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Background: Defining regional fat distribution is of importance because of regional variation in adipocyte metabolism. In order to investigate whether maternal body fat distribution changes during pregnancy we measured the abdominal maternal fat thickness. Methods: A longitudinal study of the thickness of the preperitoneal fat layer (P) and subcutaneous fat layer (S) in the abdomen was conducted; ultrasonography was used to obtain the measurements and the P/S ratio was calculated during each trimester as well as postpartum. Results: When compared with the first and second trimesters, a significant increase in both the P and P/S ratios was observed in the third trimester; thus, regional fat distribution changes during pregnancy. Conclusion: Intra-abdominal visceral fat accumulation increases during pregnancy.

Purpose The viability of mammalian eggs after ovulation is reported to be improved by the presence of ascorbic acid in the culture medium. However, the pro‐survival mechanisms of ascorbic acid are poorly understood. The molecular pathways of apoptosis are evolutionarily conserved among animal species, and Xenopus eggs are technically and ethically more suitable for biochemical analyses than mammalian eggs. We used Xenopus egg cytoplasmic extracts to examine the direct intracellular effects of ascorbic acid. Methods Incubation of egg extracts for more than 4 h induces the spontaneous release of cytochrome c from mitochondria. This event triggers the activation of caspases, cleavage of substrate proteins, and execution of apoptosis. Multiple signal transduction pathways including proteolysis and protein phosphorylation are also involved in this process. We examined whether any of these events might be inhibited by the addition of ascorbic acid. Results Ascorbic acid showed no effect against cytochrome c release, but prevented caspase activation and substrate cleavage. Ascorbic acid also blocked the proteolysis of apoptosis inhibitor proteins and the dephosphorylation of p42 MAP kinase. However, dehydroascorbic acid (oxidized form of ascorbic acid) and acetate (unrelated acid) were equally effective, indicating that these effects were primarily due to their acidity. In addition, dehydroascorbic acid inhibited caspase activities directly in vitro. Conclusions The anti‐apoptotic effect of ascorbic acid in Xenopus egg extracts is mainly due to cytoplasmic acidification rather than its intracellular antioxidant activity. Instead, oxidative conversion of ascorbic acid into dehydroascorbic acid may inhibit apoptosis through the inhibition of caspases.

Although macrophages are thought to be crucial for the pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory diseases, how they are involved in disease progression from simple steatosis to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is poorly understood. Here we report the unique histological structure termed \"hepatic crown-like structures (hCLS)\" in the mouse model of human NASH; melanocortin-4 receptor deficient mice fed a Western diet. In hCLS, CD11c-positive macrophages aggregate to surround hepatocytes with large lipid droplets, which is similar to those described in obese adipose tissue. Histological analysis revealed that hCLS is closely associated with activated fibroblasts and collagen deposition. When treatment with clodronate liposomes effectively depletes macrophages scattered in the liver, with those in hCLS intact, hepatic expression of inflammatory and fibrogenic genes is unaffected, suggesting that hCLS is an important source of inflammation and fibrosis during the progression of NASH. Notably, the number of hCLS is positively correlated with the extent of liver fibrosis. We also observed increased number of hCLS in the liver of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease/NASH patients. Collectively, our data provide evidence that hCLS is involved in the development of hepatic inflammation and fibrosis, thereby suggesting its pathophysiologic role in disease progression from simple steatosis to NASH.

Background: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) enables en bloc resection of large colorectal lesions, but it remains challenging due to thin walls and poor operability. Traction devices like SureClip traction band (SCTB, Micro-tech) and SO clip (SO-C, Zeon Medical Inc.) are used to address this. This study compared the differences in ESD outcomes between SCTB and SO-C. Objective: Comparative analysis of the efficacy of SO-C and SCTB for various therapeutic results, including procedure time in colorectal ESD. Design: A single-center retrospective study reviewed 982 colorectal ESD procedures for lesions 20–49 mm performed at Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine from January 2015 to November 2024. Methods: Patients were categorized into no-traction, SCTB, and SO-C groups. Propensity score matching was performed to minimize baseline differences. The primary outcome was ESD procedure time, and secondary outcomes assessed various therapeutic results. Results: After matching, there were no differences in procedure time (56.0 ± 31.2 vs 59.8 ± 30.6 min, p = 0.206), en bloc resection (97.7% vs 98.3%, p = 0.589), and perioperative perforation (0.3% vs 1.4%, p = 0.101) between the traction (SCTB + SO-C) and no-traction groups. Regarding the comparison between the SCTB and SO-C groups after matching, there were no significant differences regarding ESD procedure time (58.7 ± 37.4 vs 59.1 ± 31.9 min, p = 0.469), en bloc resection (97.4% vs 97.4%, p = 1.000), and perioperative perforation (0% vs 0.9%, p = 0.316). The SCTB deployment was significantly faster than the SO-C (6.3 ± 3.8 vs 9.3 ± 5.9 min, p = 0.004). Conclusion: There were no significant differences in ESD therapeutic results between SCTB and SO-C, while the SCTB had a faster deployment time.

