Molecular containment of iron source inhibits larval survival of Schistosoma mansoni and egg-laying behavior of the female adult worms via ovarian atrophy.

Background: Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by parasitic flatworms of the genus Schistosoma. Currently, praziquantel is the only medication available for treating schistosomiasis. However, crucial issues regarding drug resistance, reinfection, and prevention remain unresolved.

Importance of Recognizing Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy in the Preoperative Clinic.

Background: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a relatively common inherited disorder that may be asymptomatic. It is a common cause of sudden cardiac death and can lead to catastrophic cardiovascular collapse in the operating room if previously undiagnosed. This case report discusses the implications of unsuspected hypertrophic cardiomyopathy for anesthesia management.

A Case of Vertebral Artery Stump Syndrome Caused by Varicella-zoster Virus Vasculopathy in the Absence of a Skin Rash.

A 38-year-old man without skin rash was admitted to our hospital for recurrent cerebral infarctions. Cerebral angiography revealed vertebral artery stump syndrome (VASS), and a high varicella-zoster virus (VZV) antibody index suggested VZV vasculopathy. Treatment with aspirin and anticoagulants was initiated, along with intravenous acyclovir and methylprednisolone sodium succinate.

Identification of a Class of Iron-Grabbing Compounds with Antiplasmodial Activity: Impact of Coordination Structures and Electronic Regularity on the Intraerythrocytic Growth Cycle of .

Innovative antimalarials are required to combat malaria, a global infectious disease caused by . To explore the untapped antiplasmodial compounds that can target the iron source vital at the blood stages of , we investigated the antiplasmodial activities of natural siderophores and synthetic compounds with metal-binding affinity. The assessment of their IC values and spectroscopic analytical data revealed that terpyridyl compounds specifically bound to target Fe(II) ions and strongly induced the growth inhibition of intraerythrocytic parasites.

Development of Uniform Ribosome Display Technology Enabling Easy and Efficient Identification of Full-Length Proteins that Interact with Bioactive Small and Large Molecules.

Identifying target proteins that interact with bioactive molecules is indispensable for understanding their mechanisms of action. In this study, we developed a uniform ribosome display technology using equal-length DNAs and mRNAs to improve molecular display principle for target identification. The equal-length DNAs were designed to contain various coding sequences for full-length proteins with molecular weights of up to 130 kDa and were used to synthesize equal-length mRNAs, which allowed the formation of full-length protein-ribosome-equal-length mRNA complexes.

The hibernation promoting factor of Betaproteobacteria Comamonas testosteroni cannot induce 100S ribosome formation but stabilizes 70S ribosomal particles.

Bacteria use several means to survive under stress conditions such as nutrient depletion. One such response is the formation of hibernating 100S ribosomes, which are translationally inactive 70S dimers. In Gammaproteobacteria (Enterobacterales), 100S ribosome formation requires ribosome modulation factor (RMF) and short hibernation promoting factor (HPF), whereas it is mediated by only long HPF in the majority of bacteria.

Combination of Parenteral Amino Acid Infusion and Intermittent Loading Exercise Ameliorates Progression of Postoperative Sarcopenia in Rat Model.

Postoperative sarcopenia is associated with poor outcomes in hospitalized patients. However, few studies have focused on short-term postoperative sarcopenia. Furthermore, the influence of nutritional management using amino acids (AAs) comprising a peripheral parenteral nutrition (PPN) solution and its combination with exercise (Exc) is unclear.

A novel zinc-chelating compound has antifungal activity against a wide range of species, including multidrug-resistant .

Objectives: In recent years, the incidence of invasive fungal infections has increased, resulting in considerable morbidity and mortality, particularly among immunocompromised individuals. Potential challenges in treating these infections with the few existing antifungal agents highlight the urgency of developing new ones. Here, we evaluated six alkyl polyamine compounds (APCs), not previously reported as antifungal drugs to our knowledge, that could deprive fungi of essential transition metals.

Genetic Code Expansion and a Photo-Cross-Linking Reaction Facilitate Ribosome Display Selections for Identifying a Wide Range of Affinity Peptides.

