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Subependymal giant cell astrocytoma (SEGA) is a low‐grade periventricular tumor that is closely associated with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). SEGA typically arises during the first two decades of life and rarely arises after the age of 20–25 years. Nevertheless, it has also been reported that glioma histologically resembling SEGA, so‐called SEGA‐like astrocytoma, can arise in neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) patients, even in the elderly. Herein, we report a case of SEGA‐like circumscribed astrocytoma arising in the lateral ventricle of a 75‐year‐old woman. Whole‐exome sequencing revealed a somatic variant of NF1. Methylation array analysis led to a diagnosis of "methylation class glioblastoma, IDH‐wildtype, mesenchymal‐type (GBM, MES)" with a high calibrated score (0.99). EGFR amplification, CDKN2A/B homozygous deletion, chromosomal +7/−10 alterations, and TERT promoter mutation, typical molecular abnormalities usually found in GBM, were also observed. While most reported cases of SEGA‐like astrocytoma have arisen in NF1 patients, the patient was neither TSC nor NF1. Near total removal was accomplished with endoscopic cylinder surgery. At the 36‐month follow‐up, there was no tumor recurrence without adjuvant therapies. This clinical behavior did not match GBM. SEGA‐like astrocytoma of the elderly is rare, and this is the oldest case reported so far. In addition, high‐grade molecular features found in circumscribed tumor remain unclear. Further investigations among larger series are needed for clarifying the underlying molecular mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As AI technologies progress, social acceptance of AI agents, including intelligent virtual agents and robots, is becoming even more important for more applications of AI in human society. One way to improve the relationship between humans and anthropomorphic agents is to have humans empathize with the agents. By empathizing, humans act positively and kindly toward agents, which makes it easier for them to accept the agents. In this study, we focus on self-disclosure from agents to humans in order to increase empathy felt by humans toward anthropomorphic agents. We experimentally investigate the possibility that self-disclosure from an agent facilitates human empathy. We formulate hypotheses and experimentally analyze and discuss the conditions in which humans have more empathy toward agents. Experiments were conducted with a three-way mixed plan, and the factors were the agents' appearance (human, robot), self-disclosure (high-relevance self-disclosure, low-relevance self-disclosure, no self-disclosure), and empathy before/after a video stimulus. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed using data from 918 participants. We found that the appearance factor did not have a main effect, and self-disclosure that was highly relevant to the scenario used facilitated more human empathy with a statistically significant difference. We also found that no self-disclosure suppressed empathy. These results support our hypotheses. This study reveals that self-disclosure represents an important characteristic of anthropomorphic agents which helps humans to accept them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diffuse leptomeningeal glioneuronal tumor (DLGNT) is a rare glioneuronal neoplasm newly included in the 2016 World Health Organization Classification of Tumors of the Central Nervous System. Owing to the wide spectrum of its histopathological and radiological features, accurate diagnosis can be challenging. Recently, molecular testing including DNA methylation array has been introduced with the possibility of improving diagnostic accuracy and contributing to the subtyping especially for brain tumors with ambiguous histology. Two molecularly distinct subtypes of DLGNT have been reported: methylation class‐1 (MC‐1) with an indolent clinical course and MC‐2, the latter aggressive. Herein, we report a case of a 14‐year‐old girl with a conspicuous hypothalamic mass lesion and diffuse leptomeningeal enhancement on magnetic resonance imaging. Biopsy specimens obtained from the hypothalamic lesion endoscopically were mainly composed of oligodendrocyte‐like cells. However, it was difficult to make a definite diagnosis from these non‐specific histological findings. Thus, DNA methylation array analysis was performed additionally by using formalin‐fixed, paraffin‐embedded tissue, resulting in a diagnosis of "MC‐1 subtype of DLGNT" with a high calibrated score (0.99). Consequently, she was treated conservatively, with neither progression of the tumor nor aggravation of symptoms for the next 12 months. It was concluded that DNA methylation array analysis for DLGNT, a rare glioneuronal tumor, could be a powerful tool not only for accurate diagnosis but also decision‐making in selecting the best treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary central nervous system lymphomas (PCNSLs) rarely exhibit intratumoral hemorrhage. The differential diagnosis of hemorrhagic neoplasms of the central nervous system (CNS) currently includes metastatic carcinomas, melanomas, choriocarcinomas, oligodendrogliomas, and glioblastomas. Here we present the clinical, radiological, pathological, and molecular genetic features of six cases of PCNSL associated with intratumoral hemorrhage. The median age of patients was 75 years, with male predominance. While conventional PCNSLs were associated with low cerebral blood volume (CBV), perfusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed elevated CBV in three cases, consistent with vascular proliferation. All six cases were diagnosed pathologically as having diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (DLBCL) with a non‐germinal center B‐cell‐like (non‐GCB) phenotype; marked histiocytic infiltrates and abundant non‐neoplastic T‐cells were observed in most cases. Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and CD105 in the lymphoma cells and the small vessels, respectively, suggested angiogenesis within the neoplasms. Neoplastic cells were immunohistochemically negative for programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD‐L1), while immune cells in the microenvironment were positive for PD‐L1. Mutations in the MYD88 gene (MYD88) (L265P) and the CD79B gene (CD79B) were detected in five and one case, respectively. As therapeutic modalities used for PCNSLs differ from those that target conventional hemorrhagic neoplasms, full tissue diagnoses of all hemorrhagic CNS tumors are clearly warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Safety and efficiency of human-AI collaboration often depend on how humans could appropriately calibrate their trust towards the AI agents. Over-trusting the autonomous system sometimes causes serious safety issues. Although many studies focused on the importance of system transparency in keeping proper trust calibration, the research in detecting and mitigating improper trust calibration remains very limited. To fill these research gaps, we propose a method of adaptive trust calibration that consists of a framework for detecting the inappropriate calibration status by monitoring the user's reliance behavior and cognitive cues called "trust calibration cues" to prompt the user to reinitiate trust calibration. We evaluated our framework and four types of trust calibration cues in an online experiment using a drone simulator. A total of 116 participants performed pothole inspection tasks by using the drone's automatic inspection, the reliability of which could fluctuate depending upon the weather conditions. The participants needed to decide whether to rely on automatic inspection or to do the inspection manually. The results showed that adaptively presenting simple cues could significantly promote trust calibration during over-trust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glioneuronal tumor (GNT) is a rare central nervous system neoplasm composed of glial and neuronal components. Making the specific diagnosis of GNT can be challenging due to histopathological and genetical similarities among some GNTs and low‐grade gliomas. We report a case of GNT with rosette‐forming glioneuronal tumor, dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor, and pilocytic astrocytoma‐like morphology harboring FGFR1 mutation. A 16‐year‐old female presented with absence seizures. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a right temporal lobe mass with multinodular enhancement by gadolinium administration. The tumor was mostly composed of oligodendrocyte‐like cells (OLCs) with variable perinuclear haloes. Abundant Rosenthal fibers and eosinophilic granular bodies were identified. Neither mitotic figures nor areas of necrosis were seen. Focal neurocytic rosette features, involving ring‐like arrays of OLCs around eosinophilic cores, were observed. Direct sequencing showed a missense mutation in FGFR1 K656E, whereas FGFR1 N546K, PIK3CA, and BRAF V600E were intact. KIAA1549‐BRAF fusion was not detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eye gaze is considered to be a particularly important non-verbal communication cue. Gaze research is also becoming a hot topic in human–robot interaction (HRI). However, research on social eye gaze for HRI focuses mainly on human-like robots. There remains a lack of methods for functional robots, which are constrained in appearance, to show gaze-like behavior. In this work, we investigate how we can implement gaze behavior in functional robots to assist humans in reading their intent. We explore design implications based on LED lights as we consider LEDs to be easily installed in most robots while not introducing features that are too human-like (to prevent users from having high expectations towards the robots). In this paper, we first developed a design interface that allows designers to freely test different parameter settings for an LED-based gaze display for a Roomba robot. We summarized design principles for well simulating LED-based gazes. Our suggested design is further evaluated by a large group of participants with regard to their perception and interpretation of the robot's behaviors. On the basis of the findings, we finally offer a set of design implications that can be beneficial to HRI and HCI researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypothalamic hamartomas are rare tumors that typically present in childhood, often with gelastic seizures, precocious puberty, or as a manifestation of Pallister-Hall syndrome. Neurofibrillary tangles are cytoplasmic aggregates of hyperphosphorylated tau that are best recognized in Alzheimer disease, other tau-associated neurodegenerative diseases, or as part of aging, but occasionally may be seen in low-grade neoplasms with a ganglion cell component as gangliocytoma or ganglioglioma. Herein, we report a case of hypothalamic hamartoma with neurofibrillary tangles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Approximately one in two hundred persons in the Marshall Islands have active tuberculosis (TB). We examine the historical antecedents of this situation in order to assign ethical responsibility for the present situation. Examining the antecedents in terms of Galtung's dialectic of personal versus structural violence, we can identify instances in the history of the Marshall Islands when individual subjects made decisions (personal violence) with large-scale ecologic, social, and health consequences. The roles of medical experimenters, military commanders, captains of the weapons industry in particular, and industrial capitalism in general (as the cause of global warming) are examined. In that, together with Lewontin, we also identify industrial capitalism as the cause of tuberculosis, we note that the distinction between personal versus structural violence is difficult to maintain. By identifying the cause of the tuberculosis in the Marshall Islands, we also identify what needs be done to treat and prevent it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have investigated the folding dynamics of Thermus thermophilus cytochrome C552 by time-resolved fluorescence energy transfer between the heme and each of seven site-specific fluorescent probes. We have found both an equilibrium unfolding intermediate and a distinct refolding intermediate from kinetics studies. Depending on the protein region monitored, we observed either two-state or three-state denaturation transitions. The unfolding intermediate associated with three-state folding exhibited native contacts in β-sheet and C-terminal helix regions. We probed the formation of a refolding intermediate by time-resolved fluorescence energy transfer between residue 110 and the heme using a continuous flow mixer. The intermediate ensemble, a heterogeneous mixture of compact and extended polypeptides, forms in a millisecond, substantially slower than the ∼100-μs formation of a burst-phase intermediate in cytochrome c. The surprising finding is that, unlike for cytochrome c, there is an observable folding intermediate, but no microsecond burst phase in the folding kinetics of the structurally related thermostable protein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extramedullary plasmacytoma (EMP) is a rare disease consisting of the presence of monoclonal plasma cells in tissues other than the bone. Most EMPs are located in the head and neck region. We present an extremely rare case of an EMP originating from the biliary tract in a 76-year-old male. This is the fifth report of a primary EMP arising from the biliary tract. He was diagnosed with jaundice, and he was referred for an additional examination. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed a tumor in the gallbladder and bile ducts, and a bile duct biopsy was performed via endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA). The pathological and immunohistochemical examination revealed that the tumor was a plasmacytoma originating in the biliary tract. Although endoscopic biliary drainage was performed, the bile duct infection was not well controlled due to obstructive jaundice caused by the tumor. Furthermore, the bleeding from the tumor during chemotherapy was uncontrolled. Pancreaticoduodenectomy and cholecystectomy were performed to control the infection and bleeding. Although chemotherapy was continued after surgery, the tumor of the intrahepatic bile duct enlarged. He died seven months after the diagnosis because of the treatment-resistant tumor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experimental investigation into how the appearance of an agent such as a robot or PC affects people's interpretations of the agent's attitudes is presented. In general, people are said to create stereotypical agent behavioral models in their minds based on the agents' appearances, and these appearances significantly affect their way of interaction. Therefore, it is quite important to address with the following research question: How does an agent's appearance affect its interactions with people? Specifically, a preliminary experiment was conducted to select eight artificial sounds for which people can estimate two specific primitive attitudes (e.g., positive or negative). Then an experiment was conducted where the participants were presented with the selected artificial sounds through three kinds of agents: a MindStorms robot, AIBO robot, and laptop PC. In particular, the participants were asked to select the correct attitudes based on the sounds expressed by these three agents. The results showed that the participants had better interpretation rates when a PC presented the sounds and lower rates when the MindStorms and AIBO robots presented the sounds, even though the sounds expressed by these agents were the same. The results of this study contribute to the design policy of the interactive agents, such as, What types of appearances should agents have to effectively interact with people, and which kinds of information should these agents express to people? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: We determined the structure of the complex of the sensory histidine kinase (HK) and its cognate response regulator (RR) in the two-component signal transduction system of Thermotoga maritima. This was accomplished by fitting the high-resolution structures of the isolated HK domains and the RR onto the electron density map (3.8 Å resolution) of the HK/RR complex crystal. Based on the structural information, we evaluated the roles of both interdomain and intermolecular interactions in the signal transduction of the cytosolic PAS-linked HK and RR system, in particular the O2-sensor FixL/FixJ system. The PAS-sensor domain of HK interacts with the catalytic domain of the same polypeptide chain by creating an interdomain β sheet. The interaction site between HK and RR, which was confirmed by NMR, is suitable for the intermolecular transfer reaction of the phosphoryl group, indicating that the observed interaction is important for the phosphatase activity of HK that dephosphorylates phospho-RR. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Query expansion is an information retrieval technique in which new query terms are selected to improve search performance. Although useful terms can be extracted from documents whose relevance is already known, it is difficult to get enough of such feedback from a user in actual use. We propose a query expansion method that performs well even if a user makes practically minimum effort, that is, chooses Only a single relevant document. To improve searches in these conditions; we made two refinements to a well-known query expansion method. One uses transductive learning to obtain pseudorelevant documents, thereby increasing the total number of source documents from which expansion terms can be extracted. The other is a modified parameter estimation method that aggregates the predictions of multiple learning trials to sort candidate terms for expansion by importance. Experimental results show that our method outperforms traditional methods and is comparable to a state-of-the-art method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Few studies have explored how physicians approach medical encounters in Japan. OBJECTIVE: This study examined how Japanese physicians conduct routine medical encounters in the context of outpatient care to patients with nonmalignant disorders. DESIGN: Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews and direct observation. SETTING: The outpatient department of a general hospital located in an urban area of Japan. PARTICIPANTS: Physicians and nurses providing care and patients receiving care for nonmalignant disorders. RESULTS: A 2-dimensional model was developed, with patient communication (how physician interacted with patients) along 1 axis, and nurse communication (how physicians collaborated with nursing stall) along the other axis. Four physician communication styles (individually adaptive, individually defined, collaboratively adaptive, and collaboratively defined) were identified as typical ways in which the Japanese physicians in the sample interacted with patients and nurses during routine medical encounters. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest the need for a multiprovider-patient model of medical communication among physician, nurse, and patient. Further research is needed to establish the applicability of this model to the communication styles of physicians in other countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The structure of a histidine kinase (ThkA) complexed with a response regulator (TrrA) in the two-component regulatory system from hyperthermophile Thermotoga maritima was determined by a combination of X-ray crystallography at a resolution of 4.2 Å and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The boundary of the three component domains (PAS-sensor, dimerization and catalytic domains) of ThkA and the bound TrrA molecule were unambiguously assigned in the electron density map at 4.2 Å resolution. ThkA forms a dimer with crystallographic 2-fold symmetry and two monomeric TrrAs bind to the ThkA dimer. SAXS experiments also confirmed this association state in solution and specific binding between ThkA and TrrA (K d =8.2×10-11 M-2). The association interface between ThkA and TrrA contains the phosphotransfer His residue in the ThkA, indicative of an efficient receipt of the phosphoryl group. One Per-Arnt-Sim (PAS) domain does not interact with the other PAS domain, but with the catalytic domain of the same polypeptide chain and with one TrrA molecule. Observed inter-domain and inter-molecular interactions reveal a definite pathway of signal transduction in the kinase/regulator complex. In addition, we propose a responsible role of TrrA for the feedback regulation of sensing and/or kinase activities of ThkA. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper we propose an approach for refining a document ranking by learning filtering rulesets through relevance feedback. This approach includes two important procedures. One is a filtering method, which can be incorporated into any kinds of information retrieval systems. The other is a learning algorithm to make a set of filtering rules, each of which specifies a condition to identify relevant documents using combinations of characteristic words. Our approach is useful not only to overcome the limitation of the vector space model, but also to utilize tags of semi-structured documents like Web pages. Through experiments we show our approach improves the performance of relevance feedback in two types of IR systems adopting the vector space model and a Web search engine, respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article presents information on various studies on interprofessional care. One study explored the effects of community-based interdisciplinary training (CBIT) on the choice of career path for those medical students who participated in the program. Twenty-five graduates who participated in CBIT and 23 graduates who participated in standard community medicine experiences when they were first-year medical students from 1992 to 1996 were interviewed in 2002 as graduates. Those who completed the CBIT program believed that it increased their comfort with working in interdisciplinary teams. Furthermore, the article presents information on the Interprofessional HIV/AIDS Prevention and Care course offered by the College of Health Disciplines, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. The problem-based training (PBL)of this course provided one useful teaching strategy to engage students with interprofessional education, however, adoption of an exclusive PBL curriculum was not indicated.

