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The article explores the role of periostin in atopic dermatitis (AD) by analyzing single-cell RNA sequencing data from healthy controls, AD patients, and psoriasis patients. The study identifies increased levels of periostin in keratinocytes and fibroblasts in AD compared to healthy skin and psoriasis. Cell-cell communication analysis reveals a T cell-fibroblast-keratinocyte axis via IL-13-POSTN-IGTAV/ITGB5 in AD, suggesting periostin as a key molecule linking Th2 responses to keratinocyte activation in AD. The study acknowledges limitations in exploring causal-consequence relationships and emphasizes the potential benefits of modulating periostin signaling for AD treatment. [Extracted from the article]

The article explores the distinct roles of type 1 and type 2 interferons in regulating human eosinophils through multi-omics analysis. Interferons are crucial in immune responses against infectious and malignant diseases, but their involvement in allergic diseases with eosinophilic inflammation is not fully understood. The study reveals that IFN-α and IFN-γ have different effects on eosinophils, with IFN-γ inducing the expression of pro-inflammatory molecules that may contribute to chronic eosinophilic inflammation. The research suggests that developing therapeutic strategies to selectively control type 1 and type 2 interferon signaling could be beneficial in treating refractory eosinophilic diseases. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses a case of VEXAS syndrome in a Japanese patient who initially presented with relapsing polychondritis in the earlobes and later developed neutrophilic dermatosis with systemic symptoms over a 5-year period. The patient's condition progressed rapidly, leading to a critical stage of the disease with leukocytoclastic vasculitis and lung opacities. VEXAS syndrome is a newly established autoinflammatory disorder driven by somatic variants in UBA1, with skin manifestations such as red or violaceous papules and plaques. The study highlights the importance of recognizing specific symptoms like auricular chondritis, periodic fever, and neutrophilic dermatosis for diagnosing VEXAS syndrome, which can have a severe clinical course and high mortality rates. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the role of mouse eosinophil-associated ribonuclease-2 (mEAR2) in allergic asthma. The study found that mEAR2 is not necessary for the development and function of eosinophils at rest, but it plays a crucial role in allergic airway inflammation (AAI). The absence of mEAR2 in mice resulted in decreased lung inflammation, reduced eosinophil recruitment, and diminished airway hyperresponsiveness. Additionally, mEAR2 was found to enhance the production of type 2 cytokines and IgE, contributing to the allergic response. The findings suggest that mEAR2 could serve as a potential biomarker for asthma management and a therapeutic target. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the hands-on training programs conducted for young researchers in conjunction with the IUPAB2024 conference in Kyoto, Japan. Six programs were held in various locations, coordinated by Dr. Kumiko Hayashi from the University of Tokyo. Participants from 28 countries, including Japan, were selected based on factors like motivation, country, gender, and academic year. The programs covered topics such as single live cell analysis, nanometer imaging, MD simulations, DNA nanomachines, multi-cellular mechanics, and real-time single-molecule experiments. The sessions received positive feedback, and the organizers hope to continue nurturing young researchers in the future. [Extracted from the article]

This article provides a descriptive study on the prevalence and control of severe childhood asthma in Japan. Using data from the National Database of Health Insurance Claims and Specific Health Checkups, the study found that the national prevalence of severe asthma in children aged 0-5 years was 11.0 per 100,000 persons, and for children aged 6-11 years, it was 22.8 per 100,000 persons in 2019. The study reveals a decrease in the prevalence of severe childhood asthma over the past decade, but a significant proportion of children with severe asthma still had uncontrolled symptoms and required regular oral corticosteroid use. The study suggests the need for reevaluating current asthma management and developing new treatments to address these clinical concerns. However, the study acknowledges limitations, such as the lack of validation for diagnostic codes and the potential underestimation of uncontrolled asthma due to the absence of pulmonary function tests in the data. [Extracted from the article]

