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Background: Various reduced-intensity conditioning/reduced-toxicity conditioning regimens have been developed for patients receiving allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. The balance between disease relapse and toxicity can be partly dependent on reduced-intensity conditioning/reduced-toxicity conditioning regimens. This retrospective study aimed to compare the nonrelapse mortality, relapse incidence, progression-free survival, and overall survival rates between the fludarabine/melphalan/reduced-dose busulfan (Flu/Mel/Bu2; busulfan at a dose of 6.4 mg/kg intravenously) and fludarabine/melphalan/full-dose busulfan (Flu/Mel/Bu4; busulfan at a dose of 12.8 mg/kg intravenously) regimens in patients receiving umbilical cord blood transplantation., Method: Eighty-seven adult patients who received the Flu/Mel/Bu2 (n = 45) or Flu/Mel/Bu4 (n = 42) regimen as a conditioning regimen before umbilical cord blood transplantation at our institution between January 2013 and December 2022 were included in this study., Results: There were no significant differences in terms of clinical outcomes including nonrelapse mortality, relapse incidence, progression-free survival, and overall survival rates between the two regimens. Further, even in higher-risk patients classified according to the Refined Disease Risk Index, the Flu/Mel/Bu2 regimen was comparable to the Flu/Mel/Bu4 regimen., Conclusion: The novel Flu/Mel/Bu2 regimen could be applied in clinical settings as it can be tolerated and effective in older patients., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this article., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Traumatic acute posterior fossa subdural hematoma (PFSDH) is a rare and potentially fatal condition in which the progressed hematoma compresses the brainstem or causes secondary hydrocephalus. Hence, vigilant monitoring of clinical and radiological findings is crucial to detect the typical sudden deterioration, which can occur in the early stages. However, managing pediatric PFSDHs poses additional challenges due to risks associated with radiation exposure from repeat computed tomography (CT) examinations, potentially impeding crucial diagnostic insights. Here, we present a rare pediatric case of fatal acute traumatic PFSDH. Despite undergoing a timely initial CT scan that indicated the presence of PFSDH, the patient experienced sudden deterioration 15 h later and eventually died. No follow-up CT examinations were conducted during this critical period. This case underscores the challenges in managing pediatric PFSDHs, particularly concerning the benefits of repeated CT examinations in initially stable patients., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: : COVID-19 can cause respiratory symptoms, as well as various complications and sequelae. This report describes a patient with worsening neurological symptoms caused by a spinal cavernous hemangioma after infection with COVID-19. Cavernous hemangioma usually occurs in the upper part of the brain (70%-90%) and rarely occurs in the spinal cord (5%-7%). Approximately 65% of cases of intramedullary spinal cavernous hemangioma present with neurological symptoms, and more than half of these cases show a slow worsening of symptoms. This is a rare case of intramedullary spinal cavernous hemangioma with cysto-rectal involvement in which neurological symptoms rapidly worsened following COVID-19 infection., Case: : A woman in her 30s was admitted to the hospital because of the sudden onset of muscle weakness in both lower limbs and cysto-rectal disturbances after COVID-19 infection. She was diagnosed with a hemorrhage from a spinal cord tumor and underwent emergency resection. The pathological diagnosis was a spinal cavernous hemangioma. At first, she had a spinal cord injury (third thoracic vertebrae; American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale, C; Frankel classification, B; with cysto-rectal impairment), but 2 months later, she started walking with knee-ankle-foot orthoses and parallel bars. After 3 months, she could move independently around the ward using a wheelchair. Upon discharge, the patient could walk with ankle-foot orthoses and Lofstrand crutches., Discussion: : COVID-19 is associated with various extrapulmonary manifestations and may increase the risk of hemorrhage in cases of intramedullary spinal cavernous hemangioma., Competing Interests: CONFLICTS OF INTEREST: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (2024 The Japanese Association of Rehabilitation Medicine.)

