-aut-sei=Terasawa en-aut-mei=Hiroyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=FujiiYuki en-aut-sei=Fujii en-aut-mei=Yuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=TsutsumiKoichiro en-aut-sei=Tsutsumi en-aut-mei=Koichiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=HoriguchiShigeru en-aut-sei=Horiguchi en-aut-mei=Shigeru kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= en-aut-name=MatsumotoKazuyuki en-aut-sei=Matsumoto en-aut-mei=Kazuyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=12 ORCID= en-aut-name=OtsukaMotoyuki en-aut-sei=Otsuka en-aut-mei=Motoyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=13 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=12 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=13 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= en-keyword=bile duct stricture kn-keyword=bile duct stricture en-keyword=ERCP (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography) kn-keyword=ERCP (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography) en-keyword=rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE) kn-keyword=rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE) en-keyword=B-ROSE kn-keyword=B-ROSE END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=13 cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page=89003 end-page=89024 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250519 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Security in Post-Quantum Era: A Comprehensive Survey on Lattice-Based Algorithms en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Lattice-based post-quantum cryptography (PQC) has attracted significant attention as a promising solution to the security challenges posed by quantum computing. Unlike traditional cryptographic algorithms, lattice-based schemes are expected to remain secure even in the presence of quantum attacks, making them essential for securing future data. Despite their strong theoretical foundations, lattice-based schemes face several practical challenges, particularly in optimizing performance and scalability for real-world applications. This survey provides a novel taxonomy that categorizes lattice-based PQC designs, with an emphasis on computational paradigms and security considerations. We systematically evaluate lattice-based PQC implementations across both software platforms, including central processing units and graphics processing units, as well as hardware platforms like field-programmable gate arrays and application-specific integrated circuits, highlighting their strengths and limitations. In addition, we explore the practical applications of lattice-based cryptography in fields such as secure communication, critical infrastructure, privacy-preserving data analytics, artificial intelligence, and trust and authentication systems. By offering a comprehensive overview of the current state of lattice-based PQC, this survey aims to provide valuable insights into the ongoing advancements and future research directions in the field as we transition to a post-quantum era. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=NguyenHien en-aut-sei=Nguyen en-aut-mei=Hien kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=HudaSamsul en-aut-sei=Huda en-aut-mei=Samsul kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=NogamiYasuyuki en-aut-sei=Nogami en-aut-mei=Yasuyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=NguyenTuy Tan en-aut-sei=Nguyen en-aut-mei=Tuy Tan kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, Northern Arizona University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Interdisciplinary Education and Research Field, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, Northern Arizona University kn-affil= en-keyword=Post-quantum cryptography kn-keyword=Post-quantum cryptography en-keyword=lattice-based cryptography kn-keyword=lattice-based cryptography en-keyword=number theoretic transform kn-keyword=number theoretic transform en-keyword=hardware and software implementation kn-keyword=hardware and software implementation END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=58 cd-vols= no-issue=3 article-no= start-page=1571 end-page=1577 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250203 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Synthesis and Postfunctionalization of Acrylate-Appended Poly(cyclohexene carbonate)s: Modulation of Properties of CO2-Based Polymers en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Functional CO2-based polycarbonates are expected to be sustainable materials. Herein, a bifunctional aluminum porphyrin catalyzed the terpolymerization of cyclohexene oxide (CHO), acrylate-appended CHO, and CO2 to provide poly(cyclohexene carbonate)s (PCHCs) with acrylate groups. Postfunctionalization of PCHCs via Michael addition or Heck reaction enabled the incorporation of thiol, amine, and aromatics into PCHCs with high selectivity and efficiency. PCHCs with the flexible long alkyl chains showed a glass-transition temperature (Tg) of down to 52 °C, which was much lower than that of PCHC (127 °C). In sharp contrast, PCHCs with rigid pyrenyl groups showed Tg values of up to 152 °C and fluorescence emission. Thus, a wide range of polymers were obtained by robust and sustainable synthetic methods, and the functional groups modulated the properties of the CO2-based polycarbonates. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=MaedaChihiro en-aut-sei=Maeda en-aut-mei=Chihiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=InoueHina en-aut-sei=Inoue en-aut-mei=Hina kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=EmaTadashi en-aut-sei=Ema en-aut-mei=Tadashi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Division of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Division of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Division of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=14 cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page=e72549 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250624 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Optimization of Preemptive Therapy for Cytomegalovirus Infections With Valganciclovir Based on Therapeutic Drug Monitoring: Protocol for a Phase II, Single-Center, Single-Arm Trial en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Background: Valganciclovir (VGCV) is the first-line drug for preemptive therapy of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections. However, even when administered at the dose specified in the package insert, there is significant interindividual variability in the plasma concentrations of ganciclovir (GCV). In addition, correlations have been reported between the area under the concentration–time curve and therapeutic efficacy or adverse events. Therefore, therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) can be used to improve the efficacy and safety of preemptive VGCV therapy.
Objective: This study aims to evaluate whether the dosage adjustment of VGCV based on TDM in patients undergoing preemptive therapy for CMV infections is associated with the successful completion rate of treatment without severe hematological adverse effects.
Methods: This phase II, single-center, single-arm trial aims to enroll 40 patients admitted at the Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Kobe University Hospital, who will receive oral VGCV as preemptive therapy for CMV infections. Participants will begin treatment with VGCV at the dose recommended in the package insert, with subsequent dose adjustments based on weekly TDM results. The primary end point will be the proportion of patients who achieve CMV antigenemia negativity within 3 weeks without severe hematological adverse events. The secondary end points will include weekly changes in CMV antigen levels, total VGCV dose, and duration of preemptive therapy. For safety evaluation, the occurrence, type, and severity of VGCV-related adverse events will be analyzed. Additionally, this study will explore the correlations between the efficacy and safety of preemptive therapy and the pharmacokinetic parameters of GCV, CMV-polymerase chain reaction values, and nudix hydrolase 15 (NUDT15) genetic polymorphisms. The correlation between GCV plasma concentrations obtained from regular venous blood and blood concentrations will be examined using dried blood spots.
Results: This study began with patient recruitment in September 2024, with 5 participants enrolled as of June 16, 2025. The target enrollment is 40 participants, and the anticipated study completion is set for July 2027.
Conclusions: This is the first study to investigate the impact of TDM intervention in patients receiving VGCV as preemptive therapy. The findings are postulated to provide valuable evidence regarding the utility of TDM in patients receiving VGCV as preemptive therapy.
Trial Registration: Japan Registry of Clinical Trials jRCTs051240080; https://jrct.mhlw.go.jp/latest-detail/jRCTs051240080
International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/72549 en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=TamuraNaoki en-aut-sei=Tamura en-aut-mei=Naoki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=ItoharaKotaro en-aut-sei=Itohara en-aut-mei=Kotaro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=UedaYo en-aut-sei=Ueda en-aut-mei=Yo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=KitahiroYumi en-aut-sei=Kitahiro en-aut-mei=Yumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=YamamotoKazuhiro en-aut-sei=Yamamoto en-aut-mei=Kazuhiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=OmuraTomohiro en-aut-sei=Omura en-aut-mei=Tomohiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=SakaneToshiyasu en-aut-sei=Sakane en-aut-mei=Toshiyasu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=SaegusaJun en-aut-sei=Saegusa en-aut-mei=Jun kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=YanoIkuko en-aut-sei=Yano en-aut-mei=Ikuko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Pharmacy, Kobe University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Pharmacy, Kobe University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Pharmacy, Kobe University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Integrated Clinical and Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Pharmacy, Kobe University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Kobe Pharmaceutical University kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of Pharmacy, Kobe University Hospital kn-affil= en-keyword=valganciclovir kn-keyword=valganciclovir en-keyword=ganciclovir kn-keyword=ganciclovir en-keyword=cytomegalovirus kn-keyword=cytomegalovirus en-keyword=therapeutic drug monitoring kn-keyword=therapeutic drug monitoring en-keyword=preemptive therapy kn-keyword=preemptive therapy en-keyword=dried blood spots kn-keyword=dried blood spots END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=287 cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page=117674 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20251101 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=A plant-insertable multi-enzyme biosensor for the real-time monitoring of stomatal sucrose uptake en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Monitoring sucrose transport in plants is essential for understanding plant physiology and improving agricultural practices, yet effective sensors for continuous and real-time in-vivo monitoring are lacking. In this study, we developed a plant-insertable sucrose sensor capable of real-time sucrose concentration monitoring and demonstrated its application as a useful tool for plant research by monitoring the sugar-translocating path from leaves to the lower portion of plants through the stem in living plants. The biosensor consists of a bilirubin oxidase-based biocathode and a needle-type bioanode integrating glucose oxidase, invertase, and mutarotase, with the two electrodes separated by an agarose gel for ionic connection. The sensor exhibits a sensitivity of 6.22 μA mM−1 cm−2, a limit of detection of 100 μM, a detection range up to 60 mM, and a response time of 90 s at 100 μM sucrose. Additionally, the sensor retained 86 % of its initial signal after 72 h of continuous measurement. Day-night monitoring from the biosensor inserted in strawberry guava (Psidium cattleianum) showed higher sucrose transport activity at night, following well the redistribution of photosynthetically produced sugars. In addition, by monitoring the forced translocation of sucrose dissolved in the stable isotopically labeled water, we demonstrated that a young seedling of Japanese cedar known as Sugi (Cryptomeria japonica) can absorb and transport both water and sucrose through light-dependently opened stomata, which is the recently revealed path for liquid uptake by higher plants. These findings highlight the potential of our sensor for studying dynamic plant processes and its applicability in real-time monitoring of sugar transport under diverse environmental conditions. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=WuShiqi en-aut-sei=Wu en-aut-mei=Shiqi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakagawaWakutaka en-aut-sei=Nakagawa en-aut-mei=Wakutaka kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=MoriYuki en-aut-sei=Mori en-aut-mei=Yuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=AzhariSaman en-aut-sei=Azhari en-aut-mei=Saman kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=MéhesGábor en-aut-sei=Méhes en-aut-mei=Gábor kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=NishinaYuta en-aut-sei=Nishina en-aut-mei=Yuta kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=KawanoTomonori en-aut-sei=Kawano en-aut-mei=Tomonori kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=MiyakeTakeo en-aut-sei=Miyake en-aut-mei=Takeo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Graduate School of Information, Production and Systems, Waseda University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Graduate School of Information, Production and Systems, Waseda University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Faculty and Graduate School of Environmental Engineering, The University of Kitakyushu kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Graduate School of Information, Production and Systems, Waseda University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Graduate School of Information, Production and Systems, Waseda University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Faculty and Graduate School of Environmental Engineering, The University of Kitakyushu kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Graduate School of Information, Production and Systems, Waseda University kn-affil= en-keyword=Flexible wearable sensor kn-keyword=Flexible wearable sensor en-keyword=Plant monitoring kn-keyword=Plant monitoring en-keyword=Carbon fiber kn-keyword=Carbon fiber en-keyword=Multi-enzyme system kn-keyword=Multi-enzyme system END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=63 cd-vols= no-issue=23 article-no= start-page=3243 end-page=3248 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=20241201 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Successful Treatment for Life Threatening Recurrent Non-traumatic Rectus Sheath Hematoma in a Case with Microscopic Polyangiitis with Rapidly Progressive Glomerulonephritis en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=A 68-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital because of a rapid progression of renal dysfunction with positive myeloperoxidase antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody and was diagnosed with rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis associated with microscopic polyangiitis (MPA). Severe right rectus sheath hematoma (RSH) bleeding from the inferior epigastric artery developed after starting hemodialysis, which required 4 transarterial embolizations due to recurrent bleeding. After additional treatment with methylprednisolone pulse therapy and rituximab, no rebleeding occurred. Although the giant hematoma reached the pelvis, it shrank spontaneously without any intervention. Nontraumatic RSH should therefore be considered when treating patients with multiple risk factors. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=NakanohHiroyuki en-aut-sei=Nakanoh en-aut-mei=Hiroyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakeuchiHidemi en-aut-sei=Takeuchi en-aut-mei=Hidemi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=MorimotoShiho en-aut-sei=Morimoto en-aut-mei=Shiho kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=TerajimaYuya en-aut-sei=Terajima en-aut-mei=Yuya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=OkamotoShugo en-aut-sei=Okamoto en-aut-mei=Shugo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=OnishiYasuhiro en-aut-sei=Onishi en-aut-mei=Yasuhiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=TanakaKeiko en-aut-sei=Tanaka en-aut-mei=Keiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=KatsuyamaTakayuki en-aut-sei=Katsuyama en-aut-mei=Takayuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=TsujiKenji en-aut-sei=Tsuji en-aut-mei=Kenji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=MatsumotoYoshinori en-aut-sei=Matsumoto en-aut-mei=Yoshinori kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=TanabeKatsuyuki en-aut-sei=Tanabe en-aut-mei=Katsuyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= en-aut-name=MorinagaHiroshi en-aut-sei=Morinaga en-aut-mei=Hiroshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=12 ORCID= en-aut-name=UkaMayu en-aut-sei=Uka en-aut-mei=Mayu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=13 ORCID= en-aut-name=TomitaKoji en-aut-sei=Tomita en-aut-mei=Koji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=14 ORCID= en-aut-name=UchidaHaruhito A. en-aut-sei=Uchida en-aut-mei=Haruhito A. kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=15 ORCID= en-aut-name=HirakiTakao en-aut-sei=Hiraki en-aut-mei=Takao kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=16 ORCID= en-aut-name=WadaJun en-aut-sei=Wada en-aut-mei=Jun kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=17 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Nephrology, Rheumatology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Okayama University Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Nephrology, Rheumatology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Okayama University Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Nephrology, Rheumatology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Okayama University Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Nephrology, Rheumatology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Okayama University Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Nephrology, Rheumatology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Okayama University Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Nephrology, Rheumatology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Okayama University Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Nephrology, Rheumatology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Okayama University Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Nephrology, Rheumatology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Okayama University Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of Nephrology, Rheumatology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Okayama University Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Department of Nephrology, Rheumatology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Okayama University Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Department of Nephrology, Rheumatology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Okayama University Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=12 en-affil=Department of Nephrology, Rheumatology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Okayama University Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=13 en-affil=Department of Radiology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=14 en-affil=Department of Radiology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=15 en-affil=Department of Nephrology, Rheumatology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Okayama University Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=16 en-affil=Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=17 en-affil=Department of Nephrology, Rheumatology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Okayama University Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= en-keyword=rectus sheath hematoma kn-keyword=rectus sheath hematoma en-keyword=microscopic polyangiitis kn-keyword=microscopic polyangiitis en-keyword=hemodialysis kn-keyword=hemodialysis END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=15 cd-vols= no-issue=1 article-no= start-page=7661 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=20240916 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Neurotransmitter recognition by human vesicular monoamine transporter 2 en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Human vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2), a member of the SLC18 family, plays a crucial role in regulating neurotransmitters in the brain by facilitating their uptake and storage within vesicles, preparing them for exocytotic release. Because of its central role in neurotransmitter signalling and neuroprotection, VMAT2 is a target for neurodegenerative diseases and movement disorders, with its inhibitor being used as therapeutics. Despite the importance of VMAT2 in pharmacophysiology, the molecular basis of VMAT2-mediated neurotransmitter transport and its inhibition remains unclear. Here we show the cryo-electron microscopy structure of VMAT2 in the substrate-free state, in complex with the neurotransmitter dopamine, and in complex with the inhibitor tetrabenazine. In addition to these structural determinations, monoamine uptake assays, mutational studies, and pKa value predictions were performed to characterize the dynamic changes in VMAT2 structure. These results provide a structural basis for understanding VMAT2-mediated vesicular transport of neurotransmitters and a platform for modulation of current inhibitor design. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=ImDohyun en-aut-sei=Im en-aut-mei=Dohyun kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=JormakkaMika en-aut-sei=Jormakka en-aut-mei=Mika kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=JugeNarinobu en-aut-sei=Juge en-aut-mei=Narinobu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=KishikawaJun-ichi en-aut-sei=Kishikawa en-aut-mei=Jun-ichi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=KatoTakayuki en-aut-sei=Kato en-aut-mei=Takayuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=SugitaYukihiko en-aut-sei=Sugita en-aut-mei=Yukihiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=NodaTakeshi en-aut-sei=Noda en-aut-mei=Takeshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=UemuraTomoko en-aut-sei=Uemura en-aut-mei=Tomoko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=ShiimuraYuki en-aut-sei=Shiimura en-aut-mei=Yuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=MiyajiTakaaki en-aut-sei=Miyaji en-aut-mei=Takaaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=AsadaHidetsugu en-aut-sei=Asada en-aut-mei=Hidetsugu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= en-aut-name=IwataSo en-aut-sei=Iwata en-aut-mei=So kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=12 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Genomics and Proteomics, Advanced Science Research Center, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Applied Biology, Kyoto Institute of Technology kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Laboratory of Ultrastructural Virology, Institute for Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Laboratory of Ultrastructural Virology, Institute for Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Department of Genomics and Proteomics, Advanced Science Research Center, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Department of Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University kn-affil= affil-num=12 en-affil=Department of Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University kn-affil= END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=48 cd-vols= no-issue=1 article-no= start-page=51 end-page=59 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250129 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=An Underlying Mechanism for the Altered Hypoglycemic Effects of Nateglinide in Rats with Acute Peripheral Inflammation en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=The hypoglycemic effects of nateglinide (NTG) were examined in rats with acute peripheral inflammation (API) induced by carrageenan treatment, and the mechanisms accounting for altered hypoglycemic effects were investigated. NTG was administered through the femoral vein in control and API rats, and its plasma concentration profile was characterized. The time courses of the changes in plasma glucose and insulin levels were also examined. Although the plasma concentration profile of NTG in API rats was marginally distinguishable from that in control rats, the hypoglycemic effect of NTG was more persistent in API rats than in control rats. In addition, NTG elevated the plasma level of insulin more intensely in API rats than in control rats. Then, the islets of Langerhans were procured by perfusing the pancreas with collagenase solution in control and API rats, and the pancreatic mRNA expression of preproinsulin (Ins1), as well as that of sulfonylurea receptor ABCC8 (Abcc8), were examined. As a result, the expression of preproinsulin and ABCC8 mRNA increased in API rats. These findings suggest that the hypoglycemic effect of NTG was potentiated in API rats due to increased insulin secretion in the pancreas, which was caused by enhanced preproinsulin synthesis and expression of the sulfonylurea receptor. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=TokoHaruka en-aut-sei=Toko en-aut-mei=Haruka kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=OginoManami en-aut-sei=Ogino en-aut-mei=Manami kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=NishiwakiAkane en-aut-sei=Nishiwaki en-aut-mei=Akane kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=KojinaMoeko en-aut-sei=Kojina en-aut-mei=Moeko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=AibaTetsuya en-aut-sei=Aiba en-aut-mei=Tetsuya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=blood sugar kn-keyword=blood sugar en-keyword=inflammation kn-keyword=inflammation en-keyword=insulin kn-keyword=insulin en-keyword=Langerhans islet kn-keyword=Langerhans islet en-keyword=nateglinide kn-keyword=nateglinide END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=64 cd-vols= no-issue=15 article-no= start-page=2290 end-page=2294 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250801 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Clinical and Genetic Analyses of SPG7 in Japanese Patients with Undiagnosed Ataxia en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Objective Spastic paraplegia 7 (SPG7) is an autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder caused by biallelic pathogenic variants in SPG7. It is predominantly characterized by adult-onset slowly progressive spastic paraparesis. While SPG7 presenting with ataxia with or without spasticity is relatively common in Europe and North America, it is considered rare in Japan. This study aimed to identify SPG7 patients among those with undiagnosed ataxia within the Japanese population.
Methods We retrospectively selected 351 patients with undiagnosed ataxia, excluding those with secondary and common spinocerebellar ataxia. Whole-exome sequence analysis was conducted, and homozygosity of the identified variants was confirmed using droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR).
Results Among the 351 patients, 2 were diagnosed with SPG7, and homozygosity was confirmed by ddPCR. Both patients carried homozygous pathogenic variants in SPG7: c.1948G>A, p.Asp650Asn, and c.1192C>T, p.Arg398Ter (NM_003119.4). Clinically, both patients presented with progressive ataxia. In addition, Patient 1 exhibited partial ophthalmoplegia and spastic paraparesis, whereas Patient 2 demonstrated cerebellar ataxia without spasticity.
Conclusion The rarity of SPG7 in Japan may be attributed to variation in the minor allele frequency of the c.1529C>T, p.Ala510Val variant, which is more prevalent in Europe and North America than in other areas. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=MitsutakeAkihiko en-aut-sei=Mitsutake en-aut-mei=Akihiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=MatsukawaTakashi en-aut-sei=Matsukawa en-aut-mei=Takashi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=HinoRimi en-aut-sei=Hino en-aut-mei=Rimi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=FujinoGo en-aut-sei=Fujino en-aut-mei=Go kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=SakaiYuto en-aut-sei=Sakai en-aut-mei=Yuto kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=MitsuiJun en-aut-sei=Mitsui en-aut-mei=Jun kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=IshiuraHiroyuki en-aut-sei=Ishiura en-aut-mei=Hiroyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=K. IwataNobue en-aut-sei=K. Iwata en-aut-mei=Nobue kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=TsujiShoji en-aut-sei=Tsuji en-aut-mei=Shoji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=TodaTatsushi en-aut-sei=Toda en-aut-mei=Tatsushi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Neurology, International University of Health and Welfare Mita Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Precision Medicine Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Neurology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Neurology, International University of Health and Welfare Mita Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of Precision Medicine Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo kn-affil= en-keyword=cerebellar ataxia kn-keyword=cerebellar ataxia en-keyword=spastic paraparesis kn-keyword=spastic paraparesis en-keyword=whole-exome sequence analysis kn-keyword=whole-exome sequence analysis en-keyword=SPG7 kn-keyword=SPG7 END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=52 cd-vols= no-issue=8 article-no= start-page=e18026 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=202508 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Commissioning of respiratory‐gated 4D dynamic dose calculations for various gating widths without spot timestamp in proton pencil beam scanning en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Background: Proton pencil beam scanning (PBS) is susceptible to dose degradation because of interplay effects on moving targets. For cases of unacceptable motion, respiratory-gated (RG) irradiation is an effective alternative to free breathing (FB) irradiation. However, the introduction of RG irradiation with larger gate widths (GW) is hindered by interplay effects, which are analogous to those observed with FB irradiation. Accurate estimation of interplay effects can be performed by recording spot timestamps. However, our machine lacks this feature, making it imperative to find an alternative approach. Thus, we developed an RG 4-dimensional dynamic dose (RG-4DDD) system without spot timestamps.
Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the accuracy of calculated doses from the RG-4DDD system for PBS plans with varying breathing curves, amplitudes, and periods for 10%–50% GW.
Methods: RG-4DDDs were reconstructed using in-house developed software that assigned timestamps to individual spots, integrated start times for spills with breathing curves, and utilized deformable registrations for dose accumulation. Three cubic verification plans were created using a heterogeneous phantom. Additionally, typical liver and lung cases were employed for patient plan validation. Single- and multi-field-optimized (SFO and IMPT) plans (ten beams in total) were created for the liver and lung cases in a homogeneous phantom. Lateral profile measurements were obtained under both motion and no-motion conditions using a 2D ionization chamber array (2D-array) and EBT3 Gafchromic films on the CIRS dynamic platform. Breathing curves from the cubic plans were used to assess nine patterns of sine curves, with amplitudes of 5.0–10.0 mm (10.0–20.0 mm target motions) and periods of 3–6 sec. Patient field verifications were conducted using a representative patient curve with an average amplitude of 6.4 mm and period of 3.2 sec. Additional simulations were performed assuming a ± 10% change in assigned timestamps for the dose rate (DR), spot spill (0.08-s), and gate time delay (0.1-s) to evaluate the effect of parameter selection on our 4DDD models. The 4DDDs were compared with measured values using the 2D gamma index and absolute doses over that required for dosing 95% of the target.
Results: The 2D-array measurements showed that average gamma scores for the reference (no motion) and 4DDD plans for all GWs were at least 99.9 ± 0.2% and 98.2 ± 2.4% at 3%/3 mm, respectively. The gamma scores of the 4DDDs in film measurements exceeded 95.4% and 92.9% at 2%/2 mm for the cubic and patient plans, respectively. The 4DDD calculations were acceptable under DR changes of ±10% and both spill and gate time delays of ±0.18 sec. For the 4DDD plan using all GWs for all measurement points, the absolute point differences for all validation plans were within ±5.0% for 99.1% of the points.
Conclusions: The RG-4DDD calculations (less than 50% GW) of the heterogeneous and actual patient plans showed good agreement with measurements for various breathing curves in the amplitudes and periods described above. The proposed system allows us to evaluate actual RG irradiation without requiring the ability to record spot timestamps. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=TominagaYuki en-aut-sei=Tominaga en-aut-mei=Yuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=WakisakaYushi en-aut-sei=Wakisaka en-aut-mei=Yushi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=KatoTakahiro en-aut-sei=Kato en-aut-mei=Takahiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=IchiharaMasaya en-aut-sei=Ichihara en-aut-mei=Masaya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=YasuiKeisuke en-aut-sei=Yasui en-aut-mei=Keisuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=SasakiMotoharu en-aut-sei=Sasaki en-aut-mei=Motoharu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=OitaMasataka en-aut-sei=Oita en-aut-mei=Masataka kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=NishioTeiji en-aut-sei=Nishio en-aut-mei=Teiji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Radiotherapy, Medical Co. Hakuhokai, Osaka Proton Therapy Clinic kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Radiotherapy, Medical Co. Hakuhokai, Osaka Proton Therapy Clinic kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Radiological Sciences, School of Health Sciences, Fukushima Medical University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Medical Physics Laboratory, Division of Health Science, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Osaka kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=School of Medical Sciences, Fujita Health University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Faculty of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Medical Physics Laboratory, Division of Health Science, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Osaka kn-affil= en-keyword=4D dynamic dose kn-keyword=4D dynamic dose en-keyword=interplay effect kn-keyword=interplay effect en-keyword=pencil beam scanning kn-keyword=pencil beam scanning en-keyword=proton therapy kn-keyword=proton therapy en-keyword=respiratory gating kn-keyword=respiratory gating END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=54 cd-vols= no-issue=8 article-no= start-page=afaf224 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250801 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Oestrogen replacement combined with resistance exercise in older women with knee osteoarthritis: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Background: Interventions targeting physical function decline in older women with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) are vital for healthy ageing. The additive benefits of combining oestrogen replacement therapy (ERT) with resistance exercise remain unclear.
Objective: To evaluate the additive effect of low-dose ERT on physical performance when combined with a muscle resistance exercise programme (MREP) in older women with KOA.
Design: This is a placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomised clinical trial.
Subjects: The subjects were community-dwelling women aged ≥65 years with chronic knee pain and KOA diagnosis.
Methods: Participants completed a 3-month MREP and were randomised to receive daily low-dose transdermal ERT (oestradiol 0.54 mg/day) or placebo. Outcomes were assessed at baseline, postintervention and 12 months later. The primary outcome was change in 30-second chair stand test (CS-30) score. Secondary outcomes included muscle mass, knee extension strength, walking performance, metabolic indicators, knee pain scale and 12-item short-form health survey (SF-12). Between-group differences in CS-30 changes were analysed using a linear regression model based on the intention-to-treat principle.
Results: Among 168 individuals screened, 75 participants (mean age 73.8 years, SD 5.8) were enrolled and randomised into an ERT group (n = 37) or a placebo group (n = 38). Baseline CS-30 scores were 14.81 (SD 3.95) in the ERT group and 15.58 (SD 3.48) in the placebo group. At 3 months, mean changes were 2.59 (SD 2.58) and 1.79 (SD 2.28) repetitions, respectively. The primary analysis showed no statistically significant between-group difference [regression coefficient: 0.81 (95% CI: −0.31, 1.92); P = .16]. Post hoc subgroup and sensitivity analyses suggested that benefits may exist among early-stage KOA participants. SF-12 mental health scores also improved significantly in the ERT group. No serious adverse events occurred.
Conclusions: ERT did not confer significant additive benefits to resistance exercise overall but may improve outcomes in early-stage KOA and mental health domains. These exploratory findings warrant further investigation. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=MitomaTomohiro en-aut-sei=Mitoma en-aut-mei=Tomohiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=OobaHikaru en-aut-sei=Ooba en-aut-mei=Hikaru kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakahashiKasumi en-aut-sei=Takahashi en-aut-mei=Kasumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=KondoTsunemasa en-aut-sei=Kondo en-aut-mei=Tsunemasa kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=IkedaTomohiro en-aut-sei=Ikeda en-aut-mei=Tomohiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=SakamotoYoko en-aut-sei=Sakamoto en-aut-mei=Yoko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=MitsuhashiToshiharu en-aut-sei=Mitsuhashi en-aut-mei=Toshiharu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=MakiJota en-aut-sei=Maki en-aut-mei=Jota kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Medical Development Field, Center for Innovative Clinical Medicine, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Medical Development Field, Center for Innovative Clinical Medicine, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ochiai Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ochiai Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Rehabilitation Medicine, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Medical Development Field, Center for Innovative Clinical Medicine, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Medical Development Field, Center for Innovative Clinical Medicine, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Medical Development Field, Center for Innovative Clinical Medicine, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=oestrogen replacement therapy kn-keyword=oestrogen replacement therapy en-keyword=muscle resistance exercise kn-keyword=muscle resistance exercise en-keyword=knee osteoarthritis kn-keyword=knee osteoarthritis en-keyword=physical performance kn-keyword=physical performance en-keyword=randomised controlled trial kn-keyword=randomised controlled trial en-keyword=older people kn-keyword=older people END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=16 cd-vols= no-issue=1 article-no= start-page=77 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=20240410 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Impact of amyloid and tau positivity on longitudinal brain atrophy in cognitively normal individuals en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Background Individuals on the preclinical Alzheimer's continuum, particularly those with both amyloid and tau positivity (A + T +), display a rapid cognitive decline and elevated disease progression risk. However, limited studies exist on brain atrophy trajectories within this continuum over extended periods.
Methods This study involved 367 ADNI participants grouped based on combinations of amyloid and tau statuses determined through cerebrospinal fluid tests. Using longitudinal MRI scans, brain atrophy was determined according to the whole brain, lateral ventricle, and hippocampal volumes and cortical thickness in AD-signature regions. Cognitive performance was evaluated with the Preclinical Alzheimer's Cognitive Composite (PACC). A generalized linear mixed-effects model was used to examine group × time interactions for these measures. In addition, progression risks to mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia were compared among the groups using Cox proportional hazards models.
Results A total of 367 participants (48 A + T + , 86 A + T − , 63 A − T + , and 170 A − T − ; mean age 73.8 years, mean follow-up 5.1 years, and 47.4% men) were included. For the lateral ventricle and PACC score, the A + T − and A + T + groups demonstrated statistically significantly greater volume expansion and cognitive decline over time than the A − T − group (lateral ventricle: β = 0.757 cm3/year [95% confidence interval 0.463 to 1.050], P < .001 for A + T − , and β = 0.889 cm3/year [0.523 to 1.255], P < .001 for A + T + ; PACC: β =  − 0.19 /year [− 0.36 to − 0.02], P = .029 for A + T − , and β =  − 0.59 /year [− 0.80 to − 0.37], P < .001 for A + T +). Notably, the A + T + group exhibited additional brain atrophy including the whole brain (β =  − 2.782 cm3/year [− 4.060 to − 1.504], P < .001), hippocampus (β =  − 0.057 cm3/year [− 0.085 to − 0.029], P < .001), and AD-signature regions (β =  − 0.02 mm/year [− 0.03 to − 0.01], P < .001). Cox proportional hazards models suggested an increased risk of progressing to MCI or dementia in the A + T + group versus the A − T − group (adjusted hazard ratio = 3.35 [1.76 to 6.39]).
Conclusions In cognitively normal individuals, A + T + compounds brain atrophy and cognitive deterioration, amplifying the likelihood of disease progression. Therapeutic interventions targeting A + T + individuals could be pivotal in curbing brain atrophy, cognitive decline, and disease progression. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=FujishimaMotonobu en-aut-sei=Fujishima en-aut-mei=Motonobu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=KawasakiYohei en-aut-sei=Kawasaki en-aut-mei=Yohei kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=MitsuhashiToshiharu en-aut-sei=Mitsuhashi en-aut-mei=Toshiharu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=MatsudaHiroshi en-aut-sei=Matsuda en-aut-mei=Hiroshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Radiology, Kumagaya General Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Biostatistics, Graduate School of Medicine, Saitama Medical University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Center for Innovative Clinical Medicine, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Biofunctional Imaging, Fukushima Medical University kn-affil= en-keyword=Preclinical kn-keyword=Preclinical en-keyword=Alzheimer’s disease kn-keyword=Alzheimer’s disease en-keyword=Longitudinal MRI kn-keyword=Longitudinal MRI en-keyword=Tau kn-keyword=Tau en-keyword=Amyloid-β kn-keyword=Amyloid-β END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=104 cd-vols= no-issue=2 article-no= start-page=151495 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=202506 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Tri-culture model of intestinal epithelial cell, macrophage, and bacteria for the triggering of inflammatory bowel disease on a microfluidic device en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) involves gastrointestinal inflammation, due to intestinal epithelial barrier destruction caused by excessive immune activation. Conventional cell culture systems do not provide a model system that can recapitulate the complex interactions between epithelial cells, immune cells, and intestinal bacteria. To address this, we developed a microfluidic device that mimics the inflammatory response associated with microbial invasion of the intestinal mucosa. The device consisted of two media channels, an upper and a lower channel, and a porous membrane between these channels on which C2BBe1 intestinal epithelial cells were seeded to form a tight junction layer. Each electrode was placed in contact with both channels to continuously monitor the tight junction state. Fresh medium flow allowed bacterial numbers to be controlled and bacterial toxins to be removed, allowing co-culture of mammalian cells and bacteria. In addition, RAW264 macrophage cells were attached to the bottom of the lower channel. By introducing E. coli into the lower channel, the RAW264 cells were activated and produced TNF-α, successfully recapitulating a culture model of inflammation in which the C2BBe1cell tight junction layer was destroyed. The main structure of the device was initially made of polydimethylsiloxane to facilitate its widespread use, but with a view to introducing anaerobic bacteria in the future, a similar phenomenon was successfully reproduced using polystyrene. When TPCA-1, an IκB kinase 2 inhibitor was added into this IBD culture model, the tight junction destruction was significantly suppressed. The results suggest that this IBD culture model also is useful as a screening system for anti-IBD drugs. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=TamuraShiori en-aut-sei=Tamura en-aut-mei=Shiori kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=PasangClarissa Ellice Talitha en-aut-sei=Pasang en-aut-mei=Clarissa Ellice Talitha kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=TsudaMinami en-aut-sei=Tsuda en-aut-mei=Minami kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=MaShilan en-aut-sei=Ma en-aut-mei=Shilan kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=ShindoHiromasa en-aut-sei=Shindo en-aut-mei=Hiromasa kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=NagaokaNoriyuki en-aut-sei=Nagaoka en-aut-mei=Noriyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=OhkuboTomoki en-aut-sei=Ohkubo en-aut-mei=Tomoki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=FujiyamaYoichi en-aut-sei=Fujiyama en-aut-mei=Yoichi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=TamaiMiho en-aut-sei=Tamai en-aut-mei=Miho kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=TagawaYoh-ichi en-aut-sei=Tagawa en-aut-mei=Yoh-ichi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=School of Life Science and Technology, Institute of Science Tokyo kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=School of Life Science and Technology, Institute of Science Tokyo kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Biology-Chemistry Unit, Technology Research Laboratory, Shimadzu Corporation kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Biology-Chemistry Unit, Technology Research Laboratory, Shimadzu Corporation kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=School of Life Science and Technology, Institute of Science Tokyo kn-affil= en-keyword=Intestine chip kn-keyword=Intestine chip en-keyword=Inflammatory bowel disease kn-keyword=Inflammatory bowel disease en-keyword=Co-culture kn-keyword=Co-culture en-keyword=Tri-culture kn-keyword=Tri-culture en-keyword=Fluidic device kn-keyword=Fluidic device en-keyword=Disease model kn-keyword=Disease model en-keyword=Macrophage kn-keyword=Macrophage en-keyword=Inflammation kn-keyword=Inflammation END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=69 cd-vols= no-issue=12 article-no= start-page=613 end-page=621 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=20240718 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Association study of GBA1 variants with MSA based on comprehensive sequence analysis -Pitfalls in short-read sequence analysis depending on the human reference genome- en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by various combinations of autonomic failure, parkinsonism, and cerebellar ataxia. To elucidate variants associated with MSA, we have been conducting short-read-based whole-genome sequence analysis. In the process of the association studies, we initially focused on GBA1, a previously proposed susceptibility gene for MSA, to evaluate whether GBA1 variants can be efficiently identified despite its extraordinarily high homology with its pseudogene, GBA1LP. To accomplish this, we conducted a short-read whole-genome sequence analysis with alignment to GRCh38 as well as Sanger sequence analysis and compared the results. We identified five variants with inconsistencies between the two pipelines, of which three variants (p.L483P, p.A495P–p.V499V, p.L483_M489delinsW) were the results of misalignment due to minor alleles in GBA1P1 registered in GRCh38. The miscalling events in these variants were resolved by alignment to GRCh37 as the reference genome, where the major alleles are registered. In addition, a structural variant was not properly identified either by short-read or by Sanger sequence analyses. Having accomplished correct variant calling, we identified three variants pathogenic for Gaucher disease (p.S310G, p.L483P, and p.L483_M489delinsW). Of these variants, the allele frequency of p.L483P (0.003) in the MSA cases was higher than that (0.0011) in controls. The meta-analysis incorporating a previous report demonstrated a significant association of p.L483P with MSA with an odds ratio of 2.85 (95% CI; 1.05 – 7.76, p = 0.0400). en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=OrimoKenta en-aut-sei=Orimo en-aut-mei=Kenta kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=MitsuiJun en-aut-sei=Mitsui en-aut-mei=Jun kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=MatsukawaTakashi en-aut-sei=Matsukawa en-aut-mei=Takashi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=TanakaMasaki en-aut-sei=Tanaka en-aut-mei=Masaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=NomotoJunko en-aut-sei=Nomoto en-aut-mei=Junko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=IshiuraHiroyuki en-aut-sei=Ishiura en-aut-mei=Hiroyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=OmaeYosuke en-aut-sei=Omae en-aut-mei=Yosuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=KawaiYosuke en-aut-sei=Kawai en-aut-mei=Yosuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=TokunagaKatsushi en-aut-sei=Tokunaga en-aut-mei=Katsushi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=NCBN Controls WGS Consortium en-aut-sei=NCBN Controls WGS Consortium en-aut-mei= kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=TodaTatsushi en-aut-sei=Toda en-aut-mei=Tatsushi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= en-aut-name=TsujiShoji en-aut-sei=Tsuji en-aut-mei=Shoji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=12 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Precision Medicine Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Institute of Medical Genomics, International University of Health and Welfare kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Institute of Medical Genomics, International University of Health and Welfare kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Neurology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Genome Medical Science Project, National Center for Global Health and Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Genome Medical Science Project, National Center for Global Health and Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Genome Medical Science Project, National Center for Global Health and Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil= kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo kn-affil= affil-num=12 en-affil=Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo kn-affil= END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=120 cd-vols= no-issue=1 article-no= start-page=87 end-page=98 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=202507 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Comparable Clinical Outcomes Between Segmentectomy and Lobectomy for NSCLC With Unsuspected N1/N2: A Multicenter Real-World Data Study en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Background Segmentectomy for lung cancer has been increasingly performed. However, evidence regarding the necessity of additional surgical resection after the diagnosis of unsuspected N1 or N2 lymph node metastasis is limited.
Methods We conducted a multicenter, real-world data study of patients with any clinical T and N0 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who underwent lobectomy or segmentectomy between 2012 and 2021 and who subsequently received a diagnosis of pathologic N1 or N2 lymph node metastasis. Patients were categorized into lobectomy and segmentectomy groups. We analyzed overall survival (OS), recurrence-free survival (RFS), cumulative recurrence rates, and recurrence patterns using both unadjusted and propensity score–adjusted cohorts.
Results A total of 736 patients were in the lobectomy group, and 70 were in the segmentectomy group. In the unadjusted cohort, segmentectomy-treated patients were older, had a lower preoperative percentage of vital capacity, had smaller tumors, and received less postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy. The 5-year OS was significantly worse in the segmentectomy group (P = .011), with no significant differences in 5-year RFS or cumulative recurrence rates. In the propensity score–adjusted cohort, there were no significant differences in OS, RFS, or recurrence rates; however, the segmentectomy group had a higher rate of local recurrence.
Conclusions In patients with unsuspected N1 or N2 NSCLC, analysis using a cohort adjusted for patient background with propensity scores revealed no differences in OS, RFS, or cumulative recurrence rates between segmentectomy and lobectomy. This finding suggests that additional resection of the remaining segments may not be necessary for these patients. However, the higher rate of local recurrence in the segmentectomy group warrants careful consideration. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=RyukoTsuyoshi en-aut-sei=Ryuko en-aut-mei=Tsuyoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=OkazakiMikio en-aut-sei=Okazaki en-aut-mei=Mikio kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=MitsuhashiToshiharu en-aut-sei=Mitsuhashi en-aut-mei=Toshiharu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=SuzawaKen en-aut-sei=Suzawa en-aut-mei=Ken kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=ShienKazuhiko en-aut-sei=Shien en-aut-mei=Kazuhiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=UenoTsuyoshi en-aut-sei=Ueno en-aut-mei=Tsuyoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=FujiwaraToshiya en-aut-sei=Fujiwara en-aut-mei=Toshiya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=WatanabeMototsugu en-aut-sei=Watanabe en-aut-mei=Mototsugu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=InokawaHidetoshi en-aut-sei=Inokawa en-aut-mei=Hidetoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=MisaoTakahiko en-aut-sei=Misao en-aut-mei=Takahiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=TorigoeHidejiro en-aut-sei=Torigoe en-aut-mei=Hidejiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= en-aut-name=WashioKazuhiro en-aut-sei=Washio en-aut-mei=Kazuhiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=12 ORCID= en-aut-name=TaoHiroyuki en-aut-sei=Tao en-aut-mei=Hiroyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=13 ORCID= en-aut-name=OkutaniDaisuke en-aut-sei=Okutani en-aut-mei=Daisuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=14 ORCID= en-aut-name=HayamaMakio en-aut-sei=Hayama en-aut-mei=Makio kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=15 ORCID= en-aut-name=UomotoMasashi en-aut-sei=Uomoto en-aut-mei=Masashi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=16 ORCID= en-aut-name=YamadaEiji en-aut-sei=Yamada en-aut-mei=Eiji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=17 ORCID= en-aut-name=OtaniShinji en-aut-sei=Otani en-aut-mei=Shinji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=18 ORCID= en-aut-name=KurosakiTakeshi en-aut-sei=Kurosaki en-aut-mei=Takeshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=19 ORCID= en-aut-name=YaginumaYuji en-aut-sei=Yaginuma en-aut-mei=Yuji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=20 ORCID= en-aut-name=NimanEito en-aut-sei=Niman en-aut-mei=Eito kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=21 ORCID= en-aut-name=KawamataOsamu en-aut-sei=Kawamata en-aut-mei=Osamu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=22 ORCID= en-aut-name=NishikawaHitoshi en-aut-sei=Nishikawa en-aut-mei=Hitoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=23 ORCID= en-aut-name=OtsukaTomoaki en-aut-sei=Otsuka en-aut-mei=Tomoaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=24 ORCID= en-aut-name=YoshikawaTakeshi en-aut-sei=Yoshikawa en-aut-mei=Takeshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=25 ORCID= en-aut-name=HayashiTatsuro en-aut-sei=Hayashi en-aut-mei=Tatsuro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=26 ORCID= en-aut-name=ToyookaShinichi en-aut-sei=Toyooka en-aut-mei=Shinichi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=27 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of General Thoracic Surgery and Breast and Endocrinological Surgery, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of General Thoracic Surgery and Breast and Endocrinological Surgery, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Center for Innovative Clinical Medicine, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of General Thoracic Surgery and Breast and Endocrinological Surgery, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of General Thoracic Surgery and Breast and Endocrinological Surgery, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Okayama University Thoracic Surgery Study Group kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Okayama University Thoracic Surgery Study Group kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Okayama University Thoracic Surgery Study Group kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Okayama University Thoracic Surgery Study Group kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Okayama University Thoracic Surgery Study Group kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Okayama University Thoracic Surgery Study Group kn-affil= affil-num=12 en-affil=Okayama University Thoracic Surgery Study Group kn-affil= affil-num=13 en-affil=Okayama University Thoracic Surgery Study Group kn-affil= affil-num=14 en-affil=Okayama University Thoracic Surgery Study Group kn-affil= affil-num=15 en-affil=Okayama University Thoracic Surgery Study Group kn-affil= affil-num=16 en-affil=Okayama University Thoracic Surgery Study Group kn-affil= affil-num=17 en-affil=Okayama University Thoracic Surgery Study Group kn-affil= affil-num=18 en-affil=Okayama University Thoracic Surgery Study Group kn-affil= affil-num=19 en-affil=Okayama University Thoracic Surgery Study Group kn-affil= affil-num=20 en-affil=Okayama University Thoracic Surgery Study Group kn-affil= affil-num=21 en-affil=Okayama University Thoracic Surgery Study Group kn-affil= affil-num=22 en-affil=Okayama University Thoracic Surgery Study Group kn-affil= affil-num=23 en-affil=Okayama University Thoracic Surgery Study Group kn-affil= affil-num=24 en-affil=Okayama University Thoracic Surgery Study Group kn-affil= affil-num=25 en-affil=Okayama University Thoracic Surgery Study Group kn-affil= affil-num=26 en-affil=Okayama University Thoracic Surgery Study Group kn-affil= affil-num=27 en-affil=Department of General Thoracic Surgery and Breast and Endocrinological Surgery, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=12 cd-vols= no-issue=2 article-no= start-page=e70262 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=202504 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Clinical outcomes following medial meniscus posterior root repairs: A minimum of 5‐year follow‐up study en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Purpose: This study assessed the clinical outcomes of the FasT-Fix dependent modified Mason-Allen suture (F-MMA) and two simple stitches (TSS) on mid-term postoperative outcomes following medial meniscus (MM) posterior root repair.
