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A radio link directly probing the inner solar corona offers the possibility to characterize solar wind properties, including velocity, density, turbulence, and even the axial ratio. In this study, we leveraged radiometric data obtained during a joint superior solar conjunction of the ESA/JAXA BepiColombo mission and the JAXA Akatsuki mission. Our objective is to ascertain the solar wind velocity by analysing Doppler-shift timeseries of radio signals exchanged between the two spacecraft and two distinct ground stations. We conducted a cross-correlation analysis to determine the travel time of large-scale plasma density fluctuations as they intersect with the downlink signals of both spacecraft. This method is applied to the data collected on 2021 March 13 and 2021 March 14. The analysis of the March 13 data has shown that the two Doppler residuals timeseries present a clear correlation at a time-lag of 2910 s. Using the knowledge of the relative distance between the two probe-ground station lines of sight at the closest approach to the Sun, we estimated the solar wind velocity to be |$421\pm 21$| km s−1. Following the same procedure for the second experiment, we estimated the solar wind speed velocity to be |$336\pm 7$| km s−1. These results are compatible with the sampling of the slow solar wind at heliographic latitudes of |$-22^\circ$| and |$-26^\circ$|⁠ , respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A preparatory study is underway to investigate the feasibility study of high-energetic, non-thermal electron distribution function measurements using a vertical-viewing electron cyclotron emission (ECE) diagnostic on JT-60SA. The system is designed to detect broad ECE spectra (70–260 GHz) due to the second, third, and fourth harmonics using a focusing optics system with four quasi-optical mirrors in the upper port of JT-60SA. A Gaussian beam optics design is performed in vacuum, and ray tracing calculations are performed in plasma using the TRAVIS code to investigate density characteristics. A ceramic viewing dump is also designed to reduce the effects of multiple reflections from the opposing vacuum vessel surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The request for new and/or more accurate data of independent fission product yields (FPY) and other distributions of pre- and post-neutron fragments constitutes a priority on an international level. The prompt emission model codes nowadays employed are refined enough to answer this request with the condition of using reliable distributions Y(A,TKE) of pre-neutron fragments. Up to now in the majority of cases such distributions were determined by experimental data. Y(A,TKE) from theoretical calculations can extend the use of prompt emission model codes to fissioning systems for which the experimental information is very scarce or completely missing. Such Y(A,TKE), recently obtained from four-dimensional Langevin model calculations in the frame of multi-modal fission, is tested by its use (as input) in the deterministic prompt emission model code DSE, for the case of 239Pu(nth,f). The obtained prompt emission results (e.g. prompt neutron multiplicity distributions ν(A), ν(TKE)) succeed to describe the experimental data and the independent FPY agree with the experimental data, too. Although visible differences between these results and those obtained with a an experimental Y(A,TKE) distribution exist. The present investigations have also emphasized other interesting aspects, e.g. concerning the pre-neutron fragments which contribute to the pronounced peaks and dips in the structure of both the mass yield Y(Ap) and the isotonic yield Y(Np) of post-neutron fragments, in connection with the role played by the even–odd effect in fragment charge, as well as how the position and magnitude of pronounced peaks and dips are influenced by the Y(A,TKE) distribution. Independent FPY separately for each number "n" of emission sequences leading to the last residual fragment Y(Ap = A-n), reported for the first time, have shown how and which of these components contribute to the structure of total Y(Ap). The crucial role of the energy partition in fission is revealed again by showing that a good choice of the RT parameterization can lead to very close results to those obtained with a TXE partition based on modeling at scission. On the contrary the use of an unique RT value for all fragmentations can alter -in some fission cases—the sawtooth shape of ν(A) and its agreement with experimental data, despite the refinement of the prompt emission treatment itself and of a reliable Y(A,TKE) distribution employed in calculations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orbital torque (OT) in magnetic heterostructures has been actively discussed in terms of its actual existence and usefulness in comparison to the spin-orbit torque (SOT) that shows promise for next-generation magnetoresistive random access memories. The objectives of this study are 2-fold: (i) making an apples-to-apples comparison in two representative stacks where OT and SOT are expected to dominate and (ii) examining the potential emergence of OT in archetypal SOT stacks. Cr/CoFeB/MgO and W/CoFeB/MgO are chosen as the OT- and SOT-dominant systems, respectively. Systematic variations in each layer's thicknesses reveal that (i) Cr/CoFeB/MgO exhibits substantial torque comparable to or even exceeding that of the W/CoFeB/MgO stack when Cr and CoFeB layers are especially thick and (ii) the torque in W/CoFeB/MgO changes sign with increasing W and CoFeB thicknesses, suggesting a crossover of the dominant mechanism from SOT to OT. The findings clarify the opportunities and challenges of devices leveraging SOT and OT.

Objectives: Nasal septal deviation can cause nasal breathing issues, contribute to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) development, and often hinders successful CPAP therapy. We hypothesized that although prevalent in the general population, nasal septal deviations differ structurally between OSA and non-OSA patients. This study evaluated nasal septal deviation morphology in OSA versus non-OSA patients using computed tomography (CT)., Methods: We consecutively enrolled 128 adult patients undergoing septoplasty for nasal obstruction between April and September 2019. Seven with trauma/surgery history were excluded. Polysomnography was performed preoperatively for those with significant sleep complaints. Using identical preoperative sinus CTs routines, we measured anterior, superior, and posterior deviation angles, comparing OSA and non-OSA groups., Results: We studied 121 septoplasty patients (37 females, 84 males, mean age 45.73 ± 1.29 years), with 34 OSA and 87 non-OSA. Anterior deviation angle was significantly greater in OSA (mean 9.1 ± 0.7°) versus non-OSA (mean 6.5 ± 0.5°) groups (p = 0.001). However, no significant superior or posterior deviation differences existed between groups (p = 0.266 and 0.231, respectively). Multiple logistic regression showed anterior deviation as the only significant independent OSA predictive factor., Conclusion: Among the nasal septal deviations, only the anterior deviation was associated with the presence of OSA. Thus, the selection of a surgical technique for anterior deviation is an important consideration in patients with OSA., Level of Evidence: 3 Laryngoscope, 2024., (© 2024 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.)

