Effects of a Novel Mammalian-Derived Collagen Matrix on Human Articular Cartilage-Derived Chondrocytes from Osteoarthritis Patients.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint disorder worldwide. Autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) is an established treatment for articular cartilage defects of the knee, but its effectiveness in OA is still under investigation. In this study, we investigated the effects of a newly developed mammalian-derived collagen matrix, NC-Col, on the proliferation, migration, adhesion, and gene expression of human articular cartilage-derived chondrocytes from OA patients in vitro, using proliferation assays, wound healing assays, adhesion assays, RT-qPCR, and RNA sequencing, respectively.

When and how do 17-year periodical cicada nymphs decide to emerge? A field test of the 4-year-gate hypothesis.

The 17-year cicadas ( spp.) are renowned for the longest, strictly regulated juvenile period in insects, yet how they control their life cycle is unknown. Here, we test our hypothesis of adult emergence decision points at developmental gates of 4 years based on critical body weight (CBW).

ST2 effector memory helper T cells are responsible for long-term asthma exacerbation leading to female-predominant airway inflammation.

Background: The risk of asthma exacerbation is intrinsic to female patients. Enhanced type 2 immune responses are considered to be associated with sustained increased susceptibility to asthma exacerbation in female patients; however, the mechanisms mediating this relationship remain unclear.

Methods: Using a Dermatophagoides farinae-induced asthma mouse model, asthma-related features were evaluated.

Association between neutrophil extracellular traps in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and severity of drug-induced lung injury.

Background: Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) play a pivotal role in early immune responses and are implicated in various respiratory diseases, such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). A correlation between NETs in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and the severity of ARDS has been reported. NETs are also associated with drug-induced organ disorders.

Effectiveness of filling structures within nerve guidance conduits in a rat sciatic nerve injury model.

Introduction: The gold standard treatment for peripheral nerve gap injury is nerve autograft transplantation. Although various nerve guidance conduits (NGCs) have been developed as alternatives to autografting, few reports have evaluated the effects of the internal structure of NGCs on nerve regeneration. We investigated how the internal structure of NGCs affects nerve regeneration.

Muopause sounder to derive vertically averaged atmospheric temperature underneath the muopause with the distance of flight muography technique.

A number of papers have focused on monitoring surface temperature to evaluate the greenhouse effect. However, it is well known that measuring the net radiation from the entire troposphere using vertically averaged temperature would be preferable as an index to evaluate the greenhouse effect. Thus far, upper-air weather balloon systems, satellite-mounted hyperspectral infrared sounders, and microwave sounders have been used for acquiring vertically averaged tropospheric temperature.

Seasonal Variations in Drug-Related Erythema Multiforme: A Time Series Analysis Using the JADER Database.

Erythema multiforme (EM) is a rare, immune-mediated skin condition triggered primarily by infections, drugs, and autoimmune diseases. Although its seasonal variations have been reported, with peaks in spring and summer, comprehensive analyses remain limited. In this study, we aimed to investigate the seasonal patterns and drug associations of EM using the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report database.

Dynamic patterns of repeats and retrotransposons in the centromeres of Humulus lupulus L.

The centromere has a conserved function across eukaryotes; however, the associated DNA sequences exhibit remarkable diversity in both size and structure. In plants, some species possess well-defined centromeres dominated by tandem satellite repeats and centromeric retrotransposons, while others have centromeric regions composed almost entirely of retrotransposons. Using a combination of bioinformatic, molecular, and cytogenetic approaches, we analyzed the centromeric landscape of Humulus lupulus.

Single-chain variable fragment antibodies targeting the antileukemia agent harringtonine for enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay development.

In this study, we generated a single-chain variable fragment (scFv) specific to a potent antileukemic substance, harringtonine (HT) (HT-scFv) that can be used in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the quantitative analysis of HT in the plant genus . The variable heavy (VH) and light chain (VL) genes were directly cloned from the cDNA of the hybridoma cell line 1D2, which secretes monoclonal antibody against HT (MAb 1D2). These genes were then assembled with a flexible peptide linker, specifically (GlySer), through splicing by overlap extension PCR.

Impact of Calcification Location in the Left Main Coronary Artery Bifurcation on Short-Term Prognosis After Left Main Stenting.

Background: The effect of the location of calcification in the left main coronary artery (LMCA) bifurcation on cardiovascular events remains unclear.

Methods And Results: This retrospective study included 498 patients who underwent LMCA stenting at a single center between 2014 and 2018. Moderate or severe calcification was visually assessed by coronary angiography.

Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Stage II Rectal Cancer Diagnosed in the Second Trimester of Pregnancy: A Case Report.

