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Glioblastomas exhibit remarkable heterogeneity at various levels, including motility modes and mechanoproperties that contribute to tumor resistance and recurrence. In a recent study using gridded micropatterns mimicking the brain vasculature, glioblastoma cell motility modes, mechanical properties, formin content, and substrate chemistry are linked. Now is presented, SP2G (SPheroid SPreading on Grids), an analytic platform designed to identify the migratory modes of patient‐derived glioblastoma cells and rapidly pinpoint the most invasive sub‐populations. Tumorspheres are imaged as they spread on gridded micropatterns and analyzed by this semi‐automated, open‐source, Fiji macro suite that characterizes migration modes accurately. SP2G can reveal intra‐patient motility heterogeneity with molecular correlations to specific integrins and EMT markers. This system presents a versatile and potentially pan‐cancer workflow to detect diverse invasive tumor sub‐populations in patient‐derived specimens and offers a valuable tool for therapeutic evaluations at the individual patient level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

5,15‐Porphyrinquinone is a non‐aromatic and electron‐deficient porphyrinoid that acts as an important framework for the synthesis of porphyrinoid derivatives. Generally, meso‐functionalized A2‐porphyrinquinone is synthesized via the oxidation of A2‐porphyrin. Herein, we present the stereoselective synthesis of AB‐porphyrinquinone Pt(II) complexes using the corresponding dipyrrinato‐Pt complexes and bisformyldipyrrins. The reaction involves cyclization and oxidative aromatization induced by the Pt template, followed by oxidation using a mild MnO2 oxidant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the three‐dimensional structure of Roman glass through the combined use of laboratory and phase‐contrast synchrotron x‐ray micro–computed tomography. This original approach validates a noninvasive analytical procedure designed to enhance the understanding of glass degradation mechanisms, crucial for the preservation of historical artefacts. The high‐resolution images obtained reveal the intricate internal structure and morphology of various forms of glass deterioration, including cracking, pitting, and the formation of multilayered iridescent patinas. The research provides compelling evidence of corrosion processes and interaction mechanisms with burial soil, shedding light on the chemical and physical interactions that occur over centuries. By characterizing and examining the long‐term alteration of ancient glass, this work contributes to the field of archaeometry, offering insights into how different types of glass withstand the test of time in diverse environmental conditions. The findings have important implications for conservation strategies, enabling better preservation techniques for glass artefacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In certain cases of rectal malignancy in which invasion is confined to the prostate and/or seminal vesicles, bladder‐sparing surgery may be chosen instead of total pelvic exenteration. However, even if the bladder is preserved, postoperative urinary dysfunction and vesicourethral anastomotic leakage are concern. Materials and Surgical Technique: We employ various techniques based on robot‐assisted radical prostatectomy for reconstructing the urinary tract. These techniques include advanced reconstruction of vesicourethral support, total anatomical reconstruction, and a method called anterior reconstruction. In addition, suture fixation of bladder to the anterior abdominal wall, and re‐approximation of bladder by peritoneal suture were done. Discussion: Reliable robot‐assisted vesicourethral anastomosis and reinforcement of the anastomotic wall could potentially enhance the self‐voiding rate and decrease the risk of anastomotic failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ID10 beamline of the SESAME (Synchrotron‐light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East) synchrotron light source in Jordan was inaugurated in June 2023 and is now open to scientific users. The beamline, which was designed and installed within the European Horizon 2020 project BEAmline for Tomography at SESAME (BEATS), provides full‐field X‐ray radiography and microtomography imaging with monochromatic or polychromatic X‐rays up to photon energies of 100 keV. The photon source generated by a 2.9 T wavelength shifter with variable gap, and a double‐multilayer monochromator system allow versatile application for experiments requiring either an X‐ray beam with high intensity and flux, and/or a partially spatial coherent beam for phase‐contrast applications. Sample manipulation and X‐ray detection systems are designed to allow scanning samples with different size, weight and material, providing image voxel sizes from 13 µm down to 0.33 µm. A state‐of‐the‐art computing infrastructure for data collection, three‐dimensional (3D) image reconstruction and data analysis allows the visualization and exploration of results online within a few seconds from the completion of a scan. Insights from 3D X‐ray imaging are key to the investigation of specimens from archaeology and cultural heritage, biology and health sciences, materials science and engineering, earth, environmental sciences and more. Microtomography scans and preliminary results obtained at the beamline demonstrate that the new beamline ID10‐BEATS expands significantly the range of scientific applications that can be targeted at SESAME. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a widespread condition in older individuals, posing significant risk of dementia. However, limited research has been conducted to explore effective interventions and clarify their impact at the neural level. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of computerized cognitive training (CCT) and explore the associated neural mechanisms in preventing dementia in older individuals with MCI, with a view to inform future intervention efforts. Methods: We reviewed the effects of CCT on biomarker outcomes in older adults with MCI. The search was conducted for studies published between 2010 and May 10, 2023, using three search engines: PubMed, Scopus, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature. The inclusion criteria were as follows: studies that involved participants diagnosed with MCI, included CCT, included quantitative assessment of biomarker results, and conducted randomized controlled trials. Results: Sixteen studies that used biomarkers, including magnetic resonance imaging, electroencephalography (EEG), functional near‐infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), and blood or salivary biomarkers, were extracted. The results showed that CCT caused changes in structure and function within the main brain network, including the default mode network, and decreased both theta rhythm activity on EEG and prefrontal activity on fNIRS, with improvement in cognitive function. Furthermore, CCT combined with physical exercise showed more significant structural and functional changes in extensive brain regions compared with CCT alone. Virtual reality‐based cognitive training improved not only executive function but also instrumental activities of daily living. Conclusion: CCT causes functional and structural changes in extensive brain regions and improves cognitive function in older adults with MCI. Our findings highlight the potential of individualized intervention methods and biomarker assessment according to the specific causes of MCI. Future research should aim to optimize these personalized therapeutic strategies to maximize the benefits of CCT in older adults with MCI. Key points: Computerized cognitive training (CCT) causes functional and structural changes in extensive brain regions in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), with improvement in cognitive function.The effect of CCT combined with physical exercise may be stronger and longer‐lasting than that of CCT alone.Virtual reality‐based cognitive training may improve not only executive function but also instrumental activities of daily living. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accumulation of abnormally phosphorylated tau and its aggregation constitute a significant hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Tau phosphorylation at Ser262 and Ser356 in the KXGS motifs of microtubule‐binding repeats plays a critical role in its physiological function and AD disease progression. Major tau kinases to phosphorylate tau at Ser262 and Ser356 belong to the Microtubule Affinity Regulating Kinase family (MARK1‐4), which are considered one of the major contributors to tau abnormalities in AD. However, whether and how each member affects tau toxicity in vivo is unclear. We used transgenic Drosophila as a model to compare the effect on tau‐induced neurodegeneration among MARKs in vivo. MARK4 specifically promotes tau accumulation and Ser396 phosphorylation, which yields more tau toxicity than was caused by other MARKs. Interestingly, MARK1, 2, and 4 increased tau phosphorylation at Ser262 and Ser356, but only MARK4 caused tau accumulation, indicating that these sites alone did not cause pathological tau accumulation. Our results revealed MARKs are different in their effect on tau toxicity, and also in tau phosphorylation at pathological sites other than Ser262 and Ser356. Understanding the implementation of each MARK into neurodegenerative disease helps to develop more target and safety therapies to overcome AD and related tauopathies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since a motor drive system contains an inverter (high‐voltage circuit) and gate drive circuits (low‐voltage circit) with a switching regulator, electromagnetic noise is generated in each of these two circuits, and noise interference between these circuits can occur. This paper discusses noise interference between the high‐ and low‐voltage circuits of an electric compressor system with an integrated mechanical and electrical structure. Analysis using LTspice shows that the experimental and analytical results are in good agreement when a very small stray capacitance occurs between the high‐ and low‐voltage circuits. An experiment using an actual compressor showed that conducted noise above 20 MHz can be reduced by up to 10 dB by reducing the effect of stray capacitance between these circuits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Transformation of species and functional composition on subtropical reefs are ongoing due to poleward range shifts of some tropical species, with largely unknown consequences to ecosystem functioning. Trait‐based approaches are powerful tools to quantify such changes. Here, we evaluated changes in the trait composition of coral‐associated fish assemblages along a tropical‐to‐temperate environmental gradient of ca. 1400 km in southern Japan with abundance‐weighted trait expression to assess how trait composition changes with increasing latitude. Location: Ryukyu Islands and southern Pacific coast of Japan. Taxon: Reef fish. Methods: We tested for shifts in trait space and functional redundancy, based on five morphological, life history and behavioural traits: maximum length, pelagic larval duration, trophic level, substrate preference and reproductive mode. Our trait database was coded with two approaches, first, by attributing a single value to each trait per species, and second, by fuzzy coding that allows more than one value per trait and hence considers some intraspecific trait variation. Results: We found a reduction in specialist habitat traits (coral substrate preference, nesters and herbivores) and an increase in generalist traits (predators) with increasing latitude, along with a contraction in trait space from tropical‐to‐temperate reefs. Functional redundancy declined with increasing latitude. These trends were closely linked with latitudinal gradients in temperature, along with changes in other environmental factors such as turbidity and photosynthetically active radiation. Main Conclusion: Functional turnover and contractions are thus likely due to the marginal conditions for coral‐associated fishes at higher latitudes, favouring generalist species, whereas increased resources at lower latitudes favour high redundancy and niche partitioning. Accounting for intraspecific trait variation indicated the same trends but highlighted increased functional vulnerability across all sites. We show that trait complexity in coral‐associated fish communities decreases from tropical‐to‐temperate reefs, highlighting the reduced functional scope that comes with marginal environmental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses a real‐world multi‐period orienteering problem arising in a large Italian company that needs to patrol an area in order to provide security services to a set of customers. Each customer requires different services on a weekly basis. Some services are mandatory, while others are optional. It might be impossible to perform all optional services, and each of them is assigned a score when performed. The challenge is to determine a set of routes, one per day, that maximizes a weighted sum of the total collected score and total working time, while meeting several operational constraints, including hard time windows, maximum riding time, minimum number of services performed, and minimum time between two consecutive visits for the same service at the same customer. To solve the problem, we propose an iterated local search that invokes at each iteration an inner variable neighborhood descent procedure. Computational tests performed on a large number of real‐world instances prove that the developed algorithm is very efficient, and finds in a short time solutions that are consistently better than those produced by a mathematical model, and those in use at the company. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1D organic semiconductor nanostructures have attracted considerable attention; however, only a few studies are conducted on p–n junction organic semiconductor 1D nanostructures. Herein, p‐ and n‐type and p–n junction phthalocyanine (Pc) nanorods are grown in the out‐of‐plane direction of a substrate via vacuum deposition using typical organic semiconductors with copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) as the p‐type semiconductor and copper octafluorophthalocyanine (F8CuPc) and copper hexadecafluorophthalocyanine (F16CuPc) as the n‐type semiconductors. p–n junction Pc nanorods are fabricated via the continuous deposition of F8CuPc and F16CuPc onto CuPc nanorods. Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy reveals that the Pc molecules in the nanorods are perpendicularly aligned, with their molecular planes oriented toward the longitudinal direction of the nanorods. The local current–voltage properties of the nanorods are measured using conductive atomic force microscopy. The hole mobility in the CuPc nanorods is 10 times higher than that in the CuPc thin films. The p–n junction properties of F8CuPc/CuPc nanorods are evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key Clinical Message: Angiosarcoma is a rare malignant disease with an extremely poor prognosis, showing rapid progression of the local tumor and/or distant metastases. Although multidisciplinary approach including systemic chemotherapy and radiation therapy is ideal for this disease, surgical resection have a role in disease control and should be performed as soon as possible. Angiosarcomas originating from the tongue are rare and have extremely malignant features, leading to a poor prognosis. Herein, we report the case of a patient with angiosarcoma arising from the tongue who was successfully treated surgically. A 71‐year‐old man was diagnosed with a mass on the right side of his tongue and visited the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at our hospital. The patient was referred to our department for further examination and treatment after a biopsy of the right edge of the tongue. An irregularly raised tumor 50 mm in length was noted on the right lingual border. The preoperative diagnosis was a primary angiosarcoma of the tongue (clinical stage, T3N2bM0, Stage IV). As his tumor had been growing rapidly, he emergently underwent partial right‐sided tongue resection and right neck dissection without reconstructive surgery. The histopathological diagnosis was pT3N0. Postoperatively, the patient showed no signs of recurrence or metastasis during the 1‐year follow‐up. As for angiosarcomas, surgical resection is the only curative treatment, and surgery should be performed as soon as possible after the final diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elastin‐like peptides (ELPs) are synthetic peptides that mimic the characteristic hydrophobic amino acid repeat sequences of elastin and exhibit temperature‐dependent reversible self‐assembly properties. ELPs are expected to be used as temperature‐responsive biomolecular materials across diverse industrial and research fields, and there is a requirement for a straightforward method to mass‐produce them. Previously, we demonstrated that phenylalanine‐containing ELP analogs, namely, (FPGVG)n, can undergo coacervation with short chains (n = 5). The Fmoc solid‐phase peptide synthesis method is one strategy used to synthesize these short ELPs. However, owing to its low reaction efficiency, an efficient method for preparing ELPs is required. In this study, efficient preparation of ELPs was investigated using a liquid‐phase synthesis method with a hydrophobic benzyl alcohol support (HBA‐tag). Because HBA‐tags are highly hydrophobic, they can be easily precipitated by the addition of poor solvents and recovered by filtration. This property allows the method to combine the advantages of the simplicity of solid‐phase methods and the high reaction efficiency of liquid‐phase methods. By utilizing liquid‐phase fragment condensation with HBA‐tags, short ELPs were successfully obtained in high yield and purity. Finally, the temperature‐dependent response of the ELPs generated through fragment condensation was assessed using turbidity measurements, which revealed a reversible phase transition. Consequently, the ELPs exhibited a reversible phase transition, indicating successful synthesis of ELPs via fragment preparation with tags. These findings provide evidence of the potential for mass production of ELPs using this approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lignin‐modifying enzymes (LMEs), which include laccases (Lacs), manganese peroxidases (MnPs), versatile peroxidases (VPs), and lignin peroxidases (LiPs), have been considered key factors in lignin degradation by white‐rot fungi because they oxidize lignin model compounds and depolymerize synthetic lignin in vitro. However, it remains unclear whether these enzymes are essential/important in the actual degradation of natural lignin in plant cell walls. To address this long‐standing issue, we examined the lignin‐degrading abilities of multiple mnp/vp/lac mutants of Pleurotus ostreatus. One vp2/vp3/mnp3/mnp6 quadruple‐gene mutant was generated from a monokaryotic wild‐type strain PC9 using plasmid‐based CRISPR/Cas9. Also, two vp2/vp3/mnp2/mnp3/mnp6, two vp2/vp3/mnp3/mnp6/lac2 quintuple‐gene mutants, and two vp2/vp3/mnp2/mnp3/mnp6/lac2 sextuple‐gene mutants were generated. The lignin‐degrading abilities of the sextuple and vp2/vp3/mnp2/mnp3/mnp6 quintuple‐gene mutants on the Beech wood sawdust medium reduced drastically, but not so much for those of the vp2/vp3/mnp3/mnp6/lac2 mutants and the quadruple mutant strain. The sextuple‐gene mutants also barely degraded lignin in Japanese Cedar wood sawdust and milled rice straw. Thus, this study presented evidence that the LMEs, especially MnPs and VPs, play a crucial role in the degradation of natural lignin by P. ostreatus for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although signal‐transducing adaptor protein‐2 (STAP‐2) acts in certain immune responses, its role in B cell receptor (BCR)‐mediated signals remains unknown. In this study, we have revealed that BCR‐mediated signals, cytokine production and antibody production were increased in STAP‐2 knockout (KO) mice compared with wild‐type (WT) mice. Phosphorylation of tyrosine‐protein kinase LYN Y508 was reduced in STAP‐2 KO B cells after BCR stimulation. Mechanistic analysis revealed that STAP‐2 directly binds to LYN, dependently of STAP‐2 Y250 phosphorylation by LYN. Furthermore, phosphorylation of STAP‐2 enhanced interactions between LYN and tyrosine‐protein kinase CSK, resulting in enhanced CSK‐mediated LYN Y508 phosphorylation. These results suggest that STAP‐2 is crucial for controlling BCR‐mediated signals and antibody production by enhanced CSK‐mediated feedback regulation of LYN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, the effect of intermediate layers for high‐speed InGaN growth using trihalide vapor‐phase epitaxy (THVPE) on ScAlMgO4 (SAM) is investigated. The coverage and thickness of the intermediate layer have a significant impact on both composition and crystalline quality. Herein, InGaN is successfully fabricated with 17% of indium on SAM in a lattice‐matched state employing THVPE, showing the X‐ray rocking curve full width at half maximum values less than 1000 arcsec, in a two‐step growth. THVPE is used to indicate the possibility of fabricating high‐quality InGaN quasi‐substrate with high indium composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rhodamine B (RB) is frequently used in chemical sensors, where the sensing principle depends on its structural changes to lactone (L), zwitterion (Z), and cation (C) forms in response to the local environment. Compared to the Z‐ and C‐forms, stabilising the L‐form in matrices is difficult because of the required low environmental polarity. In this study, we report a simple and easy method to stabilise the L‐form of RB on the surface of a polytetrafluoroethylene porous film (p‐PTFE), in which the film is dipped in an ethanol solution containing RB and dried. This phenomenon was not observed on polyethylene film and cellulose filter paper in RB solutions. Furthermore, a chemical stability test for colourless RB/p‐PTFE samples was conducted by exposing these samples to a humid environment. The test result indicated that, with an increase in the environmental humidity, the equilibrium shifted from the L‐form to the Z‐form of RB immobilised on the p‐PTFE film. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents seismic damage to continuous ceiling systems and the impact of damage on functionality in the hospital specimen tested at the E‐Defense shaking table. The specimen had four ceiling systems with different peripheral constraint conditions, coverage areas, suspended lengths, and ceiling panel materials. The test results demonstrate that the continuous ceiling system is less susceptible to collapse than the lay‐in ceiling system. However, medical facilities require maintaining functionality after earthquakes, and the consequence of damage as functional deterioration needs discussion. The two‐elevation ceiling system across two rooms with different ceiling heights sustains severe damage at the rise‐up part and the partition wall separating the rooms. The damage becomes severe when the ceilings at different heights vibrate at separate frequencies. The results highlight the enhancement of the lateral stiffness of the suspended ceiling at the rise‐up part, such as by adding bracing bars. In the case of long‐duration shakings assumed for far mega‐earthquakes, damage accumulates with repeated loadings, and the functional loss by the damage becomes intense. This observation indicates that peak‐related parameters (peak floor acceleration or peak floor velocity) do not comprehensively reflect the degree of damage in ceiling systems. The proposed functionality loss matrix highlights that the damage to the ceiling harms the aseptic environment for key medical rooms, especially for the cleanroom with extremely strict requirements on the air environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study conducted a national questionnaire survey of Japanese urologists from a treatment perspective for older patients with prostate cancer. Methods: A questionnaire was distributed to 922 teaching hospitals of the Japanese Urological Association. Questionnaire items included years of urologist experience, gender, workplace, treatment equipment owned, daily specialty practice area, urological cancer specialty, treatment reference items for older adults, upper age limit for radical treatment, medication, and two hypothetical cases of Gleason grade group 2 prostate cancer with or without oligometastasis. Results: In total, 1732 questionnaires were analyzed, with responses evenly distributed across all age groups. Workplaces included general hospitals (49.4%), university hospitals (40.3%), and cancer centers (4.2%). Performance status was the most frequently mentioned treatment‐related item, followed by comorbidities and cognitive function. In addition, geriatric assessment was used by only 13.3% of respondents. No upper age limit was found for total prostatectomy, brachytherapy, and external beam radiation. Anti‐androgens, androgen receptor‐axis‐targeted agents, chemotherapy, poly ADP ribose polymerase inhibitors, and immune‐checkpoint inhibitors were selected by 6.8%, 35.6%, 47.3%, 89%, 62.8%, 24.7%, 41.9%, and 41.7% of the respondents, respectively. Response rates for administration of hormone therapy for hypothetical cases of Gleason grade group 2 prostate cancer with or without oligometastases were 96.8% and 61.2%, respectively. Conclusions: Less than 15% of urologists used geriatric assessments. Several responded that they would set age limits for highly invasive radical and systemic therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a genetic muscle‐wasting disorder characterized by progressive muscle weakness and easy fatigability. Here we examined whether high‐intensity interval training (HIIT) in the form of isometric contraction improves fatigue resistance in skeletal muscle from dystrophin‐deficient mdx52 mice. Isometric HIIT was performed on plantar flexor muscles in vivo with supramaximal electrical stimulation every other day for 4 weeks (a total of 15 sessions). In the non‐trained contralateral gastrocnemius muscle from mdx52 mice, the decreased fatigue resistance was associated with a reduction in the amount of peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor γ coactivator 1‐α, citrate synthase activity, mitochondrial respiratory complex II, LC3B‐II/I ratio, and mitophagy‐related gene expression (i.e. Pink1, parkin, Bnip3 and Bcl2l13) as well as an increase in the phosphorylation levels of Src Tyr416 and Akt Ser473, the amount of p62, and the percentage of Evans Blue dye‐positive area. Isometric HIIT restored all these alterations and markedly improved fatigue resistance in mdx52 muscles. Moreover, an acute bout of HIIT increased the phosphorylation levels of AMP‐activated protein kinase (AMPK) Thr172, acetyl CoA carboxylase Ser79, unc‐51‐like autophagy activating kinase 1 (Ulk1) Ser555, and dynamin‐related protein 1 (Drp1) Ser616 in mdx52 muscles. Thus, our data show that HIIT with isometric contractions significantly mitigates histological signs of pathology and improves fatigue resistance in dystrophin‐deficient muscles. These beneficial effects can be explained by the restoration of mitochondrial function via AMPK‐dependent induction of the mitophagy programme and de novo mitochondrial biogenesis. Key points: Skeletal muscle fatigue is often associated with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and leads to an inability to perform daily tasks, profoundly decreasing quality of life.We examined the effect of high‐intensity interval training (HIIT) in the form of isometric contraction on fatigue resistance in skeletal muscle from the mdx52 mouse model of DMD.Isometric HIIT counteracted the reduced fatigue resistance as well as dystrophic changes in skeletal muscle of mdx52 mice.This beneficial effect could be explained by the restoration of mitochondrial function via AMP‐activated protein kinase‐dependent mitochondrial biogenesis and the induction of the mitophagy programme in the dystrophic muscles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Studies have shown that a usual source of care increases the receipt of child preventive care; however, the relationship between having a usual source of primary care and COVID‐19 parental vaccine hesitancy has not been fully investigated. The aims of this study were to elucidate the characteristics of mothers with a primary care physician, and to explore the relationship between having a usual source of primary care and COVID‐19 parental vaccine hesitancy among mothers in Japan. Method: This cross‐sectional survey‐based study included 4516 mothers. Using a chi‐square test, the characteristics of mothers with and without a primary care physician were compared. Poisson regression was applied to evaluate the relationship between having a usual source of primary care and parental COVID‐19 vaccine hesitancy. Results: Mothers with a usual source of primary care had higher education, lower mental distress, had younger children, and were less hesitant toward the child's COVID‐19 vaccination. Vaccine hesitancy was observed in 39.8% of mothers with a usual source of primary care and 45.5% of those without. Poisson regression analysis showed that mothers with a primary care physician were less vaccine‐hesitant (IRR = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.84–0.96) after adjusting for potential confounders. Conclusion: This study suggested that having a usual source of primary care may contribute to lower parental COVID‐19 vaccine hesitancy. However, the high vaccine hesitancy rate, even among mothers with a usual source of primary care, warrants healthcare providers to be equipped to help parents make informed decisions about vaccination through the continuity of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: A symbolic‐numeric method is proposed for addressing the Bayesian filtering problems of a class of discrete‐time nonlinear stochastic systems. We first approximate the posterior probability density function to be Gaussian. The update law of the mean and variance is formulated as the evaluation of several integrals depending on certain parameters. Unlike existing methods, such as the extended Kalman filter (EKF), unscented Kalman filter (UKF), and particle filter (PF), this formulation considers the nonlinearity of system dynamics exactly. To evaluate the integrals efficiently, we introduce an integral transform motivated by the moment generating function (MGF), which we call a quasi MGF. Furthermore, the quasi MGF is compatible with the Fourier transform of differential operators. We utilize this compatibility to decrease the number of computations of Gröbner bases in the noncommutative rings of differential operators, which reduces the offline computational time. A numerical example is presented