Methods: Forty-three patients who underwent transtibial pullout repair for MM posterior root tear (PRT) between November 2016 and September 2018 were initially enrolled. Patients with a femorotibial angle ≤ 180°, Kellgren–Lawrence grade of 0–2, and modified Outerbridge grade I or II cartilage lesions were included. The Lysholm, Tegner activity, International Knee Documentation Committee score, pain visual analogue scale and Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome scores were assessed as clinical outcomes. Conversion surgery to knee arthroplasty was considered as the endpoint. Surgeries other than second-look arthroscopy and plate or screw removal were also recorded.
Results: The mean follow-up period was 5.9 years. All evaluated 5-year postoperative clinical outcomes were significantly improved compared to the preoperative outcomes (p < 0.001). Both the F-MMA and TSS significantly improved all clinical scores at 5 years postoperatively in patients with MMPRT, whereas the F-MMA and TSS groups showed no significant differences in the pre- and postoperative clinical scores. None of the patients required ipsilateral knee arthroplasty during the follow-up, and the survival rate after pullout repair was 100%. However, the progression of osteoarthritis could not be completely suppressed, although there were no Kellgren–Lawrence grade 4 cases. The rate of subsequent knee-related surgical treatment was 11.6% in pullout-repaired knees, including arthroscopic debridement for arthrofibrosis with a limited range of motion, an additional all-inside suture repair and partial meniscectomy.
Conclusion: Both F-MMA and TSS pullout repairs yielded satisfactory clinical outcomes in patients with MMPRT with a mean follow-up of 5.9 years, and no conversion to knee arthroplasty was required. Further follow-up is warranted to assess long-term survival rates.
Level of Evidence: Level III. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=OkazakiYuki en-aut-sei=Okazaki en-aut-mei=Yuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=SugiuKazuhisa en-aut-sei=Sugiu en-aut-mei=Kazuhisa kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=KamatsukiYusuke en-aut-sei=Kamatsuki en-aut-mei=Yusuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=TamuraMasanori en-aut-sei=Tamura en-aut-mei=Masanori kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=KawadaKoki en-aut-sei=Kawada en-aut-mei=Koki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=HasegawaTsubasa en-aut-sei=Hasegawa en-aut-mei=Tsubasa kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=FurumatsuTakayuki en-aut-sei=Furumatsu en-aut-mei=Takayuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Okayama Saiseikai General Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= en-keyword=clinical outcome kn-keyword=clinical outcome en-keyword=medial meniscus posterior root tear kn-keyword=medial meniscus posterior root tear en-keyword=mid‐term follow‐up kn-keyword=mid‐term follow‐up en-keyword=survival rate kn-keyword=survival rate en-keyword=transtibial pullout repair kn-keyword=transtibial pullout repair END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=12 cd-vols= no-issue=11 article-no= start-page=348 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=20241030 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Coronal Cementum and Reduced Enamel Epithelium on Occlusal Surface of Impacted Wisdom Tooth in a Human en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Background: There is only limited research on the coronal cementum of a tooth, and the mechanisms of its forming process are not well-defined. This report presents a coronal cementum on the occlusal surfaces of enamel in an impacted wisdom tooth in a human, which is not nearly the cervical portion. Materials and Methods: The tooth (Tooth #1) was derived from a 46-year-old female. Histological analysis, including hematoxylin and eosin (HE) and toluidine blue (TB) staining, and Scanning Electron Microscopy and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectrometer (SEM-EDS) analysis of the extracted tooth were conducted. Radiographic examination showed that Tooth #1 was horizontally impacted in the maxilla and had the apex of a single root placed between the buccal and palatal roots of Tooth #2. Results: Coronal cementum was distributed widely on the enamel, and reduced enamel epithelium was also found with enamel matrix proteins histologically. The formation of acellular cementum was observed to be more predominant than that of the cellular cementum in Tooth #1. SEM showed that the occlusal cementum connected directly with enamel. Calcium mapping revealed an almost similar occlusal cementum and enamel. In addition, the spectrum of elements in coronal cementum resembled the primary cementum according to SEM-EDS. Discussion: Thus, coronal cementogenesis in impacted human teeth might be related to the existence of reduced enamel epithelium. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=HorieNaohiro en-aut-sei=Horie en-aut-mei=Naohiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=MurataMasaru en-aut-sei=Murata en-aut-mei=Masaru kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=MinamidaYasuhito en-aut-sei=Minamida en-aut-mei=Yasuhito kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=NagayasuHiroki en-aut-sei=Nagayasu en-aut-mei=Hiroki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=ShimoTsuyoshi en-aut-sei=Shimo en-aut-mei=Tsuyoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=AkazawaToshiyuki en-aut-sei=Akazawa en-aut-mei=Toshiyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=TsujigiwaHidetsugu en-aut-sei=Tsujigiwa en-aut-mei=Hidetsugu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=HaikelYoussef en-aut-sei=Haikel en-aut-mei=Youssef kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=NagatsukaHitoshi en-aut-sei=Nagatsuka en-aut-mei=Hitoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Division of Reconstructive Surgery for Oral and Maxillofacial Region, School of Dentistry, Health Sciences University of Hokkaido kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Division of Regenerative Medicine, School of Dentistry, Health Sciences University of Hokkaido kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, Health Sciences University of Hokkaido kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, Health Sciences University of Hokkaido kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Division of Reconstructive Surgery for Oral and Maxillofacial Region, School of Dentistry, Health Sciences University of Hokkaido kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Industrial Technology and Environment Research Development, Hokkaido Research Organization kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Life Science, Faculty of Science, Okayama University of Science kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche médicale Unité Mixte de Recherche (INSERM UMR) _S 1121, University of Strasbourg kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of Oral Pathology and Medicine Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=coronal cementum kn-keyword=coronal cementum en-keyword=human kn-keyword=human en-keyword=reduced epithelium kn-keyword=reduced epithelium en-keyword=impacted tooth kn-keyword=impacted tooth END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=779 cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page=152453 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250912 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=1,2-naphthoquinone enhances IFN-γ-induced MHC-I expression in dendritic cells, thereby inducing CD8 T cell activation en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Dendritic cells play a crucial role in immune responses by capturing pathogens and presenting antigens to T cells via major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules, thus triggering adaptive immune responses. 1,2-naphthoquinone (1,2-NQ), a quinone found in diesel exhaust and cigarette smoke, has various physiological functions. In this study, we investigated the effect of 1,2-NQ on the expression of antigen presentation-related molecules in the dendritic cell line DC2.4. The results revealed that 1,2-NQ enhanced the IFN-γ-induced upregulation of MHC-I expression at the transcriptional level. Moreover, it upregulated the expression of NLRC5, a transcriptional activator of MHC-I. 1,2-NQ is a reactive oxygen species (ROS) producing reagent. The 1,2-NQ-induced upregulation of MHC-I expression and downregulation of MHC-II expression were abolished by the ROS scavenger N-acetylcysteine. Similar effects on MHC expression were also observed with ROS-inducing reagents, such as paraquat and diethyl maleate. In addition, dendritic cells stimulated with 1,2-NQ exhibited enhanced efficacy in CD8 T cell activation, which was accompanied by increased IFN-γ production by T cells. These findings demonstrate that 1,2-NQ enhances the IFN-γ-induced activation of dendritic cells and promotes the activation of CD8 T cells. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=FurutaKazuyuki en-aut-sei=Furuta en-aut-mei=Kazuyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=MiyazatoKanon en-aut-sei=Miyazato en-aut-mei=Kanon kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=KobataKai en-aut-sei=Kobata en-aut-mei=Kai kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=IshikawaKazuya en-aut-sei=Ishikawa en-aut-mei=Kazuya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=KaitoChikara en-aut-sei=Kaito en-aut-mei=Chikara kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=1,2-Napthoquinone kn-keyword=1,2-Napthoquinone en-keyword=Dendritic cell kn-keyword=Dendritic cell en-keyword=IFN-γ kn-keyword=IFN-γ en-keyword=MHC-I kn-keyword=MHC-I en-keyword=CD8 T cell kn-keyword=CD8 T cell END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=73 cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page=31 end-page=42 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=202503 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Incidence, Management, and Prevention of Gynecomastia and Breast Pain in Patients with Prostate Cancer Undergoing Antiandrogen Therapy: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Background and objective: In patients with prostate cancer treated with antiandrogen monotherapy, gynecomastia and breast pain are relatively common. In the setting of androgen receptor pathway inhibitors (ARPIs), the incidence of these adverse events (AEs) remains unclear. In addition, the effect of prophylactic treatment on gynecomastia remains uncertain. We aimed to evaluate the incidence of gynecomastia and breast pain in prostate cancer patients treated with ARPIs compared with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) and the effect of prophylactic treatment for these AEs due to antiandrogen therapy.
Methods: In June 2024, we queried four databases—PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase—for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating prostate cancer treatments involving antiandrogen therapy. The endpoints of interest were the incidence of these AEs due to ARPIs and the effect of prophylactic treatment for these.
Key findings and limitations: Eighteen RCTs, comprising 5036 patients, were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis. ARPIs included enzalutamide, darolutamide, and apalutamide. The results indicated that patients who received ARPI monotherapy had a significantly higher incidence of gynecomastia than those who received ADT monotherapy (risk ratio [RR]: 5.19, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.58–7.51, p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the incidence of gynecomastia between ARPI plus ADT therapy and ADT monotherapy (RR: 1.27, 95% CI: 0.84–1.93, p = 0.2). Prophylactic tamoxifen or radiotherapy reduced significantly the incidence of gynecomastia and breast pain caused by bicalutamide monotherapy.
Conclusions and clinical implications: We found that ARPI monotherapy increases the incidence of these AEs significantly compared with ADT. In contrast, ARPI plus ADT therapy did not result in a higher incidence of AEs. The use of either tamoxifen or radiotherapy was effective in reducing the incidence of these AEs due to bicalutamide monotherapy. These prophylactic treatments could reduce the incidence of AEs due to ARPI monotherapy. However, further studies are needed to clarify their efficacy.
Patient summary: Although androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) improves overall survival in patients with prostate cancer, it is associated with several complications. Androgen receptor pathway inhibitor (ARPI) monotherapy has emerged as a promising strategy for improving oncological outcomes in these patients. However, ARPI monotherapy increases gynecomastia and breast pain in prostate cancer patients compared with ADT, while ARPI plus ADT did not result in a higher incidence of adverse events. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=TsuboiIchiro en-aut-sei=Tsuboi en-aut-mei=Ichiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=SchulzRobert J. en-aut-sei=Schulz en-aut-mei=Robert J. kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=LaukhtinaEkaterina en-aut-sei=Laukhtina en-aut-mei=Ekaterina kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=WadaKoichiro en-aut-sei=Wada en-aut-mei=Koichiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=KarakiewiczPierre I. en-aut-sei=Karakiewicz en-aut-mei=Pierre I. kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=ArakiMotoo en-aut-sei=Araki en-aut-mei=Motoo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=ShariatShahrokh F. en-aut-sei=Shariat en-aut-mei=Shahrokh F. kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Urology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Urology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Urology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Urology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Cancer Prognostics and Health Outcomes Unit, University of Montreal Health Centre kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Urology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Urology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna kn-affil= en-keyword=Antiandrogen therapy kn-keyword=Antiandrogen therapy en-keyword=Androgen deprivation therapy kn-keyword=Androgen deprivation therapy en-keyword=Androgen receptor pathway inhibitors kn-keyword=Androgen receptor pathway inhibitors en-keyword=Breast pain kn-keyword=Breast pain en-keyword=Gynecomastia kn-keyword=Gynecomastia END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol= cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page= end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250728 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Tailoring Mechanical Properties and Ionic Conductivity of Poly(ionic liquid)-Based Ion Gels by Tuning Anion Compositions en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Poly(ionic liquid) (PIL)-based ion gels have emerged as promising materials for advanced electrochemical applications because of their excellent miscibility with ionic liquids (IL), tunable mechanical properties, and high ionic conductivity. Despite extensive studies on PIL-based ion gels, a comprehensive understanding of how different anion combinations in the system affect physicochemical properties is lacking. In this study, we systematically investigate the effect of different anion species, such as bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (TFSI) and hexafluorophosphate (PF6), on the mechanical, viscoelastic, and ion conductive behaviors of PIL-based ion gels. We investigate the interplay between anion size, packing density, and polymer segmental dynamics by varying the anion composition in both the PIL network and IL component. Rheological analysis and uniaxial tensile testing results indicate that PF6-containing ion gels exhibit enhanced higher Young’s modulus because of their restricted chain mobility resulting in higher glass transition temperature (Tg). In addition, we confirm the anion exchange between PIL and IL during gel preparation and find that the mechanical and ion conductive properties of the gels are governed by the total molar ratio of anions in the gels. Our findings highlight that tuning the anion composition in PIL-based ion gels provides an effective strategy to tailor their performance, with potential applications for flexible electronics and solid-state electrochemical devices. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=WatanabeTakaichi en-aut-sei=Watanabe en-aut-mei=Takaichi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=MizutaniYuna en-aut-sei=Mizutani en-aut-mei=Yuna kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=LopezCarlos G. en-aut-sei=Lopez en-aut-mei=Carlos G. kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=OnoTsutomu en-aut-sei=Ono en-aut-mei=Tsutomu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science, and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science, and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Material Science and Engineering Department, The Pennsylvania State University, 80 Pollock Road, State College kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science, and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=poly(ionic liquid) kn-keyword=poly(ionic liquid) en-keyword=anion exchange kn-keyword=anion exchange en-keyword=gel kn-keyword=gel en-keyword=conductivity kn-keyword=conductivity en-keyword=toughness kn-keyword=toughness END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol= cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page=kwaf146 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250711 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Immortal time bias from selection: a principal stratification perspective en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Immortal time bias due to post-treatment definition of eligibility criteria can affect experimental and observational studies, and yet, in contrast to the extensive literature on the classical form of immortal time bias, it has seldom been the focus of methodological discussions. Here, we propose an account of eligibility-related immortal time bias that uses the principal stratification framework to explain the noncomparability of treatment arms (or exposure groups) conditional on selection. In particular, we show that the statistical estimand that conditions on observed eligibility after time zero of follow-up can be interpreted using partially overlapping principal strata. Furthermore, we show that, under this perspective, as the timing of eligibility approaches time zero of follow-up, the probabilities of the outcome for eligible individuals monotonically approach the corresponding unconditional (in absence of selection) expected potential outcomes under different treatment levels. Our study provides a potential outcomes-based explanation of eligibility-related immortal time bias, and indicates that, in addition to the target trial emulation framework, principal effects might, for some studies, be useful causal estimands. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=GonçalvesBronner P en-aut-sei=Gonçalves en-aut-mei=Bronner P kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=SuzukiEtsuji en-aut-sei=Suzuki en-aut-mei=Etsuji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=immortal time bias kn-keyword=immortal time bias en-keyword=principal stratification kn-keyword=principal stratification en-keyword=potential outcomes kn-keyword=potential outcomes en-keyword=causal inference kn-keyword=causal inference END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=9 cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page=e60943 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250729 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Usefulness of Interventions Using a Smartphone Cognitive Behavior Therapy Application for Children With Mental Health Disorders: Prospective, Single-Arm, Uncontrolled Clinical Trial en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Background: The prevalence of mental health disorders among children in Japan has increased rapidly, and these children often show depressive symptoms and reduced quality of life (QOL). We previously developed a smartphone-based self-monitoring app to deliver cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), implemented it in healthy children, and reported its effectiveness for health promotion.
Objective: This study aims to examine the usefulness of the CBT app for improvement in depressive symptoms and QOL in children with mental health disorders.
Methods: The participants were 115 children with mental health disorders (eg, school refusal, orthostatic hypotension, eating disorders, developmental disorders, among others) and aged 12‐18 years. The CBT app–based program comprised 1 week of psychoeducation followed by 1 week of self-monitoring. After reading story-like scenarios, participants created a self-monitoring sheet with 5 panels: events, thoughts, feelings, body responses, and actions. All participants received regular mental health care from physicians in addition to the app-based program. To evaluate the participants’ depressive symptoms and QOL, Patient Health Questionnaire for Adolescents (PHQ-9A), Depression Self-Rating Scale for Children (DSRS-C), and Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) were measured at the beginning of the intervention, and at 2 and 6 months thereafter. Questionnaire for Triage and Assessment with 30 items (QTA30), and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) were also used to measure their health and self-esteem. Participants were divided into 4 groups on the basis of the PHQ-9A score (above or below the cutoff; PHQ-9A≥5 or PHQ-9A<5) and completion or noncompletion of the CBT app–based program (app [+] or app [-]). The primary outcome was improvement in the DSRS-C score, and secondary outcomes were improvement in other psychometric scales including PedsQL, QTA30, and RSE. A paired-samples t test was used for statistical analysis. The Medical Ethics Committee of Fukuoka University Faculty of Medicine (approval U22-05-002) approved the study design.
Results: There were 48, 18, 18, and 7 participants in the PHQ-9A≥5 app (+), PHQ-9A≥5 app (-), PHQ-9A<5 app (+), and PHQ-9A<5 app (-) groups, respectively. A total of 24 participants dropped out. No improvement in the DSRS-C score was observed in all groups. However, PedsQL scores improved significantly at 2 and 6 months in the PHQ-9A<5 app (+) group (t17=6.62; P<.001 and t17=6.11; P<.001, respectively). There was a significant positive correlation between the PHQ-9A scores and the number of self-monitoring sheets completed.
Conclusions: The CBT app was useful for improving PedsQL scores of children with mental health disorders. However, a higher-intensity CBT program is necessary for more severely depressed children.
Trial Registration: University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry UMIN000046775; center6.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr_e/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000053360 en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=NagamitsuShinichiro en-aut-sei=Nagamitsu en-aut-mei=Shinichiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=OkadaAyumi en-aut-sei=Okada en-aut-mei=Ayumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=SakutaRyoichi en-aut-sei=Sakuta en-aut-mei=Ryoichi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=IshiiRyuta en-aut-sei=Ishii en-aut-mei=Ryuta kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=KoyanagiKenshi en-aut-sei=Koyanagi en-aut-mei=Kenshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=HabukawaChizu en-aut-sei=Habukawa en-aut-mei=Chizu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=KatayamaTakashi en-aut-sei=Katayama en-aut-mei=Takashi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=ItoMasaya en-aut-sei=Ito en-aut-mei=Masaya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=KanieAyako en-aut-sei=Kanie en-aut-mei=Ayako kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=OtaniRyoko en-aut-sei=Otani en-aut-mei=Ryoko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=InoueTakeshi en-aut-sei=Inoue en-aut-mei=Takeshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= en-aut-name=KitajimaTasuku en-aut-sei=Kitajima en-aut-mei=Tasuku kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=12 ORCID= en-aut-name=MatsubaraNaoki en-aut-sei=Matsubara en-aut-mei=Naoki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=13 ORCID= en-aut-name=TanakaChie en-aut-sei=Tanaka en-aut-mei=Chie kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=14 ORCID= en-aut-name=FujiiChikako en-aut-sei=Fujii en-aut-mei=Chikako kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=15 ORCID= en-aut-name=ShigeyasuYoshie en-aut-sei=Shigeyasu en-aut-mei=Yoshie kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=16 ORCID= en-aut-name=MatsuokaMichiko en-aut-sei=Matsuoka en-aut-mei=Michiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=17 ORCID= en-aut-name=KakumaTatsuyuki en-aut-sei=Kakuma en-aut-mei=Tatsuyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=18 ORCID= en-aut-name=HorikoshiMasaru en-aut-sei=Horikoshi en-aut-mei=Masaru kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=19 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Fukuoka University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Pediatrics, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Child Development and Psychosomatic Medicine Center, Dokkyo Medical University Saitama Medical Center kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Pediatrics & Child Health, Kurume University, School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Nagasaki Prefectural Center of Medicine and Welfare for Children kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Pediatric Allergy, Minami Wakayama Medical Center kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=L2B Inc kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=National Center for Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Research, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=National Center for Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Research, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Child Development and Psychosomatic Medicine Center, Dokkyo Medical University Saitama Medical Center kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Child Development and Psychosomatic Medicine Center, Dokkyo Medical University Saitama Medical Center kn-affil= affil-num=12 en-affil=Child Development and Psychosomatic Medicine Center, Dokkyo Medical University Saitama Medical Center kn-affil= affil-num=13 en-affil=Child Development and Psychosomatic Medicine Center, Dokkyo Medical University Saitama Medical Center kn-affil= affil-num=14 en-affil=Department of Pediatrics, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=15 en-affil=Department of Pediatrics, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=16 en-affil=Department of Pediatrics, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=17 en-affil=Department of Neuropsychiatry, Kurume University School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=18 en-affil=Biostatistics Center, Kurume University kn-affil= affil-num=19 en-affil=National Center for Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Research, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry kn-affil= en-keyword=smartphone kn-keyword=smartphone en-keyword=cognitive behavioral therapy kn-keyword=cognitive behavioral therapy en-keyword=application kn-keyword=application en-keyword=adolescent kn-keyword=adolescent en-keyword=youth kn-keyword=youth en-keyword=teen kn-keyword=teen en-keyword=pediatric kn-keyword=pediatric en-keyword=mental health kn-keyword=mental health en-keyword=psychoeducation kn-keyword=psychoeducation en-keyword=self-monitoring kn-keyword=self-monitoring en-keyword=questionnaire kn-keyword=questionnaire en-keyword=depressive symptoms kn-keyword=depressive symptoms en-keyword=effectiveness kn-keyword=effectiveness en-keyword=Japan kn-keyword=Japan en-keyword=statistical analysis kn-keyword=statistical analysis en-keyword=single-arm uncontrolled study kn-keyword=single-arm uncontrolled study en-keyword=mobile phone kn-keyword=mobile phone END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=15 cd-vols= no-issue=11 article-no= start-page=6155 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250530 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Top-Down Stereolithography-Based System for Additive Manufacturing of Zirconia for Dental Applications en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=This study investigated the feasibility and effectiveness of a commercial top-down stereolithography (SLA)-based system for the additive manufacturing of zirconia dental prostheses. Yttria-stabilized zirconia–resin slurries were prepared, and zirconia objects were fabricated using a top-down SLA system. Thermogravimetric–differential thermal analysis was used to examine the resin, while X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction were used to analyze the printed samples. The microstructures of additively manufactured and subtractively manufactured zirconia were compared using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) before and after sintering. Biaxial flexural strength tests were also conducted to evaluate mechanical properties. The green bodies obtained via additive manufacturing exhibited uniform layering with strong interlayer adhesion. After sintering, the structures were dense with minimal porosity. However, compared to subtractively manufactured zirconia, the additively manufactured specimens showed slightly higher porosity and lower biaxial flexural strength. The results demonstrate the potential of SLA-based additive manufacturing for dental zirconia applications while also highlighting its current mechanical limitations. The study also showed that using a blade to evenly spread viscous slurry layers in a top-down SLA system can effectively reduce oxygen inhibition at the surface and relieve internal stresses during the layer-by-layer printing process, offering a promising direction for clinical adaptation. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=YoshiharaKumiko en-aut-sei=Yoshihara en-aut-mei=Kumiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=NagaokaNoriyuki en-aut-sei=Nagaoka en-aut-mei=Noriyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=SpirrettFiona en-aut-sei=Spirrett en-aut-mei=Fiona kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=MaruoYukinori en-aut-sei=Maruo en-aut-mei=Yukinori kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=YoshidaYasuhiro en-aut-sei=Yoshida en-aut-mei=Yasuhiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=Van MeerbeekBart en-aut-sei=Van Meerbeek en-aut-mei=Bart kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=KiriharaSoshu en-aut-sei=Kirihara en-aut-mei=Soshu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Health and Medical Research Institute kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Advanced Research Center for Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, Okayama University Dental School kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Joining and Welding Research Institute, Osaka University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Prosthodontics, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Hokkaido University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=BIOMAT, Department of Oral Health Sciences, KU Leuven kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Joining and Welding Research Institute, Osaka University kn-affil= en-keyword=additive manufacturing kn-keyword=additive manufacturing en-keyword=subtractive manufacturing kn-keyword=subtractive manufacturing en-keyword=dental prosthesis kn-keyword=dental prosthesis en-keyword=ceramic prosthesis kn-keyword=ceramic prosthesis en-keyword=zirconia laminates kn-keyword=zirconia laminates en-keyword=stereolithography kn-keyword=stereolithography en-keyword=thermogravimetry–differential thermal analysis kn-keyword=thermogravimetry–differential thermal analysis en-keyword=X-ray diffraction kn-keyword=X-ray diffraction en-keyword=scanning electron microscopy kn-keyword=scanning electron microscopy END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=24 cd-vols= no-issue=1 article-no= start-page=551 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=20240827 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Body weight and eating attitudes influence improvement of depressive symptoms in children and pre-adolescents with eating disorders: a prospective multicenter cohort study en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Background Pediatric patients with eating disorders in a multicenter joint study on 11 facilities were enrolled and prospectively investigated to determine whether improvement in body weight, eating attitudes, and psychosocial factors in children with eating disorders would also improve depressive symptoms.
Methods In this study, 91 patients were enrolled between April 2014 and March 2016. The severity of underweight was assessed using the body mass index-standard deviation score (BMI-SDS), eating behavior was assessed using the children's eating attitude test (ChEAT26), the outcome of childhood eating disorders was assessed using the childhood eating disorder outcome scale, and depressive symptoms were assessed using the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) score.
Results After 12 months of treatment, depressive symptoms were evaluated in 62 of the 91 cases where it was evaluated at the initial phase. There was no difference in background characteristics between the included patients and the 29 patients who dropped out. A paired-sample t-test revealed a significant decrease in CDI scores after 12 months of treatment (p < 0.001, 95% CI: 2.401–7.373) and a significant increase in the BMI-SDS (p < 0.001, 95% CI: − 2.41973–1.45321). Multiple regression analysis revealed that BMI-SDS and ChEAT26 scores at the initial phase were beneficial in CDI recovery. In addition, BMI-SDS at the initial phase was useful for predicting BMI-SDS recovery after 12 months of treatment.
Conclusions Depressive symptoms in children with eating disorders improved with therapeutic intervention on body weight and eating attitudes.
Trial registration The Clinical Trial Number for this study is UMIN000055004. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=SuzukiYuichi en-aut-sei=Suzuki en-aut-mei=Yuichi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=NagamitsuShinichiro en-aut-sei=Nagamitsu en-aut-mei=Shinichiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=EshimaNobuoki en-aut-sei=Eshima en-aut-mei=Nobuoki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=InoueTakeshi en-aut-sei=Inoue en-aut-mei=Takeshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=OtaniRyoko en-aut-sei=Otani en-aut-mei=Ryoko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=SakutaRyoichi en-aut-sei=Sakuta en-aut-mei=Ryoichi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=IguchiToshiyuki en-aut-sei=Iguchi en-aut-mei=Toshiyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=IshiiRyuta en-aut-sei=Ishii en-aut-mei=Ryuta kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=UchidaSoh en-aut-sei=Uchida en-aut-mei=Soh kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=OkadaAyumi en-aut-sei=Okada en-aut-mei=Ayumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=KitayamaShinji en-aut-sei=Kitayama en-aut-mei=Shinji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= en-aut-name=KoyanagiKenshi en-aut-sei=Koyanagi en-aut-mei=Kenshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=12 ORCID= en-aut-name=SuzukiYuki en-aut-sei=Suzuki en-aut-mei=Yuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=13 ORCID= en-aut-name=SumiYoshino en-aut-sei=Sumi en-aut-mei=Yoshino kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=14 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakamiyaShizuo en-aut-sei=Takamiya en-aut-mei=Shizuo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=15 ORCID= en-aut-name=FujiiChikako en-aut-sei=Fujii en-aut-mei=Chikako kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=16 ORCID= en-aut-name=FukaiYoshimitsu en-aut-sei=Fukai en-aut-mei=Yoshimitsu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=17 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Pediatrics, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Pediatrics, Fukuoka University Faculty of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Pediatrics, Kurume University School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Child Development and Psychosomatic Medicine Center, Dokkyo Medical University Saitama Medical Center kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Child Development and Psychosomatic Medicine Center, Dokkyo Medical University Saitama Medical Center kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Child Development and Psychosomatic Medicine Center, Dokkyo Medical University Saitama Medical Center kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Pediatrics, Hoshigaoka Maternity Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Kurume University School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Karamun`S Forest Children`S Clinic kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Department of Pediatrics, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Himeji City Center for the Disabled kn-affil= affil-num=12 en-affil=Nagasaki Prefectural Center of Medicine and Welfare for Children kn-affil= affil-num=13 en-affil=Department of Pediatrics, National Hospital Organization Mie National Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=14 en-affil=Mental and Developmental Clinic for Children “Elm Tree” kn-affil= affil-num=15 en-affil=Takamiya Psychiatry Clinic kn-affil= affil-num=16 en-affil=Department of Pediatrics/Child Psychosomatic Medicine, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=17 en-affil=Department of Pediatrics, St. Luke’s International Hospital kn-affil= en-keyword=Eating disorders kn-keyword=Eating disorders en-keyword=Anorexia nervosa kn-keyword=Anorexia nervosa en-keyword=Body mass index-standard deviation score kn-keyword=Body mass index-standard deviation score en-keyword=Eating attitudes kn-keyword=Eating attitudes en-keyword=Children’s depression inventory kn-keyword=Children’s depression inventory END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=41 cd-vols= no-issue=3 article-no= start-page=e70085 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250512 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Acute effect of multipoint pacing and fused AV delay in patients receiving cardiac resynchronization therapy en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Background: Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is an established treatment for patients with heart failure with dyssynchrony. However, one-third of patients do not respond positively to it. Recently, multipoint pacing (MPP), which involves pacing from two sites on the left ventricle, has been found to improve symptoms and hemodynamics compared to conventional CRT. An automatic fused atrioventricular (AV) delay that performs fused pacing for intrinsic conduction has also been introduced. However, the combined effect of MPP and fused AV delay on acute hemodynamics is unknown.
Objective: To evaluate the acute hemodynamic effects of MPP and fused AV delay in patients undergoing CRT.
Methods: A pressure wire was delivered to the left ventricle, and dp/dt was compared with single atrial stimulation pacing in 52 patients with various pacing configurations.
Results: Delta dp/dt was greater in MPP than in conventional CRT (10.5 ± 1.0% vs. 8.2 ± 1.0%, p < 0.001) and in fused AV delay than in short AV delay (10.4 ± 0.8% vs. 8.3 ± 1.1, p < 0.001). Hemodynamic parameters significantly most improved with the combination of MPP and fused AV delay. Delta dp/dt was greater in LV pacing than in biventricular (BiV) pacing with MPP and fused AV delay; however, the delta QRS duration was shorter in LV pacing than in BiV pacing. Delta dp/dt and delta QRS duration were negatively correlated. The super-responder rate was 66%.
Conclusion: Combining MPP and fused AV delay has an additional effect. Shortening the QRS duration can increase the dp/dt, but the estimated line differs between LV and BiV pacing. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=MiyamotoMasakazu en-aut-sei=Miyamoto en-aut-mei=Masakazu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=NishiiNobuhiro en-aut-sei=Nishii en-aut-mei=Nobuhiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=MizunoTomofumi en-aut-sei=Mizuno en-aut-mei=Tomofumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=UeokaAkira en-aut-sei=Ueoka en-aut-mei=Akira kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=MasudaTakuro en-aut-sei=Masuda en-aut-mei=Takuro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=AsadaSaori en-aut-sei=Asada en-aut-mei=Saori kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=EjiriKentaro en-aut-sei=Ejiri en-aut-mei=Kentaro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=KawadaSatoshi en-aut-sei=Kawada en-aut-mei=Satoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakagawaKoji en-aut-sei=Nakagawa en-aut-mei=Koji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakamuraKazufumi en-aut-sei=Nakamura en-aut-mei=Kazufumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=MoritaHiroshi en-aut-sei=Morita en-aut-mei=Hiroshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= en-aut-name=YuasaShinsuke en-aut-sei=Yuasa en-aut-mei=Shinsuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=12 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Therapeutics, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Therapeutics, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=12 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= en-keyword=cardiac resynchronization therapy kn-keyword=cardiac resynchronization therapy en-keyword=dp/dt kn-keyword=dp/dt en-keyword=fused AV delay kn-keyword=fused AV delay en-keyword=LV pacing kn-keyword=LV pacing en-keyword=multipoint pacing kn-keyword=multipoint pacing END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=25 cd-vols= no-issue=1 article-no= start-page=1041 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250318 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Longitudinal changes and tracking of in-school physical activity in primary school children: four-year longitudinal study en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Background There is little evidence on the tracking of physical activity during school hours. In addition, tracking physical activity in schools provides important evidence for understanding children’s physical activity and conducting intervention studies. Therefore, this study examined longitudinal changes and tracking of in-school physical activity in primary school children.
Methods In this study, physical activity was investigated longitudinally in primary school children for 4 years. The baseline participants consisted of 103 second-grade students (7–8 years old) who participated. Step counts and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in school and during first recess and lunch/second recess were examined using an accelerometer (Kenz Lifecorder GS 4-second version; Suzuken Co. Ltd, Nagoya, Japan).
Results After excluding missing data (moving school; n = 8, physical activity; n = 8), 87 (43 boys and 44 girls) of whom were included in the final analysis. Step counts and MVPA during school and physical education in boys did not decrease across the school years. By contrast, in girls, step counts during school did not decrease across the school years, however MVPA did decrease. In addition, for both sexes, step counts and MVPA during first recess decrease across the school years. During lunch/second recess, only step counts decrease across the school years in both sexes. In addition, the tracking coefficients for step counts and MVPA for boys in school and during first recess and lunch/second recess were found across many school years. Contrarily, girls had fewer significant tracking coefficients between school years than boys. There were also few significant tracking coefficients between grades for physical education step counts and MVPA for both boys and girls.
Conclusions Our results suggested that in-school step counts for both boys and girls does not decrease across the school years. However, given that girls demonstrated reduced levels of in-school MVPA across the school years, it is important to promote strategies to increase MVPA in this group. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=SasayamaKensaku en-aut-sei=Sasayama en-aut-mei=Kensaku kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=YasunebeJin en-aut-sei=Yasunebe en-aut-mei=Jin kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=AdachiMinoru en-aut-sei=Adachi en-aut-mei=Minoru kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Faculty of Education, Mie University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Faculty of Education, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Graduate School of Education, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=Physical activity kn-keyword=Physical activity en-keyword=Step counts kn-keyword=Step counts en-keyword=Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity kn-keyword=Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity en-keyword=Youth kn-keyword=Youth en-keyword=Recess kn-keyword=Recess en-keyword=Physical education kn-keyword=Physical education en-keyword=Longitudinal study kn-keyword=Longitudinal study en-keyword=Tracking kn-keyword=Tracking END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=22 cd-vols= no-issue=6 article-no= start-page=271 end-page=285 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=2024 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Effects of Sediment Microbial Fuel Cells on CH4 and CO2 Emissions from Straw Amended Paddy Soil en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Straw returning into paddy soil enhances soil organic matter which usually promotes the emission of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. The application of sediment microbial fuel cells (SMFCs) to paddy soil activates power-generating microorganisms and enhances organic matter biodegradation. In the present study, rice straw addition in SMFCs was examined to determine its effect on CH4 and CO2 emissions. Columns (height, 25 cm; inner diameter, 9 cm) with four treatments: soil without and with rice straw under SMFC and without SMFC conditions were incubated at 25°C for 70 days. Anodic potential values at 7 cm depth sediment were kept higher by SMFCs than those without SMFCs. Cumulative CH4 emission was significantly reduced by SMFC with straw amendment (p < 0.05) with no significant effect on CO2 emission. 16S rRNA gene analysis results showed that Firmicutes at the phylum, Closteridiales and Acidobacteriales at order level were dominant on the anode of straw-added SMFC, whereas Methanomicrobiales were in the treatment without SMFC, indicating that a certain group of methanogens were suppressed by SMFC. Our results suggest that the anodic redox environment together with the enrichment of straw-degrading bacteria contributed to a competitive advantage of electrogenesis over methanogenesis in straw-added SMFC system. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=BekeleAdhena Tesfau en-aut-sei=Bekele en-aut-mei=Adhena Tesfau kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=MaedaMorihiro en-aut-sei=Maeda en-aut-mei=Morihiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=AkaoSatoshi en-aut-sei=Akao en-aut-mei=Satoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=SomuraHiroaki en-aut-sei=Somura en-aut-mei=Hiroaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakanoChiyu en-aut-sei=Nakano en-aut-mei=Chiyu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=NishinaYuta en-aut-sei=Nishina en-aut-mei=Yuta kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Faculty of Science and Engineering, Doshisha University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Organization for Research Strategy and Development, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=straw kn-keyword=straw en-keyword=methane mitigation kn-keyword=methane mitigation en-keyword=SMFC kn-keyword=SMFC en-keyword=microorganisms kn-keyword=microorganisms en-keyword=current generation kn-keyword=current generation END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=57 cd-vols= no-issue=1 article-no= start-page=63 end-page=69 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250724 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title=Case Study on Additional Tax for Non-Tax Return: On the subject of the Supreme Court's September 21, 2006 decision kn-title=無申告加算税に関するケーススタディ―最高裁平成18 年９月21 日決定を題材に― en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract= en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=FukeHiroyuki en-aut-sei=Fuke en-aut-mei=Hiroyuki kn-aut-name=普家弘行 kn-aut-sei=普家 kn-aut-mei=弘行 aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil= kn-affil= END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=57 cd-vols= no-issue=1 article-no= start-page=35 end-page=50 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250724 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title=A New Approach to Economic Ripple Effects in Regional Input-Output Tables kn-title=地域産業連関表における経済波及効果のNew Approach en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract=　This paper first addresses the concept of economic ripple effects, highlighting that simulation results based on input-output tables often lead to overestimations. The primary reason for this overestimation lies in a misunderstanding of the underlying assumptions that generate ripple effects. Specifically, household consumption within a given region merely represents a transfer of money rather than a genuine economic impact. In principle, ripple effects should be understood as additional consumption resulting from increased income. In the absence of income growth, such effects largely represent consumption substitution or intertemporal shifts in spending. Furthermore, what is commonly referred to as “economic impact” is typically calculated as the cumulative total of sales revenue, which aggregates all monetary transactions indiscriminately. This approach differs from the concept of value-added effects, or income effects, which cannot exceed the initial inflow of money from outside the region. One of the factors contributing to these misinterpretations is the insufficient education on input-output analysis at universities. Additionally, computational tools provided by think tanks and public institutions for estimating ripple effects also present methodological issues. To address these challenges, this paper further refines a model previously proposed by the author that visualizes the ripple effect process. The study demonstrates, using real-world examples, the process of constructing ex-post input-output tables following exogenous impacts such as events. In particular, the paper introduces a “partially non-competitive import type” input structure as an alternative to the conventional competitive import-type input-output tables, which tend to overestimate the effects of changes in self-sufficiency rates. This new approach offers a more accurate framework for analyzing economic impacts. kn-abstract=　本稿では，まず経済波及効果の考え方について，産業連関表を用いたシミュレーションの結果が，しばしば過大評価になっていることを述べる。その理由として，経済波及効果をもたらす前提条件の考え方にしばしば誤解があることを指摘する。域内の居住者の消費はマネーの移転であり，真の経済効果ではない。波及効果とは，本来，所得が増えた結果の追加消費であって，所得が増えない状況では，代替消費や消費の先取りに過ぎないのである。また，一般にいう経済効果とは，売上高の積み上げであって同じマネーが何でも加算されているものであり，付加価値効果すなわち所得効果とは異なる。付加価値効果は，当初の域外から入ってきたマネー以上にはならない。こういった解釈の誤謬をもたらしているのは，大学での産業連関分析の教育が十分でないことも原因の1つであるが，シンクタンクや公的機関などで提供されている波及効果の計算ツールにも問題がある。そこで本稿では，これまで筆者が提唱してきた波及効果プロセスを見える化するモデルを更に精緻化し，イベントなど外生的インパクトが発生した後の事後的な産業連関表を構築する流れに関して実例を用いて説明を行う。特に自給率の変化の効果については，これまでの競争移入型連関表では効果が過大傾向になる問題点を解消するべく，「部分非競争移入型」の投入構造を提案し，新たな分析方法を提案する。 en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=NakamuraRyohei en-aut-sei=Nakamura en-aut-mei=Ryohei kn-aut-name=中村良平 kn-aut-sei=中村 kn-aut-mei=良平 aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil= kn-affil=岡山大学 END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=121 cd-vols= no-issue=5 article-no= start-page=e70046 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250304 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Spider mite tetranins elicit different defense responses in different host habitats en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Spider mites (Tetranychus urticae) are a major threat to economically important crops. Here, we investigated the potential of tetranins, in particular Tet3 and Tet4, as T. urticae protein-type elicitors that stimulate plant defense. Truncated Tet3 and Tet4 proteins showed efficacy in activating the defense gene pathogenesis-related 1 (PR1) and inducing phytohormone production in leaves of Phaseolus vulgaris. In particular, Tet3 caused a drastically higher Ca2+ influx in leaves, but a lower reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation compared to other tetranins, whereas Tet4 caused a low Ca2+ influx and a high ROS generation in the host plants. Such specific and non-specific elicitor activities were examined by knockdown of Tet3 and Tet4 expressions in mites, confirming their respective activities and in particular showing that they function additively or synergistically to induce defense responses. Of great interest is the fact that Tet3 and Tet4 expression levels were higher in mites on their preferred host, P. vulgaris, compared to the levels in mites on the less-preferred host, Cucumis sativus, whereas Tet1 and Tet2 were constitutively expressed regardless of their host. Furthermore, mites that had been hosted on C. sativus induced lower levels of PR1 expression, Ca2+ influx and ROS generation, i.e., Tet3- and Tet4-responsive defense responses, in both P. vulgaris and C. sativus leaves compared to the levels induced by mites that had been hosted on P. vulgaris. Taken together, these findings show that selected tetranins respond to variable host cues that may optimize herbivore fitness by altering the anti-mite response of the host plant. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=EndoYukiko en-aut-sei=Endo en-aut-mei=Yukiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=TanakaMiku en-aut-sei=Tanaka en-aut-mei=Miku kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=UemuraTakuya en-aut-sei=Uemura en-aut-mei=Takuya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=TanimuraKaori en-aut-sei=Tanimura en-aut-mei=Kaori kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=DesakiYoshitake en-aut-sei=Desaki en-aut-mei=Yoshitake kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=OzawaRika en-aut-sei=Ozawa en-aut-mei=Rika kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=BonzanoSara en-aut-sei=Bonzano en-aut-mei=Sara kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=MaffeiMassimo E. en-aut-sei=Maffei en-aut-mei=Massimo E. kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=ShinyaTomonori en-aut-sei=Shinya en-aut-mei=Tomonori kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=GalisIvan en-aut-sei=Galis en-aut-mei=Ivan kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=ArimuraGen‐ichiro en-aut-sei=Arimura en-aut-mei=Gen‐ichiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Biological Science and Technology, Faculty of Advanced Engineering, Tokyo University of Science kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Biological Science and Technology, Faculty of Advanced Engineering, Tokyo University of Science kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Biological Science and Technology, Faculty of Advanced Engineering, Tokyo University of Science kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Biological Science and Technology, Faculty of Advanced Engineering, Tokyo University of Science kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Biological Science and Technology, Faculty of Advanced Engineering, Tokyo University of Science kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, Plant Physiology Unit, University of Turin kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, Plant Physiology Unit, University of Turin kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Institute of Plant Science and Resources (IPSR), Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Institute of Plant Science and Resources (IPSR), Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Department of Biological Science and Technology, Faculty of Advanced Engineering, Tokyo University of Science kn-affil= en-keyword=Cucumis sativus kn-keyword=Cucumis sativus en-keyword=elicitor kn-keyword=elicitor en-keyword=Phaseolus vulgaris kn-keyword=Phaseolus vulgaris en-keyword=spider mite (Tetranychus urticae) kn-keyword=spider mite (Tetranychus urticae) en-keyword=tetranin kn-keyword=tetranin END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=66 cd-vols= no-issue=5 article-no= start-page=705 end-page=721 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=20241220 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=SHORT AND CROOKED AWN, encoding the epigenetic regulator EMF1, promotes barley awn development en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=The awn is a bristle-like extension from the tip of the lemma in grasses. In barley, the predominant cultivars possess long awns that contribute to grain yield and quality through photosynthesis. In addition, various awn morphological mutants are available in barley, rendering it a useful cereal crop to investigate the mechanims of awn development. Here, we identified the gene causative of the short and crooked awn (sca) mutant, which exhibits a short and curved awn phenotype. Intercrossing experiments revealed that the sca mutant induced in the Japanese cultivar (cv.) “Akashinriki” is allelic to the independently isolated moderately short-awn mutant breviaristatum-a (ari-a). Map-based cloning and sequencing revealed that SCA encodes the Polycomb group–associated protein EMBRYONIC FLOWER 1. We found that SCA affects awn development through the promotion of cell proliferation, elongation, and cell wall synthesis. RNA sequencing of cv. Bowman backcross-derived near-isogenic lines of sca and ari-a6 alleles showed that SCA is directly or indirectly involved in promoting the expression of genes related to awn development. Additionally, SCA represses various transcription factors essential for floral organ development and plant architecture, such as MADS-box and Knotted1-like homeobox genes. Notably, the repression of the C-class MADS-box gene HvMADS58 by SCA in awns is associated with the accumulation of the repressive histone modification H3K27me3. These findings highlight the potential role of SCA-mediated gene regulation, including histone modification, as a novel pathway in barley awn development. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=NakamuraKoki en-aut-sei=Nakamura en-aut-mei=Koki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=KikuchiYuichi en-aut-sei=Kikuchi en-aut-mei=Yuichi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=ShiragaMizuho en-aut-sei=Shiraga en-aut-mei=Mizuho kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=KotakeToshihisa en-aut-sei=Kotake en-aut-mei=Toshihisa kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=HyodoKiwamu en-aut-sei=Hyodo en-aut-mei=Kiwamu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=TaketaShin en-aut-sei=Taketa en-aut-mei=Shin kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=IkedaYoko en-aut-sei=Ikeda en-aut-mei=Yoko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=barley kn-keyword=barley en-keyword=awn development kn-keyword=awn development en-keyword=EMBRYONIC FLOWER 1 (EMF1) kn-keyword=EMBRYONIC FLOWER 1 (EMF1) en-keyword=homeotic genes kn-keyword=homeotic genes en-keyword=H3K27 trimethylation kn-keyword=H3K27 trimethylation en-keyword=epigenetic regulation kn-keyword=epigenetic regulation END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol= cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page= end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250710 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Tumor Microvessels with Specific Morphology as a Prognostic Factor in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Background Angiogenesis is essential for tumor progression. Microvessel density (MVD) is a widely used histological method to assess angiogenesis using immunostained sections, but its prognostic significance in esophageal cancer remains controversial. Recently, the evaluation of microvascular architecture has gained importance as a method to assess tumor aggressiveness. The present study aimed to identify the histological characteristics of tumor microvessels that are associated with the aggressiveness of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
Patients and Methods A total of 108 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma tissues were immunohistochemically stained with blood vessel markers and angiogenesis-related markers, including CD31, alpha smooth muscle actin, vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A), CD206, and D2-40. MVD, microvessel pericyte coverage index (MPI), and tumor vascular morphology were evaluated by microscopy.
