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Background Aims: While donor-specific anti-human leukocyte antigen (HLA) antibodies (DSAs) in the recipient before transplantation are associated with graft failure in cord-blood transplantation (CBT), effects of DSAs other than against HLA-A, -B or -DRB1 on transplantation outcomes remained poorly understood., Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 567 single-unit CBT recipients to evaluate impact of DSAs against HLA-DP and -DQ on CBT outcomes., Results: Among 143 recipients (25.2%) who had anti-HLA antibodies, nine harbored DSAs against HLA-DP or -DQ. DSAs against HLA-DP or -DQ were associated with a significantly lower neutrophil engraftment rate (55.6% versus 91.8%, P = 0.032) and with a marginally lower platelet engraftment rate (46.7% versus 75.3%, P = 0.128) at day 100 after transplantation, compared with patients without anti-HLA antibodies. Time to neutrophil and platelet engraftment in patients with DSAs for HLA-DP or -DQ was significantly longer than that in patients without anti-HLA antibodies (median, 25 versus 21 days, P = 0.002 in neutrophil; median 61 versus 46 days, P = 0.014 in platelet). Cumulative incidence of bacterial infection at day 100 was significantly greater (88.9% versus 57.1%, P = 0.024), and re-transplant-free survival was marginally lower (55.6% versus 76.8%, P = 0.132) in patients with DSAs against HLA-DP or -DQ, compared with those without anti-HLA antibodies. These findings suggest that DSAs against HLA-DP or -DQ lead to unfavorable engraftment, which may increase risk of bacterial infection, and reduce survival soon after CBT., Conclusions: Our results suggest the importance of evaluating DSAs against HLA-DP and -DQ in recipients before selecting CB units., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors have no commercial, proprietary or financial interest in the products or companies described in this article., (Copyright © 2022 International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Telemonitoring the use of CPAP devices and remote feedback on device data effectively optimizes CPAP adherence in patients with OSA., Research Question: Can expanding the scope of telemonitoring and remote feedback to body weight (BW), BP, and physical activity enhance efforts for BW reduction in Patients with OSA receiving CPAP?, Study Design and Methods: Participants were recruited from patients at 16 sleep centers in Japan with OSA and obesity who were receiving CPAP therapy. Obesity was defined as a BMI of ≥ 25 kg/m 2 , based on Japanese obesity guidelines. Implementation of CPAP telemonitoring was enhanced with electronic scales, BP monitors, and pedometers that could transmit data from devices wirelessly. Participants were randomized to the multimodal telemonitoring group or the usual CPAP telemonitoring group and were followed up for 6 months. Attending physicians provided monthly telephone feedback calls to the usual CPAP telemonitoring group on CPAP data obtained remotely. In the multimodal telemonitoring group, physicians additionally encouraged participants to reduce their BW, after sharing the remotely obtained data on BW, BP, and step count. The primary outcome was set as ≥ 3% BW reduction from baseline., Results: One hundred sixty-eight participants (BMI, 31.7 ± 4.9 kg/m 2 ) completed the study, and ≥ 3% BW reduction occurred in 33 of 84 participants (39.3%) and 21 of 84 participants (25.0%) in the multimodal telemonitoring and usual CPAP telemonitoring groups, respectively (P = .047). Whereas no significant differences were found between the two groups in the change in office and home BP, daily step counts during the study period were significantly higher in the multimodal telemonitoring group than in the usual CPAP telemonitoring group (4,767 steps/d [interquartile range (IQR), 2,864-6,617 steps/d] vs 3,592 steps/d [IQR, 2,117-5,383 steps/d]; P = .02) INTERPRETATION: Multimodal telemonitoring may enhance BW reduction efforts in patients with OSA and obesity., Trial Registry: UMIN Clinical Trials Registry; No.: UMIN000033607; URL: www.umin.ac.jp/ctr/index.htm., (Copyright © 2022 American College of Chest Physicians. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: We introduce a new assay method to measure the concentration of fecal calprotectin that can be applied in exclusive analyzers. The assay method uses gold colloidal reagents. In addition, we report performance evaluation results for the new method and the results of comparisons with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) methods., Methods: We evaluated the new method by linearity tests and within-run tests. In addition, we collected specimens from patients with a definitive diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease (n=566) and examined them using the new method. The results were compared with those from 2 commercially available ELISA kits., Results: In the linearity tests, the correlation coefficients between the measured values and the theoretical values were 0.9980-0.9990. In the within-run tests, the CVs were 3.4-4.3%. The correlation coefficients for our method and the 2 ELISA kits showed high correlations of 0.945 and 0.942., Conclusions: Our assay is capable of measuring calprotectin concentrations in feces, and has a similar performance to commercially available ELISA methods. Our method is an automated assay system, which is an easier, cheaper, and quicker measurement method than conventional ELISA kits. Therefore, our assay is suitable for daily clinical use., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