Competing Interests: Declaration of interests Sh,Y., K.S., Y.O., A.Y., S.M., N.J., and F.T are employees of Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd. Y.K. has received unrelated funding support from FUJIFILM Toyama Chemical Co., Ltd.; TAUNS Laboratories, Inc.; Shionogi & Co., Ltd.; Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; KM Biologics Co., Ltd.; Kyoritsu Seiyaku Corporation; Shinwa Corporation; and Fujirebio Diagnostics. Y.K. is also a co-founder of FluGen, Inc.

Subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma (SPTCL) is a rare peripheral T-cell lymphoma characterized by cutaneous lesions and immunologic manifestations. The five-year survival rate of SPTCL has been reported to be over 80%, indicating a favorable prognosis. Recent studies have uncovered recurrent germline variants in HAVCR2, encoding an immunomodulator. In this study, we integrated whole-exome sequencing data from 60 samples collected from 36 SPTCL patients, encompassing six patients of our cohort and 30 patients of publicly available data. We identified 138 somatic mutations in skin tumors of 24 patients and HAVCR2 germline mutations in 23 of 29 patients. HAVCR2 p.Tyr82Cys mutations were identified in four of six Japanese patients. During the clinical courses of four patients, cyclophosphamide, hydroxydaunomycin, vincristine, and prednisone were administered to all patients, but it resulted in incomplete responses in all four patients. However, disease conditions of all patients remained stable with additional treatment, including autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation. Over a 7.5-year median follow-up, one patient developed autoimmune-related diseases, while one developed other hematological malignancy, resulting in death. To our knowledge, this is the first report of recurrent HAVCR2 germline mutations in Japanese patients, suggesting the necessity for long-term follow-up., (© 2024 The Author(s). Cancer Science published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Japanese Cancer Association.)

Introduction: Adenosine deaminase (ADA) in pleural fluid is a useful marker for diagnosing tuberculous pleurisy. However, recent studies have reported a lower specificity of pleural fluid ADA levels. We previously developed a diagnostic flowchart for patients with pleural fluid ADA ≥40 U/L, incorporating variables such as pleural fluid lactate dehydrogenase <825 U/L, predominant pleural fluid neutrophils or cell degeneration, and a pleural fluid ADA/total protein ratio <14. This flowchart was effective in distinguishing between tuberculous pleurisy and other diseases. Here, we conducted a validation analysis of this flowchart., Materials and Methods: We retrospectively collected data from 458 patients with pleural fluid ADA concentrations ≥40 U/L across eight institutions from January 2019 to December 2023. The diagnostic accuracy rate, sensitivity, and specificity of the diagnostic flowchart were analysed and compared to those in the original study., Results: Eighty-seven patients were diagnosed with tuberculous pleurisy, and 371 patients were diagnosed with other diseases. The diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity for diagnosing tuberculous pleurisy were 77.7%, 86.2%, and 75.7%, respectively. Compared with that in the original study, the rate of tuberculous pleurisy was lower (19.0% vs. 44.5%, p < 0.001), but the diagnostic accuracy rates were not significantly different (p = 0.253). On the basis of the findings from this validation study, we have revised the flowchart to enhance its utility., Conclusion: The diagnostic flowchart exhibited high diagnostic accuracy in this validation study, comparable to that in the original study. This validation confirms the effectiveness of the flowchart, even in settings with a low incidence of tuberculosis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Japanese Respiratory Society. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: The Trunk Assessment Scale for Spinal Cord Injury (TASS) and the Trunk Control Test for individuals with a Spinal Cord Injury (TCT-SCI) are highly reliable assessment tools for evaluating the trunk function of individuals with SCIs. However, the potential differences in the validity of these two scales are unclear. Objectives: To evaluate the criterion validity of the TASS and the construct validity of the TASS and TCT-SCI. Participants and Methods: We evaluated 30 individuals with SCIs (age 63.8 ± 10.7 yrs, 17 with tetraplegia). To evaluate criterion validity, we calculated Spearman's rho between the TASS and the gold standard (the TCT-SCI). To determine construct validity, we used the following hypothesis testing approaches: ( i ) calculating Spearman's rho between each scale and the upper and lower extremity motor scores (UEMS, LEMS), the Walking Index for SCI-II (WISCI-II), and the motor score of the Functional Independence Measure (mFIM); and ( ii ) determining the cut-off point for identifying ambulators with SCIs (≥ 3 points on item 12 of Spinal Cord Independent Measure III) by a receiver operating characteristics analysis. Results: A moderate correlation was confirmed between the TASS and the TCT-SCI ( r  = 0.68). Construct validity was supported by six of the eight prior hypotheses. The cut-off points for identifying ambulators with SCIs were 26 points (TASS) and 18 points (TCT-SCI). Conclusion: Our results indicate that the contents of the TASS and the TCT-SCI might reflect the epidemiological characteristics of the populations in which they were developed.