Results MVD was significantly associated with patient outcomes, whereas neither MPI nor VEGF-A expression throughout the tumor showed a significant correlation. In addition, the presence of blood vessels encircling clusters of tumor cells, termed C-shaped microvessels, and excessively branching microvessels, termed X-shaped microvessels, was significantly associated with poor prognosis. These vessel types were also correlated with clinicopathological parameters, including deeper invasion of the primary tumor, presence of lymph node metastasis, advanced pathological stage, and distant metastasis. Focal VEGF-A immunoexpression in tumor cells was higher in areas containing C-shaped or X-shaped microvessels compared with areas lacking these vessel morphologies.
Conclusions The data suggest that tumor microvessels with specific morphologies (C-shaped and X-shaped microvessels) may serve as a promising prognostic factor in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=TunHnin Thida en-aut-sei=Tun en-aut-mei=Hnin Thida kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=FujisawaMasayoshi en-aut-sei=Fujisawa en-aut-mei=Masayoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=OharaToshiaki en-aut-sei=Ohara en-aut-mei=Toshiaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=NishimuraSeitaro en-aut-sei=Nishimura en-aut-mei=Seitaro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=KunitomoTomoyoshi en-aut-sei=Kunitomo en-aut-mei=Tomoyoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=NomaKazuhiro en-aut-sei=Noma en-aut-mei=Kazuhiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=MatsukawaAkihiro en-aut-sei=Matsukawa en-aut-mei=Akihiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Pathology and Experimental Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Pathology and Experimental Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Pathology and Experimental Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Pathology and Experimental Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=Esophageal neoplasms kn-keyword=Esophageal neoplasms en-keyword=Angiogenesis kn-keyword=Angiogenesis en-keyword=Microvessel density kn-keyword=Microvessel density en-keyword=Pericytes kn-keyword=Pericytes en-keyword=VEGF-A kn-keyword=VEGF-A en-keyword=Immunohistochemistry kn-keyword=Immunohistochemistry en-keyword=Prognosis kn-keyword=Prognosis END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=41 cd-vols= no-issue=7 article-no= start-page=1073 end-page=1082 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250520 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Direct insertion of an ion channel immobilized on a soft agarose gel bead into a lipid bilayer: an optimized method en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=In this paper, we report the development of a device that improves the conventional artificial lipid bilayer method and can measure channel currents more efficiently. Ion channel proteins are an attractive research target in biophysics, because their functions can be measured at the single-molecule level with high time resolution. In addition, they have attracted attention as targets for drug discovery because of their crucial roles in vivo. Although electrophysiological methods are powerful tools for studying channel proteins, they suffer from low measurement efficiency and require considerable skill. In our previous paper, we reported that by immobilizing channel proteins on agarose gel beads and forming an artificial lipid bilayer on the bead surface, we simultaneously solved two problems that had been hindering the efficiency of the artificial bilayer method: the time-consuming formation of artificial lipid bilayers and the time-consuming incorporation of channels into artificial bilayers. Previous studies have utilized crosslinked hard beads; however, here we show that channel current measurement can be achieved more simply and efficiently using non-crosslinked soft beads. In this study, we detailed the process of immobilizing channel proteins on the surface of non-crosslinked beads through chemical modification, allowing us to measure their channel activity. This method enables current measurements without the need for stringent bead size selection or high negative pressure. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=AsakuraMami en-aut-sei=Asakura en-aut-mei=Mami kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=WangShuyan en-aut-sei=Wang en-aut-mei=Shuyan kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=HiranoMinako en-aut-sei=Hirano en-aut-mei=Minako kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=IdeToru en-aut-sei=Ide en-aut-mei=Toru kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=Ion channel kn-keyword=Ion channel en-keyword=Artificial lipid bilayer kn-keyword=Artificial lipid bilayer en-keyword=Suction fixation kn-keyword=Suction fixation en-keyword=Soft agarose bead kn-keyword=Soft agarose bead en-keyword=Current recording kn-keyword=Current recording END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=14 cd-vols= no-issue=5 article-no= start-page=489 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250430 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Mutagenesis Targeting the S153 Residue Within the Transmembrane β-Hairpin of Mosquito-Larvicidal Mpp46Ab Affects Its Toxicity and the Synergistic Toxicity with Cry4Aa en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=We constructed a library of Mpp46Ab mutants, in which S153 within the transmembrane β-hairpin was randomly replaced by other amino acids. Mutagenesis and subsequent primary screening yielded 10 different Mpp46Ab mutants in addition to the wild type. Remarkably, S153 was replaced with a more hydrophobic amino acid in most of the mutants, and the S153I mutant in particular exhibited significantly increased toxicity. Electrophysiologic analysis using artificial lipid bilayers revealed that the single-channel conductance and PK/PCl permeability ratio were significantly increased for S153I pores. This suggests that the formation of highly ion-permeable and highly cation-selective toxin pores increases the influx of cations and water into cells, thereby facilitating osmotic shock. In addition, the S153F, S153L, and S153I mutants exhibited significantly reduced synergistic toxicity with Cry4Aa. Electrophysiologic analysis showed that the S153F, S153L, and S153I mutants form toxin pores with a significantly reduced PK/PNa permeability ratio and a significantly increased PK/PCa permeability ratio compared to wild-type pores. Thus, our results suggest that pore formation is central to the insecticidal activity of Mpp46Ab and that the ion permeability of toxin pores is a potential indicator correlated with both toxicity and synergistic toxicity with other toxins. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=HayakawaTohru en-aut-sei=Hayakawa en-aut-mei=Tohru kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=YamaokaSyun en-aut-sei=Yamaoka en-aut-mei=Syun kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=AsakuraMami en-aut-sei=Asakura en-aut-mei=Mami kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=HiranoMinako en-aut-sei=Hirano en-aut-mei=Minako kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=IdeToru en-aut-sei=Ide en-aut-mei=Toru kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=Bacillus thuringiensis kn-keyword=Bacillus thuringiensis en-keyword=mosquito-larvicidal proteins kn-keyword=mosquito-larvicidal proteins en-keyword=synergistic toxicity kn-keyword=synergistic toxicity en-keyword=Culex pipiens mosquito larvae kn-keyword=Culex pipiens mosquito larvae en-keyword=side-directed mutagenesis kn-keyword=side-directed mutagenesis en-keyword=electrophysiologic analysis kn-keyword=electrophysiologic analysis END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=13 cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page=100242 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=202504 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Photochemical internalization of mRNA using a photosensitizer and nucleic acid carriers en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=mRNA has great potential for therapeutic applications because it can encode a variety of proteins and antigens, in addition to advantages over DNA in terms of gene expression without genomic integration, nuclear localization, or transcription. However, therapeutic applications of mRNA require safe and effective delivery into target cells. Therefore, we aimed to investigate photochemical internalization (PCI) as a promising strategy for delivering mRNA to target cells. In this strategy, mRNA is taken up into cells by endocytosis, accumulates in endosomes, and is released in a light-dependent manner from the endosomes using an endosome-accumulating photosensitizer, aluminum phthalocyanine disulfonate (AlPcS2a), in combination with nucleic acid carrier molecules. We compared the efficacy of various nucleic acid carriers, including branched polyethyleneimine (bPEI) and poly{N'-[N-(2-aminoethyl)-2-aminoethyl] aspartamide} (PAsp(DET)) under the same conditions for PCI-based mRNA delivery. Our results indicated that bPEI and PAsp(DET) at low N/P ratios exhibited efficient light-enhancement of mRNA expression by PCI with AlPcS2a. Notably, bPEI exhibited the highest light-dependent mRNA delivery among the carriers evaluated (including cationic polymers, cationic peptides, and lipids), whereas PAsp(DET) showed promise for clinical use because of its lower toxicity compared with bPEI. This PCI strategy allows effective cytosolic mRNA delivery at low N/P ratios, thereby reducing cationic carrier molecule-induced cytotoxicity. This method allows spatiotemporal control of protein expression and holds potential for novel light-dependent mRNA therapies. Overall, this study provided valuable insights into optimizing mRNA delivery systems for therapeutic applications. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=MaemotoHayaki en-aut-sei=Maemoto en-aut-mei=Hayaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=SuzakiRyohei en-aut-sei=Suzaki en-aut-mei=Ryohei kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=WatanabeKazunori en-aut-sei=Watanabe en-aut-mei=Kazunori kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=ItakaKeiji en-aut-sei=Itaka en-aut-mei=Keiji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=OhtsukiTakashi en-aut-sei=Ohtsuki en-aut-mei=Takashi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Biofunction Research, Institute of Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Tokyo Medical and Dental University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=mRNA kn-keyword=mRNA en-keyword=Photochemical internalization kn-keyword=Photochemical internalization en-keyword=Photosensitizer kn-keyword=Photosensitizer END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=14 cd-vols= no-issue=7 article-no= start-page=808 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250630 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Carnosol, a Rosemary Ingredient Discovered in a Screen for Inhibitors of SARM1-NAD+ Cleavage Activity, Ameliorates Symptoms of Peripheral Neuropathy en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Sterile alpha and Toll/interleukin receptor motif-containing protein 1 (SARM1) is a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) hydrolase involved in axonal degeneration and neuronal cell death. SARM1 plays a pivotal role in triggering the neurodegenerative processes that underlie peripheral neuropathies, traumatic brain injury, and neurodegenerative diseases. Importantly, SARM1 knockdown or knockout prevents the degeneration; as a result, SARM1 has been attracting attention as a potent therapeutic target. In recent years, the development of several SARM1 inhibitors derived from synthetic chemical compounds has been reported; however, no dietary ingredients with SARM1 inhibitory activity have been identified. Therefore, we here focused on dietary ingredients and found that carnosol, an antioxidant contained in rosemary, inhibits the NAD+-cleavage activity of SARM1. Purified carnosol inhibited the enzymatic activity of SARM1 and suppressed neurite degeneration and cell death induced by the anti-cancer medicine vincristine (VCR). Carnosol also inhibited VCR-induced hyperalgesia symptoms, suppressed the loss of intra-epidermal nerve fibers in vivo, and reduced the blood fluid level of phosphorylated neurofilament-H caused by an axonal degeneration event. These results indicate that carnosol has a neuroprotective effect via SARM1 inhibition in addition to its previously known antioxidant effect via NF-E2-related factor 2 and thus suppresses neurotoxin-induced peripheral neuropathy. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=MurataHitoshi en-aut-sei=Murata en-aut-mei=Hitoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=OgawaKazuki en-aut-sei=Ogawa en-aut-mei=Kazuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=YasuiYu en-aut-sei=Yasui en-aut-mei=Yu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=OchiToshiki en-aut-sei=Ochi en-aut-mei=Toshiki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=TomonobuNahoko en-aut-sei=Tomonobu en-aut-mei=Nahoko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=YamamotoKen-Ichi en-aut-sei=Yamamoto en-aut-mei=Ken-Ichi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=KinoshitaRie en-aut-sei=Kinoshita en-aut-mei=Rie kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=WadaYoji en-aut-sei=Wada en-aut-mei=Yoji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakamuraHiromichi en-aut-sei=Nakamura en-aut-mei=Hiromichi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=NishiboriMasahiro en-aut-sei=Nishibori en-aut-mei=Masahiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=SakaguchiMasakiyo en-aut-sei=Sakaguchi en-aut-mei=Masakiyo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Cell Biology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Tama Biochemical Co., Ltd. kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Cell Biology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Cell Biology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Cell Biology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Cell Biology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Cell Biology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Tama Biochemical Co., Ltd. kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Tama Biochemical Co., Ltd. kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Department of Translational Research and Drug Development, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Department of Cell Biology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= en-keyword=SARM1 kn-keyword=SARM1 en-keyword=carnosol kn-keyword=carnosol en-keyword=NAD+ kn-keyword=NAD+ en-keyword=axon degeneration kn-keyword=axon degeneration en-keyword=peripheral neuropathy kn-keyword=peripheral neuropathy END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=32 cd-vols= no-issue=4 article-no= start-page=773 end-page=782 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250508 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Japanese translation of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast + 4 (FACT-B + 4) following international guidelines: a verification of linguistic validity en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Background For breast cancer patients, postoperative lymphedema and upper limb movement disorders are serious complications that absolutely reduce their quality of life (QOL). To evaluate this serious complication, we used “Quick Dash” or “FACT-B”, which can assess a patient's physical, social, emotional, and functional health status. To evaluate their breast cancer surgery-related dysfunction correctly, “FACT-B + 4” was created by adding four questions about “arm swelling'' and “tenderness”. We have translated it into Japanese according to international translation guidelines.
Methods At the beginning, we contacted FACT headquarters that we would like to create a Japanese version of FACT-B + 4. They formed the FACIT Trans Team (FACIT) following international translation procedures, and then, we began translating according to them. The steps are 1: perform “Forward and Reverse translations” to create a “Preliminary Japanese version”, 2: request the cooperation of 5 breast cancer patients and “conduct a pilot study” and “questionnaire survey”, and 3: amendments and final approval based on pilot study results and clinical perspectives.
Result In Step1, FACIT requested faithful translation of the words, verbs, and nouns from the original text. In Step2, patients reported that they felt uncomfortable with the Japanese version words such as “numb'' and “stiffness'' and felt that it might be difficult to describe their symptoms accurately. In Step3, we readjusted the translation to be more concise and closer to common Japanese language, and performed “Step1” again to ensure that the translation definitely retained the meaning of the original.
Conclusion A Japanese version of FACT has existed until now, but there was no Japanese version of FACT-B + 4, which adds four additional items to evaluate swelling and pain in the upper limbs. This time, we have created a Japanese version that has been approved by FACT. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=TsukiokiTakahiro en-aut-sei=Tsukioki en-aut-mei=Takahiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakataNozomu en-aut-sei=Takata en-aut-mei=Nozomu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=DennisSaya R. en-aut-sei=Dennis en-aut-mei=Saya R. kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=TerataKaori en-aut-sei=Terata en-aut-mei=Kaori kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=SagaraYasuaki en-aut-sei=Sagara en-aut-mei=Yasuaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=SakaiTakehiko en-aut-sei=Sakai en-aut-mei=Takehiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakayamaShin en-aut-sei=Takayama en-aut-mei=Shin kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=KitagawaDai en-aut-sei=Kitagawa en-aut-mei=Dai kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=KikawaYuichiro en-aut-sei=Kikawa en-aut-mei=Yuichiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakahashiYuko en-aut-sei=Takahashi en-aut-mei=Yuko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=IwataniTsuguo en-aut-sei=Iwatani en-aut-mei=Tsuguo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= en-aut-name=HaraFumikata en-aut-sei=Hara en-aut-mei=Fumikata kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=12 ORCID= en-aut-name=FujisawaTomomi en-aut-sei=Fujisawa en-aut-mei=Tomomi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=13 ORCID= en-aut-name=ShienTadahiko en-aut-sei=Shien en-aut-mei=Tadahiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=14 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Simpson Querrey Biomedical Research Center, Northwestern University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Preventive Medicine Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Akita University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Breast Surgical Oncology, Social Medical Corporation Hakuaikai Sagara Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Surgical Oncology, Breast Oncology Center, Cancer Institute Hospital of JFCR kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Breast Surgery, National Cancer Center Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Breast Surgical Oncology, National Center for Global Health and Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of Breast Surgery, Kansai Medical University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Department of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Department of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=12 en-affil=Department of Breast Oncology, Aichi Cancer Center Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=13 en-affil=Department of Breast Cancer, Gunma Prefectural Cancer Center kn-affil= affil-num=14 en-affil=Department of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= en-keyword=Breast cancer kn-keyword=Breast cancer en-keyword=FACT-B kn-keyword=FACT-B en-keyword=FACT-B+4 kn-keyword=FACT-B+4 en-keyword=QOL kn-keyword=QOL END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol= cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page=85 end-page=104 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2022 dt-pub=20220812 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=CyNER: Information Extraction from Unstructured Text of CTI Sources with Noncontextual IOCs en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Cybersecurity threats have been increasing and growing more sophisticated year by year. In such circumstances, gathering Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) and following up with up-to-date threat information is crucial. Structured CTI such as Structured Threat Information eXpression (STIX) is particularly useful because it can automate security operations such as updating FW/IDS rules and analyzing attack trends. However, as most CTIs are written in natural language, manual analysis with domain knowledge is required, which becomes quite time-consuming.
In this work, we propose CyNER, a method for automatically structuring CTIs and converting them into STIX format. CyNER extracts named entities in the context of CTI and then extracts the relations between named entities and IOCs in order to convert them into STIX. In addition, by using key phrase extraction, CyNER can extract relations between IOCs that lack contextual information, such as those listed at the bottom of a CTI, and named entities. We describe our design and implementation of CyNER and demonstrate that it can extract named entities with the F-measure of 0.80 and extract relations between named entities and IOCs with the maximum accuracy of 81.6%. Our analysis of structured CTI showed that CyNER can extract IOCs that are not included in existing reputation sites, and that it can automatically extract IOCs that have been exploited for a long time and across multiple attack groups. CyNER is thus expected to contribute to the efficiency of CTI analysis. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=FujiiShota en-aut-sei=Fujii en-aut-mei=Shota kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=KawaguchiNobutaka en-aut-sei=Kawaguchi en-aut-mei=Nobutaka kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=ShigemotoTomohiro en-aut-sei=Shigemoto en-aut-mei=Tomohiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=YamauchiToshihiro en-aut-sei=Yamauchi en-aut-mei=Toshihiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Research & Development Group, Hitachi, Ltd. kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Research & Development Group, Hitachi, Ltd. kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Faculty of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol= cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page=274 end-page=278 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2023 dt-pub=20231127 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Prevention Method for Stack Buffer Overflow Attack in TA Command Calls in OP-TEE en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=TEE systems provide normal world and secure world. It is impossible to gain access to the secure world directly from the normal world. However, vulnerabilities in the secure world can cause attacks to compromise the secure world. In this study, we investigate the security features applied to trusted applications (TA) in OP-TEE and clarify the lack of protection against stack buffer overflow in TA command calls. We also propose a method for preventing attacks that exploit stack buffer overflows in TA command calls. In addition, the experimental results show that attacks on the vulnerable TAs can be prevented with the proposed method and the overhead can be evaluated. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=ShibaKaito en-aut-sei=Shiba en-aut-mei=Kaito kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=KuzunoHiroki en-aut-sei=Kuzuno en-aut-mei=Hiroki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=YamauchiToshihiro en-aut-sei=Yamauchi en-aut-mei=Toshihiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Graduate School of Engineering, Kobe University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Faculty of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=Trusted execution environment kn-keyword=Trusted execution environment en-keyword=Stack overflow prevention method kn-keyword=Stack overflow prevention method en-keyword=System security kn-keyword=System security END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol= cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page=161 end-page=167 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2023 dt-pub=20231128 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Evaluation of Effectiveness of MAC Systems Based on LSM for Protecting IoT Devices en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Numerous active attacks targeting Internet of Things (IoT) devices exist. They exploit the latest vulnerabilities discovered in IoT devices. Therefore, Mandatory Access Control (MAC) systems based on Linux Security Modules (LSM), such as SELinux and AppArmor, are effective security features for IoT devices because they can mitigate the impact of attacks even if software vulnerabilities are discovered. However, they are not adopted by most IoT devices. The existing approaches are insufficient for investigating the causes of this problem.In this study, we comprehensively investigated what factors can affect the applicability of MAC systems based on LSM in IoT devices. We focused on how frequently cases can occur where they cannot be adopted, owing to each factor. To increase the comprehensiveness of the factors affecting the adoption of MAC systems in IoT devices, we investigated the kernel version, CPU architecture, and support for BusyBox in addition to the investigation of resources, which conducted in previous studies. We also conducted simulated experiments based on the attack method of Mirai to investigate whether MAC systems can protect against IoT malware. Finally, we discuss the impact of a combination of these factors on MAC system adoption. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=MikiMasato en-aut-sei=Miki en-aut-mei=Masato kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=YamauchiToshihiro en-aut-sei=Yamauchi en-aut-mei=Toshihiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=KobayashiSatoru en-aut-sei=Kobayashi en-aut-mei=Satoru kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Faculty of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Faculty of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=Mandatory Access Control System kn-keyword=Mandatory Access Control System en-keyword=IoT Security kn-keyword=IoT Security en-keyword=Linux Security Modules kn-keyword=Linux Security Modules END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol= cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page=267 end-page=273 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2023 dt-pub=20231127 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Supporting Multiple OS Types on Estimation of System Call Hook Point by Virtual Machine Monitor en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Methods to hook system calls issued by a guest operating system (OS) running on a virtual machine using a virtual machine monitor are proposed. The address of the hook point is derived from the guest OS’s source code and established prior to the kernel startup process. Due to changes in system call processing in OS updates and address space layout randomization, the addresses of these hook points cannot always be pre-determined before the kernel startup process. To address this challenge, a method for estimating the system call hook point is proposed in Linux by analyzing the guest OS memory on x86-64 CPUs rather than pre-calculation. Although the method supports Linux, the method can be extended to support other OS types. In this paper, we propose a method to extend the method to support additional OSes. Specifically, we present analysis results and a novel method for estimating hook points on FreeBSD, NetBSD, and OpenBSD. The effectiveness of our proposed method is also demonstrated through evaluation. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=SatoMasaya en-aut-sei=Sato en-aut-mei=Masaya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=OmoriTaku en-aut-sei=Omori en-aut-mei=Taku kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=YamauchiToshihiro en-aut-sei=Yamauchi en-aut-mei=Toshihiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=TaniguchiHideo en-aut-sei=Taniguchi en-aut-mei=Hideo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Okayama Prefectural University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Okayama Prefectural University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=system call kn-keyword=system call en-keyword=virtual machine monitor kn-keyword=virtual machine monitor en-keyword=operating system kn-keyword=operating system END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=16 cd-vols= no-issue=5 article-no= start-page=164 end-page=173 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=202505 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Nephronophthisis and Retinitis Pigmentosa (Senior-Loken Syndrome) After Living-Donor Kidney Transplantation: Twelve-Year Follow-Up in a Young Woman en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Senior-Loken syndrome is a hereditary ciliopathy with recessive trait that manifests as nephronophthisis and retinitis pigmentosa. This report described an 18-year-old woman who was referred to a University Hospital to set up a treatment plan for chronic renal failure of an unknown cause. She had experienced nocturnal polyurea from the age of 12 years and was found to have an elevated level of serum creatinine at 3 mg/dL at the age of 15 years. She underwent renal biopsy at a hometown regional hospital which showed global glomerulosclerosis in six of the 13 glomeruli examined, renal tubular dilation in irregular shape, and marked interstitial fibrosis with lymphocytic infiltration. At the age of 19 years, she received a living-donor kidney transplant from her 46-year-old father as a preemptive therapy. At surgery, biopsy of the father’s donor kidney showed two glomeruli with global sclerosis out of 24 glomeruli examined, in association with minimal interstitial fibrosis and lymphocytic infiltration. She began to have extended-release tacrolimus 4 mg daily and mycophenolate mofetil 1,000 mg daily. According to the standard protocol, she underwent biopsy of the transplanted donor kidney to reveal interstitial fibrosis and lymphocytic infiltration, in addition to no sign of rejection and no glomerular deposition of immunoglobulins and complements, both 4 weeks and 14 months after the kidney transplantation. At the age of 23 years, 4 years after the kidney transplantation, she was, for the first time, diagnosed retinitis pigmentosa, and hence, Senior-Loken syndrome. She was followed up in the stable condition with basal doses of tacrolimus 5 mg daily, mycophenolate mofetil 1,000 mg daily, and prednisolone 5 mg daily up until now in 12 years after the kidney transplantation. The interstitial fibrosis with lymphocytic infiltration in the donor kidney might be a milder presentation of the disease with recessive inheritance. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=MatsuoToshihiko en-aut-sei=Matsuo en-aut-mei=Toshihiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=OnishiYasuhiro en-aut-sei=Onishi en-aut-mei=Yasuhiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=MorinagaHiroshi en-aut-sei=Morinaga en-aut-mei=Hiroshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=WadaJun en-aut-sei=Wada en-aut-mei=Jun kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=TanakaTakehiro en-aut-sei=Tanaka en-aut-mei=Takehiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=ArakiMotoo en-aut-sei=Araki en-aut-mei=Motoo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Nephrology, Rheumatology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Nephrology, Rheumatology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Nephrology, Rheumatology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=Retinitis pigmentosa kn-keyword=Retinitis pigmentosa en-keyword=Nephronophthisis kn-keyword=Nephronophthisis en-keyword=Senior-Loken syndrome kn-keyword=Senior-Loken syndrome en-keyword=Kidney transplantation kn-keyword=Kidney transplantation en-keyword=Living donor kn-keyword=Living donor en-keyword=Kidney biopsy kn-keyword=Kidney biopsy en-keyword=Pathology kn-keyword=Pathology en-keyword=Computed tomography scan kn-keyword=Computed tomography scan en-keyword=Ciliopathy kn-keyword=Ciliopathy en-keyword=Optical coherence tomography kn-keyword=Optical coherence tomography END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol= cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page= end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250623 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Transformation of α,β-Unsaturated Aldehydes with a Small Amount of Electricity: Cyanosilylation, Isomerization, and Nucleophilic Addition en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=An electrochemical method was developed to convert α,β-unsaturated aldehydes into carboxylic acid derivatives via cyanosilylation, isomerization, and nucleophilic addition. This reaction is more sustainable than the usual electrochemical organic reaction because this reaction proceeds catalytically with active species generated by a very small amount of electricity. Furthermore, scale-up synthesis with a flow reactor has been achieved. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=FujiiMayu en-aut-sei=Fujii en-aut-mei=Mayu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=UenoNanaho en-aut-sei=Ueno en-aut-mei=Nanaho kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=MitsudoKoichi en-aut-sei=Mitsudo en-aut-mei=Koichi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=SatoEisuke en-aut-sei=Sato en-aut-mei=Eisuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=SugaSeiji en-aut-sei=Suga en-aut-mei=Seiji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Division of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Division of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Division of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Division of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Division of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol= cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page= end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250612 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Sulfur dioxide-induced guard cell death and stomatal closure are attenuated in nitrate/proton antiporter AtCLCa mutants en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Guard cells surrounding the stomata play a crucial role in regulating the entrance of hazardous gases such as SO2 into leaves. Stomatal closure could be a plant response to mitigate SO2 damage, although the mechanism for SO2-induced closure remains controversial. Proposed mediators for SO2-induced stomatal closure include phytohormones, reactive oxygen species, gasotransmitters, and cytosolic acidification. In this study, we investigated the mechanism of stomatal closure in Arabidopsis in response to SO2. Despite an increment in auxin and jasmonates after SO2 exposure, the addition of auxin did not cause stomatal closure and jasmonate-insensitive mutants exhibited SO2-induced stomatal closure suggesting auxin and jasmonates are not mediators leading to the closure. In addition, supplementation of scavenging reagents for reactive oxygen species and gasotransmitters did not inhibit SO2-induced closure. Instead, we found that cytosolic acidification is a credible mechanism for SO2-induced stomatal closure in Arabidopsis. CLCa mutants coding H+/nitrate antiporter, involved in cytosolic pH homeostasis, showed less sensitive stomatal phenotype against SO2. These results suggest that cytosolic pH homeostasis plays a tenable role in SO2 response in guard cells. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=OoiLia en-aut-sei=Ooi en-aut-mei=Lia kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=MatsuuraTakakazu en-aut-sei=Matsuura en-aut-mei=Takakazu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=MoriIzumi C. en-aut-sei=Mori en-aut-mei=Izumi C. kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=airborne pollutants kn-keyword=airborne pollutants en-keyword=cytosolic acidification kn-keyword=cytosolic acidification en-keyword=stomatal closure kn-keyword=stomatal closure en-keyword=sulfur dioxide kn-keyword=sulfur dioxide END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=38 cd-vols= no-issue=8 article-no= start-page=100782 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=202508 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=The Involvement of PI3K–Akt Signaling in the Clinical and Pathological Findings of Idiopathic Multicentric Castleman Disease–Thrombocytopenia, Anasarca, Fever, Reticulin Fibrosis, and Organomegaly and Not Otherwise Specified Subtypes en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease is a rare lymphoproliferative disorder that is clinically classified into idiopathic plasmacytic lymphadenopathy (IPL); thrombocytopenia, anasarca, fever, reticulin fibrosis, and organomegaly (TAFRO); and not otherwise specified (NOS). Although each subtype shows varying degrees of hypervascularity, no statistical data on the degree of vascularization have been reported. Additionally, the mechanisms underlying vascularization in each clinical subtype are poorly understood. Here, we aimed to clarify these mechanisms by evaluating the histopathological characteristics of each clinical subtype across 37 patients and performing a whole-transcriptome analysis focusing on angiogenesis-related gene expression. Histologically, TAFRO and NOS exhibited a significantly higher degree of vascularization than IPL (IPL vs TAFRO, P < .001; IPL vs NOS, P = .002). In addition, the germinal centers (GCs) were significantly more atrophic in TAFRO than in IPL. In TAFRO and NOS, “whirlpool vessels” in GCs were seen in most cases (TAFRO, 9/9, 100%; NOS, 6/8, 75%) but not in IPL (IPL vs TAFRO, P < .001; IPL vs NOS, P = .007). Likewise, immunostaining for Ets-related gene revealed higher levels in endothelial cells of GCs in TAFRO than in IPL (P = .014), and TAFRO and NOS were associated with a significantly higher number of endothelial cells in interfollicular areas compared with that in IPL (TAFRO vs IPL, P < .001; NOS vs IPL, P = .002). Gene expression analysis revealed that the PI3K–Akt signaling pathway was significantly enriched in the TAFRO and NOS (TAFRO/NOS) groups. This pathway, which may be activated by vascular endothelial growth factor A and some integrins, is known to affect angiogenesis by increasing vascular permeability, which may explain the clinical manifestations of anasarca and/or fluid retention in TAFRO/NOS. These results suggest that the PI3K–Akt pathway plays an important role in the pathogenesis of TAFRO/NOS. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=HaratakeTomoka en-aut-sei=Haratake en-aut-mei=Tomoka kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=NishimuraMidori Filiz en-aut-sei=Nishimura en-aut-mei=Midori Filiz kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=NishikoriAsami en-aut-sei=Nishikori en-aut-mei=Asami kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=GonzalezMichael V. en-aut-sei=Gonzalez en-aut-mei=Michael V. kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=EnnishiDaisuke en-aut-sei=Ennishi en-aut-mei=Daisuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=LaiYou Cheng en-aut-sei=Lai en-aut-mei=You Cheng kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=OchiSayaka en-aut-sei=Ochi en-aut-mei=Sayaka kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=TsunodaManaka en-aut-sei=Tsunoda en-aut-mei=Manaka kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=FajgenbaumDavid C. en-aut-sei=Fajgenbaum en-aut-mei=David C. kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=van RheeFrits en-aut-sei=van Rhee en-aut-mei=Frits kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=MomoseShuji en-aut-sei=Momose en-aut-mei=Shuji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= en-aut-name=SatoYasuharu en-aut-sei=Sato en-aut-mei=Yasuharu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=12 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Molecular Hematopathology, Okayama University Graduate School of Health Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Molecular Hematopathology, Okayama University Graduate School of Health Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Molecular Hematopathology, Okayama University Graduate School of Health Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Center for Cytokine Storm Treatment and Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Center for Comprehensive Genomic Medicine, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Medical Biotechnology and Laboratory Science, Chang Gung University kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Molecular Hematopathology, Okayama University Graduate School of Health Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Molecular Hematopathology, Okayama University Graduate School of Health Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Center for Cytokine Storm Treatment and Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Center for Cytokine Storm Treatment and Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Department of Pathology, Saitama Medical Center, Saitama Medical University kn-affil= affil-num=12 en-affil=Department of Molecular Hematopathology, Okayama University Graduate School of Health Sciences kn-affil= en-keyword=idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease kn-keyword=idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease en-keyword=integrin subunit alpha 5 kn-keyword=integrin subunit alpha 5 en-keyword=PI3K–Akt signaling pathway kn-keyword=PI3K–Akt signaling pathway en-keyword=platelet-derived growth factor receptor beta kn-keyword=platelet-derived growth factor receptor beta en-keyword=vascular endothelial growth factor A kn-keyword=vascular endothelial growth factor A en-keyword=vascularity kn-keyword=vascularity END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=295 cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page=128303 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20251201 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Using a microfluidic paper-based analytical device and solid-phase extraction to determine phosphate concentration en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Phosphate is an essential nutrient, but in high concentrations it contributes to water pollution. Traditional methods for phosphate measurement, such as absorption spectrophotometry and ion chromatography, require expensive equipment and skilled operators. This study introduces a microfluidic paper-based analytical device (μPAD) that is designed to accomplish field-based, low-concentration phosphate measurements. This μPAD utilizes colorimetric detection based on the molybdenum blue method. Herein, we describe how the conditions were optimized in terms of design and sensitivity by adjusting reagent concentrations, paper thickness, and the time frames for sample introduction, and reaction. The operation consists of simply dipping the μPAD into a sample, capturing images in a home-made photo studio box, and processing the images with ImageJ software to measure RGB intensity. An additional preconcentration step involves solid-phase extraction with an anion exchange resin that achieves a 10-fold enrichment, which enables detection that ranges from 0.05 to 1 mg L−1 with a detection limit of 0.089 mg L−1 and a quantification limit of 0.269 mg L−1. The replicated measurements showed good reproducibility both intraday and interday (five different days) as 4.7 % and 3.0 % of relative standard deviations, respectively. After storage in a refrigerator for as long as 26 days, this μPAD delivered stable and accurate results for real-world samples of natural water, soil, and toothpaste. The results produced using this system correlate well with those produced via spectrophotometry. This μPAD-based method is a cost-effective, portable, rapid, and simple approach that allows relatively unskilled operators to monitor phosphate concentrations in field applications. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=DanchanaKaewta en-aut-sei=Danchana en-aut-mei=Kaewta kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=NambaHaruka en-aut-sei=Namba en-aut-mei=Haruka kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=KanetaTakashi en-aut-sei=Kaneta en-aut-mei=Takashi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Chemistry, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Chemistry, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Chemistry, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=Phosphate kn-keyword=Phosphate en-keyword=Microfluidic paper-based analytical device kn-keyword=Microfluidic paper-based analytical device en-keyword=Solid-phase extraction kn-keyword=Solid-phase extraction en-keyword=Anion exchanger kn-keyword=Anion exchanger en-keyword=Molybdenum blue method kn-keyword=Molybdenum blue method END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=79 cd-vols= no-issue=3 article-no= start-page=209 end-page=212 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=202506 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=A Case of Aniline Poisoning Manifesting as Cyanosis with Unknown Cause en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=A 38-year-old man was brought to the hospital for emergency treatment of cyanosis. The patient exhibited generalized cyanosis and impaired consciousness despite adequate oxygen therapy. Arterial blood was black, and arterial blood gas analysis revealed an abnormally high methemoglobin level of 67.8%. We later interviewed his colleagues regarding his exposure to aniline while working at the factory and diagnosed him with methemoglobinemia due to aniline poisoning. The patient was administered methylene blue (MB) after being transferred to another hospital, where this treatment was available, resulting in an improvement in symptoms. Although rare, methemoglobinemia is serious. A good understanding of the circumstances at disease onset, characteristic findings, and abnormal values of methemoglobinemia is important. In addition, MB is an important therapeutic for the treatment of methemoglobinemia; if MB is not available at a particular hospital, transfer of the patient to a hospital that stocks MB should be considered. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=TaguchiKenichi en-aut-sei=Taguchi en-aut-mei=Kenichi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=NishiiKazuya en-aut-sei=Nishii en-aut-mei=Kazuya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=HataSakura en-aut-sei=Hata en-aut-mei=Sakura kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=KuyamaShoichi en-aut-sei=Kuyama en-aut-mei=Shoichi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=TanakaShoichi en-aut-sei=Tanaka en-aut-mei=Shoichi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, NHO Iwakuni Clinical Center kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Respiratory Medicine, NHO Iwakuni Clinical Center kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, NHO Iwakuni Clinical Center kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil= kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, NHO Iwakuni Clinical Center kn-affil= en-keyword=methemoglobinemia kn-keyword=methemoglobinemia en-keyword=aniline kn-keyword=aniline en-keyword=methylene blue kn-keyword=methylene blue en-keyword=cyanosis kn-keyword=cyanosis END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol= cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page= end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250508 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Comprehensive analysis of adverse event profile changes with pertuzumab addition to trastuzumab‐based breast cancer therapy: Disproportionality analysis using VigiBase en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Aims: Pertuzumab is used in combination with trastuzumab-based therapy for HER2-positive breast cancer. However, real-world safety information on pertuzumab remains limited. This study assessed the safety of adding pertuzumab to trastuzumab-based therapy for HER2-positive breast cancer using real-world data.
Methods: VigiBase, the World Health Organization's global database of adverse events (AEs), containing reports from November 1967 to December 2023, was used. Signals for pertuzumab-associated AEs in breast cancer cases were detected using the reporting odds ratio (ROR).
Results: Signals of trastuzumab plus pertuzumab relative to trastuzumab alone were detected in gastrointestinal disorders (ROR: 1.45, 95% confidence interval: 1.26–1.67), including diarrhoea (3.49, 2.83–4.30); infections and infestations (1.54, 1.24–1.91); and skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders (ROR: 1.63, 1.40–1.90), including pruritus (1.96, 1.51–2.55) and rash (1.63, 1.20–2.23). Further, signals of trastuzumab plus docetaxel plus pertuzumab relative to those of trastuzumab plus docetaxel were detected in gastrointestinal disorders (1.63, 1.38–1.93), including nausea (1.72, 1.24–2.39) and vomiting (1.48, 1.01–2.17), and in nervous system disorders (1.50, 1.20–1.87), including paraesthesia (2.60, 1.33–5.08) and peripheral sensory neuropathy (5.94, 1.79–19.71). The frequency of AEs causing or prolonging hospitalization was increased with trastuzumab plus pertuzumab compared to that with trastuzumab alone (1.18, 1.00–1.38).
