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Objectives: There are few reported cases of robot-assisted surgery for endometrial cancer with para-aortic lymphadenectomy (PAL) in Japan. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the clinical outcomes of robot-assisted surgery with PAL for endometrial cancer. Materials and Methods: This retrospective cohort study was analyzed 13 endometrial cancer patients who underwent robotic surgery with PAL between January 2011 and October 2018 at our hospital. We examined their perioperative complications and oncological outcomes. Results: The median follow-up period, median overall survival, and disease-free interval were 80 months, 79 months (61–120), and 79 months (5–120), respectively. There were two (15.3%) cases of perioperative complications of Clavien–Dindo Class II or higher and three (23.0%) cases of recurrence. Conclusion: Our results showed that the surgical and oncological outcomes of robot-assisted surgery for endometrial cancer with PAL were comparable with those of other developed countries.

Abstract This multicentre retrospective study evaluated the 1-year outcomes and safety profile of faricimab in treatment-naïve patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). Fifty-five patients (57 eyes) underwent loading therapy comprising three monthly faricimab injections. If dryness was achieved by the third month, subsequent treat-and-extend (TAE) follow-up continued at a minimum 8-week interval thereafter. If wet macula persisted at the third month, a fourth dose was administered, followed by the TAE regimen. After 1 year, improvements in visual acuity (0.44 ± 0.46 [baseline] to 0.34 ± 0.48; p

The nuclear receptor subfamily 5 group A member 1 (NR5A1) gene encodes NR5A1, also known as steroidogenic factor 1, a crucial transcriptional factor regulating adrenal and gonadal development and function. Although pathogenic variants in NR5A1 are known to cause a spectrum of disorders of sex development (DSD), individuals with 46,XY DSD with fully female internal and external genitalia are relatively rare. Herein, we present the case of a patient with 46,XY complete gonadal dysgenesis (CGD) who had a non-communicating rudimentary uterus due to a c.132_134del (p.Asn44del) heterozygous in-frame-deletion in NR5A1 that was diagnosed while treating a pelvic mass in which gynecological malignancy could not be disregarded. Unlike two previous cases with the p.Asn44del variant, this case presented with CGD, a severe DSD phenotype, and we found that the oligogenic inheritance of DSD-causative genes such as SRY, DHX37, SLC26A8, and CFTR may have affected the severity of the clinical phenotype.

Background: Cardiac amyloidosis is a fatal disease of severe heart failure caused by the accumulation of amyloid in the myocardium. This disease is often advanced by the time cardiac symptoms appear; therefore, early detection and treatment are critical for a good prognosis. Recently, it has been suggested that cardiac amyloidosis is implicated in several orthopedic diseases, including carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), which is often reported to precede cardiac dysfunction. Shoulder disease has also been suggested to be associated with cardiac amyloidosis; however, there have been no reports investigating the rate of amyloid deposition in shoulder specimens and the simultaneous prevalence of cardiac amyloidosis. Herein, we investigated the prevalence of intraoperative specimen amyloid deposition and cardiac amyloidosis in shoulder disease and CTS to determine the usefulness of shoulder specimen screening as a predictor of cardiac amyloidosis development. Methods: A total of 41 patients undergoing arthroscopic shoulder surgery and 33 patients undergoing CTS surgery were enrolled in this study. The shoulder group included rotator cuff tears, contracture of the shoulder, synovitis, and calcific tendonitis. In the shoulder group, a small sample of synovium and the long head of the biceps brachii tendon were harvested, while the transverse carpal ligament was harvested from the CTS group. The intraoperative specimens were pathologically examined for amyloid deposition, and patients with amyloid deposition were examined for the presence of cardiac amyloidosis by cardiac evaluation. Results: In the shoulder group, three cases (7.3%) of transthyretin amyloid deposition were found, all of which involved rotator cuff tears. None of these three cases with amyloid deposition were associated with cardiac amyloidosis. When examining the specimens, the amyloid deposition rate in the long head of the biceps brachii tendon was higher than that in the synovium. In the CTS group, 12 cases (36.4%) of transthyretin amyloid deposition were observed. Of these cases, seven underwent cardiac evaluation and two were identified with cardiac amyloidosis. Conclusion: While the prevalence of amyloid deposition and cardiac amyloidosis in the CTS group was consistent with previous reports, the shoulder group showed a lower deposition rate and no concomitant cardiac amyloidosis. Therefore, it remains debatable whether investigating amyloid deposition in samples obtained from shoulder surgery is beneficial for the early detection of cardiac amyloidosis.

