Search

Canine soft tissue sarcoma (STS) is relatively common in dogs and is the generic term for tumours that originate from mesenchymal cells. While histopathological grade and immunolabelling with Ki-67 have been used for estimating prognosis, additional indicators are needed for predicting prognosis. Aberrant cell signalling pathways may contribute to disease activity and, therefore, prognostic markers. However, their role in canine STS remains poorly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate expression of phosphorylated Akt (phospho-Akt) and phosphorylated S6 (phospho-S6) as potential prognostic indicators. Immunohistochemical labelling was conducted on clinical samples of canine STS (n = 67). We found that phospho-Akt expression was positively correlated with histopathological grade (P = 0.001) and Ki-67 index (P <0.01). There was no apparent relationship between the type of STS and the expression of phospho-Akt. The number of cases that expressed phospho-S6, which is the downstream molecule of the Akt signalling pathway, was higher in immunopositive phospho-Akt cases than in immunonegative phospho-Akt cases (P <0.0001). Furthermore, phospho-Akt expression was significantly higher in recurrent and metastatic cases. We also confirmed that phosphorylation of Akt occurred in conjunction with S6 phosphorylation in three canine STS cell lines. These results suggest that immunolabelling for phospho-Akt, phospho-S6 and Ki-67 could potentially be used as a prognostic indicator and therapeutic target in canine STS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 7-year-old male Thoroughbred horse exhibited recurrent falls followed by convulsive seizures. The horse was clinically diagnosed with epilepsy and phenobarbital treatment was initiated. However, as seizure control was unsuccessful, the animal was euthanized. At necropsy, yellow–brown linear lesions were found extensively at the U-fibres and cingulate gyrus within the cerebral white matter. Histopathologically, linear demyelination and occasional cavitation were observed. Glial cells with yellow–brown pigment granules, which were autofluorescent, positive to the periodic acid–Schiff reaction and stained with Masson-Fontana and Schmorl's stains, were frequently found within these demyelinating lesions. The pigment granules did not stain with Berlin blue, Luxol fast blue or Sudan III stains. Haematoxylin and eosin staining and immunohistochemistry of serial brain sections revealed that the pigmented glia were derived from glial fibrillary acidic protein-positive astrocytes. Based on these findings, the case was diagnosed as leucoencephalopathy with pigmented glia. This is the first report of the disease in any animal species. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canine lymphoma is the most common haematological malignancy in dogs and is typically treated with multidrug chemotherapy. Most cases are at risk of relapse after several courses of chemotherapy and the oncogenic mechanism remains unknown. This study was aimed at identifying genes expressed in canine lymphoma by cDNA microarray. We found elevated expression of Dishevelled, EGL-10 and pleckstrin (DEP) domain-containing 1B (DEPDC1B) in canine lymphoma cells compared with cells and tissues from healthy dogs. Canine DEPDC1B protein was detected in 13 of 41 lymphoma specimens by immunohistochemistry, but was not detected in lymph nodes from normal dogs. Immunoreactive DEPDC1B protein was also detected in several other types of canine tumour. This is the first report documenting the association of DEPDC1B with canine cancer and the results suggest that DEPDC1B might serve as a potential marker or therapeutic target for canine malignancies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• 3-dimensional elastic beam model for form-finding and analysis of gridshells. • 6DOFs at node for defining axial, bending, and torsional deformation. • Unit normal vector at node for defining deformation of beam connected by hinge. • Energy-based formulation for residual forces for dynamic relaxation and optimization. • Good agreement with the results by finite element method. In this paper, we present a 3-dimensional elastic beam model for the form-finding and analysis of elastic gridshells subjected to bending deformation at the self-equilibrium state. Although the axial, bending, and torsional strains of the beam elements are small, the curved beams connected by hinge joints are subjected to large-deformation. The directions and rotation angles of the unit normal vectors at the nodes of the curved surfaces in addition to the translational displacements are chosen as variables. Based on the 3-dimensional elastic beam model, deformation of an element is derived from only the local geometrical relations between the orientations of elements and the unit normal vectors