Conclusions: AE profiles after the addition of pertuzumab to trastuzumab-based therapy were comprehensively identified. The findings in this study highlight the importance of considering these AEs when selecting pertuzumab combination therapy to ensure the safety of patients with breast cancer. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=TakedaTatsuaki en-aut-sei=Takeda en-aut-mei=Tatsuaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=MatsumotoJun en-aut-sei=Matsumoto en-aut-mei=Jun kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=SakaiTomonori en-aut-sei=Sakai en-aut-mei=Tomonori kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=IwataNaohiro en-aut-sei=Iwata en-aut-mei=Naohiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=HamanoHirofumi en-aut-sei=Hamano en-aut-mei=Hirofumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=KoyamaToshihiro en-aut-sei=Koyama en-aut-mei=Toshihiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=AriyoshiNoritaka en-aut-sei=Ariyoshi en-aut-mei=Noritaka kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=ZamamiYoshito en-aut-sei=Zamami en-aut-mei=Yoshito kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Education and Research Center for Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Education and Research Center for Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Pharmacy, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Pharmacy, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Pharmacy, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Health Data Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Education and Research Center for Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Pharmacy, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= en-keyword=adverse event kn-keyword=adverse event en-keyword=breast cancer kn-keyword=breast cancer en-keyword=pertuzumab kn-keyword=pertuzumab en-keyword=trastuzumab kn-keyword=trastuzumab en-keyword=VigiBase kn-keyword=VigiBase END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=4 cd-vols= no-issue=5 article-no= start-page=101685 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=202505 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Prognostic Value of Pericoronary Fat Attenuation Index on Computed Tomography for Hospitalization for Heart Failure en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=BACKGROUND Pericoronary fat attenuation index (FAI) assessed on computed tomography is associated with the inflammation of the pericoronary artery.
OBJECTIVES This study aimed to investigate whether pericoronary FAI predicts hospitalization for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF).
METHODS This retrospective single-center study included 1,196 consecutive patients who underwent clinically indicated coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) and transthoracic echocardiography. We assessed the FAI of proximal 40-mm segments for each major epicardial coronary vessel. The primary outcome was the incidence of hospitalization for HFpEF. Patients were divided into groups based on the optimal cutoff value for predicting hospitalization for HFpEF by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis.
RESULTS During a median follow-up of 4.3 years, 29 hospitalizations for HFpEF occurred. Multivariable Cox regression analysis revealed that a left anterior descending artery (LAD)-FAI >=-63.4 HU and a left circumflex artery-FAI >=-61.6 HU were significantly associated with hospitalization for HF after adjustment for age and sex (HR: 4.8; 95% CI: 2.1-10.8 and HR: 4.5; 95% CI: 2.1-9.4, respectively). The addition of LAD-FAI >-63.4 HU to a model incorporating other risk factors, including hypertension, estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min/1.73 m2, and significant stenosis on CCTA, increased the C-statistic for predicting hospitalization for HFpEF from 0.646 to 0.750 (P = 0.010).
CONCLUSIONS LAD-and left circumflex artery-FAI can predict hospitalization for HFpEF in patients undergoing clinically indicated CCTA. Pericoronary inflammation may be useful for identifying patients at high risk of developing HFpEF. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=NakashimaMitsutaka en-aut-sei=Nakashima en-aut-mei=Mitsutaka kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=MiyoshiToru en-aut-sei=Miyoshi en-aut-mei=Toru kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=NishiharaTakahiro en-aut-sei=Nishihara en-aut-mei=Takahiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=MikiTakashi en-aut-sei=Miki en-aut-mei=Takashi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=EjiriKentaro en-aut-sei=Ejiri en-aut-mei=Kentaro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=HaraShohei en-aut-sei=Hara en-aut-mei=Shohei kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakayaYoichi en-aut-sei=Takaya en-aut-mei=Yoichi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakayamaRie en-aut-sei=Nakayama en-aut-mei=Rie kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=IchikawaKeishi en-aut-sei=Ichikawa en-aut-mei=Keishi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=OsawaKazuhiro en-aut-sei=Osawa en-aut-mei=Kazuhiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=YuasaShinsuke en-aut-sei=Yuasa en-aut-mei=Shinsuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Department of General Internal Medicine 3, Kawasaki Medical School General Medicine Centre kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= en-keyword=coronary computed tomography angiography kn-keyword=coronary computed tomography angiography en-keyword=fat attenuation index kn-keyword=fat attenuation index en-keyword=heart failure kn-keyword=heart failure en-keyword=inflammation kn-keyword=inflammation END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=23 cd-vols= no-issue=1 article-no= start-page=36 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250416 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Anticoagulant effects of edoxaban in cancer and noncancer patients with venous thromboembolism en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Background Edoxaban, a direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC), is a first-line treatment for venous thromboembolism (VTE) and the suppression of VTE recurrence. In patients with cancer, however, recurrent VTE after DOAC treatment may be more common than in noncancer patients. To evaluate our hypothesis that the anticoagulation effect of edoxaban is lower in VTE patients with cancer than in noncancer patients.
Methods This study was a prospective, multicenter, observational study including patients treated with edoxaban for VTE in Japan. The primary outcome was the difference in the prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), and D-dimer level at 5 h after initial edoxaban administration between the cancer and noncancer groups. An additional outcome was the longitudinal change in PT and APTT from 5 h to overnight after edoxaban administration. The incidence of adverse events was further investigated.
Results PT and APTT at 5 h after initial edoxaban administration were not significantly different between the cancer (n = 84) and noncancer groups (n = 138) (e.g., log-transformed APTT 3.55 vs. 3.55, p = 0.45). However, D-dimer in the cancer groups was significantly greater than that in the noncancer groups (log-transformed 1.83 vs. 1.79, p = 0.009). PT and APTT significantly decreased from 5 h to overnight after edoxaban, but a similar pattern was observed in each group. All adverse events after edoxaban administration were also similar between patients with cancer and noncancer.
Conclusion PT and APTT after edoxaban administration were similar between VTE patients with cancer and noncancer groups, suggesting that edoxaban has anticoagulation effects on cancer-associated VTE similar to those of noncancer patients.
Trial registration UMIN000041973; Registration Date: 2020.10.5. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=YoshidaMasashi en-aut-sei=Yoshida en-aut-mei=Masashi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=EjiriKentaro en-aut-sei=Ejiri en-aut-mei=Kentaro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=MatsuoNaoaki en-aut-sei=Matsuo en-aut-mei=Naoaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=NaitoTakanori en-aut-sei=Naito en-aut-mei=Takanori kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=KurodaKazuhiro en-aut-sei=Kuroda en-aut-mei=Kazuhiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=TokiokaKoji en-aut-sei=Tokioka en-aut-mei=Koji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=HatanakaKunihiko en-aut-sei=Hatanaka en-aut-mei=Kunihiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=FujimotoRyohei en-aut-sei=Fujimoto en-aut-mei=Ryohei kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=YamaokaHidenaru en-aut-sei=Yamaoka en-aut-mei=Hidenaru kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=KajikawaYutaka en-aut-sei=Kajikawa en-aut-mei=Yutaka kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=SurugaKazuki en-aut-sei=Suruga en-aut-mei=Kazuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= en-aut-name=SugiyamaHiroki en-aut-sei=Sugiyama en-aut-mei=Hiroki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=12 ORCID= en-aut-name=MiyajiTsuyoshi en-aut-sei=Miyaji en-aut-mei=Tsuyoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=13 ORCID= en-aut-name=MorimotoYoshimasa en-aut-sei=Morimoto en-aut-mei=Yoshimasa kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=14 ORCID= en-aut-name=OkamuraNobuhiro en-aut-sei=Okamura en-aut-mei=Nobuhiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=15 ORCID= en-aut-name=SarashinaToshihiro en-aut-sei=Sarashina en-aut-mei=Toshihiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=16 ORCID= en-aut-name=AkagiSatoshi en-aut-sei=Akagi en-aut-mei=Satoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=17 ORCID= en-aut-name=MiyoshiToru en-aut-sei=Miyoshi en-aut-mei=Toru kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=18 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakamuraKazufumi en-aut-sei=Nakamura en-aut-mei=Kazufumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=19 ORCID= en-aut-name=ItoHiroshi en-aut-sei=Ito en-aut-mei=Hiroshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=20 ORCID= en-aut-name=YuasaShinsuke en-aut-sei=Yuasa en-aut-mei=Shinsuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=21 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of General Internal Medicine 3, Kawasaki Medical School kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Japanese Red Cross Okayama Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama City Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Japanese Red Cross Society Himeji Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Tsuyama Chuo Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama Rosai Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, NHO Fukuyama Medical Center kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama Medical Center kn-affil= affil-num=12 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama Saiseikai General Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=13 en-affil=Hosogi Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=14 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Fukuyama City Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=15 en-affil=Okamura Isshindow Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=16 en-affil=Kuroda Clinic kn-affil= affil-num=17 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=18 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=19 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=20 en-affil=Department of General Internal Medicine 3, Kawasaki Medical School kn-affil= affil-num=21 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= en-keyword=Factor Xa inhibitors kn-keyword=Factor Xa inhibitors en-keyword=Anticoagulation effects kn-keyword=Anticoagulation effects en-keyword=Cancer kn-keyword=Cancer en-keyword=Venous thromboembolism kn-keyword=Venous thromboembolism END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=71 cd-vols= no-issue=1 article-no= start-page=19 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250419 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Quantitative assessment of adhesive effects on partial and full compressive strength of LVL in the edge-wise direction en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Laminated wood-based materials have been widely developed, and the laminating process and adhesive itself have been reported to enhance performance beyond the sum of the individual layers' performance. This phenomenon is particularly notable under loads applied in the "edge-wise direction", where each layer bears stress collectively. These combined effects are referred to as the "adhesive effect". Strength under partial compressive loads is critical in timber engineering, as partial compressive stress generates complex stress distributions influenced by boundary conditions. The adhesive effect may also be impacted by these conditions. The aim of this study was to quantitatively and directly evaluate the adhesive effect under partial and full compressive loads using various parameters. The strength of laminated veneer lumber (LVL) with adhesive was compared to that of simply layered veneers without adhesive to assess the adhesive effect. Three mechanisms contributing to the adhesive effect were proposed: Mechanism I, caused by the deformation of the adhesive layer independently from the veneers; Mechanism II, resulting from the adhesive impregnating the veneers; and Mechanism III, arising from the reinforcement provided by adjacent veneers. The results suggested the following: (i) Mechanism I had minimal impact, as the fiber direction and the presence of additional length showed strong and slight effects on the adhesive effect, respectively; (ii) Mechanism II contributed to preventing crack propagation and altering the relationships among mechanical properties, with its effectiveness increasing as the adhesive weight increased; and (iii) Mechanism III functioned as a crossband effect, reinforcing weaknesses caused by the slope of the grain and the angle of the annual rings. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=SudoRyutaro en-aut-sei=Sudo en-aut-mei=Ryutaro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=MiyamotoKohta en-aut-sei=Miyamoto en-aut-mei=Kohta kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=IdoHirofumi en-aut-sei=Ido en-aut-mei=Hirofumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Okayama University, Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute kn-affil= en-keyword=Laminated veneer lumber (LVL) kn-keyword=Laminated veneer lumber (LVL) en-keyword=Partial compressive load kn-keyword=Partial compressive load en-keyword=Bearing strength kn-keyword=Bearing strength en-keyword=Embedment strength kn-keyword=Embedment strength en-keyword=Partial compression perpendicular to grain (PCPG) kn-keyword=Partial compression perpendicular to grain (PCPG) en-keyword=Adhesive layer kn-keyword=Adhesive layer END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=79 cd-vols= no-issue=2 article-no= start-page=75 end-page=80 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=202504 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Potential for Radiation Dose Reduction in Temporal Bone CT Imaging Using Photon-Counting Detector CT en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Temporal bone computed tomography (CT) is frequently performed for pediatric patients with ear diseases. Advances in CT technology have improved diagnostic imaging quality, but reduction of radiation exposure remains a goal. We evaluated the potential for radiation dose reduction in temporal bone CT examinations using porcine ear ossicles and a photon-counting detector CT system. Three scans of the bilateral temporal bone were performed on each of three pig cadaver heads. In each of seven successive imaging sessions, the radiation dose was reduced by an additional one-seventh of the recommended dose (RD). Two board-certified radiologists independently scored the resulting images on a scale of 1 to 5 points, where 5 represented the image quality at the RD. Images scoring ≥4.5 points were considered acceptable. Noise was assessed in a 2-cm-diameter region near the ear ossicles, and standard deviation was measured for each of the seven decrements from the RD. As the radiation dose decreased, the noise progressively increased, and visual assessment scores progressively decreased. Acceptable image scores were obtained at six-sevenths (4.9), five-sevenths (4.8), four-sevenths (4.7), and three-sevenths (4.6) of the RD. Thus, acceptable porcine temporal bone CT images were obtained with a radiation dose reduction of approximately 50%. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=HigakiFumiyo en-aut-sei=Higaki en-aut-mei=Fumiyo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=MorimitsuYusuke en-aut-sei=Morimitsu en-aut-mei=Yusuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=IguchiToshihiro en-aut-sei=Iguchi en-aut-mei=Toshihiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=HwangSung Il en-aut-sei=Hwang en-aut-mei=Sung Il kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=KitayamaTakahiro en-aut-sei=Kitayama en-aut-mei=Takahiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakahashiYuka en-aut-sei=Takahashi en-aut-mei=Yuka kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=UkaMayu en-aut-sei=Uka en-aut-mei=Mayu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=AkagiNoriaki en-aut-sei=Akagi en-aut-mei=Noriaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=SugayaAkiko en-aut-sei=Sugaya en-aut-mei=Akiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=MitsuhashiToshiharu en-aut-sei=Mitsuhashi en-aut-mei=Toshiharu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=MatsuiYusuke en-aut-sei=Matsui en-aut-mei=Yusuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= en-aut-name=HirakiTakao en-aut-sei=Hiraki en-aut-mei=Takao kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=12 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Radiology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Radiological Technology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Radiological Technology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Radiology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Radiology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Radiology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Radiology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Radiological Technology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Center for Innovative Clinical Medicine, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Department of Radiology, Okayama University Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=12 en-affil=Department of Radiology, Okayama University Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= en-keyword=computed tomography kn-keyword=computed tomography en-keyword=photon-counting detector computed tomography kn-keyword=photon-counting detector computed tomography en-keyword=ear ossicle kn-keyword=ear ossicle en-keyword=energy-integrating detector computed tomography kn-keyword=energy-integrating detector computed tomography END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol= cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page= end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250410 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Enterobacterial common antigen repeat-unit flippase WzxE is required for Escherichia coli growth under acidic conditions, low temperature, and high osmotic stress conditions en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Colanic acid and enterobacterial common antigen (ECA) are cell-surface polysaccharides that are produced by many Escherichia coli isolates. Colanic acid is induced under acidic, low temperature, and high-salt conditions and is important for E. coli resistance to these stresses; however, the role of ECA in these stresses is less clear. Here, we observed that knockout of flippase wzxE, which translocates lipid-linked ECA repeat units from the cytoplasmic side of the inner membrane to the periplasmic side, resulted in the sensitivity of E. coli BW25113 to acidic conditions. The wzxE-knockout mutant showed reduced growth potential and viable counts in vegetable extracts with acidic environments, including cherry tomatoes, carrots, celery, lettuce, and spinach. A double-knockout strain of wzxE and wecF (glycosyltransferase that adds the third-and-final sugar of the lipid-linked ECA repeat unit) was not sensitive to acidic conditions, with similar results obtained for a double-knockout strain of wzxE and wcaJ (glycosyltransferase that initiates colanic acid lipid-linked repeat-unit biosynthesis). The wzxE-knockout mutant was sensitive to low temperatures or high-salt conditions, which induced colanic acid synthesis, and these sensitivities were abolished by the additional knockout of wcaJ. These results suggest that lipid-linked ECA repeat units confer E. coli susceptibility to acidic, low temperatures, and high-salt conditions in a colanic acid-dependent manner and that wzxE suppresses this negative effect. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=YamaguchiSaki en-aut-sei=Yamaguchi en-aut-mei=Saki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=IshikawaKazuya en-aut-sei=Ishikawa en-aut-mei=Kazuya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=FurutaKazuyuki en-aut-sei=Furuta en-aut-mei=Kazuyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=KaitoChikara en-aut-sei=Kaito en-aut-mei=Chikara kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=wzxE flippase kn-keyword=wzxE flippase en-keyword=enterobacterial common antigen kn-keyword=enterobacterial common antigen en-keyword=low pH kn-keyword=low pH en-keyword=low temperature kn-keyword=low temperature en-keyword=hyperosmotic stress kn-keyword=hyperosmotic stress END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=14 cd-vols= no-issue=7 article-no= start-page=2287 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250327 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Comparison of Midazolam and Diazepam for Sedation in Patients Undergoing Double-Balloon Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography: A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Objective: The sedation method used in double-balloon endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (DB-ERCP) varies across countries and between healthcare facilities. No previous studies have compared the effects of different benzodiazepines on sedation during endoscopic procedures. This study aimed to compare the effects of midazolam and diazepam sedation on DB-ERCP outcomes. Methods: This retrospective cohort study analyzed consecutive patients who underwent DB-ERCP between January 2017 and February 2024. A total of 203 patients who were sedated with diazepam (n = 94) or midazolam (n = 109) were analyzed. Propensity score matching was applied to adjust for baseline group differences. The primary outcome was the incidence of sedation-related adverse events (AEs). Secondary outcomes included inadequate sedation requiring additional sedatives and risk factors for sedation-related AEs. Results: Sedation-related AEs were more frequent with diazepam (28% [21/75]) than with midazolam (14% [11/75]; p = 0.046). Hypoxia occurred more frequently with diazepam (19% [14/75]) than with midazolam (5% [4/75]; p = 0.012). However, no significant differences were observed between the two groups for hypotension (p = 0.41) and bradycardia (p = 1.0). Poor sedation requiring other sedatives occurred significantly more often with diazepam (8% [6/75]) compared with midazolam sedation (0% [0/75], p = 0.012). Multivariate analysis identified diazepam sedation (odds ratio, 2.3; 95% confidence interval, 1.0-5.3; p = 0.048) as the sole risk factor for sedation-related AEs. Conclusions: Midazolam is safer and more effective than diazepam sedation in patients undergoing DB-ERCP. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=FujiiYuki en-aut-sei=Fujii en-aut-mei=Yuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=MatsumotoKazuyuki en-aut-sei=Matsumoto en-aut-mei=Kazuyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=MatsumiAkihiro en-aut-sei=Matsumi en-aut-mei=Akihiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=MiyamotoKazuya en-aut-sei=Miyamoto en-aut-mei=Kazuya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=UchidaDaisuke en-aut-sei=Uchida en-aut-mei=Daisuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=HoriguchiShigeru en-aut-sei=Horiguchi en-aut-mei=Shigeru kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=TsutsumiKoichiro en-aut-sei=Tsutsumi en-aut-mei=Koichiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=MitsuhashiToshiharu en-aut-sei=Mitsuhashi en-aut-mei=Toshiharu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=OtsukaMotoyuki en-aut-sei=Otsuka en-aut-mei=Motoyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Science kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Science kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Science kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Science kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Science kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Science kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Science kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Center for Innovative Clinical Medicine, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Science kn-affil= en-keyword=adverse events kn-keyword=adverse events en-keyword=balloon-assisted ERCP kn-keyword=balloon-assisted ERCP en-keyword=benzodiazepine kn-keyword=benzodiazepine en-keyword=sedation kn-keyword=sedation END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=17 cd-vols= no-issue=4 article-no= start-page=e82348 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250416 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Bilateral Scleritis and Neutrophilic Dermatosis With Cytogenetic Chromosomal Aberrancy Related to Pyoderma Gangrenosum: A Case Report of a 20-Year Follow-Up en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Pyoderma gangrenosum is a non-infectious autoimmune disease with skin plaques and ulcers in the entity of neutrophilic dermatosis and may have a background of myelodysplastic syndromes. This study reported a 20-year follow-up of a patient with pyoderma gangrenosum and scleritis who showed chromosomal aberrancy from the initial phase and later in the course developed thrombocythemia. A 51-year-old man presented with widespread indurated erythematous plaques with scaling and pustules on the forehead, bilateral eyelids, and nasal bridge, in addition to nodular scleritis in the left eye and ulcer formation of the plaques in the lower legs. Skin biopsy revealed massive dermal infiltration mainly with neutrophils in the absence of neutrophilic vasculitis. Suspected of myelodysplastic syndromes, bone marrow biopsy was normal, while chromosomal aberrancy, 46, XY, del (20) (q11q13.3), was detected. In the diagnosis of neutrophilic dermatosis, probably of pyoderma gangrenosum, he began to have oral prednisolone 20 mg daily and colchicine 1 mg daily, leading to the subsidence of skin lesions. Four months later, he developed nodular scleritis in the right eye and began to use topical 0.1% betamethasone in both eyes. He was stable with only prednisolone 12.5 mg daily until the age of 55.5 years, when he showed an increase of serum lactate dehydrogenase. The bone marrow aspirate disclosed neither blast cell increase nor atypical cells. The same chromosomal aberrancy was repeatedly detected. One year later, he developed breathing difficulty and underwent tracheostomy. Laryngeal lesion biopsy disclosed squamous cell papilloma with human papillomavirus-6. At 60 years old, he showed marginal corneal infiltration in the left eye, and at 61 years old, hypopyon in the right eye. Platelets tended to increase up to 1000 × 103/µL, and bone marrow examinations were recommended but refused by the patient. At the latest follow-up at 71 years old, he was ambulatory in health and stable with a tracheostomy cannula. In conclusion, pyoderma gangrenosum with scleritis occurred in an undetermined hematological malignancy with chromosomal aberrancy. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=MatsuoToshihiko en-aut-sei=Matsuo en-aut-mei=Toshihiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=TanakaTakehiro en-aut-sei=Tanaka en-aut-mei=Takehiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=AsadaNoboru en-aut-sei=Asada en-aut-mei=Noboru kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=ObikaMikako en-aut-sei=Obika en-aut-mei=Mikako kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=OmichiRyotaro en-aut-sei=Omichi en-aut-mei=Ryotaro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=IwatsukiKeiji en-aut-sei=Iwatsuki en-aut-mei=Keiji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Ophthalmology, Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Hematology and Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of General Internal Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=corneal infiltration kn-keyword=corneal infiltration en-keyword=hypopyon kn-keyword=hypopyon en-keyword=myelodysplastic syndromes kn-keyword=myelodysplastic syndromes en-keyword=neutrophilic dermatosis kn-keyword=neutrophilic dermatosis en-keyword=peripheral keratitis kn-keyword=peripheral keratitis en-keyword=pyoderma gangrenosum kn-keyword=pyoderma gangrenosum en-keyword=scleritis kn-keyword=scleritis en-keyword=sweet syndrome kn-keyword=sweet syndrome END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=5 cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page=1 end-page=9 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250331 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title=Corporate decision-making process for exploration time kn-title=知の探索時間についての企業の意思決定プロセス en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=In order for companies to innovate through business co-creation, it is necessary to explore a wide range of external knowledge and technologies. However, there is no clear answer as to how much time should be spent for exploration. Under these circumstances, companies must take into account constraints such as the amount of management resources that can be invested, and make decisions about the time to spend for exploration. The purpose of this paper is to clarify the process of how companies that have introduced corporate accelerator program recognize the relationship between the program period and the results of business co-creation, and how they make decisions about the program period. We conducted a case study of several companies that have introduced corporate accelerator program in Japan. In addition, this paper established a hypothesis about decision-making about the time for exploration from case studies. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=SHIMIZUTakeshi en-aut-sei=SHIMIZU en-aut-mei=Takeshi kn-aut-name=志水武史 kn-aut-sei=志水 kn-aut-mei=武史 aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems Okayama University kn-affil=国立大学法人岡山大学学術研究院ヘルスシステム統合科学研究学域 en-keyword=corporate accelerator program kn-keyword=corporate accelerator program en-keyword=co-creation kn-keyword=co-creation en-keyword=exploration kn-keyword=exploration en-keyword=Time Compression Diseconomies kn-keyword=Time Compression Diseconomies END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=9 cd-vols= no-issue=4 article-no= start-page=e70139 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250402 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Induction Therapy With Oral Tacrolimus Provides Long-Term Benefit in Thiopurine-Naïve Refractory Ulcerative Colitis Patients Despite Low Serum Albumin Levels en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Background and Aim: Oral tacrolimus is an effective treatment for refractory ulcerative colitis (UC). However, tacrolimus is underutilized because of the difficulties in transitioning to subsequent maintenance therapy and concerns about adverse events.
Methods: We evaluated the clinical outcomes, adverse events, and accumulated medication costs in consecutive 72 UC patients treated with tacrolimus.
Results: Fifty-five (76%) patients with pancolitis and 43 (60%) patients with acute severe disease were entered. Fifty-four (75%) achieved clinical remission 8 weeks after starting tacrolimus. At the last visit, 62 (86%) patients had colectomy-free remission, and 55 (76%) patients had corticosteroid-free remission. Eighteen (25%) patients maintained remission without additional treatment after tacrolimus discontinuation. Patients with continuous remission had a significantly lower history of thiopurine use and lower serum albumin levels at the induction of tacrolimus than patients with failure to induce or maintain remission. No severe adverse events due to tacrolimus treatment were observed. The accumulated medication costs over 3 years in patients with continuous remission after the start of tacrolimus were lower than those in patients with induction and maintenance of infliximab (p < 0.001).
Conclusions: Tacrolimus could have an irreplaceable role in the era of biologic therapies, especially for refractory UC patients with thiopurine-na & iuml;ve and low serum albumin levels. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=IgawaShoko en-aut-sei=Igawa en-aut-mei=Shoko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=InokuchiToshihiro en-aut-sei=Inokuchi en-aut-mei=Toshihiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=HiraokaSakiko en-aut-sei=Hiraoka en-aut-mei=Sakiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=ToyosawaJunki en-aut-sei=Toyosawa en-aut-mei=Junki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=AoyamaYuki en-aut-sei=Aoyama en-aut-mei=Yuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=YamasakiYasushi en-aut-sei=Yamasaki en-aut-mei=Yasushi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=KinugasaHideaki en-aut-sei=Kinugasa en-aut-mei=Hideaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakaharaMasahiro en-aut-sei=Takahara en-aut-mei=Masahiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=OkadaHiroyuki en-aut-sei=Okada en-aut-mei=Hiroyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=OtsukaMotoyuki en-aut-sei=Otsuka en-aut-mei=Motoyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= en-keyword=biologics therapy kn-keyword=biologics therapy en-keyword=tacrolimus kn-keyword=tacrolimus en-keyword=thiopurine kn-keyword=thiopurine en-keyword=ulcerative colitis kn-keyword=ulcerative colitis END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=18 cd-vols= no-issue=3 article-no= start-page=143 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250304 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=A Hair Drawing Evaluation Algorithm for Exactness Assessment Method in Portrait Drawing Learning Assistant System en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Nowadays, portrait drawing has become increasingly popular as a means of developing artistic skills and nurturing emotional expression. However, it is challenging for novices to start learning it, as they usually lack a solid grasp of proportions and structural foundations of the five senses. To address this problem, we have studied Portrait Drawing Learning Assistant System (PDLAS) for guiding novices by providing auxiliary lines of facial features, generated by utilizing OpenPose and OpenCV libraries. For PDLAS, we have also presented the exactness assessment method to evaluate drawing accuracy using the Normalized Cross-Correlation (NCC) algorithm. It calculates the similarity score between the drawing result and the initial portrait photo. Unfortunately, the current method does not assess the hair drawing, although it occupies a large part of a portrait and often determines its quality. In this paper, we present a hair drawing evaluation algorithm for the exactness assessment method to offer comprehensive feedback to users in PDLAS. To emphasize hair lines, this algorithm extracts the texture of the hair region by computing the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the hair image. For evaluations, we applied the proposal to drawing results by seven students from Okayama University, Japan and confirmed the validity. In addition, we observed the NCC score improvement in PDLAS by modifying the face parts with low similarity scores from the exactness assessment method. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=ZhangYue en-aut-sei=Zhang en-aut-mei=Yue kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=FunabikiNobuo en-aut-sei=Funabiki en-aut-mei=Nobuo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=FebriantiErita Cicilia en-aut-sei=Febrianti en-aut-mei=Erita Cicilia kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=SudarsonoAmang en-aut-sei=Sudarsono en-aut-mei=Amang kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=HsuChenchien en-aut-sei=Hsu en-aut-mei=Chenchien kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Information and Communication Systems, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Information and Communication Systems, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Electrical Engineering, Politeknik Elektronika Negeri Surabaya kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Electrical Engineering, Politeknik Elektronika Negeri Surabaya kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Electrical Engineering, National Taiwan Normal University kn-affil= en-keyword=portrait drawing kn-keyword=portrait drawing en-keyword=auxiliary lines kn-keyword=auxiliary lines en-keyword=OpenPose kn-keyword=OpenPose en-keyword=OpenCV kn-keyword=OpenCV en-keyword=normalized cross-correlation (NCC) kn-keyword=normalized cross-correlation (NCC) en-keyword=hair texture kn-keyword=hair texture en-keyword=exactness assessment method kn-keyword=exactness assessment method END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=26 cd-vols= no-issue=6 article-no= start-page=2485 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250311 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Vesicular Glutamate Transporter 3 Is Involved in Glutamatergic Signalling in Podocytes en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Glomerular podocytes act as a part of the filtration barrier in the kidney. The activity of this filter is regulated by ionotropic and metabotropic glutamate receptors. Adjacent podocytes can potentially release glutamate into the intercellular space; however, little is known about how podocytes release glutamate. Here, we demonstrated vesicular glutamate transporter 3 (VGLUT3)-dependent glutamate release from podocytes. Immunofluorescence analysis revealed that rat glomerular podocytes and an immortal mouse podocyte cell line (MPC) express VGLUT1 and VGLUT3. Consistent with this finding, quantitative RT-PCR revealed the expression of VGLUT1 and VGLUT3 mRNA in undifferentiated and differentiated MPCs. In addition, the exocytotic proteins vesicle-associated membrane protein 2, synapsin 1, and synaptophysin 1 were present in punctate patterns and colocalized with VGLUT3 in MPCs. Interestingly, approximately 30% of VGLUT3 colocalized with VGLUT1. By immunoelectron microscopy, VGLUT3 was often observed around clear vesicle-like structures in differentiated MPCs. Differentiated MPCs released glutamate following depolarization with high potassium levels and after stimulation with the muscarinic agonist pilocarpine. The depletion of VGLUT3 in MPCs by RNA interference reduced depolarization-dependent glutamate release. These results strongly suggest that VGLUT3 is involved in glutamatergic signalling in podocytes and may be a new drug target for various kidney diseases. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=NishiiNaoko en-aut-sei=Nishii en-aut-mei=Naoko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=KawaiTomoko en-aut-sei=Kawai en-aut-mei=Tomoko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=YasuokaHiroki en-aut-sei=Yasuoka en-aut-mei=Hiroki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=AbeTadashi en-aut-sei=Abe en-aut-mei=Tadashi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=TatsumiNanami en-aut-sei=Tatsumi en-aut-mei=Nanami kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=HaradaYuika en-aut-sei=Harada en-aut-mei=Yuika kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=MiyajiTakaaki en-aut-sei=Miyaji en-aut-mei=Takaaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=LiShunai en-aut-sei=Li en-aut-mei=Shunai kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=TsukanoMoemi en-aut-sei=Tsukano en-aut-mei=Moemi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=WatanabeMasami en-aut-sei=Watanabe en-aut-mei=Masami kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=OgawaDaisuke en-aut-sei=Ogawa en-aut-mei=Daisuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= en-aut-name=WadaJun en-aut-sei=Wada en-aut-mei=Jun kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=12 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakeiKohji en-aut-sei=Takei en-aut-mei=Kohji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=13 ORCID= en-aut-name=YamadaHiroshi en-aut-sei=Yamada en-aut-mei=Hiroshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=14 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Nephrology, Rheumatology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Cell Physiology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Neuroscience, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Neuroscience, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Neuroscience, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Genomics and Proteomics, Advanced Science Research Center, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Genomics and Proteomics, Advanced Science Research Center, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Center for Innovative Clinical Medicine, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Central Research Laboratory, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Center for Innovative Clinical Medicine, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Department of Nephrology, Rheumatology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=12 en-affil=Department of Nephrology, Rheumatology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=13 en-affil=Department of Neuroscience, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=14 en-affil=Department of Neuroscience, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= en-keyword=VGLUT3 kn-keyword=VGLUT3 en-keyword=glutamate kn-keyword=glutamate en-keyword=podocyte kn-keyword=podocyte en-keyword=glutamatergic transmission kn-keyword=glutamatergic transmission END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=301 cd-vols= no-issue=4 article-no= start-page=108334 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=202504 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Roles of basic amino acid residues in substrate binding and transport of the light-driven anion pump Synechocystis halorhodopsin (SyHR) en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Microbial rhodopsins are photoreceptive seventransmembrane a-helical proteins, many of which function as ion transporters, primarily for small monovalent ions such as Na+, K+, Cl-, Br-, and I-. Synechocystis halorhodopsin (SyHR), identified from the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 7509, uniquely transports the polyatomic divalent SO42- inward, in addition to monovalent anions (Cl- and Br-). In this study, we conducted alanine-scanning mutagenesis on twelve basic amino acid residues to investigate the anion transport mechanism of SyHR. We quantitatively evaluated the Cl-and SO42- transport activities of the WT SyHR and its mutants. The results showed a strong correlation between the Cl-and SO42- transport activities among them (R = 0.94), suggesting a shared pathway for both anions. Notably, the R71A mutation selectively abolished SO42- transport activity while maintaining Cl- transport, whereas the H167A mutation significantly impaired both Cl-and SO42- transport. Furthermore, spectroscopic analysis revealed that the R71A mutant lost its ability to bind SO42- due to the absence of a positive charge, while the H167A mutant failed to accumulate the O intermediate during the photoreaction cycle (photocycle) due to reduced hydrophilicity. Additionally, computational analysis revealed the SO42- binding modes and clarified the roles of residues involved in its binding around the retinal chromophore. Based on these findings and previous structural information, we propose that the positive charge and hydrophilicity of Arg71 and His167 are crucial for the formation of the characteristic initial and transient anion-binding site of SyHR, enabling its unique ability to bind and transport both Cl-and SO42-. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=NakamaMasaki en-aut-sei=Nakama en-aut-mei=Masaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=NojiTomoyasu en-aut-sei=Noji en-aut-mei=Tomoyasu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=KojimaKeiichi en-aut-sei=Kojima en-aut-mei=Keiichi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=YoshizawaSusumu en-aut-sei=Yoshizawa en-aut-mei=Susumu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=IshikitaHiroshi en-aut-sei=Ishikita en-aut-mei=Hiroshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=SudoYuki en-aut-sei=Sudo en-aut-mei=Yuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Applied Chemistry, The University of Tokyo kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Applied Chemistry, The University of Tokyo kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=microbial rhodopsin kn-keyword=microbial rhodopsin en-keyword=anion transport kn-keyword=anion transport en-keyword=retinal kn-keyword=retinal en-keyword=membrane protein kn-keyword=membrane protein en-keyword=photobiology kn-keyword=photobiology END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=85 cd-vols= no-issue=6 article-no= start-page=1082 end-page=1096 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250314 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Myeloid Cells Induce Infiltration and Activation of B Cells and CD4+ T Follicular Helper Cells to Sensitize Brain Metastases to Combination Immunotherapy en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Brain metastasis is a poor prognostic factor in patients with cancer. Despite showing efficacy in many extracranial tumors, immunotherapy with anti–PD-1 mAb or anti–CTLA4 mAb seems to be less effective against intracranial tumors. Promisingly, recent clinical studies have reported that combination therapy with anti–PD-1 and anti–CTLA4 mAbs has a potent antitumor effect on brain metastasis, highlighting the need to elucidate the detailed mechanisms controlling the intracranial tumor microenvironment (TME) to develop effective immunotherapeutic strategies. In this study, we analyzed the tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in murine models of brain metastasis that responded to anti–CTLA4 and anti–PD-1 mAbs. Activated CD4+ T follicular helper (TFH) cells with high CTLA4 expression characteristically infiltrated the intracranial TME, which were activated by combination anti–CTLA4 and anti–PD-1 treatment. The loss of TFH cells suppressed the additive effect of CTLA4 blockade on anti–PD-1 mAb. B-cell–activating factor belonging to the TNF family (BAFF) and a proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL) produced by abundant myeloid cells, particularly CD80hiCD206lo proinflammatory M1-like macrophages, in the intracranial TME induced B-cell and TFH-cell infiltration and activation. Furthermore, the intracranial TME of patients with non–small cell lung cancer featured TFH- and B-cell infiltration as tertiary lymphoid structures. Together, these findings provide insights into the immune cell cross-talk in the intracranial TME that facilitates an additive antitumor effect of CTLA4 blockade with anti–PD-1 treatment, supporting the potential of a combination immunotherapeutic strategy for brain metastases.
Significance: B-cell and CD4+ T follicular helper cell activation via BAFF/APRIL from abundant myeloid cells in the intracranial tumor microenvironment enables a combinatorial effect of CTLA4 and PD-1 blockade in brain metastases. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=NinomiyaToshifumi en-aut-sei=Ninomiya en-aut-mei=Toshifumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=KemmotsuNaoya en-aut-sei=Kemmotsu en-aut-mei=Naoya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=MukoharaFumiaki en-aut-sei=Mukohara en-aut-mei=Fumiaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=MagariMasaki en-aut-sei=Magari en-aut-mei=Masaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=MiyamotoAi en-aut-sei=Miyamoto en-aut-mei=Ai kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=UedaYouki en-aut-sei=Ueda en-aut-mei=Youki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=IshinoTakamasa en-aut-sei=Ishino en-aut-mei=Takamasa kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=NagasakiJoji en-aut-sei=Nagasaki en-aut-mei=Joji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=FujiwaraTomohiro en-aut-sei=Fujiwara en-aut-mei=Tomohiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=YamamotoHidetaka en-aut-sei=Yamamoto en-aut-mei=Hidetaka kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=HayashiHidetoshi en-aut-sei=Hayashi en-aut-mei=Hidetoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= en-aut-name=TachibanaKota en-aut-sei=Tachibana en-aut-mei=Kota kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=12 ORCID= en-aut-name=IshidaJoji en-aut-sei=Ishida en-aut-mei=Joji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=13 ORCID= en-aut-name=OtaniYoshihiro en-aut-sei=Otani en-aut-mei=Yoshihiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=14 ORCID= en-aut-name=TanakaShota en-aut-sei=Tanaka en-aut-mei=Shota kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=15 ORCID= en-aut-name=ToyookaShinichi en-aut-sei=Toyooka en-aut-mei=Shinichi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=16 ORCID= en-aut-name=OkamotoIsamu en-aut-sei=Okamoto en-aut-mei=Isamu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=17 ORCID= en-aut-name=TogashiYosuke en-aut-sei=Togashi en-aut-mei=Yosuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=18 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Tumor Microenvironment, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Tumor Microenvironment, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Tumor Microenvironment, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Applied Cell Biology, Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Medical Protein Engineering, Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Tumor Microenvironment, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Tumor Microenvironment, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Tumor Microenvironment, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Department of Pathology and Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Department of Medical Oncology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=12 en-affil=Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=13 en-affil=Department of Neurological Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=14 en-affil=Department of Neurological Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=15 en-affil=Department of Neurological Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=16 en-affil=Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Breast and Endocrinological Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Science, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=17 en-affil=Department of Respiratory Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University kn-affil= affil-num=18 en-affil=Department of Tumor Microenvironment, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=15 cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page=341 end-page=355 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250328 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title=Research Trends on Educational Needs and Support of Children with Cancer kn-title=小児がん患児に対する教育的支援とその研究動向 en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract=　In this study, we summarized research trends related to the educational needs and support of children with cancer from the perspectives of “learning,” “self-management,” “interpersonal,” “psychological,” and “collaboration,”. In terms of learning, the study showed that experiential learning and distance education are solutions to the problem of delayed learning due to prolonged absence from school and poor concentration during treatment. Next, in self-management, it is important to educate affected children so that they can fully understand the disease and treatment. In addition, in terms of interpersonal support, it is difficult for the affected patients to build relationships with friends, but providing opportunities for interaction is expected to contribute to the improvement of interpersonal relationships. In terms of psychological support, the anxiety associated with treatment is a major psychological burden for the affected children, and the understanding of their friends and the intervention of university student volunteers are effective in helping them achieve psychological stability. Finally, the lack of cooperation between medical institutions and schools was highlighted as a deficiency in the support system, which needs to be strengthened. In the future, these support measures should be empirically verified to establish a sustainable support system. kn-abstract=　本研究は、小児がん患児の教育的支援に関する研究の動向を明らかにし、今後の課題とその解決策を提起することを目的とした。「学習」、「自己管理」、「対人」、「心理」、「連携」の5つの視点から分析を行った。学習支援について、治療に伴う学習の遅れや集中力の低下に対し、個別の教育支援計画や体験的な学習、および遠隔教育の実施に期待されていた。自己管理支援では、患児が自身の病状や治療による副作用を理解し、自立的に管理できる能力を育成することが求められていた。対人支援について、患児の長期入院により、友人関係の構築が困難になり、入院中や復学後のコミュニケーションの支援が重要であることが確認された。心理支援においては、周囲への効果的ながん教育や大学生ボランティアによる支援が、患児の心理的安定を促すことが示された。最後に、学校と医療機関、保護者の連携不足が指摘されており、連携ツールの開発が求められている。 en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=CHENYiwen en-aut-sei=CHEN en-aut-mei=Yiwen kn-aut-name=陳依文 kn-aut-sei=陳 kn-aut-mei=依文 aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=YOSHITOSHIMunehisa en-aut-sei=YOSHITOSHI en-aut-mei=Munehisa kn-aut-name=吉利宗久 kn-aut-sei=吉利 kn-aut-mei=宗久 aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Graduate School of Education Doctoral Programs, Hyogo University of Teacher Education kn-affil=兵庫教育大学大学院連合学校教育学研究科博士課程 affil-num=2 en-affil=Graduate School of Education, Okayama University kn-affil=岡山大学学術研究院教育学域 en-keyword=小児がん (child hood cancer) kn-keyword=小児がん (child hood cancer) en-keyword=慢性疾患 (chronic illness) kn-keyword=慢性疾患 (chronic illness) en-keyword=教育的ニーズ (educational needs) kn-keyword=教育的ニーズ (educational needs) en-keyword=研究動向 (research trends) kn-keyword=研究動向 (research trends) END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=15 cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page=297 end-page=311 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250328 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title=Exploring Home Learning That Bridges Lessons to Foster Autonomous and Self-Directed Learning kn-title=主体的・自律的な学びを萌芽させる「授業と授業をつなぐ家庭学習」の探究 en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract=　For students to develop the ability to learn independently, they need learning experiences that extend beyond the classroom, including at home. In other words, learning is not confined to the classroom but is reinforced through a wide range of activities. This study aimed to nurture “autonomous and self-directed learning” among students in the second grade at a public junior high school by integrating classroom and home learning. Teachers emphasized the importance of learning strategies and goal setting, and encouraged metacognition. As a result, students became more aware of the self-regulated learning cycle and began exploring learning strategies tailored to their needs. In addition, working at home on assignments connected to the class not only increased students’ active participation in class but also improved their motivation to learn independ ently outside of class. kn-abstract=　生徒が自ら学習を進めていく力を身に付けるには，授業内だけでなく，家庭など授業外の場での学習経験を積む必要がある。つまり，学習は授業内だけで完結するのではなく，広範な活動を通して成立する。本研究では，公立中学校の第2学年を対象に授業と家庭学習を連携させる実践を行い，生徒の「主体的・自律的な学び」を萌芽させることを目指した。教師が学習方略や目標設定の重要性を伝え，メタ認知を促すことで，生徒は自己調整学習のサイクルを意識し，自分なりの学習方略を探求するようになった。また，家庭学習で授業につながる課題に取り組むことで，授業への主体的な参加と，授業外で自律的に学ぶ意欲が促されることも示唆された。 en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=TANAKAJunko en-aut-sei=TANAKA en-aut-mei=Junko kn-aut-name=田中純子 kn-aut-sei=田中 kn-aut-mei=純子 aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=MISAWARyo en-aut-sei=MISAWA en-aut-mei=Ryo kn-aut-name=三沢良 kn-aut-sei=三沢 kn-aut-mei=良 aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Okayama Municipal Hosen Junior High School kn-affil=岡山市立芳泉中学校 affil-num=2 en-affil=Faculty of Education, Okayama University kn-affil=岡山大学学術研究院教育学域 en-keyword=授業と家庭学習の連携 (coordination between classroom and home learning) kn-keyword=授業と家庭学習の連携 (coordination between classroom and home learning) en-keyword=自己調整学習 (self-regulated learning) kn-keyword=自己調整学習 (self-regulated learning) en-keyword=宿題 (homework) kn-keyword=宿題 (homework) en-keyword=授業改善 (lesson improvement) kn-keyword=授業改善 (lesson improvement) END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=20 cd-vols= no-issue=1 article-no= start-page=2480231 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=2025 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Specific enhancement of the translation of thermospermine-responsive uORF-containing mRNAs by ribosomal mutations in Arabidopsis thaliana en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Auxin-induced xylem formation in angiosperms is negatively regulated by thermospermine, whose biosynthesis is also induced by auxin. In Arabidopsis thaliana, loss-of-function mutants of ACL5, which encodes thermospermine synthase, exhibit a dwarf phenotype accompanied by excessive xylem formation. Studies of suppressor mutants that recover from the acl5 dwarf phenotype suggest that thermospermine alleviates the inhibitory effect of an upstream open-reading frame (uORF) on the main ORF translation of SAC51 mRNA. Many suppressor mutations for acl5 have been mapped to the uORF conserved in the SAC51 family or to ribosomal protein genes, such as RPL10A, RPL4A, and RACK1A. In this study, we identified newly isolated acl5 suppressors, sac501, sac504, and sac506, which are additional alleles of RPL10A and the uORFs of SAC51 family members, SACL1 and SACL3, respectively. To investigate whether acl5-suppressor alleles of ribosomal genes broadly affect translation of uORF-containing mRNAs, we examined GUS activity in several 5'-GUS fusion constructs. Our results showed that these alleles enhanced GUS activity in SAC51 and SACL3 5'-fusion constructs but had no effect on other 5'-fusion constructs unrelated to thermospermine response. This suggests that these ribosomal proteins are specifically involved in the thermospermine-mediated regulation of mRNA translation. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=MutsudaKoki en-aut-sei=Mutsuda en-aut-mei=Koki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=NishiiYuichi en-aut-sei=Nishii en-aut-mei=Yuichi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=ToyoshimaTomohiko en-aut-sei=Toyoshima en-aut-mei=Tomohiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=FukushimaHiroko en-aut-sei=Fukushima en-aut-mei=Hiroko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=MotoseHiroyasu en-aut-sei=Motose en-aut-mei=Hiroyasu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakahashiTaku en-aut-sei=Takahashi en-aut-mei=Taku kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=mRNA translation kn-keyword=mRNA translation en-keyword=RPL10 kn-keyword=RPL10 en-keyword=suppressor mutant kn-keyword=suppressor mutant en-keyword=thermospermine kn-keyword=thermospermine en-keyword=uORF kn-keyword=uORF END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=56 cd-vols= no-issue=3 article-no= start-page=15 end-page=33 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250321 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title=Survival, Creation, and Disappearance of Manufacturing Firms in the First Stage of Regional Revitalization kn-title=地方創生第１期における製造事業所の存続，発生，消失 en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract=　In many local municipalities, in addition to revitalizing existing businesses and creating new businesses, attracting manufacturing plants remains an important policy for regional development. Today, unlike the attraction of heavy, large-scale industries during the period of high economic growth, there is a trend to attract companies by making the most of the region's advantages. Although the job creation effect has become smaller than in the past, many manufacturing industries remain positioned as core industries in the region. During the first period of regional revitalization, we identify what manufacturing firms have disappeared, withdrawn, appeared, or survived in what regions, and analyze the factors behind those.