Abstract Background and Aims To investigate the factors associated with changes in bone mineral density (BMD) and the incidence of fractures in osteoporotic patients treated with denosumab. Methods This retrospective study included 162 osteoporotic patients treated with denosumab for 24 months between 2013 and 2019. Patients were divided according to the changes in BMD as nonresponders (NL group:

BackgroundA distal radius fracture (DRF) is a common initial fragility fracture among women in their early postmenopausal period, which is associated with an increased risk of subsequent fractures. Gait assessments are valuable for evaluating fracture risk; inertial measurement units (IMUs) have been widely used to assess gait under free-living conditions. However, little is known about long-term changes in patients with DRF, especially concerning daily-life gait. We hypothesized that, in the long term, the daily-life gait parameters in patients with DRF could enable us to reveal future risk factors for falls and fractures. ObjectiveThis study assessed the spatiotemporal characteristics of patients with DRF at 4 weeks and 6 months of recovery. MethodsWe recruited 16 women in their postmenopausal period with DRF as their first fragility fracture (mean age 62.3, SD 7.0 years) and 28 matched healthy controls (mean age 65.6, SD 8.0 years). Daily-life gait assessments and physical assessments, such as hand grip strength (HGS), were performed using an in-shoe IMU sensor. Participants’ results were compared with those of the control group, and their recovery was assessed for 6 months after the fracture. ResultsIn the fracture group, at 4 weeks after DRF, lower foot height in the swing phase (P=.049) and higher variability of stride length (P=.03) were observed, which improved gradually. However, the dorsiflexion angle in the fracture group tended to be lower consistently during 6 months (at 4 weeks: P=.06; during 6 months: P=.07). As for the physical assessments, the fracture group showed lower HGS at all time points (at 4 weeks: P

Abstract Background Gait decline in older adults is related to falling risk, some of which contribute to injurious falls requiring medical attention or restriction of activity of daily living. Among injurious falls, distal radius fracture (DRF) is a common initial fragility fracture associated with the subsequent fracture risk in postmenopausal females. The recent invention of an inertial measurement unit (IMU) facilitates the assessment of free-living gait; however, little is known about the daily gait characteristics related to the risk of subsequent fractures. We hypothesized that females with DRF might have early changes in foot kinematics in daily gait. The aim of this study was to evaluate the daily-life gait characteristics related to the risk of falls and fracture. Methods In this cross-sectional study, we recruited 27 postmenopausal females with DRF as their first fragility fracture and 28 age-matched females without a history of fragility fractures. The participants underwent daily gait assessments for several weeks using in-shoe IMU sensors. Eight gait parameters and each coefficient of variance were calculated. Some physical tests, such as hand grip strength and Timed Up and Go tests, were performed to check the baseline functional ability. Results The fracture group showed lower foot angles of dorsiflexion and plantarflexion in the swing phase. The receiver operating characteristic curve analyses revealed that a total foot movement angle (TFMA)

Abstract Early detection of cervical myelopathy (CM) is important for a favorable outcome, as its prognosis is poor when left untreated. We developed a screening method for CM using machine learning-based analysis of the drawing behavior of 38 patients with CM and 66 healthy volunteers. Using a stylus pen, the participants traced three different shapes displayed on a tablet device. During the tasks, writing behaviors, such as the coordinates, velocity, and pressure of the stylus tip, along with the drawing time, were recorded. From these data, features related to the drawing pressure, and time to trace each shape and combination of shapes were used as training data for the support vector machine, a machine learning algorithm. To evaluate the accuracy, a receiver operating characteristic curve was generated, and the area under the curve (AUC) was calculated. Models with triangular waveforms tended to be the most accurate. The best triangular wave model identified patients with and without CM with 76% sensitivity and 76% specificity, yielding an AUC of 0.80. Our model was able to classify CM with high accuracy and could be applied to the development of disease screening systems useful outside the hospital setting.