to show the efficiency of the proposed method compared to that of other existing methods such as the EKF, UKF, and PF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to determine the coacervation properties of high‐molecular‐weight (HMW) tissue‐derived elastin (TDE) and to examine the potential use of TDE particles as a cosmetic biomaterial. TDE solutions were filtered and divided into three fractions (1–3) according to the molecular weight of the elastin. The turbidity of fraction 2, which contained a large portion (58%) of HMW elastin polypeptides (>100 kDa), was measured under several pH values (3.0–11.0) and NaCl concentrations (0–1000 mM) to examine its coacervation ability. HMW TDE exhibited coacervation under the physiological conditions (temperature, pH, and NaCl concentration) of the skin surface. We performed inclusion and release experiments using three model chemicals with different molecular weights and measured the size and zeta potential of the fraction 3 particles to investigate the suitability of HMW elastin polypeptides. Fraction 3, which contained a larger portion (64%) of HMW elastin polypeptides, displayed a strong coacervation property at a phase transition temperature of 19.8 ± 0.1°C. The inclusion ratio of the model chemical Biebrich Scarlet (BS) with a molecular weight of <600 was approximately 92.1 ± 0.7%. The release profiles of BS from the particles linearly increased and reached a plateau after 15 days. Moreover, the average size of the particles with BS was 474.2 ± 24.6 nm. The low‐molecular‐weight (LMW) elastin peptides have moisturizing and whitening functions for the skin. We concluded that TDE, as a mixture of HMW polypeptides and LMW peptides, can potentially serve as a multifunctional and effective cosmetic biomaterial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cold‐formed steel‐framed gypsum partition walls (hereinafter referred to as partition walls) sustain the seismic damage induced by small story drifts. The impacts on the functional deterioration and monetary loss of buildings are enhanced in earthquake events where structural damages are limited. Although the boundaries of partition walls vary by location in a building structure, the existing studies assume a typical partition wall surrounded by a frame consisting of columns and girders. In particular, the vertical boundary members vary from a column, stud column, and wall panel. Our present work investigates the influence of the boundaries on seismic damage and fragility assessment of partition walls using an experimental dataset of cold‐formed steel‐framed gypsum partition walls with various boundaries obtained at an E‐Defense shake table on a four‐story steel frame. A damage mechanism model considering the deformation and rigid body motion of the partition walls and boundaries suitably explains the observed damage variations and underlying mechanisms. This study also presents the non‐negligible impact of boundaries on the fragility and expected repair time and cost model of the partition walls. The presented results are critical in providing references for the layout of partition walls, damage predictions, construction improvements, and repair strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To conduct a national questionnaire survey of Japanese urologists on active surveillance (AS) for low‐ and intermediate‐risk prostate cancer (PCa). Methods: A questionnaire was sent to 922 Japanese Urological Association Teaching Base Hospitals. The items included were years of experience as a urologist, sex, workplace, treatment equipment owned, specialty area of daily practice, specialty area of urological cancer, and six hypothetical cases of AS. The cases were categorized by the following Gleason scores: 3 + 3 low risk of PCa, 3 + 4 intermediate risk, and 4 + 3 intermediate risk, with or without comorbidities for each case. Comorbidities were defined as cardiovascular diseases or illnesses warranting anticoagulant therapy. Results: Altogether, 1962 questionnaires were analyzed. Responses were almost equally distributed among all age groups. Workplaces included general hospitals (49.4%), university hospitals (40.3%), and cancer centers (4.2%). Percentages of proposed AS for low risk/no comorbidity, low risk/with comorbidity, intermediate‐risk 3 + 4/no comorbidity, intermediate risk 3 + 4/with comorbidity, intermediate risk 4 + 3/no comorbidity, and intermediate risk 4 + 3/with comorbidity were 90.5%, 90%, 39.5%, 48.7%, 15%, and 22%, respectively. Analysis of the correspondents' backgrounds showed that the more the urologists' years of experience, the less they were to advise AS of low‐risk patients. In the presence of comorbidities, urologists across all age groups tended to propose AS, even in the same Gleason grade group. Cancer center urologists recommended AS more often than their counterparts at general and university hospitals. Conclusions: Approximately 40% of urologists proposed AS for intermediate‐risk cases, confirming that AS for intermediate‐risk patients is being considered in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elastin‐like peptides (ELPs) exhibit a reversible phase transition, known as coacervation, triggered by temperature changes. This property makes them useful as stimuli‐responsive molecular materials for various applications. Among ELPs, short peptide chain lengths have some advantages over long peptide chain lengths because short ELPs can be easily obtained by chemical synthesis, allowing the use of various amino acids, including D‐type and unnatural amino acids, at any position in the sequence. Moreover, the incorporated amino acids readily affect the temperature‐responsive behavior of ELPs. However, to be utilized in various applications, it is necessary to develop short ELPs and to investigate their temperature‐responsive properties. To obtain further insights into the temperature‐responsive behavior of the short ELPs, we investigated branched short ELP analogs composed of (FPGVG)n chains (n = 1 or 2, abbreviated as F1 and F2, respectively). We synthesized multimers composed of four F1 chains or two to four F2 chains using ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) as a central component of multimerization. Our results show that the multimers obtained exhibited coacervation in aqueous solutions whereas linear F1 or F2 did not. Furthermore, the structural features of the obtained multimers were the same as those of linear (FPGVG)4. In this study, we demonstrated that molecules capable of coacervation can be obtained by multimerization of F1 or F2. The temperature‐responsive molecules obtained using short ELPs make it possible to use them as easy‐to‐synthesize peptide tags to confer temperature responsiveness to various molecules, which will aid the development of temperature‐responsive biomaterials with a wide variety of functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elastin‐like peptides (ELPs) are thermoresponsive biopolymers inspired by the characteristic repetitive sequences of natural elastin. As ELPs exhibit temperature‐dependent reversible self‐assembly, they are expected to be biocompatible thermoresponsive materials for drug delivery carriers. One of the most widely studied ELPs in this field is the repetitive pentapeptide, (VPGXG)n. We previously reported that phenylalanine‐containing ELP (Fn) analogs, in which the former Val residue of the repetitive sequence (VPGVG)n is replaced by Phe, show coacervation with a short chain length (n = 5). Owing to their short sequences, Fn analogs are easily modified in amino acid sequences via simple chemical synthesis, and are useful for investigating the relationship between peptide sequences and temperature responsiveness. In this study, we developed Fn analogs by replacing Phe