Defensive tolerance drives the reprogramming and dysfunction of infiltrating pathogenic B cells assuring the maintenance of tolerance.

We previously showed that infiltrating cytotoxic immune cells are reprogrammed to regulatory-like/exhausted cells within accepted kidney allografts through a 'defensive tolerance' mechanism. We observed a regulatory B cell (Breg) signature within the accepted kidney. Here we show that despite a Breg phenotype, neither B cell depletion nor the use of μMT recipients which lack B cells, resulted in kidney allograft rejection.

The Efficacy of Episil® for Radiation-induced Oral Mucositis in Rats.

Objective: Radiation therapy is an indispensable treatment for head and neck cancer; however, the development of radiation-induced oral mucositis causes erythema and ulcers in the patient's oral cavity, resulting in severe pain. The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of Episil® in the treatment of radiation-induced oral mucositis.

Study Design: Seventy-six F344 rats were randomly divided into an Episil® group (n=38) and a control group (n=38).

Comparison between barbed and non-barbed sutures for fascial closure in abdominal surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: To compare the safety and efficacy of barbed and non-barbed sutures for fascial closure in abdominal surgery.

Methods: A systematic literature search through February 2025 identified studies comparing overall surgical site infections (SSI), fascial complications, and hospital stays between barbed and non-barbed sutures. A meta-analysis using random-effects models calculated odds ratios (ORs) or mean differences (MDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Evaluating Tumor Dynamics Using Circulating Tumor DNA in the Rare Cancer Anorectal Malignant Melanoma: A Report of Two Cases.

Introduction: Anorectal malignant melanoma (ARMM) is an extremely rare and aggressive cancer that lacks specific tumor markers, making tumor dynamics difficult to monitor. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), which contains cancer-specific gene mutations, has emerged as a promising biomarker for monitoring various malignant tumors. We herein report the clinical utility of ctDNA measurements in 2 patients with ARMM.

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors for Microsatellite Instability High Unresectable Obstructive Colon Cancer: A Report of Two Cases.

Introduction: Patients with obstructive colon cancer (OCC) with distant metastases often present with a poor general condition, including malnutrition, anemia, and systemic inflammation. Traditionally, these patients undergo stoma creation and/or primary tumor resection followed by systemic chemotherapy. However, for patients with DNA mismatch repair-deficient/microsatellite instability high (dMMR/MSI-H) colorectal cancer, the emergence of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has revolutionized treatment strategies, with remarkable antitumor effects.

Morphological and functional analysis of colorectal cancer cell lines in 2D and 3D culture models.

The epithelial and mesenchymal features of colorectal adenocarcinoma (CRAC) cell lines were compared in two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) cultures. In 2D cultures, the three CRAC cell lines exhibited epithelial characteristics with high E-cadherin and low vimentin levels, whereas two exhibited mesenchymal traits with opposite expression patterns. In 3D cultures using low-attachment plates, mesenchymal cells from 2D cultures showed reduced vimentin mRNA levels.

Chronological changes in etiology, pathological and imaging findings in primary liver cancer from 2001 to 2020.

Purpose: To achieve a historical perspective, the chronological changes in primary liver cancer over a 20-year period were investigated at a single institution, focusing on shifts in etiology and the impact on imaging and pathological findings using The Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective study of surgically resected primary liver cancer in 680 patients from 2001 to 2020 resulted in 434 patients with 482 nodules being analyzed. Dynamic contrast-enhanced computed tomography imaging and the Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System 2018 classification were employed.

A new species of the Genus Margattea (Blattodea: Pseudophyllodromiidae) from Yonaguni-jima Island, the Ryukyus, Japan.

A new species of the cockroach genus Margattea Shellford, 1911 (Blattodea: Pseudophyllodromiidae) is described from Yonaguni-jima Island, the Ryukyus, Japan. The new species M. ventrinigra sp.

Genomic evidence of a transposon-conferred adaptive response.

Raingeval et al. characterize the insertion of the ONSEN transposon in the intron of a flowering repressor, which allows the plant to accelerate its life cycle in response to stress. They show the insertion was positively selected in a herbicide-intense environment demonstrating its role in adaptation to the local environment.

New criteria for preoperative liver function assessment with safety margins to avoid postoperative mortality during liver resection for hilar cholangiocarcinoma.

Background: Despite recent medical advancements, surgery for hilar cholangiocarcinoma is associated with high complication and mortality rates. This may be partly attributed to the absence of established preoperative liver evaluation criteria for safe surgery. This study aimed to propose a reliable indicator for safe and well-planned management of major hepatectomy with extrahepatic bile duct resection.

Posthepatectomy Liver Failure in Patients with Splenomegaly Induced by Induction Chemotherapy for Colorectal Liver Metastases.