Abstract This multicenter study aimed to assess the short-term effectiveness and safety of faricimab in treatment-naïve patients with wet age-related macular degeneration (wAMD) in Japan. We retrospectively reviewed 63 eyes of 61 patients with wAMD, including types 1, 2, and 3 macular neovascularization as well as polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV). Patients received three consecutive monthly intravitreal injections of faricimab as loading therapy. Over these 3 months, visual acuity improved gradually compared to baseline. Moreover, the central foveal thickness decreased significantly at 1, 2, and 3 months compared to baseline (p

BackgroundArtificial intelligence (AI) has gained tremendous popularity recently, especially the use of natural language processing (NLP). ChatGPT is a state-of-the-art chatbot capable of creating natural conversations using NLP. The use of AI in medicine can have a tremendous impact on health care delivery. Although some studies have evaluated ChatGPT’s accuracy in self-diagnosis, there is no research regarding its precision and the degree to which it recommends medical consultations. ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to evaluate ChatGPT’s ability to accurately and precisely self-diagnose common orthopedic diseases, as well as the degree of recommendation it provides for medical consultations. MethodsOver a 5-day course, each of the study authors submitted the same questions to ChatGPT. The conditions evaluated were carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), cervical myelopathy (CM), lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS), knee osteoarthritis (KOA), and hip osteoarthritis (HOA). Answers were categorized as either correct, partially correct, incorrect, or a differential diagnosis. The percentage of correct answers and reproducibility were calculated. The reproducibility between days and raters were calculated using the Fleiss κ coefficient. Answers that recommended that the patient seek medical attention were recategorized according to the strength of the recommendation as defined by the study. ResultsThe ratios of correct answers were 25/25, 1/25, 24/25, 16/25, and 17/25 for CTS, CM, LSS, KOA, and HOA, respectively. The ratios of incorrect answers were 23/25 for CM and 0/25 for all other conditions. The reproducibility between days was 1.0, 0.15, 0.7, 0.6, and 0.6 for CTS, CM, LSS, KOA, and HOA, respectively. The reproducibility between raters was 1.0, 0.1, 0.64, –0.12, and 0.04 for CTS, CM, LSS, KOA, and HOA, respectively. Among the answers recommending medical attention, the phrases “essential,” “recommended,” “best,” and “important” were used. Specifically, “essential” occurred in 4 out of 125, “recommended” in 12 out of 125, “best” in 6 out of 125, and “important” in 94 out of 125 answers. Additionally, 7 out of the 125 answers did not include a recommendation to seek medical attention. ConclusionsThe accuracy and reproducibility of ChatGPT to self-diagnose five common orthopedic conditions were inconsistent. The accuracy could potentially be improved by adding symptoms that could easily identify a specific location. Only a few answers were accompanied by a strong recommendation to seek medical attention according to our study standards. Although ChatGPT could serve as a potential first step in accessing care, we found variability in accurate self-diagnosis. Given the risk of harm with self-diagnosis without medical follow-up, it would be prudent for an NLP to include clear language alerting patients to seek expert medical opinions. We hope to shed further light on the use of AI in a future clinical study.

