A semi-automated observation approach to quantify mouse skeletal muscle differentiation using immunohistochemistry.

Histological analysis is vital for understanding skeletal muscle diseases. However, quantifying data requires much effort, so automation is expected to reduce workload. The present study proposes a semi-automated method to quantify expressed paired box protein (Pax-7) /bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU)-positive cells.

Study of the Influence of Chitosan-Wrapped Carbon Nanotubes on Biopolymer Film Properties.

Due to their biocompatibility and non-toxicity, biopolymer-based films hold significant importance in bioengineering. It is imperative to comprehend the influence of chitosan molecular weight and filler materials nature on the crystalline structure and their subsequent effect on film properties. The aim of this research was to determine how carbon nanotubes embedded within chitosan can significantly improve the performance of biopolymer-based films produced by the solvent-casting technique.

The global burden of mesothelioma and its association with asbestos bans, 1990-2021: a population-based study.

Background: Mesothelioma, as a lethal consequence of asbestos exposure, poses a significant threat to high-risk populations. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 update provides an opportunity to examine current mesothelioma epidemiology and assess whether asbestos bans have effectively reduced mesothelioma incidence over a longer time span than covered in existing literature.

Methods: Annual cases and age-standardized rates (ASRs, reported per 100,000 person-years) of incidence, death, disability-adjusted life-years, and probability of death associated with mesothelioma among different age groups were obtained from patients in 204 countries and territories diagnosed with mesothelioma between 1990 and 2021.

Population Genetics Provides Insights Into the Impact of Future Climate Change on the Genetic Structure and Distribution of Asian Warty Newts (Genus ).

Assessing population vulnerability to climate change is essential for informing management and conservation strategies, particularly for amphibians. We integrated population genetics and ecological niche modeling (ENM) to assess the effect of climate change on the distribution and genetic structure of two species of Asian warty newts ( and ) in northern Vietnam. We analyzed population genetics using a genome-wide SNP dataset generated with the MIG-seq method.

Extraction, stabilization, and health application of betalains: An update.

Betalains are nitrogenous compounds principally produced by a select group of plants of the Caryophyllales order, characterized by the vibrant coloration on bracts, flowers, leaves, seeds, and fruits. Betalains are produced by tyrosine metabolism and derived from a common precursor: betalamic acid. They are categorized into two principal groups: betacyanins and betaxanthins.

Cold Tolerance Variation in Local Populations of : Acclimation or Adaptation?

Tropical reptiles colonizing temperate regions face distinct physiological challenges due to thermal stress. Their long-term survival hinges on physiological acclimatization or adaptation to these novel thermal environments. Previous research on cold tolerance in introduced high-latitude revealed that rural populations on Okinawajima Island, Japan exhibited significantly lower critical thermal minimum (CTmin) compared to their urban counterparts.

Influence of pitch modulation on event-related potentials elicited by Dutch word stimuli in a brain-computer interface language rehabilitation task.

Recently, a novel language training using an auditory brain-computer interface (BCI) based on electroencephalogram recordings has been proposed for chronic stroke patients with aphasia. Tested with native German patients, it has shown significant and medium to large effect sizes in improving multiple aspects of language. During the training, the auditory BCI system delivers word stimuli using six spatially arranged loudspeakers.

Carbon-dot growth on nanoconvex carbon wires for outstanding optical properties.

The appearance of carbon spheres, chemical nanostructures, and physical spheres on the surface of carbon wires demonstrates the ability to overcome the optical weaknesses of carbon wires. Carbon dots (CDs) present far superior advantages over these structures in terms of excellent optical properties, and the transfer of these advantages from CDs to carbon wires would improve the specificity of the optical properties of carbon wires, but has been challenging to date. Here, a novel strategy for the fabrication of CDs on nanoconvex carbon wires is developed by pre-treating a Si substrate with oxidation and nitrogen, depositing nanoconvex PAN wires on the pre-treated Si substrate with electro-hydrodynamic jetting, and subsequently implementing stabilization and carbonization.

Complex coacervation of anthocyanin-rich pigments from red cabbage () with inulin, gum arabic and pea protein.