Cell-free molecular display techniques have been utilized to select various affinity peptides from peptide libraries. However, conventional techniques have difficulties associated with the translational termination through in-frame UAG stop codons and the amplification of non-specific peptides, which hinders the desirable selection of low-affinity peptides. To overcome these problems, we established a scheme for ribosome display selection of peptide epitopes bound to monoclonal antibodies and then applied genetic code expansion with synthetic X-tRNA reprogramming of the UAG codons (X = Tyr, Trp, or -benzoyl-l-phenylalanine (Bzo-Phe)) to the scheme.

Dihydroartemisinin Disrupts Zinc Homeostasis in To Potentiate Its Antimalarial Action via Pyknosis.

Artemisinins have been used as first-line drugs worldwide to treat malaria caused by ; however, its underlying mechanism is still unclear. This study aimed to identify the factors inducing growth inhibition via pyknosis, a state of intraerythrocytic developmental arrest, when exposing the parasite to dihydroartemisinin (DHA). Changes in the expression of genome-wide transcripts were assessed in the parasites treated with antimalarials, revealing the specific downregulation of zinc-associated proteins by DHA.

The Discovery of Ribosomal Protein bL31 from : A Long Story Revisited.

Ribosomal protein bL31 in was initially detected as a short form (62 amino acids) using Kaltschmidt and Wittmann's two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D PAGE), but the intact form (70 amino acids) was subsequently identified by means of Wada's improved radical-free and highly reducing (RFHR) 2D PAGE, which was consistent with the analysis of its encoding gene . Ribosomes routinely prepared from the K12 wild-type strain contained both forms of bL31. Δ cells, which lack protease 7, only contained intact bL31, suggesting that protease 7 cleaves intact bL31 and generates short bL31 during ribosome preparation from wild-type cells.

Effects of amino acids and albumin administration on albumin metabolism in surgically stressed rats: A basic nutritional study.

Background: Nutrition therapy and administration of albumin preparations are common in postsurgical patients. However, the effects of these interventions on albumin metabolism are unclear. We elucidated the effect of postoperative albumin and/or parenteral nutrition administration on it.

DEVELOPMENT OF A ROBOT FOR THE MEASUREMENT OF RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINATION AND FERTILITY OF THE SOIL IN FARMLAND.

A tractor-based robot with the capability of real-time assessing and visualizing the radioactive material density and fertility distribution of farmlands has been developed to accelerate the recovery process of the farmlands suffered by the accident of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP). In a field test at a decontaminated farmland near FDNPP, within-field heterogeneities of soil contamination and fertility are clarified almost in real-time. Results obtained by this robot are consistent with the map by the conventional soil sampling or the history of decontamination activities.

Perioperative Oral β-Hydroxy-β-Methylbutyrate Supplementation Ameliorates Sarcopenia in Rats Undergoing Major Hepatectomy.

β-Hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate (HMB), a metabolite of leucine, is known to increase muscle mass and strength. However, the effect of perioperative HMB supplementation in liver surgery is unclear. Moreover, the impact of HMB on the skeletal muscle fiber type also remains unclear.

Effect of Parylene C on the Corrosion Resistance of Bioresorbable Cardiovascular Stents Made of Magnesium Alloy 'Original ZM10'.

Magnesium (Mg) alloy has attracted significant attention as a bioresorbable scaffold for use as a next-generation stent because of its mechanical properties and biocompatibility. However, Mg alloy quickly degrades in the physiological environment. In this study, we investigated whether applying a parylene C coating can improve the corrosion resistance of a Mg alloy stent, which is made of 'Original ZM10', free of aluminum and rare earth elements.

and Antiamebic Activity of Iron-Targeting Polypyridine Compounds against Enteric Protozoan Parasite .

The infectious protozoan parasite is responsible for amebiasis causing colitis and liver abscesses, which is an epidemic in developing countries. To develop a drug discovery strategy targeting the iron source required for the proliferation of , an untapped chemical group consisting of low-molecular-weight compounds with metal-binding affinity was investigated. Electrochemically neutral polypyridine compounds, PHN-R, that showed specific Fe(II)-binding affinity and growth inhibitory ability against were identified.