Objective Early detection and intervention are essential for the mitigation of degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM). However, although several screening methods exist, they are difficult to understand for community-dwelling people, and the equipment required to set up the test environment is expensive. This study investigated the viability of a DCM-screening method based on the 10-second grip-and-release test using a machine learning algorithm and a smartphone equipped with a camera to facilitate a simple screening system. Methods Twenty-two participants comprising a group of DCM patients and 17 comprising a control group participated in this study. A spine surgeon diagnosed the presence of DCM. Patients performing the 10-second grip-and-release test were filmed, and the videos were analyzed. The probability of the presence of DCM was estimated using a support vector machine algorithm, and sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve (AUC) were calculated. Two assessments of the correlation between estimated scores were conducted. The first used a random forest regression model and the Japanese Orthopaedic Association scores for cervical myelopathy (C-JOA). The second assessment used a different model, random forest regression, and the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) questionnaire. Results The final classification model had a sensitivity of 90.9%, specificity of 88.2%, and AUC of 0.93. The correlations between each estimated score and the C-JOA and DASH scores were 0.79 and 0.67, respectively. Conclusions The proposed model could be a helpful screening tool for DCM as it showed excellent performance and high usability for community-dwelling people and non-spine surgeons.

Identifying the characteristics of fallers is important for preventing falls because such events may reduce quality of life. It has been reported that several variables related to foot positions and angles during gait (e.g., sagittal foot angle and minimum toe clearance) differ between fallers and non-fallers. However, examining such representative discrete variables may not be sufficient to detect crucial information, which may be contained in the large portions of unanalyzed data. Therefore, we aimed to identify the comprehensive characteristics of foot position and angle during the swing phase of gait in non-fallers and fallers using principal component analysis (PCA). Thirty non-fallers and 30 fallers were recruited for this study. We performed PCA to reduce the dimensions of foot positions and angles during the swing phase and obtained principal component scores (PCSs) for each principal component vector (PCV), which were then compared between groups. The results revealed that the PCS of PCV3 in fallers was significantly larger than that in non-fallers (p = 0.003, Cohen’s d = 0.80). We reconstructed waveforms of foot positions and angles during the swing phase using PCV3 and our main findings can be summarized as follows. Compared to non-fallers, fallers have a 1) low average foot position in the z-axis (i.e., height) during the initial swing phase 2) small average foot angle in the x-axis (i.e., rotation in the sagittal plane), during the initial swing phase, and 3) large variability in foot position in the y-axis (i.e., anterior/posterior position) during the initial swing phase. We can conclude that these are characteristics of gait related to fallers. Therefore, our findings may be beneficial for evaluating fall risk during gait using a device such as a shoe- or insole-embedded inertial measurement unit.

BackgroundCervical myelopathy (CM) causes several symptoms such as clumsiness of the hands and often requires surgery. Screening and early diagnosis of CM are important because some patients are unaware of their early symptoms and consult a surgeon only after their condition has become severe. The 10-second hand grip and release test is commonly used to check for the presence of CM. The test is simple but would be more useful for screening if it could objectively evaluate the changes in movement specific to CM. A previous study analyzed finger movements in the 10-second hand grip and release test using the Leap Motion, a noncontact sensor, and a system was developed that can diagnose CM with high sensitivity and specificity using machine learning. However, the previous study had limitations in that the system recorded few parameters and did not differentiate CM from other hand disorders. ObjectiveThis study aims to develop a system that can diagnose CM with higher sensitivity and specificity, and distinguish CM from carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), a common hand disorder. We then validated the system with a modified Leap Motion that can record the joints of each finger. MethodsIn total, 31, 27, and 29 participants were recruited into the CM, CTS, and control groups, respectively. We developed a system using Leap Motion that recorded 229 parameters of finger movements while participants gripped and released their fingers as rapidly as possible. A support vector machine was used for machine learning to develop the binary classification model and calculated the sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve (AUC). We developed two models, one to diagnose CM among the CM and control groups (CM/control model), and the other to diagnose CM among the CM and non-CM groups (CM/non-CM model). ResultsThe CM/control model indexes were as follows: sensitivity 74.2%, specificity 89.7%, and AUC 0.82. The CM/non-CM model indexes were as follows: sensitivity 71%, specificity 72.87%, and AUC 0.74. ConclusionsWe developed a screening system capable of diagnosing CM with higher sensitivity and specificity. This system can differentiate patients with CM from patients with CTS as well as healthy patients and has the potential to screen for CM in a variety of patients.