We examined the effects of centrally administered orexin-A on corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF)-containing neurons in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and the central amygdaloid nucleus (CeA) of rats, using dual immunostaining for CRF and Fos. Ninety minutes after intracerebroventricular administration of orexin-A, approximately 96% and 45% of CRF-containing neurons expressed Fos-like immunoreactivity (LI) in the PVN and the CeA, respectively. We also examined the effects of immobilized stress and cold exposure on orexin-A-containing neurons in the rat hypothalamus using dual immunostaining for orexin-A and Fos. After immobilized stress for 20 min and cold exposure at 4 °C for 30 min, approximately 24% and 15% of orexin-A-containing neurons expressed Fos-LI, respectively. These results suggest that orexins in the central nervous system may be involved in the activation of central CRF neurons induced by stress. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Context: In many ways the task of physicians is to listen to stories and place them within larger social contexts. Problem-based learning (PBL) can potentially reinforce such a view of the physician's work. The conventional PBL case, however, largely replicates the medical record, which in turn, is restricted in its purview to biomedical concerns. The conventional case thus encourages an approach to clinical reasoning that insufficiently recognizes (1) the cross-cultural nature of all clinical encounters, (2) the central role of narrative, and (3) the political economic influences that contribute to disease and suffering in our world. Methods: We suggest ways to modify the traditional medical curriculum to include the learning of cross-cultural health through appropriately written problem-based learning (PBL) cases. We discuss two cases to illustrate how PBL cases can incorporate dialogue between patients and physicians, demonstrate the narrative character of the medical encounter and examine the political economic contributors to disease production. Conclusion: Fluency in language games other than that of biomedicine is required if students are to become more aware of the wider factors that contribute to suffering, and to be able to respond with compassion and understanding to that suffering. Our approach is a discursive practices approach to culture that emphasizes the emergent, participant-constructed qualities of social phenomena while also acknowledging large-scale social forces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The photocatalytic degradation and isomerization of trans- and cis-1,2-dichloroethenes (1,2-DCEs) by TiO2 photocatalyst have been investigated using gas chromatography. The reaction half-life of 1,2-DCEs in nitrogen was longer than in dry air and oxygen, and the initial concentration of them affects the extent of the isomerization. The results indicate that the oxygen molecule and chlorine atoms play an important role in the degradation and isomerization of 1,2-DCE. It is also apparent that the photocatalytic degradation of 1,2-DCEs occurs on the TiO2 surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the functional mechanism of inter-domain interaction in a sensor histidine kinase, five chimeric sensory kinases were constructed. In each of these chimeric proteins (CskA254, CskA264, CskA274, CskA284, and CskA294), the sensor domain of heme-based O2 sensor FixL, obtained from Sinorhizobium meliloti, was fused with the histidine kinase domain from a hyperthermophile, Thermotoga maritima, each at a systematically different position. The UV–visible (UV–vis), resonance Raman (RR), and circular dichroism (CD) spectral characteristics of the CskAs indicated that the secondary and heme environmental structures of all five CskAs examined are identical to those of FixL. In spite of these structural similarities, all CskAs did not exhibit O2-dependent regulation of autophosphorylation activity. Furthermore, their functional properties were much different from those of FixL: The O2 binding affinity and the autophosphorylation activity for CskA254, CskA264, and CskA274 were similar to those of the truncated sensor and histidine kinase domain, whereas CskA284 and CskA294 display extremely low O2 affinity and low autophosphorylation activity, as compared with each truncated domain. These observations indicated that the interdomain interaction was presented in those CskAs, and that interaction could be related to the O2-dependent regulatory interaction of FixL. In the present study, we demonstrated that the interaction in the physiological sensor histidine kinase would be strictly and finely controlled to mediate the signal ligation-dependent autophosphorylation activity in its histidine kinase domain. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Describes a novel action selection method for multiple mobile robots box-pushing in a dynamic environment. Design of the robots; Investigation of various control methods for a multirobot system; Proposal of an architecture of action selection for robots.

Presents an erasing method for simple stacked gate ejecting electrons in NOR flash EEPROMs (erasable programmable read-only memory). Occurrence of an avalanche hot carrier injection after erasure; Convergence of threshold voltages; Control of the steady state in the point of balance between the avalanche hot electron injection and avalanche hot hole injection.

Presents a stress-induced low-level leakage current (LLLC) in silicon dioxide. Voltage dependence of the LLLC; Reduction of the leakage by hot electron injection and irradiation.