A 40-year-old Japanese man with human immunodeficiency virus presented with disturbance of consciousness 2 years after dropping out. He was emaciated without any zoster skin lesions, and his CD4+ lymphocyte count was 4 cells/μL. Disseminated Mycobacterium avium infection and pneumocystis pneumonia were diagnosed, and a brain biopsy revealed varicella zoster virus (VZV) encephalitis with multiple real-time polymerase chain reaction tests and immunochemistry. Antiretroviral therapy and intravenous acyclovir were administered, and the patient survived with neurological sequelae. VZV encephalitis is rare, particularly among people with AIDS, but it is a significant disease with a poor prognosis.

Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factors (RhoGEFs) comprise a wide range of proteins with a common domain responsible for the activation of the Rho family of small GTPases and various domains in other regions. The evolutionary divergence of RhoGEFs enables actin cytoskeletal reorganization, leading to complex cellular responses in higher organisms. In this review, we address the involvement of RhoGEFs in the mechanical stress response of mammalian cells. The cellular mechanical stress response is essential for the proper and orderly regulation of cell populations, including the maintenance of homeostasis, tissue morphogenesis, and adaptation to the mechanical environment. In particular, this review focuses on the recent findings regarding the Dbl family of RhoGEFs involved in mechanical stress responses at the cell-cell and cell-substrate adhesion sites, and their molecular mechanisms underlying actin cytoskeleton remodeling and signal transduction., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Ohashi, Kunitomi, Chiba and Mizuno.)

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5 viruses from different clades have been circulating globally, threatening wild/domestic birds and mammals. Given frequent spillovers and high mortality among mammals, coupled with our inability to predict which clade of H5 virus has pandemic potential, cross-clade protective HPAI H5 vaccines are urgently needed. Here, we demonstrate the applicability of a lipid nanoparticle-based mRNA vaccine modality to induce cross-protective immunity against lethal HPAI virus infection., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Epichloë species are endophytic fungi that systemically colonize grass species. Here, we report the genome sequences of Epichloë bromicola strains HS and DP isolated for the first time from Elymus ciliaris in Nagoya, Japan., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Efficiency of protein synthesis on the ribosome is strongly affected by the amino acid composition of the assembled amino acid chain. Challenging sequences include proline-rich motifs as well as highly positively and negatively charged amino acid stretches. Members of the F subfamily of ABC ATPases (ABCFs) have been long hypothesised to promote translation of such problematic motifs. In this study we have applied genetics and reporter-based assays to characterise the four housekeeping ABCF ATPases of Bacillus subtilis: YdiF, YfmM, YfmR/Uup and YkpA/YbiT. We show that YfmR cooperates with the translation factor EF-P that promotes translation of Pro-rich motifs. Simultaneous loss of both YfmR and EF-P results in a dramatic growth defect. Surprisingly, this growth defect can be largely suppressed though overexpression of an EF-P variant lacking the otherwise crucial 5-amino-pentanolylated residue K32. Using in vivo reporter assays, we show that overexpression of YfmR can alleviate ribosomal stalling on Asp-Pro motifs. Finally, we demonstrate that YkpA/YbiT promotes translation of positively and negatively charged motifs but is inactive in resolving ribosomal stalls on proline-rich stretches. Collectively, our results provide insights into the function of ABCF translation factors in modulating protein synthesis in B. subtilis., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.)

Plants recognize a variety of external signals and induce appropriate mechanisms to increase their tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses. Precise recognition of attacking pathogens and induction of effective resistance mechanisms are critical functions for plant survival. Some molecular patterns unique to a certain group of microbes, microbe-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs), are sensed by plant cells as nonself molecules via pattern recognition receptors. While MAMPs of bacterial and fungal origin have been identified, reports on oomycete MAMPs are relatively limited. This study aimed to identify MAMPs from an oomycete pathogen Phytophthora infestans, the causal agent of potato late blight. Using reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and phytoalexin production in potato (Solanum tuberosum) as markers, two structurally different groups of elicitors, namely ceramides and diacylglycerols, were identified. P. infestans ceramides (Pi-Cer A, B, and D) induced ROS production, while diacylglycerol (Pi-DAG A and B), containing eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) as a substructure, induced phytoalexins production in potato. The molecular patterns in Pi-Cers and Pi-DAGs essential for defense induction were identified as 9-methyl-4,8-sphingadienine (9Me-Spd) and 5,8,11,14-tetraene-type fatty acid (5,8,11,14-TEFA), respectively. These structures are not found in plants, but in oomycetes and fungi, indicating that they are microbe molecular patterns recognized by plants. When Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) was treated with Pi-Cer D and EPA, partially overlapping but different sets of genes were induced. Furthermore, expression of some genes is upregulated only after the simultaneous treatment with Pi-Cer D and EPA, indicating that plants combine the signals from simultaneously recognized MAMPs to adapt their defense response to pathogens., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest statement. None declared., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of American Society of Plant Biologists.)

Introduction: Primary squamous cell carcinoma of the kidney is rare, with only a few cases reported to date., Case Presentation: A right renal mass was detected in a 73-year-old asymptomatic man. Dynamic contrast-enhanced computed tomography showed a hypodensity mass extending from the upper pole of the kidney to the right lobe of the liver. Renal biopsy revealed that this tumor was squamous cell carcinoma. One month later, computed tomography showed rapid tumor growth. Radical nephrectomy and partial hepatic resection were performed. Pathological analysis indicated that this tumor originated from the tubular epithelium, and the patient was diagnosed with primary squamous cell carcinoma of the kidney.Following up without adjuvant therapy, he developed retroperitoneal recurrence and multiple lung metastases and expired., Conclusion: In this case, squamous cell carcinoma of the kidney invaded the liver and progressed rapidly. Considering these observations, surgical resection should be promptly performed in suspected cases., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2024 The Author(s). IJU Case Reports published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Japanese Urological Association.)