We report the case of a 49-year-old man who underwent a craniectomy for severe head trauma and subsequent cranioplasty with polymethylmethacrylate. He was discharged with moderate right-hand weakness. Five years after the cranioplasty he experienced double vision and slight right hemiparesis. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed signs of tentorial herniation but no specific space-occupying lesions. The hand-moulded polymethylmethacrylate bone flap was found to be uneven and protrusions on the inner surface of the bone graft slightly compressed the brain below. His symptoms improved dramatically after a second cranioplasty using a ceramic implant. Although some complications including infection and cosmetic problems have been reported, tentorial herniation during late follow-up as a specific complication of cranioplasty has not been documented previously. We attribute his neurological improvement to the release of compression from the initial graft and to the consequent restoration of cerebrospinal fluid dynamics., (Copyright © 2010 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Ventricular late potentials (VLPs) have been known to be a predictor of lethal ventricular arrhythmias (L-VAs); however, detection of other arrhythmogenic signals within the QRS complex remains obscure., Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether abnormal intra-QRS high-frequency powers (IQHFP) within the QRS complex become a new predictor of L-VAs in addition to VLPs., Methods: Both 12-lead electrocardiograms (ECG) and VLPs were recorded from 142 subjects, including 37 patients without heart diseases, 97 patients post-myocardial infarction (MI), and 45 post-MI patients with L-VAs. Time-frequency analysis of ECG (leads V(1) or II) using wavelet transform with the Morlet function was performed. After the time-frequency powers were calculated, the ratios of the peak of signal power during the QRS complex in high-frequency bands against the peak power at 80 Hz (b/a ratio; P100, P150, P200, P250, or P300Hz/P80Hz) were measured. Abnormal IQHFP was defined when the b/a ratio exceeded the optimal cut-off values estimated by receiver-operator characteristic curves., Results: The combination of abnormal IQHFP appearing at 200, 250, and 300 Hz with positive VLPs increased the sensitivity for prediction of L-VAs from 53.3% by VLPs to 89.5%, and the negative predictive value from 74.7% by VLPs to 87.7%., Conclusion: The combined use of VLPs and IQHFP hidden within the QRS complex improved the prediction of L-VAs in post-MI patients., (Copyright © 2011 Heart Rhythm Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Pt/CeO(2)-ZrO(2)-Bi(2)O(3)/gamma-Al(2)O(3) (Pt/CZB/Al(2)O(3)) catalysts for the catalytic combustion of toluene, which is one of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs), were prepared by the wet impregnation method in the presence of polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP). X-ray powder diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and BET specific surface area measurement using N(2) adsorption have been used to characterize the catalysts. The catalytic test was conducted from room temperature in a flow of 900 ppm of toluene in air and gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) of 8000 h(-1). The catalytic activity was evaluated in terms of C(7)H(8) conversion and the gas composition after the reaction was analyzed using two gas chromatographs with a flame ionization detector (FID) and a thermal conductivity detector (TCD). The Pt/CZB/Al(2)O(3) catalysts are specific for the total toluene oxidation and CO and any toluene-derivative compounds were not detected as by-products. The specific surface area of the catalysts was increased by the addition of PVP in the preparation process. By the optimization of the amount of platinum, complete oxidation of toluene was realized at a temperature as low as 120 degrees C on a 7 wt%Pt/16 wt%Ce(0.64)Zr(0.15)Bi(0.21)O(1.895)/gamma-Al(2)O(3) catalyst., (2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

We investigated the levels of the angiotensin II-forming enzymes, chymase and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), in dog grafted veins, and studied the effect of an angiotensin II type 1 receptor antagonist, L-158,809, on vascular proliferation in the grafted veins. The right external jugular vein was grafted to the ipsilaterial carotid artery. In the group treated with L-158,809, the drug (10 mg/kg per day, p.o.) were administered orally from 7 days before the operation to 28 days after it, while the others were administrated placebo. In the placebo-treated group, the chymase activity in the grafted veins was increased about 10-fold and the ACE activity was doubled. The areas of intima and media were significantly increased in the grafted veins in the placebo-treated group. L-158,809 significantly reduced the intimal area of the grafted veins. An angiotensin II receptor antagonist, L-158,809, prevented the vascular proliferation in the grafted veins, and the development of the proliferation may depend on activation of local angiotensin II formation.