MYC is a major oncogene that plays an important role in cell proliferation in human cancers. Therefore, the mechanism behind MYC regulation is a viable therapeutic target for the treatment of cancer. Comprehensive and efficient screening of MYC regulators is needed, and we had previously established a promoter screening system using fluorescent proteins and the CRISPR library. For the efficient identification of candidate genes, a database was used, for which mRNA expression was correlated with MYC using datasets featuring “Similar” and “Not exactly similar” contexts. INTS14 and ERI2 were identified using datasets featuring the “Similar” context group, and INTS14 and ERI2 were capable of enhancing MYC promoter activity. In further database analysis of human cancers, a higher expression of MYC mRNA was observed in the INTS14 mRNA high-expressing prostate and liver cancers. The knockdown of INTS14 in prostate cell lines resulted in decreased MYC mRNA and protein expression and also induced G0/1 arrest. This study confirmed that CRISPR screening combined with context-matched database screening is effective in identifying genes that regulate the MYC promoter. This method can be applied to other genes and is expected to be useful in identifying the regulators of other proto-oncogenes.

Background MYC is one of the proto-oncogenes contributing to tumorigenesis in many human cancers. Although the mechanism of MYC regulation is still not fully understood, learning about the comprehensive mechanism controlling the transcriptional activity of MYC will lead to therapeutic targets. The CRISPR/Cas9 library system is a simple and powerful screening technique. This study aims to identify new transcriptional upstream activators of MYC using the CRISPR activation library with new promoter-reporter systems. Methods and Results The MYC promoter-reporter system was developed with a photoconvertible fluorescent protein, Dendra2, and named “pMYC-promoter-Dendra2.” This MYC promoter-reporter system was designed to harbor a proximal MYC promoter at (3.1 kb). Both the CRISPR activation library and pMYC-promoter-Dendra2 were induced to HEK 293T cells, and Dendra2-positive cells, that are supposed that MYC should be upregulated, were collected individually by a cell sorter. Among the 169 cells collected, 12 clones were successfully established. Then, pMYC-promoter-Dendra2 was transfected again into these 12 clones, and two of 12 clones showed Dendra2 positivity. In this procedure, the cells with non-specific autofluorescence were correctly distinguished by utilizing the photoswitchable character of Dendra2. Using extracted genomic DNA of these two Dendra2 positive clones, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to amplify the guide RNA (gRNA) containing region, which was introduced by the CRISPR activation library. Eventually, PLEKHO2, MICU, MBTPS1, and M1AP were identified, and these gRNAs were transfected individually into HEK 293T cells again using the CRISPR activation system. Only M1AP gRNA transfected cells showed Dendra2-positive fluorescence. Then, the overexpression vector for M1AP with a doxycycline-inducible vector confirmed that M1AP induced high MYC expression by real-time quantitative PCR and western blot. Furthermore, the dual-luciferase assay showed a significant increase of promoter activity, and MYC mRNA was higher in M1AP- overexpressing cells. M1AP is highly expressed in several cancers, though, a positive correlation between M1AP and MYC was observed only in human acute myeloid leukemia. Conclusion The present study confirmed that the experimental method using the CRISPR library technology functions effectively for the identification of molecules that activate endogenous MYC. This method will help elucidate the regulatory mechanism of MYC expression, as well as supporting further drug research against malignant tumors.