at nodes without resorting to a large rotation formulation in the 3-dimensional space. Deformation of a gridshell with hinge joints is also modeled using the unit normal vectors of the surface. An energy-based formulation is used for deriving the residual forces at the nodes, and the proposed model is implemented within dynamic relaxation method for form-finding and analysis of gridshells. The accuracy of the proposed method using dynamic relaxation method is confirmed in comparison to the results by finite element analysis. The results are also compared with those by optimization approach for minimizing the total potential energy derived using the proposed formulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There have been few reports on the incidence and risk factors of the complications after spinal fixation surgery for osteoporotic vertebral collapse (OVC) with neurological deficits. This study aimed to identify the incidence and risk factors of the complications after OVC surgery.Methods: In this retrospective multicenter study, a total of 403 patients (314 women and 89 men; mean age 73.8 years) who underwent spinal fixation surgery for OVC with neurological deficits between 2005 and 2014 were enrolled. Data on patient demographics were collected, including age, sex, body mass index, smoking, steroid use, medical comorbidities, and surgical procedures. All postoperative complications that occurred within 6 weeks were recorded. Patients were classified into two groups, namely, complication group and no complication group, and risk factors for postoperative complications were investigated by univariate and multivariate analyses.Results: Postoperative complications occurred in 57 patients (14.1%), and the most common complication was delirium (5.7%). In the univariate analysis, the complication group was found to be older (p = 0.039) and predominantly male (p = 0.049), with higher occurrence rate of liver disease (p = 0.001) and Parkinson's disease (p = 0.039) compared with the no-complication group. In the multivariate analysis, the significant independent risk factors were age (p = 0.021; odds ratio [OR] 1.051, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.007-1.097), liver disease (p < 0.001; OR 8.993, 95% CI 2.882-28.065), and Parkinson's disease (p = 0.009; OR 3.636, 95% CI 1.378-9.599).Conclusions: Complications after spinal fixation surgery for OVC with neurological deficits occurred in 14.1%. Age, liver disease, and Parkinson's disease were demonstrated to be independent risk factors for postoperative complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Abstract Low back pain results in more global disabilities than any other condition, and intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration is commonly involved in the etiology. Supplementation of IVDs with reparative cells is a rational strategy to address such clinical problems. We have previously developed a scaffold-free tissue-engineered construct (TEC) as a novel cell therapy system for repair of articular cartilage and meniscus. We now show the regenerative potential of adipose mesenchymal stem cells derived TEC (ADSC-TEC) for IVD degeneration using a rat tail model of total nucleotomy. The regenerative efficacy of ASDC-TEC was investigated structurally and biomechanically up to 6 months after implantation. ADSC-TEC implantation into IVDs preserved the disc height, endplate, and annulus fibrosus structure, and showed similar biomechanical characteristics to the sham group at postoperative 6 weeks. The structure of regenerated IVD was maintained until 6 months. Furthermore, ADSC-TEC implantation attenuated the impact of age-related biomechanical deterioration when assessed at 6 months post-implantation. These results demonstrate that use of ADSC-TECs can be an effective treatment for IVD degeneration. Statement of significance We developed adipose mesenchymal stem cell-derived scaffold-free tissue engineered construct (ADSC-TEC) as a novel cell therapy system. The ADSC-TEC implantation into a rat total-nucleotomized disc space regenerated intervertebral discs (IVDs) histologically and biomechanically. The regenerative capacity of the ADSC-TEC was exerted by its trophic effects on annulus fibrosus cells and the load-sharing effect at intervertebral space. Interestingly, the regenerated IVDs by the ADSC-TEC was less susceptible to the age-related deterioration than the IVDs of normal rats. Thus, the application of ADSC-TEC into the degenerated disc can be an alternative therapy for various disease associated with structural and functional failure of IVDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Object: This study aims to clarify the clinical potential of Hounsfield unit (HU), measured on computed tomography (CT) images, as a predictor of pedicle screw (PS) loosening, compared to bone mineral density (BMD).Methods: A total of 206 screws in 52 patients (21 men and 31 women; mean age 68.2 years) were analyzed retrospectively. The screws were classified into two groups depending on their screw loosening status on 3-month follow-up CT (loosening screw group vs. non-loosening screw group). Preoperative HU of the trajectory was evaluated by superimposing preoperative and postoperative CT images using three-dimensional image analysis software. Age, sex, body mass index, screw size, BMD of lumbar, and HU of screw trajectory were analyzed in association with screw loosening. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed, and the thresholds for PS loosening risk factors were evaluated using a continuous numerical variable and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses. The area under the curve (AUC) was used to determine the diagnostic performance, and values > 0.75 were considered to represent good performance.Results: The loosening screw group contained 24 screws (12%). Multivariate analysis revealed that the significant independent risk factors were not BMD but male sex [P = 0.028; odds ratio (OR) 2.852, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.120-7.258] and HU of screw trajectory (P = 0.006; OR 0.989, 95% CI 0.980-0.997). ROC curve analysis demonstrated that the AUC for HU of screw trajectory for women was 0.880 (95% CI 0.798-0.961). The cutoff value was 153.5. AUC for men was 0.635 (95% CI 0.449-0.821), which was not considered to be a good performance.Conclusions: Low HU of screw trajectories was identified as a risk factor of PS loosening for women. For female patients with low HU, additional augmentation is recommended to prevent PS loosening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an approach to designing a gridshell structure, which is constructed connecting beams under bending deformation by hinge joints. The gridshell is modeled as an assembly of piecewise linear curves called ‘discrete elastica’, which is a discretized form of elastica defined as the shape of buckled beam-column with large deflections. Shape parameters such as span, height at the support, height at the internal joint, and the external moments are assigned to generate various shapes of discrete elastica, which are found by minimizing the total potential energy. It is shown in the numerical examples that a gridshell surface designed using discrete elastica has small interaction forces between the curved beams at joints. Large deformation analysis is carried out for verification of the shape generated using discrete elastica. An optimization approach is presented to further reduce the interaction forces between beams by assigning specified number of ‘hinge + slot joints’ to allow relative translational displacement at a hinge. Finally, the static structural characteristics of optimal gridshells are investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subcutaneous liver tissue engineering is an attractive and minimally invasive approach used to curative treat hepatic failure and inherited liver diseases. However, graft failure occurs frequently due to insufficient infiltration of blood vessels (neoangiogenesis), while the maintenance of hepatocyte phenotype and function requires in vivo development of the complex cellular organization of the hepatic lobule. Here we describe a subcutaneous human liver construction allowing for rapidly vascularized grafts by transplanting engineered cellular sheets consisting of human primary hepatocytes adhered onto a fibroblast layer. The engineered hepatocyte/fibroblast sheets (EHFSs) showed superior expression levels of vascularization-associated growth factors (vascular endothelial growth factor, transforming growth factor beta 1, and hepatocyte growth factor) in vitro . EHFSs developed into vascularized subcutaneous human liver tissues contained glycogen stores, synthesized coagulation factor IX, and showed significantly higher synthesis rates of liver-specific proteins (albumin and alpha 1 anti-trypsin) in vivo than tissues from hepatocyte-only sheets. The present study describes a new approach for vascularized human liver organogenesis under mouse skin. This approach could prove valuable for establishing novel cell therapies for liver diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Extracellular nucleotides such as adenosine 5′-triphospate (ATP) and uridine 5′-triphosphate (UTP) interact with P2 purinergic receptors on the surface of phagocytic cells and induce various physiological reactions. In this study, the production of antibody in mice immunized with an inactivated rabies vaccine containing these nucleotides was investigated. Injection of inactivated rabies vaccine with UTP, but not with ATP, induced significantly higher serum antibody production in mice. The enhancement of antibody production by UTP was inhibited by an anti-P2Y4 receptor antibody. In an air pouch experiment, UTP treatment increased the number of monocytes and macrophages infiltrating the pouch and up-regulated the gene expression of IL-4 and IL-13 in the regional lymph nodes. These results suggested that UTP admixed with rabies vaccine activates Th2 cells and induces a humoral immune response. Furthermore, the survival rate of mice immunized with a rabies vaccine admixed with UTP before rabies virus challenge was slightly higher than that of control mice. In conclusion, UTP can act as a vaccine adjuvant to enhance antibody production against the rabies virus in mice. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The proliferation and differentiation properties of embryoid bodies (EB) from mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells were compared under two microchip conditions: microwell chip and micropatterned chip. The microwell chip contained 270 microwells (diameter, 600μm; depth, 600μm) on a polymethylmethacrylate plate and was surface-modified with polyethylene glycol (PEG) to render it non-adhesive. The micropatterned chip contained 270 gelatin spots (diameter, 200μm) as the cell adhesion area on a glass plate; the region lacking these spots was PEG-modified to render it non-adhesive. The ES cells spontaneously formed the EBs from cell aggregates in each microwell in the chip. In contrast, cells inoculated onto the patterned chip formed a monolayer on the gelatin spots and gradually proliferated to form EBs. The EBs in the patterned chip maintained the high cell growth rate and the expression of endoderm (TTR and AFP) and mesoderm (Nkx2.5, αMHC, Flk1, and PDGFRβ) markers was increased, and these cell properties were similar to the previous methods (hanging drop and round-bottomed 96-well plate cultures). In contrast, the proliferation of ES cells in the microwell chip was lower than in the patterned chip and previous methods, and the EB differentiation proceeded slowly and only formed a small amount of endoderm. These results indicate that the difference of EB generating process in the microchip cultures may affect to the proliferation and differentiation of ES cells, and the existence of microwell structure in the microchip downregulates the cell proliferation and the differentiated progress of ES cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT: The formation of three-dimensional cell microspheres such as spheroids, embryoid bodies, and neurospheres has attracted attention as a useful culture technique. In this study, we investigated a technique for effective cell microsphere production by using specially prepared microchip. The basic chip design was a multimicrowell structure in triangular arrangement within a 100-mm2 region in the center of a polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) plate (24×24 mm2), the surface of which was modified with polyethylene glycol (PEG) to render it nonadhesive to cells. We also designed six similar chips with microwell diameters of 200, 300, 400, 600, 800, and 1000 μm to investigate the effect of the microwell diameter on the cell microsphere diameter. Rat hepatocytes, HepG2 cells, mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells, and mouse neural progenitor/stem (NPS) cells formed hepatocyte spheroids, HepG2 spheroids, embryoid bodies, and neurospheres, respectively, in the microwells within 5 days of culture. For all the cells, a single microsphere was formed in each microwell under all the chip conditions, and such microsphere configurations remained throughout the culture period. Furthermore, the microsphere diameters of each type of cell were strongly positively correlated with the microwell diameters of the chips, suggesting that microsphere diameter can be factitiously controlled by using different chip conditions. Thus, this chip technique is a promising cellular platform for tissue engineering or regenerative medicine research, pharmacological and toxicological studies, and fundamental studies in cell biology. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Hepatocyte multicellular aggregates (spheroids), which maintain high expression of liver functions, have been advocated as a useful culture technique for various cell-based assays. In this study, we investigated the drug metabolic function of a hepatocyte spheroid microarray (HSM) chip, which contained an array of 672 spheroids of primary rat hepatocytes within a 100-mm2 region in the center of a poly(methylmethacrylate) plate (24×24 mm) and used an alkoxyresorufin (ethoxy-, methoxy-, pentoxy- and benzyloxyresorufin) O-dealkylase assay system. Ethoxyresorufin O-dealkylase (EROD) activity of the HSM chip initiated by 3-methylcholanthrene (3-MC), an inducer of cytochrome P450 enzymes, was 5- to 10-fold higher than that of monolayer hepatocytes, with activity being