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Securing a stable food supply and achieving sustainable agricultural production are essential for mitigating future food insecurity. Soil metabolomics is a promising tool for capturing soil status, which is a critical issue for future sustainable food security. This study aims to provide deeper insights into the status of soybean-grown fields under varying soil conditions over three years by employing comprehensive soil volatile organic compound (VOC) profiling, also known as soil volatilomics. Profiling identified approximately 200 peaks in agricultural fields. The soil of soybean-presented plots exhibited markedly higher VOC levels than those of non-soybean plots during the flowering season. Pentanoic acid, 2,2,4-trimethyl-3-carboxyisopropyl, isobutyl ester, a discriminative soil VOC, was identified through multivariate data analysis as a distinctively present VOC in fields with or without soybean plants during the flowering period. Soil VOC profiles exhibited strong correlations with soil-related omics datasets (soil ionome, microbiome, metabolome, and physics) and no significant correlations with root microbiome and rhizosphere chemicals. These findings indicate that soil VOC profiles could serve as a valuable indicator for assessing soil status, thereby supporting efforts to ensure future global food security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: It remains unclear whether the newly defined concept of metabolic dysfunction‐associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) appropriately includes patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease with significant liver fibrosis. Methods: A total of 4112 patients in whom nonalcoholic fatty liver disease was diagnosed by ultrasonography during medical checkups were enrolled. We defined a fibrosis‐4 index ≥1.3 in patients aged <65 years and ≥2.0 in patients aged ≥65 years as significant liver fibrosis. Results: The numbers of patients with a low, intermediate, and high probability of advanced fibrosis based on the fibrosis‐4 index were 3360 (81.7%), 668 (16.2%), and 84 (2.0%). There were 3828 (93.1%) and 284 (6.9%) patients diagnosed with MASLD and non‐MASLD. The non‐MASLD group, compared with the MASLD group, was significantly younger (44 vs. 55 years) and had a higher percentage of women (62.3% vs. 27.7%). Significant fibrosis, defined based on the fibrosis‐4 index, was present in 18.5% of the MASLD group and 15.5% of the non‐MASLD group. In a multivariable analysis, female sex (OR 6.170, 95% CI 3.180–12.000; p < 0.001) was independently associated with non‐MASLD in patients with a significant fibrosis. Among non‐MASLD patients with a significant fibrosis (n = 44), body mass index was significantly lower in females than in males (p < 0.001). In a multivariable analysis of patients aged <65 years, female sex (OR, 7.700; 95% CI, 3.750–15.800; p < 0.001) remained independently associated with non‐MASLD in patients with a significant fibrosis. Conclusions: MASLD may inappropriately exclude patients with significant fibrosis, especially lean females with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Non‐Helicobacter pylori Helicobacter (NHPH) is rarely detected in duodenal mucosa due to its preference for slightly acidic environments. Here, we report four cases of NHPH‐infected gastritis with duodenal spiral bacilli, potentially NHPH, indicating the possibility of duodenal mucosal infection. Case Presentation: In every case, gastric mucosa showed endoscopic findings characteristic of NHPH‐infected gastritis, and a mucosal biopsy was taken from the duodenal bulb; spiral bacilli were identified under microscopy using Giemsa staining. Case 1, a 46‐year‐old man, had diffuse spotty redness, mucosal edema, and multiple tiny erosions in the duodenal bulb, along with larger erosions in the second portion of the duodenum upon endoscopic examination. Histopathologically, moderate infiltration of mononuclear cells and neutrophils in the lamina propria and gastric epithelial metaplasia were observed. Case 2, a 54‐year‐old man, showed an elevated lesion, 1 cm in diameter, with multiple red spots and a few tiny erosions in the duodenal bulb. Histopathologically, mild inflammatory cell infiltration and gastric epithelial metaplasia were observed. In Case 3, a 52‐year‐old man, endoscopy revealed a flat elevated lesion, 7 mm in diameter, with multiple red spots and a few tiny erosions in the anterior wall of the duodenal bulb. Histopathologically, we observed moderate inflammatory cell infiltration in the gastric antrum and gastric epithelial metaplasia in the duodenal bulb. Case 4, a 40‐year‐old man, showed mild spotty redness in the duodenal bulb. Histopathologically, mild mononucleocyte infiltration and gastric epithelial metaplasia were observed. A single spiral bacillus was observed in Case 4 by microscopy. In all but Case 2, Helicobacter suis was identified in the gastric juice by polymerase chain reaction analysis. Conclusions: Spiral bacilli resembling NHPH may infect the duodenal mucosa, particularly the bulb, causing inflammation. Gastric contents entering the duodenum may reduce the intraduodenal pH, promoting NHPH survival and proliferation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cadmium (Cd) is one of the environmental pollutants contaminated in our food. Several previous reports showed that rice polishing cannot be efficient to reduce Cd content in white rice, implying the characteristic Cd distribution in rice grain. However, Cd distribution has not been fully elucidated so far. Herein, 109Cd radiotracer experiment was performed using the rice seedlings at various time points after flowering to obtain autoradiographs of the brown rice to visually understand the Cd transport and distribution during the grain‐filling process. It was shown that 109Cd accumulated in the outermost area of the brown rice, and also in the middle part of the starchy endosperm, resulting in the appearance of the double circle distribution pattern, which was not observed in the autoradiographs of 65Zn. The inner circle of 109Cd located around the center of the endosperm was developed particularly at around 8 and 10 days after flowering. After this period, 109Cd started to deposit at the outer part of the endosperm, which was also found in the autoradiograph of 14C‐sucrose. Considering the physiology of grain development, the contribution of water transport and protein synthesis in the endosperm on the characteristic Cd distribution pattern was hypothesized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim Methods