Introduction: The onset of colorectal cancer during pregnancy is rare, and no standard treatment has been established. In this report, we present the case of a woman with clinical stage II rectal cancer diagnosed in the second trimester, in which neoadjuvant chemotherapy was administered, followed by delivery once fetal development was sufficiently advanced, and surgery was performed afterward.

Case Presentation: The patient was a 36-year-old woman at 22 weeks of gestation.

Effects of booster vaccination on post-treatment oxygen deterioration in hospitalized mild-to-moderate COVID-19 Japanese patients with comorbidities during the Omicron wave.

Introduction: Although the emergence of the Omicron variant has decreased overall mortality from Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) compared to the Delta variant, elderly individuals with comorbidities remain at increased risk of adverse outcomes. While vaccination and antiviral treatments have reduced the severity of COVID-19, data on the impact of booster vaccination on post-hospitalization oxygen deterioration in the Japanese population remain limited.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of hospitalized mild-to-moderate COVID-19 Japanese patients during the Omicron variant wave (December 2021 to October 2022).

Evolution and functioning of an X-A balance sex-determining system in hops.

Chromosomal sex-determining systems with male heterogamety include actively male-determining-Y and X-A balance systems, both of which are found in animals and plants. The sex-determining genes have been identified in several active-Y plant systems, but the evolution and functioning of X-A balance systems remains mysterious. Here we sequenced and compared the genomes of two hop species.

Renal and gastrointestinal complications following tosufloxacin therapy for suspected mycoplasma infection in a 10-year-old child.

Tosufloxacin, a fluoroquinolone antibiotic, is increasingly prescribed for pediatric patients, particularly for macrolide-resistant Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections in Japan. While its efficacy is well-documented, adverse effects such as renal impairment and gastrointestinal symptoms have raised growing concerns. We report a case of a 10-year-old girl who developed sequential symptoms following tosufloxacin administration.

Granulomatous interstitial nephritis due to sarcoidosis following SARS-CoV-2 infection: a rare case report.

We report the first documented case of renal sarcoidosis developing after SARS-CoV-2 infection. The patient, a 59-year-old woman with no significant medical history, was diagnosed with COVID-19 after experiencing persistent fatigue and insomnia. Approximately three weeks after the infection, she developed a skin rash, prompting a biopsy that revealed epithelioid granulomas.

A controlled clinical trial of leg thermal therapy in conjunction with standard cardiac rehabilitation in patients with decompensated heart failure.

[Purpose] Leg thermal therapy (LTT) using far-infrared-ray dry sauna stimulation improves hemodynamics in patients with heart failure (HF); however, its additive effect when combined with cardiac rehabilitation (CR) remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate whether incorporating LTT into acute-phase CR confers exercise capacity in hospitalized patients with HF. [Participants and Methods] Seventeen patients with decompensated HF (median age 75 years) admitted between June 2018 and November 2019 were prospectively assigned to the CR plus LTT (11 participants) or the CR group (6 participants).

IgG4-related pleuritis diagnosed by local anesthesia thoracoscopy; a case report and literature review.

IgG4-related pleuritis is rare in patients with IgG4-related diseases (IgG4RD). We report a case of IgG4-related pleuritis diagnosed in a 77-year-old Japanese man with right pleural effusion. The pleural effusion exhibited lymphocyte-predominant exudates with elevated adenosine deaminase (ADA) and IgG4 levels, along with the presence of plasma cells.

Comprehensive Elbow Joint Morphology Changes in Surgically Treated Osteochondritis Dissecans of the Capitellum: Clinical Implications.

Background: Capitellar osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) frequently results in radial head enlargement. However, due to the elbow joint's complex anatomy, deformities likely extend beyond just the radial head.

Hypothesis/purpose: It was hypothesized that in patients with OCD treated with surgery, imbalances in bone morphology during growth would affect the entire joint, leading to postoperative clinical symptoms.

Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Outcomes for Chronic Total Occlusion in Patients on Dialysis: Analysis of the Japanese CTO-PCI Expert Registry.

Background: Patients undergoing dialysis are at a high risk of cardiovascular death, and the prevalence of coronary complex lesions is high.

Aims: This study aimed to analyze the characteristics, outcomes, and adverse events of chronic total occlusion (CTO)-percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients undergoing dialysis.

Methods: We examined 11,664 patients enrolled in the Japanese CTO-PCI Expert Registry between January 2014 and December 2022.

Outcomes of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for Chronic Total Occlusion With Bifurcation at Distal Cap.

Background: Bifurcation at the chronic total occlusion (CTO) distal cap is a key factor in the global CTO crossing algorithm.

Objectives: This study was performed to analyze procedural outcomes and adverse events and to evaluate strategies for managing bifurcation at the CTO distal cap.

Methods: We analyzed 11,627 patients enrolled in the Japanese CTO-PCI Expert Registry with an analyzable CTO distal cap between January 2014 and December 2022.