Background: Mild Th1 and Th17 immune responses in childhood against Helicobacter pylori are presumed to be responsible for H. pylori colonization and mucosal atrophy reduction. However, the mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the childhood-specific immune responses observed after H. pylori infection by analyzing galectin expression in the gastric mucosa. We focused on galectin-1 (Gal-1) and galectin-9 (Gal-9), which function to suppress Th1 and Th17 immune responses., Methods: We analyzed changes in the expression of Gal-1 and Gal-9 in the gastric mucosa of pediatric patients with H. pylori infection. Ten pediatric patients with and ten patients without H. pylori infection who underwent biopsy to assess the cause of chronic abdominal symptoms using esophagogastroduodenoscopy were evaluated. Gal-1 and Gal-9 expression in the biopsy tissues of the gastric antrum and corpus was analyzed by immunohistochemical staining., Results: Gal-1 expression was significantly increased in the stromal cells of the corpus owing to H. pylori infection. No alterations in Gal-1 expression due to H. pylori infection were observed in the antral tissue. Helicobacter pylori infection considerably increased Gal-9 expression in all tissues. According to previous reports, the increased expression of Gal-9 associated with H. pylori infection is not observed in adults. Therefore, the increased expression of Gal-9 associated with H. pylori infection is specific to pediatric patients., Conclusion: The increased expression of Gal-1 and Gal-9 may suppress Th1 and Th17 immune responses against H. pylori infection during childhood, promote H. pylori colonization, and reduce inflammation in the gastric mucosa of pediatric patients., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2024 Taiwan Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Hypothesis: The formation of soft colloidal crystals, which are nonclose-packed ordered arrays of colloidal particles suspended in a solvent, is dictated by a single physical factor that yields a fixed threshold at order-disorder boundaries for different experimental conditions such as ion concentration, solvent type, and particle size. Identifying the determinant factor and its threshold value should enable the prediction of the critical concentrations of colloidal particles to form soft colloidal crystals., Experiments: Soft colloidal crystals were fabricated using a series of monohydric alcohols as dispersion media and reflectance spectra were measured to locate order-disorder boundaries. The interaction forces acting between particles were also measured by employing atomic force microscopy., Findings: The interparticle forces at the order-disorder boundaries exhibited a universal threshold that was independent of the solvent types including alcohols and water. Therefore, the determinant factor for the formation of soft colloidal crystals was determined to be the force acting between the particles. Furthermore, a priori calculation of this critical force and consequently the critical particle concentration in colloidal systems was demonstrated by referring to the pressure at the liquid-to-solid transition in a hard sphere system (Alder transition)., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica is a major pathogen that causes zoonotic foodborne diseases worldwide. Some Salmonella serovars possess two antigenic phases for flagellin: phase 1 and 2. In Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium), the flagellin is antigenically divided into "Hi" as phase 1 and "H1 or H2" as phase 2. Flagellin phase variation is regulated by inversion of hin gene. We focused on the inversion of hin and developed a real-time PCR system to quantitatively measure the proportion of bacterial cells expressing each phase of flagellin. In this study, we demonstrated that our newly developed real-time PCR system shows high quantitative accuracy and aligns with flagellin expression status. Furthermore, the newly developed real-time PCR system was applicable to various S. Typhimurium laboratory and field strains. This newly developed real-time PCR system has the potential to become a powerful tool for analyzing flagellin phase variation., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Momoko Nakayama reports financial support was provided by General Incorporated Foundation Kieikai Research Foundation. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) exhibits clinical, genetic, and immunohistochemical heterogeneity. However, the differences between primary extranodal or nodal DLBCL and double-expressor lymphoma (DEL), which is characterized by high MYC and BCL2 expression, remain unclear. This study aimed to elucidate the clinicopathological features, response to therapy, and clinical outcomes of primary extranodal (n=61) and nodal (n=128) DLBCL. Patients with primary nodal DLBCL had higher BCL2 expression than those with extranodal DLBCL (p=0.048), with high MYC expression and DEL as poor prognostic factors. Conversely, in patients with primary extranodal DLBCL, high BCL2 expression, low BCL6 expression, non-germinal center B-cell-like type, and DEL indicated poor prognosis. DEL was significantly associated with progression free survival and overall survival in patients with primary extranodal DLBCL (p=0.014 and p=0.021, respectively) but not in patients with primary nodal DLBCL (p=0.37 and p=0.084, respectively). Our findings highlight primary extranodal DEL as a strong adverse prognostic factor in DLBCL., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest There is no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