　Comparing manufacturing firms in 2014 and 2019, the average of value-added and the distribution of that shows that manufacturing firms that existed in both 2014 and 2019 had the highest labor productivity. The next highest was manufacturing firms that existed in 2019, and the lowest was manufacturing firms that existed in 2014 but did not exist in 2019. In addition, the results of the logit analysis suggest that manufacturing firms with high productivity and large size tend not to disappear, and that manufacturing firms with a high degree of urbanization tend to disappear. On the other hand, a regression analysis at the city/town/village level using industry concentration by industry and urban concentration measured by population size as explanatory variables showed a positive effect on the number of manufacturing firms that had been established. kn-abstract=　地方に位置する多くの自治体においては，従来からある事業所の活性化や新規事業所の誕生に加えて，製造工場の誘致は地域振興にとっていまも重要な政策となっている。今日，高度経済成長期における重厚長大型の産業の誘致とは異なり，地域優位性をできるだけ活用した企業誘致の傾向になっている。雇用創出効果は昔に比べて小さくなっているとはいえ，製造業の多くにおいて，地域の基盤産業としての位置づけは残っている。第1期の地方創生の期間で，どのような地域において，どのような製造工場が消失，撤退や出現，存続しているのかを識別し，それらの要因を分析する。
　2014年と2019年の事業所の比較において，付加価値生産性の平均と分布を見ると2014年，2019年ともに存在する事業所の労働生産性が最も高い。次いで高いのが2019年に存在する事業所で，最も低かったのが2014年には存在したが2019年には存在していない事業所であった。またロジット分析の結果から，生産性が高く事業所規模が大きいと消滅しない傾向があり，また都市化の程度が高いと消滅傾向にあることが推定された。他方，発生した製造事業所について，産業別に同業種集積と人口規模で測った都市集積を説明変数とした市町村単位の回帰分析からは正の効果が示された。 en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=NakamuraRyohei en-aut-sei=Nakamura en-aut-mei=Ryohei kn-aut-name=中村良平 kn-aut-sei=中村 kn-aut-mei=良平 aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil= kn-affil=岡山大学 END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=56 cd-vols= no-issue=3 article-no= start-page=1 end-page=13 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250321 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title=Market Segmentation and Market Reactions to Earnings Announcements: A Quarterly Analysis kn-title=市場区分と決算発表に対する市場の反応 ―四半期データを利用した分析― en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=The purpose of this paper is to examine, using quarterly financial data, how the market reaction to earnings announcements in each market segment （prime market segment, standard market segment, and growth market segment） has changed after the revision of market segmentation at the Tokyo Stock Exchange. For the research design, the abnormal volume and residual returns for the 12 quarters around April 1, 2022, when the market segmentation was changed, were calculated using the analysis method of Beaver et al. ［2020］. The results of the analysis suggest that volume is significantly affected by changes in market segmentation. In addition, for the group of stocks in the growth market, there appears to have been some change in the trend of stock price fluctuations after the market segmentation revision. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=NakagawaToyotaka en-aut-sei=Nakagawa en-aut-mei=Toyotaka kn-aut-name=中川豊隆 kn-aut-sei=中川 kn-aut-mei=豊隆 aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=YamanishiYuki en-aut-sei=Yamanishi en-aut-mei=Yuki kn-aut-name=山西佑季 kn-aut-sei=山西 kn-aut-mei=佑季 aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=KobayashiHiroaki en-aut-sei=Kobayashi en-aut-mei=Hiroaki kn-aut-name=小林裕明 kn-aut-sei=小林 kn-aut-mei=裕明 aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil= kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil= kn-affil=熊本県立大学総合管理学部 affil-num=3 en-affil= kn-affil=青山学院大学大学院会計プロフェッション研究科 END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=31 cd-vols= no-issue=3 article-no= start-page=102660 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=202503 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Intention and potential determinants of COVID-19 vaccination among healthcare workers at a single university hospital in Japan, 2024–2025 pre-season en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Background: Financial accessibility has emerged as a significant barrier to vaccine uptake following the cessation of universal public funding for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination programs. This investigation assessed the intention and determinant factors of COVID-19 vaccination among healthcare workers in Japan in the 2024–2025 pre-season.
Methods: A retrospective survey was conducted utilizing data collected from hospital staff at Okayama University Hospital, Japan, to inform the COVID-19 vaccination strategy in October 2024. The analysis evaluated demographic characteristics, vaccine intention, perceived barriers to vaccination, and maximum acceptable out-of-pocket expenditure.
Results: The study population of 3417 respondents comprised 843 medical doctors (24.7 %), 1131 nurses (33.1 %), 320 other medical staff (9.4 %), 286 dental doctors (8.4 %), and 627 administrative officers (18.3 %). At full cost, 2109 (61.7 %) indicated no intention to receive vaccination, while only 4.4 % expressed willingness to be vaccinated and 33.9 % remained undecided. With total self-payment, the vaccination acceptance rates were the highest and lowest among medical doctors (11.4 %) and nurses (1.0 %), respectively. Cost (38.1 %), followed by safety issues (29.5 %) and concerns regarding efficacy or medical necessity (20.3 %), emerged as the primary barrier. The projected vaccination intention increased to 43.9 % and 54.9 % at reduced self-pay costs of 3000 JPY and 5000 JPY, respectively.
Conclusions: Addressing financial constraints through policy interventions could be effective strategies in increasing overall vaccination coverage among healthcare workers. In addition, providing tailored education on vaccine safety, efficacy, and necessity may further facilitate increased vaccine uptake within this critical population. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=HagiyaHideharu en-aut-sei=Hagiya en-aut-mei=Hideharu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=FujitaYasushi en-aut-sei=Fujita en-aut-mei=Yasushi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=KiguchiTakashi en-aut-sei=Kiguchi en-aut-mei=Takashi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=ManabeYohei en-aut-sei=Manabe en-aut-mei=Yohei kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Infectious Diseases, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Division of Infection Prevention and Control, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Division of Infection Prevention and Control, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Division of Infection Prevention and Control, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= en-keyword=COVID-19 kn-keyword=COVID-19 en-keyword=Immunization kn-keyword=Immunization en-keyword=Reimbursement kn-keyword=Reimbursement en-keyword=Healthcare workers kn-keyword=Healthcare workers en-keyword=Financial support kn-keyword=Financial support END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol= cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page= end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250224 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=A randomized controlled trial of conventional GVHD prophylaxis with or without teprenone for the prevention of severe acute GVHD en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Therapies that effectively suppress graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) without compromising graft-versus-leukemia/lymphoma (GVL) effects is important in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) for hematopoietic malignancies. Geranylgeranylacetone (GGA) is a main component of teprenone, a gastric mucosal protectant commonly used in clinical practice. In preclinical models, GGA suppresses proinflammatory cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), which are associated with GVHD as well as induces thioredoxin-1 (Trx-1), which suppresses GVHD while maintaining GVL effects. Here, we investigated whether the addition of teprenone to standard GVHD prophylaxis could reduce the cumulative incidence of severe acute GVHD (aGVHD) without attenuating GVL effects. This open-label, randomized clinical trial enrolled 40 patients (21 control and 19 teprenone group) who received allo-HSCT between May 2022 and February 2023 in our institution. Patients in the teprenone group received 50 mg of teprenone orally thrice daily for 21 days from the initiation of the conditioning regimen. The cumulative incidence of severe aGVHD by day 100 after allo-HSCT was not significantly different in the two groups (27.9 vs. 16.1%, p = 0.25). The exploratory studies revealed no obvious changes in Trx-1 levels, but the alternations from baseline in IL-1β and TNF-α levels at day 28 after allo-HSCT tended to be lower in the teprenone group. In conclusion, we could not demonstrate that teprenone significantly prevented the development of severe aGVHD. Discrepancy with preclinical model suggests that appropriate dose of teprenone may be necessary to induce the expression of antioxidant enzymes that suppress severe aGVHD. Clinical Trial Registration number:jRCTs 061210072. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=KitamuraWataru en-aut-sei=Kitamura en-aut-mei=Wataru kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=FujiiKeiko en-aut-sei=Fujii en-aut-mei=Keiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=TsugeMitsuru en-aut-sei=Tsuge en-aut-mei=Mitsuru kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=MitsuhashiToshiharu en-aut-sei=Mitsuhashi en-aut-mei=Toshiharu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=KobayashiHiroki en-aut-sei=Kobayashi en-aut-mei=Hiroki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=KamoiChihiro en-aut-sei=Kamoi en-aut-mei=Chihiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=YamamotoAkira en-aut-sei=Yamamoto en-aut-mei=Akira kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=KondoTakumi en-aut-sei=Kondo en-aut-mei=Takumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=SeikeKeisuke en-aut-sei=Seike en-aut-mei=Keisuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=FujiwaraHideaki en-aut-sei=Fujiwara en-aut-mei=Hideaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=AsadaNoboru en-aut-sei=Asada en-aut-mei=Noboru kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= en-aut-name=EnnishiDaisuke en-aut-sei=Ennishi en-aut-mei=Daisuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=12 ORCID= en-aut-name=MatsuokaKen-ichi en-aut-sei=Matsuoka en-aut-mei=Ken-ichi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=13 ORCID= en-aut-name=FujiiNobuharu en-aut-sei=Fujii en-aut-mei=Nobuharu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=14 ORCID= en-aut-name=MaedaYoshinobu en-aut-sei=Maeda en-aut-mei=Yoshinobu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=15 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Hematology and Oncology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Hematology and Oncology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Pediatric Acute Diseases, Okayama University Academic Field of Medicine Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Center for Innovative Clinical Medicine, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Hematology and Oncology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Hematology and Oncology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Hematology and Oncology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Hematology and Oncology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of Hematology and Oncology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Department of Hematology and Oncology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Department of Hematology and Oncology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=12 en-affil=Department of Hematology and Oncology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=13 en-affil=Department of Hematology and Oncology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=14 en-affil=Department of Hematology and Oncology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=15 en-affil=Department of Hematology and Oncology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= en-keyword=Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation kn-keyword=Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation en-keyword=Graft-versus-host disease kn-keyword=Graft-versus-host disease en-keyword=Teprenone kn-keyword=Teprenone en-keyword=Oxidative stress kn-keyword=Oxidative stress en-keyword=Interleukin-33 kn-keyword=Interleukin-33 END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=14 cd-vols= no-issue=4 article-no= start-page=1055 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250207 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Natural Course and Long-Term Outcomes of Gastric Subepithelial Lesions: A Systematic Review en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Background/Objectives: Gastric subepithelial lesions (SELs) are often incidentally detected during endoscopic examinations, with most patients being asymptomatic and lesions measuring <20 mm. Despite their generally indolent nature, certain SELs, such as gastrointestinal stromal tumors, require resection. Current guidelines recommend periodic surveillance; however, the natural course and long-term outcomes of gastric SELs have not been sufficiently investigated. This systematic review aimed to synthesize evidence on the progression, growth rate, and risk factors associated with gastric SELs to inform clinical management strategies. Methods: A comprehensive search of PubMed was conducted for peer-reviewed studies published between January 2000 and November 2024. Eligible studies included original studies on the follow-up and progression of gastric SELs. Non-English articles, reviews, case reports, and unrelated topics were excluded. In total, 277 articles were screened, with 15 additional articles identified through manual screening. Ultimately, 41 articles were included in the analysis. The study protocol is registered in PROSPERO (CRD42024614865). Results: Large-scale studies reported low growth rates of 2.0-8.5% over 2.0-5.0 years, while smaller studies reported a broader range of growth rates of 5.4-28.4%. The factors contributing to these discrepancies include patient selection, follow-up duration, and growth criteria. Risk factors for lesion size increase include larger initial lesion size, irregular margins, heterogeneous echo patterns, and certain tumor locations. Conclusions: These findings underscore the need for individualized management strategies based on lesion size, imaging characteristics, and risk factors. The close monitoring of high-risk lesions is crucial for timely intervention. Standardized growth criteria and optimized follow-up protocols are essential for improving clinical decision making and patient outcomes. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=IwamuroMasaya en-aut-sei=Iwamuro en-aut-mei=Masaya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=OkadaHiroyuki en-aut-sei=Okada en-aut-mei=Hiroyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=OtsukaMotoyuki en-aut-sei=Otsuka en-aut-mei=Motoyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Internal Medicine, Japanese Red Cross Society Himeji Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= en-keyword=esophagogastroduodenoscopy kn-keyword=esophagogastroduodenoscopy en-keyword=gastric lesions kn-keyword=gastric lesions en-keyword=gastrointestinal stromal tumor kn-keyword=gastrointestinal stromal tumor en-keyword=subepithelial lesion kn-keyword=subepithelial lesion en-keyword=submucosal tumor kn-keyword=submucosal tumor END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=16 cd-vols= no-issue=2 article-no= start-page=108 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250205 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Implementation of Sensor Input Setup Assistance Service Using Generative AI for SEMAR IoT Application Server Platform en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=For rapid deployments of various IoT application systems, we have developed Smart Environmental Monitoring and Analytical in Real-Time (SEMAR) as an integrated server platform. It is equipped with rich functions for collecting, analyzing, and visualizing various data. Unfortunately, the proper configuration of SEMAR with a variety of IoT devices can be complex and challenging for novice users, since it often requires technical expertise. The assistance of Generative AI can be helpful to solve this drawback. In this paper, we present an implementation of a sensor input setup assistance service for SEMAR using prompt engineering techniques and Generative AI. A user needs to define the requirement specifications and environments of the IoT application system for sensor inputs, and give them to the service. Then, the service provides step-by-step guidance on sensor connections, communicating board configurations, network connections, and communication protocols to the user, which can help the user easily set up the configuration to connect the relevant devices to SEMAR. For evaluations, we applied the proposal to the input sensor setup processes of three practical IoT application systems with SEMAR, namely, a smart light, water heater, and room temperature monitoring system. In addition, we applied it to the setup process of an IoT application system for a course for undergraduate students at the Insitut Bisnis dan Teknologi (INSTIKI), Indonesia. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed service for SEMAR. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=KotamaI. Nyoman Darma en-aut-sei=Kotama en-aut-mei=I. Nyoman Darma kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=FunabikiNobuo en-aut-sei=Funabiki en-aut-mei=Nobuo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=PandumanYohanes Yohanie Fridelin en-aut-sei=Panduman en-aut-mei=Yohanes Yohanie Fridelin kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=BrataKomang Candra en-aut-sei=Brata en-aut-mei=Komang Candra kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=PradhanaAnak Agung Surya en-aut-sei=Pradhana en-aut-mei=Anak Agung Surya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=Noprianto en-aut-sei=Noprianto en-aut-mei= kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=DesnanjayaI. Gusti Made Ngurah en-aut-sei=Desnanjaya en-aut-mei=I. Gusti Made Ngurah kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Computer System Engineering, Institute of Business and Technology Indonesia kn-affil= en-keyword=Internet of Things kn-keyword=Internet of Things en-keyword= generative AI kn-keyword= generative AI en-keyword= review kn-keyword= review en-keyword= application server platform kn-keyword= application server platform en-keyword= SEMAR kn-keyword= SEMAR en-keyword= sensor input kn-keyword= sensor input END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=96 cd-vols= no-issue=10 article-no= start-page=1241 end-page=1252 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2021 dt-pub=20210728 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Validated international definition of the thrombocytopenia, anasarca, fever, reticulin fibrosis, renal insufficiency, and organomegaly clinical subtype (TAFRO) of idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Thrombocytopenia, anasarca, fever, reticulin fibrosis, renal insufficiency, and organomegaly (TAFRO) syndrome is a heterogeneous entity manifesting with a constellation of symptoms described above that can occur in the context of idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease (iMCD) as well as infectious diseases, malignancies, and rheumatologic disorders. So, iMCD-TAFRO is an aggressive subtype of iMCD with TAFRO syndrome and often hyper-vascularized lymph nodes. Since we proposed diagnostic criteria of iMCD-TAFRO in 2016, we have accumulated new insights on the disorder and additional cases have been reported worldwide. In this systematic review and cohort analysis, we established and validated a definition for iMCD-TAFRO. First, we searched PubMed and Japan Medical Abstracts Society databases using the keyword “TAFRO” to extract cases. Patients with possible systemic autoimmune diseases and hematologic malignancies were excluded. Our search identified 54 cases from 50 articles. We classified cases into three categories: (1) iMCD-TAFRO (TAFRO syndrome with lymph node histopathology consistent with iMCD), (2) possible iMCD-TAFRO (TAFRO syndrome with no lymph node biopsy performed and no other co-morbidities), and (3) TAFRO without iMCD or other co-morbidities (TAFRO syndrome with lymph node histopathology not consistent with iMCD or other comorbidities). Based on the findings, we propose an international definition requiring four clinical criteria (thrombocytopenia, anasarca, fever/hyperinflammatory status, organomegaly), renal dysfunction or characteristic bone marrow findings, and lymph node features consistent with iMCD. The definition was validated with an external cohort (the ACCELERATE Natural History Registry). The present international definition will facilitate a more precise and comprehensive approach to the diagnosis of iMCD-TAFRO. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=NishimuraYoshito en-aut-sei=Nishimura en-aut-mei=Yoshito kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=FajgenbaumDavid C. en-aut-sei=Fajgenbaum en-aut-mei=David C. kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=PiersonSheila K. en-aut-sei=Pierson en-aut-mei=Sheila K. kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=IwakiNoriko en-aut-sei=Iwaki en-aut-mei=Noriko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=NishikoriAsami en-aut-sei=Nishikori en-aut-mei=Asami kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=KawanoMitsuhiro en-aut-sei=Kawano en-aut-mei=Mitsuhiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakamuraNaoya en-aut-sei=Nakamura en-aut-mei=Naoya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=IzutsuKoji en-aut-sei=Izutsu en-aut-mei=Koji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakeuchiKengo en-aut-sei=Takeuchi en-aut-mei=Kengo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=NishimuraMidori Filiz en-aut-sei=Nishimura en-aut-mei=Midori Filiz kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=MaedaYoshinobu en-aut-sei=Maeda en-aut-mei=Yoshinobu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= en-aut-name=OtsukaFumio en-aut-sei=Otsuka en-aut-mei=Fumio kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=12 ORCID= en-aut-name=YoshizakiKazuyuki en-aut-sei=Yoshizaki en-aut-mei=Kazuyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=13 ORCID= en-aut-name=OksenhendlerEric en-aut-sei=Oksenhendler en-aut-mei=Eric kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=14 ORCID= en-aut-name=van RheeFrits en-aut-sei=van Rhee en-aut-mei=Frits kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=15 ORCID= en-aut-name=SatoYasuharu en-aut-sei=Sato en-aut-mei=Yasuharu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=16 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of General Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Center for Cytokine Storm Treatment & Laboratory, Division of Translational Medicine and Human Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Center for Cytokine Storm Treatment & Laboratory, Division of Translational Medicine and Human Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Hematology/Respiratory Medicine, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Science kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Division of Pathophysiology, Okayama University Graduate School of Health Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Rheumatology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Science kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Pathology, Tokai University School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Hematology, National Cancer Center Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of Pathology, The Cancer Institute Hospital of Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Department of Pathology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Department of Hematology, Oncology and Respiratory Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=12 en-affil=Department of General Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=13 en-affil=Department of Organic Fine Chemicals, Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research, Osaka University kn-affil= affil-num=14 en-affil=Department of Clinical Immunology, Hôpital Saint-Louis kn-affil= affil-num=15 en-affil=Myeloma Center, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=16 en-affil=Division of Pathophysiology, Okayama University Graduate School of Health Sciences kn-affil= END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=49 cd-vols= no-issue=4 article-no= start-page=563 end-page=567 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=202410 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Backside Irradiation of Ultraviolet-A for Correcting Nonuniformity Error of Gafchromic XR-QA2 Films en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Purpose: Radiochromic film is used for quality assurance and quality control of X-ray equipment in the diagnostic radiology. In addition, three-dimensional dose distribution of computed tomography (CT) is measured. To correct the nonuniformity and uncertainty of radiochromic films for dose measurement of CT, the films are preirradiated ultraviolet (UV)-A rays. There is a difference in the UV protection strength of radiochromic films. A concern exists about the effects of the UV-A irradiation intensity. We thus irradiated with UV-A rays from the backsides of the films to assess if backside irradiation was possible. Materials and Methods: Gafchromic XR-QA2 and RTQA2 were used in this study. The UV-A rays were simultaneously irradiated on the front and backsides of each film for 12 h. The yellow layer of each film was scanned and imaged. The average pixel values ± standard deviations (SDs) were compared. In the statistical analysis, a paired t-test was performed. To compare, the active-layer densities engendered by the UV-A rays. Calibration curve was created with 48 h of preirradiation of UV-A. Results: The mean pixel values ± SD for Gafchromic XR-QA2 on the front and backsides were 130.776 ± 0.812 and 81.015 ± 1.128, respectively. On the other hand, the mean pixel values ± SD for Gafchromic RTQA2 on the front and backsides were 62.299 ± 1.077 and 133.761 ± 1.365, respectively. The statistical results of the paired t-test were significantly different (P < 0.01) between both films. Fitting equation of the calibration curve is shown below. y = -390.47 ± 200 + (443.45 ± 10x80).5068 ± 0.0434. Conclusion: Based on the relationship between the sensitivity of the active layer to UV-A rays and the strength of UV protection on the surface, we concluded that backside irradiation is recommended for Gafchromic XR-QA2, and frontside irradiation is recommended for Gafchromic RTQA2. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=TankiNobuyoshi en-aut-sei=Tanki en-aut-mei=Nobuyoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=GotoSachiko en-aut-sei=Goto en-aut-mei=Sachiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=KatsudaToshizo en-aut-sei=Katsuda en-aut-mei=Toshizo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=GotandaRumi en-aut-sei=Gotanda en-aut-mei=Rumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=GotandaTatsuhiro en-aut-sei=Gotanda en-aut-mei=Tatsuhiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=KuwanoTadao en-aut-sei=Kuwano en-aut-mei=Tadao kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Radiological Technology, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Radiological Technology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Medical Radiation Technology, Shizuoka College of Medicalcare Science kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Radiological Technology, Faculty of Health Science and Technology, Kawasaki University of Medical Welfare kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Radiological Technology, Faculty of Health Science and Technology, Kawasaki University of Medical Welfare kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Radiology, Osaka Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases Prevention kn-affil= en-keyword=Backside irradiation kn-keyword=Backside irradiation en-keyword=computed tomography kn-keyword=computed tomography en-keyword=reflective type radiochromic film kn-keyword=reflective type radiochromic film en-keyword=ultraviolet radiation kn-keyword=ultraviolet radiation END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=79 cd-vols= no-issue=1 article-no= start-page=51 end-page=58 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=202502 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Photoinitiators Induce Histamine Production in Human Mast Cells en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Photoinitiators are used in the manufacture of many daily products, and may produce harmful effects due to their cytotoxicity. They have also been detected in human serum. Here, we investigated the histamine-producing effects in HMC-1 cells and the inflammatory cytokine release effects in RAW264 cells for four photoinitiators: 1-hydroxycyclohexyl phenyl ketone; 2-isopropylthioxanthone; methyl 2-benzoylbenzoate; and 2-methyl-4´-(methylthio)-2-morpholinopropiophenone. All four promoted histamine production in HMC-1 cells; however, they did not significantly affect the release of inflammatory cytokines in RAW264 cells. These findings suggest that these four photoinitiators induce inflammatory cytokine-independent histamine production, potentially contributing to histamine-mediated chronic inflammation in vitro. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=MiuraTaro en-aut-sei=Miura en-aut-mei=Taro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=KawasakiYoichi en-aut-sei=Kawasaki en-aut-mei=Yoichi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=HamanoHirofumi en-aut-sei=Hamano en-aut-mei=Hirofumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=ZamamiYoshito en-aut-sei=Zamami en-aut-mei=Yoshito kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=SendoToshiaki en-aut-sei=Sendo en-aut-mei=Toshiaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Laboratory of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Kagawa School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokushima Bunri University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= en-keyword=photoinitiator kn-keyword=photoinitiator en-keyword=ink kn-keyword=ink en-keyword=injection kn-keyword=injection en-keyword=histamine kn-keyword=histamine en-keyword=inflammation kn-keyword=inflammation END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=121 cd-vols= no-issue=35 article-no= start-page=e2320189121 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=20240821 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Somatic mutations in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes impact on antitumor immunity en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) exert clinical efficacy against various types of cancers by reinvigorating exhausted CD8+ T cells that can expand and directly attack cancer cells (cancer-specific T cells) among tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). Although some reports have identified somatic mutations in TILs, their effect on antitumor immunity remains unclear. In this study, we successfully established 18 cancer-specific T cell clones, which have an exhaustion phenotype, from the TILs of four patients with melanoma. We conducted whole-genome sequencing for these T cell clones and identified various somatic mutations in them with high clonality. Among the somatic mutations, an SH2D2A loss-of-function frameshift mutation and TNFAIP3 deletion could activate T cell effector functions in vitro. Furthermore, we generated CD8+ T cell–specific Tnfaip3 knockout mice and showed that Tnfaip3 function loss in CD8+ T cell increased antitumor immunity, leading to remarkable response to PD-1 blockade in vivo. In addition, we analyzed bulk CD3+ T cells from TILs in additional 12 patients and identified an SH2D2A mutation in one patient through amplicon sequencing. These findings suggest that somatic mutations in TILs can affect antitumor immunity and suggest unique biomarkers and therapeutic targets. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=MukoharaFumiaki en-aut-sei=Mukohara en-aut-mei=Fumiaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=IwataKazuma en-aut-sei=Iwata en-aut-mei=Kazuma kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=IshinoTakamasa en-aut-sei=Ishino en-aut-mei=Takamasa kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=InozumeTakashi en-aut-sei=Inozume en-aut-mei=Takashi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=NagasakiJoji en-aut-sei=Nagasaki en-aut-mei=Joji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=UedaYouki en-aut-sei=Ueda en-aut-mei=Youki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=SuzawaKen en-aut-sei=Suzawa en-aut-mei=Ken kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=UenoToshihide en-aut-sei=Ueno en-aut-mei=Toshihide kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=IkedaHideki en-aut-sei=Ikeda en-aut-mei=Hideki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=KawaseKatsushige en-aut-sei=Kawase en-aut-mei=Katsushige kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=SaekiYuka en-aut-sei=Saeki en-aut-mei=Yuka kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= en-aut-name=KawashimaShusuke en-aut-sei=Kawashima en-aut-mei=Shusuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=12 ORCID= en-aut-name=YamashitaKazuo en-aut-sei=Yamashita en-aut-mei=Kazuo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=13 ORCID= en-aut-name=KawaharaYu en-aut-sei=Kawahara en-aut-mei=Yu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=14 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakamuraYasuhiro en-aut-sei=Nakamura en-aut-mei=Yasuhiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=15 ORCID= en-aut-name=Honobe-TabuchiAkiko en-aut-sei=Honobe-Tabuchi en-aut-mei=Akiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=16 ORCID= en-aut-name=WatanabeHiroko en-aut-sei=Watanabe en-aut-mei=Hiroko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=17 ORCID= en-aut-name=DansakoHiromichi en-aut-sei=Dansako en-aut-mei=Hiromichi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=18 ORCID= en-aut-name=KawamuraTatsuyoshi en-aut-sei=Kawamura en-aut-mei=Tatsuyoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=19 ORCID= en-aut-name=SuzukiYutaka en-aut-sei=Suzuki en-aut-mei=Yutaka kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=20 ORCID= en-aut-name=HondaHiroaki en-aut-sei=Honda en-aut-mei=Hiroaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=21 ORCID= en-aut-name=ManoHiroyuki en-aut-sei=Mano en-aut-mei=Hiroyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=22 ORCID= en-aut-name=ToyookaShinichi en-aut-sei=Toyooka en-aut-mei=Shinichi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=23 ORCID= en-aut-name=KawazuMasahito en-aut-sei=Kawazu en-aut-mei=Masahito kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=24 ORCID= en-aut-name=TogashiYosuke en-aut-sei=Togashi en-aut-mei=Yosuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=25 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Tumor Microenvironment, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Tumor Microenvironment, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Tumor Microenvironment, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Dermatology, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Tumor Microenvironment, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Tumor Microenvironment, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of General Thoracic Surgery and Breast and Endocrinological Surgery, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Division of Cellular Signaling, National Cancer Center Research Institute kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Division of Cell Therapy, Chiba Cancer Research Institute kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Division of Cell Therapy, Chiba Cancer Research Institute kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Department of Dermatology, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=12 en-affil=Department of Dermatology, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=13 en-affil=KOTAI Biotechnologies, Inc. kn-affil= affil-num=14 en-affil=Department of Dermatology, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=15 en-affil=Department of Skin Oncology/Dermatology, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center kn-affil= affil-num=16 en-affil=Department of Dermatology, University of Yamanashi kn-affil= affil-num=17 en-affil=Department of Tumor Microenvironment, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=18 en-affil=Department of Tumor Microenvironment, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=19 en-affil=Department of Dermatology, University of Yamanashi kn-affil= affil-num=20 en-affil=Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa kn-affil= affil-num=21 en-affil=Department of Pathology, Tokyo Women's Medical University kn-affil= affil-num=22 en-affil=Division of Cellular Signaling, National Cancer Center Research Institute kn-affil= affil-num=23 en-affil=Department of General Thoracic Surgery and Breast and Endocrinological Surgery, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=24 en-affil=Division of Cell Therapy, Chiba Cancer Research Institute kn-affil= affil-num=25 en-affil=Department of Tumor Microenvironment, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=cancer immunology kn-keyword=cancer immunology en-keyword=somatic mutation kn-keyword=somatic mutation en-keyword=T cell kn-keyword=T cell en-keyword=tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes kn-keyword=tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=39 cd-vols= no-issue=1 article-no= start-page=426 end-page=432 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=20241231 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Effect of Oral Nutritional Supplements Composed of High Protein on Body Weight Loss After Gastrectomy en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Background/Aim: Body weight loss (BWL) after gastrectomy for gastric cancer (GC) decreases postoperative quality of life and survival in patients with GC. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of oral nutritional supplements composed of high protein on BWL in the early period following gastrectomy. Patients and Methods: Pre- and postoperative body weight and skeletal muscle mass were measured using bioelectrical impedance analysis in patients undergoing radical gastrectomy for GC and analyzed retrospectively. Patients received either a regular diet (control group, n=43) or 250 ml (320 kcal) per day of a high-protein oral nutritional supplement (ONS) (22 g protein) in addition to their regular diet (ONS group, n=40) for four weeks after gastrectomy. The actual daily intake of ONS was recorded by patients themselves. The BWL and skeletal muscle loss (SML) at one month after surgery were compared between the two groups. Results: BWL and SML at one month after surgery were similar between the two groups. In the ONS group, patients were divided into two subgroups (ONS-H and ONS-L) according to whether their ONS intake amount was above or below the average value of 216 kcal. The ONS-H group (ONS intake ≥216 kcal) showed significantly lower BWL compared to the control group (−4.6±2.6% vs. −6.2±2.5%; p=0.03). Moreover, the ONS group showed significantly lower BWL at one month after surgery than the control group in cases of total or proximal gastrectomy (−5.9±3.0% vs. −7.8±1.9%; p=0.04), although no significant difference was observed between the two groups in distal gastrectomy. The hematological nutritional parameters were similar between the two groups. Conclusion: The administration of ONS composed of high protein for four weeks after gastrectomy did not improve BWL at one month after gastrectomy. However, adequate amount of ONS intake and ONS intake after total or proximal gastrectomy might improve BWL. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=KIKUCHISATORU en-aut-sei=KIKUCHI en-aut-mei=SATORU kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=TAKATANOBUO en-aut-sei=TAKATA en-aut-mei=NOBUO kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=KAKIUCHIYOSHIHIKO en-aut-sei=KAKIUCHI en-aut-mei=YOSHIHIKO kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=KURODASHINJI en-aut-sei=KURODA en-aut-mei=SHINJI kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=KASHIMAHAJIME en-aut-sei=KASHIMA en-aut-mei=HAJIME kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=TANABESHUNSUKE en-aut-sei=TANABE en-aut-mei=SHUNSUKE kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=NOMAKAZUHIRO en-aut-sei=NOMA en-aut-mei=KAZUHIRO kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=TAKAHASHIAYAKO en-aut-sei=TAKAHASHI en-aut-mei=AYAKO kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=KAGAWASHUNSUKE en-aut-sei=KAGAWA en-aut-mei=SHUNSUKE kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=FUJIWARATOSHIYOSHI en-aut-sei=FUJIWARA en-aut-mei=TOSHIYOSHI kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Kochi Health Sciences Center kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Clinical Nutrition, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= en-keyword=Amino acid kn-keyword=Amino acid en-keyword=gastrectomy kn-keyword=gastrectomy en-keyword=body weight loss kn-keyword=body weight loss en-keyword=nutritional intervention kn-keyword=nutritional intervention en-keyword=oral nutritional supplements kn-keyword=oral nutritional supplements END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=326 cd-vols= no-issue=6 article-no= start-page=F1054 end-page=F1065 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=20240530 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Preventive effects of vasohibin-2-targeting peptide vaccine for diabetic nephropathy en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Diabetic nephropathy remains the leading cause of end-stage kidney disease in many countries, and additional therapeutic targets are needed to prevent its development and progression. Some angiogenic factors are involved in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy. Vasohibin-2 (VASH2) is a novel proangiogenic factor, and our previous study showed that glomerular damage is inhibited in diabetic Vash2 homozygous knockout mice. Therefore, we established a VASH2-targeting peptide vaccine as a tool for anti-VASH2 therapy in diabetic nephropathy. In this study, the preventive effects of the VASH2-targeting peptide vaccine against glomerular injury were examined in a streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mouse model. The mice were subcutaneously injected with the vaccine at two doses 2 wk apart and then intraperitoneally injected with 50 mg/kg STZ for 5 consecutive days. Glomerular injury was evaluated 20 wk after the first vaccination. Treatment with the VASH2-targeting peptide vaccine successfully induced circulating anti-VASH2 antibody without inflammation in major organs. Although the vaccination did not affect blood glucose levels, it significantly prevented hyperglycemia-induced increases in urinary albumin excretion and glomerular volume. The vaccination did not affect increased VASH2 expression but significantly inhibited renal angiopoietin-2 (Angpt2) expression in the diabetic mice. Furthermore, it significantly prevented glomerular macrophage infiltration. The preventive effects of vaccination on glomerular injury were also confirmed in db/db mice. Taken together, the results of this study suggest that the VASH2-targeting peptide vaccine may prevent diabetic glomerular injury in mice by inhibiting Angpt2-mediated microinflammation. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=NakashimaYuri en-aut-sei=Nakashima en-aut-mei=Yuri kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=TanabeKatsuyuki en-aut-sei=Tanabe en-aut-mei=Katsuyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=MifuneTomoyo en-aut-sei=Mifune en-aut-mei=Tomoyo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakadoiTakato en-aut-sei=Nakadoi en-aut-mei=Takato kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=HayashiHiroki en-aut-sei=Hayashi en-aut-mei=Hiroki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakagamiHironori en-aut-sei=Nakagami en-aut-mei=Hironori kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=SatoYasufumi en-aut-sei=Sato en-aut-mei=Yasufumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=WadaJun en-aut-sei=Wada en-aut-mei=Jun kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Nephrology, Rheumatology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Nephrology, Rheumatology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Nephrology, Rheumatology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Nephrology, Rheumatology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Health Development and Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Health Development and Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=New Industry Creation Hatchery Center, Tohoku University kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Nephrology, Rheumatology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= en-keyword=albuminuria kn-keyword=albuminuria en-keyword=diabetic nephropathy kn-keyword=diabetic nephropathy en-keyword=macrophages kn-keyword=macrophages en-keyword=peptide vaccine kn-keyword=peptide vaccine en-keyword=vasohibin-2 kn-keyword=vasohibin-2 END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=17 cd-vols= no-issue=1 article-no= start-page=29 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=20241225 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=The Three-Class Annotation Method Improves the AI Detection of Early-Stage Osteosarcoma on Plain Radiographs: A Novel Approach for Rare Cancer Diagnosis en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Background/Objectives: Developing high-performance artificial intelligence (AI) models for rare diseases is challenging owing to limited data availability. This study aimed to evaluate whether a novel three-class annotation method for preparing training data could enhance AI model performance in detecting osteosarcoma on plain radiographs compared to conventional single-class annotation. Methods: We developed two annotation methods for the same dataset of 468 osteosarcoma X-rays and 378 normal radiographs: a conventional single-class annotation (1C model) and a novel three-class annotation method (3C model) that separately labeled intramedullary, cortical, and extramedullary tumor components. Both models used identical U-Net-based architectures, differing only in their annotation approaches. Performance was evaluated using an independent validation dataset. Results: Although both models achieved high diagnostic accuracy (AUC: 0.99 vs. 0.98), the 3C model demonstrated superior operational characteristics. At a standardized cutoff value of 0.2, the 3C model maintained balanced performance (sensitivity: 93.28%, specificity: 92.21%), whereas the 1C model showed compromised specificity (83.58%) despite high sensitivity (98.88%). Notably, at the 25th percentile threshold, both models showed identical false-negative rates despite significantly different cutoff values (3C: 0.661 vs. 1C: 0.985), indicating the ability of the 3C model to maintain diagnostic accuracy at substantially lower thresholds. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that anatomically informed three-class annotation can enhance AI model performance for rare disease detection without requiring additional training data. The improved stability at lower thresholds suggests that thoughtful annotation strategies can optimize the AI model training, particularly in contexts where training data are limited. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=HaseiJoe en-aut-sei=Hasei en-aut-mei=Joe kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakaharaRyuichi en-aut-sei=Nakahara en-aut-mei=Ryuichi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=OtsukaYujiro en-aut-sei=Otsuka en-aut-mei=Yujiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakamuraYusuke en-aut-sei=Nakamura en-aut-mei=Yusuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=IkutaKunihiro en-aut-sei=Ikuta en-aut-mei=Kunihiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=OsakiShuhei en-aut-sei=Osaki en-aut-mei=Shuhei kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=HironariTamiya en-aut-sei=Hironari en-aut-mei=Tamiya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=MiwaShinji en-aut-sei=Miwa en-aut-mei=Shinji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=OhshikaShusa en-aut-sei=Ohshika en-aut-mei=Shusa kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=NishimuraShunji en-aut-sei=Nishimura en-aut-mei=Shunji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=KaharaNaoaki en-aut-sei=Kahara en-aut-mei=Naoaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= en-aut-name=YoshidaAki en-aut-sei=Yoshida en-aut-mei=Aki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=12 ORCID= en-aut-name=FujiwaraTomohiro en-aut-sei=Fujiwara en-aut-mei=Tomohiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=13 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakataEiji en-aut-sei=Nakata en-aut-mei=Eiji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=14 ORCID= en-aut-name=KunisadaToshiyuki en-aut-sei=Kunisada en-aut-mei=Toshiyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=15 ORCID= en-aut-name=OzakiToshifumi en-aut-sei=Ozaki en-aut-mei=Toshifumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=16 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Medical Information and Assistive Technology Development, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Science of Functional Recovery and Reconstruction, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Radiology, Juntendo University School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Plusman LCC kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Musculoskeletal Oncology and Rehabilitation, National Cancer Center Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Musculoskeletal Oncology Service, Osaka International Cancer Institute kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kindai University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Mizushima Central Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=12 en-affil=Science of Functional Recovery and Reconstruction, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=13 en-affil=Science of Functional Recovery and Reconstruction, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=14 en-affil=Science of Functional Recovery and Reconstruction, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=15 en-affil=Science of Functional Recovery and Reconstruction, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=16 en-affil=Science of Functional Recovery and Reconstruction, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=osteosarcoma kn-keyword=osteosarcoma en-keyword=medical image annotation kn-keyword=medical image annotation en-keyword=anatomical annotation method kn-keyword=anatomical annotation method en-keyword=rare cancer kn-keyword=rare cancer END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=11 cd-vols= no-issue=1 article-no= start-page=e70031 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=20241226 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Characteristics and outcomes of subarachnoid hemorrhage from vertebral artery dissection: A comparative study with other non-traumatic etiologies en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Aim: Vertebral artery dissection (VAD) is a rare cause of non-traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) with significant clinical implications. This study compared the clinical characteristics and outcomes of SAH from intracranial VAD rupture to those from other etiologies, primarily aneurysmal rupture.
Methods: This single-center retrospective cohort study at Okayama University Hospital included patients with non-traumatic SAH diagnosed between 2019 and 2023. Patients were categorized into "VAD rupture" and "other etiologies" groups. The main outcome was clinical presentation and symptoms. Additional outcomes included ICU mortality, in-hospital mortality, and unfavorable outcomes at discharge and 6 months, defined as a modified Rankin Scale score of 3-6.
