University of the Ryukyus

Post-obligation physician retention among Jichi Medical University graduates in Okinawa prefecture, Japan: a descriptive comparative study of the Kyushu region

Abstract Background Global strategies to address physician maldistribution include recruiting students with rural backgrounds, community-based training, bonded service, financial incentives, and personal and professional support. However, retention after obligatory service remain...

Integrative taxonomy reveals multiple Mediterranean invasions by Indo-Pacific Dorvillea (Annelida, Dorvilleidae)

Abstract Biological invasions are a major driver of global biodiversity loss, with the Mediterranean Sea among the most heavily invaded marine regions. However, identification and monitoring of Non-Indigenous Species (NIS) are hindered by taxonomic uncertainty and cryptic diversi...

Professional identity and rural workforce commitment among regional quota medical students in Japan: a qualitative study

INTRODUCTION: Many countries use rural admission pathways and bonded scholarship programs to address persistent shortages of physicians in underserved areas. In Japan, the Chiiki-Waku (regional quota) system was established to recruit and train medical students who are expected t...

Genomic resources of Ascidiella aspersa and comparative analysis across tunicates reveal class-level features and evolutionary diversification

Ascidiella aspersa is an invasive tunicate and one of the closest relatives of vertebrates. Despite its ecological nuisance, A. aspersa is anticipated to be a valuable model organism for developmental studies due to its remarkably transparent embryos. However, annotated genome as...

Two stress-responsive kinases suppress ferroptosis by activating antioxidant programs under mild oxidative stress

Cancer cells maintain chronically elevated levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) while relying on robust antioxidant programs to preserve redox homeostasis and viability. Although therapeutic strategies that disrupt this balance to induce lethal oxidative stress and ferroptosis...