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Abstract Electron transfer is a fundamental energy conversion process widely present in synthetic, industrial, and natural systems. Understanding the electron transfer process is important to exploit the uniqueness of the low-dimensional van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures because interlayer electron transfer produces the function of this class of material. Here, we show the occurrence of an electron transfer process in one-dimensional layer-stacking of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs). This observation makes use of femtosecond broadband optical spectroscopy, ultrafast time-resolved electron diffraction, and first-principles theoretical calculations. These results reveal that near-ultraviolet photoexcitation induces an electron transfer from the conduction bands of CNT to BNNT layers via electronic decay channels. This physical process subsequently generates radial phonons in the one-dimensional vdW heterostructure material. The gathered insights unveil the fundamentals physics of interfacial interactions in low dimensional vdW heterostructures and their photoinduced dynamics, pushing their limits for photoactive multifunctional applications.

Abstract Background Although it is generally thought that disturbance of perfusion in the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland leads to complete or partial hypopituitarism, the gadolinium (Gd) enhancement findings on Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of patients with growth hormone deficiency (GHD) remain unknown. The purpose of this study was to compare Gd enhancement of the pituitary gland on MRI of patients with GHD to that of healthy subjects. Methods In this retrospective study, we analyzed the data of 10 patients with clinically diagnosed GHD who underwent Gd-enhanced MRI of their pituitaries (age 8.3 $$\pm$$ 3.5 year, female 1, males 9), together with data of 5 patients with clinically normal growth hormone (GH) dynamics who also underwent Gd-enhanced pituitary MRI (age 6.2 $$\pm$$ 3.4 year, female 4, males 1). In each subject, a maximum-diameter region of interest (ROI) was drawn on the anterior pituitary gland of post Gd-enhanced coronal T1-weighted images, and the signal intensity ratio of the anterior pituitary gland to the white matter on the right temporal lobe of the same cross section was assessed. Results The mean area of the ROI in the anterior pituitary gland and white matter of temporal lobe on the same cross section showed no significant differences between patients with GHD and those with normal GH (pituitary, 17.43 mm2 $$\pm$$ 8.24 vs. 21.08 mm2 $$\pm$$ 10.40, p = 1.00; white matter, 74.47mm2 $$\pm$$ 24.19 and 62.50 mm2 $$\pm$$ 17.90, p = 0.37), suggesting that the sizes of the pituitary glands were comparable. The ratios of Gd enhancement in the anterior pituitary gland showed significant differences between GHD and normal-GH subjects ( $$\pm$$ $$0.716\pm$$ 0.68 $$\pm$$ 0.26 vs. $$0.72\pm$$ 0.16, p= 0.04). Conclusions These results suggested that the contrast effect on Gd-enhanced MRI is attenuated in the pituitary glands of patients with GHD compared to those with normal GH. These new clinical findings regarding Gd-enhanced MRI can assist the diagnosis of pediatric GHD.

Abstract Temperature-dependent studies of Ga2O3-based heterojunction devices are important in understanding its carrier transport mechanism, junction barrier potential, and stability at higher temperatures. In this study, we investigated the temperature-dependent device characteristics of the p-type γ-copper iodide (γ-CuI)/n-type β-gallium oxide (β‐Ga2O3) heterojunctions, thereby revealing their interface properties. The fabricated γ-CuI/β-Ga2O3 heterojunction showed excellent diode characteristics with a high rectification ratio and low reverse saturation current at 298 K in the presence of a large barrier height (0.632 eV). The temperature-dependent device characteristics were studied in the temperature range 273–473 K to investigate the heterojunction interface. With an increase in temperature, a gradual decrease in the ideality factor and an increase in the barrier height were observed, indicating barrier inhomogeneity at the heterojunction interface. Furthermore, the current–voltage measurement showed electrical hysteresis for the reverse saturation current, although it was not observed for the forward bias current. The presence of electrical hysteresis for the reverse saturation current and of the barrier inhomogeneity in the temperature-dependent characteristics indicates the presence of some level of interface states for the γ-CuI/β‐Ga2O3 heterojunction device. Thus, our study showed that the electrical hysteresis can be correlated with temperature-dependent electrical characteristics of the β‐Ga2O3-based heterojunction device, which signifies the presence of surface defects and interface states. Article Highlights We revealed the interface properties of p-type γ-copper iodide (γ-CuI) and n-type β-gallium oxide (β-Ga2O3) heterojunction. The developed heterostructure showed a large barrier height (0.632 eV) at the interface, which is stable at a temperature as high as 473 K. We confirmed the current transport mechanism at the interface of the heterojunction by analyzing the temperature dependent current–voltage characterization. Graphic abstract

Investigating the neurocircuit and synaptic sites of action of oxytocin (OT) in the brain is critical to the role of OT in social memory and behavior. To the same degree, it is important to understand how OT is transported to the brain from the peripheral circulation. To date, of these, many studies provide evidence that CD38, CD157, and receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) act as regulators of OT concentrations in the brain and blood. It has been shown that RAGE facilitates the uptake of OT in mother’s milk from the digestive tract to the cell surface of intestinal epithelial cells to the body fluid and subsequently into circulation in male mice. RAGE has been shown to recruit circulatory OT into the brain from blood at the endothelial cell surface of neurovascular units. Therefore, it can be said that extracellular OT concentrations in the brain (hypothalamus) could be determined by the transport of OT by RAGE from the circulation and release of OT from oxytocinergic neurons by CD38 and CD157 in mice. In addition, it has recently been found that gavage application of a precursor of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, nicotinamide riboside, for 12 days can increase brain OT in mice. Here, we review the evaluation of the new concept that RAGE is involved in the regulation of OT dynamics at the interface between the brain, blood, and intestine in the living body, mainly by summarizing our recent results due to the limited number of publications on related topics. And we also review other possible routes of OT recruitment to the brain.