Ribosomes trapped on mRNAs during protein synthesis need to be rescued for the cell to survive. The most ubiquitous bacterial ribosome rescue pathway is trans-translation mediated by tmRNA and SmpB. Genetic inactivation of trans-translation can be lethal, unless ribosomes are rescued by ArfA or ArfB alternative rescue factors or the ribosome-associated quality control (RQC) system, which in Bacillus subtilis involves MutS2, RqcH, RqcP and Pth. Using transposon sequencing in a trans-translation-incompetent B. subtilis strain we identify a poorly characterized S4-domain-containing protein YlmH as a novel potential RQC factor. Cryo-EM structures reveal that YlmH binds peptidyl-tRNA-50S complexes in a position analogous to that of S4-domain-containing protein RqcP, and that, similarly to RqcP, YlmH can co-habit with RqcH. Consistently, we show that YlmH can assume the role of RqcP in RQC by facilitating the addition of poly-alanine tails to truncated nascent polypeptides. While in B. subtilis the function of YlmH is redundant with RqcP, our taxonomic analysis reveals that in multiple bacterial phyla RqcP is absent, while YlmH and RqcH are present, suggesting that in these species YlmH plays a central role in the RQC., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.)

A novel regularized elastic net regression model was developed to predict processing factor (PF) for pesticide residues, which represents a change in the residue levels during food processing. The PF values for tomato juice, wet pomace and dry pomace in the evaluations and reports published by the Joint FAO/WHO Meeting on Pesticide Residues significantly correlated with the physicochemical properties of pesticides, and subsequently the correlation was observed in the present tomato processing study. The elastic net regression model predicted the PF values using the physicochemical properties as predictor variables for both training and test data within a 2-fold range for 80-100% of the pesticides tested in the tomato processing study while overcoming multicollinearity. These results suggest that the PF values are predictable at a certain degree of accuracy from the unique sets of physicochemical properties of pesticides using the developed model based on a processing study with representative pesticides., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Kosuke Nakamura reports financial support was provided by Government of Japan Ministry of Health Labour and Welfare., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Cassava witches' broom disease (CWBD) is one of the most devastating diseases of cassava ( Manihot esculenta Crantz), and it threatens global production of the crop. In 2017, a phytoplasma, Candidatus Phytoplasma luffae ( Ca. P. luffae), was reported in the Philippines, and it has been considered as the causal agent, despite unknown etiology and transmission of CWBD. In this study, the nationwide occurrence of CWBD was assessed, and detection of CWBD's pathogen was attempted using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and next-generation sequencing (NGS) techniques. The results showed that CWBD has spread and become severe, exhibiting symptoms such as small leaf proliferation, shortened internodes, and vascular necrosis. PCR analysis revealed a low phytoplasma detection rate, possibly due to low titer, uneven distribution, or absence in the CWBD-symptomatic cassava. In addition, NGS techniques confirm the PCR results, revealing the absence or extremely low phytoplasma read counts, but a surprisingly high abundance of fastidious and xylem-limited fungus, Ceratobasidium sp. in CWBD-symptomatic plants. These findings cast doubt over the involvement of phytoplasma in CWBD and instead highlight the potential association of Ceratobasidium sp ., strongly supporting the recent findings in mainland Southeast Asia. Further investigations are needed to verify the etiology of CWBD and identify infection mechanisms of Ceratobasidium sp. to develop effective diagnostic and control methods for disease management.

In this study, we investigated the invasiveness of Gekko japonicus, a prevalent gecko species in Japan and an ancient non-native species, focusing on its competition with both the undescribed endemic Gekko species (referred to as Nishiyamori in Japanese) and G. hokouensis. These species are co-distributed with G. japonicus, leading us to hypothesize that G. japonicus was invasive upon its initial introduction. We employed niche analysis and population genetics through ddRAD-seq to assess the historical invasiveness of G. japonicus by comparing regions with and without interspecies competition. Our niche analysis across the Goto Islands, Hiradojima Island (colonized by G. japonicus) and the Koshikishima Islands (not colonized by G. japonicus) indicated that endemic Gekko sp. alter their microhabitat usage in response to invasions by other gecko species, despite having similar suitable habitats and microhabitat preferences. Population genetic analysis revealed significant population declines in Gekko sp. within areas of introduced competition, in contrast to stable populations in areas without such competition. These findings suggest a tripartite competitive relationship among the gecko species, with G. japonicus and G. hokouensis invasions restricting the distribution of the endemic Gekko sp. Consequently, G. japonicus may have historically acted as an invasive species. Acknowledging the historical dynamics of current biodiversity is crucial for addressing complex ecological issues and making informed conservation decisions., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

