Kanazawa University

Structure-Guided Optimization of a LipL32-Targeting DNA Aptamer through Molecular Dynamics and Free-Energy Analysis

Abstract Accurate detection of leptospirosis requires high-affinity recognition of the conserved LipL32 biomarker. Although LipL32-targeting DNA aptamers have been identified through systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX), the molecular basis of their t...

Make Shapes and Signals Meet: A Gentle Guide to BCPD and DET

Make Shapes and Signals Meet is an illustrated, beginner-friendly guide to BCPD and DET. BCPD aligns shapes using point locations, while DET also uses signal information—such as image intensities, audio amplitudes, or gene-expression features—to guide registration. The guide intr...

Racialized ethics of surrogacy: Transnational reproductive tourism and local surrogacy practices in Uganda

This study examines surrogacy practices in Uganda by analyzing how various actors operationalize "ethical surrogacy" in inbound and local contexts. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork in Kampala, the study compares surrogacy programs organized by a foreign agency for Western intend...

Guest-Induced Chirality Transfer in Trimers of Invertible Cylinder-Shaped Macrocycles

Abstract Transfer of chiral information is abundant in biological processes. To mimic them in artificial systems, chiral macrocyclic molecules are particularly promising components for their simplicity and easy-to-predict intermolecular interactions. Herein, we report a chirality...

Nuclear Wrinkles Result From Geometric Adaptations to Cellular and Nuclear Morphological Changes in Epithelial Cells

Mechanical cues influence cell behavior and fate and are frequently accompanied by changes in nuclear shape; however, how epithelial nuclei accommodate such deformations remains incompletely understood. In this article, we investigated the formation and regulation of nuclear wrin...

Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Progression and Spontaneous Regression in Desmoid Tumors

Desmoid-type fibromatosis, also known as desmoid tumor (DT), is a rare and locally aggressive soft tissue neoplasm driven by constitutive activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, most commonly through CTNNB1 or APC alterations. While some tumors progress and cause subst...

Integrated assessment of flood susceptibility and population exposure using machine learning: a case study of Wajima, Japan

Floods increasingly disrupt daily life and cause substantial social and economic losses. Although flood susceptibility mapping (FSM) is widely used to identify flood-prone areas, the spatial relationship between FSM and population exposure has received relatively little attention...

Healthcare burden and clinical spectrum of symptomatic polycystic liver disease in Japan: a nationwide epidemiological survey

Abstract Background Polycystic liver disease (PLD) is often asymptomatic, but some patients develop symptoms or complications requiring care or intervention. The nationwide burden of symptomatic PLD remains poorly defined. We conducted a nationwide survey to estimate the number a...

About this title - Cretaceous Palaeontology, Stratigraphy, Palaeogeography and Palaeoclimate in Eastern Asia

The book combines the latest research results of the project IGCP 679 (Cretaceous Earth dynamics and climate in Asia). Palaeontological, stratigraphical, sedimentological, geochemical and climatical analyses are used to decipher the complex evolution of the Cretaceous ecosystem o...

Cassini CDA observes compositional segregation of Enceladus’ ice grains from slow freezing and fragmentation of oceanic spray

Salt-rich ice particles, termed Type 3, are a major compositional group within Enceladus’ plume and Saturn’s E ring and are thought to represent frozen micrometer-sized aerosolized droplets of Enceladus’ salty subsurface ocean. Here, we present an analysis on the basis of ≈1000 m...

Relationship between objective sleep efficiency and psychological distress in middle-aged and older Japanese: Results by work in the Shika study

Sleep quality and work, as factors related to psychological distress, have not yet been elucidated. Additionally, few studies have examined the association between sleep efficiency and psychological distress, which may affect psychological distress in middle-aged and older adults...

Multimodal Deep Learning with Automated Myocardial Segmentation for Classification of Myocardial 99mTc-Pyrophosphate Uptake Using Planar and SPECT Imaging

Objective interpretation of myocardial 99mTc-pyrophosphate (PYP) uptake is important in suspected cardiac amyloidosis. We developed a segmentation-informed multimodal framework that classifies myocardial PYP uptake from planar and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT...

Automated Structure Discovery for Tip-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy

Tip-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (TERS) provides nanoscale chemical fingerprints alongside high-resolution topographic mapping of molecules, offering a powerful tool for materials discovery. However, TERS image datasets are challenging to interpret and typically demand time-consum...

A rare duplicate origin of the A2 segment associated with a ruptured aneurysm of the anterior communicating artery complex: a case report

Anatomical variations of the anterior communicating artery complex (ACAC) are important for understanding cerebrovascular development and for planning treatment of aneurysms in this region. We report a rare case of duplicate origin of the A2 associated with a ruptured ACAC aneury...

Photoinduced Ion Pair Generator Based on Triangle Terarylene

Photoresponsive systems capable of generating ion pairs provide promising opportunities for light-controlled catalysts, yet the structural factors governing ion-pair formation and stability remain poorly understood. Here we report a series of terarylene derivatives (1o-3o) that u...

A population representative XAI framework for transparent dysglycemia screening in Indonesia

Deploying trustworthy AI requires more than predictive accuracy; it demands population-representative data, transparent explainability, and user-centered design. Despite rapid mobile penetration across Southeast Asia, existing AI-based health tools remain predominantly trained on...

Single‐Vesicle Functional Nanophenotyping Reveals Heterogeneous PD‐L1 Accessibility in Triple‐Negative Breast Cancer

The functional accessibility of membrane proteins is a fundamental determinant of biological activity but cannot be accurately inferred from protein abundance alone. Current extracellular vesicle (EV) analyses primarily quantify expression levels, providing limited information on...

Molecular mechanism of calcium inhibition in viral channelrhodopsins

Abstract Viral channelrhodopsins (VCR1s) are giant-virus-encoded light-gated channels permeable to monovalent and divalent cations, including Na + and Ca 2+ ions, and inhibited by millimolar Ca 2+ concentrations. Here, we combine X-ray crystallography, time-resolved UV-vis spectr...

Rapid fluvial response to meter-scale coseismic coastal uplift during the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake

Abstract The response of river profiles to relative base-level change is a key topic in earth surface processes, but observations capturing these changes on unconsolidated deposits at a 1–10 years timescales are scarce. We monitored geomorphic changes at the Hakka River mouth aft...

Social networks, loneliness, purpose in life, and psychological distress after the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake: a community-based cross-sectional survey and structural equation modeling study

Post-disaster psychological distress may be shaped not only by acute disaster exposure but also by evolving recovery-related and psychosocial conditions. This study examined factors associated with serious psychological distress (SPD) and the interrelationships between social net...