Background: Intra-articular platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections have been proposed for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis (OA); however, their effectiveness in Japanese patients remains unclear., Purpose: To investigate whether 3 intra-articular injections of leukocyte-poor PRP (LP-PRP) improve symptoms and joint function in symptomatic Japanese patients with mild to moderate knee OA., Study Design: Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 1., Methods: Of 72 patients screened, 30 were included and randomized to receive LP-PRP (n = 15) or saline (placebo; n = 15) injections between March 2019 and February 2023. Patients attended a screening visit and 3 treatment visits at 1 week apart, followed by 3 follow-up visits (at 4, 12, and 24 weeks) after the initial treatment visit. The primary efficacy outcome measure was the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) score, whereas the secondary efficacy outcome measures were the proportion of patients showing a visual analog scale (VAS) improvement of ≥50%. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed to evaluate joint effusion and bone marrow lesions using the Whole-Organ Magnetic Resonance Imaging Score. Patients were followed for 24 weeks., Results: Patients in the PRP group (mean age, 65.9 years) had a mean hip-knee-ankle angle of 5.1°, with 7 and 8 patients demonstrating Kellgren-Lawrence grade 2 and 3 knee OA, respectively. Patients in the placebo group (mean age, 67.9 years) had a mean hip-knee-ankle angle of 3.8°, with 6 and 9 patients showing Kellgren-Lawrence grade 2 and 3 knee OA, respectively. No significant differences were identified in any baseline factors. The percentage change in Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index scores from baseline to 24 weeks was significantly different (P= .032) between the PRP (median, 75.9%; quantile 1 [Q1], 49.6; quantile 3 [Q3], 94.1]) and placebo (median, 27.7%; Q1, -9.4; Q3, 80.9]) groups. Overall, 73.3% and 28.6% of the PRP group and placebo group, respectively, exhibited an improvement in visual analog scale scores of ≥50%, with a significant improvement observed in the PRP group ( P = .027). Changes in bone marrow lesions from baseline to 24 weeks, as assessed on magnetic resonance imaging, significantly differed between groups ( P = .017), with no significant differences in other secondary endpoints., Conclusion: In Japanese patients with knee OA, 3 intra-articular LP-PRP injections led to clinical improvements at 24-week follow-up and significant functional improvements and pain relief after 24 weeks., Competing Interests: One or more of the authors has declared the following potential conflict of interest or source of funding: This study was funded by a grant for the implementation of advanced medicine from the University of Tsukuba Hospital (No. TRM2019-06). AOSSM checks author disclosures against the Open Payments Database (OPD). AOSSM has not conducted an independent investigation on the OPD and disclaims any liability or responsibility relating thereto.

Purpose: Due to the indistinguishable clinical features of corticobasal syndrome (CBS), the antemortem differentiation between corticobasal degeneration (CBD) and its mimics remains challenging. However, the utility of conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the diagnosis of CBD has not been sufficiently evaluated. This study aimed to investigate the diagnostic performance of conventional MRI findings in differentiating pathologically confirmed CBD from its mimics., Methods: Semiquantitative visual rating scales were employed to assess the degree and distribution of atrophy and asymmetry on conventional T1-weighted and T2-weighted images. Additionally, subcortical white matter hyperintensity (SWMH) on fluid-attenuated inversion recovery images were visually evaluated., Results: In addition to 19 patients with CBD, 16 with CBD mimics (progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP): 9, Alzheimer's disease (AD): 4, dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB): 1, frontotemporal lobar degeneration with TAR DNA-binding protein of 43 kDa(FTLD-TDP): 1, and globular glial tauopathy (GGT): 1) were investigated. Compared with the CBD group, the PSP-CBS subgroup showed severe midbrain atrophy without SWMH. The non-PSP-CBS subgroup, comprising patients with AD, DLB, FTLD-TDP, and GGT, showed severe temporal atrophy with widespread asymmetry, especially in the temporal lobes. In addition to over half of the patients with CBD, two with FTLD-TDP and GGT showed SWMH, respectively., Conclusion: This study elucidates the distinct structural changes between the CBD and its mimics based on visual rating scales. The evaluation of atrophic distribution and SWMH may serve as imaging biomarkers of conventional MRI for detecting background pathologies., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Light transmission aggregometry (LTA) is the most widely used laboratory method for an initial screening of patients with a suspected platelet function defect (PFD), and its use has also been proposed for assessing the efficacy of antiplatelet treatment (APT). An automated LTA method has been developed by Sysmex (Kobe, Japan) on a routine coagulation analyzer (CS-2400), together with a new research parameter called PAL (platelet aggregation level) to evaluate patients on APT., Materials and Methods: We evaluated the performance of CS-2400 compared to a stand-alone lumi-dual-aggregometer device in the diagnosis of PFD and in assessing the efficacy of APT. For these purposes, the study population was represented by a cohort of 23 patients with a previous diagnosis of PFD and a cohort of 28 patients on APT., Results: Compared to healthy volunteers, patients with PFD showed a statistically significant reduction (p<0.05) in the maximal %light transmission, irrespective of the agonist used, both with the CS-2400 and the lumi-dual-aggregometer. As regards PFD patients, CS-2400 was effective in identifying the more severe defects, with a good sensibility and specificity, but less effective in identifying milder forms of PFD, such as platelet secretion defects. Patients on APT showed a statistically significant (p=0.001) reduced median %light transmission and PAL scores compared to healthy controls., Discussion: Thanks to this LTA technology, CS-2400, a routine coagulation analyzer widely available in routine laboratories, could prove useful for initial assessment of patients with a suspected PFD. Moreover, the PAL scores were a fairly accurate reflection of the platelet response to APT.