A fundamental change in the theory underlying public health and medicine is needed. Latin American social medicine (LASM), originating in a region of the world that has been subjected to colonial and postcolonial influence, will be part of this change. To the extent that the social production of disease among people in other regions is a consequence of various large-scale forms of domination, LASM offers a relevant analysis, models of resistance, and exemplars of social medicine in practice. I draw upon LASM to examine the social production of disease in the Marshall Islands and Iraq. I suggest a basis for a global social medicine in the shared experience of suffering and describe implications for public health theory and practice. (Am J Public Health. 2003;93:1994-1996) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Howard Barrows recommends that ‘authentic’ problem-base learning (PBL) use a format in which students query a case module with regards to 202 history items, 121 physical examination items, and an array of laboratory and imaging items. We examine a case that Barrows presented to students at the University of Hawai’i in order to illustrate the problems that we see with this heuristic method. This method portrays the clinical encounter as an interrogation and examination that reveals the diagnosis within some standard nosology. We identify ‘instrumental rationality’, the mode of thinking in which the goal is to find the most efficient means to achieve the ends, as the philosophy underlying this view of medical practice. We suggest instead that physicians need to be skillful at listening to patient narratives, that the case that Barrows presented appears rather different from this perspective. If physicians view moral engagement with patients to be the core task of medicine, it will help transform medicine from a task-oriented endeavor to one driven by ethics, morality, and justice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Storylines of Family Medicine is a 12-part series of thematically linked mini-essays with accompanying illustrations that explore the many dimensions of family medicine, as interpreted by individual family physicians and medical educators in the USA and elsewhere around the world. In 'II: foundational building blocks--context, community and health', authors address the following themes: 'Context--grounding family medicine in time, place and being', 'Recentring community', 'Community-oriented primary care', 'Embeddedness in practice', 'The meaning of health', 'Disease, illness and sickness--core concepts', 'The biopsychosocial model', 'The biopsychosocial approach' and 'Family medicine as social medicine.' May readers grasp new implications for medical education and practice in these essays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dentatorubral-pallidoluysian atrophy (DRPLA), one of the polyglutamine diseases, has not been reported in combination with ganglioglioma (GG). Herein, we report an autopsy case of a 72-year-old man with DRPLA with a small GG component harboring neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) and polyglutamine aggregates. NFTs, cytoplasmic accumulations of hyper-phosphorylated tau, are mainly observed in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other tau-associated neurodegenerative disorders. NFTs can also be present in normal aging, and are occasionally observed in low-grade central nervous system (CNS) neoplasms such as GG. In the present case, whole brain examination demonstrated widespread deposition of polyglutamine aggregates, including GG, whereas NFTs were restricted to the GG component. In addition, no other AD or aging-related neuropathological structures were detected throughout the CNS. These findings may provide us with clues to elucidate the pathogenetic mechanisms that neuronal neoplasms may have to develop NFTs regardless of aging, and that polyglutamine may accumulate in neoplastic neurons in polyglutamine disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses various papers published within the issue, including one by O. S. Go and colleagues on query-based intelligent web interaction with real world knowledge and another one by Y. Takama and colleagues on interactive visualization of news distribution in blog space.

Direct DNA double-strand breaks result in phosphorylation of H2AX, a variant of the histone H2 protein. Phosphorylated H2AX (γH2AX) may be a potential indicator in the evaluation of genotoxicity and hepatocarcinogenicity. In this study, γH2AX and Ki-67 were detected in the short-term responses (24 h after chemical administration) to classify genotoxic hepatocarcinogens (GHs) from non-GH chemicals. One hundred and thirty-five 6-week-old Crl: CD(SD) (SPF) male rats were treated with 22 chemicals including 11 GH and 11 non-GH, sacrificed 24 h later, and immunostained with γH2AX and Ki-67. Positivity rates of these markers were measured in the 3 liver ZONEs 1–3; portal, lobular, and central venous regions. These values were input into 3 machine learning models—Naïve Bayes, Random Forest, and k-Nearest Neighbor to classify GH and non-GH using a 10-fold cross-validation method. All 11 and 10 out of 11 GH caused significant increase in γH2AX and Ki-67 levels, respectively (P  < .05). Of the 3 machine learning models, Random Forest performed the best. GH were identified with 95.0% sensitivity (76/80 GH-treated rats), 90.9% specificity (50/55 non-GH-treated rats), and 90.0% overall correct response rate using γH2AX staining, and 96.2% sensitivity (77/80), 81.8% specificity (45/55), and 90.4% overall correct response rate using Ki-67 labeling. Random Forest model using γH2AX and Ki-67 could independently predict GH in the early stage with high accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (PXA) is a rare localized glioma characterized by frequent BRAF V600E mutation and CDKN2A/B deletion. We explored the association of copy‐number variants (CNVs) with BRAF mutations, tumor grade, and patient survival in a cohort of 41 PXA patients using OncoScan chromosomal microarray. Primary resection specimens were available in 38 cases, including 24 PXA and 14 anaplastic PXA (A‐PXA), 23 BRAF V600E mutant tumors (61%). CNVs were identified in all cases and most frequently involved chromosome 9 with homozygous CDKN2A/B deletion (n = 33, 87%), a higher proportion than previously detected by comparative genomic hybridization (50%–60%) (37). CDKN2A/B deletion was present in similar proportion of PXA (83%), A‐PXA (93%), BRAF V600E (87%), and wild‐type (87%) tumors. Whole chromosome