High Airway-To-Vessel Volume Ratio and Visual Bronchiectasis Are Associated With Exacerbations in COPD.

Background And Objective: The effects of the volume mismatch between the airway and lung vasculature on exacerbation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is uncertain. We aimed to examine the association between an increased volume ratio of the airway to lung blood vessels (AVR) and exacerbations, regardless of visually assessed bronchiectasis (modified Reiff [mReiff] score) and extrapulmonary vasculature on computed tomography (CT), in patients with COPD during a 5-year follow-up period.

Methods: Participants were recruited from the Hokkaido COPD Cohort Study (original, N = 96) and Kyoto University cohort (validation, N = 130).

Efficacy and Safety of 5-Aminolevulinic Acid Hydrochloride Combined with Sodium Ferrous Citrate in Pediatric Patients with Leigh Syndrome and Central Nervous System Disorders: An Initial Exploratory Trial with a Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Period, Followed by an Open-Label Period and a Subsequent Long-Term Administration Study.

An explorative study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of 5-aminolevulinic acid hydrochloride combined with sodium ferrous citrate (SPP-004) in 10 pediatric patients with Leigh syndrome (LS) aged 3-24 months in 10 institutions between December 2014 and July 2019. The patients were randomized and allocated to the SPP-004 or placebo group for a 12-week double-blind period, followed by a 12-week open-label period with SPP-004 and then a long-term study of up to 180 weeks. The efficacy and safety were evaluated using the Newcastle Pediatric Mitochondrial Disease Scale (NPMDS) and adverse events (AEs), respectively.

DS-3939a: A TA-MUC1-directed Antibody-Drug Conjugate with Broad Anti-Tumor Activity.

Tumor-associated mucin-1 (TA-MUC1) is a glycoform of the MUC1 protein that is aberrantly glycosylated and is primarily observed in cancer cells. TA-MUC1 is highly expressed in various human epithelial cancers, making it an attractive target for cancer therapies. Here, we describe the development of DS-3939a, a novel TA-MUC1-targeting antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) that utilizes the potent DNA topoisomerase I inhibitor, DXd, and evaluation of its pharmacological activity in preclinical in vitro and in vivo models.

Assessing the utility of fractional exhaled nitric oxide-guided management in adult patients with asthma: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) has been utilized as a reliable biomarker for diagnosis, treatment response, and prediction of future risks in asthma care, that potentially ensures the efficacy of FeNO-guided asthma management. As previous systematic reviews reported limited efficacy with this approach, we evaluated the efficacy of FeNO-guided management in monitoring adults with asthma.

Methods: In this systematic review and meta-analysis according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses Statement and the Minds Manual for Guideline Development, we updated a Cochrane systematic review in 2016 by adding six papers reporting randomized controlled trials with a treatment duration ≥12 weeks published between June 2016 and July 2022, and conducted a sub-analysis of two groups stratified by the strategy used: the FeNO-alone and FeNO with symptom score groups.

Effective diagnosis of cervical fracture using postmortem computed tomography and autopsy findings.

A common forensic problem is cervical fractures, which sometimes need to be diagnosed only by physical examination of the body, without imaging or autopsy. Despite reports from clinical practice describing the association between cervical fractures and head injury, we could not find any analysis of autopsy cases. In addition, discussion of the cervical fracture diagnosis by postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) appears limited.

Effect of sampling face velocity on the ultrafine particle surface collection efficiency of a cellulose membrane filter and a cellulose-glass fiber filter for environmental airborne radioactivity monitoring.

Surface collection efficiency (SCE) of a cellulose membrane filter (CMF) and a cellulose-glass fiber filter used in environmental monitoring for alpha-emitting radionuclides from nuclear facilities and natural radioactivity sources was evaluated for particles in the size range of 0.03-0.1 μm at different levels of face velocity.

Association between heart failure in asymptomatic stages and skeletal muscle function assessed by ultrasonography in community-dwelling older adults.

Background: Symptomatic heart failure (HF) negatively affects the quantity and quality of skeletal muscles. However, the association between asymptomatic HF and skeletal muscle function remains unclear. We aimed to use ultrasonography to elucidate the association between asymptomatic HF and skeletal muscle function in community-dwelling older adults.

Radiation research trends by young scientists and the future tasks in Northern Japan: report on 'the 10th educational symposium on radiation and health (ESRAH) by young scientists in 2023'.

Purpose: Since 2014, an educational activity on radiation and health in northern Japan has been carried out by young scientists, the so-called 'Educational Symposium on Radiation and Health (ESRAH)'. Close cooperation has been continued in preparing for any possible emergency response to radiation accidents because several facilities, e.g.

Demonstration of shape analysis of neutron resonance transmission spectrum measured with a laser-driven neutron source.

Laser-driven neutron sources (LDNSs) can generate strong short-pulse neutron beams, which are valuable for scientific studies and engineering applications. Neutron resonance transmission analysis (NRTA) is a nondestructive technique used for determining the areal density of each nuclide in a material sample using pulsed thermal and epithermal neutrons. Herein, we report the first successful NRTA performed using an LDNS driven by the Laser for Fast Ignition Experiment at the Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University.

Dynamics of somatostatin 4 receptor expression during chronic-stress loading and its potential as a chronic-stress marker.

Chronic stress has been implicated in mental illnesses and depressive behaviors. Somatostatin 4 receptor (SSTR4) has been shown to mediate anxiolytic and depression-like effects. Here, we aimed to explore the potential of SSTR4 as a diagnostic marker for chronic stress in mice.