Background: Transabdominal ultrasonography and transperineal ultrasonography (TPUS) appear correspond to colonoscopy (CS) for evaluating ulcerative colitis (UC) activity, but their utility in UC diagnosis remains unclear. This research compared the accuracy of TPUS and CS for assessing rectal activity and differentiating noninflammatory bowel disease proctitis from UC in pediatric cases., Methods: The study is a blinded, prospective, and controlled trial. Prospectively, values of fecal calprotectin (FCP) and findings of the TPUS and CS were compared between child cases of UC and non-IBD proctitis. Findings of rectal wall thickening (RWT), rectal wall flow (RWF) on power Doppler, and microvascular signal at wall circumference (MSWC) on monochrome superb microvascular imaging assessed using TPUS were compared with the CS., Results: Thirty patients with Mayo endoscopic subscore (MES) 0 to 1 UC, 57 with MES 2 to 3 UC, and 44 with proctitis were registered. Fecal calprotectin, RWF, and MSWC indicated significant differences among the groups (P < .05). Rectal wall thickening showed no significant difference between MES 0-1 and proctitis (P = .76). Rectal wall thickening and MSWC were independent predictors of endoscopic activity of UC, resulting in a sensitivity and specificity of 100% for RWT ≥4.5 mm and positive MSWC. Fecal calprotectin and RWF were independent predictors for differentiating MES 0 to 1 and proctitis, and FCP and RWT were independent predictors for differentiating MES 2 to 3 and proctitis. Sensitivity and specificity were 77.2% and 80.9%, respectively, for FCP >242.5 μg/g and RWF negative; and they were both 100% for RWT >4.1 mm and MSWC positive., Conclusions: Transperineal ultrasonography with mSMI may enable the evaluation of rectal activity and differentiation of UC from non-IBD proctitis with accuracy comparable to endoscopy., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Blue phases (BPs) consist of three-dimensional self-assembled structures formed by a double-twisted columnar arrangement of liquid crystal molecules. Although their unique optical and structural properties render BPs particularly useful for applications such as liquid crystal displays, BPs typically appear in a narrow temperature range between the isotropic and nematic phases. This thermodynamic instability impedes their practical applicability. However, the simulations we present here showed that, in a quasi-one-dimensional system confined to nanospace, a phase equivalent to the BP appears and persists between the nematic and smectic phases. Confinement to a nanotube (NT) with a relatively small radius enables the BP to be maintained over a wide temperature range, whereas for an NT with a relatively larger radius, the BP appears only in a very narrow temperature range between the aforementioned phases. We additionally showed that the pitch of the BP is dependent on and can be controlled by adjusting the radius of the NTs. This finding has significant implications for the potential application of these materials in fields such as photonics and chiral separation technologies.

This preliminary study investigated the efficacy and safety of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell transplantation in a piglet Legg-Calve-Perthes disease (LCPD) model. The LCPD model was induced in two Landrace piglets (6- and 7-week-old, weighing 12 and 17 kg, respectively) by ligaturing the femoral neck. In the first piglet, the natural LCPD course was observed. In the second piglet, 4 weeks after ligaturing the femoral neck, simple medium and medium containing 2.44 × 10 7 bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells were transplanted into the right and left femoral heads after core decompression, respectively. Plain radiographs were obtained every 4 weeks, and the epiphyseal quotient was calculated by dividing the maximum epiphysis height by the maximum epiphysis diameter. The piglets were sacrificed at 14 weeks postoperatively. The femoral heads were extracted and evaluated grossly, pathologically, and by using computed tomography. The transplanted cell characteristics were evaluated using flow cytometry. Flattening of the epiphysis was observed in both femoral heads of the first piglet and only in the right hip of the second piglet. The epiphyseal quotients immediately and at 14 weeks postoperatively in the right femoral head of the second piglet were 0.40 and 0.14, respectively, while those of the left femoral head were 0.30 and 0.42, respectively. Hematoxylin and eosin staining did not reveal physeal bar or tumor cell formation. The transplanted cells were 99.2%, 65.9%, 18.2%, and 0.16% positive for CD44, CD105, CD29, and CD31, respectively. Core decompression combined with bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell transplantation prevented epiphyseal collapse., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