gains/losses were frequent, including gains +7 (n = 15), +2 (n = 11), +5 (n = 10), +21 (n = 10), +20 (n = 9), +12 (n = 8), +15 (n = 8), and losses −22 (n = 11), −14 (n = 7), −13 (n = 5). Losses and copy‐neutral loss of heterozygosity were significantly more common in A‐PXA, involving chromosomes 22 (P = 0.009) and 14 (P = 0.03). Amplification of 8p and 12q was identified in a single tumor. Histologic grade was a robust predictor of overall survival (P = 0.003), while other copy‐number changes, including CDKN2A/B deletion, did not show significant association with survival. Distinct histologic patterns of anaplasia included increased mitotic activity in an otherwise classic PXA or associated with small cell, fibrillary, or epithelioid morphology, with loss of SMARCB1 expression in one case. In 10 cases, matched specimens were compared, including A‐PXA with areas of distinct low‐ and high‐grade morphology (n = 2), matched primary/tumor recurrence (n = 7), or both (n = 1). Copy‐number changes on recurrence/anaplastic transformation were complex and highly variable, from nearly identical profiles to numerous copy‐number changes. Overall, we confirm CDKN2A/B deletion as key a feature of PXA not associated with tumor grade or BRAF mutation, but central to the underlying genetics of PXA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY Although computer simulation is certainly a powerful tool for power system stability assessment, manual analysis is more helpful for understanding mechanism of unstable phenomena. Among unstable phenomena, oscillatory stability must be the most complex one. The paper analyzes the impact of recently developed Japanese RE's standard active anti-islanding function named 'frequency feedback with step injection' on power system oscillatory stability. Since active anti-islanding makes islanded system unstable, it also makes stability of large interconnection worse. The question is how serious is the impact and how the impact can be mitigated. The paper presents a method for oscillatory stability analysis considering induction motor load, RE, and anti-islanding function on RE so minutely as readers can reproduce. Analyses are performed as case studies on aggregated power sending and receiving systems in existing interconnection of Japan. The analyses results are verified by simulation results on the same case studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Distinguishing between central nervous system lymphoma (CNSL) and CNS infectious and/or demyelinating diseases, although clinically important, is sometimes difficult even using imaging strategies and conventional cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analyses. To determine whether detection of genetic mutations enables differentiation between these diseases and the early detection of CNSL, we performed mutational analysis using CSF liquid biopsy technique. Methods: In this study, we extracted cell‐free DNA from the CSF (CSF‐cfDNA) of CNSL (N = 10), CNS infectious disease (N = 10), and demyelinating disease (N = 10) patients, and performed quantitative mutational analysis by droplet‐digital PCR. Conventional analyses were also performed using peripheral blood and CSF to confirm the characteristics of each disease. Results: Blood hemoglobin and albumin levels were significantly lower in CNSL than CNS infectious and demyelinating diseases, CSF cell counts were significantly higher in infectious diseases than CNSL and demyelinating diseases, and CSF‐cfDNA concentrations were significantly higher in infectious diseases than CNSL and demyelinating diseases. Mutation analysis using CSF‐cfDNA detected MYD88L265P and CD79Y196 mutations in 60% of CNSLs each, with either mutation detected in 80% of cases. Mutual existence of both mutations was identified in 40% of cases. These mutations were not detected in either infectious or demyelinating diseases, and the sensitivity and specificity of detecting either MYD88/CD79B mutations in CNSL were 80% and 100%, respectively. In the four cases biopsied, the median time from collecting CSF with the detected mutations to definitive diagnosis by conventional methods was 22.5 days (range, 18–93 days). Conclusions: These results suggest that mutation analysis using CSF‐cfDNA might be useful for differentiating CNSL from CNS infectious/demyelinating diseases and for early detection of CNSL, even in cases where brain biopsy is difficult to perform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Central nervous system (CNS) involvement in anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) at diagnosis is rare and leads to poor prognosis with the use of the standard ALCL99 protocol alone. CNS-directed intensive chemotherapy, such as an increased dose of intravenous MTX, increased dose of dexamethasone, intensified intrathecal therapy, and high-dose cytarabine, followed by cranial irradiation, has been shown to improve survival in this population. In this paper, the authors describe a 14-year-old male with an intracranial ALCL mass at onset who received CNS-directed chemotherapy followed by 23.4 Gy of whole-brain irradiation. After the first systemic relapse, the CNS-penetrating ALK inhibitor, alectinib, was applied; it has successfully maintained remission for 18 months without any adverse events. CNS-penetrating ALK inhibitor therapy might prevent CNS relapse in pediatric ALK-positive ALCL. Next-generation ALK inhibitors could be introduced as a promising treatment option, even for primary ALCL with CNS involvement, which could lead to the omission of cranial irradiation and avoid radiation-induced sequalae. Further evidence of CNS-penetrating ALK inhibitor combined therapy for primary ALK-positive ALCL is warranted to reduce radiation-induced sequalae in future treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY Because of energy and environmental policies in the last decade, a lot of photovoltaic (PV) generations have been installed into power systems in Japan in recent years. In this situation, it is of great concern that disconnection of PV due to voltage drop caused by a system fault has a critical impact on power system stability. To avoid its disconnection, Fault Ride Through (FRT) requirement is applied for PVs. In this paper, PV power output control which improves transient stability of the power system with a huge amount of PVs is proposed and its effectiveness is confirmed by the numerical simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Although primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is sometimes indistinguishable from