In the genome of the heterocystous cyanobacterium Calothrix sp. NIES-4101 (NIES-4101), the four genes essential for nitrogen fixation (nifB, nifH, nifD and nifK) are highly fragmented into 13 parts in a 350-kb chromosomal region, and four of these parts are encoded in the reverse strand. Such a complex fragmentation feature makes it difficult to restore the intact nifBHDK genes by the excision mechanism found in the nifD gene of the Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 heterocyst. To examine the nitrogen-fixing ability of NIES-4101, we confirmed that NIES-4101 grew well on a combined nitrogen-free medium and showed high nitrogenase activity, which strongly suggested that the complete nifBHDK genes are restored by a complex recombination process in heterocysts. Next, we resequenced the genome prepared from cells grown under nitrogen-fixing conditions. Two contigs covering the complete nifHDK and nifB genes were found by de novo assembly of the sequencing reads. In addition, the DNA fragments covering the nifBHDK operon were successfully amplified by PCR. We propose that the process of nifBHDK restoration occurs as follows. First, the nifD-nifK genes are restored by four excision events. Then, the complete nifH and nifB genes are restored by two excision events followed by two successive inversion events between the inverted repeat sequences and one excision event, forming the functional nif gene cluster, nifB-fdxN-nifS-nifU-nifH-nifD-nifK. All genes coding recombinases responsible for these nine recombination events are located close to the terminal repeat sequences. The restoration of the nifBHDK genes in NIES-4101 is the most complex genome reorganization reported in heterocystous cyanobacteria., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists.)

Vaccination is the most effective strategy to combat influenza. Ideally, potent and persistent vaccine effects would be induced with a single vaccine dose. Here, we designed a virus-like particle (VLP)-based vaccine presenting multiple copies of the influenza hemagglutinin (HA) from A/Puerto Rico/8/1934 (PR8HA-VLP) and examined its immunogenicity and protective efficacy in ferrets. Serum-neutralizing antibodies were effectively induced against the homologous virus at 3-week post-vaccination with a single dose of PR8HA-VLP with or without adjuvants. When the single-immunized ferrets were challenged with the homologous virus, virus replication in the nasal mucosa was significantly reduced. Long-term monitoring of serum titers revealed that after adjuvanted vaccination with PR8HA-VLP, neutralizing antibodies were retained at similar levels 20- to 183-week post-vaccination, although a 4- to 8-fold titer decline was observed from 3- to 20-week post-vaccination. Boost immunization at 183 weeks after the first immunization elicited higher neutralizing antibody titers than those at 3 weeks after the initial immunization in most of the animals. These results confirm that nanoparticle-based vaccines are a promising approach to effectively elicit durable multiyear neutralizing antibody responses against influenza viruses., Competing Interests: YK has received unrelated funding support from Daiichi Sankyo Pharmaceutical, Toyama Chemical, Tauns Laboratories, Inc., Shionogi & Co. LTD, Otsuka Pharmaceutical, KM Biologics, Kyoritsu Seiyaku, Shinya Corporation, and Fuji Rebio. YK is a co‐founder of FluGen. The remaining authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (© 2024 The Author(s). Bioengineering & Translational Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Institute of Chemical Engineers.)

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a progressive fibrotic form of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Liver fibrosis leads to liver cancer and cirrhosis, and drug therapy for NASH remains lacking. Ninjin'yoeito (NYT) has shown antifibrotic effects in a model of liver fibrosis without steatosis but has not been studied for NASH. Therefore, we evaluated the efficacy of NYT in mice fed a choline-deficient, L-amino acid-defined, high-fat diet (CDAHFD) as a NASH model. Compared with the normal diet group, mice fed CDAHFD showed decreased body weight and increased white adipose tissue, liver weight, and triglyceride content in the liver. Furthermore, a substantial increase in the hepatic concentration of hydroxyproline, expression of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), and transforming growth factor-β was observed in CDAHFD-fed mice. Masson's trichrome and Picro-Sirius red staining revealed a remarkable increase in collagen fiber compared with the normal diet group. Compared with mice that received CDAHFD alone, those supplemented with NYT exhibited reduced hepatic triglyceride and hydroxyproline levels and α-SMA expression. Additionally, compared with the group fed CDAHFD alone, the stained liver tissues of NYT-treated mice exhibited a reduction in Masson's trichrome- and Picro-Sirius red-positive areas. Locomotor activity was significantly reduced in the CDAHFD-fed group compared with the normal diet group. In the NYT-treated group, the CDAHFD-induced decrease in locomotor activity was significantly suppressed. The findings indicate that NYT inhibited fatty and fibrotic changes in the livers of NASH mice and alleviated the decrease in locomotor activity. Therefore, NYT may serve as a novel therapeutic approach for NASH., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Recent findings indicate that Solo, a RhoGEF, is involved in cellular mechanical stress responses. However, the mechanism of actin cytoskeletal remodeling via Solo remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to identify Solo-interacting proteins using the BioID, a proximal-dependent labeling method, and elucidate the molecular mechanisms of function of Solo. We identified PDZ-RhoGEF (PRG) as a Solo-interacting protein. PRG colocalized with Solo in the basal area of cells, depending on Solo localization, and enhanced actin polymerization at the Solo accumulation sites. Additionally, Solo and PRG interaction was necessary for actin cytoskeletal remodeling. Furthermore, the purified Solo itself had little or negligible GEF activity, even its GEF-inactive mutant directly activated the GEF activity of PRG through interaction. Moreover, overexpression of the Solo and PRG binding domains, respectively, had a dominant-negative effect on actin polymerization and actin stress fiber formation in response to substrate stiffness. Therefore, Solo restricts the localization of PRG and regulates actin cytoskeletal remodeling in synergy with PRG in response to the surrounding mechanical environment.

