Overexpression of Nuclear Factor of Activated T-cells (NFAT) Transcription Factors Drives Chemoresistance and Poor Outcomes in Pancreatic Cancer.

Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains one of the most lethal malignancies with high recurrence and poor survival (5-year survival rate: approximately 10%) despite curative resection. Identifying molecular drivers of PDAC recurrence remains a significant challenge. PDAC is characterized by dense stromal hyperplasia that may influence tumor cell-specific gene expression.

Initial Experience With Nalmefene in Alcohol-Related Liver Disease: A Real-World Retrospective Study.

Background: Complete abstinence is the cornerstone of alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) management. However, many patients struggle to achieve or sustain abstinence, prompting growing interest in harm reduction strategies, particularly pharmacological interventions to reduce alcohol intake. Nalmefene, an opioid receptor modulator, has shown efficacy in reducing alcohol consumption among individuals with alcohol dependence.

Rifaximin Attenuates Liver Fibrosis and Hepatocarcinogenesis in a Rat MASH Model by Suppressing the Gut-Liver Axis and Epiregulin-IL-8-Associated Angiogenesis.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) is a progressive liver disease linked to fibrosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Gut-derived lipopolysaccharide (LPS) promotes hepatic inflammation, fibrosis, and angiogenesis through toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling. This study examined the effects of rifaximin, a non-absorbable, gut-targeted antibiotic, on MASH-related liver fibrosis and early hepatocarcinogenesis, with a focus on the LPS-epiregulin-IL-8-angiogenesis axis.

Elevated Serum Creatine Kinase During the Treatment of Patients with Graves' Disease with Antithyroid Drugs: New Insights into an Old Issue.

Serum creatine kinase (CK) elevation can occur in some patients with Graves' disease treated with antithyroid drugs (ATDs). This study retrospectively investigated clinical characteristics and biochemical data of patients with Graves' disease who experienced serum CK elevation during ATD treatment. CK elevation was observed in 29.

Efficacy of Azacitidine Plus Venetoclax in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Transformed from Myelodysplastic Syndrome after Failure of Azacitidine Monotherapy.

Objective Patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) transformed from myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) have a poor prognosis, including those treated with azacitidine during the MDS phase; there is no standard for the care of these patients. Recently, azacitidine plus venetoclax (AZA/VEN) was reported to prolong the survival in treatment-naïve AML patients compared with AZA monotherapy. However, the results of AZA/VEN for AML transformed from MDS, particularly after AZA monotherapy, remain unclear.

Comparison of hysterectomy using four different robotic surgical systems; a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Robot-assisted surgery has become a cornerstone of minimally invasive gynecologic procedures. While the da Vinci system has long dominated the field, new robotic platforms, such as hinotori™ and Hugo™, have recently been introduced, expanding surgical options. However, no previous study has directly compared surgical outcomes across these four systems.

Stepwise identification of an SQSTM1::NTRK3 fusion in papillary thyroid carcinoma: Diagnostic pitfalls and the value of integrative genomic profiling.

A 70-year-old woman presented with bilateral cervical lymphadenopathy and multiple pulmonary nodules. She had undergone right thyroid lobectomy in childhood. Ultrasonography revealed a newly identified mass in the remnant left thyroid lobe and enlarged cervical lymph nodes.

Donor lymphocyte infusion-based therapy for relapsed adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma after HLA-haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI) combined with chemotherapy is an effective therapy for relapsed adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation from a human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-matched related donor or matched unrelated donor. The 1-year incidence of ATL relapse is 28 % after HLA-haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (haplo-HSCT) with post-transplant cyclophosphamide. However, the efficacy of DLI for relapsed ATL after haplo-HSCT remains unclear.

CTHRC1 promotes bone metastasis in prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer causes a high frequency of bone metastases. The purpose of this study was to identify molecules that regulate prostate cancer bone metastasis as potential therapeutic and/or prognostic targets in prostate cancer, using integrative genome-wide data. Based on the biological characterization of prostate cancer cell lines and integrated big data analysis of clinical samples, we identified CTHRC1 as a candidate gene that regulates prostate cancer bone metastasis.

