Discovery of sexual dimorphism of the laryngeal sac in the common minke whale Balaenoptera acutorostrata.

Mysticetes, or baleen whales, have an air sac on the ventral surface of the larynx known as the "laryngeal sac." The primary hypothesis regarding this structure's function is that it is involved in sound production. However, several other functions have been proposed, including air recycling, air storage, and even buoyancy control.

Application of DNA Methylation-Based Age Estimation to Construct an Age Structure of Humpback Whales in a Newly Emerged Wintering Ground Around Hachijojima Island, Tokyo Metropolis, Japan.

Using a noninvasive DNA methylation (DNAm)-based age estimation method, we investigate the age structure of humpback whales that newly emerged around Hachijojima Island, Tokyo Metropolis, Japan to uncover the role of this area for this species. We measured DNAm frequencies at three age-related genes (, and ) from 26 biopsy skin samples of 21 unique humpback whales (15 males and 6 females) randomly collected in the winters of 2018-2021 and estimated their ages using the known age estimation model for humpback whales. The estimated ages of the 21 individuals were 2.

Localized Expression of Olfactory Receptor Genes in the Olfactory Organ of Common Minke Whales.

Baleen whales (Mysticeti) possess the necessary anatomical structures and genetic elements for olfaction. Nevertheless, the gene () repertoire has undergone substantial degeneration in the cetacean lineage following the divergence of the Artiodactyla and Cetacea. The functionality of highly degenerated mysticete s within their olfactory epithelium remains unknown.

A case of acute liver failure caused by Budd-Chiari syndrome salvaged by brain-dead donor liver transplantation.

A 24-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with abdominal distension. He was found to have acute liver failure and diagnosed with Budd-Chiari syndrome based on angiography and liver biopsy. Liver transplantation was deemed necessary when angiography showed extensive thrombotic occlusion of the hepatic veins and liver biopsy revealed submassive hepatic necrosis.

Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis and Anti-neutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody-associated Vasculitis Possibly Caused by Enterococcus faecalis Infective Endocarditis.

Infection can induce hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) and anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV). We herein report a 52-year-old man who had HLH and AAV simultaneously, possibly caused by Enterococcus faecalis infective endocarditis. The HLH diagnosis was based on the HLH-2004 criteria.

Morphology of the asymptomatic Αchilles tendon: Measurement of tendon length and shape using magnetic resonance imaging, and investigation of related factors.

Background: One of the severe complications of Achilles tendon (AT) rupture is muscle weakness due to tendon lengthening. It is very important to prevent tendon lengthening during treatment; however, data on the length, thickness, and width of normal ATs are scarce. Furthermore, no studies have investigated the factors related to the AT length and shape.

Plantar pressure distribution in hallux valgus feet after a first metatarsal proximal crescentic osteotomy with a lesser metatarsal proximal shortening osteotomy.

Background: Plantar pressure distribution after the first metatarsal proximal crescentic osteotomy (FMPCO) with lesser metatarsal proximal shortening osteotomy (LMPSO) for hallux valgus with metatarsalgia has not been previously described.

Methods: The pre- (Pre) and postoperative (Post) groups comprised of 18 patients who underwent unilateral FMPCO with LMPSO; fifteen healthy volunteers constituted the control (C) group. For each of the 10 regions, peak pressure (Peak-P), maximum force (Max-F), contact time (Con-T), contact area (Con-A), and force-time integral (FTI) were measured.

Postural stability impairment in patients with bilateral hallux valgus: A case-control study using a stabilometer.

Background: Hallux valgus (HV) is an important risk factor for falls (in older people); however, the detailed relationship is less understood. We aimed to evaluate postural stability in bilateral HV patients.

Methods: Two groups of 20 female patients-an HV group and a C (i.

Fast and robust reconstruction algorithm for fluorescence diffuse optical tomography assuming a cuboid target.

A fast algorithm for fluorescence diffuse optical tomography is proposed. The algorithm is robust against the choice of initial guesses. We estimate the position of a fluorescent target by assuming a cuboid (rectangular parallelepiped) for the fluorophore target.

[Case report of acute encephalopathy caused by enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli infection in a 24-year-old woman].

Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and acute encephalopathy caused by enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli infection occur commonly in children, whereas adult-onset disease is rare. Here we report the case of a 24-year-old woman who developed acute encephalopathy and recovered without sequelae. She initially developed abdominal pain and diarrhea.

Acute Compartment Syndrome of the Forearm Secondary to Hematoma after Playing Golf.

Acute compartment syndrome of the forearm secondary to hematoma without direct trauma has been reported rarely. We report a case of acute compartment syndrome of the forearm following a hematoma after playing golf. A 55-year-old man felt pain in his left forearm while playing golf that gradually worsened.