Abstract Background Conductive sheets of cellulose and carbon nanomaterials and its human skin applications are an interesting research aspect as they have potential for applications for skin compatibility. Hence it is needed to explore the effects and shed light on these applications. Method To fabricate wearable, portable, flexible, lightweight, inexpensive, and biocompatible composite materials, carbon nanohorns (CNHs) and hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC) were used as precursors to prepare CNH-HEC (Cnh-cel) composite sheets. Cnh-cel sheets were prepared with different loading concentrations of CNHs (10, 20 50,100 mg) in 200 mg cellulose. To fabricate the bio-compatible sheets, a pristine composite of CNHs and HEC was prepared without any pretreatment of the materials. Results The obtained sheets possess a conductivity of 1.83 × 10− 10 S/m and bio-compatible with human skin. Analysis for skin-compatibility was performed for Cnh-cel sheets by h-CLAT in vitro skin sensitization tests to evaluate the activation of THP-1 cells. It was found that THP-1 cells were not activated by Cnh-cel; hence Cnh-cel is a safe biomaterial for human skin. It was also found that the composite allowed only a maximum loading of 100 mg to retain the consistent geometry of free-standing sheets of

Abstract Background Aquaporin (AQP) 1 expression has been linked with tumor malignancy but its role in glioblastoma (GBM), a lethal glioma, remains to be clarified. Methods AQP1 expression was examined in 33 human GBM specimens by immunohistochemistry. GBM cells (U251 and U87) that stably express AQP1 were established and used for cellular proliferation, migration, invasion, and vascular tube formation assays. The GeneChip assay was used to identify differentially expressed genes in AQP1‐expressing cells. Results AQP1 was expressed only in tumor cells. AQP1 dose‐dependently accelerated cell migration and invasion, but not proliferation, in GBM cell lines. AQP1 also upregulated cathepsin B, focal adhesion kinase and activities of matrix metalloproteinase 9. AQP1 in GBM cells induced wall thickness of ECV304, vascular endothelial cells, in a contact‐dependent manner. Downregulation of thrombospondin type 1 domain containing 7A (THSD7A) was identified in AQP1‐expressing GBM cells in vitro, and was negatively correlated with AQP1 expression in human GBM specimens. Conclusion AQP1 is involved in tumor malignancy by facilitating the migration and invasion of GBM cells, and promoting the formation of vascular beds that are characteristic of GBM by downregulating THSD7A.

Photoisomerization of molecules is used to control the structure of soft matter but the response of molecules during isomerization is difficult to elucidate. Here the authors describe ultrafast formation of higher-orientation of liquid-crystalline azobenzene molecules via linearly polarized UV light using time-resolved electron diffraction.

Although arachnoid cysts can occur at the cerebellopontine angle or in the quadrigeminal cistern, they rarely manifest as trigeminal neuralgia. This is the first report of a patient with bilateral trigeminal neuralgia due to an arachnoid cyst at the cerebellopontine angle that has been treated effectively through pure endoscopic management. A 44-year-old woman presented with left-sided trigeminal neuralgia caused by an arachnoid cyst at the left cerebellopontine angle. At that time, the cyst was opened using an ipsilateral suboccipital approach. Twenty-three years later, she presented again with left-sided trigeminal neuralgia, and 2 months later, she became aware of right-sided trigeminal neuralgia. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed recurrence of a large arachnoid cyst at the left cerebellopontine angle extending into the quadrigeminal cistern with obstructive hydrocephalus. Endoscopic cyst fenestration through the ipsilateral lateral ventricle was performed without any complications, resulting in the complete and immediate dissipation of neuralgia and obvious shrinkage of the cyst. The trigeminal neuralgia in this case was attributed to compression of the trigeminal nerve by the cyst. In addition, the contralateral neuralgia was speculated to arise through changes in the stretch and angulation of the trigeminal nerve. Our case suggests that endoscopic treatment is an effective and less invasive procedure for cyst fenestration.