residue(s) with other amino acids or introducing another amino acid at the N‐terminus. The temperature responsiveness of the Fn analogs changed drastically with the substitution of a single Phe residue, suggesting that aromatic amino acids play an important role in their self‐assembly. In addition, the self‐assembling ability of Fn was enhanced by increasing the bulkiness of the N‐terminal amino acids. Therefore, the N‐terminal residue was considered to be important for hydrophobicity‐induced intermolecular interactions between the peptides during coacervation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In wind turbine optimization, the standard power regulation strategy follows a constrained trajectory based on the maximum power coefficient. It can be updated automatically during the optimization process by solving a nested maximization problem at each iteration. We argue that this model does not take advantage of the load alleviation potential of the regulation strategy and additionally requires significant computational effort. An alternative approach is proposed, where the rotational speed and pitch angle control points for the entire operation range are set as design variables, changing the problem formulation from nested to one‐level. The nested and one‐level formulations are theoretically and numerically compared on different aerodynamic blade design optimization problems for AEP maximization. The aerodynamics are calculated with a steady‐state blade element momentum method. The one‐level approach increases the design freedom of the problem and allows introducing a secondary objective in the design of the regulation strategy. Numerical results indicate that a standard regulation strategy can still emerge from a one‐level optimization. Second, we illustrate that novel optimal regulation strategies can emerge from the one‐level optimization approach. This is demonstrated by adding a thrust penalty term and a constraint on the maximum thrust. A region of minimal thrust tracking and a peak‐shaving strategy appear automatically in the optimal design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The Task Group 218 (TG‐218) report was published by the American Association of Physicists in Medicine in 2018, recommending the appropriate use of gamma index analysis for patient‐specific quality assurance (PSQA). The paper demonstrates that PSQA for radiotherapy in Japan appropriately applies the gamma index analysis considering TG‐218. Materials/methods: This survey estimated the acceptance state of radiotherapeutic institutes or facilities in Japan for the guideline using a web‐based questionnaire. To investigate an appropriate PSQA of the facility‐specific conditions, we researched an optimal tolerance or action level for various clinical situations, including different treatment machines, clinical policies, measurement devices, staff or their skills, and patient conditions. The responded data were analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA) and multidimensional scaling (MDS). The PCA focused on factor loading values of the first contribution over 0.5, whereas the MDS focused on mapped distances among data. Results: Responses were obtained from 148 facilities that use intensity‐modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), which accounted for 42.8% of the probable IMRT use in Japan. This survey revealed the appropriate application of the following universal criteria for gamma index analysis from the guideline recommendation despite the facility‐specific variations (treatment machines/the number of IMRT cases/facility attributes/responded [representative] expertise or staff): (a) 95% pass rate, (b) 3% dose difference and 2‐mm distance‐to‐agreement, and (c) 10% threshold dose. Conditions (a)–(c) were the principal components of the data by the PCA method and were mapped in a similar distance range, which was easily clustered from other gamma index analytic factors by the MDS method. Conditions (a)–(c) were the universally essential factors for the PSQA in Japan. Conclusion: We found that the majority of facilities using IMRT in each region of Japan complied with the guideline and conducted PSQA with deliberation under the individual facility‐specific conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A physics‐informed neural network (PINN), which has been recently proposed by Raissi et al. [J Comput Phys. 2019;378:686–707], is applied to the partial differential equation (PDE) of liquid film flows. The PDE considered is the time evolution of the thickness distribution h(x,t)$$ h\left(x,t\right) $$ owing to the Laplace pressure, which involves fourth‐order spatial derivative and fourth‐order nonlinear term. Even for such a PDE, it is confirmed that the PINN can predict the solutions with sufficient accuracy. Nevertheless, some improvements are needed in training convergence and accuracy of the solutions. The precision of floating‐point numbers is a critical issue for the present PDE. When the calculation is executed with a single precision floating‐point number, the optimization is terminated due to the loss of significant digits. Calculation of the automatic differentiation dominates the computational time required for training and becomes exponentially longer with increasing order of derivatives. By splitting the original fourth‐order single PDE into lower‐order coupled PDEs, the computational time for each training iteration is greatly reduced. The sampling density of training data also significantly affects training convergence. For the problem considered in this study, improved convergence was obtained by allowing the sampling density of training data to be greater in earlier time ranges, where the rapid flattening of the thickness occurs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: To clarify whether there were any significant differences in clinical symptoms and eating patterns between functional dyspepsia (FD) patients and FD with pancreatic enzyme abnormalities (FD‐P) patients as refractory FD, we compared these factors in multicenter studies in Singapore and Japan. Methods: One hundred ninety‐eight consecutive patients presenting with FD (n = 88), FD‐P patients (n = 81) based on Rome III classification and controlled group (n = 39) recruited from six institutions in Singapore and Japan. Clinical characteristics, clinical symptoms for dietary fat intake, and eating behaviors were estimated using questionnaires. Anxiety and health‐related quality of life were determined by STAI‐state/‐trait and SF‐8, respectively. Results: There were no significant differences in age, sex, BMI, smoking, alcohol intake, past medical history, and history of allergy in FD and FD‐P patients between Singapore and Japan. There were no significant differences in FD subtypes, gastrointestinal symptom rating scale score, severity of FD symptoms, and eating pattern in Singapore and Japan. Moreover, there were significant differences in certain eating behaviors between FD and FD‐P patients in Singapore and Japan. Interestingly, epigastric pain and early satiety following fat meals in FD‐P patients were significantly (P = 0.003 and P = 0.008, respectively) higher compared with those in FD patients in Japan. Physical component score in FD‐P patients was significantly (P = 0.019) disturbed compared with those in FD patients in Japan. Conclusions: Epigastric pain and early satiety following fat meals in FD‐P patients may be useful tools to differentiate FD‐P patients from FD patients in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thioredoxin, encoded by Txn1, is a critical antioxidant that protects against oxidative damage by regulating the dithiol/disulfide balance of interacting proteins. We recently discovered the Adem rat, an epileptic rat harboring the Txn1‐F54L