maintained for at least 2 weeks. We also demonstrated that 3-MC induced EROD, methoxyresorufin O-dealkylase (MROD) and benzyloxyresorufin O-dealkylase (BROD) activities in the HSM chip, while sodium phenobarbital (P450 inducer) induced pentoxyresorufin O-dealkylase (PROD), BROD, EROD and MROD activities. Induction of these activities was confirmed by increased gene expression of the related P450 enzymes. These results showed that the HSM chip had a good response to P450 inducers and that function was maintained for long periods of time. The HSM chip therefore may be a promising cellular platform for drug metabolic assays using hepatocytes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper describes a new technique for the control of spheroid diameter in liver-derived cell lines using microfabricated chips that were prepared by combining microfabrication with chemical surface modification. The chip possesses multicavities in a triangular arrangement in the central region (10mm×10mm) of a polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) plate (24mm×24mm), and the surface of the chip was modified with polyethylene glycol, thereby producing a surface that is non-adhesive to cells. HepG2 cells, a model liver-derived cell line, inoculated onto the chip were trapped within each cavity and proliferated to gradually form spheroids with smooth surfaces and high circularity. Although the spheroid diameters increased with cell proliferation during the initial 10 days of culture, they remained constant thereafter. The spheroid diameters were dependent on the scales of the multicavities on the chip, and the spheroid configuration with uniform diameter was maintained for at least 1month. In particular, it was demonstrated using chips of various designs that the cavity diameter and the pitch between cavities were effective factors in controlling the spheroid diameter. Furthermore, the protein secretion activities of the spheroid formed on the chip were higher than those of the monolayers for at least 1month of culture. These results indicate that this chip is a useful technique for the control of spheroid diameter and for the mass preparation of uniform spheroids. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The better understanding of cell biology and cell communication requires novel culture systems that better represent the natural cell environment in tissues and organs. We developed a spherical organoid (spheroid) microarray culture system using a combination of microfabrication and microcontact printing. The system consisted of a chip that had cylindrical cavities of 300μm diameter at a density of 700cavities/cm2. The bottom faces of these cavities were defined as two different regions that either supported or inhibited cell adhesion. In the cell adhesion region, the center of the bottom face of a 100μm diameter in a cavity was modified with collagen (Col), and in the non-adhesion region, the entire region around the cavity, except the Col spots, was modified with polyethylene glycol. Primary hepatocytes spontaneously formed spheroids with a uniform diameter at the center of each cavity on the chip. Hepatocytes forming spheroids had a cuboidal cell shape, similar to hepatocytes in vivo, and stably maintained liver-specific phenotypes, such as liver-enriched transcriptional factors, albumin secretion, urea cycle enzymes, and intercellular adhesion molecules. This novel culture system may be applicable as a cellular platform for fundamental studies in cell biology and tissue engineering applications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Early Cretaceous plants are widely distributed in a number of localities and horizons in the Tetori Group in central Japan. However, the stratigraphical occurrences and diversity patterns of some plant groups and their palaeoclimatic implications are not well understood. In this study, we report the diverse fossil plants recently collected from the Lower Cretaceous Itsuki and Nochino formations of the Tetori Group in the Kuzuryu area, central Japan. The plant assemblage from the lower and middle part of the Itsuki Formation has no Ryoseki-type floral element, whereas the assemblage from the Nochino Formation has some Ryoseki-type floral elements such as microphyllous conifers. The occurrence of Ryoseki-type floral elements is consistent with floral change that conifers are more diverse in the Nochino Formation than in the Itsuki Formation, and a warming and drying climate trend from the Itsuki Formation to the Nochino Formation is recognized. The Early Cretaceous warming and drying trend recorded in floral assemblages of the Tetori Group is considered to reflect the paleoclimate transition represented by drastic shrinking of the Hadley circulation in the mid-latitudes of East Asia, thus providing evidence for understanding the climatic switch