Background: Infection of Lomentospora (Scedosporium) spp. is very rare but high mortality. Above all, a fungal aneurysm due to Lomentospora spp. is extremely rare. The prognosis of ruptured fungal aneurysm due to Lomentospora spp. is remarkably poor in spite of proper surgical treatment and chemotherapy. Case Description: A 70-year-old female who was having chemotherapy for acute myeloid leukemia suffered from a sudden onset of severe consciousness disturbance. A brain computed tomography (CT) scan revealed large hematoma at the right parietal lobe adjacent to subdural hematoma with a slight subarachnoid hemorrhage. Three dimensional-CT angiography showed an intracranial aneurysm at the right peripheral portion of the middle cerebral artery. Surgical clipping and resection of the aneurysm were successfully performed on the same day. Lomentospora prolificans was identified on the blood culture, and pathological examination of the aneurysmal wall recognized fungus body and hypha. Voriconazole (VRCZ) was administered immediately. However, she died of multiple organ failure 14 days after surgery. Conclusion: In all previously reported cases, fungal aneurysm after a Lomentospora infection led to miserable sequelae even if the aneurysm was properly treated, and VRCZ was administrated. The peripheral portion of the aneurysm due to lomentosporiosis has never been reported. Hematogenous transmission was suggested as a possible developing mechanism.

Background: Pituitary adenomas show typical visual field defects that begin superiorly and progress inferiorly. The cause of atypical visual field defects that start inferiorly remains unclear. This study aimed to understand this phenomenon using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Methods: A total of 220 patients with pituitary adenomas underwent a visual field assessment of both eyes. Preoperative visual fields were assessed and classified into two types: superior quadrantanopia (typical) and inferior quadrantanopia (atypical). Several parameters related to tumor characteristics and optic nerve compression were evaluated using MRI. Results: Of the 440 eyes examined, 174 (39.5%) had visual field defects. Of these, 28 (16.1%) had typical and 11 (6.3%) had atypical visual field defects. Patient age, tumor size, degree of cavernous sinus invasion, tumor pathology, and intratumor bleeding were similar between the two groups. The angle formed by the optic nerve in the optic canal and in the intracranial subarachnoid space at the exit of the optic canal (degree of optic nerve bending) was significantly larger in the atypical group than in the typical group (42.6° vs. 23.9°, P = 0.046). Conclusion: In some pituitary adenomas, visual field defects begin inferiorly. This may be caused by optic nerve compression on the superior surface by the bony margin of the optic canal exit. Therefore, pituitary adenomas should be considered in patients with atypical visual field defects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ventricular fibrillation and atrial fibrillation are well-known arrhythmias in patients with Brugada syndrome. This study evaluated the characteristics of the atrial arrhythmogenic substrate using the signal-averaged electrogram (SAECG) in patients with Brugada syndrome. Methods: SAECGs were performed during normal sinus rhythm in 23 normal volunteers (control group), 21 patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF; PAF group), and 21 with Brugada syndrome (Brugada group). Results: The filtered P wave duration (fPd) in the control, Brugada, and PAF groups was 113.9 ± 12.9 ms, 125.3 ± 15.0 ms, and 137.1 ± 16.3 ms, respectively. The fPd in the PAF group was significantly longer compared to that in the control and Brugada groups (p

Abstract Plasmonic metamaterials have overcome fundamental limitations in conventional optics by their capability to engineer material resonances and dispersions at will, holding great promise for sensing applications. Recent demonstrations of metamaterial sensors, however, have mainly relied on their resonant nature for strong optical interactions with molecules, but few examples fully exploit their functionality to manipulate the polarization of light. Here, we present cross-polarized surface-enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA) by the Fano-resonant asymmetric metamaterial allowing for strong background suppression as well as significant field enhancement. The metamaterial is designed to exhibit the controlled Fano resonance with the cross-polarization conversion property at 1730 cm−1, which spectrally overlaps with the C=O vibrational mode. In the cross-polarized SEIRA measurement, the C=O mode of poly(methyl methacrylate) molecules is clearly observed as a distinct dip within a Fano-resonant transmission peak of the metamaterial. The vibrational signal contrast is then improved based on the cross-polarized detection scheme where only the light interacting with the metamaterial-molecular coupled system is detected by totally eliminating the unwanted background light. Our metamaterial approach achieves the zeptomole sensitivity with a large signal-to-noise ratio in the far-field measurement, paving the way toward the realization of ultrasensitive IR inspection technologies.

A 64 year-old man underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), and the conus branch was occluded. Ventricular fibrillation (VF) occurred five hours after the PCI procedure with a Brugada-like electrocardiogram. A continuous injection of amiodarone was effective for the suppression of VF.

Carbon nanotube yarns (CNY) are a novel carbonaceous material and have received a great deal of interest since the beginning of the 21st century. CNY are of particular interest due to their useful heat conducting, electrical conducting, and mechanical properties. The electrical conductivity of carbon nanotube yarns can also be influenced by functionalization and annealing. A systematical study of this post synthetic treatment will assist in understanding what factors influences the conductivity of these materials. In this investigation, it is shown that the electrical conductivity can be increased by a factor of 2 and 5.5 through functionalization with acids and high temperature annealing respectively. The scale of the enhancement is dependent on the reducing of intertube space in case of functionalization. For annealing, not only is the highly graphitic structure of the carbon nanotubes (CNT) important, but it is also shown to influence the residual amorphous carbon in the structure. The promising results of this study can help to utilize CNY as a replacement for common materials in the field of electrical wiring.