Backgrounds Distal pancreatectomy with en bloc celiac axis resection (DP-CAR) is an extended surgical procedure for patients with locally advanced cancer of the pancreatic body and tail. Recently, the usability of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in pancreatic cancer was reported. The purpose of this study was to clarify the impact of NAC on surgical outcomes and prognosis in DP-CAR patients. Methods This study retrospectively reviewed 20 consecutive patients who underwent DP-CAR at a single institution. Results Eleven of 20 patients (55.0%) received NAC. Their first regimens were gemcitabine (GEM) plus nab-PTX ( n  = 7, 63.6%), GEM plus S-1 ( n  = 3, 27.3%), and GEM ( n  = 1, 9.1%). Although two patients converted to a second regimen, none abandoned NAC due to adverse effects or could not undergo a planned procedure for disease progression. There were no significant differences in intraoperative variables, morbidity, including pancreatic fistula and delayed gastric emptying, and mortality between patients with and without NAC; however, patients with NAC had a significantly lower proportion of arterial invasion ( p  = 0.025), lymphatic invasion ( p  < 0.0001), and vascular invasion ( p  = 0.035). There were no significant differences in the induction rate of adjuvant chemotherapy ( p  = 0.201). The recurrence-free survival and overall survival rates in patients with NAC were significantly higher than in patients without NAC ( p  = 0.041 and p  = 0.018, respectively). Conclusion DP-CAR following NAC was associated with a preferable prognosis and had no negative effect on surgical outcomes. Therefore, NAC in DP-CAR patients might be a beneficial and safe therapeutic strategy.

Background Statins are inhibitors of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase, the rate-limiting enzyme in cholesterol synthesis. The inhibition of this key enzyme in the mevalonate pathway leads to suppression of cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis. However, the molecular mechanism of apoptosis induction by statins is not well understood in glioblastoma. In the present study, we attempted to elucidate the mechanism by which statins induce apoptosis in C6 glioma cells. Methods The cytotoxicity of statins toward the C6 glioma cells were evaluated using a cell viability assay. The enzyme activity of caspase-3 was determined using activity assay kits. The effects of statins on signal transduction molecules were determined by western blot analyses. Results We found that statins inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in these cells. We also observed an increase in caspase-3 activity. The apoptosis induced by statins was not inhibited by the addition of farnesyl pyrophosphate, squalene, ubiquinone, and isopentenyladenine, but by geranylgeranyl-pyrophosphate (GGPP). Furthermore, statins decreased the levels of phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) and Akt. Conclusions These results suggest that statins induce apoptosis when GGPP biosynthesis is inhibited and consequently decreases the level of phosphorylated ERK1/2 and Akt. The results of this study also indicate that statins could be used as anticancer agents in glioblastoma.

The shoot apical meristem (SAM) is a group of stem cells that are responsible for plant development. Mutations in rice SHOOTLESS2 (SHL2), SHL4/SHOOT ORGANIZATION2 (SHO2), and SHO1 cause complete deletion or abnormal formation of the SAM. In this study we showed that defects in SAM formation in shl mutants are associated with the loss of expression of the homeodomain-leucine zipper (HD-ZIPIII) family genes. Rice SHL2, SHL4/SHO2, and SHO1 encoded orthologues of Arabidopsis RNA-dependent RNA polymerase 6, ARGONAUTE (AGO) 7, and DICER-like 4, respectively, whose mutations affect leaf development through the trans-acting siRNA (ta-siRNA) pathway. This suggested that the ta-siRNA pathway regulates the critical step of SAM formation during rice embryogenesis. The gain-of-function experiment by the ectopic expression of SHL4 resulted in reduced accumulation of an microRNA, miR166, and partial adaxialization of leaves, supporting a role for the ta-siRNA pathway in the maintenance of leaf polarity as previously reported in maize. Analysis of the spatiotemporal expression patterns of HD-ZIPIII and miR166 in wild-type and shl mutant embryos suggested that the loss of HD-ZIPIII expression in the SAM region of the developing embryo is the result of ectopic expression of miR166. Our analysis of shl mutants demonstrated that HD-ZIPIII expression regulated by miR166 is sensitive to the ta-siRNA pathway during SAM formation in rice embryogenesis.

Abstract The Deci-hertz Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (DECIGO) is a future Japanese space mission with a frequency band of 0.1 Hz to 10 Hz. DECIGO aims at the detection of primordial gravitational waves, which could have been produced during the inflationary period right after the birth of the Universe. There are many other scientific objectives of DECIGO, including the direct measurement of the acceleration of the expansion of the Universe, and reliable and accurate predictions of the timing and locations of neutron star/black hole binary coalescences. DECIGO consists of four clusters of observatories placed in heliocentric orbit. Each cluster consists of three spacecraft, which form three Fabry–Pérot Michelson interferometers with an arm length of 1000 km. Three DECIGO clusters will be placed far from each other, and the fourth will be placed in the same position as one of the other three to obtain correlation signals for the detection of primordial gravitational waves. We plan to launch B-DECIGO, which is a scientific pathfinder for DECIGO, before DECIGO in the 2030s to demonstrate the technologies required for DECIGO, as well as to obtain fruitful scientific results to further expand multi-messenger astronomy.

DECIGO (DECi-hertz Interferometer Gravitational wave Observatory) is the planned Japanese space gravitational wave antenna, aiming to detect gravitational waves from astrophysically and cosmologically significant sources mainly between 0.1 Hz and 10 Hz and thus to open a new window for gravitational wave astronomy and for the universe. DECIGO will consists of three drag-free spacecraft arranged in an equilateral triangle with 1000 km arm lengths whose relative displacements are measured by a differential Fabry-Perot interferometer, and four units of triangular Fabry-Perot interferometers are arranged on heliocentric orbit around the sun. DECIGO is vary ambitious mission, we plan to launch DECIGO in era of 2030s after precursor satellite mission, B-DECIGO. B-DECIGO is essentially smaller version of DECIGO: B-DECIGO consists of three spacecraft arranged in an triangle with 100 km arm lengths orbiting 2000 km above the surface of the earth. It is hoped that the launch date will be late 2020s for the present..