Biomarker-based pre-heart failure screening in a middle-aged rural population.

Background: Guidelines recommend biomarker-based screening for pre-heart failure (pre-HF) among at-risk populations. Although the asymptomatic nature of pre-HF necessitates proactive screening, real-world implementation remains understudied. This retrospective study analyzed data from a regional pre-HF screening initiative, integrated into annual health screenings, to evaluate: (1) the prevalence of elevated N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels, (2) associated echocardiographic findings, and (3) adherence across the screening-to-consultation pathway.

Targeting PAR-2 in atopic dermatitis: Preclinical evaluation of the novel inhibitor E6795.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by eczematous lesions, intense itching, and compromised skin barrier function. Despite the advent of new therapeutics, many individuals still face insufficient disease control, high costs, and relapse. Protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR-2), overexpressed in AD lesions, plays a central role in promoting inflammation, itch, and alterations in epidermal homeostasis.

Rocatinlimab: A Novel T-Cell Rebalancing Therapy Targeting the OX40 Receptor in Atopic Dermatitis.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by eczematous skin lesions, intense pruritus, skin pain, sleep disruption, and mental health disturbances. There remains a need for a therapeutic option that delivers durable efficacy, safety, and convenient dosing across the AD patient population. This review provides an overview of AD pathogenesis driven by T-cell imbalance and describes a novel therapeutic option targeting the OX40 receptor, a costimulatory molecule expressed specifically on activated T cells.

Combination chemotherapy for older patients with unresectable biliary tract cancer: a prospective observational study using propensity-score matched analysis (JON2104-B).

Background: Systemic chemotherapy with gemcitabine plus S-1 (GEM + S-1), GEM + CDDP plus S-1 (GEM + CDDP + S-1), or gemcitabine plus cisplatin (GEM + CDDP) is standard treatment for advanced biliary tract cancer (aBTC). We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of combination chemotherapy in older patients with aBTC.

Methods: This multicenter prospective observational study (JON2104-B, UMIN000045156) included patients aged ≥ 70 years with aBTC.

Dual-Functional Nanoliposome with High BPA Loading for Targeted MRI-Guided BNCT of Glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma is a highly malignant brain tumor with few available therapeutic options, for which boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) has emerged as a promising precision radiotherapy approach. However, its efficacy remains suboptimal due to inadequate tumor targeting of boron agents and lack of in vivo visualization. Herein, a gadolinium-boron integrated lipid nanocarrier (BPA-F&DOTA-Gd@LIPO-ANG) was developed for targeted boron delivery and MRI-guided BNCT.

Human milk oligosaccharides and infant gut microbiome in Mongolian mother-infant dyads.

Human milk oligosaccharides (HMO) play crucial roles in establishing a healthy gut microbiota in breastfed infants. Many studies have been conducted using samples collected in different areas with varying lifestyles to examine the relationships between milk HMO, infant gut microbiota, and microbial HMO consumption in feces. The present study analyzed the tripartite relationship using samples obtained from Mongolian mothers and infants living in herder and urban environments, a population underrepresented in previous research.

Risk Stratification Using DIPSS and Splenomegaly in Myelofibrosis Treated with Pre-Transplant JAK inhibitors.

The Dynamic International Prognostic Scoring System for primary myelofibrosis (DIPSS) has been reported to predict transplant outcomes in myelofibrosis (MF) patients. Recently, the pre-transplant use of JAK inhibitors has become common in clinical practice, but it is unclear whether DIPSS is also useful for predicting transplant outcomes for these patients. In this study, we compared the prognostic impact of DIPSS between MF patients with and without pre-transplant Ruxolitinib therapy.

Putative transcription factor Nrg1 is involved in the hyphal branching and the cell wall structure formation in the filamentous fungus Pleurotus ostreatus.

Nrg1 is a C2H2 zinc finger transcription factor that functions in various cellular processes related to environmental responses and cell wall synthesis in yeast. The present study investigated the function of Nrg1 in filamentous development in the white-rot fungus Pleurotus ostreatus for the first time. The Δnrg1 strains exhibited a higher frequency and larger angles of hyphal branching than the wild-type strain, suggesting nrg1 is essential to hyphal branching regulation.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients who received extracorporeal pulmonary resuscitation.