A Case of Pterygopalatine Fossa Arteriovenous Malformation Treated by Transarterial Embolization Using a Dual-Lumen Balloon Catheter.

Objective: We report a rare case of pterygopalatine fossa arterial venous shunt disease with venous congestion of the superior ophthalmic vein (SOV) that was treated by transarterial balloon-assisted embolization.

Case Presentation: A 57-year-old man presented with congestion of the right bulbar conjunctiva, protrusion, and swelling of the right eyelid was admitted to our hospital. Angiography demonstrated an arteriovenous fistula (AVF) forming small congregated vessels in the pterygopalatine fossa fed by the branch of the ophthalmic artery (OA) and artery of the superior orbital fissure, draining into the SOV via the inferior ophthalmic vein (IOV).

Tubulin/microtubules as novel clozapine targets.

Aim: Clozapine is currently the only effective drug for treatment-resistant schizophrenia; nonetheless, its pharmacological mechanism remains unclear, and its administration is limited because of severe adverse effects. By comparing the binding proteins of clozapine and its derivative olanzapine, which is safer but less effective than clozapine, we attempted to clarify the mechanism of action specific to clozapine.

Methods: First, using the polyproline rod conjugates attached with clozapine or olanzapine, clozapine-binding proteins in extracts from the cerebra of 7-week-old ICR mice were isolated and separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to identify proteins.

Functional Sites of Ribosome Modulation Factor (RMF) Involved in the Formation of 100S Ribosome.

One of the important cellular events in all organisms is protein synthesis, which is catalyzed by ribosomes. The ribosomal activity is dependent on the environmental situation of the cell. Bacteria form 100S ribosomes, lacking translational activity, to survive under stress conditions such as nutrient starvation.

Detailed Postmortem Profiling of Inflammatory Mediators Expression Revealed Post-inflammatory Alternation in the Superior Temporal Gyrus of Schizophrenia.

Recent studies have lent support to the possibility that inflammation is associated with the pathology of schizophrenia. In the study of measurement of inflammatory mediators, which are markers of inflammation, elevated inflammatory cytokine levels in the brain and blood have been reported in patients with schizophrenia. Several postmortem brain studies have also reported changes in the expression of inflammatory cytokines.

Intraosseous Arteriovenous Fistula Around the Anterior Condylar Confluence as an Occipital Bone Fracture Sequela.

Background: Although traumatic dural arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is a rare condition, dural injury associated with skull fracture is one of the major factors for the formation of dural AVF at the skull fracture area. We report a case of de novo intraosseous AVF around the anterior condylar confluence after head injury associated with skull base fracture.

Case Description: A woman in her 70s presented with pulsatile tinnitus 3 months after cerebellar infarction and occipital bone fracture.

YkgM and YkgO maintain translation by replacing their paralogs, zinc-binding ribosomal proteins L31 and L36, with identical activities.

When a cell is zinc-deficient, ykgM and ykgO, which encode paralogs of the zinc-binding ribosomal proteins L31 and L36, are expressed from the ykgM operon, which is ordinarily held inactive by the Zur repressor. In ribosomes lacking L31, ribosomal subunit association is weakened, resulting in reduced in vitro translation and the deletion mutants of rpmE, the gene encoding L31, forming small colonies. We isolated four suppressor mutants of ∆rpmE that formed normal colonies.

Coordinated Regulation of Rsd and RMF for Simultaneous Hibernation of Transcription Apparatus and Translation Machinery in Stationary-Phase .

Transcription and translation in growing phase of , the best-studied model prokaryote, are coupled and regulated in coordinate fashion. Accordingly, the growth rate-dependent control of the synthesis of RNA polymerase (RNAP) core enzyme (the core component of transcription apparatus) and ribosomes (the core component of translation machinery) is tightly coordinated to keep the relative level of transcription apparatus and translation machinery constant for effective and efficient utilization of resources and energy. Upon entry into the stationary phase, transcription apparatus is modulated by replacing RNAP core-associated sigma (promoter recognition subunit) from growth-related RpoD to stationary-phase-specific RpoS.