Carbon nanohorns (CNHs) are mixed with cellulose to make freestanding thin-film conductive sheets. CNHs, at different ratios (5, 10, 25, 50 wt%), form composites with cellulose (hydroxyethylcellulose). Freestanding cellulose–carbon nanohorn (CCN) sheets were fabricated using a 100 μ m-thick metal bar coater. Surfactants or any other chemical treatments to tailor the surface properties of CNHs were avoided to obtain composite sheets from pristine CNHs and cellulose. Utilizing the hygroscopic property of hydroxyethylcellulose and the electrical conductivity of CNHs paved a path to perform this experiment. The synthesis technique is simple, and the fabrication and drying of the sheets were effortless. As the loading concentration of CNH increased, the resistance, flexibility, and strength of the CCN composite sheets decreased. The maximum loading concentration possible to obtain a freestanding CCN sheet is 50 wt%. The resistance of the maximum loading concentration of CNH was 53 kΩ. The response of the CCN sheets to water vapor was 4 s and recover time was 13 s, and it is feasible to obtain a response for different concentrations of water vapor. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, resistance measurement, tensile strength measurement, and thermogravimetric analysis were used to investigate the mechanical, morphological, electrical, and chemical properties of the CCN sheets.

We fabricated thermally driven metal-free soft-actuators consisting of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) threads as the actuator and carbon nanotube (CNT) yarns as the heating source. The mechanical force, displacement, and response behavior of various structures of the coil-shaped soft-actuators were characterized. The actuation performance of the soft-actuators containing a homogeneous arrangement of PET threads and CNT yarns in their cross-sectional profile was the highest. The results of the calculations based on the heat diffusion equations indicated that inhomogeneous heat generation in the soft-actuator causes parts of the actuator to remain unheated and this interferes with the mechanical motions. Homogeneous thermal distribution in the soft-actuators, namely, the use of a multifilament structure, yields the highest performance in terms of the mechanical force and displacement.

Daytime radiative cooling potentially offers efficient passive cooling, but the performance is naturally limited by the environment, such as the ambient temperature and humidity. Here, we investigate the performance limit of daytime radiative cooling under warm and humid conditions in Okayama, Japan. A cooling device, consisting of alternating layers of SiO2 and poly(methyl methacrylate) on an Al mirror, is fabricated and characterized to demonstrate a high reflectance for sunlight and a selective thermal radiation in the mid-infrared region. In the temperature measurement under the sunlight irradiation, the device shows 3.4 °C cooler than a bare Al mirror, but 2.8 °C warmer than the ambient of 35 °C. The corresponding numerical analyses reveal that the atmospheric window in λ = 16 ∼ 25 μm is closed due to a high humidity, thereby limiting the net emission power of the device. Our study on the humidity influence on the cooling performance provides a general guide line of how one can achieve practical passive cooling in a warm humid environment.

BACKGROUND:Despite its recommendation by the current guidelines, the role of long-term oral beta-blocker therapy has never been evaluated by randomized trials in uncomplicated ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients without heart failure, left ventricular dysfunction or ventricular arrhythmia who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS AND RESULTS:In a multi-center, open-label, randomized controlled trial, STEMI patients with successful primary PCI within 24 hours from the onset and with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≥40% were randomly assigned in a 1-to-1 fashion either to the carvedilol group or to the no beta-blocker group within 7 days after primary PCI. The primary endpoint is a composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, hospitalization for heart failure, and hospitalization for acute coronary syndrome. Between August 2010 and May 2014, 801 patients were randomly assigned to the carvedilol group (N = 399) or the no beta-blocker group (N = 402) at 67 centers in Japan. The carvedilol dose was up-titrated from 3.4±2.1 mg at baseline to 6.3±4.3 mg at 1-year. During median follow-up of 3.9 years with 96.4% follow-up, the cumulative 3-year incidences of both the primary endpoint and any coronary revascularization were not significantly different between the carvedilol and no beta-blocker groups (6.8% and 7.9%, P = 0.20, and 20.3% and 17.7%, P = 0.65, respectively). There also was no significant difference in LVEF at 1-year between the 2 groups (60.9±8.4% and 59.6±8.8%, P = 0.06). CONCLUSION:Long-term carvedilol therapy added on the contemporary evidence-based medications did not seem beneficial in selected STEMI patients treated with primary PCI. TRIAL REGISTRATION:CAPITAL-RCT (Carvedilol Post-Intervention Long-Term Administration in Large-scale Randomized Controlled Trial) ClinicalTrials.gov.number, NCT 01155635.

Glioblastoma multiformes (GBMs) express increased aquaporin (AQP) 1 compared to normal brain. AQPs may contribute to edema, cell motility, shuttling of H2O and H+ from intracellular to extracellular space. We sought to gain insight into AQPs function in GBM. In cultured 9L gliosarcoma cells, AQPs expression was induced by dexamethasone, platelet-derived growth factor, NaCl, hypoxia, D-glucose (but not L-glucose), fructose. Induction of AQPs expression correlated with the level of glycolysis, maximized by increasing medium D-glucose or fructose and decreasing O2, was quantified by measuring lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity and medium lactate concentration. Upregulation of the protease cathepsin B was also observed in 9L cells cultured under glycolytic conditions. Immunohistochemical staining of human GBM specimens revealed increased coincident expression of AQPs, LDH, cathepsin B in glioma cells associated with blood vessels at the tumor periphery. GBMs are known to exhibit aerobic glycolysis. Increased glucose metabolism at the tumor periphery may provide a scenario by which upregulation of AQPs, LDH, cathepsin B contributes to acidification of the extracellular milieu and to invasive potential of glioma cells in perivascular space. The specific upregulation and metabolic consequences of increased AQPs in gliomas may provide a therapeutic target, both as a cell surface marker and as a functional intervention.