pattern during the Early Cretaceous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Postoperative recovery of activities of daily living after surgery in elderly patients often takes a longer time because of their frailty. However, it is unclear how long it takes for patients with adult spinal deformity (ASD) to recover their abilities to live their daily lives in their home after corrective fusion surgery. This study aimed to investigate the length of hospital stay required to perform activities of daily living (ADL) in patients undergoing two-stage corrective fusion surgery for ASD in our institution and to detect factors associated with the length of hospital stay.Methods: Thirty-four consecutive female ASD patients (median age, 70 years) who underwent two-stage corrective fusion surgery (lateral lumbar interbody fusion at the first stage and posterior corrective fusion at the second stage) from T9 or T10 to the pelvis were included. The length of hospital stay from admission to return home was determined, and correlations between length of hospital stay and demographics, skeletal muscle mass, operative invasion and perioperative complications, and spino-pelvic alignment were investigated.Results: The median length of hospital stay was 51 days, exceeding 100 days in 25% of cases. Age at surgery (ρ = 0.545, p = 0.001), estimated glomerular filtration rate (ρ = -0.603, p < 0.001), age-adjusted Charlson comorbidity index (ρ = 0.437, p = 0.01), and preoperative pelvic incidence (ρ = 0.356, p = 0.04) were correlated with length of hospital stay. Preoperative skeletal muscle mass, preoperative spinal imbalance, perioperative changes in spino-pelvic alignment, operative invasion, and perioperative complications were not correlated with length of hospital stay.Conclusions: After >50 days, ADL performance of each patient reached the extent required for daily living to return home after two-stage corrective fusion surgery for ASD. Factors related to length of hospital stay were age and indices related to frailty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel SARS-CoV-2 recombinant spike (S)-protein vaccine S-268019-b was developed. • S-268019-b induced antibodies against S-protein and its receptor binding domain. • Neutralizing antibody was induced against SARS-CoV-2 and pseudovirus variants. • S-268019-b demonstrated protective efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 challenge. • S-268019-b was safe for use in cynomolgus macaques. The vaccine S-268019-b is a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike (S)-protein vaccine consisting of full-length recombinant SARS-CoV-2 S-protein (S-910823) as antigen, mixed with the squalene-based adjuvant A-910823. The current study evaluated the immunogenicity of S-268019-b using various doses of S-910823 and its vaccine efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 challenge in cynomolgus monkeys. The different doses of S-910823 combined with A-910823 were intramuscularly administered twice at a 3-week interval. Two weeks after the second dosing, dose-dependent humoral immune responses were observed with neutralizing antibody titers being comparable to that of human convalescent plasma. Pseudoviruses harboring S proteins from Beta and Gamma SARS-CoV-2 variants displayed approximately 3- to 4-fold reduced sensitivity to neutralizing antibodies induced after two vaccine doses compared with that against ancestral viruses, whereas neutralizing antibody titers were reduced >14-fold against the Omicron variant. Cellular immunity was also induced with a relative Th1 polarized response. No adverse clinical signs or weight loss associated with the vaccine were observed, suggesting safety of the vaccine in cynomolgus monkeys. Immunization with 10 µg of S-910823 with A-910823 demonstrated protective efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 challenge according to genomic and subgenomic viral RNA transcript levels in nasopharyngeal, throat, and rectal swab specimens. Pathological analysis revealed no detectable vaccine-dependent enhancement of disease in the lungs of challenged vaccinated monkeys. The current findings provide fundamental information regarding vaccine doses for human trials and support the development of S-268019-b as a safe and effective vaccine for controlling the current pandemic, as well as general protection against SARS-CoV-2 moving forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Shape design method specifying thrust and horizontal projected stress distribution. • Graph surface with curved boundary parametrized using Bernstein polynomial. • Finite difference approximation of differential equilibrium equation for self weight. • FE-analysys to confirm stress distribution after slight contraction on plane. A shape design method is proposed for free-form shells specifying the distribution