Background: The influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients who received extracorporeal pulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) has not yet been fully elucidated. We examined whether there were differences in ECPR frequency and outcomes for OHCA patients who received ECPR during the pandemic.

Methods: Using the nationwide JAAM-OHCA registry, we evaluated OHCA patients who received ECPR from 2019 to 2022.

Risk factors and timing of postoperative hypothyroidism onset following hemithyroidectomy.

Objective: This study aimed to identify prognostic factors for postoperative hypothyroidism and assess the timing of its onset in patients who underwent hemithyroidectomy for thyroid tumors. Despite normal preoperative thyroid function, some patients develop postoperative hypothyroidism, necessitating lifelong thyroid hormone replacement therapy. Identifying risk factors and establishing appropriate follow-up guidelines are essential for optimizing patient management.

Metal-Organic Crystallized Glasses: Microstructure Formation and Their Properties.

Partial crystallization within a glass matrix to form microcrystalline domains offers a pathway to glass-ceramic materials with properties distinct from those of both the parent glass and crystalline phases. This concept has been limited to inorganic glasses. Here, we introduce metal-organic crystallized glasses (MOCGs), prepared by controlling the crystallization process within metal-organic framework (MOF) glasses, and explore their properties.

Targeting Both Monomer and Oligomer with Fibrinogen Efficiently Suppresses Amyloid Fibril Formation and Cell Toxicity of Amyloid β 1-42.

The development of drugs for Alzheimer's disease, which accounts for over half of all dementia cases, remains challenging. Amyloid β 1-42 (Aβ42) is widely recognized for its deposition in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease. Furthermore, Aβ42-induced cell toxicity likely plays a role in disease onset.

Distinct pathways for diversification of craniofacial morphology driven by size-related constraints in Madagascar primates.

Malagasy lemurs are diverse primates that underwent adaptive radiation. While this radiation promotes modifications in cranium for niche partitioning, evolutionary constraints impose common craniofacial patterns among smaller lemurs: they are predicted to be constrained to have a shorter upper jaw and laterally-facing orbits to compensate for small masticatory muscles and accommodate relatively large orbits, regardless of niche. This study aims to elucidate how these evolutionary constraints operate during the adaptive radiation of lemurs.

Helical Body Axis Orientations in Human Embryonic Development.

Background: In mouse embryos, the body axis typically follows a right-handed helical pattern; however, a definitive orientation in human embryos has not been established. This study aimed to characterize the body axis orientation in human embryos (CS13-CS17) from the Kyoto Collection.

Methods: Embryos were classified as right-helical (RH), left-helical (LH), and middle (M) using MRI-based morphological assessment.

Integrating whole-genome sequencing into antimicrobial resistance surveillance: methodologies, challenges, and perspectives.

SUMMARYAntimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a significant threat to global public health. Surveillance is a fundamental method for controlling AMR and guiding clinical decisions, public health interventions, and policymaking. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) provides a comprehensive and accurate understanding of AMR mechanisms, gene profiling, and transmission dynamics.

Risk prediction model for relapse of anti-synthetase syndrome- associated interstitial lung disease in Japanese multicentre MYKO cohort study.

Objectives: This study aimed to establish a risk prediction model for the relapse of anti-synthetase syndrome-associated interstitial lung disease (ASyS-ILD).

Methods: Patients diagnosed with ASyS-ILD and treated with prednisolone and calcineurin inhibitors as remission induction therapy were enrolled in the Japanese multicentre MYKO cohort. We followed up on patients who experienced relapse of ASyS-ILD after remission induction therapy, and examined the risk factors for predicting relapse by comparing initial clinical and laboratory findings.

How do low-carbon city policies shape older adults health? Evidence from environmental and mobility pathways in China.

