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Ascites is sometimes detected after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT); however, since limited information is currently available, its clinical meaning remains unclear. Therefore, we herein examined potential factors for and the impact of ascites on the prognosis of patients after allo-HSCT at our institutes. Fifty-eight patients developed ascites within 90 days of allo-HSCT (small in 34 (16%), moderate-large in 24 (11%)). A multivariate analysis identified veno-occlusive disease/sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (p = 0.01) and myeloablative conditioning (p = 0.01) as significant potential factors for the development of small ascites. Thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) (p < 0.01) was a significant potential factor for moderate-large ascites. The incidence of both small and moderate-large ascites correlated with lower overall survival (p = 0.03 for small ascites and p < 0.01 for moderate-large ascites) and higher non-relapse mortality rates (p = 0.03 for small ascites and p < 0.01 for moderate-large ascites). Lower OS and higher NRM rates correlated with the incidence of both small and moderate-large ascites. Further investigation is warranted to establish whether the clinical sign of ascites improves the diagnostic quality of TMA in a large-scale study., (© 2023. Springer Nature Limited.)

In general, it is known that extreme climatic conditions such as El Niño and positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD+) cause prolonged drought in Indonesia's tropical peatlands so that groundwater levels (GWL) drop and peat is prone to fire. However, 27 years of GWL measurements in Central Kalimantan peat forests show the opposite condition, where the lowest GWL occurs several weeks before El Niño and after IOD+ reaches its peaks. We show that the dropped sea surface temperature anomaly induced by anomalously easterly winds along the southern Java-Sumatra occurs several weeks before the GWL drop to the lowest value. Local rainfall decreased, and GWL dropped sharply by 1.0 to 1.5 m, during the super El Niño events in 1997/98 and 2015, as well as remarkable events of IOD+ in 2019. It is suggested that the tropical peatland ecohydrological system (represented by the GWL), El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), and IOD+ are teleconnected. Hence, monitoring GWL variability of peatland over the IMC is a possibility an alert for extreme climate events associated with El Niño and/or moderate IOD+., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Insulin like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) plays important roles in metabolic functions, especially in adulthood. Additionally, obese subjects are reportedly predisposed to having low absolute IGF-1 levels. However, the prevalence and clinical characteristics of obese subjects with low IGF-1 levels are unknown. We examined 64 obese subjects with a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 35 kg/m 2 , with no history of endocrinological disorders, receiving inpatient care. IGF-1 levels were interpreted based on the IGF-1 standard deviation score (SDS) clinically used and standardized by age and sex (low IGF-1 group; ≤ - 2.0 SDS and standard IGF-1 group; - 2.0 < and <  + 2.0 SDS). Notably, 26.6% of the subjects had low IGF-1. Body fat mass and percentage, but not BMI, were significantly higher in the low than in the standard IGF-1 group. Furthermore, natural log-transformed high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and the frequencies of dyslipidemia and hyperuricemia were higher in the low IGF-1 group. Moreover, among the subjects without diabetes, fasting glucose levels were significantly higher in the low IGF-1 group. Stepwise variable selection procedure revealed body fat percentage to be a parameter most strongly associated with low IGF-1. Thus, low IGF-1 levels may be an important marker of adiposity-associated metabolic disorders in obese patients., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Increased physical activity is required in patients with stroke that are hospitalized in the rehabilitation unit. This study investigated the association between the daily number of steps and walking independence in order to determine the cutoff value of daily number of steps that can predict walking independence in hospitalized patients with sub-acute stroke. This cross-sectional observational study included 85 stroke patients admitted to the rehabilitation unit. The average daily number of steps was measured using Fitbit One for 4 days starting at 30 days after stroke onset. 6-min walk test, and Fugl-Meyer assessment of the lower extremities were measured The category of walking independence was classified using the Functional Ambulation Category (FAC). The subjects were divided into two groups according to the FAC score: a walking independence group (FAC ≥ 4) and a walking non-independence group (FAC ≤ 3). Logistic regression analysis was conducted to investigate the association of daily number of steps with walking independence and a receiver operating characteristic curve was used to identify the cutoff value of daily number of steps for predicting walking independence. The daily number of steps (per 1000 steps) was independently associated with walking independence (odds ratio (OR); 2.53, 95% confidence interval (CI); 1.40-5.73, p = 0.009). The cutoff value of daily number of steps for predicting independent walking was 4286 steps (area under the curve = 0.914, sensitivity of 0.731, and specificity of 0.949). The daily number of steps was associated with independent walking in hospitalized patients with sub-acute stroke. The daily number of steps