Numerical simulations of magnetic resonance elastography using finite element analysis with a linear heterogeneous viscoelastic model.

Abstract: Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) is a technique to identify the viscoelastic moduli of biological tissues by solving the inverse problem from the displacement field of viscoelastic wave propagation in a tissue measured by MRI. Because finite element analysis (FEA) of MRE evaluates not only the viscoelastic model for a tissue but also the efficiency of the inversion algorithm, we developed FEA for MRE using commercial software called ANSYS, the Zener model for displacement field of a wave inside tissue, and an inversion algorithm called the modified integral method. The profile of the simulated displacement field by FEA agrees well with the experimental data measured by MRE for gel phantoms.

Distribution and Local Movement of Humpback Whales in Okinawan Waters Depend on Sex and Reproductive Status.

The distribution and local movement patterns of humpback whales in waters off the west coast of Okinawa Island, southwest Japan, were investigated using line transect and photo-identification methodologies. Line transect surveys were conducted from 2011 to 2014 and photo-identification survey from 2006 to 2012. During the surveys, humpback whales aggregated in the areas around Ie and Kerama Islands, and tended to travel along the inshore coast of Okinawa Island when they move locally between those two sites.

Magnetic resonance imaging of bone marrow for TAFRO syndrome.

We report two cases of TAFRO syndrome, which is characterized by thrombocytopenia, anasarca, fever, renal insufficiency, and organomegaly. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the spine showed a dark medullary pattern in the bone marrow on the T1- and T2-weighted images of both patients. One patient showed complete resolution after treatment.

The importance of medical interview with CKD patient in diagnoses of a family with Fabry disease.

A 47-year-old Japanese man was admitted to our hospital for evaluation of proteinuria, which was detected when he was 37 years of age. His creatinine clearance levels had fallen to 76.3 mL/min/1.

Developmental changes in the skull morphology of common minke whales Balaenoptera acutorostrata.

We investigated growth-related and sex-related morphological changes in the skulls of 144 North Pacific common minke whales Balaenoptera acutorostrata. Measurement was conducted at 39 points on the skull and mandible to extract individual allometric equations relating the length and zygomatic width of the skull. The results revealed no significant differences in skull morphology by sex except for width of occipital bone.

Mizoribine as a safe and effective combined maintenance therapy with prednisolone for anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis in a hemodialysis patient.

A 77-year-old man developed severe renal insufficiency due to proteinase 3 anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (PR3-ANCA)-associated vasculitis, and was started on hemodialysis (HD). Because his renal insufficiency appeared to be irreversible, he was maintained on oral prednisolone (PSL) at 5 mg/day. However, a disease flare-up with alveolar hemorrhage occurred.

Model independent MRE data analysis.

For the diagnosing modality called MRE (magnetic resonance elastography), the displacement vector of a wave propagating in a human tissue can be measured. The average of the local wavelength from this measured data could be an index for the diagnosing, because the local wave length becomes larger when the tissue is stiffer. By assuming that the local form of the wave is given approximately as multiple complex plane waves, we identify the real part of the complex linear phase of the strongest plane wave of this multiple complex plane waves, by first applying the FBI transform (Fourier-Bros-Iagolnitzer transform) with an appropriate size of Gaussian window and then taking the maximum of the modulus of the transform with respect to the Fourier variable.

Effect of charcoal hemoperfusion for removal of plasma methotrexate in a patient with acute renal failure.

Strategies effective for accelerating methotrexate removal in delayed methotrexate excretion have not been universally accepted. The authors report a case of a 12-year-old girl with osteosarcoma who developed acute renal failure immediately after the first administration of high-dose methotrexate. Plasma methotrexate was effectively removed with repeated charcoal hemoperfusion in addition to plasma exchange and leucovorin rescue.

Naked plasmid DNA-based alpha-galactosidase A gene transfer partially reduces systemic accumulation of globotriaosylceramide in Fabry mice.

Fabry disease is an X-linked recessive inborn metabolic disorder in which a deficiency in lysosomal enzyme alpha-galactosidase A (Gal A) causes the systemic accumulation of globotriaosylceramide (Gb3). Although many investigators have attempted to treat alpha-Gal A knock-out mice (Fabry mice) with gene therapy, no report has demonstrated therapeutic effects by the retrograde renal vein injection of naked DNA. We recently developed a naked plasmid vector-mediated kidney-targeted gene transfer technique.

Novel mutations of the GLA gene in Japanese patients with Fabry disease and their functional characterization by active site specific chaperone.

Fabry disease is an X-linked recessive inborn metabolic disorder caused by a deficiency of the lysosomal enzyme alpha-galactosidase A (EC 3.2.1.