Copper (Cu) and its alloys have bactericidal activity known as “contact killing” with degradation of nucleic acids inside the bacteria, which is beneficial to inhibit horizontal gene transfer (HGF). In order to understand the nucleic acid degradability of Cu and its alloy surfaces, we developed a new in vitro method to quantitatively evaluate it by a swab method under a “dry” condition and compared it with that of commercially available antibacterial materials such as antibacterial stainless steel, pure silver, and antibacterial resins. As a result, only Cu and its alloys showed continuous degradation of nucleic acids for up to 6 h of contact time. The nucleic acid degradability levels of the Cu alloys and other antibacterial materials correlate to their antibacterial activities evaluated by a film method referring to JIS Z 2801:2012 for Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) and Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) bacteria. Nucleic acid degradation by copper (I) and (II) chlorides was confirmed at the ranges over 10 mM and 1–20 mM, respectively, suggesting that the copper ion release may be responsible for the degradation of the nucleic acids on Cu and its alloy surfaces. In conclusion, the higher Cu content in the alloys gave higher nucleic acid degradability and higher antibacterial activities.

In contrast to patients with viral hepatitis, patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) can progress to hepatocellular carcinoma during the initial stages of liver fibrosis. Development and implementation of noninvasive methods for diagnosis and progression prediction are important for effective NAFLD surveillance. Mac‐2 binding protein (Mac‐2bp) is a useful nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) diagnosis biomarker and a powerful prediction biomarker for NAFLD fibrosis stage. Wisteria floribunda agglutinin (WFA)‐positive Mac‐2bp (WFA+‐M2BP) is a novel serum fibrosis biomarker for chronic hepatitis C that has clinical validity. Mac‐2bp and WFA+‐M2BP are also clinical NAFLD biomarker candidates. We examined the efficacy of Mac‐2bp and WFA+‐M2BP for NAFLD assessment using patients with biopsy‐proven NAFLD (n = 510; NAFLD cohort) and subjects who received a health check‐up (n = 2,122; check‐up cohort). In the NAFLD cohort, we set the fibrosis predicting cutoff values as 1.80 (F1), 2.21 (F2), and 2.24 μg/mL (F3). In the subjects with fatty liver from the check‐up cohort (n = 1,291), the serum Mac‐2bp levels were >1.80 μg/mL in 38.6% of the subjects (n = 498), and >2.24 μg/mL in 24.6% of the subjects (n = 318). The NAFLD cohort results indicated that Mac‐2bp and WFA+‐M2BP were equally useful for NASH diagnosis. During the early stages of fibrosis (F1, F2), the increase in Mac‐2bp was statistically significant but WFA+‐M2BP did not increase. Logistic regression analysis revealed that Mac‐2bp was an independent determinant for the prediction of advanced fibrosis stage (≥F2), even when adjusted for WFA+‐M2BP. Immunohistochemical staining of Mac‐2bp revealed that hepatocytes strongly expressed Mac‐2bp in patients with NAFLD. Conclusion: Our results indicated that hepatocyte‐derived Mac‐2bp would be a useful single biomarker for NASH diagnosis and fibrosis stage prediction in patients with NAFLD. (Hepatology Communications 2017;1:780–791)

In this study, ultrafine grain (UFG) SS316L was produced using an equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) process at two different die angles namely 120° and 126°. The effect of different die angles on mechanical, corrosion, and surface properties were thoroughly investigated. Furthermore, the subsequent effect on the cytotoxicity of SS316L was investigated. The microstructure observation shows ECAP processing has produced an elongated, finer grain size at 120° than 126°. The ECAP processing also increases the hardness of SS316L. There is no change in wettability and surface roughness observed. However, the ectrochemical measurement reveals that ECAP processing improves the corrosion resistance of SS316L. The cytocompatibility of ECAPed SS316L was evaluated by both a direct and an extract methods, finding the contribution of grain refinement by ECAP processing.