Results: A total of 66 patients were included, with 14 in the VAD rupture group and 52 in the other etiologies group. The VAD rupture group was younger (median age 49 vs. 64 years, p = 0.003) and had a higher incidence of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (42.9% vs. 9.6%, p = 0.011). Preceding headache was more common in the VAD rupture group (78.6% vs. 11.5%, p < 0.001), with a median duration of 36 h before presentation. ICU and in-hospital mortality was higher in the VAD rupture group (both 50.0% vs. 19.3%, p = 0.019). No significant differences were found in unfavorable neurological outcomes at hospital discharge and 6 months.
Conclusions: VAD-related SAH often presents with prodromal headaches, severe symptoms like out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, and higher ICU and in-hospital mortality than other SAH causes, though long-term outcomes are similar. Larger, prospective studies are needed to refine interventions. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=OshitaShu en-aut-sei=Oshita en-aut-mei=Shu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=YumotoTetsuya en-aut-sei=Yumoto en-aut-mei=Tetsuya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=JinnoShunta en-aut-sei=Jinno en-aut-mei=Shunta kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=MatsuoIppei en-aut-sei=Matsuo en-aut-mei=Ippei kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=HongoTakashi en-aut-sei=Hongo en-aut-mei=Takashi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=NaitoHiromichi en-aut-sei=Naito en-aut-mei=Hiromichi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=HiramatsuMasafumi en-aut-sei=Hiramatsu en-aut-mei=Masafumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=HarumaJun en-aut-sei=Haruma en-aut-mei=Jun kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=SugiuKenji en-aut-sei=Sugiu en-aut-mei=Kenji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=TanakaShota en-aut-sei=Tanaka en-aut-mei=Shota kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakaoAtsunori en-aut-sei=Nakao en-aut-mei=Atsunori kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Okayama University Medical School kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Emergency, Critical Care, and Disaster Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Emergency, Critical Care, and Disaster Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Emergency, Critical Care, and Disaster Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Emergency, Critical Care, and Disaster Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Emergency, Critical Care, and Disaster Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Neurological Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Neurological Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of Neurological Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Department of Neurological Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Department of Emergency, Critical Care, and Disaster Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=headache kn-keyword=headache en-keyword=intracranial aneurysm kn-keyword=intracranial aneurysm en-keyword=prodromal symptoms kn-keyword=prodromal symptoms en-keyword=subarachnoid hemorrhage kn-keyword=subarachnoid hemorrhage en-keyword=vertebral artery dissection kn-keyword=vertebral artery dissection END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol= cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page=e202404400 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250107 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Graphene Oxide as a Self‐Carbocatalyst to Facilitate the Ring‐Opening Polymerization of Glycidol for Efficient Polyglycerol Grafting en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Grafting carbon-based nanomaterials (CNMs) with polyglycerol (PG) improves their application potentials in biomedicine and electronics. Although “grafting from” method offers advantages over “grafting to” one in terms of operability and versatility, little is known about the reaction process of glycidol with the surface groups onto CNMs. By using graphene oxide (GO) as a multi-functional model material, we examined the reactivity of the surface groups on GO toward glycidol molecules via a set of model reactions. We reveal that carboxyl groups spontaneously react with the epoxide ring with no need of catalyst, while GO catalyzes the reactions of hydroxyl groups with the epoxide of glycidol. In addition, the hydroxyl group of glycidol can open the epoxide in the basal plane of GO. The subsequent polymerization of PG is supposed to propagate at the primary and/or the secondary hydroxyl groups, generating a ramified PG macromolecule with random branch-on-branch topology. In addition, ketones, benzyl esters and aromatic ethers are found not to react with glycidol even in the presence of GO, while the aldehydes are easily oxidized into carboxyl groups under ambient condition, behaving then as the carboxyl groups. Our findings pose the foundation for understanding the polymerization mechanism of PG on CNMs. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=ZouYajuan en-aut-sei=Zou en-aut-mei=Yajuan kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=OhkuraKentaro en-aut-sei=Ohkura en-aut-mei=Kentaro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=Ortiz‐AnayaIsrael en-aut-sei=Ortiz‐Anaya en-aut-mei=Israel kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=KimuraRyota en-aut-sei=Kimura en-aut-mei=Ryota kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=BiancoAlberto en-aut-sei=Bianco en-aut-mei=Alberto kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=NishinaYuta en-aut-sei=Nishina en-aut-mei=Yuta kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=Carbon nanomaterials kn-keyword=Carbon nanomaterials en-keyword=Epoxide ring-opening kn-keyword=Epoxide ring-opening en-keyword=Catalysis kn-keyword=Catalysis en-keyword=Polyglycerol functionalization kn-keyword=Polyglycerol functionalization END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=222 cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page=115374 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2023 dt-pub=20230401 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Environmental water in Kolkata is suitable for the survival of Vibrio cholerae O1 en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Many patients with cholera emerge in Kolkata, India throughout the year. Such emergency indicates that cholera toxin-producing Vibrio cholerae O1 (toxigenic V. cholerae O1) are widespread in Kolkata. This suggests that the suitable conditions for replication of toxigenic V. cholerae O1 is provided in Kolkata. In previous studies, we found that the replication rate of toxigenic V. cholerae O1 is low in the low ionic aqueous solution. Then we measured the ion concentration in the environmental water of Kolkata. As a control, we measured them in Japanese environmental water. The ion concentration in the environmental water of Kolkata was significantly high. Then, we examined the survival of toxigenic V. cholerae O1 in groundwater from Kolkata and found that V. cholerae O1 survive for long time in the solution but not in the solution diluted with Milli Q water. In addition, we found that V. cholerae O1 proliferated in environmental water of Kolkata to which a small amount of nutrient was added, but did not grow in the environmental water diluted with water to which the same amount of nutrient was added. These results indicate that the environmental water from Kolkata is suitable for survival of V. cholerae O1. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=TakahashiEizo en-aut-sei=Takahashi en-aut-mei=Eizo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=KitaharaKei en-aut-sei=Kitahara en-aut-mei=Kei kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=MiyoshiShin-ichi en-aut-sei=Miyoshi en-aut-mei=Shin-ichi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=ChowdhuryGoutam en-aut-sei=Chowdhury en-aut-mei=Goutam kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=MukhopadhyayAsish K. en-aut-sei=Mukhopadhyay en-aut-mei=Asish K. kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=DuttaShanta en-aut-sei=Dutta en-aut-mei=Shanta kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=OchiSadayuki en-aut-sei=Ochi en-aut-mei=Sadayuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=OkamotoKeinosuke en-aut-sei=Okamoto en-aut-mei=Keinosuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Collaborative Research Center of Okayama University for Infectious Diseases in India kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Collaborative Research Center of Okayama University for Infectious Diseases in India kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences of Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Health Pharmacy, Yokohama University of Pharmacy kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences of Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=Environmental water kn-keyword=Environmental water en-keyword=Ion kn-keyword=Ion en-keyword=Prevalence kn-keyword=Prevalence en-keyword=Survival kn-keyword=Survival en-keyword=Vibrio cholerae kn-keyword=Vibrio cholerae END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=31 cd-vols= no-issue=2 article-no= start-page=102575 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=20241203 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Clinical and microbiological characteristics of high-level daptomycin-resistant Corynebacterium species: A systematic scoping review en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Introduction: Corynebacterium species potentially develop high-level daptomycin resistance (HLDR) shortly after daptomycin (DAP) administration. We aimed to investigate the clinical and microbiological characteristics of HLDR Corynebacterium infections.
Methods: We first presented a clinical case accompanied by the results of a comprehensive genetic analysis of the isolate, and then performed a systematic scoping review. Based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews, we searched for articles with related keywords, including “Corynebacterium”, “Daptomycin", and "Resistance”, in the MEDLINE and Web of Science databases from the database inception to October 25, 2024. Clinical case reports and research articles documenting the isolation of HLDR Corynebacterium species, defined by a minimum inhibitory concentration of DAP at ≥256 μg/mL, were deemed eligible for this review.
Results: Of 80 articles screened, seven case reports detailing eight cases of HLDR Corynebacterium infections, as well as five research articles, were included. C. striatum was the most common species (7/9 cases, 77.8 %), and prosthetic device-associated infections accounted for 66.7 % of the cases. Duration of DAP administration before the emergence of HLDR isolates ranged from 5 days to 3 months; three-quarters of the cases developed within 17 days. Three HLDR isolates were genetically confirmed to have an alteration in pgsA2. The majority of the patients were treated with either glycopeptides or linezolid, with favorable outcomes. In vitro experiments confirmed that C. striatum strains acquire the HLDR phenotype at higher rates (71 %–100 %) within 24 h of incubation, compared to other Corynebacterium strains.
Conclusion: DAP monotherapy, especially for prosthetic device-associated infections, can result in the development of HLDR Corynebacterium. Additional research is warranted to investigate the clinical implications of this potentially proliferating antimicrobial resistant pathogen. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=FukushimaShinnosuke en-aut-sei=Fukushima en-aut-mei=Shinnosuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=HagiyaHideharu en-aut-sei=Hagiya en-aut-mei=Hideharu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=GotohKazuyoshi en-aut-sei=Gotoh en-aut-mei=Kazuyoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=TsujiShuma en-aut-sei=Tsuji en-aut-mei=Shuma kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=IioKoji en-aut-sei=Iio en-aut-mei=Koji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=AkazawaHidemasa en-aut-sei=Akazawa en-aut-mei=Hidemasa kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=MatsushitaOsamu en-aut-sei=Matsushita en-aut-mei=Osamu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=OtsukaFumio en-aut-sei=Otsuka en-aut-mei=Fumio kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Bacteriology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Infectious Diseases, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Okayama University Graduate School of Health Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Okayama University Graduate School of Health Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Microbiology Division, Clinical Laboratory, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Infectious Diseases, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Bacteriology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Infectious Diseases, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= en-keyword=Antimicrobial resistance kn-keyword=Antimicrobial resistance en-keyword=Corynebacterium kn-keyword=Corynebacterium en-keyword=Daptomycin kn-keyword=Daptomycin en-keyword=High-level daptomycin resistance kn-keyword=High-level daptomycin resistance en-keyword=pgsA2 kn-keyword=pgsA2 END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=391 cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page=158 end-page=176 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2025 dt-pub=20250215 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Magnesium isotope composition of volcanic rocks from cold and warm subduction zones: Implications for the recycling of subducted serpentinites and carbonates en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Magnesium (Mg) isotopes are regarded as a sensitive tracer to the contribution from subducted serpentinites and carbonates. However, the source, distribution, and controlling factors of the Mg isotope composition of arc magmas remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the intra-arc and inter-arc variations in Mg isotope compositions of volcanic rocks from two typical cold subduction zones [NE Japan (NEJ) and Izu arcs] and a typical hot subduction zone [SW Japan (SWJ) arc] to address the question. The volcanic rocks from the frontal-arc regions of NEJ and Izu have isotopically heavy Mg (δ26Mg = –0.20 to –0.08 ‰) compared to the mantle-like δ26Mg values of most of volcanic rocks from SWJ and the rear regions of NEJ and Izu arcs (–0.28 to –0.17 ‰). It is also worth noting that NEJ arc includes samples with δ26Mg values (–0.61 to –0.39 ‰) significantly lower than the mantle, but similar to the < 110 Ma intra-continental basalts from eastern China, which is the first observation in modern arc rocks. No obvious effects of post-eruptive alteration, fractional crystallization, partial melting, or the addition of silicate-rich sediment and oceanic crust components could be identified in the Mg isotope compositions of these volcanic rocks. By contrast, the correlations between the δ26Mg values and the proxy for serpentinite component (i.e., 11B/10B and Nb/B ratios) indicate that the component exerts a strong control on the Mg-isotopic signature of these arc rocks. Considering metamorphic reactions in subduction lithologies under P-T conditions postulated for these arcs, the variations in δ26Mg values of these arc magmas are unlikely to have been controlled by dehydration of serpentinites in subducted oceanic lithosphere (slab serpentinite). Instead, the high-δ26Mg values of frontal-arc rocks are delivered by the fluids from serpentinite formed in the lowermost part of the sub-arc mantle (mantle wedge serpentinite) in channelized flow. Comparatively, such a high-δ26Mg signature is invisible in volcanic rocks from rear-arc regions of NEJ and Izu, and the entire SWJ, suggesting that the major Mg carriers in subducted serpentinites (e.g., talc, chlorite, and serpentine) were broken down completely before subducted slabs reached the depth beneath these volcanoes. Moreover, the volcanic rocks with low δ26Mg values from the rear arc of NEJ are characterized by high La/Yb and U/Nb ratios as well as low Ti/Eu, Ti/Ti*, and Hf/Hf* ratios, suggesting the involvements of carbonates in their magma sources. The quantitative modeling suggests that < 20 % of sedimentary carbonate (dolomite) was recycled into their mantle source, revealing that Mg-rich carbonate could be incorporated into a deep mantle wedge at rear-arc depths of 150–400 km in subduction zones. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=ZhangWei en-aut-sei=Zhang en-aut-mei=Wei kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=KitagawaHiroshi en-aut-sei=Kitagawa en-aut-mei=Hiroshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=HuangFang en-aut-sei=Huang en-aut-mei=Fang kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=The Pheasant Memorial Laboratory for Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry, Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=The Pheasant Memorial Laboratory for Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry, Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=CAS Key Laboratory of Crust-Mantle Materials and Environments, School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China kn-affil= en-keyword=Magnesium isotopes kn-keyword=Magnesium isotopes en-keyword=Arc magmas kn-keyword=Arc magmas en-keyword=Mantle wedge serpentinite kn-keyword=Mantle wedge serpentinite en-keyword=Slab serpentinite kn-keyword=Slab serpentinite en-keyword=Carbonate recycle kn-keyword=Carbonate recycle END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=65 cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page=105534 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=202407 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Currency portfolios and global foreign exchange ambiguity en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=This study investigates whether cross-sectional global foreign exchange (FX) ambiguity impacts currency portfolios. We observe that, in contrast to FX volatility, high FX ambiguity leads to high currency carry returns. We also reveal that FX ambiguity is weakly associated with the highest interest rate portfolio, but strongly related to the second highest interest rate portfolio. These results suggest that FX ambiguity captures elements of uncertainty that are not captured by FX volatility. In addition, FX ambiguity is not linked to returns on currency momentum and value portfolios. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=AsanoTakao en-aut-sei=Asano en-aut-mei=Takao kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=CaiXiaojing en-aut-sei=Cai en-aut-mei=Xiaojing kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=SakemotoRyuta en-aut-sei=Sakemoto en-aut-mei=Ryuta kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Faculty of Economics, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Faculty of Economics, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Faculty of Economics and Business, Hokkaido University kn-affil= en-keyword=Currency portfolio kn-keyword=Currency portfolio en-keyword=Ambiguity kn-keyword=Ambiguity en-keyword=Carry trades kn-keyword=Carry trades en-keyword=FX volatility kn-keyword=FX volatility END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=25 cd-vols= no-issue=1 article-no= start-page=48 end-page=53 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=20241209 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Effectiveness of oral health care intervention for stroke patients following the introduction of Oral Health Assessment Tool en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of oral health assessment tools in facilitating oral health care interventions by dental care providers for acute stroke patients within 48 h of admission, following a reform of the nursing system.
Methods: Data were gathered from a retrospective cohort study conducted at a stroke center, comparing 10 months before and after the implementation of the reformed system, with a 2-month interval. Parameters assessed included stroke type, severity measured using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, stroke history, stroke-related factors, number of teeth, hospitalization cost and duration, occurrence of fever and pneumonia, stroke treatment, days from admission to dental intervention, and intervention frequency.
Results: Implementation of the new system significantly reduced the time before dental intervention (P < 0.001), increased the frequency of interventions (P < 0.001), and allowed for the management of more severe cases (P = 0.007). However, there was a slight increase in the occurrence of fevers and the days of fever (P = 0.039 and P = 0.015, respectively). Multiple regression analysis showed that fever days were positively correlated with stroke severity and the number of days from admission to dental intervention (P < 0.001 and P = 0.013, respectively). Even after propensity score matching adjusting for stroke severity, these associations persisted. Additional multiple regression analysis was performed after this, but fever days were positively correlated with stroke severity and sex (P < 0.001 and P = 0.008, respectively), as well as with the presence of other factors affecting the occurrence of fever.
Conclusions: Although the frequency and duration of fevers increased slightly, this approach, incorporating oral health assessment tools, made it possible to provide early dental intervention, particularly for patients with severe strokes. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2025; 25: 48–53. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=MatsunagaKazuyuki en-aut-sei=Matsunaga en-aut-mei=Kazuyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=Yoshida‐TsuboiAyaka en-aut-sei=Yoshida‐Tsuboi en-aut-mei=Ayaka kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=InoharaKen en-aut-sei=Inohara en-aut-mei=Ken kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=YoshidaYasuko en-aut-sei=Yoshida en-aut-mei=Yasuko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakahamaKanako en-aut-sei=Nakahama en-aut-mei=Kanako kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=SasakiKazuki en-aut-sei=Sasaki en-aut-mei=Kazuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=SoudaFumie en-aut-sei=Souda en-aut-mei=Fumie kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=TerasawaYuka en-aut-sei=Terasawa en-aut-mei=Yuka kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=ShimoeYutaka en-aut-sei=Shimoe en-aut-mei=Yutaka kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=Takeuchi‐HatanakaKazu en-aut-sei=Takeuchi‐Hatanaka en-aut-mei=Kazu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=YamamotoTadashi en-aut-sei=Yamamoto en-aut-mei=Tadashi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= en-aut-name=OmoriKazuhiro en-aut-sei=Omori en-aut-mei=Kazuhiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=12 ORCID= en-aut-name=KohriyamaTatsuo en-aut-sei=Kohriyama en-aut-mei=Tatsuo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=13 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakashibaShogo en-aut-sei=Takashiba en-aut-mei=Shogo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=14 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Periodontics and Endodontics, Division of Dentistry, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Periodontics and Endodontics, Division of Dentistry, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Brain Attack Center, Ota Memorial Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Brain Attack Center, Ota Memorial Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Brain Attack Center, Ota Memorial Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Brain Attack Center, Ota Memorial Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Brain Attack Center, Ota Memorial Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Brain Attack Center, Ota Memorial Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Brain Attack Center, Ota Memorial Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Department of Periodontics and Endodontics, Division of Dentistry, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=The Center for Graduate Medical Education (Dental Division), Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=12 en-affil=Department of Pathophysiology – Periodontal Science, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=13 en-affil=Brain Attack Center, Ota Memorial Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=14 en-affil=Department of Pathophysiology – Periodontal Science, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=acute stroke kn-keyword=acute stroke en-keyword=dental intervention kn-keyword=dental intervention en-keyword=medical and dental cooperation kn-keyword=medical and dental cooperation en-keyword=oral health assessment tool kn-keyword=oral health assessment tool en-keyword=severity kn-keyword=severity END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=42 cd-vols= no-issue=6 article-no= start-page=529 end-page=537 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=20240809 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Adverse Events after Different Endoscopic Resection Procedures for Small and Intermediate-Sized Colorectal Polyps en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Introduction: Cold snare polypectomy (CSP) and underwater endoscopic mucosal resection (UEMR) have been developed recently, in addition to conventional methods, but adverse events of each method have not been fully clarified. We compared the outcomes of each method for the appropriate choice. Methods: Patients who underwent CSP, endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR)/hot snare polypectomy (HSP), or UEMR for small and intermediate-sized colorectal polyps between April 2017 and June 2020 were retrospectively examined. The rate of adverse events and recurrences due to each method were determined as the main outcomes. Clinical factors related to adverse events were examined. Results: A total of 1,025 patients with 3,163 polyps underwent polypectomy using any of the methods. CSP, EMR/HSP, and UEMR were performed for 704 (22.2%), 2,145 (67.8%), and 314 polyps (9.9%), and the median size for each method was 4, 6, and 7 mm, respectively. Delayed bleeding for CSP, EMR/HSP, and UEMR was 0%, 0.2%, and 0.6% (p = 0.15), and perforation was 0%, 0.1%, and 0%, respectively (p = 0.62). Recurrence after CSP, EMR/HSP, and UEMR was 0.3%, 0.09%, and 1.3%, respectively (p < 0.01). Recurrence for UEMR was significantly higher in the early stage of procedure introduction (p = 0.015). Oral anticoagulants were the risk factor for delayed bleeding (p < 0.01, respectively). Conclusion: There was no significant difference regarding adverse events among each method for small and intermediate-sized polyps, although the recurrence rate after UEMR was higher than other methods. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=ToyosawaJunki en-aut-sei=Toyosawa en-aut-mei=Junki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=YamasakiYasushi en-aut-sei=Yamasaki en-aut-mei=Yasushi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=AoyamaYuki en-aut-sei=Aoyama en-aut-mei=Yuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakeiKensuke en-aut-sei=Takei en-aut-mei=Kensuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=IgawaShoko en-aut-sei=Igawa en-aut-mei=Shoko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=InokuchiToshihiro en-aut-sei=Inokuchi en-aut-mei=Toshihiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=KinugasaHideaki en-aut-sei=Kinugasa en-aut-mei=Hideaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakaharaMasahiro en-aut-sei=Takahara en-aut-mei=Masahiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=HiraokaSakiko en-aut-sei=Hiraoka en-aut-mei=Sakiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=OkadaHiroyuki en-aut-sei=Okada en-aut-mei=Hiroyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=OtsukaMotoyuki en-aut-sei=Otsuka en-aut-mei=Motoyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Department of Internal Medicine, Japanese Red Cross Society Himeji Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= en-keyword=Underwater endoscopic mucosal resection kn-keyword=Underwater endoscopic mucosal resection en-keyword=Endoscopic mucosal resection kn-keyword=Endoscopic mucosal resection en-keyword=Cold snare polypectomy kn-keyword=Cold snare polypectomy END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=45 cd-vols= no-issue=1 article-no= start-page=11 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2023 dt-pub=20230323 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Mutation and apoptosis are well-coordinated for protecting against DNA damage-inducing toxicity in Drosophila en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Background Apoptotic cell death is an important survival system for multicellular organisms because it removes damaged cells. Mutation is also a survival method for dealing with damaged cells in multicellular and also unicellular organisms, when DNA lesions are not removed. However, to the best of our knowledge, no reports have comprehensively explored the direct relationship between apoptosis and somatic cell mutations induced by various mutagenic factors.
Results Mutation was examined by the wing-spot test, which is used to detect somatic cell mutations, including chromosomal recombination. Apoptosis was observed in the wing discs by acridine orange staining in situ. After treatment with chemical mutagens, ultraviolet light (UV), and X-ray, both the apoptotic frequency and mutagenic activity increased in a dose-dependent manner at non-toxic doses. When we used DNA repair-deficient Drosophila strains, the correlation coefficient of the relationship between apoptosis and mutagenicity, differed from that of the wild-type. To explore how apoptosis affects the behavior of mutated cells, we determined the spot size, i.e., the number of mutated cells in a spot. In parallel with an increase in apoptosis, the spot size increased with MNU or X-ray treatment dose-dependently; however, this increase was not seen with UV irradiation. In addition, BrdU incorporation, an indicator of cell proliferation, in the wing discs was suppressed at 6 h, with peak at 12 h post-treatment with X-ray, and that it started to increase again at 24 h; however, this was not seen with UV irradiation.
Conclusion Damage-induced apoptosis and mutation might be coordinated with each other, and the frequency of apoptosis and mutagenicity are balanced depending on the type of DNA damage. From the data of the spot size and BrdU incorporation, it is possible that mutated cells replace apoptotic cells due to their high frequency of cell division, resulting in enlargement of the spot size after MNU or X-ray treatment. We consider that the induction of mutation, apoptosis, and/or cell growth varies in multi-cellular organisms depending on the type of the mutagens, and that their balance and coordination have an important function to counter DNA damage for the survival of the organism. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=Toyoshima-SasataniMegumi en-aut-sei=Toyoshima-Sasatani en-aut-mei=Megumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=ImuraFumika en-aut-sei=Imura en-aut-mei=Fumika kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=HamatakeYuko en-aut-sei=Hamatake en-aut-mei=Yuko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=FukunagaAkihiro en-aut-sei=Fukunaga en-aut-mei=Akihiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=NegishiTomoe en-aut-sei=Negishi en-aut-mei=Tomoe kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=School of Nursing, Osaka City University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=Drosophila kn-keyword=Drosophila en-keyword=Apoptosis kn-keyword=Apoptosis en-keyword=Mutation kn-keyword=Mutation en-keyword=Larval wing disc kn-keyword=Larval wing disc en-keyword=X-ray kn-keyword=X-ray en-keyword=Ultraviolet kn-keyword=Ultraviolet en-keyword=Alkylating agents kn-keyword=Alkylating agents en-keyword=Tobacco smoke kn-keyword=Tobacco smoke en-keyword=Acridine orange kn-keyword=Acridine orange en-keyword=BrdU kn-keyword=BrdU END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=33 cd-vols= no-issue=4 article-no= start-page=213 end-page=218 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=2024 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=β-catenin Binds to Gsk-3β in Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation Compartment in HEK293 Cells en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) has emerged as a significant mechanism for cellular organization, impacting various biological processes, including Wnt/β-catenin signaling. This study investigates the role of LLPS in the regulation of β-catenin in HEK293 cells, particularly in response to Wnt3a signaling. Our findings demonstrate that β-catenin is regulated by LLPS, forming spherical droplets indicative of this phenomenon. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) assays revealed that these droplets exhibit reversible dynamics, further confirming their phase-separated nature. Importantly, treatment with Wnt3a led to an increase in β-catenin levels, while simultaneously reducing the recovery of fluorescence intensity in FRAP experiments, suggesting that enhanced Wnt signaling may stimulate the release of β-catenin from LLPS. Immunoprecipitation studies indicated that β-catenin binds to glycogen synthase kinase 3β (Gsk-3β) within the LLPS state, highlighting a potential regulatory mechanism whereby LLPS facilitates the phosphorylation and subsequent degradation of β-catenin. The addition of 1,6-hexanediol disrupted the β-catenin/Gsk-3β interaction, reinforcing the idea that LLPS plays a critical role in modulating these biochemical interactions. The findings presented in this study suggest that LLPS is not only crucial for the spatial organization of β-catenin but also serves as a regulatory mechanism for its signaling functions in the Wnt pathway. Given the association of aberrant Wnt signaling with various diseases, including cancer and neurodegenerative disorders, understanding the role of LLPS in this context may provide new insights into therapeutic strategies targeting these pathological conditions. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=KatoMari en-aut-sei=Kato en-aut-mei=Mari kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=TanaiAiri en-aut-sei=Tanai en-aut-mei=Airi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=FukuharaYoko en-aut-sei=Fukuhara en-aut-mei=Yoko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=ZhengXinyu en-aut-sei=Zheng en-aut-mei=Xinyu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=SitosariHeriati en-aut-sei=Sitosari en-aut-mei=Heriati kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=YamamotoTadashi en-aut-sei=Yamamoto en-aut-mei=Tadashi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=IkegameMika en-aut-sei=Ikegame en-aut-mei=Mika kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=OkamuraHirohiko en-aut-sei=Okamura en-aut-mei=Hirohiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Oral Morphology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Oral Morphology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Oral Morphology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Oral Morphology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Oral Morphology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=The Center for Graduate Medical Education (Dental Division), Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Oral Morphology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Oral Morphology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=β-catenin kn-keyword=β-catenin en-keyword=Gsk-3β kn-keyword=Gsk-3β en-keyword=LLPS kn-keyword=LLPS en-keyword=Wnt kn-keyword=Wnt END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=71 cd-vols= no-issue=2 article-no= start-page=215 end-page=224 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=20241214 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Effects of aged microplastics on paddy soil properties and greenhouse gas emissions under laboratory aerobic conditions en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Microplastics (MPs) formed after changes in chemical or physical properties may alter soil properties, which in turn may affect microbial activities and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, few studies have focused on the effects of aged MPs changes on soil properties and greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the impact of MPs with different aging times on soil GHG emissions and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Low-density polyethylene (PE) and polylactic acid (PLA) were treated with ultraviolet (UV) irradiation for 0–2 weeks. Soil was incubated with PE or PLA 1% (w/w) concentration at 60% water holding capacity (WHC) for 35 days. Emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2) were measured on days 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, 14, 21, 28, and 35. Results showed that CO2 and N2O emissions were higher (p < 0.05) in MPs-amended treatments than those without MPs and increased with MPs age. The addition of virgin PE did not affect soil DOC content, whereas aged PE and all PLA additions significantly increased soil DOC content on day 0, probably because UV irradiation caused the degradation of MPs to smaller molecules. In addition, aged MPs addition altered DOC spectral characteristics on day 7, possibly because aged PE and PLA promote microbial decomposition of organic matter by altering soil properties. Changes in soil DOC content and specific ultraviolet absorbance (SUVA) by aged PE and PLA probably promoted the emissions of CO2 and N2O compared to virgin MPs or soil only. Our study revealed that aged PE and PLA promote GHG emissions from soil by changing DOC contents and qualities. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=ZhangTian en-aut-sei=Zhang en-aut-mei=Tian kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=SomuraHiroaki en-aut-sei=Somura en-aut-mei=Hiroaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=AkaoSatoshi en-aut-sei=Akao en-aut-mei=Satoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakaharaNozomi en-aut-sei=Nakahara en-aut-mei=Nozomi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=PereraGamamada Liyanage Erandi Priyangika en-aut-sei=Perera en-aut-mei=Gamamada Liyanage Erandi Priyangika kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakanoChiyu en-aut-sei=Nakano en-aut-mei=Chiyu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=MaedaMorihiro en-aut-sei=Maeda en-aut-mei=Morihiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Faculty of Science and Engineering, Doshisha University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Environmental Management Center, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=Aged MPs kn-keyword=Aged MPs en-keyword=biodegradable plastics kn-keyword=biodegradable plastics en-keyword=microplastics kn-keyword=microplastics en-keyword=nitrogen transformation kn-keyword=nitrogen transformation en-keyword=organic carbon decomposition kn-keyword=organic carbon decomposition END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=14 cd-vols= no-issue=2 article-no= start-page=e202400552 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=20241217 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Potassium tert-Butoxide-Mediated Ring-Opening of Indolines: Concise Synthesis of 2-Vinylanilines en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=A concise and metal-free procedure has been developed for the synthesis of 2-vinylanilines. Reactions of indolines with tert-BuOK in DMSO afford the decorated 2-vinylanilines in yields up to 92 %. In addition, the 2, or 3-substituted indolines could be converted to trisubstituted alkenes. Also, the protocol can be scaled to afford gram quantities of the decorated 2-vinylanilines. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=TokushigeKeisuke en-aut-sei=Tokushige en-aut-mei=Keisuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=AsaiShota en-aut-sei=Asai en-aut-mei=Shota kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=AbeTakumi en-aut-sei=Abe en-aut-mei=Takumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=School of Pharmacy, Shujitsu University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=2-vinylanilines kn-keyword=2-vinylanilines en-keyword=indolines kn-keyword=indolines en-keyword=Potassium tert-butoxide kn-keyword=Potassium tert-butoxide en-keyword=Elimination kn-keyword=Elimination en-keyword=Ring-opening kn-keyword=Ring-opening END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=24 cd-vols= no-issue=23 article-no= start-page=7428 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=20241121 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=The Design and Implementation of Kerberos-Blockchain Vehicular Ad-Hoc Networks Authentication Across Diverse Network Scenarios en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Vehicular Ad-Hoc Networks (VANETs) play an essential role in the intelligent transportation era, furnishing users with essential roadway data to facilitate optimal route selection and mitigate the risk of accidents. However, the network exposure makes VANETs susceptible to cyber threats, making authentication crucial for ensuring security and integrity. Therefore, joining entity verification is essential to ensure the integrity and security of communication in VANETs. However, to authenticate the entities, authentication time should be minimized to guarantee fast and secure authentication procedures. We propose an authentication system for VANETs using blockchain and Kerberos for storing authentication messages in a blockchain ledger accessible to Trusted Authentication Servers (TASs) and Roadside Units (RSUs). We evaluate the system in three diverse network scenarios: suburban, urban with 1 TAS, and urban with 2 TASs. The findings reveal that this proposal is applicable in diverse network scenarios to fulfill the network requirements, including authentication, handover, and end-to-end delay, considering an additional TAS for an increasing number of vehicles. The system is also practicable in storing the authentication message in blockchain considering the gas values and memory size for all scenarios. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=RahayuMaya en-aut-sei=Rahayu en-aut-mei=Maya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=HossainMd. Biplob en-aut-sei=Hossain en-aut-mei=Md. Biplob kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=HudaSamsul en-aut-sei=Huda en-aut-mei=Samsul kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=KoderaYuta en-aut-sei=Kodera en-aut-mei=Yuta kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=AliMd. Arshad en-aut-sei=Ali en-aut-mei=Md. Arshad kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=NogamiYasuyuki en-aut-sei=Nogami en-aut-mei=Yasuyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Green Innovation Center, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Faculty of CSE, Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=Vehicular Ad-Hoc Network kn-keyword=Vehicular Ad-Hoc Network en-keyword=Kerberos authentication kn-keyword=Kerberos authentication en-keyword=blockchain kn-keyword=blockchain END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=12 cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page=1434800 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=20241127 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Efficacy of extracting and preventively intervening late-stage older adults who are at high risk for spending high medical costs by using the health check-up system in Japan: a pilot study en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Objectives: In Japan, the seven diseases (femur fracture, cerebral infarction, chronic renal failure, heart failure, dementia, pneumonia, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) are the top causes of inpatient medical costs among the late-stage older adults aged 75 years and over. This pilot study was conducted with the following two objectives; (1) to examine the proportion of risks of onset and severity of seven diseases among the late-stage older adults, and (2) to examine the efficacy of interventions focusing on the prevention of unplanned hospitalization.
Methods: Participants were 45,233 older adults aged 75 and over living in Kure City, Japan. In addition to the government-mandated health checkup items, the Intervention group underwent additional risk screening tests included questionnaires, physical examinations, blood tests, and educational guidance by nurses. The efficacy of the intervention was examined whether there were differences in the number of hospitalizations, the use of emergency and critical care, and the incidence of hemodialysis induction between the Intervention and control groups (Usual Health Checkup group and No Health Checkup group) for the 2 years.
Results: There were 485 participants in the Intervention group, 1,067 in the Usual Health Checkup group, and 43,712 in the No Health Checkup group. As the risks of seven diseases in the Intervention group, the largest proportion of deviations occurred for systolic blood pressure (63.3%), estimated salt intake (60.3%), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (51.5%). Estimated glomerular filtration rate deviated in 41.0%, N-terminal pro b-type natriuretic peptide in 37.9%. 7.5% scored <2 points on the Mini-Cog (c), and 9.1% performed the Timed Up and Go test in >12 s. The incidence of hospitalization due to any of the seven diseases was significantly higher in the No Health Checkup group (p < 0.001). There were no differences among the three groups in the use of emergency and critical care or the introduction of hemodialysis.
Conclusion: This study revealed that additional health checkup tests and intervention methods could be prevented hospitalization among the adults of 75 years and older. It is necessary to make health checkups and follow-ups more accessible those are already available within the existing health system in Japan. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=KazawaKana en-aut-sei=Kazawa en-aut-mei=Kana kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=KawaiMadoka en-aut-sei=Kawai en-aut-mei=Madoka kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=MoriyamaMichiko en-aut-sei=Moriyama en-aut-mei=Michiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Faculty of Health Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Division of Nursing Science, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Division of Nursing Science, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University kn-affil= en-keyword=older adults kn-keyword=older adults en-keyword=health checkups kn-keyword=health checkups en-keyword=health risk kn-keyword=health risk en-keyword=hospitalization kn-keyword=hospitalization en-keyword=education kn-keyword=education END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=5 cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page=1251 end-page=1273 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=2024 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Skewing Technology for Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors: A Comprehensive Review and Recent Trends en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=This article gives a comprehensive overview of the current research trends in the skewing technique for permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSMs). The skewing technique has been widely used in many applications to reduce the cogging torque and torque ripple in PMSMs. There are many ways to implement the skew, and new techniques are continually being developed. First, this article summarizes the types of skew structures and presents a survey of existing techniques. Specific emphasis is placed on what kind of skew structure is selected depending on the PMSM configuration. Second, the optimal value of the skew angle for each structure is comprehensively explained, and the discrepancy between theory and finite element analysis is discussed. The definition of skew angle varies across the literature, and one of the purposes of this article is to organize the definition in an easy-to-understand manner. In addition, this article offers three-dimensional finite element analysis (3D-FEA) results of various PMSMs employing the skew for quantitative comparison. Then, this article discusses the properties of PMSMs using the skew by structure and the latest trends, and finally describes future prospects. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=TsunataRen en-aut-sei=Tsunata en-aut-mei=Ren kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakemotoMasatsugu en-aut-sei=Takemoto en-aut-mei=Masatsugu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=Additive manufacturing (AM) kn-keyword=Additive manufacturing (AM) en-keyword=axial leakage flux kn-keyword=axial leakage flux en-keyword=cogging torque kn-keyword=cogging torque en-keyword=electrical machine kn-keyword=electrical machine en-keyword=finite element analysis (FEA) kn-keyword=finite element analysis (FEA) en-keyword=induction motor (IM) kn-keyword=induction motor (IM) en-keyword=interior permanent magnet synchronous motor (IPMSM) kn-keyword=interior permanent magnet synchronous motor (IPMSM) en-keyword=noise kn-keyword=noise en-keyword=patents kn-keyword=patents en-keyword=permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) kn-keyword=permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) en-keyword=skew kn-keyword=skew en-keyword=surface permanent magnet synchronous motor (SPMSM) kn-keyword=surface permanent magnet synchronous motor (SPMSM) en-keyword=torque ripple kn-keyword=torque ripple en-keyword=total harmonic distortion (THD) kn-keyword=total harmonic distortion (THD) en-keyword=traction motor kn-keyword=traction motor en-keyword=transportation kn-keyword=transportation en-keyword=vibration kn-keyword=vibration END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=32 cd-vols= no-issue=2 article-no= start-page=292 end-page=305 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=20241128 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=The role of C1orf50 in breast cancer progression and prognosis en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Although the prognosis of breast cancer has significantly improved compared to other types of cancer, there are still some patients who expire due to recurrence or metastasis. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a method to identify patients with poor prognosis at the early stages of cancer. In the process of discovering new prognostic markers from genes of unknown function, we found that the expression of C1orf50 determines the prognosis of breast cancer patients, especially for those with Luminal A breast cancer. This study aims to elucidate the molecular role of C1orf50 in breast cancer progression. Bioinformatic analyses of the breast cancer dataset of TCGA, and in vitro analyses, reveal the molecular pathways influenced by C1orf50 expression. C1orf50 knockdown suppressed the cell cycle of breast cancer cells and weakened their ability to maintain the undifferentiated state and self-renewal capacity. Interestingly, upregulation of C1orf50 increased sensitivity to CDK4/6 inhibition. In addition, C1orf50 was found to be more abundant in breast cancer cells than in normal breast epithelium, suggesting C1orf50’s involvement in breast cancer pathogenesis. Furthermore, the mRNA expression level of C1orf50 was positively correlated with the expression of PD-L1 and its related factors. These results suggest that C1orf50 promotes breast cancer progression through cell cycle upregulation, maintenance of cancer stemness, and immune evasion mechanisms. Our study uncovers the biological functions of C1orf50 in Luminal breast cancer progression, a finding not previously reported in any type of cancer. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=OtaniYusuke en-aut-sei=Otani en-aut-mei=Yusuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=TanakaAtsushi en-aut-sei=Tanaka en-aut-mei=Atsushi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=MaekawaMasaki en-aut-sei=Maekawa en-aut-mei=Masaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=PeñaTirso en-aut-sei=Peña en-aut-mei=Tirso kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=RogachevskayaAnna en-aut-sei=Rogachevskaya en-aut-mei=Anna kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=AndoTeruhiko en-aut-sei=Ando en-aut-mei=Teruhiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=ItanoTakuto en-aut-sei=Itano en-aut-mei=Takuto kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=KatayamaHaruyoshi en-aut-sei=Katayama en-aut-mei=Haruyoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakataEiji en-aut-sei=Nakata en-aut-mei=Eiji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=OzakiToshifumi en-aut-sei=Ozaki en-aut-mei=Toshifumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=ToyookaShinichi en-aut-sei=Toyooka en-aut-mei=Shinichi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= en-aut-name=DoiharaHiroyoshi en-aut-sei=Doihara en-aut-mei=Hiroyoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=12 ORCID= en-aut-name=RoehrlMichael H. en-aut-sei=Roehrl en-aut-mei=Michael H. kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=13 ORCID= en-aut-name=FujimuraAtsushi en-aut-sei=Fujimura en-aut-mei=Atsushi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=14 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA Harvard Medical School kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA Harvard Medical School kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA Harvard Medical School kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA Harvard Medical School kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA Harvard Medical School kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Department of General Thoracic Surgery and Breast and Endocrinological Surgery, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=12 en-affil=Department of General Surgery, Kawasaki Medical School General Medical Center kn-affil= affil-num=13 en-affil=Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA Harvard Medical School kn-affil= affil-num=14 en-affil=Department of Cellular Physiology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= en-keyword=C1orf50 kn-keyword=C1orf50 en-keyword=Luminal A breast cancer kn-keyword=Luminal A breast cancer en-keyword=Cell cycle kn-keyword=Cell cycle en-keyword=Immune evasion kn-keyword=Immune evasion en-keyword=YAP/TAZ kn-keyword=YAP/TAZ END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=14 cd-vols= no-issue=1 article-no= start-page=60 end-page=63 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=20241129 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Successful immunotherapy with ipilimumab and nivolumab in a patient with pulmonary sclerosing pneumocytoma en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Pulmonary sclerosing pneumocytoma (PSP) is a rare form of lung cancer that occasionally presents with lymph node and extrapulmonary metastases, and multiple lesions. The treatment of metastatic PSP remains undefined. This study reports the case of a 48-year-old female patient diagnosed with PSP following surgical intervention for a solitary nodule in the left lower lobe. Four years later, recurrence occurred in the left hilar and mediastinal lymph nodes, necessitating an additional resection. Concurrently, sacral metastases developed and required palliative radiotherapy. Genetic analysis identified an AKT1 E17K mutation, characteristic of PSP, and absence of programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression in the tumor. Two years post-recurrence, the tumor recurred in the left mammary gland and mediastinal lymph nodes. Combination immunotherapy with ipilimumab and nivolumab yielded a significantly positive response in this metastatic PSP case. This is the first reported case of successful treatment of multiple distant metastatic PSP with ipilimumab and nivolumab, following the failure of various local treatments. Further case series are warranted to validate the efficacy of immunotherapy in metastatic PSP. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=Inukai-MotokuraYumi en-aut-sei=Inukai-Motokura en-aut-mei=Yumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=NinomiyaKiichiro en-aut-sei=Ninomiya en-aut-mei=Kiichiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=BabaTakahiro en-aut-sei=Baba en-aut-mei=Takahiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=OmoriHiroki en-aut-sei=Omori en-aut-mei=Hiroki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakeguchiTetsuya en-aut-sei=Takeguchi en-aut-mei=Tetsuya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=UnoMari en-aut-sei=Uno en-aut-mei=Mari kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=AyadaYoshiyuki en-aut-sei=Ayada en-aut-mei=Yoshiyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=TanakaTakehiro en-aut-sei=Tanaka en-aut-mei=Takehiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=MaedaYoshinobu en-aut-sei=Maeda en-aut-mei=Yoshinobu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=OhashiKadoaki en-aut-sei=Ohashi en-aut-mei=Kadoaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Allergy and Respiratory Medicine, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Allergy and Respiratory Medicine, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Allergy and Respiratory Medicine, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Allergy and Respiratory Medicine, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Allergy and Respiratory Medicine, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Allergy and Respiratory Medicine, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Pathology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Pathology and Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of Hematology, Oncology and Respiratory Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Department of Allergy and Respiratory Medicine, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= en-keyword=Pulmonary sclerosing pneumocytoma kn-keyword=Pulmonary sclerosing pneumocytoma en-keyword=Ipilimumab kn-keyword=Ipilimumab en-keyword=Nivolumab kn-keyword=Nivolumab en-keyword=Programmed cell death ligand 1 kn-keyword=Programmed cell death ligand 1 en-keyword=Case report kn-keyword=Case report END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=24 cd-vols= no-issue=22 article-no= start-page=7382 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=20241119 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Microdetection of Nucleocapsid Proteins via Terahertz Chemical Microscope Using Aptamers en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=In the detection of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), several methods have been employed, including the detection of viral ribonucleic acid (RNA), nucleocapsid (N) proteins, spike proteins, and antibodies. RNA detection, primarily through polymerase chain reaction tests, targets the viral genetic material, whereas antigen tests detect N and spike proteins to identify active infections. In addition, antibody tests are performed to measure the immune response, indicating previous exposure or vaccination. Here, we used the developed terahertz chemical microscope (TCM) to detect different concentrations of N protein in solution by immobilizing aptamers on a semiconductor substrate (sensing plate) and demonstrated that the terahertz amplitude varies as the concentration of N proteins increases, exhibiting a highly linear relationship with a coefficient of determination (R2 = 0.9881), indicating that a quantitative measurement of N proteins is achieved. By optimizing the reaction conditions, we confirmed that the amplitude of the terahertz wave was independent of the solution volume. Consequently, trace amounts (0.5 μL) of the N protein were successfully detected, and the detection process only took 10 min. Therefore, this study is expected to develop a rapid and sensitive method for the detection and observation of the SARS-CoV-2 virus at a microdetection level. It is anticipated that this research will significantly contribute to reducing the spread of novel infectious diseases in the future. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=DingXue en-aut-sei=Ding en-aut-mei=Xue kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=MurakamiMana en-aut-sei=Murakami en-aut-mei=Mana kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=WangJin en-aut-sei=Wang en-aut-mei=Jin kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=InoueHirofumi en-aut-sei=Inoue en-aut-mei=Hirofumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=KiwaToshihiko en-aut-sei=Kiwa en-aut-mei=Toshihiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Graduate School of Medicine Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=terahertz chemical microscope kn-keyword=terahertz chemical microscope en-keyword=aptamers kn-keyword=aptamers en-keyword=N protein kn-keyword=N protein en-keyword=microdetection kn-keyword=microdetection END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=6 cd-vols= no-issue=4 article-no= start-page=463 end-page=469 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2023 dt-pub=2023 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Effectiveness of the Original COVID-19 Vaccine against COVID-19 Exacerbations during the Omicron Wave: A Population-based Study in Okayama, Japan en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Introduction: In Japan, approximately 97 million individuals have received their primary two doses of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine at the end of 2022. In this study, we aim to examine the effectiveness of the primary vaccines and compare its efficacy to booster vaccine shots in terms of preventing COVID-19 exacerbations during the Omicron-predominant period in Japan.