Insulin-stimulated translocation of the fatty acid transporter CD36 to the plasma membrane is mediated by the small GTPase Rac1 in adipocytes.

Cluster of differentiation 36 (CD36) is a scavenger receptor (SR), recognizing diverse extracellular ligands in various types of mammalian cells. Long-chain fatty acids (FAs), which are important constituents of phospholipids and triglycerides, also utilize CD36 as a predominant membrane transporter, being incorporated from the circulation across the plasma membrane in several cell types, including cardiac and skeletal myocytes and adipocytes. CD36 is localized in intracellular vesicles as well as the plasma membrane, and its distribution is modulated by extracellular stimuli.

Raludotatug Deruxtecan, a CDH6-Targeting Antibody-Drug Conjugate with a DNA Topoisomerase I Inhibitor DXd, Is Efficacious in Human Ovarian and Kidney Cancer Models.

Cadherin-6 (CDH6) is expressed in several cancer types, but no CDH6-targeted therapy is currently clinically available. Here, we generated raludotatug deruxtecan (R-DXd; DS-6000), a novel CDH6-targeting antibody-drug conjugate with a potent DNA topoisomerase I inhibitor, and evaluated its properties, pharmacologic activities, and safety profile. In vitro pharmacologic activities and the mechanisms of action of R-DXd were assessed in serous-type ovarian cancer and renal cell carcinoma cell lines.

Applicable predictive factors extracted from peak flow trajectory for the prediction of asthma exacerbation.

Background: Real-time asthma exacerbation prediction and acute asthma attack detection are essential for patients with severe asthma. Peak expiratory flow (PEF) exhibits a potential for use in long-term asthma self-monitoring. However, the method for processing PEF calculations remains to be clarified.

Effects of 10-Hydroxy-2-decenoic Acid and 10-Hydroxydecanoic Acid in Royal Jelly on Bone Metabolism in Ovariectomized Rats: A Pilot Study.

Although previous studies have demonstrated that royal jelly (RJ) may have estrogenic properties and prevent postmenopausal bone loss, the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. This animal study aimed to investigate the effects of specific fatty acids of RJ, 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid (10H2DA) and 10-hydroxydecanoic acid (10HDAA), in ovariectomized rats. Ten-week-old female Wistar rats were divided into the Baseline, Sham, Ovx, Ovx + 10H2DA, and Ovx + 10HDAA groups.

[Case of Lung Cancer with High-Grade Fetal Lung Adenocarcinoma Components Treated with Chemotherapy].

A woman in her 70s presented to our hospital with complaints of cough and dyspnea. Computed tomography(CT) images showed a large amount of left pleural effusion, pleural tumors, and mediastinal lymphadenopathy. Left thoracic drainage was performed, and high-grade fetal lung adenocarcinoma was suspected upon pleural effusion-cell block immunostaining.

Nighttime hypoglycemia in Japanese children with type 1 diabetes mellitus treated with multiple daily injection insulin therapy.

Prevention of hypoglycemia is an important strategy for glycemic management in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D). Hypoglycemia is difficult to recognize at night while sleeping, particularly when using multiple daily injection (MDI) insulin therapy rather than sensor-augmented insulin-pump therapy. Therefore, it is possible that patients with T1D are at higher risk of nocturnal hypoglycemia when insulin is administered using an MDI regimen.

Relationships of computed tomography-based small vessel indices of the lungs with ventilation heterogeneity and high transfer coefficients in non-smokers with asthma.

The mechanism of high transfer coefficients of the lungs for carbon monoxide (Kco) in non-smokers with asthma is explained by the redistribution of blood flow to the area with preserved ventilation, to match the ventilation perfusion. To examine whether ventilation heterogeneity, assessed by pulmonary function tests, is associated with computed tomography (CT)-based vascular indices and Kco in patients with asthma. Participants were enrolled from the Hokkaido-based Investigative Cohort Analysis for Refractory Asthma (Hi-CARAT) study that included a prospective asthmatic cohort.

Immunohistochemical study of chicken fat clots: Investigation of the formation mechanism.

In forensic practice, the presence of chicken fat clots (CFCs) in the heart and/or large blood vessels of cadavers has been empirically used to estimate the time from the onset of fatal events to death. However, little scientific evidence of its significance exists, and the mechanism of its formation has not been elucidated. CFCs contain large amounts of leukocytes; thus, we hypothesized that leukocytes might contribute to their formation.

Blood eosinophil count variability in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and severe asthma.

Background: Blood eosinophils are essential biomarkers that vary substantially over time in patients with COPD and asthma. However, no study has identified the changes and effects in the changes of the blood eosinophil counts over time in both diseases. This study aimed to demonstrate blood eosinophil variability in patients with COPD and severe asthma based on these backgrounds.

Association of serum CC16 levels with eosinophilic inflammation and respiratory dysfunction in severe asthma.

Background: There are knowledge gaps in the potential role of Club cell 16-kDa secretory protein (CC16) in severe asthma phenotypes and type 2 inflammation, as well as the longitudinal effect of CC16 on pulmonary function tests and exacerbation risk in epidemiological studies.

Objective And Methods: To assess whether serum CC16 is associated with eosinophilic inflammation in patients with severe asthma. We also examined the effect of this protein on the annual decline in forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV) and the risk of exacerbation using a longitudinal approach.