Botrytis cinerea is a necrotrophic pathogen that infects across a broad range of plant hosts, including high-impact crop species. Its generalist necrotrophic behavior stems from its ability to detoxify structurally diverse phytoalexins. The current study aims to provide evidence of the ability of B. cinerea to tolerate the sesquiterpenoid phytoalexin rishitin, which is produced by potato and tomato. While the growth of potato pathogens Phytophthora infestans (late blight) and Alternaria solani (early blight) was severely inhibited by rishitin, B. cinerea was tolerant to rishitin. After incubation of rishitin with the mycelia of B. cinerea, it was metabolized to at least six oxidized forms. Structural analysis of these purified rishitin metabolites revealed a variety of oxidative metabolism including hydroxylation at C7 or C12, ketone formation at C5, and dihydroxylation at the 10,11-olefin. Six rishitin metabolites showed reduced toxicity to P. infestans and A. solani, indicating that B. cinerea has at least 5 distinct enzymatic reactions to detoxify rishitin. Four host-specialized phytopathogenic Botrytis species, namely B. elliptica, B. allii, B. squamosa, and B. tulipae also had at least a partial ability to metabolize rishitin as B. cinerea, but their metabolic capacity was significantly weaker than that of B. cinerea. These results suggest that the ability of B. cinerea to rapidly metabolize rishitin through multiple detoxification mechanisms could be critical for its pathogenicity in potato and tomato., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Germacranolides, secondary metabolites produced by plants, have garnered academic and industrial interest due to their diverse and complex topology as well as a wide array of pharmacological activities. Molephantin, a highly oxygenated germacranolide isolated from medicinal plants, Elephantopus mollis and Elephantopus tomentosus, has exhibited antitumor, inflammatory, and leishmanicidal activities. Its chemical structure is based on a highly strained ten-membered macrocyclic backbone with an (E,Z)-dienone moiety, which is fused with an α-methylene-γ-butyrolactone and adorned with four successive stereogenic centers. Herein, we report the first synthesis of molephantin in 12 steps starting from readily available building blocks. The synthesis features the highly diastereoselective intermolecular Barbier allylation of the β,γ-unsaturated aldehyde with optically active 3-bromomethyl-5H-furan-2-one intermediate and ensuing Nozaki-Hiyama-Kishi (NHK) macrocyclization for the construction of the highly oxygenated ten-membered macrocyclic framework. This synthetic route enabled access to another germacranolide congener, tomenphantopin F. Furthermore, cycloisomerization of molephantin into 2-deethoxy-2β-hydroxyphantomolin could be facilitated by irradiation with ultraviolet A light (λ max =370 nm), which opened a versatile and concise access to the related furanogermacranolides such as EM-2, phantomolin, 2-O-demethyltomenphantopin C, and tomenphantopin C., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Morphological dysplasia in haematopoietic cells, defined by a 10% threshold in each lineage, is one of the diagnostic criteria for myelodysplastic neoplasms. Dysplasia limited to the erythroid lineage has also been reported in some cases of aplastic anaemia (AA); however, its significance remains unclear. We herein examined the impact of erythroid dysplasia on immunosuppressive therapy responses and survival in AA patients. The present study included 100 eligible AA patients without ring sideroblasts. Among them, 32 had dysplasia in the erythroid lineage (AA with minimal dysplasia [mini-D]). No significant sex or age differences were observed between AA groups with and without erythroid dysplasia. In severe/very severe AA and non-severe AA patients, a response to anti-thymocyte globulin + ciclosporin within 12 months was observed in 80.0% and 60.0% of AA with mini-D and 42.9% and 90.0% of those without dysplasia, with no significant difference (p = 0.29 and p = 0.24 respectively). Overall survival and leukaemia-free survival did not significantly differ between the groups. Collectively, the present results indicate that the presence of erythroid dysplasia did not significantly affect clinical characteristics or outcomes in AA patients, suggesting that its presence in AA is acceptable. Therefore, erythroid dysplasia should not exclude an AA diagnosis., (© 2024 The Authors. British Journal of Haematology published by British Society for Haematology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: In the present study, we aimed to investigate whether early cardiac biomarker alterations and echocardiographic parameters, including left atrial (LA) strain, can predict anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity (AIC) and thus develop a predictive risk score., Methods and results: The AIC registry is a prospective, observational cohort study designed to gather serial echocardiographic and biomarker data before and after anthracycline chemotherapy. Cardiotoxicity was defined as a reduction in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≥10 percentage points from baseline and <55%. In total, 383 patients (93% women; median age, 57 [46-66] years) completed the 2-year follow-up; 42 (11.0%) patients developed cardiotoxicity (median time to onset, 292 [175-440] days). Increases in cardiac troponin T (TnT) and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and relative reductions in the left ventricular global longitudinal strain (LV GLS) and LA reservoir strain [LASr] at 3 months after anthracycline administration were independently associated with subsequent cardiotoxicity. A risk score containing 2 clinical variables (smoking and prior cardiovascular disease), 2 cardiac biomarkers at 3 months (TnT ≥0.019 ng/mL and BNP ≥31.1 pg/mL), 2 echocardiographic variables at 3 months (relative declines in LV GLS [≥6.5%], and LASr [≥7.5%]) was generated., Conclusions: Early decline in LASr was independently associated with subsequent cardiotoxicity. The AIC risk score may provide useful prognostication in patients receiving anthracyclines.