Capsinoids are some of the most promising ingredients to increase energy expenditure (EE) due to brown adipose tissue (BAT) activation. However, there is limited information regarding the effect of prolonged capsinoid ingestion (CI) on BAT activity and resting EE (REE) in healthy, middle-aged, normal to overweight subjects (Subhealthy) with distinct BAT characteristics. We examined the changes in BAT density (BAT-d), using near-infrared time-resolved spectroscopy, and REE/kg induced by daily CI. Forty Subhealthy [age, 43.8 (mean) years; BMI, 25.4 kg/m2] received either capsinoid (9 mg/day) or a placebo daily for 6 weeks in a double-blind design. Total hemoglobin concentration in the supraclavicular region ([total-Hb]sup), an indicator of BAT-d, and REE/kg were measured. The changes in post-intervention [total-Hb]sup were greater in the capsinoid group (CA-G) than in the placebo group (PL-G) [5.8 µM (+12.4%) versus 1.0 µM (+2.1%); p = 0.017]. There was a significant relationship between BAT-d and REE/kg; however, post-supplementation REE/kg was not significantly different between the two groups (p = 0.228). In the overweight subgroup, changes in REE/kg were greater in the CA-G than in the PL-G [0.6 cal/kg/min (+4.3%) versus −0.3 cal/kg/min (−2.1%); p = 0.021]. CI enhanced [total-Hb]sup, a reflection of BAT-d, showing a good correlation with REE in Subhealthy.

Sedentary/inactive lifestyle leads middle-aged and older adults to metabolic syndrome and frailty. Capsinoids from nonpungent chili pepper cultivar have been reported to reduce body fat mass, promote metabolism, and improve unidentified complaints of chills. Additionally, they have an anti-inflammation effect; therefore, we hypothesized that continuous oral ingestion of capsinoids alleviates age-related inflammation in the brain and improves the physical activity (PA) in middle-aged and older adults. In our double-blind human study, 69 participants (17 male, 52 female; mean age: 74.1 ± 7.7 years; range: 52−87 years) were administered either 9 mg of capsinoids which were extracted from pepper fruit variety CH-19 Sweet (Capsicum anuum L.) (CP group), or a placebo (PL group) daily over a 3 month period. In an animal study, PA and inflammation-related mRNA expression in the brain were examined in 5-week (young) and 53-week (old) aged mice fed a diet with or without 0.3% dihydrocapsiate, a type of capsinoids, for 12 weeks. In a human study, capsinoids intake did not increase the amount of light-to-moderate PA less than 6.0 metabolic equivalents (METs) (CP: 103.0 ± 28.2 at baseline to 108.2 ± 28.3 at 12 weeks; PL: 104.6 ± 19.8 at baseline to 115.2 ± 23.6 at 12 weeks, METs × hour/week); however, in participants exhibiting an inactive lifestyle, it showed significant increase (CP: 84.5 ± 17.2 at baseline to 99.2 ± 24.9 at 12 weeks; PL: 99.7 ± 23.3 at baseline to 103.8 ± 21.9 at 12 weeks). The energy expenditure in physical activity also improved in the inactive CP group (CP: 481.2 ± 96.3 at baseline to 562.5 ± 145.5 at 12 weeks; PL: 536.8 ± 112.2 at baseline to 598.6 ± 127.6 at 12 weeks; kcal/day). In all participants, CP showed reduced waist circumference, percent body fat, and visceral fat volume; in addition, chills were eased in subjects aged 80 years and older. The older mice fed capsinoids showed increased locomotion activity, decreased inflammation, and oxidative stress in the brain. The results suggest that the continuous oral ingestion of capsinoids gains PA through anti-inflammation effect in the brain as well as reduces fat accumulation and chills in inactive and older humans.

Poly(l-lactic acid)-based films which include 60 wt % of vaterite (V) or siloxane-containing vaterite (SiV) were coated on a pure magnesium substrate, denoted by PLLA/V or PLLA/SiV, respectively, to suppress early corrosion and improve its cytocompatibility. Both coating films adhered to the Mg substrate with 2.3–2.8 MPa of tensile bonding strength. Soaking test for 7 days in α-modified minimum essential medium revealed that the morphological instability of the PLLA/V film caused a higher amount of Mg2+ ion to be released from the coating sample. On the other hand, in the case of the coating with the PLLA/SiV film, no morphological change even after the soaking test was observed, owing to the suppression of the degradation rate. In cell culture tests, the proliferation of mouse osteoblast-like cell (MC3T3-E1) was significantly enhanced by both coatings, in comparison with the uncoated magnesium substrate. The cell morphology revealed that a few less-spread cells were observed on the PLLA/V film, while more elongated cells were done on the PLLA/SiV film. The cells on the PLLA/SiV film exhibited an extremely higher alkaline phosphatase activity after 21 days of incubation than that on the PLLA/V one. The PLLA/SiV film suppressed the early corrosion and enhanced cytocompatibility on metallic magnesium.