Methods: For this analysis, we have collected all the confirmed COVID-19-positive cases from different medical institutions in Okayama City and have also utilized the information from the public Vaccination Record System. Taking the number of vaccinations into consideration, we then conducted a population-based study to assess the effectiveness of the two primary vaccine doses in preventing COVID-19 exacerbations during the Omicron waves. Our primary and secondary outcomes were COVID-19 exacerbations with respiratory failure (i.e., oxygen saturation on room air ≤ 93%, requiring supplemental oxygen), intensive care unit admission and/or mechanical ventilator requirement, or death, in accordance with the Japanese COVID-19 guidelines, and pneumonia during the course of COVID-19 infection, respectively.
Results: In total, 95,329 COVID-19-positive individuals, aged 5 years and above, were included in this analysis (study period from January 1 to September 10, 2022). As per our findings, the effectiveness of the primary two doses against COVID-19 exacerbations compared with those who had never been vaccinated was 55.5% (95% confidential interval [CI]: 32.6-71.7), whereas it was higher after the third dose (76.9%; 95% CI: 66.7-84.0) and the fourth dose (75.7%; 95% CI: 58.8-85.7). Effectiveness was sustained for ≥ 5 months after the third vaccination, and preventive effectiveness was observed in individuals aged ≥ 65 years.
Conclusions: As per the results of this study, we can conclude that the efficacy of the primary two doses of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine can be further strengthened in terms of preventing COVID-19 exacerbations by administering third and fourth booster vaccine shots. The additional bivalent vaccine is anticipated to further increase its efficacy against the Omicron strain, suggesting that individuals who have not received their booster shots yet should consider getting them to prevent COVID-19 exacerbations. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=MatsumotoNaomi en-aut-sei=Matsumoto en-aut-mei=Naomi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=MitsuhashiToshiharu en-aut-sei=Mitsuhashi en-aut-mei=Toshiharu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=MatsuoRumi en-aut-sei=Matsuo en-aut-mei=Rumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=KadowakiTomoka en-aut-sei=Kadowaki en-aut-mei=Tomoka kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakaoSoshi en-aut-sei=Takao en-aut-mei=Soshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=YorifujiTakashi en-aut-sei=Yorifuji en-aut-mei=Takashi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Center for Innovative Clinical Medicine, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=COVID-19 kn-keyword=COVID-19 en-keyword=Vaccine kn-keyword=Vaccine en-keyword=Omicron kn-keyword=Omicron en-keyword=Prevention kn-keyword=Prevention en-keyword=Pneumonia kn-keyword=Pneumonia END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=65 cd-vols= no-issue=10 article-no= start-page=1488 end-page=1500 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=20241015 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title=A Method for Inter-Broadcaster Data Integration of Non-Identifiable Television Viewing Log kn-title=非特定テレビ視聴履歴データの放送局間統合手法 en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract=Recently, TV broadcasters have been collecting and utilizing non-personal TV viewing log data, including start and end times of viewing, from TVs connected to the Internet in a format that does not identify individual viewers. However, since each broadcaster can only use its own non-personal TV viewing log data, it has not yet been able to obtain useful knowledge despite the vast amount of data it has accumulated. In addition, the collection methods and data granularity of non-personal TV viewing log data vary from station to station, and the data accumulated by each station cannot be integrated and used. In this paper, we propose a method for matching non-specific viewing history data collected by each broadcaster using its own method, and design and implement a simulator to evaluate the proposed method. The proposed method estimates that TVs whose channel transition timing matches five items collected at the time of viewing history data collection (IP address, zip code, manufacturer ID, browser major version, and browser minor version) are the same TVs. In addition, we designed a simulator that reproduces viewer behavior and applied this method to the viewing history data synthesized from the simulator. As a result, we succeeded in matching approximately 2.41 million TVs out of the 2.5 million units of data generated, showing an identification rate of 96.5%. kn-abstract=近年，各テレビ放送局において，個人を特定しない形式で，インターネット接続されたテレビから視聴開始時刻や視聴終了時刻等を含む非特定視聴履歴データを収集し，利活用する取り組みが進められている．しかし，各放送局は自局の非特定視聴履歴データしか利用できないため，膨大なデータを蓄積しているにもかかわらず，有用な知見を得るまでに至っていないのが現状である．さらに，非特定視聴履歴データの収集方式やデータ粒度は，各局各様となっており，各局が蓄積したデータを統合し，利用することもできていない．そこで本論文では，各局が独自の方式で取得している非特定視聴履歴データを放送局間で統合する手法を提案し，評価するためのシミュレータ設計と実装を行い，提案手法の評価を行う．
提案手法では，各局の視聴履歴データのうち，共通しているIPアドレス・郵便番号・メーカID・ブラウザメジャーバージョン・ブラウザマイナーバージョンの5項目でテレビ受像機を分離処理する．そして，分離された中でこれらの5項目が一致するテレビのうち，さらにチャンネル遷移時刻が一致するテレビを同一テレビと推定する．また，視聴者行動を再現するシミュレータを設計し，そのシミュレータから合成された視聴履歴データに対して，本手法を適用した結果，生成された250万台分のデータのうち約241万台のテレビIDのマッチングに成功し，再現率96.5%であることを示した． en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=MatsudaHiroki en-aut-sei=Matsuda en-aut-mei=Hiroki kn-aut-name=松田裕貴 kn-aut-sei=松田 kn-aut-mei=裕貴 aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=SakakibaraTaichi en-aut-sei=Sakakibara en-aut-mei=Taichi kn-aut-name=榊原太一 kn-aut-sei=榊原 kn-aut-mei=太一 aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=MayumiDaiki en-aut-sei=Mayumi en-aut-mei=Daiki kn-aut-name=真弓大輝 kn-aut-sei=真弓 kn-aut-mei=大輝 aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=MatsudaYuki en-aut-sei=Matsuda en-aut-mei=Yuki kn-aut-name=松田裕貴 kn-aut-sei=松田 kn-aut-mei=裕貴 aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=MizumotoTeruhiro en-aut-sei=Mizumoto en-aut-mei=Teruhiro kn-aut-name=水本旭洋 kn-aut-sei=水本 kn-aut-mei=旭洋 aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=YasumotoKeiichi en-aut-sei=Yasumoto en-aut-mei=Keiichi kn-aut-name=安本慶一 kn-aut-sei=安本 kn-aut-mei=慶一 aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Nara Institute of Science and Technology kn-affil=奈良先端科学技術大学院大学 affil-num=2 en-affil=Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation kn-affil=讀賣テレビ放送株式会社 affil-num=3 en-affil=Nara Institute of Science and Technology kn-affil=奈良先端科学技術大学院大学 affil-num=4 en-affil=Okayama University kn-affil=岡山大学 affil-num=5 en-affil=Chiba Institute of Technology kn-affil=千葉工業大学 affil-num=6 en-affil=Nara Institute of Science and Technology kn-affil=奈良先端科学技術大学院大学 en-keyword=テレビ (TV) kn-keyword=テレビ (TV) en-keyword=視聴履歴データ (TV viewing log data) kn-keyword=視聴履歴データ (TV viewing log data) en-keyword=ビッグデータ (Big data) kn-keyword=ビッグデータ (Big data) en-keyword=IoT kn-keyword=IoT en-keyword=クロスデバイスマッチング (Cross-device matching) kn-keyword=クロスデバイスマッチング (Cross-device matching) en-keyword=クロスデバイストラッキング (Cross-device tracking) kn-keyword=クロスデバイストラッキング (Cross-device tracking) END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=63 cd-vols= no-issue=19 article-no= start-page=2655 end-page=2660 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=20241001 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=A Prompt Diagnosis and Treatment of a Case of Nuclear Protein of the Testis Carcinoma Characterized by a Bronchial Lesion and High Serum Alpha-fetoprotein Level Following Genomic Testing en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Nuclear protein of the testis carcinoma (NUTC) is a rare and aggressive malignancy. We herein report a case of NUTC in the lung characterized by a bronchial lesion and elevated alpha-fetoprotein levels. A 35-year-old Japanese man presented to our institution with suspected advanced lung cancer based on a histological examination. Subsequently, next-generation sequencing (NGS) yielded a positive BRD4-NUTM1 fusion. In addition, positive NUT immunostaining of the lung biopsy specimen confirmed NUTC in the lungs. Systemic chemotherapy and radiotherapy showed a temporary response, with decreased serum alpha-fetoprotein levels. We highlight this case of a prompt diagnosis by NGS of NUTC in a young individual with a rapidly progressing tumor. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=MatsuuraHiroaki en-aut-sei=Matsuura en-aut-mei=Hiroaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=MakimotoGo en-aut-sei=Makimoto en-aut-mei=Go kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=OdaNaohiro en-aut-sei=Oda en-aut-mei=Naohiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=NinomiyaKiichiro en-aut-sei=Ninomiya en-aut-mei=Kiichiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=HigoHisao en-aut-sei=Higo en-aut-mei=Hisao kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=FujiiMasanori en-aut-sei=Fujii en-aut-mei=Masanori kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=RaiKammei en-aut-sei=Rai en-aut-mei=Kammei kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=IchiharaEiki en-aut-sei=Ichihara en-aut-mei=Eiki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=OhashiKadoaki en-aut-sei=Ohashi en-aut-mei=Kadoaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=HottaKatsuyuki en-aut-sei=Hotta en-aut-mei=Katsuyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=TabataMasahiro en-aut-sei=Tabata en-aut-mei=Masahiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= en-aut-name=MaedaYoshinobu en-aut-sei=Maeda en-aut-mei=Yoshinobu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=12 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Respiratory Medicine, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Respiratory Medicine, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Respiratory Medicine, Fukuyama City Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Center for Comprehensive Genomic Medicine, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Respiratory Medicine, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Respiratory Medicine, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Center for Innovative Clinical Medicine, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Respiratory Medicine, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of Respiratory Medicine, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Center for Innovative Clinical Medicine, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Center for Clinical Oncology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=12 en-affil=Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Respiratory Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= en-keyword=NUT carcinoma kn-keyword=NUT carcinoma en-keyword=BRD4-NUTM1 kn-keyword=BRD4-NUTM1 en-keyword=lung cancer kn-keyword=lung cancer en-keyword=alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) kn-keyword=alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) en-keyword=immune checkpoint inhibitor kn-keyword=immune checkpoint inhibitor END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=40 cd-vols= no-issue=43 article-no= start-page=22614 end-page=22626 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=20241017 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Nanoscale Structures of Tough Microparticle-Based Films Investigated by Synchrotron X-Ray Scattering and All-Atom Molecular-Dynamics Simulation en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=In this study, the nanoscale structures of microparticle-based films are revealed by synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and all-atom molecular-dynamics (AA-MD) simulations. The microparticle-based films consisting of the simplest acrylate polymer microparticles are applied as a model because the films are formed without additives and organic solvents and exhibit high toughness properties. The characteristic interfacial thickness (tinter) obtained from the SAXS analysis reflects the mixing degree of polymer chains on the microparticle surface in the film. The cross-linking density of inner microparticles is found to be strongly correlated to not only several properties of individual microparticles, such as swelling ratio and radius of gyration, but also the tinter and toughness of the corresponding films. Therefore, the tinter and toughness values follow a linear relationship because the cross-linking restricts the mixing of polymer chains between their surfaces in the film, which is a unique feature of microparticle-based films. This characteristic also affects their deformation behavior observed by in situ SAXS during tensile testing and their density profiles calculated by AA-MD simulations. This work provides a general strategy for material design to control the physical properties and structures of their films for advanced applications, including volatile organic compound-free sustainable coatings and adhesives. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=NambaKeita en-aut-sei=Namba en-aut-mei=Keita kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=SasakiYuma en-aut-sei=Sasaki en-aut-mei=Yuma kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=KawamuraYuto en-aut-sei=Kawamura en-aut-mei=Yuto kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=YoshidaShotaro en-aut-sei=Yoshida en-aut-mei=Shotaro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=HiedaYoshiki en-aut-sei=Hieda en-aut-mei=Yoshiki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=FujimotoKazushi en-aut-sei=Fujimoto en-aut-mei=Kazushi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=WatanabeNatsuki en-aut-sei=Watanabe en-aut-mei=Natsuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=NishizawaYuichiro en-aut-sei=Nishizawa en-aut-mei=Yuichiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=UchihashiTakayuki en-aut-sei=Uchihashi en-aut-mei=Takayuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=SuzukiDaisuke en-aut-sei=Suzuki en-aut-mei=Daisuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=KurehaTakuma en-aut-sei=Kureha en-aut-mei=Takuma kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Frontier Materials Chemistry, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Hirosaki University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Graduate School of Textile Science &Technology, Shinshu University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Materials Chemistry, Nagoya University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Faculty of Chemistry, Materials and Bioengineering, Kansai University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Faculty of Chemistry, Materials and Bioengineering, Kansai University kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Physics, Nagoya University kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Physics, Nagoya University kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of Physics, Nagoya University kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Department of Frontier Materials Chemistry, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Hirosaki University kn-affil= END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=39 cd-vols= no-issue=1 article-no= start-page=131 end-page=142 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=20241016 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Real-World Comparative Analysis of Trastuzumab Originator and Biosimilars: Safety, Efficacy, and Cost Effectiveness en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Background Despite the global use of trastuzumab biosimilars, concerns remain regarding their efficacy and safety. In particular, when used concurrently with pertuzumab, trastuzumab biosimilars lack extensive real-world data and safety information. Additionally, as cancer drug expenditures continue to rise worldwide, cost savings from biosimilars have become increasingly important.
Objective This study aims to assess the safety, efficacy, and cost effectiveness of trastuzumab originators and their biosimilars in real-world clinical settings, focusing on a large patient population.
Methods The analysis included 31,661 patients with HER2-positive breast cancer from the Medical Data Vision Co., Ltd. database in Japan. Additionally, adverse event reports for the trastuzumab originator and its biosimilars were obtained for 58,799 patients from the World Health Organization’s VigiBase, the global adverse event reporting database.
Results No significant differences were observed in heart failure hospitalizations, liver dysfunction, or infusion reaction rates in both the Medical Data Vision Co., Ltd. database and the World Health Organization’s VigiBase. In the Medical Data Vision Co., Ltd. database, the addition of pertuzumab did not significantly influence the incidence of adverse events, and the use of biosimilars significantly reduced medical costs, with no significant difference in breast cancer recurrence rates.
Conclusions By analyzing two large and diverse datasets from multiple perspectives, we obtained reliable results that the trastuzumab originator and its biosimilars have similar safety profiles. The concurrent use of pertuzumab was also found to be safe. The use of biosimilars can lead to cost savings. These findings provide crucial insights for the evaluation and adoption of biosimilars in clinical practice. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=MamoriTomoka en-aut-sei=Mamori en-aut-mei=Tomoka kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=TaniokaMaki en-aut-sei=Tanioka en-aut-mei=Maki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakadaKenji en-aut-sei=Takada en-aut-mei=Kenji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=HamanoHirofumi en-aut-sei=Hamano en-aut-mei=Hirofumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=TsukiokiTakahiro en-aut-sei=Tsukioki en-aut-mei=Takahiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakahashiYuko en-aut-sei=Takahashi en-aut-mei=Yuko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=IwataniTsuguo en-aut-sei=Iwatani en-aut-mei=Tsuguo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=ShienTadahiko en-aut-sei=Shien en-aut-mei=Tadahiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=ToyookaShinichi en-aut-sei=Toyooka en-aut-mei=Shinichi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of General Thoracic Surgery and Breast and Endocrinological Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of General Thoracic Surgery and Breast and Endocrinological Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Medical AI Project, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Pharmacy, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of General Thoracic Surgery and Breast and Endocrinological Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of General Thoracic Surgery and Breast and Endocrinological Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of General Thoracic Surgery and Breast and Endocrinological Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of General Thoracic Surgery and Breast and Endocrinological Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of General Thoracic Surgery and Breast and Endocrinological Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=12 cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page=142592 end-page=142605 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=20241001 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=MUSIC Spectrum Based Interference Detection, Localization, and Interference Arrival Prediction for mmWave IRS-MIMO System en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=For a millimeter wave (mmWave) intelligent re-configurable surface (IRS)-MIMO system, if it can correctly detect the interference occurrence and their locations, the patterns of interference signal can be collected and learned using machine learning for the prediction of interference arrival. With the information of interference location and activity pattern, the capacity of the system can be largely improved using many techniques such as beamforming, interference cancellation, and transmission scheduling. This paper aims to detect interference occurrence using a low-complexity MUSIC (MUSIC: multiple signal classification) spectrum-based method, and then localize their sources for mmWave IRS-MIMO system. The MUSIC spectrum of wireless system can be regarded as somehow the 'signature' related to the signals transmitted from different users or interference. We utilize such property to detect the occurrence of interference, and then localize their sources in a low-complexity way. Finally, the pattern of interference occurrence can be learned to predict the interference arrival from the collected data. This paper also proposed an efficient probabilistic neural network (PNN)-based predictor for the interference arrival prediction and showed its prediction accuracy. From simulated results, our proposed method can achieve the correct results with the accuracy near to 100% when the fingerprint samples is over 10. In addition, the localization error can be within 1 m with more than 65% and 43% for Y-axis and X-axis, respectively. Finally, based on the results of the interference occurrence, the proposed PNN-based predictor for the interference arrival prediction can capture correctly the similar distribution function of the coming continuous idle status. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=HouYafei en-aut-sei=Hou en-aut-mei=Yafei kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=YanoKazuto en-aut-sei=Yano en-aut-mei=Kazuto kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=SugaNorisato en-aut-sei=Suga en-aut-mei=Norisato kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=WebberJulian en-aut-sei=Webber en-aut-mei=Julian kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=DennoSatoshi en-aut-sei=Denno en-aut-mei=Satoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=SakanoToshikazu en-aut-sei=Sakano en-aut-mei=Toshikazu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Faculty of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Wave Engineering Laboratories, Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Wave Engineering Laboratories, Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Wave Engineering Laboratories, Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Faculty of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Wave Engineering Laboratories, Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International kn-affil= en-keyword=Interference detection kn-keyword=Interference detection en-keyword=MUSIC spectrum kn-keyword=MUSIC spectrum en-keyword=interference localization kn-keyword=interference localization en-keyword=prediction of interference arrival kn-keyword=prediction of interference arrival en-keyword=probabilistic neural network kn-keyword=probabilistic neural network END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=78 cd-vols= no-issue=5 article-no= start-page=413 end-page=421 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=202410 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Focal Cerebral Hypoperfusion Detected by Arterial Spin-Labeled Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Patients with Migraine Presenting with Neurological Symptoms Concomitant with or without Headache en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=We investigated patients with migraine or migraine variants who exhibited focal cerebral hypoperfusion on arterial spin-labeled (ASL) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging along with neurological symptoms. Fourteen patients with migraine demonstrated focal cerebral hypoperfusion. Three other patients did not have a history of recurrent headaches but exhibited comparable cerebral hypoperfusion to migraine patients on ASL-MRI in addition to neurological symptoms. Patients with migraine may present with neurological symptoms associated with cortical spreading depression during, after, or even without a headache phase. Additionally, the isolated neurological symptoms may be caused by a pathophysiology identical to that of migraine but without presenting with recurrent headaches. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=KashiharaKenichi en-aut-sei=Kashihara en-aut-mei=Kenichi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=IrisawaMinoru en-aut-sei=Irisawa en-aut-mei=Minoru kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakaoWataru en-aut-sei=Takao en-aut-mei=Wataru kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Okayama Neurology Clinic kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Radiology, Okayama Kyokuto Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Division of Radiology, Okayama Kyokuto Hospital kn-affil= en-keyword=arterial spin-labeled magnetic resonance imaging kn-keyword=arterial spin-labeled magnetic resonance imaging en-keyword=cortical spreading depression kn-keyword=cortical spreading depression en-keyword=migraine complex kn-keyword=migraine complex en-keyword=migraine without headache kn-keyword=migraine without headache en-keyword=vertigo kn-keyword=vertigo END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=78 cd-vols= no-issue=5 article-no= start-page=363 end-page=370 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=202410 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Small-for-Gestational-Age Status and the Risk of Kawasaki Disease: A Nationwide Birth Cohort in Japan en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Kawasaki disease (KD) is a pediatric disease of unknown etiology that commonly affects infants in East Asia. Infants born small for gestational age (SGA) have weaker immune systems and are more susceptible to infection. Using data from a nationwide Japanese birth cohort study conducted in 2010 (n=34,579), we investigated whether SGA increases the risk of KD. SGA was defined as birth weight below the 10th percentile for gestational age. The outcome was hospitalization for KD between 6 and 30 months of age. The association between SGA and hospitalization for KD, adjusted for child and maternal factors, was examined using logistic regression. Of the 231 children hospitalized for KD, 9.5% were SGA. Further statistical analysis showed that SGA did not increase the odds ratio (OR) of hospitalization for KD (adjusted OR 1.12, 95% confidence interval 0.71-1.75). This result was not changed with stratification by early daycare attendance and preterm status. Reasons for the lack of association may include the multifactorial pathogenesis of KD; in addition, the types of infections to which SGA infants are predisposed may differ from those triggering KD. Overall, our large nationwide study found no association between SGA and KD. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=TakanagaSatoe en-aut-sei=Takanaga en-aut-mei=Satoe kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=MatsumotoNaomi en-aut-sei=Matsumoto en-aut-mei=Naomi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=KadowakiTomoka en-aut-sei=Kadowaki en-aut-mei=Tomoka kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakaoSoshi en-aut-sei=Takao en-aut-mei=Soshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=YorifujiTakashi en-aut-sei=Yorifuji en-aut-mei=Takashi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Epidemiology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Epidemiology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=Kawasaki disease (KD) kn-keyword=Kawasaki disease (KD) en-keyword=small for gestational age (SGA) kn-keyword=small for gestational age (SGA) en-keyword=cohort kn-keyword=cohort en-keyword=epidemiology kn-keyword=epidemiology END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=416 cd-vols= no-issue=28 article-no= start-page=6679 end-page=6686 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=2024107 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Comparison of protein immobilization methods with covalent bonding on paper for paper-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=In this study, two methods were examined to optimize the immobilization of antibodies on paper when conducting a paper-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (P-ELISA). Human IgG, as a test-capture protein, was immobilized on paper via the formation of Schiff bases. Aldehyde groups were introduced onto the surface of the paper via two methods: NaIO4 and 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTS) with glutaraldehyde (APTS-glutaraldehyde). In the assay, horseradish peroxidase-conjugated anti-human IgG (HRP-anti-IgG) binds to the immobilized human IgG, and the colorimetric reaction of 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzyzine (TMB) produces a blue color in the presence of H2O2 and HRP-anti-IgG as a model analyte. The immobilization of human IgG, the enzymatic reaction conditions, and the reduction of the chemical bond between the paper surface and immobilized human IgG all were optimized in order to improve both the analytical performance and the stability. In addition, the thickness of the paper was examined to stabilize the analytical signal. Consequently, the APTS-glutaraldehyde method was superior to the NaIO4 method in terms of sensitivity and reproducibility. Conversely, the reduction of imine to amine with NaBH4 proved to exert only minimal influence on sensitivity and stability, although it tended to degrade reproducibility. We also found that thick paper was preferential when using P-ELISA because a rigid paper substrate prevents distortion of the paper surface that is often caused by repeated washing processes. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=ChenYang en-aut-sei=Chen en-aut-mei=Yang kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=DanchanaKaewta en-aut-sei=Danchana en-aut-mei=Kaewta kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=KanetaTakashi en-aut-sei=Kaneta en-aut-mei=Takashi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Chemistry, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Chemistry, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Chemistry, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=Paper-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kn-keyword=Paper-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay en-keyword=ELISA kn-keyword=ELISA en-keyword=Immobilization kn-keyword=Immobilization en-keyword=Covalent bonding kn-keyword=Covalent bonding en-keyword=Protein kn-keyword=Protein END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=15 cd-vols= no-issue=11 article-no= start-page=359 end-page=366 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=202411 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Intravitreal Fluconazole Injection for Fungal Endophthalmitis as Treatment Option in a Patient With End-Stage Liver and Kidney Diseases en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Endogenous endophthalmitis is an infectious disease of the intraocular tissue that is a consequence of bloodstream infection. The efficacy of intravitreal fluconazole injection to assist low-dose oral fluconazole in fungal endophthalmitis remains unknown in older adults with advanced liver and renal disease. In this case report, a 78-year-old man with hepatitis C virus-related liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma who also had end-stage renal disease with temporary nephrostomy noticed blurred vision and showed a large retinal infiltrate with vitreous opacity in the right eye. In the clinical diagnosis of endogenous fungal endophthalmitis, he had an intravitreal injection of 0.1% fluconazole in 0.2 - 0.3 mL every 2 weeks four times in total, in addition to a minimum dose of oral fluconazole. One month before the ophthalmic presentation, he developed a fever and computed tomography scan showed ureterolithiasis with hydronephrosis on the right side, indicating that the renal pelvic stone fell into the ureter. He underwent nephrostomy tube insertion on the right side in the diagnosis of obstructive urinary tract infection. In the course, a potassium hydroxide (KOH) preparation of the urine sediments which were obtained from the nephrostomy tube showed yeast-like fungi, suggestive of Candida, 1 week before the development of eye symptoms. One week after the ophthalmic presentation, the nephrostomy tube at 14 Fr (French gauge) which had been inserted 1 month previously was replaced with a new tube with a larger size at 16 Fr because urine excretion from the tube was reduced. Immediately after the exchange of the nephrostomy tube, a large volume of urine was excreted from the tube. In a week, he had no systemic symptoms and serum C-reactive protein became low. In the meantime, the retinal infiltrate became inactive and vitreous opacity resolved. Intravitreal fluconazole injection is a treatment option for fungal endophthalmitis in the case that a patient cannot undergo vitrectomy and cannot take a maximum dose of fluconazole because of poor renal function. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=MatsuoToshihiko en-aut-sei=Matsuo en-aut-mei=Toshihiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=KobayashiYasuyuki en-aut-sei=Kobayashi en-aut-mei=Yasuyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=NishimuraShingo en-aut-sei=Nishimura en-aut-mei=Shingo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=YoshiokaNaoko en-aut-sei=Yoshioka en-aut-mei=Naoko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakahashiYasushi en-aut-sei=Takahashi en-aut-mei=Yasushi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=IguchiYasutaka en-aut-sei=Iguchi en-aut-mei=Yasutaka kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Urology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Urology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Kawasaki Medical School kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Internal Medicine, Ochiai Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Internal Medicine, Ochiai Hospital kn-affil= en-keyword=Fungal endophthalmitis kn-keyword=Fungal endophthalmitis en-keyword=Intravitreal injection kn-keyword=Intravitreal injection en-keyword=Fluconazole kn-keyword=Fluconazole en-keyword=Nephrostomy kn-keyword=Nephrostomy en-keyword=Urinary tract infection kn-keyword=Urinary tract infection en-keyword=Ureterolithiasis kn-keyword=Ureterolithiasis END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=13 cd-vols= no-issue=9 article-no= start-page=215 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=20240823 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=A Study of a Drawing Exactness Assessment Method Using Localized Normalized Cross-Correlations in a Portrait Drawing Learning Assistant System en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Nowadays, portrait drawing has gained significance in cultivating painting skills and human sentiments. In practice, novices often struggle with this art form without proper guidance from professionals, since they lack understanding of the proportions and structures of facial features. To solve this limitation, we have developed a Portrait Drawing Learning Assistant System (PDLAS) to assist novices in learning portrait drawing. The PDLAS provides auxiliary lines as references for facial features that are extracted by applying OpenPose and OpenCV libraries to a face photo image of the target. A learner can draw a portrait on an iPad using drawing software where the auxiliary lines appear on a different layer to the portrait. However, in the current implementation, the PDLAS does not offer a function to assess the exactness of the drawing result for feedback to the learner. In this paper, we present a drawing exactness assessment method using a Localized Normalized Cross-Correlation (NCC) algorithm in the PDLAS. NCC gives a similarity score between the original face photo and drawing result images by calculating the correlation of the brightness distributions. For precise feedback, the method calculates the NCC for each face component by extracting the bounding box. In addition, in this paper, we improve the auxiliary lines for the nose. For evaluations, we asked students at Okayama University, Japan, to draw portraits using the PDLAS, and applied the proposed method to their drawing results, where the application results validated the effectiveness by suggesting improvements in drawing components. The system usability was also confirmed through a questionnaire with a SUS score. The main finding of this research is that the implementation of the NCC algorithm within the PDLAS significantly enhances the accuracy of novice portrait drawings by providing detailed feedback on specific facial features, proving the system's efficacy in art education and training. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=ZhangYue en-aut-sei=Zhang en-aut-mei=Yue kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=KongZitong en-aut-sei=Kong en-aut-mei=Zitong kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=FunabikiNobuo en-aut-sei=Funabiki en-aut-mei=Nobuo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=HsuChen-Chien en-aut-sei=Hsu en-aut-mei=Chen-Chien kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Sciences and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Sciences and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Sciences and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Electrical Engineering, National Taiwan Normal University kn-affil= en-keyword=portrait drawing kn-keyword=portrait drawing en-keyword=auxiliary lines kn-keyword=auxiliary lines en-keyword=OpenPose kn-keyword=OpenPose en-keyword=OpenCV kn-keyword=OpenCV en-keyword=normalized cross-correlation (NCC) kn-keyword=normalized cross-correlation (NCC) en-keyword=exactness assessment kn-keyword=exactness assessment END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=88 cd-vols= no-issue=10 article-no= start-page=239 end-page=244 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=2024101 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title=Reverse Shape Memory Effect and Toughness Recovery of Ti-10V-2Fe-3Al Alloy kn-title=Ti-10V-2Fe-3Al合金の逆形状記憶効果と靭性回復 en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Ti-10V-2Fe-3Al alloys exhibit shape memory (SM) and reverse shape memory (RSM) effects. When an alloy sample that has been strained by external force at room temperature is heated, the strain recovers and SM effect develops at around 300℃, but as the temperature increases further, the shape changes in the opposite direction due to RSM effect at around 450℃. This RSM effect has potential applications in forming processes such as thin-walled pipes, but has the disadvantage that the RSM treatment makes the material very brittle. Therefore, in this study, a heat treatment to restore toughness while maintaining the shape after forming was investigated. The alloy quenched from 1050℃ had a microstructure consisting of a β matrix phase and α′′-martensite (α′′Mq). Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results showed that the continuous heating process occurred in the following order: α′′Mq → β reverse transformation, ω formation, ω disappearance, thermally induced α′′iso phase formation, α precipitation and α → β transformation. Ageing at 300℃, where the SM effect appears, caused significant embrittlement due to the formation of the ageing ω phase. Ageing treatment at 450℃, where the RSM effect is obtained, resulted in the formation of a fine α phase, which also caused significant embrittlement. On the other hand, additional aging at 600℃ for 1.8 ks after RSM treatment significantly improved the toughness and produced material properties comparable to aerospace material specifications. It was found that the embrittlement in the RSM treatment was due to the precipitation of fine α phase, and that the growth of α phase with a width of about 0.2 µm or more was required for toughness recovery. It was also found that the specimen shape formed by the RSM treatment hardly changed after the additional heat treatment of 1.8 ks at 600℃. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=TakemotoYoshito en-aut-sei=Takemoto en-aut-mei=Yoshito kn-aut-name=竹元嘉利 kn-aut-sei=竹元 kn-aut-mei=嘉利 aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=ShinomiyaDaiki en-aut-sei=Shinomiya en-aut-mei=Daiki kn-aut-name=四宮大輝 kn-aut-sei=四宮 kn-aut-mei=大輝 aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=IshiharaTaiki en-aut-sei=Ishihara en-aut-mei=Taiki kn-aut-name=石原大暉 kn-aut-sei=石原 kn-aut-mei=大暉 aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=YokotaHiroto en-aut-sei=Yokota en-aut-mei=Hiroto kn-aut-name=横田啓人 kn-aut-sei=横田 kn-aut-mei=啓人 aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=ArakawaJinta en-aut-sei=Arakawa en-aut-mei=Jinta kn-aut-name=荒川仁太 kn-aut-sei=荒川 kn-aut-mei=仁太 aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Faculty of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil=岡山大学環境生命自然科学学域 affil-num=2 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil=岡山大学大学院自然科学研究科 affil-num=3 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil=岡山大学大学院環境生命自然科学研究科 affil-num=4 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil=岡山大学大学院環境生命自然科学研究科 affil-num=5 en-affil=Faculty of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil=岡山大学環境生命自然科学学域 en-keyword=reverse shape memory kn-keyword=reverse shape memory en-keyword=α′′-phase kn-keyword=α′′-phase en-keyword=deformation induced martensite kn-keyword=deformation induced martensite en-keyword=β-type titanium alloy kn-keyword=β-type titanium alloy en-keyword=brittle fracture kn-keyword=brittle fracture en-keyword=toughness kn-keyword=toughness en-keyword=shape recovery kn-keyword=shape recovery en-keyword=ω-phase kn-keyword=ω-phase en-keyword=variant kn-keyword=variant END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=2 cd-vols= no-issue=2 article-no= start-page=e107 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2023 dt-pub=20230608 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Effectiveness of psychological first aid in infectious disease pandemics: An overview of systematic reviews en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=There is insufficient research on the usefulness of psychological interventions, such as psychological first aid (PFA), during outbreaks. We searched for and critically appraised systematic reviews that examined the effectiveness of PFA during infectious disease outbreaks, such as the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Systematic reviews that examined the efficacy of PFA in the severe acute respiratory syndrome, Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, Ebola virus disease, and COVID-19 outbreaks were searched through PubMed on February 19, 2021. The three included systematic reviews were critically appraised and assessed using AMSTAR-2. One review's overall confidence in its findings was evaluated as “high,” which suggested that PFA training had a favorable effect on healthcare personnel. Furthermore, the review also demonstrated that PFA was commonly used during outbreaks and could be delivered through multiple methods, such as a phone or video call. Although it was anticipated that PFA would improve subjective well-being, reports showed no evidence of reduced depression or insomnia. Future studies should examine additional numbers of PFA recipients and conduct quasi-experimental studies to better understand the effectiveness of PFA. Evidence on its effectiveness in infectious disease outbreaks is still lacking, along with research and evaluation methods. Quasi-experimental studies, such as comparisons with other psychological interventions, are required to better understand the effectiveness of PFA. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=KodaMasahide en-aut-sei=Koda en-aut-mei=Masahide kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=HorinouchiToru en-aut-sei=Horinouchi en-aut-mei=Toru kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=OyaNozomu en-aut-sei=Oya en-aut-mei=Nozomu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=AkiMorio en-aut-sei=Aki en-aut-mei=Morio kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=IrikiAkihisa en-aut-sei=Iriki en-aut-mei=Akihisa kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=YoshidaKazufumi en-aut-sei=Yoshida en-aut-mei=Kazufumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=OgawaYusuke en-aut-sei=Ogawa en-aut-mei=Yusuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=KugaHironori en-aut-sei=Kuga en-aut-mei=Hironori kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakaoTomohiro en-aut-sei=Nakao en-aut-mei=Tomohiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Co‐Learning Community Healthcare Re‐Innovation Office, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Psychiatry, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Osaka Psychiatric Medical Center kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Health Promotion and Human Behavior, Graduate School of Medicine/School of Public Health, Kyoto University kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Healthcare Epidemiology, School of Public Health in the Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=National Center for Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Research, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University kn-affil= en-keyword=mental health kn-keyword=mental health en-keyword=pandemic kn-keyword=pandemic en-keyword=psychological first aid kn-keyword=psychological first aid en-keyword=psychosocial support kn-keyword=psychosocial support END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=65 cd-vols= no-issue=11 article-no= start-page=1769 end-page=1786 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=20240824 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Nutrient Requirements Shape the Preferential Habitat of Allorhizobium vitis VAR03-1, a Commensal Bacterium, in the Rhizosphere of Arabidopsis thaliana en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=A diverse range of commensal bacteria inhabit the rhizosphere, influencing host plant growth and responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. While root-released nutrients can define soil microbial habitats, the bacterial factors involved in plant–microbe interactions are not well characterized. In this study, we investigated the colonization patterns of two plant disease biocontrol agents, Allorhizobium vitis VAR03-1 and Pseudomonas protegens Cab57, in the rhizosphere of Arabidopsis thaliana using Murashige and Skoog (MS) agar medium. VAR03-1 formed colonies even at a distance from the roots, preferentially in the upper part, while Cab57 colonized only the root surface. The addition of sucrose to the agar medium resulted in excessive proliferation of VAR03-1, similar to its pattern without sucrose, whereas Cab57 formed colonies only near the root surface. Overgrowth of both bacterial strains upon nutrient supplementation inhibited host growth, independent of plant immune responses. This inhibition was reduced in the VAR03-1 ΔrecA mutant, which exhibited increased biofilm formation, suggesting that some activities associated with the free-living lifestyle rather than the sessile lifestyle may be detrimental to host growth. VAR03-1 grew in liquid MS medium with sucrose alone, while Cab57 required both sucrose and organic acids. Supplementation of sugars and organic acids allowed both bacterial strains to grow near and away from Arabidopsis roots in MS agar. These results suggest that nutrient requirements for bacterial growth may determine their growth habitats in the rhizosphere, with nutrients released in root exudates potentially acting as a limiting factor in harnessing microbiota. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=HemeldaNiarsi Merry en-aut-sei=Hemelda en-aut-mei=Niarsi Merry kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=BaoJiyuan en-aut-sei=Bao en-aut-mei=Jiyuan kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=WatanabeMegumi en-aut-sei=Watanabe en-aut-mei=Megumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=MatsuiHidenori en-aut-sei=Matsui en-aut-mei=Hidenori kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=ToyodaKazuhiro en-aut-sei=Toyoda en-aut-mei=Kazuhiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=IchinoseYuki en-aut-sei=Ichinose en-aut-mei=Yuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=NoutoshiYoshiteru en-aut-sei=Noutoshi en-aut-mei=Yoshiteru kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=Commensal bacteria kn-keyword=Commensal bacteria en-keyword=Nutrient requirements kn-keyword=Nutrient requirements en-keyword=Organic acids kn-keyword=Organic acids en-keyword=Plant-microbe interactions kn-keyword=Plant-microbe interactions en-keyword=Rhizosphere kn-keyword=Rhizosphere en-keyword=Sugars kn-keyword=Sugars END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=17 cd-vols= no-issue=17 article-no= start-page=4368 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=20240904 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Antibacterial Dental Adhesive Containing Cetylpyridinium Chloride Montmorillonite en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Oral bacteria cause tooth caries and periodontal disease. Much research is being conducted to prevent both major oral diseases by rendering dental materials' antimicrobial potential. However, such antimicrobial materials are regarded as 'combination' products and face high hurdles for regulatory approval. We loaded inorganic montmorillonite with the antimicrobial agent cetylpyridinium chloride, referred to below as 'CPC-Mont'. CPC-Mont particles in a 1, 3 and 5 wt% concentration were added to the considered gold-standard self-etch adhesive Clearfil SE Bond 2 ('CSE2'; Kuraray Noritake) to render its antibacterial potential (CSE2 without CPC-Mont served as control). Besides measuring (immediate) bonding effectiveness and (aged) bond durability to dentin, the antibacterial activity against S. mutans and the polymerization-conversion rate was assessed. Immediate and aged bond strength was not affected by 1 and 3 wt% CPC-Mont addition, while 5 wt% CPC-Mont significantly lowered bond strength and bond durability. The higher the concentration of the antimicrobial material added, the stronger the antimicrobial activity. Polymerization conversion was not affected by the CPC-Mont addition in any of the three concentrations. Hence, adding 3 wt% CPC-Mont to the two-step self-etch adhesive rendered additional antimicrobial potential on top of its primary bonding function. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=OkazakiYohei en-aut-sei=Okazaki en-aut-mei=Yohei kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakamoriKiichi en-aut-sei=Nakamori en-aut-mei=Kiichi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=YaoChenmin en-aut-sei=Yao en-aut-mei=Chenmin kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=AhmedMohammed H. en-aut-sei=Ahmed en-aut-mei=Mohammed H. kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=MercelisBenjamin en-aut-sei=Mercelis en-aut-mei=Benjamin kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=NagaokaNoriyuki en-aut-sei=Nagaoka en-aut-mei=Noriyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=MaruoYukinori en-aut-sei=Maruo en-aut-mei=Yukinori kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=YoshidaYasuhiro en-aut-sei=Yoshida en-aut-mei=Yasuhiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=AbeYasuhiko en-aut-sei=Abe en-aut-mei=Yasuhiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=Van MeerbeekMeerbeek, Bart en-aut-sei=Van Meerbeek en-aut-mei=Meerbeek, Bart kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=YoshiharaKumiko en-aut-sei=Yoshihara en-aut-mei=Kumiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Oral Health Sciences, BIOMAT, KU Leuven kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Advanced Prosthodontics, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Oral Health Sciences, BIOMAT, KU Leuven kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Oral Health Sciences, BIOMAT, KU Leuven kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Oral Health Sciences, BIOMAT, KU Leuven kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Advanced Research Center for Oral and Craniofacial Science, Okayama University Dental School kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Prosthodontics, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Hokkaido University kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of Advanced Prosthodontics, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Department of Oral Health Sciences, BIOMAT, KU Leuven kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Department of Pathology & Experimental Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=dental adhesive kn-keyword=dental adhesive en-keyword=antibacterial agent kn-keyword=antibacterial agent en-keyword=dentin kn-keyword=dentin en-keyword=degree of conversion kn-keyword=degree of conversion en-keyword=micro tensile bond strength kn-keyword=micro tensile bond strength en-keyword=scanning microscopy kn-keyword=scanning microscopy END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=13 cd-vols= no-issue=16 article-no= start-page=1373 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=20240817 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Direct Binding of Synaptopodin 2-Like Protein to Alpha-Actinin Contributes to Actin Bundle Formation in Cardiomyocytes en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Synaptopodin 2-like protein (SYNPO2L) is localized in the sarcomere of cardiomyocytes and is involved in heart morphogenesis. However, the molecular function of SYNPO2L in the heart is not fully understood. We investigated the interaction of SYNPO2L with sarcomeric alpha-actinin and actin filaments in cultured mouse cardiomyocytes. Immunofluorescence studies showed that SYNPO2L colocalized with alpha-actinin and actin filaments at the Z-discs of the sarcomere. Recombinant SYNPO2La or SYNPO2Lb caused a bundling of the actin filaments in the absence of alpha-actinin and enhanced the alpha-actinin-dependent formation of actin bundles. In addition, high-speed atomic force microscopy revealed that SYNPO2La directly bound to alpha-actinin via its globular ends. The interaction between alpha-actinin and SYNPO2La fixed the movements of the two proteins on the actin filaments. These results strongly suggest that SYNPO2L cooperates with alpha-actinin during actin bundle formation to facilitate sarcomere formation and maintenance. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=YamadaHiroshi en-aut-sei=Yamada en-aut-mei=Hiroshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=OsakaHirona en-aut-sei=Osaka en-aut-mei=Hirona kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=TatsumiNanami en-aut-sei=Tatsumi en-aut-mei=Nanami kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=ArakiMiu en-aut-sei=Araki en-aut-mei=Miu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=AbeTadashi en-aut-sei=Abe en-aut-mei=Tadashi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=KaiharaKeiko en-aut-sei=Kaihara en-aut-mei=Keiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakahashiKen en-aut-sei=Takahashi en-aut-mei=Ken kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakashimaEizo en-aut-sei=Takashima en-aut-mei=Eizo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=UchihashiTakayuki en-aut-sei=Uchihashi en-aut-mei=Takayuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=NaruseKeiji en-aut-sei=Naruse en-aut-mei=Keiji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakeiKohji en-aut-sei=Takei en-aut-mei=Kohji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Division of Malaria Research, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Department of Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=SYNPO2L kn-keyword=SYNPO2L en-keyword=actinin kn-keyword=actinin en-keyword=actin kn-keyword=actin en-keyword=sarcomere kn-keyword=sarcomere en-keyword=cardiomyocyte kn-keyword=cardiomyocyte END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=17 cd-vols= no-issue=16 article-no= start-page=4108 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=20240819 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Effect of Scaffold Geometrical Structure on Macrophage Polarization during Bone Regeneration Using Honeycomb Tricalcium Phosphate en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=The polarization balance of M1/M2 macrophages with different functions is important in osteogenesis and bone repair processes. In a previous study, we succeeded in developing honeycomb tricalcium phosphate (TCP), which is a cylindrical scaffold with a honeycomb arrangement of straight pores, and we demonstrated that TCP with 300 and 500 mu m pore diameters (300TCP and 500TCP) induced bone formation within the pores. However, the details of the influence of macrophage polarization on bone formation using engineered biomaterials, especially with respect to the geometric structure of the artificial biomaterials, are unknown. In this study, we examined whether differences in bone tissue formation due to differences in TCP geometry were due to the polarity of the assembling macrophages. Immunohistochemistry for IBA-1, iNOS, and CD163 single staining was performed. The 300TCP showed a marked infiltration of iNOS-positive cells, which are thought to be M1 macrophages, during the osteogenesis process, while no involvement of CD163-positive cells, which are thought to be M2 macrophages, was observed in the TCP pores. In addition, 500TCP showed a clustering of iNOS-positive cells and CD163-positive cells at 2 weeks, suggesting the involvement of M2 macrophages in the formation of bone tissue in the TCP pores. In conclusion, we demonstrated for the first time that the geometrical structure of the artificial biomaterial, i.e., the pore size of honeycomb TCP, affects the polarization of M1/2 macrophages and bone tissue formation in TCP pores. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=TakabatakeKiyofumi en-aut-sei=Takabatake en-aut-mei=Kiyofumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=TsujigiwaHidetsugu en-aut-sei=Tsujigiwa en-aut-mei=Hidetsugu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakanoKeisuke en-aut-sei=Nakano en-aut-mei=Keisuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=ChangAnqi en-aut-sei=Chang en-aut-mei=Anqi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=PiaoTianyan en-aut-sei=Piao en-aut-mei=Tianyan kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=InadaYasunori en-aut-sei=Inada en-aut-mei=Yasunori kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=ArashimaTakuma en-aut-sei=Arashima en-aut-mei=Takuma kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=MorimatsuAyumi en-aut-sei=Morimatsu en-aut-mei=Ayumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=TanakaAyumi en-aut-sei=Tanaka en-aut-mei=Ayumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=KawaiHotaka en-aut-sei=Kawai en-aut-mei=Hotaka kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=NagatsukaHitoshi en-aut-sei=Nagatsuka en-aut-mei=Hitoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Oral Pathology and Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Life Science, Faculty of Science, Okayama University of Science kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Oral Pathology and Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Oral Pathology and Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Oral Pathology and Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Oral Pathology and Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Oral Pathology and Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Oral Pathology and Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of Oral Pathology and Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Department of Oral Pathology and Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Department of Oral Pathology and Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=honeycomb TCP kn-keyword=honeycomb TCP en-keyword=bone formation kn-keyword=bone formation en-keyword=macrophages kn-keyword=macrophages en-keyword=polarization kn-keyword=polarization END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=38 cd-vols= no-issue=2 article-no= start-page=394 end-page=408 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2020 dt-pub=20200221 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=The neurotoxicity of psychoactive phenethylamines “2C series” in cultured monoaminergic neuronal cell lines en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Purpose The aim of this study was to evaluate the neurotoxicity of psychoactive abused 2,5-dimethoxy-substituted phenethylamines “2C series” in monoaminergic neurons.
