Immunomics-guided biomarker discovery for human liver fluke infection and infection-associated cholangiocarcinoma.

Sensitive diagnostics are needed to improve management and surveillance of opisthorchiasis and opisthorchiasis-associated cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) throughout East Asia. Herein we generate and screen an Opisthorchis viverrini recombinant secreted proteome to identity antibody biomarkers of liver fluke infection and CCA with sera from study participants in endemic populations and evaluate their utility as point-of-care immunochromatographic tests (PoC-ICTs). We incorporate two of the most promising antigens from the proteome array screen, P1 and P9, into PoC-ICTs to further validate their diagnostic performance.

Characterization of anticipatory postural adjustments in patients with post-stroke hemiplegia using smartphones.

Background: This study aimed to measure anticipatory postural adjustment characteristics of patients with stroke hemiplegia during one-leg standing using a smartphone.

Methods: Participants included 20 patients with stroke hemiplegia and 10 healthy age-matched controls. A smartphone was attached to the pelvis (L5), and one-leg standing movement was measured.

Evaluating the impact of therapeutic handling on sit-to-stand movements post-stroke: Kinematic smoothness as a monitoring metric for recovery.

Therapeutic handling during sit-to-stand (STS) tasks in post-stroke subjects targets complex motor pattern modifications, however, its impact on movement smoothness and the subject-specific responses remains underexplored. This study aimed to examine the effects of therapeutic handling on the movement smoothness during STS in post-stroke subjects, identifying recovery subtypes based on immediate changes in smoothness metrics and longitudinal motor functional improvements. Thirty-eight inpatient post-stroke subjects and five healthy controls participated in standardized STS, with and without therapeutic handling.

The role of the stapled interlobar fissure position for intraoperative detection and postoperative diagnosis of middle lobe torsion after right upper lobectomy.

Background: Lung torsion is caused by the lung twisting around the hilum, leading to severe conditions with a high mortality rate. We evaluated the usefulness of the stapled interlobar fissure (SIF) position for intraoperative detection and postoperative early diagnosis of middle lobe (ML) torsion after right upper lobectomy (RUL).

Methods: This retrospective study included 271 patients who underwent RUL at the Hokkaido University Hospital or Obihiro Kosei General Hospital.

A proof-of-concept point-of-care test for the serodiagnosis of human amebic liver abscess.

Background: Amebic liver abscess (ALA), caused by an extraintestinal invasion of the virulent protozoan , is important among parasitic causes of morbidity and mortality, especially in the tropics. Clinical symptoms, medical-imaging abnormalities of the liver and serological tests are normally made for supportive diagnosis. Serum-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) has been conventionally used for diagnosing ALA but is time-consuming and sophisticated equipment is required.

Fundamental questions in meiofauna research highlight how small but ubiquitous animals can improve our understanding of Nature.

This paper identifies the top-50 priority questions for meiofaunal research, highlighting their critical roles in biogeochemical cycles and biodiversity. It calls for a balanced research agenda, international cooperation, and advances in technology to overcome current challenges and unlock meiofauna’s full potential.

Lateral-Flow Antibody Detection Device for the Diagnosis of Human Fascioliasis Using Simulated Whole-Blood Samples.

Fascioliasis, which is caused by Fasciola hepatica and Fasciola gigantica (F. gigantica), is a public health problem worldwide. Stages infective to humans occur on aquatic plants and in water.

A new focus of Taenia asiatica taeniasis in North Sumatra, Indonesia: Molecular confirmation and prevalence.

In the Samosir Island of North Sumatra, Indonesia, the prevalence of taeniasis caused by Taenia asiatica was reported as 2.2 %-20.7 % during 1972-2005.

An immunochromatographic test using whole blood for rapid diagnosis of human paragonimiasis and its diagnostic usefulness.

Paragonimiasis is a harmful food-borne zoonosis caused by lung flukes of the genus . The disease is found on most continents, several million people are at risk of infection, and it is a re-emerging disease in developing countries. The gold standard for diagnosis of pulmonary paragonimiasis requires the finding of eggs in sputa and/or fecal samples.

Miniature pigs as the intermediate host for Taenia asiatica.

Taenia asiatica, utilizing pigs as an intermediate host, degenerates and/or calcifies within a few months after infection in pigs, whereas Taenia solium, also using pigs as an intermediate host, can develop into a mature metacestode within a couple of months and can survive for prolong periods in pigs. This raises the question of whether pigs are suitable intermediate hosts for T. asiatica.

Dose Optimization of Intravenous Indocyanine Green for Malignant Lung Tumor Localization.

Intravenously administered indocyanine green (ICG) accumulates in lung tumors, facilitating their detection via a fluorescence spectrum measurement. This method aids in identifying tumor locations that are invisible to the naked eye. We aim to determine the optimal ICG dose and administration method for accurate tumor identification during lung resection surgeries, utilizing a novel ICG fluorescence spectroscopy system for precise tumor localization.

Analysis of the characteristics of anticipatory postural adjustments in older adults using smartphones: Association between cognitive and balance functions.

Objectives: Using smartphones, we aimed to clarify the characteristics of anticipatory postural adjustments (APA) in older adults and examine the relationship between cognitive and balance functions.