We report a case of a 19-year-old woman with multicystic peritoneal mesothelioma (MCPM) who had previously undergone left adnexectomy due to an ovarian tumor of borderline malignancy at the age of 17 years. Follow-up imaging studies after adnexectomy revealed multiple cystic lesions of increasing size and number, suggesting recurrence of the tumor. Diagnostic laparoscopic surgery was performed, and the cystic lesion was pathologically determined to be MCPM. To our knowledge, this is the first report of MCPM diagnosed and successfully treated by laparoscopic surgery during the course of follow-up for an ovarian tumor. It is important to recognize that MCPM can occur in patients who have previously undergone abdominal surgery, and laparoscopic surgery is recommended for patients of reproductive age, because of the potential risk of infertility associated with extensive pelvic surgery.

The use of laser 3D printers is very perspective in the fabrication of solid and porous implants made of various polymers, metals, and its alloys. The Selective Laser Melting (SLM) process, in which consolidated powders are fully melted on each layer, gives the possibility of fabrication personalized implants based on the Computer Aid Design (CAD) model. During SLM fabrication on a 3D printer, depending on the system applied, there is a possibility for setting the amount of energy density (J/mm3) transferred to the consolidated powders, thus controlling its porosity, contact angle and roughness. In this study, we have controlled energy density in a range 8–45 J/mm3 delivered to titanium powder by setting various levels of laser power (25–45 W), exposure time (20–80 µs) and distance between exposure points (20–60 µm). The growing energy density within studied range increased from 63 to 90% and decreased from 31 to 13 µm samples density and Ra parameter, respectively. The surface energy 55–466 mN/m was achieved with contact angles in range 72–128° and 53–105° for water and formamide, respectively. The human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) adhesion after 4 h decreased with increasing energy density delivered during processing within each parameter group. The differences in cells proliferation were clearly seen after a 7-day incubation. We have observed that proliferation was decreasing with increasing density of energy delivered to the samples. This phenomenon was explained by chemical composition of oxide layers affecting surface energy and internal stresses. We have noticed that TiO2, which is the main oxide of raw titanium powder, disintegrated during selective laser melting process and oxygen was transferred into metallic titanium. The typical for 3D printed parts post-processing methods such as chemical polishing in hydrofluoric (HF) or hydrofluoric/nitric (HF/HNO3) acid solutions and thermal treatments were used to restore surface chemistry of raw powders and improve surface.

The effect of porous hydrated calcium silicate (PS) application on the resistance of rice plants ( Oryza sativa L.) to rice blast (Pyricularia olyzae) was evaluated. Experiments were conducted in Andisol at the experimental farm of Tohoku University from 1993 to 1995. The blast infection in the PS plot was much less than that in the control plot. On the other hand, slag (commercial slag silicate fertilizer) used in our experiment had no effect on blast infection. The number of silicified bulliform cells, the main invasion site for rice blast, was increased 320-980% by PS application, but only 80% by commercial slag. These results imply that PS application is effective in preventing fungal infection through silicification of bulliform cells. The number of silicified bulliform and trichome cells increased exponentially with increasing content of the silicon in the leaf blade, whereas the number of silicified short cells, which are smaller than bulliform cells and trichomes, had no relation to the silicon content in the rice leaf blade. We may conclude that the application of porous hydrated calcium silicate for rice plants is effective in increasing rice blast resistance because PS increase the number of silicified bulliform cells.