may be a useful target in rehabilitation for patients with sub-acute stroke., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Although the built environment may affect physical activity, there is little evidence on how neighborhood walkability attributes influence post-stroke physical activity. This study aimed to explore associations between objectively measured physical activity and neighborhood walkability attributes in community-dwelling patients with stroke. This cross-sectional study recruited patients who could ambulate outside free of assistance. We assessed objectively measured physical activity comprising the number of steps taken and time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) with an accelerometer. Neighborhood walkability attributes were evaluated using the Walk Score. Multiple linear regression analyses were used to determine whether the Walk Score was independently associated with the number of steps taken or MVPA. Eighty participants with a mean age of 65.9 ± 11.1 years were included. The participants took an average of 5900.6 ± 2947.3 steps/day and spent an average of 19.7 ± 21.7 min/day in MVPA. The mean Walk Score was 71.4 ± 17.2. Multiple linear regression analyses showed that no significant associations were found between the Walk Score and the number of steps taken or MVPA. No associations were found between objectively measured physical activity and neighborhood walkability attributes in community-dwelling patients with stroke in an Asian area., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) released from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells are known to promote cancer progression. However, it remains unclear how EVs from various NSCLC cells differ in their secretion profile and their ability to promote phenotypic changes in non-tumorigenic cells. Here, we performed a comparative analysis of EV release from non-tumorigenic cells (HBEC/BEAS-2B) and several NSCLC cell lines (A549, H460, H358, SKMES, and Calu6) and evaluated the potential impact of NSCLC EVs, including EV-encapsulated RNA (EV-RNA), in driving invasion and epithelial barrier impairment in HBEC/BEAS-2B cells. Secretion analysis revealed that cancer cells vary in their secretion level, with some cell lines having relatively low secretion rates. Differential uptake of NSCLC EVs was also observed, with uptake of A549 and SKMES EVs being the highest. Phenotypically, EVs derived from Calu6 and H358 cells significantly enhanced invasion, disrupted an epithelial barrier, and increased barrier permeability through downregulation of E-cadherin and ZO-1. EV-RNA was a key contributing factor in mediating these phenotypes. More nuanced analysis suggests a potential correlation between the aggressiveness of NSCLC subtypes and the ability of their respective EVs to induce cancerous phenotypes., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Fluorescence imaging of tumours facilitates rapid intraoperative diagnosis. Thus far, a promising activatable fluorescence probe for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has not been developed. Herein, the utility of the fluorescence imaging of HCC using a β-galactosidase (β-Gal)-activatable fluorescence probe SPiDER-βGal was examined. β-Gal activity was measured in cryopreserved tissues from 68 patients. Live cell imaging of HCC cell lines and imaging of tumour-bearing model mice were performed using SPiDER-βGal. Furthermore, fluorescence imaging was performed in 27 freshly resected human HCC specimens. In cryopreserved samples, β-Gal activity was significantly higher in tumour tissues than in non-tumour tissues. Fluorescence was observed in HCC cell lines. In mouse models, tumours displayed stronger fluorescence than normal liver tissue. In freshly resected specimens, fluorescence intensity in the tumour was significantly higher than that in non-tumour liver specimens as early as 2 min after spraying. Receiver operating characteristic curves were generated to determine the diagnostic value of SPiDER-βGal 10 min after its spraying; an area under the curve of 0.864, sensitivity of 85.2%, and specificity of 74.1% were observed for SPiDER-βGal. SPiDER-βGal is useful for the rapid fluorescence imaging of HCC. Fluorescence imaging guided by SPiDER-βGal would help surgeons detect tumours rapidly and achieve complete liver resection., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Diagnosis of peritoneal metastasis in gastric cancer (GC) is essential for determining appropriate therapeutic strategies and avoiding non-essential laparotomy or gastrectomy. Recently, a variety of activatable fluorescence probes that can detect enzyme activities have been developed for cancer imaging. The aim of this study was to identify the key enzyme involved in peritoneal metastasis in GC. The enzymatic activity of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, dipeptidyl peptidase IV, and β-galactosidase (β-Gal) was assessed in lysates prepared from preserved human GC (n = 89) and normal peritoneal (NP; n = 20) samples. β-Gal activity was significantly higher in the human GC samples than in NP samples, whereas no differences were observed in the activities of the other enzymes. Therefore, we used SPiDER-βGal, a fluorescent probe that can be activated by β-Gal, for imaging GC cell lines, peritoneal metastasis in a mouse model, and fresh human resected GC samples (n = 13). All cell lines showed fluorescence after applying SPiDER-βGal, and metastatic nodules in the mice gradually developed high fluorescence that could be visualized with SPiDER-βGal. The human GC samples showed significantly higher fluorescence than NP samples. β-Gal is a useful target enzyme for fluorescence imaging of peritoneal metastasis in GC.

Acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is characterized by severe tissue damage that is a life-threatening complication of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Due to their immunosuppressive properties, mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) have been increasingly examined for the treatment of immune-related diseases. We aimed to assess the immunosuppressive effects of human amnion-derived MSC (AMSC) in a xenogeneic GVHD NOD/Shi-scid IL2rγnull mouse model using human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Additionally, we used human bone marrow-derived MSC (BMSC) as comparative controls to determine differences in immunomodulatory functions depending on the MSC origin. Administration of AMSC significantly prolonged survival, and reduced human tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) concentration and percentage of programmed cell death protein-1 receptor (PD-1) + CD8 + T cell populations compared with in GVHD control mice. Furthermore, colonic inflammation score and percentage of human CD8 + T cell populations in AMSC-treated mice were significantly lower than in GVHD control and BMSC-treated mice. Interestingly, gene expression and protein secretion of the PD-1 ligands were higher in AMSC than in BMSC. These findings are the first to demonstrate that AMSC exhibit marked immunosuppression and delay acute GVHD progression by preventing T cell activation and proliferation via the PD-1 pathway.

Interpersonal difficulties are often observed in major depressive disorder (MDD), while the underlying psychological and biological mechanisms have not yet been elucidated. In the present case-control study, a PC-based trust game was conducted for 38 drug-free MDD patients and 38 healthy controls (HC). In the trust game, participants invested money in a partner (trusting behaviors), and also rated each partner's attractiveness (preference for others). In addition, blood biomarkers including metabolites were measured. Both MDD and HC males exhibited more trusting behaviors compared to females. MDD males' preference for ordinary-attractive partners (lay-person photographs) was lower than HC males, whereas their preference for high-attractive females (fashion-model photographs) was similar levels to HC males. This tendency in MDD males could reflect a "focused (narrowed) preference for females". As for blood biomarker analysis, the levels of 37 metabolites including acetylcholine, AMP, GMP, nicotinic acid and tryptophan were significantly different between two groups. Interestingly, among male participants, acetylcholine and nicotinic acid were negatively correlated with the level of focused preference for photographed females. In sum, we have revealed some behavioral, psychological and biological traits of trusting behaviors and preference for others especially in MDD males. Larger studies should be conducted to validate our preliminary findings.

Influenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus, and human metapneumovirus commonly cause acute upper and lower respiratory tract infections, especially in children and the elderly. Although rapid antigen detection tests for detecting these infections have been introduced recently, these are less sensitive than nucleic acid amplification tests. More recently, highly sensitive point-of-care testings (POCTs) have been developed based on nucleic acid amplification tests, which are easy to use in clinical settings. In this study, loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP)-based POCT "Simprova" to detect influenza A and B viruses, respiratory syncytial virus, and human metapneumovirus was developed. Simprova system is fully automated and does not require skilled personnel. In addition, positive results can be achieved faster than with PCR. In this study, the accuracy of the POCT was retrospectively analyzed using 241 frozen stocked specimens. Additionally, the usability of the Simprova at clinical sites was assessed in a prospective clinical study using 380 clinical specimens and compared to those of real-time PCR and rapid antigen detection test. The novel LAMP-based POCT demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity in characterizing clinical specimens from patients with influenza-like illnesses. The Simprova is a powerful tool for early diagnosis of respiratory viral infections in point-of-care settings.

The use of strongly biased data generally leads to large distortions in a trained machine learning model. We face this problem when constructing a predictor for earthquake-generated ground-motion intensity with machine learning. The machine learning predictor constructed in this study has an underestimation problem for strong motions, although the data fit on relatively weak ground motions is good. This underestimation problem is caused by the strong bias in available ground-motion records; there are few records of strong motions in the dataset. Therefore, we propose a hybrid approach of machine learning and conventional ground-motion prediction equation. This study demonstrates that this hybrid approach machine learning technology and physical model reduces the underestimation of strong motions and leads to better prediction than either of the individual approaches applied alone.

