Enhanced Expression of Hemoglobin Scavenger Receptor is Associated With Aortic Valve Stenosis in Patients With Bicuspid Aortic Valve.

Recent studies suggest that intraleaflet hemorrhage is more common in bicuspid aortic valves (BAV) than in tricuspid valves (TAV), possibly contributing to the faster progression of aortic stenosis (AS) in BAV. Hemoglobin (Hb)-induced oxidative damage occurs via haptoglobin (Hp), which irreversibly binds extracorpuscular Hb, forming an Hp-Hb complex. In valve leaflets, this complex is cleared only by macrophages mediated by the CD163 receptor.

Genome wide association studies in yam reveal the challenge of high heterozygosity.

Yam (Dioscorea spp.) is a herbaceous vine crop valued for its starchy tubers, which are rich in essential nutrients. Its genome is highly heterozygous, contributing to considerable genetic diversity and adaptability.

Adaptive memory induced by heat stress during grain filling enhances subsequent thermotolerance in rice (Oryza sativa L.).

Rice grain chalkiness occurs when grains fill under heat stress, greatly reducing grain quality. But the effects of heat stress during grain filling on the subsequent development and adaptive traits remain to be elucidated. Here, we evaluated the effects of heat stress during parental grain filling on the thermotolerance of subsequent plants grown under heat stress after anthesis.

sp. nov. and sp. nov., anaerobic bacteria isolated from deep-marine sediment.

Two obligately anaerobic, Gram-stain-negative, non-spore-forming, rod-shaped, motile and mesophilic bacteria, designated as strains AN17-1 and AN17-2, were isolated from deep-marine sediments collected from the western Pacific Ocean. The phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene with the most closely related species showed 98.5 and 98.

High-pressure synthesis of bilayer nickelate SrNiOCl with a tetragonal crystal structure.

Motivated by a theoretical prediction of its potential superconductivity under ambient pressure, a novel oxychloride, SrNiOCl, was synthesized for the first time. This synthesis utilized a high pressure of 10 GPa at 1673 K. Small single crystals were used to determine the crystal structure and measure the temperature dependence of electrical resistance.

Changes in folic acid, phenolic components, and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitory activity in cowpea () green pods with different pod maturity.

Objective: Cowpea is an important dry bean in developing countries, and its young leaves and green pods are consumed as fresh vegetables. Consuming green pods provides vitamins, minerals, and functional components for small-scale farmers with limited access to vegetables. However, the accumulation process of functional components in young cowpea pods is unknown.

sp. nov., a crude oil aggregation-forming anaerobic bacterium isolated from marine sediment.

A crude oil aggregation-forming, strictly anaerobic, Gram-stain-positive, spore-forming, rod-shaped, motile and mesophilic bacterium, named strain SH18-2, was isolated from marine sediment near Sado Island in the Sea of Japan. The temperature, salinity and pH ranges of this strain for the growth were 15-40 °C (optimum 35 °C), 0.5-6.

Long-term survival after conversion surgery for an esophageal neuroendocrine carcinoma: a case report.

Background: Esophageal neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs) are extremely rare. Published information on their clinical features, pathological findings, and prognosis is lacking. The optimal treatment for esophageal NECs has not yet been determined because they appear extremely malignant histologically and have a poor prognosis.

Sensory studies on the taste and flavor perception of food products by anodal transcutaneous electrical stimulation.

Electrical taste technologies designed to modify the taste of foods have recently garnered increasing recognition as a viable strategy to regulate excessive salt intake. Transcutaneous electrical stimulation (TES) is a method used in non-invasive electrical taste stimulation, which involves the placement of electrodes near the mouth (not inside the mouth) to avoid disruption of natural eating behavior. Previous studies have demonstrated the taste-enhancing effect of anodal TES (aTES) applied to the anterior part of the jaw.

Mid-Term Outcomes of Aortic Valve Repair Without Aortic Root Replacement: A Single-Center Experience.

Background Aortic valve (AV) repair is a challenging procedure due to its complexity, lower reproducibility, and steep learning curve. To examine its durability and validity, we investigated mid-term outcomes following AV repair without aortic root replacement. Methods Between March 2007 and May 2018, we retrospectively identified 14 patients who underwent AV repair without aortic root replacement at our institution.

Changes in the rhizosphere and root-associated bacteria community of white Guinea yam ( Poir.) impacted by genotype and nitrogen fertilization.

The bacterial diversity and composition of water yam ( L. cv. A-19), which can grow without chemical fertilization, have recently been characterized with no significant differences compared with the use of chemical fertilization.

A first-in-human clinical study of laparoscopic autologous myoblast sheet transplantation to prevent delayed perforation after duodenal endoscopic mucosal dissection.

