N-acetylcarnosine attenuates age-associated declines in multi-organ systems to improve survival.

Histidine containing dipeptides (HCDs) such as N-acetylcarnosine are endogenous metabolites that are ergogenic and mitigate metabolic dysfunction. We previously demonstrated that short-term N-acetylcarnosine treatment is highly efficacious in protecting muscle atrophy induced by disuse. Here we demonstrate that a 6-months treatment of N-acetylcarnosine attenuates a broad spectrum of age-associated maladies and improved survival by ∼50% in female mice.

Synthetic and Functional Engineering of Bacteriophages: Approaches for Tailored Bactericidal, Diagnostic, and Delivery Platforms.

Bacteriophages (phages), the most abundant biological entities on Earth, have long served as both model systems and therapeutic tools. Recent advances in synthetic biology and genetic engineering have revolutionized the capacity to tailor phages with enhanced functionality beyond their natural capabilities. This review outlines the current landscape of synthetic and functional engineering of phages, encompassing both in-vivo and in-vitro strategies.

Random Insertion Reporter Gimmicks Powered by Cut-and-Paste DNA Transposons.

Transposons are mobile genetic elements capable of moving within the genome. Leveraging this property-particularly the cut-and-paste mechanism of DNA transposons-has enabled the development of technologies for inserting exogenous DNA fragments into host genomes. While targeted integration is a key goal for therapeutic applications, this review highlights the value of their intrinsic randomness.

Comprehensive Identification of Proteins Interacting with Long Non-Coding RNA TUG1 in R-Loop Regulation.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) regulate a wide array of cellular processes through interactions with RNA-binding proteins (RBPs). Taurine Upregulated Gene 1 (TUG1) is a lncRNA that is overexpressed in many types of cancer and has been implicated in resolving R-loops, thereby maintaining genomic integrity. However, the full spectrum of its protein interactions and stress-responsive dynamics remains unclear.

A Novel Bilateral Data Fusion Approach for EMG-Driven Deep Learning in Post-Stroke Paretic Gesture Recognition.

We introduce a hybrid deep learning model for recognizing hand gestures from electromyography (EMG) signals in subacute stroke patients: the one-dimensional convolutional long short-term memory neural network (CNN-LSTM). The proposed network was trained, tested, and cross-validated on seven hand gesture movements, collected via EMG from 25 patients exhibiting clinical features of paresis. EMG data from these patients were collected twice post-stroke, at least one week apart, and divided into datasets A and B to assess performance over time while balancing subject-specific content and minimizing training bias.

Idiopathic Normal-Pressure Hydrocephalus Revealed by Systemic Infection: Clinical Observations of Two Cases.

Idiopathic normal-pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) is a potentially reversible neurological disorder characterized by gait disturbance, cognitive impairment, and urinary incontinence. Its pathophysiology involves impaired cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) absorption, and recent research has highlighted the role of the glymphatic and meningeal lymphatic systems in this process. However, the factors that trigger the clinical manifestations of iNPH in subclinical cases remain poorly understood.

Successful treatment with lithium carbonate for periodic psychosis of adolescence.

Background: Periodic psychosis of adolescence is a rare psychiatric condition observed in adolescent girls, characterized by recurrent episodes of diverse psychiatric symptoms, including behavioral inhibition, excitement, hyperactivity, hallucinations, and delusions. These episodes closely align with the menstrual cycle. Mood stabilizers, such as lithium carbonate, have demonstrated efficacy in managing this condition.

Development of a nonreplicative phage-based DNA delivery system and its application to antimicrobial therapies.

Phage therapy has emerged as a promising alternative to conventional antimicrobial therapy for antimicrobial-resistant bacterial infections, but concerns about uncontrolled phage proliferation have limited its use. To address this issue, we established a nonproliferative phage-based DNA delivery system, called bacteria-targeting capsid particle (B-CAP), for the development of antimicrobial agents which effectively prevented phage spread while maintaining bactericidal activity. B-CAP is principally a T7 phage capsids packaged with a partial T7 phage genome, giving it the allowance to accommodate large foreign DNA up to 18 kb in length.

ARID1A regulates histone octamer transfer activity of human canonical BAF complex.

Mutations that impact subunits of mammalian SWI/SNF (mSWI/SNF or BAF) chromatin remodeling complexes are found in over 20% of human cancers. Among these subunits, ARID1A is the most frequently mutated gene, occurring in over 8% of various cancers. The majority of ARID1A mutations are frameshift or nonsense mutations, causing loss of function.

An older man with Bifidobacterium breve bacteremia, a rare condition in adults: A case report.

Bifidobacterium breve is an anaerobic, gram-positive rod commonly found in the human intestinal microbiota. While rarely associated with bacteremia, most cases occur in neonates receiving B. breve-containing probiotics.

New Function for Safety Signal Monitoring in MID-NET: The Case of an Anti-COVID-19 Drug.