glioblastoma, isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)-wildtype, the role of operation on them is very different; therefore, accurate preoperative diagnosis is crucial. In this study, we evaluated whether amide proton transfer-weighted (APTw) imaging was useful to distinguish PCNSL from glioblastoma, IDH-wildtype. The mean APTw signal value did not significantly differ between them; however, the percentile values from the 1st percentile to the 20th percentile APTw signals and the width1–100 APTw signals between the two diseases were significantly different. The area under the curve, sensitivity, and specificity were 0.796, 64.3%, and 88.9%, respectively, using the width1–100 APTw signal values. APTw imaging was useful to differentiate between PCNSL and glioblastoma, IDH-wildtype. Performing APTw imaging is recommended in cases in which PCNSL is one of the differential diagnoses. Distinguishing primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) from glioblastoma, isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)-wildtype is sometimes hard. Because the role of operation on them varies, accurate preoperative diagnosis is crucial. In this study, we evaluated whether a specific kind of chemical exchange saturation transfer imaging, i.e., amide proton transfer-weighted (APTw) imaging, was useful to distinguish PCNSL from glioblastoma, IDH-wildtype. A total of 14 PCNSL and 27 glioblastoma, IDH-wildtype cases were evaluated. There was no significant difference in the mean APTw signal values between the two groups. However, the percentile values from the 1st percentile to the 20th percentile APTw signals and the width1–100 APTw signals significantly differed. The highest area under the curve was 0.796, which was obtained from the width1–100 APTw signal values. The sensitivity and specificity values were 64.3% and 88.9%, respectively. APTw imaging was useful to distinguish PCNSL from glioblastoma, IDH-wildtype. To avoid unnecessary aggressive surgical resection, APTw imaging is recommended for cases in which PCNSL is one of the differential diagnoses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. We compared the age at admission and the severity of illness of hospitalized Micronesians with 3 other racial/ethnic groups in Hawaii. Methods. With Hawaii Health Information Corporation inpatient data, we determined the age at admission and the severity of illness for 162 152 adult, non-pregnancy-related hospital discharges in Hawaii from 2010 to 2012. We performed multivariable linear regression analyses within major disease categories by racial/ethnic group. We created disease categories with all patient refined-diagnosis related groups. Results. Hospitalized Micronesians were significantly younger at admission than were comparison racial/ethnic groups across all patient refined-diagnosis related group categories. The severity of illness for Micronesians was significantly higher than was that of all comparison racial/ethnic groups for cardiac and infectious diseases, higher than was that of Whites and Japanese for cancer and endocrine hospitalizations, and higher than was that of Native Hawaiians for substance abuse hospitalizations. Conclusions. Micronesians were hospitalized significantly younger and often sicker than were comparison populations. Our results will be useful to researchers, state governments, and hospitals, providers, and health systems for this vulnerable group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Antiviral therapy in addition to immunoprophylaxis at birth has been shown to further reduce perinatal transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in highly viremic women. Aims: The aim of this study was to describe the use of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) prophylaxis to reduce maternal HBV DNA levels and potentially vertical transmission in highly viremic women. Methods: After receiving IRB approval, we performed a retrospective chart review of mothers positive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) who delivered between 2009 and 2012. We identified women with HBV DNA levels ≥6 log copies/mL who were treated with TDF in pregnancy. Results: There were 22 women identified. The majority were of Micronesian ethnicity. All were negative for hepatitis C antibody and HIV infection. The median gestational age of TDF initiation was 31 weeks with a median duration of treatment of 45 days. There was a reduction in median HBV DNA levels from baseline 9.0 ± 2.0 to 5.4 ± 1.1 log copies/mL after treatment. There were five (22.7 %) preterm deliveries and five (22.7 %) cesarean deliveries. All infants received immunoprophylaxis at birth. Postnatal HBsAg testing at 9-12 months was available for 13 infants, 12 of which were negative. There was one case of perinatal transmission. Conclusions: This is the second published case series to date on the use of TDF prophylaxis in HBV mono-infected, highly viremic mothers. This series suggests the use of TDF in pregnancy reduces maternal HBV DNA levels and is well tolerated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Secondary fungal infections are a critical problem that accompany immunosuppressive therapy for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). We report a fatal case of COVID‐19 with disseminated mucormycosis diagnosed during autopsy. A 58‐year‐old man with diabetes was hospitalized for severe COVID‐19 and treated with remdesivir, systemic steroids and tocilizumab. Following treatment, he was provided extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support. However, he died of multiple organ failure accompanied by pulmonary and kidney infarction, as revealed by computed tomography. Autopsy revealed that the infarction was caused by thromboangiitis due to mucormycosis in the brain, lungs, heart, liver and kidneys. Therefore, the diagnosis of disseminated mucormycosis was established. Disseminated mucormycosis is a rare complication of COVID‐19. Although its early diagnosis is difficult, the disease progresses rapidly. Hence, we propose that immunosuppressive treatment for COVID‐19 should be administered with caution considering the risk of developing severe opportunistic infections, such as mucormycosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although rare, thymic mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma is considered to be a distinct clinicopathological entity. Using a methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction, we analyzed thymic MALT lymphomas ( n = 18) for their methylation of the following seven tumor suppressor