Reminiscent of the pre-diatom? A hitherto undescribed scaly bolidophyte Lepidoparma frigida gen. et sp. nov. in a new order Lepidoparmales based on morphology, phylogeny, and ecology.

The class Bolidophyceae, which consists of small phytoplankton distributed worldwide, is the sister group of diatoms. This class has contained only one order, the Parmales, until now. In this study, we established a new order Lepidoparmales Kamakura & S.

A questionnaire survey of thyroid specialists in Japan on the use of thyroid hormones in hypothyroid and euthyroid patients.

Levothyroxine (LT4) is the established treatment for hypothyroidism but some controversies, such as whether combining it with liothyronine (LT3) for hypothyroid patients and whether prescribing it to euthyroid patients, exist on its use. This survey was conducted to investigate current trends about thyroid hormone use in hypothyroid and euthyroid patients in Japan. Members of the Japan Thyroid Association (JTA) were invited to participate in an online questionnaire based on the THESIS (Treatment of Hypothyroidism in Europe by Specialists: An International Survey) survey.

Recombinant human ADAMTS13 attenuates LPS-induced acute kidney injury and renal microangiopathy in murine advanced liver fibrosis by cleaving vWF.

Hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) has a poor prognosis among the complication of cirrhosis, yet treatment options are limited. Thrombotic microangiopathy with reduced ADAMTS13 activity and vWF accumulation has been reported to play a key role in the pathogenesis of acute kidney injury (AKI) in cirrhosis. This study investigated the effect of recombinant ADAMTS13 (rADAMTS13) on AKI with carbon tetrachloride (CCl)-induced advanced liver fibrosis in mice.

Acute Transient Thyroid Cracking: A Proposal of a New Disease Entity as a Mild Form of Acute Transient Thyroid Swelling.

This study aims to investigate the clinical and ultrasonographic features of thyroid swelling following fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB), and to distinguish between symptomatic and asymptomatic forms. We retrospectively reviewed 872 patients who underwent thyroid ultrasonography before and after FNAB between January and November 2024. Patients showing new hypoechoic cracking after FNAB were identified.

Evaluating Signal Peptide Efficiency for Extracellular Protein Secretion for mRNA Vaccine Design.

mRNA vaccines have emerged as promising platforms for the prevention of infectious diseases and cancer treatment. The antigenic protein has a signal peptide added to the N-terminus for extracellular secretion. However, it remains unclear whether the optimization of signal peptides has been sufficiently compared and examined for antigen protein secretion and immunogenicity.

Video education for patients with heart failure: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Education is essential for disease management in patients with Heart Failure (HF). Video education, based on adult learning and self-efficacy theories, may enhance outcomes by combining visual and auditory information. No study has comprehensively reviewed the impact of video education on mortality, HF) hospitalization, and Quality of Life (QOL) in patients with HF.

Geoelectrical evidence of fluid controlling slow and regular earthquakes along a plate interface.

Understanding the distribution of physical properties around shallow subducting plate interfaces, where both destructive and "slow" earthquakes occur due to rapid and slower fault slips, respectively, presents a major scientific and disaster mitigation challenge. Pore water is a key factor in understanding the different slip mechanisms and their spatial relationships; however, its distribution remains understudied. In this study, based on marine magnetotelluric survey in Hyuga-nada, southwestern Japan, we identified distinct resistive and conductive anomalies along the plate interface.

Clinical Significance of Marginal Zinc Deficiency as a Predictor of Covert Hepatic Encephalopathy in Patients with Liver Cirrhosis.

Covert hepatic encephalopathy (CHE) can worsen the quality of life and prognosis of patients with cirrhosis. We analyzed the risk factors of CHE and identified patients at high risk for overt hepatic encephalopathy (HE) who would benefit from therapeutic interventions. We included 145 patients without a history of or treatment for overt HE.