Objectives: As environmental pollution and population aging become increasingly severe, it is especially important to assess the health co-benefits of climate-related urban policies. This study aims to examine the impact of China's Low-Carbon City Pilot Program (LCCP) on the health of the older adults. It focuses on potential mechanisms such as improvements in environmental quality and increases in non-motorized transportation.

Inhibition of chitin synthesis by 5-benzoylamino-3-phenylisoxazoles with various substituents at two benzene rings and their larvicidal activity.

-(3-Phenylisoxazol-5-yl)benzamides (5-benzoylamino-3-phenylisoxazoles: IOXs) with various substituents at two benzene rings were synthesized, and the chitin synthesis inhibition was measured in the cultured integumentary system of . Larvicidal effects against and were also examined, and the larvicidal activity in terms of the 50% lethal dose (LD) was determined for some compounds. Among IOXs with various substituents at the benzoyl moiety, 2,6-difluoro-substituted (2,6-F) benzoyl analogs showed the highest chitin synthesis activity.

Grafting enhances drought stress tolerance by regulating the proteome and targeted gene regulatory networks in tomato.

Tomato (), a widely cultivated yet perishable crop, depends heavily on adequate sunlight and water for optimal growth and productivity. However, due to unavoidable environmental and climatic changes-particularly drought-its productivity has declined in recent years. Grafting, an ancient horticultural practice, is known to enhance yield and combat abiotic stress by regulating physiological and cellular processes.

Co-Occurrence of Gastropods of the Genus (Mollusca: Eulimidae) Parasitizing the Black Sea Cucumber in Central Japan: Implications for Their Geographic Distribution and Parasitic Ecology.

Snails of the family Eulimidae are parasites of echinoderms in all five extant classes. Despite long years of taxonomic research on Eulimidae in Japan, their local species richness remains to be investigated, and few studies have focused on a eulimid fauna of a certain echinoderm taxon, even if it is a common species. Here, we conducted a comprehensive sampling of species parasitizing the black sea cucumber in Shirahama, Wakayama, central Japan.

A Combined Genome-Wide SNP and mtDNA Approach Reveals the Phylogenetic Relationships of the Genus .

Using mitochondrial DNA and genome-wide SNP, phylogenetic relationships in were investigated. Phylogenetic analyses based on subregions of mtDNA found possible lineages of several cryptic species, but did not support the phylogenetic relationships of some groups. Phylogenetic analyses based on SNP resulted in the same topology as mtDNA, with some exceptions, and clarified the phylogenetic relationships among all lineages.

Recent Progress in Nonanolides of Natural Origin: Structures, Synthesis, Biosynthesis, and Bioactivities.

Nonanolides, a diverse group of secondary metabolites with a unique 10-membered lactone subunit, are abundant in nature. To date, nonanolides have exhibited various biological activities, including cytotoxicity, phytotoxicity, antimalarial activity, antiosteoporosis, and antimicrobial activity. Previous literature has extensively reviewed nonanolides reported from 1975 to July 2011.

Physiological responses in free-ranging Asian elephant populations living across human-production landscapes.

Monitoring the physiology of elephants living in human-production landscapes has become increasingly important for understanding how they cope with various challenges that affect their overall fitness. We assessed physiological stress by measuring faecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGCM) levels and metabolic states using faecal triiodothyronine (fT3) across three free-ranging Asian elephant populations (one in Central India and two in Northeastern India) whose home ranges encompass varying extents of disturbance in human-production landscapes. We present landscape disturbance metrics to characterize variations in fragmentation and anthropogenic pressures across the study landscapes and use faecal carbon and nitrogen (C/N) ratio as a proxy for dietary quality, with higher C/N values indicating poorer-quality diets.

When can multiple parasites with complex life cycles coexist under conflicts of host manipulation?

Parasites are diverse and play crucial roles in ecosystems, yet mechanisms underlying their diversity remain poorly understood. Many parasites have complex life cycles, manipulating their hosts to facilitate transition through inter-host trophic interactions. When multiple parasites share a common intermediate host but transition to different definitive hosts, they face two conflicts in host manipulation strategies.