mutation, characterized by wild running and vacuolar degeneration in the midbrain. This study aimed to characterize the classification of epilepsy in Adem rats. We performed simultaneous video‐electroencephalographic recordings, magnetic resonance imaging, neurotransmitter measurements using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC‐MS), and immunohistochemistry. Adem rats exhibited absence, tonic, and focal seizures. The type of epilepsy was classified as combined generalized and focal epilepsy. Neurotransmitters in the midbrain and cortex were measured at 3 weeks of age, when neuronal cell death occurs in the midbrain. The results of GC‐MS ruled out the dominance of the excitatory system in the midbrain and cortex of Adem rats. Activation of astrocytes and microglia was more pronounced at 5 weeks of age, at which time epileptic seizures occurred frequently. The underlying pathology in Adem rats remains unknown. However, glial cell activation and inflammation may play a significant role in the occurrence of epilepsy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we introduce the double traveling salesman problem with partial last‐in‐first‐out loading constraints (DTSPPL). It is a pickup‐and‐delivery single‐vehicle routing problem, where all pickup operations must be performed before any delivery operation because the pickup‐and‐delivery areas are geographically separated. The vehicle collects items in the pickup area and loads them into its container, a horizontal stack. After performing all pickup operations, the vehicle begins delivering the items in the delivery area. Loading and unloading operations must obey a partial last‐in‐first‐out (LIFO) policy, that is, a version of the LIFO policy that may be violated within a given reloading depth. The objective of the DTSPPL is to minimize the total cost, which involves the total distance traveled by the vehicle and the number of items that are unloaded and then reloaded due to violations of the standard LIFO policy. We formally describe the DTSPPL through two integer linear programming (ILP) formulations and propose a heuristic algorithm based on the biased random‐key genetic algorithm (BRKGA) to find high‐quality solutions. The performance of the proposed solution approaches is assessed over a broad set of instances. Computational results have shown that both ILP formulations have been able to solve only the smaller instances, whereas the BRKGA obtained good‐quality solutions for almost all instances, requiring short computational times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To investigate the association between psychotropic prescriptions and the total amount of psychotropics ingested during a subsequent intentional overdose and to examine factors related to the number of psychotropic prescriptions. Methods: The initial sample comprised 69 patients who were admitted to the emergency department of a general hospital in Japan following an intentional overdose via psychotropic medications. We performed retrospective hierarchical multiple regression analysis with the total amount of psychotropics ingested at the overdose as a dependent variable and factors related to deliberate self‐harm or overdose identified in previous studies as independent variables. We compared two models, one that did not (Step 1) and one that did (Step 2) include the number of different prescribed psychotropic medications as an independent variable in the analysis. Results: Forty‐seven patients were eligible for the analysis. The number of different prescribed psychotropic medications was associated with the total amount of psychotropics ingested at the overdose in Step 2 (β = 0.40, P =.01). There was a trend toward an association between the past number of deliberate self‐harm events and the total amount of psychotropics ingested at the overdose in Step 1 (β = 0.30, P =.05), but this trend was weakened in Step 2 (β = 0.15, P =.33). Conclusion: The number of different prescribed psychotropics appeared to influence the risk of subsequent intentional overdose through increasing the total amount of psychotropics ingested. Cumulative psychotropic prescriptions, particularly those delivered after deliberate self‐harm, might be indirectly related to this risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies show that muscle mass and metabolic function are interlinked. Muscle RING finger 1 (MuRF1) is a critical muscle‐specific ubiquitin ligase associated with muscle atrophy. Yet, the molecular target of MuRF1 in atrophy and aging remains unclear. We examined the role of MuRF1 in aging, using MuRF1‐deficient (MuRF1–/–) mice in vivo, and MuRF1‐overexpressing cell in vitro. MuRF1 deficiency partially prevents age‐induced skeletal muscle loss in mice. Interestingly, body weight and fat mass of more than 7‐month‐old MuRF1–/– mice were lower than in MuRF1+/+ mice. Serum and muscle metabolic parameters and results of indirect calorimetry suggest significantly higher energy expenditure and enhanced lipid metabolism in 3‐month‐old MuRF1–/– mice than in MuRF1+/+ mice, resulting in suppressed adipose tissue gain during aging. Pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 (PDK4) is crucial for a switch from glucose to lipid metabolism, and the interaction between MuRF1 and PDK4 was examined. PDK4 protein levels were elevated in mitochondria from the skeletal muscle in MuRF1–/– mice. In vitro, MuRF1 interacted with PDK4 but did not induce degradation through ubiquitination. Instead, SUMO posttranscriptional modification (SUMOylation) of PDK4 was detected in MuRF1‐overexpressing cells, in contrast to cells without the RING domain of MuRF1. MuRF1 deficiency enhances lipid metabolism possibly by upregulating PDK4 localization into mitochondrial through prevention of SUMOylation. Inhibition of MuRF1‐mediated PDK4 SUMOylation is a potential therapeutic target for age‐related dysfunction of lipid metabolism and muscle atrophy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uterus transplantation (UTx) is now a treatment for women with uterine factor infertility to have a child. However, UTx is still largely at the experimental stage, and many medical issues remain unsolved. Therefore, adequate studies in large animals including non‐human primates are required for validation of these issues. UTx research, especially in non‐human primates, can provide important information for its full establishment in humans due to the anatomical and physiological similarities between the two. We accumulated data from UTx studies using cynomolgus macaques since 2009 and established autologous and allogeneic UTx models which led to deliveries after performing the procedure. In this paper, we summarized key points to develop UTx models in cynomolgus macaques based on our experience. UTx models in non‐human primates can surely contribute new and beneficial knowledge in this field and can be useful for the further development of UTx in humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The causes of distinct patterns of reduced cortical thickness in the common human epilepsies, detectable on neuroimaging and with important clinical consequences, are unknown. We investigated the underlying mechanisms of cortical thinning using a systems‐level analysis. Methods: Imaging‐based cortical structural maps from a large‐scale epilepsy neuroimaging study were overlaid with highly spatially resolved human brain gene expression data from the Allen Human Brain Atlas. Cell‐type deconvolution, differential expression analysis and cell‐type enrichment analyses were used to identify differences in cell‐type distribution. These differences were followed up in post‐mortem brain tissue from humans with epilepsy using Iba1 immunolabelling. Furthermore, to investigate a causal effect in cortical