Real-world data play a key role in monitoring drug safety at the post-marketing stage. However, challenges on how to rapidly and continuously obtain analytical results of many outcomes for drug safety signal monitoring still remain. We aimed to establish a rapid and continuous monitoring tool for drug safety assessment based on real-world data in Japan.

Disseminated Nocardiosis in Idiopathic CD4 Lymphocytopenia: A Rare Case and Literature Review.

Nocardiosis typically affects immunocompromised patients; however, the clinical characteristics of idiopathic CD4 lymphocytopenia (ICL) remain poorly understood. A 64-year-old patient was diagnosed with ICL following disseminated nocardiosis, including bacteremia, pneumonia, knee arthritis, and brain abscess. The patient underwent trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole therapy with frequent dose adjustments based on the renal function, ranging from 2 to 12 single-strength tablets daily over 5 months of hospitalization.

Muscle-specific Keap1 deletion enhances force production but does not prevent inactivity-induced muscle atrophy in mice.

Immobilization-associated muscle atrophy and weakness appear to be driven in part by oxidative stress. Nuclear Factor Erythroid 2-Related Factor 2 (NRF2) is a critical redox rheostat that regulates oxidative stress responses, and its deletion is known to accelerate muscle atrophy and weakness during aging (sarcopenia) or denervation. Conversely, pharmacologic activation of NRF2 extends mouse lifespan and attenuates sarcopenia.

Trends in Efficacy Endpoints in Phase II Glioblastoma Trials: A Regulatory Science Analysis (FY2020-FY2022).

: In glioblastoma trials, efficacy evaluation often deviates from the standard Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST), an objective response rate (ORR) method, because of the unique nature of brain tumors. In phase II trials from the fiscal years (FYs) 2017-2019, primary endpoints (PEs) were overall survival (OS) at 29%, ORR at 20%, progression-free survival (PFS) at 17%, and OS rate at 10%. Clinical trial methodologies have likely evolved in recent years.

A Single Center Study of Genes Involved in Synchronous and Metachronous Multiple Early-Stage Gastric Cancers in Japanese Patients with Current or Former Infection.

Background: This study aimed to perform a comprehensive gene expression analysis in patients with early-stage gastric cancer (EGC) to identify gene expression profiles specific to gastric cancer (GC) lesions.

Methods: Biopsy specimens were collected from one EGC lesion and three background mucosal areas of patients scheduled for endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). Lesion-specific gene profiles in these four biopsies were analyzed using DNA microarrays.

Circularly Polarized Phosphorescence Properties of Binuclear Cyclometalated Platinum(II) Complexes Bearing Axially Chiral Schiff-Base Ligands.

The synthesis, structure, and circularly polarized phosphorescence (CPP) properties of axially chiral cyclometalated binuclear platinum(II) complexes were described. A series of optically pure binuclear platinum(II) complexes were synthesized in five steps from commercially available ()- or ()-1,1'-bi-2-naphthol (BINOL) as starting materials. Their three-dimensional molecular structures and square-planar coordination geometries were elucidated from X-ray diffraction and 2D NMR analysis.

A multisite observational real-world study on the effectiveness of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation therapy for patients with treatment-resistant depression in Japan.

The objective of this study was to reveal the effectiveness of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for Japanese patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD) in clinical practice, based on real-world data from a nationwide multicenter observational study in Japan. Clinical data of patients with TRD treated with rTMS (NeuroStar TMS treatment system) under public insurance coverage were retrospectively collected from 21 institutes nationwide between June 2019 and December 2023. Depression severity was assessed by the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17).

A Novel Gene Expression Scoring System Predicts Recurrence in Non-Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer Patients.

Background: Despite the high recurrence rate of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), there are limitations in accurately predicting recurrence after transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) based on clinicopathological factors alone. However, prediction of recurrence using biomolecular characteristics of bladder tumors has not been applied to clinical practice. The objective of this study was to establish a new gene expression scoring system for identifying patients at high risk of recurrence.

Suspected Postpartum Depression Revealed to be CSF1R-Related Leukoencephalopathy: A Case Report.

Introduction: This is a case of a 32-year-old woman who developed postpartum depression (PPD). She became anxious and depressive about caring for her child, and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) test showed a score of 9 at 2 weeks after delivery, and at 7 months postpartum, she presented with major melancholic depression followed by mild cognitive decline without any neurological symptoms except cluttering speech.

Case Presentation: Cerebral magnetic resonance imaging showed confluent fluid-attenuated inversion recovery hyperintensities in the periventricular and frontal deep white matter, with multiple spotty calcifications in the frontal white matter by cerebral CT.

Cardiolipin deficiency disrupts electron transport chain to drive steatohepatitis.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a progressive disorder marked by lipid accumulation, leading to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). A key feature of the transition to MASH involves oxidative stress resulting from defects in mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). Here, we show that pathological alterations in the lipid composition of the inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM) directly instigate electron transfer inefficiency to promote oxidative stress.