Predicting rheumatoid arthritis progression from seronegative undifferentiated arthritis using machine learning: a deep learning model trained on the KURAMA cohort and externally validated with the ANSWER cohort

Background: Undifferentiated arthritis (UA) often develops into rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but predicting disease progression from seronegative UA remains challenging because seronegative RA often does not meet the classification criteria. This study aims to build a machine learning (ML) model to predict the progression from seronegative UA to RA using clinical and laboratory parameters. Methods: KURAMA cohort (training dataset) and ANSWER cohort (validation dataset) were utilized. Patients with seronegative UA were selected based on specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. Clinical and laboratory parameters, including demographic data, acute phase reactants, autoantibodies, and physical examination findings, were collected. Various ML models, including a Feedforward Neural Network (FNN), were developed and compared. Model performance was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), sensitivity, and other metrics. SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) values were computed to interpret the importance of variables. Results: KURAMA cohort included 210 patients with seronegative UA, of whom 57 (27.1%) progressed to RA. The FNN model demonstrated the highest predictive performance with an AUC of 0.924 and a sensitivity of 80.7% in the training dataset. Validation with ANSWER cohort (140 patients; 32.1% progressed to RA) showed an AUC of 0.777, sensitivity of 77.8%. MMP-3 had the highest impact on the model. Conclusions: The FNN model exhibited robust performance in predicting the progression of RA from seronegative UA and maintained substantial sensitivity in an independent validation cohort. This model using only clinical and laboratory parameters has potential for predicting RA progression in patients with seronegative UA

A new portable monitor for measuring odorous compounds in oral, exhaled and nasal air

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The B/B Checker^®, a new portable device for detecting odorous compounds in oral, exhaled, and nasal air, is now available. As a single unit, this device is capable of detecting several kinds of gases mixed with volatile sulfur compounds (VSC) in addition to other odorous gasses. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the B/B Checker^®for detecting the malodor level of oral, exhaled, and nasal air.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A total of 30 healthy, non-smoking volunteers (16 males and 14 females) participated in this study. The malodor levels in oral, exhaled, and nasal air were measured using the B/B Checker^®and by organoleptic test (OT) scores. The VSCs in each air were also measured by gas chromatography (GC). Associations among B/B Checker^®measurements, OT scores and VSC levels were analyzed using Spearman correlation coefficients. In order to determine the appropriate B/B Checker^®level for screening subjects with malodor, sensitivity and specificity were calculated using OT scores as an identifier for diagnosing oral malodor.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In oral and nasal air, the total VSC levels measured by GC significantly correlated to that measured by the B/B Checker^®. Significant correlation was observed between the results of OT scores and the B/B Checker^®measurements in oral (r = 0.892, p < 0.001), exhaled (r = 0.748, p < 0.001) and nasal air (r = 0.534, p < 0.001). The correlation between the OT scores and VSC levels was significant only for oral air (r = 0.790, p < 0.001) and nasal air (r = 0.431, p = 0.002); not for exhaled air (r = 0.310, p = 0.096). When the screening level of the B/B Checker^®was set to 50.0 for oral air, the sensitivity and specificity were 1.00 and 0.90, respectively. On the other hand, the screening level of the B/B Checker^®was set to 60.0 for exhaled air, the sensitivity and specificity were 0.82 and 1.00, respectively.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The B/B Checker^®is useful for objective evaluation of malodor in oral, exhaled and nasal air and for screening subjects with halitosis.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>ClinicalTrials.gov: <a href="http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01139073">NCT01139073</a></p

Record of the rare bird species and rare breeding cases in Nago City and Okinawa Island : Spring 2019 to summer 2020

本報告は，2019年４月から2020年８月までの名護市内を含む沖縄島一円における留鳥の希少な繁殖記録や確認記録の他，渡り鳥の希少な繁殖記録と確認記録などを中心にして，過去に確認された鳥類記録の亜種の再検討など加えてとりまとめたものである。今回，これまで宮古諸島が北限とされているズグロミゾゴイやオオクイナの沖縄島における確認記録と，冬鳥とされているセイタカシギの営巣確認，渡り鳥では沖縄島で初めての確認記録となるナンキンオシとオレンジツグミの確認記録を掲載した。また，過去に沖縄島で記録された種オオシロハラミズナギドリについては，国内における知見が増え，種クビワオオシロハラミズナギドリとして再検討する必要が生じたことから，種の再同定を行い，観察記録の見直しを行った。なお，本種の確認記録は南西諸島初記録である。This report is as compilation of past bird sightings in Okinawa Island including Nago City, from April of 2019 to August of 2020 with concentration on the breeding of rare migratory birds and their sightings as well as that of resident birds. This report also includes the reconsideration on subspecies sighting from the past records. Gorsachius nelanolophus and Rallina eurizonoides, of which their northern limit were considered to range up to Miyako islands, were actually sighted in Okinawa Island. The nesting of Himantopus himantopus himatopus, which were considered to be winter birds, was sighted as well. Among the migratory birds, Nettapus coromandelianus and Zoothera citrina were sighted for the first time in Okinawa Island. Regarding Pterodroma cervicalis, which was sighted in Okinawa Island in the past, is now increasingly recognized throughout Japan that it has become necessary to re-consider this species as P. cervicalis. Therefore, the record of sightings of this species have been re-examined. The sighting of this species in the Nansei islands was its first record.departmental bulletin pape