Methods After the exposure to “2C series”, 2,5-dimethoxy-4-propylthiophenethylamine (2C-T-7), 2,5-dimethoxy-4-isopropylthiophenethylamine (2C-T-4), 2,5-dimethoxy-4-ethylthiophenthylamine (2C-T-2), 2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodophenethylamine (2C-I) or 2,5-dimethoxy-4-chlorophenethylamine (2C-C), we examined their neurotoxicity, morphological changes, and effects of concomitant exposure to 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) or methamphetamine (METH), using cultured neuronal dopaminergic CATH.a cells and serotonin-containing B65 cells.
Results Single dose exposure to “2C series” for 24 h showed significant cytotoxicity as increase in lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release from both monoaminergic neurons: 2C-T-7, 2C-C (EC50; 100 µM) > 2C-T-2 (150 µM), 2C-T-4 (200 µM) > 2C-I (250 µM) in CATH.a cells and 2C-T-7, 2C-I (150 µM) > 2C-T-2 (250 µM) > 2C-C, 2C-T-4 (300 µM) in B65 cells. The “2C series”-induced neurotoxicity in both cells was higher than that of MDMA or METH (EC50: ≥ 1–2 mM). In addition, apoptotic morphological changes were observed at relatively lower concentrations of “2C series”. The concomitant exposure to non-toxic dose of MDMA or METH synergistically enhanced 2C series drugs-induced LDH release and apoptotic changes in B65 cells, but to a lesser extent in CATH.a cells. In addition, the lower dose of 2C-T-7, 2C-T-2 or 2C-I promoted reactive oxygen species production in the mitochondria of B65 cells, even at the early stages (3 h) without apparent morphological changes.
Conclusion The 2,5-dimethoxy-substitution of “2C series” induced severe neurotoxicity in both dopaminergic and serotonin-containing neurons. The non-toxic dose of MDMA or METH synergistically enhanced its neurotoxicity in serotonergic neurons. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=AsanumaMasato en-aut-sei=Asanuma en-aut-mei=Masato kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=MiyazakiIkuko en-aut-sei=Miyazaki en-aut-mei=Ikuko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=FunadaMasahiko en-aut-sei=Funada en-aut-mei=Masahiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Medical Neurobiology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Medical Neurobiology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Division of Drug Dependence, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry kn-affil= en-keyword=Psychoactive drugs kn-keyword=Psychoactive drugs en-keyword=2,5-Dimethoxy-substituted phenethylamines kn-keyword=2,5-Dimethoxy-substituted phenethylamines en-keyword=Neurotoxicity kn-keyword=Neurotoxicity en-keyword=Serotonin-containing neurons kn-keyword=Serotonin-containing neurons en-keyword=Dopamine neurons kn-keyword=Dopamine neurons en-keyword=Reactive oxygen species kn-keyword=Reactive oxygen species END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=10 cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page=100347 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=202412 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Reduction with zinc - Impact on the determination of nitrite and nitrate ions using microfluidic paper-based analytical devices en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=We used a microfluidic paper-based analytical device (mu PAD) to investigate the influence that zinc reduction exerts on the determination of nitrite and nitrate ions in natural water samples. The mu PAD consists of layered channels for the reduction of nitrate to nitrite with zinc powder and the subsequent detection of nitrite with Griess reagent. The amount of zinc, number of layers, and reaction time for the reduction were optimized to obtain an intense signal for nitrate. Initially, the sensitivity to nitrate corresponded to 55% that of nitrite, which implied an incomplete reduction. We found, however, that zinc decreased the sensitivity to nitrite in both the mu PAD and spectrophotometry. The sensitivity to nitrite was decreased by 48% in spectrophotometry and 68% in the mu PAD following the reaction with zinc. One of the reasons for the decreased sensitivity is attributed to the production of ammonia, as we elucidated that both nitrite and nitrate produced ammonia via the reaction with zinc. The results suggest that the total concentration of nitrite and nitrate must be corrected by constructing a calibration curve for nitrite with zinc, in addition to developing curves for nitrate with zinc and for nitrite without zinc. Using these calibration curves, the absorbance at different concentration ratios of nitrite and nitrate ions could be reproduced via calculation using the calibration curves with zinc for nitrite and nitrate. Eventually, the developed mu PAD was applied to the determination of nitrite and nitrate ions in natural water samples, and the results were compared with those using a conventional spectrophotometric method. The results of the mu PAD are in good agreement with those of conventional spectrophotometry, which suggests that the mu PAD is reliable for the measurement of nitrite and nitrate ions in natural water samples. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=UmedaMika I. en-aut-sei=Umeda en-aut-mei=Mika I. kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=DanchanaKaewta en-aut-sei=Danchana en-aut-mei=Kaewta kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=FujiiTakatoshi en-aut-sei=Fujii en-aut-mei=Takatoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=HinoEiichi en-aut-sei=Hino en-aut-mei=Eiichi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=DateYusuke en-aut-sei=Date en-aut-mei=Yusuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=AokiKaoru en-aut-sei=Aoki en-aut-mei=Kaoru kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=KanetaTakashi en-aut-sei=Kaneta en-aut-mei=Takashi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=National Institute of Technology, Yonago College kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=National Institute of Technology, Yonago College kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=National Institute of Technology, Yonago College kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=National Institute of Technology, Yonago College kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=Microfluidic paper-based analytical device kn-keyword=Microfluidic paper-based analytical device en-keyword=Nitrite ion kn-keyword=Nitrite ion en-keyword=Nitrate ion kn-keyword=Nitrate ion en-keyword=On-site analysis kn-keyword=On-site analysis en-keyword=Environmental analysis kn-keyword=Environmental analysis END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=3 cd-vols= no-issue=3 article-no= start-page=e70003 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=20240822 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Forgetfulness in adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder masks transient epileptic amnesia: a case report en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Background: Inattention due to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can lead to forgetfulness. Transient epileptic amnesia (TEA) can cause forgetfulness, similar to ADHD. We report a patient with ADHD who developed TEA.
Case Presentation: The patient was a 40-year-old woman with ADHD. She has been prone to forgetfulness since childhood. Two years before visiting our outpatient clinic, she had begun to occasionally forget events that had occurred several days earlier. However, she was largely unaware of the emergence of new amnestic symptoms. She had also begun to experience various other amnestic symptoms 2 months before she visited our clinic, which prompted her to visit our outpatient clinic. The combination of a detailed interview, electroencephalography (EEG) examination, and consideration of TEA enabled us to diagnose her with TEA and provide treatment accordingly. In our patient, daily forgetfulness due to ADHD delayed the recognition of new additional forgetfulness attributed to TEA.
Conclusion: Psychiatrists need to consider TEA when patients with ADHD present with changes in or exacerbation of forgetfulness. We report a patient with ADHD who developed TEA. In our patient, daily forgetfulness due to ADHD delayed the recognition of new additional forgetfulness attributed to TEA. Psychiatrists need to consider TEA when patients with ADHD present with changes or exacerbation of forgetfulness. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=FukaoTakashi en-aut-sei=Fukao en-aut-mei=Takashi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=FujiwaraMasaki en-aut-sei=Fujiwara en-aut-mei=Masaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=YamadaYuto en-aut-sei=Yamada en-aut-mei=Yuto kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=SakamotoShinji en-aut-sei=Sakamoto en-aut-mei=Shinji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=MatsumotoYosuke en-aut-sei=Matsumoto en-aut-mei=Yosuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakakiManabu en-aut-sei=Takaki en-aut-mei=Manabu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Neuropsychiatry, OkayamaUniversity Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Neuropsychiatry, OkayamaUniversity Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Neuropsychiatry, OkayamaUniversity Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Neuropsychiatry, OkayamaUniversity Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Okayama University Hospital Gender Center kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Neuropsychiatry, OkayamaUniversity Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry andPharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= en-keyword=anti-seizure medications kn-keyword=anti-seizure medications en-keyword=attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder kn-keyword=attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder en-keyword=electroencephalography kn-keyword=electroencephalography en-keyword=transient epileptic amnesia kn-keyword=transient epileptic amnesia END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=371 cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page=fnae053 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=2024 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Regulatory role of VvsB protein on serine protease activity of VvsA in Vibrio vulnificus en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Background:Vibrio vulnificus NCIMB2137, a Gram-negative, metalloprotease negative estuarine strain was isolated from a diseased eel. A 45 kDa chymotrypsin-like alkaline serine protease known as VvsA has been recently reported as one of the major virulence factor responsible for the pathogenesis of this strain. The vvsA gene along with a downstream gene vvsB, whose function is still unknown constitute an operon designated as vvsAB. Objective: This study examines the contribution of VvsB to the functionality of VvsA. Method: In this study, VvsB was individually expressed using Rapid Translation System (RTS system), followed by an analysis of its role in regulating the serine protease activity of VvsA. Result: The proteolytic activity of VvsA increased upon the addition of purified VvsB to the culture supernatant of V. vulnificus. However, the attempts of protein expression using an E. coli system revealed a noteworthy observation that protein expression from the vvsA gene exhibited higher protease activity compared to that from the vvsAB gene within the cytoplasmic fraction. These findings suggest an intricate interplay between VvsB and VvsA, where VvsB potentially interacts with VvsA inside the bacterium and suppress the proteolytic activity. While outside the bacterial milieu, VvsB appears to stimulate the activation of inactive VvsA. Conclusion: The findings suggest that Vibrio vulnificus regulates VvsA activity through the action of VvsB, both intracellularly and extracellularly, to ensure its survival. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=KawaseTomoka en-aut-sei=Kawase en-aut-mei=Tomoka kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=DebnathAnusuya en-aut-sei=Debnath en-aut-mei=Anusuya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=OkamotoKeinosuke en-aut-sei=Okamoto en-aut-mei=Keinosuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Biotechnology, Brainware University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=RTS system kn-keyword=RTS system en-keyword=in vitro cell-free translation system, PU kn-keyword=in vitro cell-free translation system, PU en-keyword=Proteinase unit, VvsA kn-keyword=Proteinase unit, VvsA en-keyword=Vibrio vulnificus serine protease, SD kn-keyword=Vibrio vulnificus serine protease, SD en-keyword=Shine-Dalgarno sequence kn-keyword=Shine-Dalgarno sequence END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=14 cd-vols= no-issue=32 article-no= start-page=23177 end-page=23183 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=20240723 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Lead-free iron-doped Cs3Bi2Br9 perovskite with tunable properties en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Perovskite based on cesium bismuth bromide offers a compelling, non-toxic alternative to lead-containing counterparts in optoelectronic applications. However, its widespread usage is hindered by its wide bandgap. This study investigates a significant bandgap tunability achieved by introducing Fe doping into the inorganic, lead-free, non-toxic, and stable Cs3Bi2Br9 perovskite at varying concentrations. The materials were synthesized using a facile method, with the aim of tuning the optoelectronic properties of the perovskite materials. Characterization through techniques such as X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and UV-vis spectroscopy was conducted to elucidate the transformation mechanism of the doping materials. The substitution process results in a significant change in the bandgap energy, transforming from the pristine Cs3Bi2Br9 with a bandgap of 2.54 eV to 1.78 eV upon 70% Fe doping. The addition of 50% Fe in Cs3Bi2Br9 leads to the formation of the orthorhombic structure in Cs2(Bi,Fe)Br5 perovskite, while complete Fe alloying at 100% results in the phase formation of CsFeBr4 perovskite. Our findings on regulation of bandgap energy and crystal structure through B site substitution hold significant promise for applications in optoelectronics. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=HtunThiri en-aut-sei=Htun en-aut-mei=Thiri kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=ElattarAmr en-aut-sei=Elattar en-aut-mei=Amr kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=ElbohyHytham en-aut-sei=Elbohy en-aut-mei=Hytham kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=TsutsumiKosei en-aut-sei=Tsutsumi en-aut-mei=Kosei kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=HoriganeKazumasa en-aut-sei=Horigane en-aut-mei=Kazumasa kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakanoChiyu en-aut-sei=Nakano en-aut-mei=Chiyu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=GuXiaoyu en-aut-sei=Gu en-aut-mei=Xiaoyu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=SuzukiHiroo en-aut-sei=Suzuki en-aut-mei=Hiroo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=NishikawaTakeshi en-aut-sei=Nishikawa en-aut-mei=Takeshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=KyawAung Ko Ko en-aut-sei=Kyaw en-aut-mei=Aung Ko Ko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=HayashiYasuhiko en-aut-sei=Hayashi en-aut-mei=Yasuhiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Damietta University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Advanced Science Research Center, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Guangdong University Key Laboratory for Advanced Quantum Dot Displays and Lighting and Department of Electronic & Electrical Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Guangdong University Key Laboratory for Advanced Quantum Dot Displays and Lighting and Department of Electronic & Electrical Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=39 cd-vols= no-issue=5 article-no= start-page=463 end-page=483 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=20240731 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=A Detailed Re-Examination of the Period Gene Rescue Experiments Shows That Four to Six Cryptochrome-Positive Posterior Dorsal Clock Neurons (DN1p) of Drosophila melanogaster Can Control Morning and Evening Activity en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Animal circadian clocks play a crucial role in regulating behavioral adaptations to daily environmental changes. The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster exhibits 2 prominent peaks of activity in the morning and evening, known as morning (M) and evening (E) peaks. These peaks are controlled by 2 distinct circadian oscillators located in separate groups of clock neurons in the brain. To investigate the clock neurons responsible for the M and E peaks, a cell-specific gene expression system, the GAL4-UAS system, has been commonly employed. In this study, we re-examined the two-oscillator model for the M and E peaks of Drosophila by utilizing more than 50 Gal4 lines in conjunction with the UAS-period16 line, which enables the restoration of the clock function in specific cells in the period (per) null mutant background. Previous studies have indicated that the group of small ventrolateral neurons (s-LNv) is responsible for controlling the M peak, while the other group, consisting of the 5th ventrolateral neuron (5th LNv) and the three cryptochrome (CRY)-positive dorsolateral neurons (LNd), is responsible for the E peak. Furthermore, the group of posterior dorsal neurons 1 (DN1p) is thought to also contain M and E oscillators. In this study, we found that Gal4 lines directed at the same clock neuron groups can lead to different results, underscoring the fact that activity patterns are influenced by many factors. Nevertheless, we were able to confirm previous findings that the entire network of circadian clock neurons controls M and E peaks, with the lateral neurons playing a dominant role. In addition, we demonstrate that 4 to 6 CRY-positive DN1p cells are sufficient to generate M and E peaks in light-dark cycles and complex free-running rhythms in constant darkness. Ultimately, our detailed screening could serve as a catalog to choose the best Gal4 lines that can be used to rescue per in specific clock neurons. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=SekiguchiManabu en-aut-sei=Sekiguchi en-aut-mei=Manabu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=ReinhardNils en-aut-sei=Reinhard en-aut-mei=Nils kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=FukudaAyumi en-aut-sei=Fukuda en-aut-mei=Ayumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=KatohShun en-aut-sei=Katoh en-aut-mei=Shun kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=RiegerDirk en-aut-sei=Rieger en-aut-mei=Dirk kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=Helfrich-FörsterCharlotte en-aut-sei=Helfrich-Förster en-aut-mei=Charlotte kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=YoshiiTaishi en-aut-sei=Yoshii en-aut-mei=Taishi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Neurobiology and Genetics, Theodor-Boveri Institute, Biocenter, University of Würzburg kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Neurobiology and Genetics, Theodor-Boveri Institute, Biocenter, University of Würzburg kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Neurobiology and Genetics, Theodor-Boveri Institute, Biocenter, University of Würzburg kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=period kn-keyword=period en-keyword=GAL4-UAS kn-keyword=GAL4-UAS en-keyword=clock neuron kn-keyword=clock neuron en-keyword=activity rhythm kn-keyword=activity rhythm en-keyword=two-oscillator model kn-keyword=two-oscillator model END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=20 cd-vols= no-issue=29 article-no= start-page=5836 end-page=5847 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=2024 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Relationship between π–A isotherms and single microgel/microgel array structures revealed via the direct visualization of microgels at the air/water interface en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=The structures of single microgels and microgel arrays formed at the air/water interface were visualized directly, and their structures correlated with π–A isotherms in order to understand the compression behavior of soft and deformable microgels at this interface. Large microgels (ca. 4 μm) were synthesized so that these can be clearly visualized at the air/water interface, even under high compression, and a series of microgel compression experiments were directly evaluated using a Langmuir trough equipped with a fluorescence microscope. The experiments revealed that upon compressing the microgel arrays at the interface voids disappeared and colloidal crystallinity increased. However, the colloidal crystallinity decreased when the microgel arrays were strongly compressed. In addition, when the structures were observed at higher magnification, it became clear that the single microgel structures, when visualized from above, changed from circular to polygonal upon compressing the microgel array. The results of this study can be expected to improve the understanding of the compression behavior of microgel arrays adsorbed at the air/water interface and will thus be useful for the creation of new functional microgel stabilizers with potential applications in e.g., bubbles and emulsions. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=KawamotoTakahisa en-aut-sei=Kawamoto en-aut-mei=Takahisa kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=MinatoHaruka en-aut-sei=Minato en-aut-mei=Haruka kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=SuzukiDaisuke en-aut-sei=Suzuki en-aut-mei=Daisuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=13 cd-vols= no-issue=13 article-no= start-page=3809 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=20240628 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Changes in Working Situations of Employed Long COVID Patients: Retrospective Study in Japanese Outpatient Clinic en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Purpose: The present study aimed to uncover the impact of long COVID on the working situations of Japanese patients. Methods: Changes in the working situations of the patients who visited our long COVID clinic were evaluated from medical records for the aspects of physical status, quality of life (QOL), and mental conditions.
Results: Of 846 long COVID patients who visited our clinic from February 2021 to December 2023, 545 employed patients aged between 18 and 65 years were included in this study. A total of 295 patients (54.1%) with long COVID (median age: 43 years, female: 55.6%) experienced changes in their working status. Those patients included 220 patients (40.4%) who took a leave of absence, 53 patients (9.7%) who retired, and 22 patients (4%) with reduced working hours. Most of the patients (93.2%) with changes in working conditions had mild disease severity in the acute phase of COVID-19. The majority of those patients with mild disease severity (58.8%) were infected in the Omicron-variant phase and included 65.3% of the female patients. The major symptoms in long COVID patients who had changes in their working situations were fatigue, insomnia, headache, and dyspnea. Scores indicating fatigue and QOL were worsened in long COVID patients who had changes in their working situations. In addition, 63.7% of the long COVID patients with changes in their working situations had decreases in their incomes.
Conclusions: Changes in the working situation of long COVID patients who were employed had a negative impact on the maintenance of their QOL. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=MatsudaYui en-aut-sei=Matsuda en-aut-mei=Yui kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=SakuradaYasue en-aut-sei=Sakurada en-aut-mei=Yasue kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=OtsukaYuki en-aut-sei=Otsuka en-aut-mei=Yuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=TokumasuKazuki en-aut-sei=Tokumasu en-aut-mei=Kazuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakanoYasuhiro en-aut-sei=Nakano en-aut-mei=Yasuhiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=SunadaNaruhiko en-aut-sei=Sunada en-aut-mei=Naruhiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=HondaHiroyuki en-aut-sei=Honda en-aut-mei=Hiroyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=HasegawaToru en-aut-sei=Hasegawa en-aut-mei=Toru kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakaseRyosuke en-aut-sei=Takase en-aut-mei=Ryosuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=OmuraDaisuke en-aut-sei=Omura en-aut-mei=Daisuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=UedaKeigo en-aut-sei=Ueda en-aut-mei=Keigo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= en-aut-name=OtsukaFumio en-aut-sei=Otsuka en-aut-mei=Fumio kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=12 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of General Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of General Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of General Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of General Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of General Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of General Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of General Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of General Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of General Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Department of General Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Department of General Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=12 en-affil=Department of General Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=employment kn-keyword=employment en-keyword=job retirement kn-keyword=job retirement en-keyword=leave of absence kn-keyword=leave of absence en-keyword=long COVID kn-keyword=long COVID en-keyword=omicron variant kn-keyword=omicron variant en-keyword=post-COVID-19 condition kn-keyword=post-COVID-19 condition END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=89 cd-vols= no-issue=14 article-no= start-page=10349 end-page=10354 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=20240701 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Formal One Carbon Deletion of Indoline Hemiaminals under Tautomeric Control to Access 2-Aminobenzyl Compounds en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Unprecedented tert-BuOK-mediated one carbon deletion of indoline hemiaminals has been achieved. This novel protocol provides an efficient synthetic tool for the construction of 2-aminobenzyl compounds with high chemoselectivity. In addition, functionalized 2-aminobenzyl compounds are difficult to make, for which few limited means of access currently exist. The key to success is the use of in situ generated Heyns rearrangement products (α-amino carbonyl compounds) as precursors for formal one carbon deletion. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=TokushigeKeisuke en-aut-sei=Tokushige en-aut-mei=Keisuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=AbeTakumi en-aut-sei=Abe en-aut-mei=Takumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=125 cd-vols= no-issue=2 article-no= start-page=023104 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=20240708 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Enhanced thermal conductivity of fluids by percolating high-concentration few-layer graphene en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=High-performance and small-sized heat exchangers have been demanded due to the miniaturization and higher output of electronic devices, lasers, and energy harvesting/storage systems. Graphene nanosheet suspension has attracted attention as a next-generation nanofluid because of its high thermal conductivity and low pressure drop, while being dispersed stably without any additives. Graphene-based nanofluids have been mostly investigated using graphene oxide, and there are a few studies on pure graphene because of the limitation in mass production and stabilization at high concentrations of graphene. In this study, we prepared a 10 wt. % high-concentration few-layer graphene suspension by pulverizing graphite particles. Scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and Raman spectra confirmed the few-layer graphene is formed in the suspension. The thermal conductivity of the suspension increased with concentration and suddenly jumped at a specific concentration. Furthermore, a significant improvement in thermal conductivity of >40% compared to base liquid was confirmed at 10 wt. % graphene content. A similar trend was observed for electrical resistance; 10 wt. % graphene suspension showed 62% lower resistance than that of 1 wt. %. These results suggest the percolation of graphene in a liquid, which has not been observed for graphene-based materials in previous research. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=IshiiKeiko en-aut-sei=Ishii en-aut-mei=Keiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=OgiyamaTakahiro en-aut-sei=Ogiyama en-aut-mei=Takahiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=FumotoKoji en-aut-sei=Fumoto en-aut-mei=Koji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=NishinaYuta en-aut-sei=Nishina en-aut-mei=Yuta kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=College of Science and Engineering, Chuo University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=College of Science and Engineering, Aoyama Gakuin University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=College of Science and Engineering, Aoyama Gakuin University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Okayama University kn-affil= END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=10 cd-vols= no-issue=13 article-no= start-page=e34206 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=20240715 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Resolvin D2-induced reparative dentin and pulp stem cells after pulpotomy in a rat model en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Introduction: Vital pulp therapy (VPT) is performed to preserve dental pulp. However, the biocompatibility of the existing materials is of concern. Therefore, novel materials that can induce pulp healing without adverse effects need to be developed. Resolvin D2 (RvD2), one of specialized pro-resolving mediators, can resolve inflammation and promote the healing of periapical lesions. Therefore, RvD2 may be suitable for use in VPT. In the present study, we evaluated the efficacy of RvD2 against VPT using in vivo and in vitro models.
Methods: First molars of eight-week-old male Sprague–Dawley rats were used for pulpotomy. They were then divided into three treatment groups: RvD2, phosphate-buffered saline, and calcium hydroxide groups. Treatment results were assessed using radiological, histological, and immunohistochemical (GPR18, TNF-α, Ki67, VEGF, TGF-β, CD44, CD90, and TRPA1) analyses. Dental pulp-derived cells were treated with RvD2 in vitro and analyzed using cell-proliferation and cell-migration assays, real-time PCR (Gpr18, Tnf-α, Il-1β, Tgf-β, Vegf, Nanog, and Trpa1), ELISA (VEGF and TGF-β), immunocytochemistry (TRPA1), and flow cytometry (dental pulp stem cells: DPSCs).
Results: The formation of calcified tissue in the pulp was observed in the RvD2 and calcium hydroxide groups. RvD2 inhibited inflammation in dental pulp cells. RvD2 promoted cell proliferation and migration and the expression of TGF-β and VEGF in vitro and in vivo. RvD2 increased the number of DPSCs. In addition, RvD2 suppressed TRPA1 expression as a pain receptor.
Conclusion: RvD2 induced the formation of reparative dentin, anti-inflammatory effects, and decreased pain, along with the proliferation of DPSCs via the expression of VEGF and TGF-β, on the pulp surface in pulpotomy models. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=YonedaMitsuhiro en-aut-sei=Yoneda en-aut-mei=Mitsuhiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=IdeguchiHidetaka en-aut-sei=Ideguchi en-aut-mei=Hidetaka kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakamuraShin en-aut-sei=Nakamura en-aut-mei=Shin kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=AriasZulema en-aut-sei=Arias en-aut-mei=Zulema kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=OnoMitsuaki en-aut-sei=Ono en-aut-mei=Mitsuaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=OmoriKazuhiro en-aut-sei=Omori en-aut-mei=Kazuhiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=YamamotoTadashi en-aut-sei=Yamamoto en-aut-mei=Tadashi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakashibaShogo en-aut-sei=Takashiba en-aut-mei=Shogo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Periodontics and Endodontics, Division of Dentistry, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Pathophysiology-Periodontal Science, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Oral Science and Translational Research, College of Dental Medicine, Nova Southeastern University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Pathophysiology-Periodontal Science, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Pathophysiology-Periodontal Science, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=The Center for Graduate Medical Education (Dental Division), Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Pathophysiology-Periodontal Science, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=Dental pulp kn-keyword=Dental pulp en-keyword=Regeneration kn-keyword=Regeneration en-keyword=Pulp-capping agents kn-keyword=Pulp-capping agents en-keyword=Specialized pro-resolving mediators kn-keyword=Specialized pro-resolving mediators en-keyword=Resolvin D2 kn-keyword=Resolvin D2 en-keyword=Calcification kn-keyword=Calcification en-keyword=Cytokine kn-keyword=Cytokine en-keyword=TRPA1 kn-keyword=TRPA1 en-keyword=Animal model kn-keyword=Animal model END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=14 cd-vols= no-issue=1 article-no= start-page=72 end-page=80 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=20240702 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=A case of membranous nephropathy complicated by Cronkhite–Canada syndrome successfully treated with mizoribine en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Cronkhite–Canada syndrome (CCS) is a non-hereditary disorder characterized by non-neoplastic hamartomatous gastrointestinal polyposis, hair loss, nail atrophy, hyperpigmentation, and diarrhea. While the relationship between CCS and nephritis remains unclear, seven cases of nephritis complicated by CCS have been reported to date, all of which were membranous nephropathy (MN). A 57-year-old man presented with taste disturbance, hair loss, nail plate atrophy, skin pigmentation, and frequent diarrhea. Endoscopic findings showed multiple polyposis of the stomach and large intestine. Given the above, he was diagnosed with CCS. The symptoms gradually improved with prednisolone treatment, although urinary protein and hypoproteinemia appeared during the tapering of prednisolone. He was diagnosed with MN using a renal biopsy, and immunofluorescence microscopy with IgG subclass staining showed predominantly diffuse granular capillary wall staining of IgG4. The cause of secondary MN was not found, including malignant tumors. Nephrotic-range proteinuria persisted despite treatment with prednisolone and cyclosporine. Additional treatment with mizoribine resulted in incomplete remission type 1 of nephrotic syndrome, suggesting that mizoribine may be a treatment option for patients with CCS with steroid-resistant MN. Considering a high prevalence of hypoproteinemia due to chronic diarrhea and protein-losing enteropathy in patients with CCS, proteinuria might be overlooked; thus, follow-up urinalysis would be recommended in patients with CCS. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=NakanohHiroyuki en-aut-sei=Nakanoh en-aut-mei=Hiroyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=TsujiKenji en-aut-sei=Tsuji en-aut-mei=Kenji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=MorimotoShiho en-aut-sei=Morimoto en-aut-mei=Shiho kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=FukushimaKazuhiko en-aut-sei=Fukushima en-aut-mei=Kazuhiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=IwamuroMasaya en-aut-sei=Iwamuro en-aut-mei=Masaya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=UchidaHaruhito A. en-aut-sei=Uchida en-aut-mei=Haruhito A. kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=WadaJun en-aut-sei=Wada en-aut-mei=Jun kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Nephrology, Rheumatology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Nephrology, Rheumatology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Nephrology, Rheumatology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Nephrology, Rheumatology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Chronic Kidney Disease and Cardiovascular Disease, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Nephrology, Rheumatology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= en-keyword=Cronkhite–Canada syndrome kn-keyword=Cronkhite–Canada syndrome en-keyword=Membranous nephropathy kn-keyword=Membranous nephropathy en-keyword=Nephrotic syndrome kn-keyword=Nephrotic syndrome en-keyword=Mizoribine kn-keyword=Mizoribine END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=23 cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page=102405 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=202409 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Crystal plasticity analysis of fatigue crack initiation site considering crystallographic orientation in Ti-22V-4Al alloy en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=In this study, plane bending fatigue tests were conducted on Ti-22V-4Al alloy, a beta-type titanium alloy, to examine the fatigue crack initiation behavior in detail. In addition, the prediction of fatigue crack initiation points was investigated from the perspectives of the Schmidt factor (SF) and crystal plasticity finite element method (CP-FEM). The slip system contributing to fatigue crack initiation can be accurately predicted by assessing the magnitude relationship of SF. Also, this prediction is already indicated in a lot of paper by using out of component of slip activity. However, the location where the fatigue crack will occur can be not estimated by SF on polycrystalline. Therefore, prediction of grains where fatigue cracks will occur could be achieved with high accuracy by constructing a CP-FEM that considers the mechanical interaction of polycrystals and grain boundary. Utilizing advanced methodologies such as CP-FEM and numerical calculation techniques, it is strictly investigated that the factors influencing fatigue crack initiation in polycrystalline materials. Our research concluded the understanding of fatigue crack initiation on polycrystal grains by considering the mechanical interaction of polycrystals and grain boundary. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=ArakawaJinta en-aut-sei=Arakawa en-aut-mei=Jinta kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=HirazumiKoki en-aut-sei=Hirazumi en-aut-mei=Koki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=UemoriTakeshi en-aut-sei=Uemori en-aut-mei=Takeshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakemotoYoshito en-aut-sei=Takemoto en-aut-mei=Yoshito kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=β-Ti kn-keyword=β-Ti en-keyword=Fatigue crack initiation kn-keyword=Fatigue crack initiation en-keyword=Schmidt factor kn-keyword=Schmidt factor en-keyword=Crystal plasticity FEM kn-keyword=Crystal plasticity FEM en-keyword=Polycrystalline kn-keyword=Polycrystalline END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=100 cd-vols= no-issue=5 article-no= start-page=938 end-page=946.e1 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=20240613 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Virtual indigo carmine chromoendoscopy images: A novel modality for peroral cholangioscopy using artificial intelligence technology (with video) en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Background and Aims: Accurately diagnosing biliary strictures is crucial for surgical decisions, and although peroral cholangioscopy (POCS) aids in visual diagnosis, diagnosing malignancies or determining lesion margins via this route remains challenging. Indigo carmine is commonly used to evaluate lesions during GI endoscopy. We aimed to establish the utility of virtual indigo carmine chromoendoscopy (VICI) converted from POCS images using artificial intelligence.
Methods: This single-center, retrospective study analyzed 40 patients with biliary strictures who underwent POCS using white-light imaging (WLI) and narrow-band imaging (NBI). A cycle-consistent adversarial network was used to convert the WLI into VICI of POCS images. Three experienced endoscopists evaluated WLI, NBI, and VICI via POCS in all patients. The primary outcome was the visualization quality of surface structures, surface microvessels, and lesion margins. The secondary outcome was diagnostic accuracy.
Results: VICI showed superior visualization of the surface structures and lesion margins compared with WLI (P < .001) and NBI (P < .001). The diagnostic accuracies were 72.5%, 87.5%, and 90.0% in WLI alone, WLI and VICI simultaneously, and WLI and NBI simultaneously, respectively. WLI and VICI simultaneously tended to result in higher accuracy than WLI alone (P = .083), and the results were not significantly different from WLI and NBI simultaneously (P = .65).
Conclusions: VICI in POCS proved valuable for visualizing surface structures and lesion margins and contributed to higher diagnostic accuracy comparable to NBI. In addition to NBI, VICI may be a novel supportive modality for POCS. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=SatoRyosuke en-aut-sei=Sato en-aut-mei=Ryosuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=MatsumotoKazuyuki en-aut-sei=Matsumoto en-aut-mei=Kazuyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=KinugasaHideaki en-aut-sei=Kinugasa en-aut-mei=Hideaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=TomiyaMasahiro en-aut-sei=Tomiya en-aut-mei=Masahiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=TanimotoTakayoshi en-aut-sei=Tanimoto en-aut-mei=Takayoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=OhtoAkimitsu en-aut-sei=Ohto en-aut-mei=Akimitsu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=HaradaKei en-aut-sei=Harada en-aut-mei=Kei kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=HattoriNao en-aut-sei=Hattori en-aut-mei=Nao kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=ObataTaisuke en-aut-sei=Obata en-aut-mei=Taisuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=MatsumiAkihiro en-aut-sei=Matsumi en-aut-mei=Akihiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=MiyamotoKazuya en-aut-sei=Miyamoto en-aut-mei=Kazuya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= en-aut-name=MorimotoKosaku en-aut-sei=Morimoto en-aut-mei=Kosaku kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=12 ORCID= en-aut-name=TerasawaHiroyuki en-aut-sei=Terasawa en-aut-mei=Hiroyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=13 ORCID= en-aut-name=FujiiYuki en-aut-sei=Fujii en-aut-mei=Yuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=14 ORCID= en-aut-name=UchidaDaisuke en-aut-sei=Uchida en-aut-mei=Daisuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=15 ORCID= en-aut-name=TsutsumiKoichiro en-aut-sei=Tsutsumi en-aut-mei=Koichiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=16 ORCID= en-aut-name=HoriguchiShigeru en-aut-sei=Horiguchi en-aut-mei=Shigeru kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=17 ORCID= en-aut-name=KatoHironari en-aut-sei=Kato en-aut-mei=Hironari kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=18 ORCID= en-aut-name=KawaharaYoshiro en-aut-sei=Kawahara en-aut-mei=Yoshiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=19 ORCID= en-aut-name=OtsukaMotoyuki en-aut-sei=Otsuka en-aut-mei=Motoyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=20 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Business Strategy Division, Ryobi Systems Co, Ltd kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Business Strategy Division, Ryobi Systems Co, Ltd kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Business Strategy Division, Ryobi Systems Co, Ltd kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=12 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=13 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=14 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=15 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=16 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=17 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=18 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=19 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=20 en-affil=Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=10 cd-vols= no-issue=11 article-no= start-page=e31872 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=20240615 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Bacterial DNA and serum IgG antibody titer assays for assessing infection of human-pathogenic and dog-pathogenic Porphyromonas species in dogs en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Periodontal disease is highly prevalent in both humans and dogs. Although there have been reports of cross-infection of periodontopathic bacteria, methods for assessing it have yet to be established. The actual status of cross-infection remains to be seen. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility of bacterial DNA and serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody titer assays to assess infection of human-pathogenic and dog-pathogenic Porphyromonas species in dogs. Four experimental beagles were used for establishing methods. Sixty-six companion dogs at veterinary clinics visiting for treatment and prophylaxis of periodontal disease were used and divided into healthy, gingivitis, and periodontitis groups. Periodontal pathogens such as Porphyromonas gingivalis and Porphyromonas gulae were investigated as target bacteria. DNA levels of both bacteria were measured using species-specific primers designed for real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Serum IgG titers of both bacteria were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
PCR primers were confirmed to have high sensitivity and specificity. However, there was no relationship between the amount of bacterial DNA and the severity of the periodontal disease. In addition, dogs with periodontitis had higher IgG titers against both bacteria compared to dogs in the healthy and gingivitis groups; there was cross-reactivity between the two bacteria. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis of IgG titers against both bacteria showed high sensitivity (>90 %) and specificity (>75 %). Since both bacteria were distinguished by DNA assays, the combination of these assays may be useful in the evaluation of cross-infection. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=Tai-TokuzenMasako en-aut-sei=Tai-Tokuzen en-aut-mei=Masako kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=ItoTakashi en-aut-sei=Ito en-aut-mei=Takashi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=TamuraKazuya en-aut-sei=Tamura en-aut-mei=Kazuya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=HirayamaHaruko en-aut-sei=Hirayama en-aut-mei=Haruko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=OgawaHirohito en-aut-sei=Ogawa en-aut-mei=Hirohito kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakamuraShin en-aut-sei=Nakamura en-aut-mei=Shin kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=OkuboKeisuke en-aut-sei=Okubo en-aut-mei=Keisuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=OmoriKazuhiro en-aut-sei=Omori en-aut-mei=Kazuhiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=YamamotoTadashi en-aut-sei=Yamamoto en-aut-mei=Tadashi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=MominokiKatsumi en-aut-sei=Mominoki en-aut-mei=Katsumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakashibaShogo en-aut-sei=Takashiba en-aut-mei=Shogo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Periodontics and Endodontics, Division of Dentistry, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Center for Innovative Clinical Medicine, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Pathophysiology-Periodontal Science, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Animal Resources, Advanced Science Research Center, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Virology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Center for Collaborative Research, Department of Oral Science and Translational Research, Nova Southeastern University kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Periodontics and Endodontics, Division of Dentistry, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Pathophysiology-Periodontal Science, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of Comprehensive Dentistry, The Center for Graduate Medical Education (Dental Division), Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Department of Animal Resources, Advanced Science Research Center, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Department of Pathophysiology-Periodontal Science, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= en-keyword=Cross infection kn-keyword=Cross infection en-keyword=Human and dog kn-keyword=Human and dog en-keyword=Periodontal disease kn-keyword=Periodontal disease en-keyword=Porphyromonas gingivalis kn-keyword=Porphyromonas gingivalis en-keyword=Porphyromonas gulae kn-keyword=Porphyromonas gulae en-keyword=Detection assay kn-keyword=Detection assay END