Since the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development presented its comprehensive Innovation Strategy in 2010, numerous countries have been updating their innovation policies. Subsequent to the promulgation, the innovation policies of Japan shifted the focus from discipline-specific to social issue-oriented approaches. This study investigates the response of the Japanese academic sector to this policy shift and the characteristics of the research projects associated with innovation policy by utilizing descriptive statistics from policy documents and the database of Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research. The findings reveal that Japanese researchers have increasingly aligned their efforts with government-proposed research themes in recent years, with a notable shift toward short-term research projects. Moreover, Japanese universities are undergoing reforms that are transforming them into entrepreneurial institutions by altering incentive structures. Although these reforms may yield short-term research outcomes, they may not always address long-term societal needs. The narrowing focus on research themes could restrict the potential impact of research and impede the development of innovative solutions to societal challenges. From this viewpoint, assessing the relationship between government-proposed research themes and the research productivity of Japan is critical. Universities and public research institutions play a vital social role in broadening the foundational knowledge base through basic research, while private enterprises may lack the motivation to invest in research and development with low appropriability. These results may be beneficial for policymakers in reconsidering the division of labor in industry-academic collaboration in a knowledge-intensive economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recommendations of the 14th finance commission enabled States to improve their physical position by offering autonomy to implement development initiatives in the present research paper we are discussing recommendations of the 14th finance commission with new formula given by the constitution body which is giving way to the improvement in states fiscal positions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although segmentectomy was better than lobectomy in terms of overall survival for patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with a pure-solid tumour appearance on thin-section CT in the open-label, multicentre, randomised, controlled, phase 3 JCOG0802/WJOG4607L trial, the reasons why segmentectomy was associated with better overall survival were unclear. We aimed to compare the survival, cause of death, and recurrence patterns after segmentectomy versus lobectomy in trial participants with NSCLC with a pure-solid appearance We conducted a post-hoc supplemental analysis of the JCO0802/WJOG4607L randomised, controlled, non-inferiority trial for the patients (aged 20–85 years) with small-sized NSCLC with radiologically pure-solid appearance on thin-section CT (≤2 cm, consolidation tumour ratio 1·0). The primary aim was to compare the overall and relapse-free survival, cause of death, and recurrence patterns associated with segmentectomy and lobectomy for patients with radiologically pure-solid NSCLC to determine why the overall survival of segmentectomy was superior to that of lobectomy, even for oncologically invasive lung cancers. JCO0802/WJOG4607L is registered with the UMIN Clinical Trials Registry, UMIN000002317, and is complete. Between Aug 10, 2009, and Oct 21, 2014, 1106 patients were randomly assigned to undergo either lobectomy or segmentectomy. Of these participants, 553 (50%) had radiologically pure-solid NSCLC and were eligible for this post-hoc supplemental analysis. Of these 553 participants, 274 (50%) patients underwent lobectomy and 279 (50%) underwent segmentectomy. Median patient age was 67 years (IQR 61–73), 347 (63%) of 553 patients were male and 206 (37%) were female, and data on race and ethnicity were not collected. As of data cutoff (June 13, 2020), after a median follow-up of 7·3 years (IQR 6·0–8·5), the 5-year overall survival rate was significantly higher after segmentectomy than after lobectomy (86·1% [95% CI 81·4–89·7] in the lobectomy group, with 55 deaths vs 92·4% [88·6–95·0] in the segmentectomy group, with 38 deaths; hazard ratio (HR) 0·64 [95% CI 0·41–0·97]; log-rank test p=0·033), whereas the 5-year relapse-free survival was similar between the groups (81·7% [95% CI 76·5–85·8], with 34 events vs 82·0% [76·9–86·0], with 52 events; HR 1·01 [95% CI 0·72–1·42]; p=0·94). Deaths after a median follow-up of 7·3 years due to lung cancer occurred in 20 (7%) of 274 patients after lobectomy and 19 (7%) of 279 after segmentectomy, and deaths due to other causes occurred in 35 (13%) patients after lobectomy compared with 19 (7%) after segmentectomy (lung cancer death vs other cause of death, p=0·19). The locoregional recurrence was higher after segmentectomy (21 [8%] vs 45 [16%]; p=0·0021). In subgroup analyses, better 5-year overall survival after segmentectomy than after lobectomy was observed in the subgroup of patients aged 70 years or older (77·1% [95% CI 68·2–83·8] with lobectomy vs 85·6% [77·5–90·9] with segmentectomy; p=0·013) and in male patients (80·5% [73·7–85·7] vs 92·1% [87·0–95·2]; p=0·0085). By contrast, better 5-year relapse-free survival after lobectomy than after segmentectomy was observed in the subgroup younger than 70 years (87·4% [95% CI 81·2–91·7] with lobectomy vs 84·4% [77·9–89·1] with segmentectomy; p=0·049) and in female patients (94·2% [87·6–97·4] vs 82·2% [73·2–88·4]; p=0·047). This post-hoc analysis showed improved overall survival after segmentectomy in patients with pure-solid NSCLC compared with lobectomy. However, survival outcomes of segmentectomy depend on the patient's age and sex. Given the results of this exploratory analysis, further research is necessary to determine clinically relevant indications for segmentectomy in radiologically pure-solid NSCLC. Japanese National Cancer Center Research and Development Fund and Practical Research for Innovative Cancer Control Fund, and a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare of Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the acceptability of antipsychotic transdermal patches as a treatment option for acute schizophrenia. Antipsychotic medications are commonly used for managing psychosis and preventing relapse in individuals with schizophrenia. While previous studies have shown that long-acting injectable antipsychotics are more effective in preventing relapse compared to oral antipsychotics, the role of transdermal delivery systems remains unclear. The authors conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis comparing the acceptability of transdermal patches versus oral antipsychotics in people with acute schizophrenia. The results suggest that transdermal patches may be more acceptable in terms of all-cause discontinuation rates, potentially due to their favorable tolerability profile and visible proof of adherence. However, further research is needed to fully understand the acceptability and treatment outcomes of different formulations. [Extracted from the article]