The multinodular and vacuolating neuronal tumor (MVNT) is a recently recognized brain lesion. MVNT has a characteristic appearance in MRI images and is potentially epileptogenic. To the best of our knowledge, no report has yet described this pathological entity in the forensic medicine literature. We present two medicolegal autopsy cases where postmortem MRI (PMMR) was useful to detect this lesion. Case 1: a man in his 30s, with about a 7-year history of intractable epilepsy and known MVNT died suddenly. Although MVNT was not detected in the initial morphological evaluation during autopsy, PMMR of the formalin-fixed brain revealed the lesion in the left frontal lobe. Histopathology confirmed it as a MVNT. Case 2: a man in his 20s hanged himself to death. PMMR prior to autopsy revealed MVNT in his brain, and the diagnosis was confirmed by a detailed histopathological evaluation. In both cases, postmortem CT was not useful for evaluation. The cases suggested that MVNT can cause sudden, unexpected epileptic death, and pre- or post-autopsy PMMR may be useful to detect it., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background : There is no consensus on whether mechanical alignment (MA) or kinematic alignment (KA) should be chosen for total knee arthroplasty (TKA) for coronal plane alignment of the knee (CPAK) Type I with a varus arithmetic HKA (aHKA) and apex distal joint line obliquity (JLO). The aim of this study was to investigate whether MA or KA is preferable for soft tissue balancing in TKA for this phenotype. Method : This prospective cohort study included 64 knees with CPAK Type I osteoarthritis that had undergone cruciate-retaining TKA. Using optical tracking software, we simulated implant placement in the Mako system before making the actual bone cut and compared the results between MA and KA. Extension balance (the difference between medial and lateral gaps in extension) and medial balance (the difference in medial gaps in flexion and extension) were examined. These gap differences within 2 mm were defined as good balance. Achievement of overall balance was defined as an attainment of good extension and medial balance. The incidence of balance in each patient was compared with an independent sample ratio test. Results : Compared with the MA group, the KA group achieved better soft tissue balance in extension balance ( p < 0.001). A total of 75% of the patients in the KA group achieved overall balance, which was greater than the 38% achieved in the MA group ( p < 0.001). Conclusions : In robot-assisted TKA for CPAK Type I osteoarthritis, KA achieved knee balance during extension without soft tissue release in a greater percentage of patients than MA.

Understanding the mechanism by which non-native fish species integrate into native communities is crucial for evaluating the possibility of their establishment success. The genus Pangasianodon, comprising Pangasianodon gigas and Pangasianodon hypophthalmus, has been introduced into reservoirs, which are non-native habitats, for fishery stock enhancement. P. gigas and P. hypophthalmus often successfully establish and co-occur in several Thai reservoirs, but there is little information on differences in food resource use between the two species. To investigate the trophic niche width of P. gigas and P. hypophthalmus in a Thai reservoir, we conducted stable carbon and nitrogen ratio (δ 13 C and δ 15 N) analyses. We examined the degree of individual specialization in both species using the δ 13 C and δ 15 N values of muscle and liver tissues, which provides long- and short-term diet information. The isotopic niches did not overlap between P. gigas and P. hypophthalmus. The δ 15 N value of P. gigas was significantly higher than that of P. hypophthalmus, whereas the δ 13 C value did not significantly differ between the two species. The isotopic niche sizes were larger in P. hypophthalmus than in P. gigas. Individual specialization was observed in P. hypophthalmus but not in P. gigas, indicating that intraspecific variation in food resource use was larger in P. hypophthalmus compared to P. gigas. These findings suggest that trophic niche partitioning was one of the factors facilitating the establishment success of P. gigas and P. hypophthalmus in a reservoir, but the establishment process may differ between the two species., (© 2024 Fisheries Society of the British Isles.)

Because nuclear medicine diagnostic equipment has not been installed at our educational institution, we had not been able to incorporate nuclear medicine techniques into on-campus training until now. Methods: We have introduced a diagnostic image processing simulator to replace nuclear medicine diagnostic equipment. The simulator was used to conduct on-campus practical training on nuclear medicine technology. We also conducted a questionnaire survey of students regarding their experience with on-campus practical training using the simulators. Results: The survey results revealed that the on-campus practical training using simulators deepened students' understanding of the content they had encountered in classroom lectures. Conclusion: We successfully implemented on-campus practical training in nuclear medicine technology using a diagnostic image-processing simulator. According to the results of our questionnaire, it is possible to provide on-campus practical training to students using simulators that enhance understanding of nuclear medicine technology., (© 2024 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.)