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a significant contributor to the global burden of non-communicable disease. Early intervention may facilitate slowing down of progression of CKD; recognition of at-risk patient groups may improve detection through screening. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical records of 960 patients attending a specialist nephrology outpatient clinic during the period 1 January 2011-31 December 2021. A significant proportion (47.8%) of patients were referred with established CKD stage G4 or G5. Non-national immigration status, previous diagnosis with diabetes, and advancing age were associated with late referral; antecedent diagnosis with HIV reduced the odds of late referral. Black African patients comprised most of the sample cohort and were younger at referral and more frequently female than other ethnicities; non-nationals were younger at referral than South Africans. Hypertension-associated kidney disease was the leading ascribed aetiological factor for CKD (40.7% of cases), followed by diabetic kidney disease (DKD) (19%), glomerular disease (12.5%), and HIV-associated kidney disease (11.8%). Hypertension-related (25.9%) and diabetic (10.7%) kidney diseases were not uncommon in people living with HIV. Advancing age and male sex increased the likelihood of diagnosis with hypertensive nephropathy, DKD and obstructive uropathy; males were additionally at increased risk of HIV-associated kidney disease and nephrotoxin exposure, as were patients of Black African ethnicity. In summary, this data shows that hypertension, diabetes, and HIV remain important aetiological factors in CKD in the South African context. Despite the well-described risk of CKD in these disorders, referral to nephrology services occurs late. Interventions and policy actions targeting at-risk populations are required to improve referral practices., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Urade et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Regulatory arrest peptides interact with specific residues on bacterial ribosomes and arrest their own translation. Here, we analyse over 30,000 bacterial genome sequences to identify additional Sec/YidC-related arrest peptides, followed by in vivo and in vitro analyses. We find that Sec/YidC-related arrest peptides show patchy, but widespread, phylogenetic distribution throughout the bacterial domain. Several of the identified peptides contain distinct conserved sequences near the C-termini, but are still able to efficiently stall bacterial ribosomes in vitro and in vivo. In addition, we identify many arrest peptides that share an R-A-P-P-like sequence, suggesting that this sequence might serve as a common evolutionary seed to overcome ribosomal structural differences across species., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Fusariviridae is a family of mono-segmented, positive-sense RNA viruses with genome sizes of 5.9-10.7 kb. Most genomic RNAs are bicistronic, but exceptions have up to four predicted ORFs. In bicistronic genomes, the 5'-proximal ORF codes for a single protein with both RNA-directed RNA polymerase (RdRP) and RNA helicase (Hel) domains; little is known about the protein encoded by the second ORF. Fusarivirids do not appear to form virions. This is a summary of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) Report on the family Fusariviridae, which is available at ictv.global/report/fusariviridae.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate whether smoking is an independent risk factor for central sensitization syndrome (CSS) in individuals with pain as measured by the Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI)., Methods: In 2020, we conducted an Internet survey targeting 2000 ordinary residents of Japan (aged 20-69 years) who had pain symptoms from October to November 2020. A multiple regression analysis was performed on the association between smoking status (nonsmokers and current smokers; Brinkman index) and CSI values. Moreover, compared to nonsmokers, the relative risk (RR) of the CSI cut-off score of 40 points or higher among current smokers was calculated using a modified Poisson regression model. Covariates included age, sex, body mass index, marital status, equivalized income, exercise habits, history of hypertension, history of hyperlipidemia, history of diabetes, pain chronicity, and Pain Catastrophizing Scale score., Results: This study analyzed 1,822 individuals (1,041 men and 781 women). Among those experiencing pain, current smoking was associated with the increase in CSI values (β = 0.07). The Brinkman index was also significantly associated with the increase in CSI values (β = 0.06). Current smoking also increased the risk of being over the CSI cut-off score, with a relative risk (RR) of 1.29 (95% confidence intervals, 1.04-1.60). Younger age, being women, experiencing chronic pain, and higher pain catastrophizing thinking were also significantly associated with increased CSS severity, independent of smoking status., Conclusion: Smoking is an independent risk factor for CSS. This indicates that smoking may be an important factor in the management of central pain disorders., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Discovering hit molecules with desired biological activity in a directed manner is a promising but profound task in computer-aided drug discovery. Inspired by recent generative AI approaches, particularly Diffusion Models (DM), we propose Graph Latent Diffusion Model (GLDM)-a latent DM that preserves both the effectiveness of autoencoders of compressing complex chemical data and the DM's capabilities of generating novel molecules. Specifically, we first develop an autoencoder to encode the molecular data into low-dimensional latent representations and then train the DM on the latent space to generate molecules inducing targeted biological activity defined by gene expression profiles. Manipulating DM in the latent space rather than the input space avoids complicated operations to map molecule decomposition and reconstruction to diffusion processes, and thus improves training efficiency. Experiments show that GLDM not only achieves outstanding performances on molecular generation benchmarks, but also generates samples with optimal chemical properties and potentials to induce desired biological activity., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press.)