Purpose: With advances in chemotherapy, conversion surgery is often performed for initially unresectable colorectal cancer liver metastasis (CLM). However, unexpected posthepatectomy liver failure (PHLF) is sometimes associated with chemotherapy-associated liver injuries following long-term chemotherapy. We aimed to identify predictive factors for PHLF after conversion surgery for initially unresectable CLM.

Reactive lymphoid hyperplasia of the liver after surgery for advanced sigmoid colon cancer: a case report.

We report a case of reactive lymphoid hyperplasia (RLH) mimicking colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) on preoperative workup that was clinically indistinguishable. A 78-year-old woman was found to have locally-advanced sigmoid cancer (T4), and then treated with radical sigmoidectomy. One year after the surgery, plain computed tomography (CT) revealed a low-density area in the right hepatic lobe.

A neat wheat trick to hide genes from selection.

A recent study by Li et al. demonstrated that the removal of like heterochromatin protein 1 (LHP1) in common wheat causes developmental drawbacks, yet confers resistance to stripe rust infection. Due to its role in regulating diversified defense genes, LHP1 was suggested to be an epigenetic gatekeeper potentially promoting adaptive evolution in allopolyploid wheat.

Combined thoracoscopic and laparoscopic surgery for epiphrenic diverticulum with associated gastroesophageal reflux disease: a case report.

Background: Surgery is indicated for symptomatic epiphrenic esophageal diverticula. Based on the features of a case, thoracoscopic or laparoscopic approaches may be used. Epiphrenic diverticula are often associated with esophageal motility disorders, but cases of reflux esophagitis have rarely been reported.

Prognostic impact of preoperative skeletal muscle change from diagnosis to surgery in patients with perihilar cholangiocarcinoma.

Background: Loss of skeletal muscle mass is a prognostic factor after surgery for gastrointestinal cancers. The treatment for perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (PHC) is a highly invasive surgery. Biliary drainage and portal vein embolization, which can prolong the preoperative waiting time (PWT), are often required before surgery.

Essential updates 2020/2021: Recent topics in surgery and perioperative therapy for esophageal cancer.

In this review, we focused on four topics, namely, minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE), robot-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy (RAMIE), conversion and salvage surgery, and neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapy, based on notable reports published in the years 2020 and 2021. It seems that while the short-term outcomes of minimally invasive Ivor Lewis esophagectomy (MIE-IL) were better than those of open Ivor Lewis esophagectomy (OE-IL), there were no significant differences in the long-term outcomes between MIE-IL and OE-IL. Similarly, the short-term outcomes of minimally invasive McKeown esophagectomy (MIE-MK) were better than those of open McKeown esophagectomy (OE-MK), while there were no significant differences in the long-term outcomes between MIE-MK and OE-MK.

Ultrastrong underwater adhesion on diverse substrates using non-canonical phenolic groups.

Robust underwater adhesion is challenging because a hydration layer impedes the interaction between substrates and adhesives. Phenolic adhesives inspired by marine creatures such as mussels were extensively studied, but these adhesives have not reached the adhesion strength and substrate diversity of Man-made dry adhesives. Here, we report a class of ultrastrong underwater adhesives with molecular phenolic designs extending beyond what nature has produced.

Prediction of Recurrence Pattern of Pancreatic Cancer Post-Pancreatic Surgery Using Histology-Based Supervised Machine Learning Algorithms: A Single-Center Retrospective Study.

Background: Patients with pancreatic cancer (PC) have poor prognosis and a high incidence of recurrence. Since further treatment is applicable for specific recurrent events, it is important to predict recurrence patterns after surgery. This study aimed to identify and predict early and late recurrence patterns of PC using a histology-based machine learning model.

A Fabry-Pérot cavity coupled surface plasmon photodiode for electrical biomolecular sensing.

Surface plasmon resonance is a well-established technology for real-time highly sensitive label-free detection and measurement of binding kinetics between biological samples. A common drawback, however, of surface plasmon resonance detection is the necessity for far field angular resolved measurement of specular reflection, which increases the size as well as requiring precise calibration of the optical apparatus. Here we present an alternative optoelectronic approach in which the plasmonic sensor is integrated within a photovoltaic cell.

Feasibility of endoscopic hand suturing on rectal anastomoses in ex vivo porcine models.

Prevention of postoperative anastomotic leakage in rectal surgery is still required. This study investigated the feasibility of endoscopic hand suturing (EHS) on rectal anastomosis ex vivo. By using isolated porcine colon, we prepared ten anastomoses 6-10 cm from the virtual anus.

Chromosome-level genome assembly of Ophiorrhiza pumila reveals the evolution of camptothecin biosynthesis.

Plant genomes remain highly fragmented and are often characterized by hundreds to thousands of assembly gaps. Here, we report chromosome-level reference and phased genome assembly of Ophiorrhiza pumila, a camptothecin-producing medicinal plant, through an ordered multi-scaffolding and experimental validation approach. With 21 assembly gaps and a contig N50 of 18.