thinning, cell‐type‐specific depletion was used in a murine model of acquired epilepsy. Results: We identified elevated fractions of microglia and endothelial cells in regions of reduced cortical thickness. Differentially expressed genes showed enrichment for microglial markers and, in particular, activated microglial states. Analysis of post‐mortem brain tissue from humans with epilepsy confirmed excess activated microglia. In the murine model, transient depletion of activated microglia during the early phase of the disease development prevented cortical thinning and neuronal cell loss in the temporal cortex. Although the development of chronic seizures was unaffected, the epileptic mice with early depletion of activated microglia did not develop deficits in a non‐spatial memory test seen in epileptic mice not depleted of microglia. Conclusions: These convergent data strongly implicate activated microglia in cortical thinning, representing a new dimension for concern and disease modification in the epilepsies, potentially distinct from seizure control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interval training (IT) results in improved fatigue resistance in skeletal muscle mainly due to an increased aerobic capacity, which involves increased muscle mitochondrial content and/or improved mitochondrial function. We hypothesized that IT with high‐intensity contractions is more effective in increasing mitochondrial function, and hence fatigue resistance, than low‐intensity contractions. To study this hypothesis without interference from differences in muscle fiber recruitment obliged to occur during voluntary contractions, IT was performed with in situ supramaximal electrical stimulation where all muscle fibers are recruited. We compared the effect of IT with repeated low‐intensity (20 Hz stimulation, IT20) and high‐intensity (100 Hz stimulation, IT100) contractions on fatigue resistance and mitochondrial content and function in mouse plantar flexor muscles. Muscles were stimulated every other day for 4 weeks. The averaged peak torque during IT bouts was 4.2‐fold higher with IT100 than with IT20. Both stimulation protocols markedly improved in situ fatigue resistance, although the improvement was larger with IT100. The citrate synthase activity, a biomarker of mitochondrial content, was similarly increased with IT20 and IT100. Conversely, increased expression of mitochondrial respiratory chain (MRC) complexes I, III, and IV was only observed with IT100 and this was accompanied by increases in MRC supercomplex formation and pyruvate‐malate‐driven state 3 respiration in isolated mitochondria. In conclusion, the IT‐induced increase in fatigue resistance is larger with high‐intensity than with low‐intensity contractions and this is linked to improved mitochondrial function due to increased expression of MRC complexes and assembly of MRC supercomplexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adrenal metastasis from endometrial cancer is extremely rare and has a poor prognosis, especially for bilateral adrenal metastases. It is usually asymptomatic without any adrenal hormonal abnormalities. A 50‐year‐old postmenopausal woman presented with acute right‐sided back pain and history of occasional abnormal uterine bleeding. She was diagnosed with endometrial cancer with ruptured bilateral adrenal metastases. She underwent total hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo‐oophorectomy, and the pathological findings revealed dedifferentiated carcinoma. After three courses of adjuvant chemotherapy, the bilateral adrenal metastases had increased in size, with worsening back pain and adrenal hormone insufficiency. The patient died 6 months after the identification of adrenal tumors. Acute back pain may lead to the identification of a ruptured adrenal metastasis. The possibility of gradual adrenal insufficiency should be considered in bilateral adrenal metastases. Although the prognosis is poor, tumor debulking surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy could be suggested to improve the prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alpha‐tricalcium phosphate (α‐TCP), which can be converted to calcium‐deficient hydroxyapatite (HA) by hydrolysis reaction, has been researched as a bone filling. Although the composites of α‐TCP with various organic molecules can exhibit a novel functionality, the reaction based on the addition of the interactive organic molecules has not been understood. Investigation of the hydrolysis conversion process under various conditions can lead to the elucidation of the biomineralization process. In this study, we investigated the hydrolysis conversion of α‐TCP to HA in the presence of orotic acid (Ort). As a result, the conversion rate from α‐TCP to HA at the reaction time of 3 h was improved to be more than five times as compared to that in the absence of Ort. Moreover, the addition of Ort promoted the crystal growth and suppressed the crystal growth in the m‐plane direction. Furthermore, the mechanism for promoting HA formation is assumed to be related to the molecular structure of Ort, which is capable of forming the interactions between carboxylate and Ca2+ ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A heterometallic M−M′ bond formation is a key to construct atomically precise bimetallic clusters and materials. However, it is sometimes not straightforward to construct a heterometallic M−M′ bond through conventional methods including redox condensation. Here, we found that a sandwich framework of π‐conjugated unsaturated hydrocarbon ligands provides a unique coordination environment that facilitates unusual coupling of d8 RhI and d10 M0 (M=Pd, Pt). The molecular orbital analysis showed that the electron‐accepting ability of the sandwich framework through back‐donation allows the formation of a dσ‐type Rh−Pd bond in a (d–d)18 electron system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clinical use of topical ascorbic acid solution could have both the role as an adjunct to consolidated therapies and as an alternative to them, for the treatment of BCC and SCC of the skin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The evaluation of transition readiness is indispensable for long‐term follow‐ups of adolescent patients with childhood‐onset chronic diseases (CCD). We developed a Japanese version of the TRANSITION‐Q (TRANSITION‐Q‐J) and used it to assess Japanese patients with CCD. Methods: The TRANSITION‐Q‐J was developed through forward and backward translations followed by cognitive interviews with five adolescent patients. The field test was conducted with 125 adolescent patients, and a retest was conducted with 113 adolescent patients. Results: Confirmatory factor analysis supported the two‐factor analysis model including F1 (communication and self‐management) and F2 (examination behavior). Sufficient internal consistency and test‐retest reliability were demonstrated among the total 14 items, F1, and F2 (Cronbach's α > 0.80, intraclass correlation coefficient > 0.85). Convergent and discriminant validity for the 14 items and F1 were acceptable; however, F2 did not correlate significantly with the Rosenberg Self‐Esteem Scale and Independent Consciousness Scale. Regarding known‐groups validity, the older group had a significantly higher mean TRANSITION‐Q‐J score (50.05) than the younger group (43.28; P = 0.04). The same results were found for both F1 and F2. Conclusions: The TRANSITION‐Q‐J for adolescent patients with CCD was developed and its reliability and validity were verified. This scale is easy to administer. In addition to being a tool for transition period support, it could be used to verify effective factors and in program outcome evaluation, including intervention studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]