Segawa

Recent studies have highlighted the presence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in Antarctica, which are typically indicative of human activity. However, these studies have concentrated in the Antarctic Peninsula region, and relatively less is known about ARG prevalence in East Antarctica, where human activity levels are lower compared to the Antarctic Peninsula. In addition, the mechanisms of ARG transmission to Antarctica through natural or anthropogenic pathways remain unclear. In this study, we analyzed the fecal samples of Adélie penguins and South polar skuas by using high-throughput sequencing and microfluidic quantitative PCR to detect potential pathogens and ARGs at their breeding colonies near Syowa Station in East Antarctica...

BACKGROUND: Altered gut microbiota may contribute to COPD development or progression. Herein, we investigated the association of gut microorganisms with COPD, taking into account the impact of smoking status. METHODS: This cross-sectional observational study was a part of the Shiga Epidemiological Study of Subclinical Atherosclerosis, a population-based cohort study of Japanese men aged 46-76 years, conducted from 2010 to 2016. The gut microbiome, determined using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, was compared among 99 never-smokers, 306 non-COPD ever-smokers and 76 patients with COPD while adjusting for age, body mass index, ethanol consumption and treatment for type 2 diabetes mellitus...

BACKGROUND: Unilateral biportal endoscopic lumbar discectomy (UBELD) is a new minimally invasive spine surgery. The purpose of this study is to describe a new surgical method to treat intracanal lumbar disc herniation (LDH) using the unilateral biportal endoscopic transforaminal approach (UBE-TFA). The first 15 patients who had undergone UBELD for single-level LDH were included in this study. Operative time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative stay, and intraoperative complications were recorded...

The brown bear ( Ursus arctos ) is one of the survivors of the Late Quaternary megafauna extinctions. However, despite being widely distributed across the Holarctic, brown bears have experienced extensive range reductions, and even extirpations in some geographical regions. Previous research efforts using genetic data have provided valuable insights into their evolutionary history. However, most studies have been limited to contemporary individuals or mitochondrial DNA, limiting insights into population processes that preceded the present...

In welded maraging steels, mechanical properties, particularly ductility and toughness, are often compromised in the heat-affected zone (HAZ). This study focuses on 300-grade maraging steel bars, solution annealed at 1123 K for 1.5 h (5.4 ks) and welded using gas tungsten arc welding, followed by a post-weld heat treatment at 753 K for 13.33 h (48 ks). In situ observations during three-point bending tests on HAZ samples featuring coarsened prior austenite grain sizes were conducted to examine damage behavior and the crack path near the crack tip...

In comparison to monolithic perovskite/perovskite double-junction solar cells, a four-terminal spectrum-splitting system is a simple method to obtain a higher power conversion efficiency (PCE) because it has no constraints of unifying the structures of the top and bottom cells. In this work, utilizing the fact that low-bandgap Sn-Pb bottom cells work the best in p-i-n while Pb-based wide-bandgap top cells work better in an n-i-p architecture, a wide-bandgap ( E g = 1.61 eV) perovskite solar cell with a mesoscopic structure and a narrow-bandgap ( E g = 1...

A 53-year-old female patient was diagnosed with a left renal mass incidentally detected on an abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan. Further examination revealed a slightly contrast-enhancing mass 2.0 cm in diameter, in the left kidney on a contrast-enhanced CT scan. A diagnosis of left renal cell carcinoma (cT1aN0M0) was made and a robotic-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy was performed. The excised tissue specimen exhibited a clearly circumscribed tumor. On hematoxylin eosin staining, the small uniform tumor cells appeared organized in glandular luminal arrangements, with lacking nuclear atypia and any malignant features...

BACKGROUND: Gorham-Stout disease (GSD) is a form of lymphangiomatosis of unknown etiology, characterized by abnormal distribution of lymphatic vessels. Platelets and lymphangiogenesis are closely related via C-type lectin-like receptor 2 (CLEC-2)/podoplanin. KEY CLINICAL QUESTION: Despite similarities between abnormal lymphatic vessels in CLEC-2-deficient mice and patients with GSD, whether CLEC-2 on platelets is involved in GSD pathogenesis is unknown. CLINICAL APPROACH: We examined CLEC-2 expression in platelets of a patient with lethal GSD...

Cetaceans are specialized marine mammals with a unique respiratory system adapted for diving behavior. Furthermore, respiratory diseases are commonly observed in these mammals. Nevertheless, much of their respiratory physiology remains unknown due to the limited supply and poor quality of their biological samples for research. In this study, we established a novel lung cell line, dLu, derived from the common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), which can prove useful in cetacean research, including for understanding the pathogenesis of respiratory diseases in cetaceans...