genes: DAPK1, p16INK4A, p14ARF, CDH1, RARB, TIMP3 and MGMT. Reactive lymph nodes ( n = 16) were used as a control. Of the seven genes examined, thymic MALT lymphomas had an increased number of genes that were methylated (2.9 genes) as compared with reactive lymph nodes (0.63, p = 0.0003). In particular, thymic MALT lymphomas showed a frequent methylation of DAPK1, CDH1, TIMP3 and p14ARF. In addition, gene methylation of p14ARF was associated with a larger tumor size, while that of the other three genes was not associated with any clinicopathological features examined. This study suggests that methylation of tumor suppressor genes may play an important role in thymic MALT lymphoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes an application of SVM (Support Vector Machines) to interactive document retrieval using active learning. Some works have been done to apply classification learning like SVM to relevance feedback and have obtained successful results. However they did not fully utilize characteristic of example distribution in document retrieval. We propose heuristics to bias document showing for user's judgement according to distribution of examples in document retrieval. This heuristics is executed by selecting examples to show a user in neighbors of positive support vectors, and it improves learning efficiency. We implemented a SVM-based interactive document retrieval system using our proposed heuristics, and compared it with conventional systems like Rocchio-based system and a SVM-based system without the heuristics. We conducted systematic experiments using large data sets including over 500,000 newspaper articles and confirmed our system outperformed other ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seizures are common in patients with gliomas; however, the mechanisms of epileptogenesis in gliomas have not been fully understood. This study hypothesized that analyzing quantified metabolites using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) might provide novel insights to better understand the epileptogenesis in gliomas, and specific metabolites might be indicators of preoperative seizures in gliomas. We retrospectively investigated patient information (gender, age at diagnosis of tumor, their survival time) and tumor information (location, histology, genetic features, and metabolites according to MRS) in patients with gliomas. The data were correlated with the incidence of seizure and analyzed statistically. Of 146 adult supratentorial gliomas, isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutant tumors significantly indicated higher incidence of preoperative seizures than IDH wild-type gliomas. However, MRS study indicated that glutamate concentration in IDH wild-type gliomas was higher than that in IDH mutant gliomas. Glutamate was not associated with high frequency of preoperative seizures in patients with gliomas. Instead, increased total N-acetyl-l-aspartate (tNAA) was significantly associated with them. Moreover, multivariable analysis indicated that increased level of tNAA was an independent predictor of preoperative seizures. According to MRS analysis, tNAA, rather than glutamate, might be a useful to detect preoperative seizures in patient with supratentorial gliomas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solitary fibrous tumor/hemangiopericytoma (SFT/HPC) and meningioma exhibit similar radiographic features; however, they differ in their prognoses. Preoperative differentiation between them is important for determining the treatment and follow-up plan. The aim of this study was to determine the factors that can be used to differentiate SFT/HPC from meningioma and World Health Organization (WHO) grade I from grade II meningioma. The analysis included 84 cases: 5 of SFT/HPC, 72 of WHO grade I meningioma, and 7 of WHO grade II meningioma. Clinical characteristics and conventional magnetic resonance imaging, perfusion magnetic resonance imaging, and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) LCModel parameters were evaluated via multivariate logistic regression analysis to identify the factors that distinguish SFT/HPC from meningioma. Patients with SFT/HPC were mostly men and were younger than those with meningioma. The percentage of T2-weighted images in meningioma was greater than that in SFT/HPC. There were significant differences between SFT/HPC and meningioma in levels of glutamate, phosphocholine, myo-inositol, or glycerophosphocholine + phosphocholine derived from long echo-time MRS, and myo-inositol derived from short echo-time MRS. Stepwise logistic regression analysis revealed that the age of <45 years and myo-inositol in short echo-time MRS of ≧6.347 were associated with a diagnosis of SFT/HPC with high sensitivity and specificity. However, no factors were found that differentiated WHO grade I meningioma from WHO grade II meningioma. Age and myo-inositol level calculated from MRS are useful factors for distinguishing SFT/HPC from meningioma preoperatively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

c-Met has been shown to be associated with tumor growth in several human cancers. This study aims to evaluate the correlation between the c-Met expression and histopathologic/clinical characteristics. A total of 153 patients with histologically defined World Health Organization grade II–IV diffuse astrocytic and oligodendroglial tumors were analyzed. For each histopathologic diagnosis, the number of cases and positive rate of c-Met expression are as follows: oligodendroglioma, IDH -mutant, and 1p19q codeletion (OD): 16 cases, 6.3%; anaplastic oligodendroglioma, IDH -mutant, and 1p19q codeletion (AO): 11 cases, 36.4%; diffuse astrocytoma (DA), IDH -mutant: 21 cases, 28.6%; anaplastic astrocytoma (AA), IDH - mutant: 15 cases, 20%; glioblastoma, IDH -mutant: 2, 100%, DA, IDH -wildtype: 9 cases, 33.3%; AA, IDH -wildtype: 20 cases, 30.0%; and glioblastoma, IDH -wildtype: 59 cases, 52.5%. c-Met expression was correlated with progression-free survival in oligodendroglial tumors and glioblastoma, IDH -wildtype. Furthermore, it was correlated with overall survival in AO, oligodendroglial tumors, DA, IDH -mutant, DA, IDH -wildtype, and glioblastoma, IDH -wildtype, and tend to be correlated with overall survival in IDH -mutant lower-grade astrocytic tumors. c-Met expression was revealed to be a useful marker for prognosis prediction in IDH- mutant lower-grade gliomas and glioblastoma, IDH -wildtype, representing a new independent prognostic marker that can be easily measured. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]