Background: The detection rate of superficial non-ampullary duodenal epithelial tumors (SNADETs) has recently been increasing. Large tumors may contain malignant lesions and early therapeutic intervention is recommended. Endoscopic mucosal dissection (ESD) is considered a feasible treatment modality, however, the anatomical and physiological characteristics of the duodenum create a risk of postoperative perforation after ESD.

Analysis of the Clinical Course in a Population of Patients with Biliary Tract Cancer Diagnosed as Unresectable After Portal Vein Embolization: A Case Series.

Portal vein embolization (PVE) is recommended as a preoperative procedure for patients with biliary tract cancer scheduled to undergo hepatic resection of more than 50%-60% of the liver. However, details and/or information regarding the follow-up of unresectable cases are often lacking, and the clinical course of unresectable cases is not well analyzed and reported. This study aimed to clarify the clinical prognosis of patients with unresectable biliary tract cancer after PVE.

Large Tissue Debris Causing Cerebral Embolism After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

Cerebral vascular embolism is one of the complications of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Thrombolytic therapy is not expected to be effective when embolic material consists of a large tissue fragment. Instead, mechanical aspiration may be more effective therapy for acute cerebral infarction after TAVR.

Effective use of the hybrid emergency Department system in the treatment of non-traumatic critical care diseases.

Background: The hybrid emergency room (ER) system can provide resuscitation, computed tomography imaging, endovascular treatment, and emergency surgery, without transferring the patient. However, although several reports have demonstrated the effectiveness of the hybrid ER for trauma conditions, only a few case reports have demonstrated its usefulness for non-traumatic critical diseases. In this observational cohort study, we aimed to identify endogenous diseases that may benefit from treatment in the hybrid ER.

Maturation of the medaka immune system depends on reciprocal interactions between the microbiota and the intestinal tract.

The interactions between the host immune system and intestinal microorganisms have been studied in many animals, including fish. However, a detailed analysis has not been performed in medaka, an established fish model for biological studies. Here, we investigated the effect of immunodeficiency on the microbiota composition and the effect of gut bacteria on intestinal epithelial development and immune responses in medaka.

Regulation of reactive oxygen species and phytohormones in osmotic stress tolerance during seed germination in rice.

Climate change due to global warming is now affecting agricultural production worldwide. In rice, one of the most important crops, water limitation due to irregular rainfall in rainfed lowlands during crop growth limits yield. Dry direct-sowing has been proposed as a water-efficient approach to cope with water stress during rice growth, but poor seedling establishment due to drought during germination and emergence is a problem.

Predictors and preventers of postoperative bedridden status in the elderly ages over 75 after emergency general surgery: a retrospective cohort study.

Aim: We investigated the proportion of bedridden patients after emergency surgery among the elderly ages over 75; defined as the latter-stage elderly in Japan, the associated factors, and interventions used to prevent it.

Methods: Eighty-two latter-stage elderly patients who underwent emergency surgery for non-traumatic illness between January 2020 and June 2021 in our hospital were included in the study. Backgrounds and various perioperative factors were compared retrospectively between the groups including patients who became bedridden from Performance Status Scale 0 to 3 before admission (Bedridden group) and those who did not (Keep group).

sp. nov., an anaerobic bacterium isolated from marine sediment.

A novel bacterium, strain SH18-1, was isolated from marine sediment collected near Sado Island in the Sea of Japan. This strain was strictly anaerobic, Gram-stain-negative, non-spore-forming, rod-shaped, motile, and mesophilic. It grew at 15-40 °C (optimum, 30-35 °C), at a NaCl concentration of 0.

Synthesis and Characterization of a Trigonal Layered Compound AgInS.

Depending on thermal and pressure conditions, AgInS exhibits various crystal structures. In this study, we synthesized a high-purity polycrystalline sample of trigonal AgInS, which is a layered compound, using a high-pressure synthesis technique. The crystal structure was investigated by synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction and the Rietveld refinement.

Biomass production and nutrient use efficiency in white Guinea yam ( Poir.) genotypes grown under contrasting soil mineral nutrient availability.

Yam ( spp.) is of great importance to food security, especially in West Africa. However, the loss of soil fertility due to dwindling fallow lands with indigenous nutrient supply poses a challenge for yam cultivation.

Robustness of superconductivity to external pressure in high-entropy-alloy-type metal telluride AgInSnPbBiTe.

High-entropy-alloy (HEA) superconductors are a new class of disordered superconductors. However, commonality of superconducting characteristics of HEA materials is unclear. Here, we have investigated the crystal and electronic structure, and the robustness of superconducting states in a HEA-type metal telluride (MTe; M = Ag, In, Sn, Pb, Bi) under high pressure, and the results were compared with the pressure effects for a middle-entropy system (AgPbBiTe) and a reference system of PbTe.