To improve our understanding of the interactions between regular and slow earthquakes along the Japan Trench, we investigated the spatial relationship of slow-earthquake activity with the preseismic, coseismic, and postseismic fault ruptures of interplate earthquakes off the Iwate and Ibaraki coasts, Japan, including two large interplate aftershocks of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake: the 2011 off Iwate earthquake (M JMA 7.4) and the 2011 off Ibaraki earthquake (M JMA 7.6). We found that the coseismic ruptures of these earthquakes did not overlap with the active areas of slow earthquakes, while their foreshocks and aftershocks occurred in slow-earthquake-prone areas. Moreover, the 2011 off Iwate earthquake and the previous M7-class events shared common fault rupture characteristics: coseismic rupture occurred in a common asperity area, and afterslip with many aftershocks was triggered in the active area of slow earthquakes. Off the Ibaraki coast, tremor activity on a subducting seamount located updip of the coseismic rupture of the 2011 off Ibaraki earthquake implies that the seamount acted as a soft barrier to the coseismic rupture of the 2011 off Ibaraki earthquake. This study demonstrates that large earthquakes off the Iwate and Ibaraki coasts feature similar rupture behaviors, spatially complementary distributions of coseismic ruptures with slow-earthquake activity and foreshock and aftershock activities within and around slow-earthquake-prone areas. This information is useful in considering future large earthquakes along the Japan Trench.

Mammalian orthoreovirus (MRV), also known as reovirus, was discovered in the 1950s and became the first reported segmented double-stranded RNA virus. MRVs have since been found in a variety of animal species, including humans. However, reports on MRV infections are scarce due to the rarity of their symptomatic occurrence. In Japanese surveillance studies, MRVs have been detected as gastrointestinal pathogens since 1981, with a total of 135 records. In Osaka City, Japan, MRV was first isolated in 1994 from a child with meningitis, and then in 2005 and 2014 from children with gastroenteritis. Here, we conducted the first molecular characterization of human MRV isolates from Japan and identified a novel human reovirus strain belonging to MRV type 2, designated the MRV-2 Osaka strain. This strain, with all three isolates classified, is closely related to MRV-2 isolates from sewage in Taiwan and is relatively close to an MRV-2 isolate from a bat in China. Our data suggest that the MRV-2 Osaka strain, which has circulated amongst humans in Japan for at least two decades, has spread internationally.

Rapid diagnosis of metastatic lymph nodes (mLNs) of colorectal cancer (CRC) is desirable either intraoperatively or in resected fresh specimens. We have developed a series of activatable fluorescence probes for peptidase activities that are specifically upregulated in various tumors. We aimed to discover a target enzyme for detecting mLNs of CRC. Among our probes, we found that gGlu-HMRG, a gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT)-activatable fluorescence probe, could detect mLNs. This was unexpected, because we have previously reported that gGlu-HMRG could not detect primary CRC. We confirmed that the GGT activity of mLNs was high, whereas that of non-metastatic lymph nodes and CRC cell lines was low. We investigated the reason why GGT activity was upregulated in mLNs, and found that GGT was induced under conditions of hypoxia or low nutritional status. We utilized this feature to achieve rapid detection of mLNs with gGlu-HMRG. GGT appears to be a promising candidate enzyme for fluorescence imaging of mLNs.

Senior Løken syndrome (SLS) is a heterogeneous disorder characterized by severe retinal degenerations and juvenile-onset nephronophthisis. Genetic variants in ten different genes have been reported as the causes of SLS. Clinical evaluation of a patient with SLS and her unaffected parents revealed that the patient had infantile-onset retinal dystrophy and juvenile-onset nephronophthisis. Other systemic abnormalities included hepatic dysfunction, megacystis, mild learning disability, autism, obesity, and hyperinsulinemia. Whole-exome sequencing identified compound heterozygous SCLT1 variants (c.1218 + 3insT and c.1631A > G) in the patient. The unaffected parents were heterozygous for each variant. Transcript analysis using reverse transcription PCR demonstrated that the c.1218 + 3insT variant leads to exon 14 skipping (p.V383&#95;M406del), while the other variant (c.1631A > G) primarily leads to exon 17 skipping (p.D480EfsX11) as well as minor amounts of two transcripts (6 bps deletion in the last of exon 17 [p.V543&#95;K544del] and exons 17 and 18 skipping [p.D480E, S481&#95;K610del]). Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated that the Sclt1 protein was localized to the distal appendage of the photoreceptor basal body, indicating a ciliary protein. In conclusion, we identified compound heterozygous splice site variants of SCLT1 in a patient with a new form of ciliopathies that exhibits clinical features of SLS.