Results Conclusion Genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) of postpartum depression (PPD) based on accumulated cohorts with multiple ethnic backgrounds have failed to identify significantly associated loci. Herein, we conducted a GWAS of Japanese perinatal women along with detailed confounding information to uncover PPD‐associated loci.The first and second cohorts (n = 9260 and n = 8582 perinatal women enrolled in the Tohoku Medical Megabank Project) and the third cohort (n = 997), recruited at Nagoya University, underwent genotyping. Of them, 1421, 1264, and 225 were classified as PPD based on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale 1 month after delivery. The most influential confounding factors of genetic liability to PPD were selected, and logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate genetic associations with PPD after adjusting for confounders.A meta‐analysis of GWAS results from the three cohorts identified significant associations between PPD and the following loci (P < 5 × 10−8) by integrating the number of deliveries and the number of family members living together as the most influential confounders: rs377546683 at DAB1, rs11940752 near UGT8, rs141172317, rs117928019, rs76631412, rs118131805 at DOCK2, rs188907279 near ZNF572, rs504378, rs690150, rs491868, rs689917, rs474978, rs690118, rs690253 near DIRAS2, rs1435984417 at ZNF618, rs57705782 near PTPRM, and rs185293917 near PDGFB. Pathway analyses indicated that SNPs suggestively associated with PPD were mostly over‐represented in categories including long‐term depression, GnRH signaling, glutamatergic synapse, oxytocin signaling, and Rap1 signaling.The current GWAS study identified eight loci significantly associated with PPD, which may clarify the genetic structure underlying its pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate depression at 6 and 12 months postpartum, using the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS) total score and its subitem regarding self-harm ideation (SHI) at 1 month postpartum., Methods: A sample of 12,358 postpartum women answered the EPDS and questionaries at 1, 6, and 12 months postpartum longitudinally., Results: For participants with postpartum depression (PPD; EPDS total score ≥9) and SHI (SHI sub-score ≥1) at 1 month postpartum, the risk of depression at 6 and 12 months postpartum (odds ratio [95% confidence interval] at 6 and 12 months postpartum: 20.03 [16.8-23.8] and 14.55 [12.3-17.2], respectively) was higher than for those with PPD but without SHI at 1 month postpartum (OR: 8.57 [7.36-10.0], and 6.24 [5.38-7.24], respectively). Additionally, SHI even without depressive symptoms at 1 month postpartum is also a risk for depression at 6 and 12 months postpartum. To support our longitudinal evaluation of depression at 6 and 12 months postpartum, these related factors were examined: traumatic events or relocations after the Great East Japan Earthquake, employment status, household income, personality traits, sleep status, psychological distress, and social networks. The result showed employment status, low household income and poor social networks were significantly associated with depression at 12 months postpartum but not at 6 months postpartum., Conclusion: This study showed a high risk of depression at 6 and 12 months postpartum for those who had depressive symptoms with SHI at 1 month postpartum. Our findings may contribute to the precise evaluation of depression at 6 and 12 months postpartum while considering sleep status, psychological distress and social network during pregnancy., Competing Interests: Keiko Murakami is an employee of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT). The remaining authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2024 The Author(s). Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences Reports published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology.)

Aim: To examine the association of the combination of taking neuropsychiatric medications from the onset of pregnancy to mid-pregnancy and maternal psychological distress at mid-pregnancy, with children's behavioral problems., Methods: Neuropsychiatric medication use from the onset of pregnancy to mid-pregnancy was defined by the self-reported name of the neuropsychiatric medication in the questionnaire in early and mid-pregnancy. Maternal psychological distress was defined by the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6) ≥13 on the questionnaire in mid-pregnancy. We classified the participants into four categories based on the combination of taking neuropsychiatric medications and psychological distress: "None," "Medications only," "K6 ≥ 13 only," and "Both." Children's behavioral problems were assessed using the Child Behavior Checklist for Ages 1½-5 (CBCL) at 2 years of age. The clinical ranges of the internalizing and externalizing scales of the CBCL were defined as behavioral problems. We conducted a multivariable logistic regression analysis to examine the associations between the four categories of maternal exposure and children's behavioral problems., Results: Compared with the "None" category ( n  = 9873), the "K6 ≥ 13 only" category ( n  = 308) was statistically significantly associated with internalizing and externalizing problems. In contrast, the "Medications only" ( n  = 93) and "Both" ( n  = 22) categories were not statistically significantly associated with internalizing and externalizing problems, although the point estimates of the odds ratio in the "Both" category were relatively high (1.58 for the internalizing problem and 2.50 for the externalizing problem)., Conclusion: The category of mothers taking neuropsychiatric medications and having no psychological distress during pregnancy was not associated with children's behavioral problems in the present population., Competing Interests: Minoru Ohsawa belongs to the Department of Kampo and Integrative Medicine at Tohoku University School of Medicine. The department received a grant from Tsumura & Co., a Japanese manufacturer of Kampo Medicine. The grant was used according to the rules of Tohoku University. Potential conflicts of interest were addressed and managed appropriately by the Tohoku University Benefit Reciprocity Committee. Additionally, Tomofumi Ishikawa is an employee of Pfizer R&D in Japan and a research collaborator at Tohoku University, Japan. They contributed to the present study independent of Pfizer R&D Japan., (© 2024 The Author(s). Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences Reports published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology.)