Molecular insight into the phase-separated interface formed when biodegradable polyesters and thermoplastic starch (TPS) are melt-blended is valuable for the design of composites. In this study, eight different interfaces combining four major biodegradable polyesters (PLA, PBS, PHB and PBAT) and two TPSs [unmodified TPS (nTPS) and citrate-modified TPS (cTPS)] were investigated by using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. According to the MD simulation results, PBS, PHB and PBAT diffuse readily into the TPS and form compatible interfaces, whereas PLA is less compatible with the TPS. The results of tensile simulations show that PBS and PBAT adhere well to TPS; in particular, PBS/cTPS and PBAT/cTPS exhibit high interfacial-fracture energy (G). Both PLA and PHB blended with TPS exhibit low G because PLA is less compatible with TPS and PHB and TPS have low electrostatic interaction. The reason for the high G of PBS/cTPS and PBAT/cTPS is thought to be a combination of three factors: (i) formation of a deep compatible interface, (ii) suppression of void growth by electrostatic interactions and (iii) absorption of strain energy by a change in the conformation of the molecular chains. These three interfacial adhesion mechanisms should be considered when designing biodegradable polyester/TPS blends with good mechanical properties., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Quasi-liquid layers (QLLs) are present on the surface of ice and play a significant role in its distinctive chemical and physical properties. These layers exhibit considerable heterogeneity across different scales ranging from nanometers to millimeters. Although the formation of partially ice-like structures has been proposed, the molecular-level understanding of this heterogeneity remains unclear. Here, we examined the heterogeneity of molecular dynamics on QLLs based on molecular dynamics simulations and machine learning analysis of the simulation data. We demonstrated that the molecular dynamics of QLLs do not comprise a mixture of solid- and liquid water molecules. Rather, molecules having similar behaviors form dynamical domains that are associated with the dynamical heterogeneity of supercooled water. Nonetheless, molecules in the domains frequently switch their dynamical state. Furthermore, while there is no observable characteristic domain size, the long-range ordering strongly depends on the temperature and crystal face. Instead of a mixture of static solid- and liquid-like regions, our results indicate the presence of heterogeneous molecular dynamics in QLLs, which offers molecular-level insights into the surface properties of ice., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Multiple sclerosis (MS), the leading cause of disability in young adults, is an inflammatory disease of the central nervous system characterized by localized areas of demyelination. Apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) is a mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase that has been shown to be implicated in the pathogenesis of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a mouse model of MS. Interestingly, ASK1 signaling regulates glial cell interactions and drives neuroinflammation in EAE mice. To further investigate its clinical significance, in the present study, we examined the activation of ASK1 in the post-mortem brain of MS patients. ASK1 activation was found in active lesions of the corpus callosum in both microglia/macrophages and astrocytes. Moreover, ASK1 activation in astrocytes was higher than that in microglia/macrophages, which was in line with our findings in EAE mice. Our results suggest an important role of ASK1 in glial cells, indicating that ASK1 might be a good therapeutic target for MS., (© 2024 Japanese Society of Neuropathology.)

We herein report a 47-year-old woman who developed migraine-like headache with aura and subsequent multiple cerebral infarcts, likely due to severe iron deficiency anemia (IDA) from menorrhagia. The progression from IDA to ischemic stroke involves several pathophysiological mechanisms, including reduction of erythrocyte deformability, reactive thrombocytosis, and anemic hypoxia. We speculate that a microembolus first caused cortical spreading depression without infarcts and that a larger thromboembolus then caused multiple infarcts. This case highlights the transition from migraine-like headache to ischemic stroke. New-onset migraine-like headache is a warning of impending ischemic stroke, and IDA may be a potential underlying cause.

Purpose: Various variations in the head and neck vasculature have been reported. The purpose of this report is to describe an extremely rare case of thyrolinguofacial trunk (TLFT) arising from the common carotid artery (CCA)., Methods: A 66-year-old woman with vertigo, dizziness, and heaviness in the head underwent computed tomography (CT) angiography of the neck and head region for evaluation of cerebrovascular diseases., Results: The TLFT originated from the anterior wall of the right CCA and was divided into the superior thyroid artery and linguofacial trunk (LFT). The LFT was divided into lingual and facial arteries. In addition, we observed fusiform dilatation of the intracranial right vertebral artery, which might have caused these symptoms., Conclusion: The presence of a common trunk of the external carotid artery (ECA) branches increases the risk of complications such as bleeding and ischemia during treatment of the head and neck region, including chemoradiotherapy for oral bleeding and tongue cancer. Therefore, this is an area of significant interest across various medical specialties, including surgery, otolaryngology, and radiology. Understanding the diverse variations in the neck vasculature is expected to lead to a reduction in complications associated with various procedures., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag France SAS, part of Springer Nature.)

The impact of FOXP3 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) on clinical outcomes after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) remains poorly understood. We investigated the relationship between a FOXP3 SNP (rs3761548) and clinical outcomes in 91 patients with hematological malignancies after allo-HSCT. Multivariate analysis showed that risk of severe chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) was significantly higher in patients with the FOXP3-3279C/A or FOXP3-3279A/A genotype than those with the FOXP3-3279C/C genotype [hazard ratio (HR), 2.69; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.14-6.31; p = 0.023]. Therefore, FOXP3 at SNP rs3761548 can be a useful marker for predicting the occurrence of severe cGVHD., (© 2024. Japanese Society of Hematology.)