Hikikomori, a severe form of social withdrawal syndrome, is a growing social issue in Japan and internationally. The pathophysiology of hikikomori has not yet been elucidated and an effective treatment remains to be established. Recently, we revealed that avoidant personality disorder is the most common comorbidity of hikikomori. Thus, we have postulated that avoidant personality is the personality underpinning hikikomori. First, we herein show relationships between avoidant personality traits, blood biomarkers, hikikomori-related psychological features, and behavioural characteristics assessed by a trust game in non-hikikomori volunteers. Avoidant personality traits were negatively associated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and uric acid (UA) in men, and positively associated with fibrin degeneration products (FDP) and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) in women. Next, we recruited actual individuals with hikikomori, and compared avoidant personality traits, blood biomarkers, and psychological features between individuals with hikikomori and age-matched healthy controls. Individuals with hikikomori had higher avoidant personality scores in both sexes, and showed lower serum UA levels in men and lower HDL-C levels in women compared with healthy controls. This is the first report showing possible blood biomarkers for hikikomori, and opens the door to clarify the underlying biological pathophysiology of hikikomori.

Kidney plays a key role in the elimination and reabsorption of drugs and nutrients, however in vitro methods to evaluate renal disposition are limited. In the present study, we investigated usefulness of isolated kidney slice, which had been used for transport only at basolateral membrane of tubular epithelial cells, for evaluation of apical membrane transporters. As transporters that are easy to discriminate between apical and basolateral transports, apical membrane specific and sodium-dependent transporters (SGLTs and OCTNs) and pH-dependent transporters (PEPTs) are selected. Uptake of ergothioneine, carnitine and methyl-α-D-glucopyranoside, which are substrates of apical Octn1, Octn2, and Sglt1/2, respectively, by mice kidney slices showed clear Na + dependence and reduction by selective inhibitors. In addition, sodium dependence of ergothioneine uptake was negligible in the kidney slice from Octn1-gene deficient mice. Moreover, uptake of PepT1/2 substrate glycyl-sarcosine, was higher than that in the presence of glycyl-leucine, a non-specific Pept inhibitor. The K m and IC 50 values for substrates and inhibitors of each transporter were mostly comparable to those obtained in transporter-transfected cells. In conclusion, it was demonstrated that kidney slices are promising tool to study transporters expressed at the apical membranes as well as basolateral membranes of kidney tubular epithelial cells.

Our recent studies revealed that supplementation with the reduced form of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ 10 H 2 ) inhibits oxidative stress and slows the process of aging in senescence-accelerated mice. CoQ 10 H 2 inhibits adipocyte differentiation and regulates lipid metabolism. In the present study, we show that dietary supplementation with CoQ 10 H 2 significantly reduced white adipose tissue content and improved the function of brown adipose tissue by regulating expression of lipid metabolism-related factors in KKAy mice, a model of obesity and type 2 diabetes. In the liver, CoQ 10 H 2 reduced cytoplasmic Ca 2+ levels and consequently inhibited the phosphorylation of CaMKII. CoQ 10 H 2 also regulated the activity of the transcription factor C-FOS and inhibited gene expression of PDE4, a cAMP-degrading enzyme, via the CaMKII-MEK1/2-ERK1/2 signaling pathway, thereby increasing intracellular cAMP. This increased cAMP activated AMPK, enhanced oxidative decomposition of lipids, and inhibited de novo synthesis of fatty acids, inhibiting the development and progression of obesity and type 2 diabetes. These results suggest that CoQ 10 H 2 supplementation may be useful as a treatment for metabolic disorders associated with obesity.

Multimodal imaging using novel multifunctional nanoparticles provides new approach to biomedical field. Thiol-organosilica nanoparticles containing iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) and rhodamine B (thiol OS-MNP/Rho) were applied to multimodal imaging of hepatic tumor of Long-Evans Cinnamon (LEC) rat. The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of LEC rats revealed tumors in the liver clearly and semi-quantitatively due to a labeling of macrophages in liver. The fluorescent imaging (FI) showed abnormal fluorescent patterns of the liver at the mesoscopic level that was between macroscopic and microscopic level. We performed correlation analysis between optical imaging including FI and MRI. We found that the labeled macrophages located specific area in the tumor tissue and influenced the tumor size on MRI. In addition histological observation showed the labeled macrophages related specific tissue in the pathological region. We demonstrated a new approach to evaluate tumor tissue at the macroscopic and microscopic level as well as mesoscopic level using multimodal imaging.