Research universities and the federal government partner to foster societal, scientific, and technological advancements, but the federal research grant process is criticized for its procedural inefficiencies. Principal investigators and research administrators lament losing time to bureaucratic regulations, unwieldy processes, and burgeoning reporting standards. As the cost of higher education is increasingly scrutinized, existing procedures warrant examination to identify areas of undue administrative burden and subsequently restructuring to ameliorate cumbersome inefficiencies. The purpose of this study is to identify areas of administrative burden among post-award research administrators (PARA). Ninety-six PARA were surveyed. Several overlapping themes emerged, such as frequently changing regulations and excessive reporting requirements. The suggestions to alleviate administrative burden included standardizing federal grant management systems, regulations, forms, and cash management systems and limiting the rate of changes to federal grant management systems and regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The eight papers were selected for the best paper award in 2021 to 2022 from Materials Transactions. Here, the awarded papers are briefly summarized as current trends in research of Materials Transactions. Among the eight best papers, four were specially selected for young scientists whose ages are 35 or below. An important trend in the year of 2021 is that three best papers are from a special issue with the title of "Materials Science on Hypermaterials", which is based on an ongoing national research project, Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through the European Social Fund (ESF) and the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD), the European Union (EU) acts as a 'material supporter' of national welfare states. Remarkably, the European Social Fund Plus, integrating ESF and FEAD, is presented as the main financial instrument to implement the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR). This raises the question of what these levers can do in terms of financial support, especially for Member States with greater social needs. By using the Social Scoreboard indicators that monitor the implementation of the EPSR, we analyse the size and distribution of ESF and FEAD according to Member States' economic capacity, social needs and efforts required to meet the European social goals. We find that the funds benefit relatively more the poorer Member States who also tend to have greater social needs. However, especially for ESF, there are significant deviations from this general pattern. Some countries consistently receive less funding than others with similar levels of social needs, and vice versa. Moreover, if, from the perspective of upward convergence, the budgets are expressed as a percentage of the efforts required to lift all income‐poor citizens to the EU‐wide at‐risk‐of‐poverty threshold, countries who need to make the greatest efforts receive less funding. These outcomes are partly driven by the funds' allocation rules, which give only little importance to the great social discrepancies between countries. This raises the question whether social needs should be taken more into account in the distribution of the funds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the differences between Erythema Elevatum Diutinum (EED) and Granuloma Faciale (GF), two rare inflammatory skin conditions with unknown causes. While both conditions share similar clinical features, such as erythematous plaques and nodules, histopathological findings, and vascular involvement, they can be distinguished by the presence of eosinophils in GF lesions. The study observed the formation of extracellular DNA traps in both conditions and identified the infiltration of M2 macrophages expressing eotaxin-1 and eotaxin-3 in GF lesions, along with basophils expressing IL-4 and IL-13. The findings suggest potential therapeutic options for these conditions and provide insights into their pathogenesis. [Extracted from the article]