Introduction: Mixing tests in activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) are used for the differentiation between lupus anticoagulants (LA), coagulation inhibitors, and factor deficient samples with APTT prolongation. However, the indexes for the differentiation have not been established. The present study aimed to develop new mixing test indexes for the differentiation., Methods: Twenty-six LA-positive, 8 progressive coagulation factor VIII inhibitor, and 35 coagulation deficient samples were employed. APTT were measured for normal plasma, patient plasma, and mixing plasma prepared at a ratio of 1:1 proportion in both without incubation and 2 h-incubation. New two parameters named as ALD50 and mixture plasma-patient plasma after Warming change rate Subtraction (WaS) calculated from the clotting times of normal, 1:1 mixing and patient samples with/without 2 h-incubation were established. In the samples with WaS result of <10.2%, ALD50 of ≥87.8%, and < 87.8% were defined as LA and coagulation factor deficiency, respectively, and WaS of ≥10.2% defined progressive coagulation factor inhibitors., Results: Sensitivity and specificity to LA were 80.8% and 93.0% for ALD50, and sensitivity and specificity to progressive coagulation factor inhibitor were 100.0% and 100.0% for WaS, respectively. The agreement between sample classification and WaS-ALD50 was 88.4% (61/69)., Conclusions: ALD50 and WaS showed acceptable sensitivity and specificity to LA and progressive coagulation factor inhibitor, respectively. These indexes would be useful for the differentiation between LA, factor deficiency, and progressive coagulation factor inhibitor in the mixing tests., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Asymmetric hydrogenation of α-alkyl-substituted β-keto esters and amides with the DIPSkewphos/3-AMIQ-Ru(II) catalyst system through dynamic kinetic resolution was examined. A series of β-keto esters and amides with a simple or functionalized α-alkyl group were applicable to this reaction, affording the α-substituted β-hydroxy esters and amides in ≥99% ee ( anti / syn ≥ 99:1) in many cases. The 5 g scale reaction was readily achieved. The mode of enantio- and diastereoselection in the transition state model was proposed.

The application of 28 GHz millimeter-wave is prevalent owing to the global spread of fifth-generation wireless communication systems. Its thermal effect is a dominant factor which potentially causes pain and tissue damage to the body parts exposed to the millimeter waves. However, the threshold of this thermal sensation, that is, the degree of change in skin temperature from the baseline at which the first subjective response to the thermal effects of the millimeter waves occurs, remains unclear. Here, we investigated the thermal sensation threshold and assessed its reliability when exposed to millimeter waves. Twenty healthy adults were exposed to 28 GHz millimeter-wave on their left middle fingertip at five levels of antenna input power: 0.2, 1.1, 1.6, 2.1, and 3.4 W (incident power density: 27-399 mW/cm 2 ). This measurement session was repeated twice on the same day to evaluate the threshold reliability. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Bland-Altman analysis were used as proxies for the relative and absolute reliability, respectively. The number of participants who perceived a sensation during the two sessions at each exposure level was also counted as the perception rate. Mean thermal sensation thresholds were within 0.9°C-1.0°C for the 126-399 mW/cm 2 conditions, while that was 0.2°C for the 27 mW/cm 2 condition. The ICCs for the threshold at 27 and 126 mW/cm 2 were interpreted as poor and fair, respectively, while those at higher exposure levels were moderate to substantial. Apart from a proportional bias in the 191 mW/cm 2 condition, there was no fixed bias. All participants perceived a thermal sensation at 399 mW/cm 2 in both sessions, and the perception rate gradually decreased with lower exposure levels. Importantly, two-thirds of the participants answered that they felt a thermal sensation in both or one of the sessions at 27 mW/cm 2 , despite the low-temperature increase. These results suggest that the thermal sensation threshold is around 1.0°C, consistent across exposure levels, while its reliability increases with higher exposure levels. Furthermore, the perception of thermal sensation may be inherently ambiguous owing to the nature of human perception., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Yuasa, Uehara, Ushizawa, Kodera, Arai, Hirata and Otaka.)

In the case of covalent polymers, immiscible polymers can be integrated by covalently linking them together, but such a strategy is not possible in supramolecular polymers. Here we report the supramolecular copolymerization of two porphyrin-based monomers, C10 P 2H and TEG P Cu with side chains bearing cyanobiphenyl (CB) groups at the ends of hydrophobic alkyl or hydrophilic tetraethylene glycol chains, respectively. These monomers undergo self-sorting supramolecular polymerization in highly diluted solutions ([monomer] = 3.4 × 10 -9 mol% (2.0 × 10 -8 mol L -1 )) in nonpolar media due to the incompatibility of the side chains. Surprisingly, these monomers undergo supramolecular copolymerization under high concentration conditions ([monomer] = 7.7 mol%) in the medium of 4-cyano-4'-pentyloxybiphenyl (5OCB) to form a columnar liquid crystalline phase under thermodynamic conditions, where the individual columns are composed of supramolecular block copolymers. The combination of CB ends of both monomers and the 5OCB medium is essential for the two monomers to form an integrated structure in a condensed system without phase separation., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Background: The differences in the characteristics of ischemic stroke associated with a mobile versus nonmobile residual left atrial thrombus (LAT) are unclear. We investigated whether the mobility of an LAT detected by transthoracic echocardiography is associated with the clinical features of stroke., Methods: This study included 20 consecutive patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation who were admitted to our hospital for treatment of acute ischemic stroke and then found to have an LAT on transthoracic echocardiography. The patients were divided into two groups: those with a mobile LAT (Group M) and those with a nonmobile LAT (Group N). The clinical, neuroradiological, and echocardiographic variables were assessed., Results: The LAT was mobile in 11 patients (Group M) and nonmobile in nine patients (Group N). The median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score on admission was higher in Group M than N (17 vs. 7, respectively; p=0.196). Four patients in Group M and one in Group N developed in-hospital stroke recurrence (36% vs. 11%, respectively; p=0.319). The prevalence of large vessel occlusion (15 events in Group M and 10 events in Group N, including in-hospital recurrent events) was significantly higher in Group M than N (73% vs. 30%, respectively; p=0.049), which seemed to lead to poorer functional outcomes in Group M than N (ratio of modified Rankin scale score of 0-2 at discharge: 18% vs. 44%, respectively; p=0.336)., Conclusions: The mobility of LAT may affect stroke severity in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation.