Complex coacervation is a widely used method for bioactive compound microencapsulation. Red cabbage extract is a natural pigment that contains anthocyanins, which provide attractive and bright colors with no reported toxicity and associated healthy properties. These types of pigments have led to a deep interest in developing natural colorants to at least partially replace their synthetic counterparts in the food industry.

Evaluation of Phosphene Shifts During Eye Movements to Enhance Safe Visual Assistance for Visually Impaired Individuals.

Hands-free visual assistive devices that consider the safety of the visually impaired have been researched, but many of them interfere with other senses, such as hearing. Therefore, phosphenes have been researched as a method of presenting visual information. Phosphenes are flashes that are recognized by electrical stimulation, and the presentation position can be adjusted by the electrode arrangement.

Evaluation of Biocompatible Materials for Enhanced Mesenchymal Stem Cell Expansion: Collagen-Coated Alginate Microcarriers and PLGA Nanofibers.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) hold significant potential in regenerative medicine, tissue engineering, and cultivated meat production. However, large-scale MSC production is limited by their need for surface adherence during growth. This study evaluates two biocompatible materials-collagen-coated alginate microcarriers and polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) nanofibers-as novel growth substrates to enhance MSC proliferation.

Hedopeptolide, a NO Production Inhibitor from the Marine Cyanobacterium sp.

A novel 19-membered cyclic depsipeptide, hedopeptolide (), was isolated from sp., a marine cyanobacterium collected in Okinawa, Japan. Its gross structure was determined by spectroscopic analyses, and the absolute configuration of the chiral centers was determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis following crystallization.

Concurrent inhibition of FLT3 and sphingosine kinase-1 triggers synergistic cytotoxicity in midostaurin resistant FLT3-ITD positive acute myeloid leukemia cells via blocking FLT3/STAT5A signaling to induce apoptosis.

The FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3-internal tandem duplication (FLT3-ITD) is one of the most frequent mutations observed in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) which contributes to disease progression and unfavorable prognosis. Midostaurin, a small FLT3 inhibitor (FLT3I), is clinically approved. However, patients generally possess acquired resistance when midostaurin used alone.

A comparative analysis of the impact of repeated administration of flavan 3-ol on brown, subcutaneous, and visceral adipose tissue.

Introduction: Flavan-3-ols (FLs), astringent polyphenols, are known to have low bioavailability and induce excessive sympathetic nervous system activation. This study aimed to compare the effects of FLs on brown, subcutaneous, and visceral adipose tissue in mice.

Methods: C57BL/6J male mice fed a standard or high-fat diet were given water or 50 mg/kg FL orally by gavage for 2 weeks.

2D Composite Materials for Electrodes in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells─An Overview.

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are anticipated to become economical, efficient, and commercially viable due to their simple fabrication, environmental friendliness, low-light performance, and flexibility for product integration. However, inherent voltage loss during the sensitizing dye regeneration process, uneven titanium layer deposition, electrolyte filling, and electrical interconnections contribute to the lower efficiency of DSSCs compared to conventional silicon solar cells. Researchers have focused on optimizing material and structural properties to address these issues, achieving record-setting efficiencies of up to 14%.

Vulnerability of the entorhinal cortex II to neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease is characterized by progressive memory loss and deterioration of cognitive functions. The presence of neurofibrillary tangles in the hippocampal areas (perforant pathway) correlates with cognitive impairment. Pathological processing of tau protein is characterized by post-translational changes such as hyperphosphorylation and truncation, which favour conformational changes within tau.

Marine litter on remote islands: Case study of beaches in Ishigaki and Taketomi Islands, Japan.

Marine litter pollution has become a global concern due to its adverse effects on biodiversity and general negative influence on marine ecosystem services. Marine litter pollution of remote islands is currently understudied due to accessibility challenges. This study evaluated marine litter abundance and distribution on 15 beaches around semi-remote islands of Ishigaki and Taketomi, Japan.

Colorimetric sensor for Pb detection in water using thioglycolic acid-conjugated gold nanoparticles.