Since the discovery of nuclear gamma-rays, its imaging has been limited to pseudo imaging, such as Compton Camera (CC) and coded mask. Pseudo imaging does not keep physical information (intensity, or brightness in Optics) along a ray, and thus is capable of no more than qualitative imaging of bright objects. To attain quantitative imaging, cameras that realize geometrical optics is essential, which would be, for nuclear MeV gammas, only possible via complete reconstruction of the Compton process. Recently we have revealed that "Electron Tracking Compton Camera" (ETCC) provides a well-defined Point Spread Function (PSF). The information of an incoming gamma is kept along a ray with the PSF and that is equivalent to geometrical optics. Here we present an imaging-spectroscopic measurement with the ETCC. Our results highlight the intrinsic difficulty with CCs in performing accurate imaging, and show that the ETCC surmounts this problem. The imaging capability also helps the ETCC suppress the noise level dramatically by ~3 orders of magnitude without a shielding structure. Furthermore, full reconstruction of Compton process with the ETCC provides spectra free of Compton edges. These results mark the first proper imaging of nuclear gammas based on the genuine geometrical optics., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interests.

In insects, trehalose serves as the main sugar component of haemolymph. Trehalose is also recognized as a mediator of desiccation survival due to its proposed ability to stabilize membranes and proteins. Although the physiological role of trehalose in insects has been documented for decades, genetic evidence to support the importance of trehalose metabolism remains incomplete. We here show on the basis of genetic and biochemical evidence that the trehalose synthesis enzyme Tps1 is solely responsible for the de novo synthesis of trehalose in Drosophila. Conversely, a lack of the gene for the trehalose hydrolyzing enzyme Treh causes an accumulation of trehalose that is lethal during the pupal period, as is observed with Tps1 mutants. Lack of either Tps1 or Treh results in a significant reduction in circulating glucose, suggesting that the maintenance of glucose levels requires a continuous turnover of trehalose. Furthermore, changes in trehalose levels are positively correlated with the haemolymph water volume. In addition, both Tps1 and Treh mutant larvae exhibit a high lethality after desiccation stress. These results demonstrate that the regulation of trehalose metabolism is essential for normal development, body water homeostasis, and desiccation tolerance in Drosophila.

Depression is known to occur frequently in chronic hepatitis C viral (HCV) patients receiving interferon (IFN)-α therapy. In this study, we investigated whether indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase1 (IDO1)-mediated tryptophan (TRP) metabolism plays a critical role in depression occurring as a side effect of IFN-α therapy. Increases in serum kynurenine (KYN) and 3-hydroxykynurenine (3-HK) concentrations and in the ratios of KYN/TRP and 3-HK/kynurenic acid (KA) were much larger in depressive HCV patients than in non-depressed patients following therapy. Furthermore, transfection of a plasmid continuously expressing murine IFN-γ into normal mice significantly increased depression-like behavior. IFN-γ gene transfer also resulted in a decrease in serum TRP levels in the mice while KYN and 3-HK levels were significantly increased in both serum and frontal cortex. Genetic deletion of IDO1 in mice abrogated both the increase in depression-like behavior and the elevation in TRP metabolites' levels, and the turnover of serotonin in the frontal cortex after IFN-γ gene transfer. These results indicate that the KYN pathway of IDO1-mediated TRP metabolism plays a critical role in depressive symptoms associated with IFN-α therapy.

This paper focuses on an overview of radioactive cesium 137 (quasi-Cs137 included Cs134) contamination of freshwater fish in Fukushima and eastern Japan based on the data published by the Fisheries Agency of the Japanese Government in 2011. In the area north and west of the Fukushima Nuclear plant, freshwater fish have been highly contaminated. For example, the mean of active cesium (quasi-Cs137) contamination of Ayu (Plecoglossus altivelis) is 2,657 Bq/kg at Mano River, 20-40 km north-west from the plant. Bioaccumulation is observed in the Agano river basin in Aizu sub-region, 70-150 km west from the plant. The active cesium (quasi-Cs137) contamination of carnivorous Salmondae is around 2 times higher than herbivorous Ayu. The extent of active cesium (quasi-Cs137) contamination of Ayu is observed in the entire eastern Japan. The some level of the contamination is recognized even in Shizuoka prefecture, 400 km south-west from the plant.