Introduction: The pathophysiology of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) remains unknown. This study aimed to evaluate colonic motility and serotonin system response to restraint stress (RS) among adolescent rats who underwent neonatal maternal separation (NMS) to clarify the features of pathogenesis in adolescents with IBS., Methods: Male rats were exposed to NMS as chronic stress, and a normally handled (NH) group was used as control. Four groups were created by adding RS as acute stress treatment to the NMS and NH groups. To realize the RS treatment, the subjects were restrained for 1 h at the age of 5 weeks, and hourly fecal pellet discharge was determined. After euthanization and proximal colon intestinal tissue collection, 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 3 (5-HT3R) concentrations, enterochromaffin (EC) cell density, and the expression of mRNA-encoding slc6a4 were examined., Results: The amount of fecal pellet discharge during RS increased significantly in the RS and NMS+RS groups compared with that in the NH and NMS groups, respectively. The 5-HT concentration in the intestinal tissue of rats in the RS and NMS groups increased significantly compared with that of rats in the NH group. EC cell density also increased significantly in the NMS and NMS+RS groups compared with that in the NH and RS groups. However, combined stress did not result in any significant differences in the expression of 5-HT3R and mRNA-encoding slc6a4., Conclusions: The combination of juvenile and acute stress effectively induced increased 5-HT concentration or EC cell density via the 5-HT pathway in the proximal colon of adolescent rats., (© 2023 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ) occurs in the jawbone and interfacing oral mucosa of patients treated with bisphosphonates. Herein, we report novel histopathological findings in the oral mucosa of a surgical specimen obtained from a 61-year-old man with BRONJ. The resected jawbone and adjacent oral mucosa were separated for histological examination. The mucosal tissue was examined using Von Kossa staining and immunohistochemical (CK5/6, p63) staining of non-decalcified paraffin sections. Pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia (PEH), a microscopic feature of the mucosal epithelium in BRONJ, was observed in soft tissue specimens, concomitant with inflammatory cell infiltration. Von Kossa staining revealed small fragments of necrotic bone, tens to hundreds of micrometers in size, scattered within the connective tissues; the PEH forefront contacted some of the bone fragments. Immunohistochemical staining demonstrated that occasionally, the PEH not only contacted but also encompassed the bone fragments. To our knowledge, this is the first report of presence of micro bone fragments and their association with PEH in the oral mucosa in BRONJ., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-induced thrombocytopenias are rare immune-related adverse events (irAE), but ICI-related thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is extremely rare. A 79-year-old woman with non-small cell lung cancer received maintenance therapy with the anti-human PD-L1 monoclonal antibody durvalumab. Four weeks after the last infusion, she developed overt TTP. Remission was achieved by plasma exchange and prednisolone, and the patient has now been recurrence-free for over 12 months. To our knowledge, this is the first report of TTP occurring as an irAE of durvalumab.

Background: There are several psychosocial and ethical issues surrounding the decision to be a living kidney donor. The present study aimed to determine the perceptions of psychosocial and ethical issues that living kidney donors may have, and analyze their psychological characteristics., Methods: Face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 donors. Thematic analysis was then performed to categorize the thematic elements of the transcripts. All procedures were approved by the relevant review board., Results: Four main categories were identified: Awareness of family dynamics, barriers to a proper understanding, contrasting psychological effects of recipient presence in clinical practice, insufficient information explained in informed consent., Conclusion: Donors felt that they took on the "role as a care giver" for the recipient and were less aware of themselves as patients. This is a new concept that has not been shown in previous studies. Donors exist within the recipient and family, and the range of their autonomy may go beyond the traditional concept of autonomy and be rooted in relational autonomy. This study suggested that medical treatment in the presence of the recipient promotes the relational autonomy of the donor.