Nickel (Ni) is a typical hapten in allergic contact dermatitis. However, it has been used in various metal materials due to its usefulness. Although Ni ions induce apoptosis of inflammatory cells and the expression of inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-8 (IL-8), the effects of the apoptotic pathway on the signaling that induces cytokine production have not been sufficiently clarified. Here, we found that NiCl2 -induced IL-8 production was enhanced by the pan-caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-FMK in THP-1 cells...

Mortality of dolphins in fishing operations is often under-estimated, as shown by studies of beach-washed carcasses. Linking evidence obtained during necropsies with fishing method is fundamental to understanding the extent of mortality and the manner in which animals die. The South Australian Sardine Fishery (SASF) has operated a purse-seine industry since 1991. This study characterised injuries, pathological changes and life history of 49 dead dolphins collected from SASF during 2006-2019. Histology examination was conducted on 25 animals...

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the oculomotor manifestations of Segawa disease (SD), considered to represent mild dopamine deficiency and discuss their pathophysiological basis. METHODS: We recorded visually- (VGS) and memory-guided saccade (MGS) tasks in 31 SD patients and 153 age-matched control subjects to study how basal ganglia (BG) dysfunction in SD evolves with age for male and female subjects. RESULTS: SD patients were impaired in initiating MGS, showing longer latencies with occasional failure...

Life science has progressed with applications of fluorescence probes - fluorophores linked to functional units responding to biological events. To meet the varied demands across experiments, simple organic reactions to connect fluorophores and functional units have been developed, enabling the on-demand selection of fluorophore-functional unit combinations. However, organic synthesis requires professional equipment and skills, standing as a daunting task for life scientists. In this study, we present a simple, fast, and convenient strategy for probe preparation: co-aggregation of hydrophobic molecules...

PURPOSE: Micro-segmental hair analysis (MSA), which enables detailed measurement of the distribution of drugs in a single hair strand, is useful for examining the day of death and drug use history of a person. However, corpses are often found in severe environments, such as soil and freezers, which affect the drug contents in hair. Therefore, we examined the effects of temperature, humidity, light, and soil on drug stability in hair as a preliminary study to estimate personal profiles using MSA of corpse hair...

IMPORTANCE: Substantial heterogeneity exists in treatment recommendations across molecular tumor boards (MTBs), especially for biomarkers with low evidence levels; therefore, the learning program is essential. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether a learning program sharing treatment recommendations for biomarkers with low evidence levels contributes to the standardization of MTBs and to investigate the efficacy of an artificial intelligence (AI)-based annotation system...

The influence of chloride integration on perovskite film deposition, encompassing both the structures of intermediate phases and the properties of the final films, was explored. Our methodology involved the fabrication of perovskite intermediate-phase films with varying concentrations of methylammonium chloride (MACl). Subsequently, we conducted an analysis employing X-ray diffraction and Rietveld refinement, incorporating the March-Dollase correction, to gain insights into how chloride-induced intermediate phases impact film morphology...

We herein evaluate a biological applicability of 1,3-substituted cuneanes as an isostere of m-substituted benzenes based on its structural similarity. An investigation of a method to obtain 1,3-substituted cuneanes by selective isomerization of 1,4-substituted cubanes enables this attempt by giving a key synthetic step to obtain a cuneane analogs of pharmaceuticals having m-substituted benzene moiety. Biological evaluation of the synthesized analogs and in silico study of the obtained result revealed a potential usage of cuneane skeleton in medicinal chemistry...

BACKGROUND: The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of tau phosphorylated at threonine 217 (p217tau) or 181 (p181tau), and neurofilament light chain (NfL) are definite biomarkers of tauopathy and neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease (AD). OBJECTIVE: To validate their utility in excluding other neurological diseases and age-related changes in clinical settings. METHODS: We developed monoclonal antibodies against p217tau and NfL, established novel ELISAs, and analyzed 170 CSF samples from patients with AD or other neurological diseases...

The laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) process provides the cellular microstructure (primary α phase surrounded by a eutectic Si network) inside hypo-eutectic Al-Si alloys. The microstructure changes to the particle-dispersed microstructure with heat treatments at around 500 °C. The microstructural change leads to a significant reduction in the tensile strength. However, the microstructural descriptors representing the cellular and particle-dispersed microstructures have not been established, resulting in difficulty in terms of discussion regarding the structure-property relationship...

In 2002, two transformative research paradigms emerged: 'click chemistry' and 'aggregation-induced emission (AIE),' both leaving significant impacts on early 21st-century academia. Click chemistry, which describes the straightforward and reliable reactions for linking two building blocks, has simplified complex molecular syntheses and functionalization, propelling advancements in polymer, material, and life science. In particular, nontoxic, metal-free click reactions involving abiotic functional groups have matured into bioorthogonal reactions...