Ultrafast dynamic contrast-enhanced (UF-DCE) MRI has become a widely accepted sequence in breast MRI over the past decade. UF-DCE MRI allows for the detailed evaluation of breast lesion enhancement by completing multiple imaging phases within 1-2 minutes. Parameters such as maximum slope (MS) and time to enhancement (TTE) have been introduced to evaluate the initial time-intensity curve (TIC) from UF-DCE images. A systematic review of 16 studies analyzing 2090 lesions found that UF-DCE MRI-derived kinetic parameters had a pooled sensitivity of 83% and specificity of 77% for differentiating benign from malignant breast lesions. The review also found that MS and TTE parameters showed no significant difference in their ability to discriminate between malignant and benign lesions. The heterogeneity among studies may be due to various factors, and further standardization may be needed to apply universal cut-off values. The authors suggest that the kinetic information from UF-DCE MRI could be aggregated into parameters that are highly versatile and have few differences among radiologists. They also propose dividing dynamic parameters into three groups rather than using a single cut-off value. Overall, UF-DCE MRI shows promise in the quantitative evaluation of breast lesions, but further research and standardization are needed. [Extracted from the article]

This letter discusses the optimal course of preemptive rituximab (RTX) administration for achieving long-term treatment-free remission in patients with complicated steroid-dependent nephrotic syndrome (SDNS). The study included 18 patients who received additional courses of RTX before nephrotic syndrome relapse. The results showed that patients who received three or more courses of preemptive RTX had a higher likelihood of achieving long-term remission. However, repeated RTX courses were associated with an increased risk of hypogammaglobulinemia. The study suggests that further research is needed to determine the optimal timing and course of RTX administration in this patient population. [Extracted from the article]

This article explores the potential correlation between anti-laminin 332 (LM332) autoantibodies and malignant tumors in patients with anti-BP180-type mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP). The study recruited 520 patients with BP180-MMP from Japan, China, the Netherlands, and Germany. The results showed that the presence of anti-LM332 autoantibodies was significantly higher in the Asian cohort compared to the European cohort. Additionally, there was a positive correlation between anti-LM332 autoantibodies and malignant tumors in the European cohorts. However, further investigation is needed to understand the variations in results and the impact of different diagnostic methodologies. [Extracted from the article]

Abbreviations ER estrogen receptor MEST mixed epithelial and stromal tumor PgR progesterone receptor WHO World Health Organization Mixed epithelial and stromal tumors (MESTs) are rare benign renal neoplasms involving the proliferation of both epithelial and mesenchymal components. While an association between the development of MEST and renal failure has not previously been reported, one case concerning heterochronous bilateral MESTs in a patient with end-stage renal failure has been reported.[5] MEST is usually described as a unilateral disease, but this type of tumor can occur in bilateral kidneys in patients with end-stage renal failure. Mixed epithelial and stromal tumor synchronously detected in bilateral kidneys with end-stage renal failure. [Extracted from the article]

2 Rapidity spectra of protons produced in the 20% most central Be+Be collisions. Acknowledgements We would like to thank the CERN EP, BE, HSE and EN Departments for the strong support of NA61/SHINE. Erratum to: Measurements of ±, K±, p and p spectra in 7Be+9Be collisions at beam momenta from 19A to 150A GeV/c with the NA61/SHINE spectrometer at the CERN SPS: NA61/SHINE Collaboration. [Extracted from the article]