Effect of storage temperature on nucleic acid quality in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue samples.

Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples are widely used for genomic analyses in clinical and research settings. However, prolonged storage at room temperature may compromise nucleic acid quality, potentially affecting the reliability of molecular testing. In this study, we investigated the impact of various storage temperatures and repeated temperature changes on nucleic acid quality in FFPE samples.

Involvement of the ADAMTS13-von Willebrand factor axis in acute kidney injury in mice with liver cirrhosis.

Aim: Hepatorenal syndrome-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) comprises AKI and liver cirrhosis (LC) and is a risk factor for poor prognoses of patients with LC. Decreased a disintegrin-like metalloproteinase with thrombospondin type 1 motif 13 (ADAMTS13) activity and increased von Willebrand factor (vWF) antigen levels are associated with LC progression and portal hypertension. We investigated the role of the ADAMTS13-vWF axis in AKI using an LC mouse model.

Prognostic significance of skeletal muscle mass in patients with alcohol-related cirrhosis.

Aim: This study aimed to assess the prognostic significance of hand grip strength (HGS) and skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) in patients with alcohol-related cirrhosis.

Methods: 535 patients with liver cirrhosis (LC) were assessed for HGS and computed tomography (CT)-based SMI. They were categorized into alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD; n = 226), metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH; n = 119), and virus-related cirrhosis (VC, n = 190) groups.

Fibrosis stage is an independent predictor of liver-related complications in primary biliary cholangitis.

Aim: This study aimed to determine the predictive ability of the histological stage (HS) compared with biochemical response to ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) (BR) on developing complications in patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC).

Methods: Overall, 226 patients with asymptomatic PBC treated with UDCA were enrolled. Pathological staging was conducted based on the Scheuer and Nakanuma classifications, which were graded for liver fibrosis (fibrosis) and bile duct loss (BDL).

Identification of E3 Ubiquitin Ligase Substrates Using Biotin Ligase-Based Proximity Labeling Approaches.

Ubiquitylation is a post-translational modification originally identified as the first step in protein degradation by the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Ubiquitylation is also known to regulate many cellular processes without degrading the ubiquitylated proteins. Substrate proteins are specifically recognized and ubiquitylated by ubiquitin ligases.

Evaluation of platinum-free interval and chemotherapeutic effect of subsequent platinum-containing chemotherapy in patients with recurrent ovarian cancer initially treated with bevacizumab: SGSG018/Intergroup study.

Objective: The effect of bevacizumab on platinum sensitivity in recurrent ovarian cancer remains poorly understood. This study examined the association between platinum-free interval (PFI) and sensitivity to subsequent platinum-containing chemotherapy in patients with first relapsed ovarian cancer after bevacizumab chemotherapy.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients who received platinum-based chemotherapy for platinum-sensitive recurrence between November 2013, and December 2019, and who were initially treated by platinum-based chemotherapy with concurrent and maintenance bevacizumab.

Site of Biopsy and Its Accuracy in Preoperative Diagnosis of Superficial Nonampullary Duodenal Epithelial Tumors: Retrospective Study.

As endoscopy is increasingly being used to diagnose superficial nonampullary duodenal epithelial tumors (SNADETs), there is a growing need for their early detection and minimally invasive treatment. This study investigated the diagnostic accuracy of biopsy specimens for SNADETs. We conducted a retrospective analysis of clinicopathologic data from 98 patients with SNADETs who had undergone endoscopic resection.

Characterization of zebrafish rod and cone photoresponses.

Zebrafish is a popular species widely used in vision research. The zebrafish retina has one rod and four cone subtypes (UV-, blue-, green-, and red-sensitive) with 40%-rod 60%-cone ratio, making it suitable for comparable studies of rods and cones in health and disease. However, the basic photoresponse properties of the four zebrafish cone subtypes have not been described yet.