Environmental pollution by the heavy metal lead (Pb) poses significant health risks, including kidney damage and neurotoxicity in children. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have shown promise as colorimetric sensors for visually detecting Pb through surface plasmon resonance. This study developed a colorimetric method using thioglycolic acid (TGA) as a conjugate, leveraging its strong S-Au bond and carboxyl group to enhance AuNPs stability and Pb specificity.

Effect of different killing methods during curing on the phytochemical and bacterial composition of using multi-omic approaches.

Jacks. ex Andrews, is cultivated for its aromatic pods, obtaining the primary source of vanillin, a molecule valued for its flavor and bioactivity. Mexico ranks among the top five global producers, and Papantla, Veracruz, contributes 70 % of national production.

Redox-Activated Near Infrared/Shortwave Infrared Emissive Chromophores: Synthesis of Triphenylamine-Appended Pyrazinacenes.

Organic dyes showing absorbance and fluorescence in the near infrared and short-wave infrared regions are attractive for a variety of applications. Redox-coupled reversible switching of absorbance or fluorescence implies enhanced functionality of such dyes, especially where large changes in photophysical properties across the redox process can be realized. Here, the synthesis of two new pyrazinacenes containing four and five fused pyrazine units, appended with electron-donor triphenylamine groups, and redox-coupled switching of their photophysical properties is reported.

Spatial and temporal variations in coral reef recovery amid recurring bleaching events in Okinawa Island, Japan.

Climate change is altering coral reefs around the world at an unprecedented rate, with increasing frequency and magnitude of mass bleaching events caused by high sea surface temperatures (SSTs). In this study, we examined coral communities through reef transect surveys at two depth zones (1-5m and 7-12m) across 11 sites on Okinawa Island, Japan. This study focused on trends in coral cover and composition in Okinawa Island, particularly following the thermal stress events of 2017 and 2022 and the high SSTs of 2023.

Adaptive walking performance is related to the hip joint position sense during active hip flexion rather than during passive hip flexion.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between hip joint position sense during active or passive hip flexion and adaptive walking performance across obstacles. After screening, 30 young men with the right dominant leg (age, 21 ± 2 years) participated in the experiment. To measure adaptive walking performance on the first day, the participants stepped over an obstacle underfoot with the left leg just high enough to avoid touching the obstacle.

Boosting CO and benzene adsorption through π-hole substitution in β-diketonate Cu(ii) complex within non-porous adaptive crystals.

The effect of quadrupole moments in non-porous adaptive crystals of fully, partially, and non-fluorinated β-diketonate Cu(ii) complexes on CO and hydrocarbon adsorption was systematically investigated using structurally similar models with distinct electronic properties. The fully fluorinated complex significantly enhanced CO adsorption, particularly at low pressures (<0.1 / ), achieving a 1 : 1 stoichiometric ratio through quadrupole interactions, where the positively polarized regions of electrostatic potentials (ESPs) on the Cu(ii) center and pentafluorophenyl rings facilitated CO binding its quadrupole nature.

Microbiome Stability Is Linked to Acropora Coral Thermotolerance in Northwestern Philippines.

Corals associate with a diverse community of prokaryotic symbionts that provide nutrition, antioxidants and other protective compounds to their host. However, the influence of microbes on coral thermotolerance remains understudied. Here, we examined the prokaryotic microbial communities associated with colonies of Acropora cf.

Rejection of the concept of hemiurid genus Pulmovermis (Digenea: Hemiuridae) and other taxonomic propositions: new morphological and molecular data regarding Lecithochirium cyanovitellosum (Coil and Kuntz, 1960) Urabe and Sokolov, comb. nov. (formerly Pulmovermis cyanovitellosus).

Pulmovermis cyanovitellosus Coil and Kuntz, 1960 is a species of hemiurid trematode that localizes in the lung of sea snakes, an unusual trait for this group of parasites. Recent molecular phylogenetic studies based on 28S rRNA gene sequences have shown that this species is closely related to members of the genus Lecithochirium Lühe, 1901. This finding is unexpected given that Pulmovermis Coil and Kuntz, 1960 and Lecithochirium are currently classified in different subfamilies of Hemiuridae (Pulmoverminae Sandars, 1961 vs.