Methods: The study participants were 10 young and 13 older adults. An accelerometer built into a smartphone was attached to the lower back (L5) of the participant, and acceleration in the mediolateral direction was measured using a one-leg stance (OLS).

Dystextia and dystypia due to phonological errors after ischemic stroke: a case report in a Japanese patient.

A 69-year-old Japanese male presented with acute dystextia and dystypia, defined as texting and typing impairments, respectively. His text input speed decreased due to a phonologically incorrect kana flick input on his smartphone. Additionally, dystypia occurred due to phonemic paragraphia of Romaji.

Molecular identification of Spirometra infections in companion animals and wildlife in Japan.

Spirometra infections in companion animals and wildlife in Japan have been diagnosed based on the morphology of the adult worms and eggs, and the etiological agent has been mainly ascribed to Spirometra erinaceieuropaei. However, recent studies have revealed that two other species, Spirometra mansoni and Spirometra asiana, coexist in Japan. Spirometra asiana is a new species recently discovered in Japan.

Epibiontic life on intertidal Setaphyes kielensis and S. dentatus (Kinorhyncha, Pycnophyidae) from Sylt, North Sea, Germany, with a description of a new species of Trematosoma (Ciliophora, Acinetidae) and a redescription of Cothurnia buetschlii (Ciliophora, Vaginicolidae).

Specimens of two species of Kinorhyncha, Setaphyes dentatus and S. kielensis, were collected in 1988, 1998, and 2016 at two intertidal sites on the island of Sylt, North Sea, and investigated as preserved material by light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy for their epibionts. One species of Acinetidae (Suctoria), one species of Vaginicolidae (Peritrichia), and two species of bacteria were traced.

Development and evaluation of an immunochromatography-based point-of-care test kit for a rapid diagnosis of human cysticercosis.

Human cysticercosis is a life-threatening zoonotic disease caused by infection with larvae (cysticerci) of the pork tapeworm, . This can affect the nervous system causing chronic headache and intracranial hypertension, potentially leading to epileptic seizures and paralysis. The disease is found in developing countries, especially in Southeast and South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Central and South America where porcine cysticercosis is endemic and people have a habit of eating undercooked pork.

Description of Spirometra asiana sp. nov. (Cestoda: Diphyllobothriidae) found in wild boars and hound dogs in Japan.

According to the latest taxonomy of Spirometra species, six species (lineages) have been tentatively classified as valid. These species are Spirometra erinaceieuropaei, S. folium, S.

Examination of the correlation between the knee extension angles in the sitting and supine positions measured using ImageJ software: a prospective cross-sectional study.

[Purpose] We aimed to examine the correlation between the knee extension angles in the sitting and supine positions measured using ImageJ software. [Participants and Methods] A total of 50 legs in 25 healthy participants (17 males and 8 females) were included in our study. The knee extension angle was measured in the sitting and supine positions with the participants actively and maximally extending their knee joint on one side.

Genetic characterization of Dibothriocephalus latus and Dibothriocephalus dendriticus (Cestoda: Diphyllobothriidae) from Chile based on haplotype analysis using mitochondrial DNA markers.

Dibothriocephalus latus and Dibothriocephalus dendriticus are found throughout the temperate and sub-arctic zones of the northern hemisphere, but they are also found in the southern core countries of South America, Chile and Argentina. Genetic characteristics of D. latus and D.

Favorable Outcome with Intravenous Immunoglobulin Therapy in Late-Onset Anti-mGluR1 Encephalitis: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Anti-metabotropic glutamate receptor 1 (mGluR1) encephalitis is a rare autoimmune disorder manifesting with cerebellar syndrome. Patients with mGluR1 encephalitis have been treated with immunomodulatory therapies; however, little is known about the efficacy of this therapy. A 58-year-old Japanese woman presented with dizziness when walking and standing up.

Successful treatment of a patient with Takayasu's arteritis complicated with Crohn's disease with ustekinumab: A case report.

A 17-year-old woman was referred to our department with fever, general malaise, and weight loss. She was diagnosed with Takayasu arteritis (TAK) and Crohn's disease (CD) following positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) and colonoscopy, respectively. Serological human leukocyte antigen (HLA) typing revealed HLA-B52 positivity.

Biochemical characterization of mitochondria from adult worms and plerocercoid larvae of Spirometra mansoni shows mixed populations of anaerobic and aerobic mitochondria.

The mitochondria of adult and plerocercoid Spirometra mansoni were characterized in isolated mitochondria and in situ by electron microscopic histochemistry with special attention to the respiratory chain. Although the specific activities of the constituent enzyme complexes of succinate oxidase are fairly similar in adult and plerocercoid mitochondria, those of succinate oxidase and NADH-FRD are approximately 4- and 25-fold higher in adult mitochondria than in plerocercoid mitochondria, respectively. Quinone analysis by high performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry showed that adult and plerocercoid mitochondria contained both rhodoquinone-10 and ubiquinone-10 at concentrations of 4.

New quantitative evaluation of anticipatory postural adjustments using a smartphone in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Objective: To investigate a smartphone-enabled quantitative evaluation of anticipatory postural adjustments (APA) during one-leg stance (OLS) movements among individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD).

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 10 young controls, 10 older individuals, and 13 individuals with PD. A smartphone and accelerometer were attached to the participants' lower back (L5), and the movements of the lower back toward the stance side during OLS were measured.