The Comet Interceptor Mission

Here we describe the novel, multi-point Comet Interceptor mission. It is dedicated to the exploration of a little-processed long-period comet, possibly entering the inner Solar System for the first time, or to encounter an interstellar object originating at another star. The objectives of the mission are to address the following questions: What are the surface composition, shape, morphology, and structure of the target object? What is the composition of the gas and dust in the coma, its connection to the nucleus, and the nature of its interaction with the solar wind? The mission was proposed to the European Space Agency in 2018, and formally adopted by the agency in June 2022, for launch in 2029 together with the Ariel mission. Comet Interceptor will take advantage of the opportunity presented by ESA's F-Class call for fast, flexible, low-cost missions to which it was proposed. The call required a launch to a halo orbit around the Sun-Earth L2 point. The mission can take advantage of this placement to wait for the discovery of a suitable comet reachable with its minimum ΔV capability of 600 ms-1. Comet Interceptor will be unique in encountering and studying, at a nominal closest approach distance of 1000 km, a comet that represents a near-pristine sample of material from the formation of the Solar System. It will also add a capability that no previous cometary mission has had, which is to deploy two sub-probes - B1, provided by the Japanese space agency, JAXA, and B2 - that will follow different trajectories through the coma. While the main probe passes at a nominal 1000 km distance, probes B1 and B2 will follow different chords through the coma at distances of 850 km and 400 km, respectively. The result will be unique, simultaneous, spatially resolved information of the 3-dimensional properties of the target comet and its interaction with the space environment. We present the mission's science background leading to these objectives, as well as an overview of the scientific instruments, mission design, and schedule

A Hypersweet Protein: Removal of The Specific Negative Charge at Asp21 Enhances Thaumatin Sweetness.

甘味タンパク質の高甘味度化に成功 -低カロリータンパク質性甘味料の更なる有効利用に期待-. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2016-02-04.Thaumatin is an intensely sweet-tasting protein that elicits sweet taste at a concentration of 50 nM, a value 100, 000 times larger than that of sucrose on a molar basis. Here we attempted to produce a protein with enhanced sweetness by removing negative charges on the interacting side of thaumatin with the taste receptor. We obtained a D21N mutant which, with a threshold value 31 nM is much sweeter than wild type thaumatin and, together with the Y65R mutant of single chain monellin, one of the two sweetest proteins known so far. The complex model between the T1R2-T1R3 sweet receptor and thaumatin, derived from tethered docking in the framework of the wedge model, confirmed that each of the positively charged residues critical for sweetness is close to a receptor residue of opposite charge to yield optimal electrostatic interaction. Furthermore, the distance between D21 and its possible counterpart D433 (located on the T1R2 protomer of the receptor) is safely large to avoid electrostatic repulsion but, at the same time, amenable to a closer approach if D21 is mutated into the corresponding asparagine. These findings clearly confirm the importance of electrostatic potentials in the interaction of thaumatin with the sweet receptor

Seasonal occurrence and vertical distribution of larval and juvenile northern smoothtongue,<i>Leuroglossus schmidti</i>(Pisces, Bathylagidae), in the western subarctic Pacific

AbstractWe investigated the seasonal occurrence and vertical distribution/migration of larval and juvenile northern smoothtongue,Leuroglossus schmidti(Pisces, Bathylagidae), in oceanic areas of the western subarctic Pacific. This species was the most abundant larval fish and one of the most abundant juvenile/adult fish at the study site. Larval recruitment of this species occurred in early March to mid-October. Larvae were found, however, throughout all seasons, suggesting that some had overwintered. The highest abundance (5.8 individuals m–2) of larvae was in summer. During summer and autumn, hatching mainly occurred at 100–150-m depth and larvae migrated toward the surface with growth. Once larvae reached about 20 mm in length, they moved below 100 m, and larger larvae (over 24 mm) exhibited diel vertical migration. The abundance of juveniles integrated through the water column was relatively constant (0.3 individuals m–2) throughout the study period. They were collected from below 300 m during the day, and part of the population (13–38%) swam into the epipelagic layer at night. The information on early stages ofL. schmidtipresented here provides a basis for future investigations of mesopelagic fish ecology in oceanic areas of the western subarctic North Pacific Ocean.</jats:p