Abstract Background Stereotactic radiosurgery plays a critical role in the treatment of central nervous system neoplasm and cerebrovascular malformations. This procedure is purportedly less invasive, but problems occurring later including tumor formation, necrosis, and vasculopathy-related diseases have been reported. Clinical Presentation We report on a 65-year-old man who had experienced a de novo aneurysm in an irradiated field and an acute onset of right hemiparesis and aphasia. He had undergone gamma knife radiosurgery to treat an arteriovenous malformation 15 and 12 years prior, with 18 and 22 Gy marginal doses. At current admission, radiologic studies showed a de novo aneurysm in the irradiated field without recurrence of malformation. The aneurysm was resected. Histologic findings showed a disruption of the internal elastic lamina accompanied by fibrous degeneration. Conclusion Stereotactic radiosurgery is a promising treatment tool, but long-term risks have not been fully researched. The treatment procedure for benign lesions should be chosen prudently.

A 65-year-old man presented to our hospital due to intermittent claudication and swelling in his left leg. He had Leriche syndrome and deep vein thrombosis. We performed endovascular therapy (EVT) for Leriche syndrome, and a temporary filter was inserted in the inferior vena cava. He received anticoagulation therapy for deep vein thrombosis. The stenotic lesion in the terminal aorta was stented with an excellent postprocedural angiographic result and dramatic clinical improvement after EVT. This case suggests that EVT can be a treatment for Leriche syndrome.

Owing to its unique properties, graphene has attracted tremendous attention in many research fields. There is a great space to develop graphene synthesis techniques by an efficient and environmentally friendly approach. In this paper, we report a facile method to synthesize well-dispersed multilayer graphene (MLG) without using any chemical reagents or organic solvents. This was achieved by the ozone-assisted sonication of the natural graphite in a water medium. The frequency or number of ozone treatments plays an important role for the dispersion in the process. The possible mechanism of graphene exfoliation and the introduction of functional groups have been postulated. The experimental setup is unique for ozone treatment and enables the elimination of ozone off-gas. The heat generated by the dissipation of ultrasonic waves was used as it is, and no additional heat was supplied. The graphene dispersion was stable, and no evidence of aggregation was observed---even after several months. The characterization results show that well-dispersed MLG was successfully synthesized without any significant damage to the overall structure. The graphene obtained by this method has potential applications in composite materials, conductive coatings, energy storage, and electronic devices.

Schwannomas of the orbit are very rare benign neoplasms. Intraorbital cystic schwannomas originating from the frontal nerve are even rarer, with only 1 case reported to date. This is most likely due to the fact that, in most cases, the origin of the orbital schwannoma cannot be identified intraoperatively. The nerve origin is usually speculated from histological examination of the specimen and the postoperative neurological deficits of the patient. Here, we present the case of a 65-year-old woman with a one-month history of exophthalmos, whose orbital cystic lesion was completely removed by microsurgical transcranial operation. Intraoperatively, the continuity between the tumor and frontal nerve was seen macroscopically, leading us to confirm the frontal nerve as an origin of the tumor, which was consistent with the postoperative neurological findings. The diagnosis of the tumor was established as schwannoma from the histological examination. As a differential diagnosis of the orbital cystic lesions, the possibility of schwannomas should be kept in mind.

Background: Internal carotid artery (ICA) aneurysms extending into the intrasellar region that mimics pituitary tumors and leads to pituitary dysfunction are relatively rare. The treatment for aneurysms includes surgery and endovascular procedures. However, functional recovery of the pituitary gland is difficult. Case Description: We report a case of a 43-year-old woman who presented with severe headaches and generalized malaise. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a giant unruptured cavernous ICA aneurysm that pushed the pituitary stalk contralaterally. A baseline endocrinological examination suggested panhypopituitarism. Hypopituitarism was treated with hormone replacement therapy, which improved the patient's symptoms of headaches and malaise after 4 days. The aneurysm was treated using a pipeline flow-diverting stent. Two years later, the aneurysm had reduced to half of its maximum diameter, and the pituitary stalk was visible on MRI. Hormone loading tests 1 week postoperatively showed almost no response. At postoperative 6 months, there was a trend toward improvement. Conclusion: Flow-diverting stent deployment is useful for large or giant carotid artery aneurysms with pituitary gland compression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A number of diarylmethanofullerene derivatives were synthesized. The cyclopropane ring of the derivatives has two aryl groups substituted with electron-withdrawing and -donating groups, the latter with long alkyl chains to improve solubility in organic solvents, an important property in processing cells. First reduction potentials of most derivatives were less negative than that of [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM), which is possibly ascribed to their electron-withdrawing nature. Organic thin-film photovoltaic cells fabricated with poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) as the electron-donor and diarylmethanofullerene derivatives as the electron-acceptor material were examined. The {(methoxycarbonyl)phenyl[bis(octyloxy)phenyl]methano}fullerene showed power conversion efficiency as high as PCBM, but had higher solubility in a variety of organic solvents than PCBM. The Voc value was higher than that of PCBM, which is derived from the electron-donating (octyloxy)phenyl group, possibly raising the LUMO level. Photovoltaic effects of the devices fabricated with the derivatives having some electron-withdrawing groups were also examined.

The receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) is expressed on human brain endothelial cells (HBEC) and is implicated in neuronal cell death after ischemia. We report that endogenous secretory RAGE (esRAGE) is a splicing variant form of RAGE that functions as a decoy against ischemia-induced neuronal cell damage. This study demonstrated that esRAGE was associated with heparan sulphate proteoglycans on HBEC. The parabiotic experiments between human esRAGE overexpressing transgenic (Tg), RAGE knockout (KO), and wild-type (WT) mice revealed a significant neuronal cell damage in the CA1 region of the WT side of parabiotic WT→WT mice, but not of Tg→WT mice, 7 days after bilateral common carotid artery occlusion. Human esRAGE was detected around the CA1 neurons in the WT side of the parabiotic Tg→WT pair, but not in the KO side of the Tg→KO pair. To elucidate the dynamic transfer of esRAGE into the brain, we used the blood-brain barrier (BBB) system (PharmaCo-Cell) with or without RAGE knockdown in endothelial cells. A RAGE-dependent transfer of esRAGE was demonstrated from the vascular to the brain side. These findings suggested that esRAGE is associated with heparan sulphate proteoglycans and is transferred into the brain via BBB to exert its neuroprotective effects in ischemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cystic vestibular schwannomas (CVSs) account for about 10% of VS. The efficacy of continuous facial nerve stimulation (CFS) was previously reported; however, it is often difficult to place the electrode at the root exit zone (REZ) in the early stage of surgical resection. We proposed a new method of intratumoral CFS (ICFS) by searching for the facial nerve through the cyst wall and leaving the spherically shaped electrode at this point. Methods: The cyst wall was opened, and the ventral side of the tumor wall was stimulated to search for the positive point of facial nerve stimulation and place the spherically shaped electrode for continuous stimulation at this point through the cyst cavity (intensity: 0.2-1.5 mA, frequency: 1 Hz). Safe surgical resection could be performed under ICFS in all three cases. Results: Good preservation of the facial nerve and extent of resection that was estimated preoperatively was achieved in all cases. Conclusion: ICFS is suitable for the preservation of facial nerve function in surgical resection of CVS in cases in which electrode placement at the REZ is difficult. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a rare disease that may affect the central nervous system; it is caused by dendritic cell proliferation, and typically occurs in children. LCH frequently appears in the pituitary stalk and rarely results in multiple enhanced lesions in the brain parenchyma. Case Description: We present a case of a 40-year-old woman who deveolped panhypopituitarism and central diabetes insipidus in the postpartum period requiring hormone replacement therapy. At first, magnetic resonance imaging only revealed thickening of the pituitary stalk; while 6 months later, a single enhanced mass lesion was detected in the hypothalamus. Another 5 months later, the lesion had enlarged with appearance of multiple, enhanced satellite lesions in the basal ganglia and white matter. The patient underwent successful craniotomy to obtain a biopsy sample; LCH of the hypothalamus was definitively diagnosis by histopathological examination. Steroids were administrated and resulted in significant reduction of all lesions. Conclusions: Definitive histopathological diagnosis and subsequent appropriate therapy, such as steroid administration, are required when LCH lesions in the hypothalamus become progressively enlarged and new lesions appear in the brain parenchyma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conclusion: This dural incision, which is a modification of the method introduced by Pritz, would be a useful FMD option for patients of CM-I with dominant occipital sinus, which would lead to the serious neurological sequelae if the sinus flow is disturbed. In a case associated with large occipital sinus, however, a Y-shaped dural incision needs coagulation to cut off the sinus. DISCUSSION Although Y-shaped dural incisions have been performed after coagulation of the occipital sinus, during FMD for cases of CM-I with the occipital sinus, this has mostly been based on the personal experience of each surgeon. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Although it is well known that most choroid plexus cysts (CPCs) are asymptomatic, previous studies have reported that they can infrequently cause progressive hydrocephalus along with their increasing sizes. Among those cases, some patients needed cyst fenestration or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diversion to recover neurological deterioration. Meanwhile, some CPCs revealed spontaneous resolution, and in rare cases, they developed re-accumulation. Some reports have described series of radiological findings about their changes in location. Case Description: We present a 47-year-old male with CPC manifesting obstructive hydrocephalus. Radiological findings of the lateral and the third ventricles changed along with their different obstructive points, leading to their own symptoms. Because the patient's symptoms were not resolved completely, he underwent endoscopic fenestration for the cyst at the third ventricle. We could perform near-total resection, resulting in recovery of normal CSF flow. Postoperatively, the size of the ventricles decreased, with histological confirmation of a CPC. His symptoms resolved clearly without any complications. Conclusions: It seems quite unusual that shift of the CPC location in the ventricle systems could induce not only different types of hydrocephalus but also their own symptoms. We need to consider that the location of CPCs might change when patients present with fluctuating symptoms over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The use of carbon nanotubes has increased lately. However, the cardiovascular effect of exposure to carbon nanotubes remains elusive. The present study investigated the effects of pulmonary exposure to single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWCNTs) on atherosclerogenesis using normal human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) and apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE-/-) mice, a model of human atherosclerosis. Methods: HAECs were cultured and exposed to SWCNTs or DWCNTs for 16 h. ApoE-/- mice were exposed to SWCNTs or DWCNTs (10 or 40 µg/mouse) once every other week for 10 weeks by pharyngeal aspiration. Results: Exposure to CNTs increased the expression level of adhesion molecule (ICAM-1) and enhanced THP-1 monocyte adhesion to HAECs. ApoE-/- mice exposed to CNTs showed increased plaque area in the aorta by oil red O staining and up-regulation of ICAM-1 expression in the aorta, compared with vehicle-treated ApoE-/- mice. Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are mobilized from the bone marrow into the circulation and subsequently migrate to the site of endothelial damage and repair. Exposure of ApoE-/- mice to high-dose SWCNTs or DWCNTs reduced the colony-forming units of EPCs in the bone marrow and diminished their migration function. Conclusion: The results suggested that SWCNTs and DWCNTs enhanced atherosclerogenesis by promoting monocyte adhesion to endothelial cells and inducing EPC dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ptomaphagus (s. str.) chenggongi sp. n. and P. (s. str.) tingtingae sp. n. (Coleoptera, Leiodidae, Cholevinae, Ptomaphagini) are described from Taiwan Island. In addition, a new subjective synonym is proposed, P. (s. str.) yasutoshii Nishikawa, 1993 = P. (s. str.) smetanai Perreau, 1996, syn. n. Relevant morphological characters of the examined Ptomaphagus species are illustrated with colour plates, and their known distributions are mapped. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After examining Japanese material of Ptomaphagus Hellwig from various collections, a new species is described, P. (s. str.) piccoloi sp. n., and a new subjective synonym proposed, P. (s. str.) kuntzeni Sokolowski, 1957 = P. (s. str.) amamianus Nakane, 1963, syn. n., in this paper. Relevant morphological characters of examined species of Ptomaphagus are illustrated with colour plates, and known distributions are mapped. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The significance of routine measurement of lactate level is unclear in patients with critical acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF). Methods and results: Consecutive 754 patients who were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) in our hospital from January 2007 to March 2012 and given a diagnosis of ADHF were eligible for retrospective entry into the registry. Lactate level was measured on admission from routine arterial blood sample and we investigated by comparing the lactate level and parameters of conventional in-hospital mortality predictors. Among the patients, 88(12%) died during hospitalization. The lactate level had great power to predict in-hospital mortality, as suggested by the c-statistics of 0.71. The occurrence of in-hospital death was more pronounced in patients with high levels of lactate (>3.2 mmol/1) and the tendency was observed in patients in both the acute coronary syndrome (ACS) group and non-ACS group. In multivariate analysis, elevated lactate levels remained an independent predictor of in-hospital death (odds ratio, 2.14; 95% confidence interval, 1.10-4.21; p = 0.03). Conclusions: Elevated levels of arterial lactate on admission were related to worse in-hospital mortality in patients with ADHF either with or without ACS, suggesting that the presence of high lactate in patients who enter the ICU with ADHF could help stratify the initial risk of early mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles are widely used in various products, and the safety evaluation of this manufactured material is important. The present study investigated the inflammatory and fibrotic effects of pulmonary exposure to ZnO nanoparticles in a mouse model of pulmonary fibrosis. Pulmonary fibrosis was induced by constant subcutaneous infusion of bleomycin (BLM). Female C57BL/6Jcl mice were divided into BLM-treated and non-treated groups. In each treatment group, 0, 10, 20 or 30 µg of ZnO nanoparticles were delivered into the lungs through pharyngeal aspiration. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and the lungs were sampled at Day 10 or 14 after administration. Pulmonary exposure by a single bolus of ZnO nanoparticles resulted in severe, but transient inflammatory infiltration and thickening of the alveolar septa in the lungs, along with the increase of total and differential cell counts in BLAF. The BALF level of interleukin (IL)-1ß and transforming growth factor (TGF)-ß was increased at Day 10 and 14, respectively. At Day 10, the synergistic effect of BLM and ZnO exposure was detected on IL-1ß and monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP)-1 in BALF. The present study demonstrated the synergistic effect of pulmonary exposure to ZnO nanoparticles and subcutaneous infusion of BLM on the secretion of pro-fibrotic cytokines in the lungs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Arachnoid cysts (ACs) are congenital anomalies of the central nervous system and arise in virtually all locations where the arachnoid membrane exists. Posterior fossa ACs are considered to develop in the posterior aspect of the rhombencephalic roof plate and do not communicate freely with the fourth ventricle or perimedullary subarachnoid space. Although posterior fossa ACs have been reported a number of times, ACs arising from the foramen of Magendie are very rare. Case Description: We report here on a 76-year-old female who presented with progressive gait disturbance. Magnetic resonance imaging of the head showed a large AC in the foramen of Magendie that was compressing the inferior vermis and medial aspects of the cerebellar hemisphere without causing hydrocephalus. Neurological examination revealed cerebellar ataxia without Romberg's sign. A nearly total excision of the cyst was safely performed via a median suboccipital approach. The patient's postoperative course was excellent and her neurological recovery was