The reverse-yield factor (RF) database was developed for qualitatively and quantitatively disaggregating Japanese composite foods into raw primary commodity (RPC) ingredients. Representative equations for four types (dried, salted, fermented and mixed foods) were developed to calculate RFs using the food content and composition data for composite foods listed in the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan-2020-(STFCJ), published by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan. Out of 1150 composite foods identified in the STFCJ, RFs for 54 dried, 41 salted, 40 fermented and 818 mixed foods were obtained. RFs for 197 mixed foods could not be calculated because these foods were produced from ingredients with no specified information and/or through complex processing. The content and composition of Japanese composite foods would be interpreted representatively by RFs in the developed database.

Nascent polypeptide chains can induce translational stalling to regulate gene expression. This is exemplified by the E. coli secretion monitor (SecM) arrest peptide that induces translational stalling to regulate expression of the downstream encoded SecA, an ATPase that co-operates with the SecYEG translocon to facilitate insertion of proteins into or through the cytoplasmic membrane. Here we present the structure of a ribosome stalled during translation of the full-length E. coli SecM arrest peptide at 2.0 Å resolution. The structure reveals that SecM arrests translation by stabilizing the Pro-tRNA in the A-site, but in a manner that prevents peptide bond formation with the SecM-peptidyl-tRNA in the P-site. By employing molecular dynamic simulations, we also provide insight into how a pulling force on the SecM nascent chain can relieve the SecM-mediated translation arrest. Collectively, the mechanisms determined here for SecM arrest and relief are also likely to be applicable for a variety of other arrest peptides that regulate components of the protein localization machinery identified across a wide range of bacteria lineages., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Arrest peptides containing RAPP (ArgAlaProPro) motifs have been discovered in both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, where they are thought to regulate expression of important protein localization machinery components. Here we determine cryo-EM structures of ribosomes stalled on RAPP arrest motifs in both Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli. Together with molecular dynamics simulations, our structures reveal that the RAPP motifs allow full accommodation of the A-site tRNA, but prevent the subsequent peptide bond from forming. Our data support a model where the RAP in the P-site interacts and stabilizes a single hydrogen atom on the Pro-tRNA in the A-site, thereby preventing an optimal geometry for the nucleophilic attack required for peptide bond formation to occur. This mechanism to short circuit the ribosomal peptidyltransferase activity is likely to operate for the majority of other RAPP-like arrest peptides found across diverse bacterial phylogenies., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: In 2022 and 2023, novel reassortant H3N8 influenza viruses infected three people, marking the first human infections with viruses of this subtype., Methods: Here, we generated one of these viruses (A/Henan/4-10CNIC/2022; hereafter called A/Henan/2022 virus) by using reverse genetics and characterized it., Findings: In intranasally infected mice, reverse genetics-generated A/Henan/2022 virus caused weight loss in all five animals (one of which had to be euthanized) and replicated efficiently in the respiratory tract. Intranasal infection of ferrets resulted in minor weight loss and moderate fever but no mortality. Reverse genetics-generated A/Henan/2022 virus replicated efficiently in the upper respiratory tract of ferrets but was not detected in the lungs. Virus transmission via respiratory droplets occurred in one of four pairs of ferrets. Deep-sequencing of nasal swab samples from inoculated and exposed ferrets revealed sequence polymorphisms in the haemagglutinin protein that may affect receptor-binding specificity. We also tested 90 human sera for neutralizing antibodies against reverse genetics-generated A/Henan/2022 virus and found that some of them possessed neutralizing antibody titres, especially sera from older donors with likely exposure to earlier human H3N2 viruses., Interpretation: Our data demonstrate that reverse genetics-generated A/Henan/2022 virus is a low pathogenic influenza virus (of avian influenza virus descent) with some antigenic resemblance to older human H3N2 viruses and limited respiratory droplet transmissibility in ferrets., Funding: This work was supported by the Japan Program for Infectious Diseases Research and Infrastructure (JP23wm0125002), and the Japan Initiative for World-leading Vaccine Research and Development Centers (JP233fa627001) from the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED)., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests Y.K. has received grant support from Daiichi Sankyo Pharmaceutical, Toyama Chemical, Tauns Laboratories, Inc., Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Shionogi & Co., Ltd., Otsuka Pharmaceutical, KM Biologics, Kyoritsu Seiyaku, Shinya Corporation, and Fuji Rebio. Y.K. and G.N. are co-founders of FluGen. The other authors have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Haploidentical peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (haplo-PBSCT) with post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy) is an important therapeutic option for patients lacking an HLA-matched donor. However, the significance of CD34 + cell dose in grafts has not been fully elucidated., Objective: We aimed to explore the impact of CD34 + cell dose on outcomes after haplo-PBSCT with PTCy., Study Design: We retrospectively investigated 111 consecutive patients who underwent haplo-PBSCT with PTCy or HLA-matched PBSCT from related donors., Results: There were no statistically significant differences in 3-year overall survival (p = 0.559) or progression-free survival (p = 0.974) between haplo-PBSCT and matched PBSCT. Delayed neutrophil engraftment and a lower incidence of graft-versus-host disease were observed in haplo-PBSCT. The median dose of CD34 + cells was 4.9 × 10 6 /kg in 57 haplo-PBSCT and 4.5 × 10 6 /kg in 54 matched PBSCTs. Importantly, patients who underwent haplo-PBSCT with the administration of CD34 + cell at a dose of ≥4.0 × 10 6 /kg significantly had improved OS (p = 0.015) and decreased incidence of disease relapse (p = 0.001) without increasing incidence of GVHD., Conclusion: Our data suggest that a higher dose of CD34 + cells in haplo-PBSCT with PTCy positively impacts the outcomes without an increase of GVHD., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest SC received research fundings from Astellas, Kyowa-Kirin, Thyras, Chugai, Bayer, and Esai. MS-Y received research fundings from Esai, Otsuka Phrma, and Bristol Myers Squibb. NO received Kyowa-Kirin and Alexion Pharma., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Dynamic M / P invertible helicity was successfully induced at a SiO 2 surface immobilized with a dynamic helical trinuclear cobalt complex, [LCo 3 (NHMe 2 ) 6 ](OTf) 3 , using chiral (( R ) or ( S ))-1-phenylethylamine. Solid-state CD spectra and theoretical calculations suggested that the fixation of the M / P helical complex on the surface via coordination interactions was the key factor of the induced chirality at the surface.