of horizontal reaction forces along the boundary as well as the stresses projected to the horizontal plane. The shell supports the self-weight with only in-plane stresses without out-of-plane shear and bending. A parametric form is presented to model the shape of the shell with curved boundary on a plane. The vertical coordinate of the shell surface is defined as a graph surface with respect to the horizontal coordinates that is expressed by Bernstein polynomials of normalized parameters. It is demonstrated in the numerical examples that various shapes can be generated by specifying the horizontal reaction forces that are not necessarily continuous. A static finite element analysis is carried out to show that the stresses are sufficiently close to the specified values even considering the deformation under self-weight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the shielding effectiveness of a non-toxic double layer of barium sulfate and tungsten with disclosed elemental compositions against diagnostic X-rays. Three variations of the radiation shielding material were created: one mainly composed of tungsten (mW), another mainly composed of barium sulfate (mBa), and a third composed of a blend of barium sulfate and tungsten (W/Ba). The following three types of 1.0 mm protective sheets were used to compare their shielding effectiveness: a double layer with mW upstream and mBa downstream (mW→mBa); a double layer with mBa upstream and mW downstream (mBa→mW); and W/Ba. Moreover, using experimental measurements and Monte Carlo calculations, the shielding effectiveness against 110 kVp X-rays of mBa→mW (0.495 g cm−2) was compared with the corresponding values for a commercially available lead-free protective apron (0.25 mmPb equivalent) and a 0.5 mm pure lead sheet (0.567 g cm−2). The measured and calculated shielding of a mBa→mW double layer was approximately 1% more effective than that of the reverse arrangement and of the mixture. The shielding effectiveness of mBa→mW was 93.66%, which compared with values of 87.22% for the commercially available lead-free apron and 93.86% for pure lead. In conclusion, the 1.0 mm non-toxic radiation shielding sheet having a double-layered structure with barium sulfate upstream and tungsten downstream was approximately 13% lighter than a 0.5 mm thick pure lead sheet but provided an equivalent shielding effectiveness against diagnostic X-rays. • Proof of benefits with double-layered structure (BaSO 4 upstream, W downstream). • BaSO 4 –W shield 1% better than reverse, 13% lighter than 0.5 mm lead, equal protection. • Non-toxic BaSO4–W shield combines high shielding effectiveness and safety. • Promising future for x-ray shielding techniques with optimized double-layered shield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel series of benzothiazolylidenehydroxamic acid derivatives has been designed and synthesized as PDF inhibitors. Some of this novel class of PDF inhibitors exhibited micromolar order enzyme inhibitory activity and antibacterial activity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Although concomitant foraminotomy has been reported to increase the risk of postoperative upper limb palsy (ULP) in cervical laminoplasty, the specific effects of concomitant foraminotomy on ULP remain uncertain. This study aimed to clarify the effect of concomitant foraminotomy on ULP in cervical laminoplasty. We identified 19 patients who developed ULP after laminoplasty with concomitant foraminotomy for radiculomyelopathy with nerve root impingement (laminoplasty with concomitant foraminotomy group [F-group]) from 4080 patients who underwent primary cervical laminoplasty at 27 affiliated institutions between 2012 and 2018. An age- and sex-matched control group comprised patients who developed ULP after laminoplasty without concomitant foraminotomy (n = 76, 4:1 ratio with F-group). Collected data included the time of onset and distribution of ULP (side and level). The site of foraminotomy was recorded in the F-group. The F-group showed a significantly higher incidence of ULP than the candidates for the control group (15.1% vs. 3.1%, P < 0.001). The site of foraminotomy was consistent with the distribution of ULP in 79% (15 of 19 patients) of the F-group. The F-group showed a significantly higher proportion of preoperative upper-limb muscle weakness (74% vs. 37%, P = 0.005) and early-onset ULP occurring by postoperative day 1 (63% vs. 33%, P = 0.02) compared with the control group. Our results indicate that the foraminotomy procedure in the stenotic foramen is directly involved in ULP. Combined with a previous report suggesting that early-onset ULP is associated with thermal nerve damage, our results indicate that thermal nerve damage partly explains the increased incidence of ULP in the F-group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]