remarkable. Conclusion: Most cases of ACs located in the foramen of Magendie are reported in children, and it is extremely rare to observe such ACs in the elderly. In fact, to our knowledge, a symptomatic foramen Magendie AC has never been reported previously in an elderly person. Our results indicate that proper surgical intervention can yield highly positive outcomes in such cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sn-filled carbon nanofibres (CNFs) are fabricated by microwave plasma chemical deposition. Scanning electron microscopy observations revealed the existence of a Sn island under the CNFs. The structure of the CNFs is investigated, and the behaviour of Sn in the internal space of CNFs is revealed by performing in situ heating observations by environmental transmission electron microscopy (ETEM). ETEM observations reveal that they have low-crystallized carbon wall and Sn occupies not only the CNF's internal space but also its carbon wall. The Sn inside the CNF is completely covered by the carbon wall. Further, the in situ heating observations reveal that Sn within the internal space and the carbon wall of the CNFs diffused to the outside during heating. Moreover, it is found that higher membered carbon rings and defects in the graphite layer act as diffusion routes between disordered carbon layers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catalysts are usually required to produce carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and play important roles during the growth process. Any catalysts that remain after processing are expected to add extra properties and removal of the catalysts is usually required to achieve the original properties of CNTs. Recently, CNTs have been filled incidentally by catalysts, such as Pb, Sn, Ni and Bi. This has led to success in obtaining additional properties and a few models have been proposed to describe the encapsulating mechanisms. In the present study, CNTs were filled with palladium by a microwave plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition method. Detailed structural and compositional investigations of these metal-filled CNTs were carried out by transmission electron microscopy to elucidate the growth mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Subgaleal hematomas frequently occur in children after head trauma and extend over the cranial sutures. Although conservative treatment suffices in most cases, surgical removal of a subgaleal hematoma is indicated when the patient presents with anemia and headache associated with its progressive enlargement. Case Description: We present the case of a 7-year-old boy who was medicated with warfarin and aspirin due to a hypoplastic left ventricle and fell from a rock wherein he hit his head in the frontal region. Although a computed tomography scan of the head revealed no intracranial lesion, an extracranial hematoma was found to extend over the cranial sutures, leading to the diagnosis of subgaleal hematoma. The hematoma continued to grow gradually despite the cessation of warfarin and aspirin therapy immediately after the head trauma. Since the patient's headache and anemia were progressing as the hematoma enlarged, removal of the hematoma was performed 3 days after admission. Endoscopic hematoma removal was planned to enable accurate coagulation of the sites of bleeding and removal of the maximal amount of hematoma through minimal incision. The hematoma was completely removed, and the patient's postoperative course was excellent with alleviation of both the anemia and the headache. No sign of hematoma recurrence could be detected during 2 years follow-up. Conclusion: An angled endoscope can allow visualization of the deep subgaleal space, and this technique enabled direct visualization of the bleeding sites and accurate coagulation to prevent recurrence of hematoma. Endoscopic techniques, such as minimally invasive techniques, can allow sufficient removal of subgaleal hematoma with minimal morbidity, especially in patients such as ours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct growth of aligned metal composite carbon nanofibers (MCNFs) was achieved by a highly reproducible room temperature growth process on cost effective electrically conductive copper (Cu) substrate without any catalyst. The direct fabrication of MCNFs on electrically conductive substrate might offer new perspectives in the field of field emission displays (FEDs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have developed a vacuum-compatible chamber for in-situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies and have used it to characterize the changing crystal structure of an inorganic–organic hybrid perovskite material, CH3NH3PbI3 (MAPbI3), during interactions with water vapor at room temperature. In the XRD spectra, we have observed the degradation of MAPbI3 and the creation of MAPbI3 hydrates, which follow simple rate equations. The time constant for the degradation of MAPbI3 during accelerated aging suggests that multiple collisions of water molecules with the MAPbI3 crystal trigger the degradation of the crystal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we describe the effects of helium plasma and ozone treatments on the dispersibility of carbon nanohorns (CNHs) in water. The experimental setups have been designed to efficiently generate helium plasma and ozone by dielectric barrier discharge at atmospheric pressure. After being treated with ozone, the oxygen-containing functional groups were introduced to the surface of CNHs, and are responsible for better dispersion. Helium plasma treatment was performed separately and it resulted in hydroxyl functional groups on the surface of CNHs. It was also found that the sizes of CNHs in water were smaller after ozone treatment. However, plasma-treated CNHs were bigger than ozone treated CNHs. The dispersed CNHs modified by ozone treatment were stable for more than three months without precipitation. In contrast, though helium plasma treatment introduced hydroxyl groups to the surface of CNHs, the dispersibility decreased and the flocculation of CNHs was observed in a few minutes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]