Search

Summary: The cochlea contains two extracellular fluids, perilymph and endolymph. Endolymph exhibits high potential of approximately +80 to +110 mV (depending on species), which sensitizes sensory hair cells. Other properties of this unique fluid remain elusive, owing to its minuscule volume in rodent cochlea. We therefore developed a technique to collect high-purity endolymph from mouse cochleae. Comprehensive proteomic analysis of sampled endolymph using liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry identified 301 proteins, dominated by molecules engaged in immunity and proteostasis. Approximately 30% of these proteins were undetectable in our perilymph. A combination of mass spectrometry and different approaches revealed that, compared to perilymph, endolymph was enriched with α2-macroglobulin, osteopontin, apolipoprotein D, apolipoprotein E, and apolipoprotein J/clusterin. In other cells or tissues, α2-macroglobulin, apolipoprotein E, and apolipoprotein J contribute to the clearance of degraded proteins from extracellular fluid. Altogether, with the proteins described here, endolymph may play a protective role in stabilizing cochlear homeostasis.

On-site monitoring of plasma drug concentrations is required for effective therapies. Recently developed handy biosensors are not yet popular owing to insufficient evaluation of accuracy on clinical samples and the necessity of complicated costly fabrication processes. Here, we approached these bottlenecks via a strategy involving engineeringly unmodified boron-doped diamond (BDD), a sustainable electrochemical material. A sensing system based on a ∼1 cm2 BDD chip, when analysing rat plasma spiked with a molecular-targeting anticancer drug, pazopanib, detected clinically relevant concentrations. The response was stable in 60 sequential measurements on the same chip. In a clinical study, data obtained with a BDD chip were consistent with liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry results. Finally, the portable system with a palm-sized sensor containing the chip analysed ∼40 μL of whole blood from dosed rats within ∼10 min. This approach with the ‘reusable’ sensor may improve point-of-monitoring systems and personalised medicine while reducing medical costs.

Hearing loss affects >5% of the global population and therefore, has a great social and clinical impact. Sensorineural hearing loss, which can be caused by different factors, such as acoustic trauma, aging, and administration of certain classes of drugs, stems primarily from a dysfunction of the cochlea in the inner ear. Few therapeutic strategies against sensorineural hearing loss are available. To develop effective treatments for this disease, it is crucial to precisely determine the behavior of ototoxic and therapeutic agents in the microenvironment of the cochlea in live animals. Since the 1980s, a number of studies have addressed this issue by different methodologies. However, there is much less information on pharmacokinetics in the cochlea than that in other organs; the delay in ontological pharmacology is likely due to technical difficulties with accessing the cochlea, a tiny organ that is encased with a bony wall and has a fine and complicated internal structure. In this review, we not only summarize the observations and insights obtained in classic and recent studies on pharmacokinetics in the cochlea but also describe relevant analytical techniques, with their strengths, limitations, and prospects.

Summary: Mutations in the gene encoding the chromatin remodeler chromodomain helicase DNA-binding protein 8 (CHD8) are a highly penetrant risk factor for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Although cerebellar abnormalities have long been thought to be related to ASD pathogenesis, it has remained largely unknown whether dysfunction of CHD8 in the cerebellum contributes to ASD phenotypes. We here show that cerebellar granule neuron progenitor (GNP)-specific deletion of Chd8 in mice impairs the proliferation and differentiation of these cells as well as gives rise to cerebellar hypoplasia and a motor coordination defect, but not to ASD-like behavioral abnormalities. CHD8 is found to regulate the expression of neuronal genes in GNPs. It also binds preferentially to promoter regions and modulates local chromatin accessibility of transcriptionally active genes in these cells. Our results have thus uncovered a key role for CHD8 in cerebellar development, with important implications for understanding the contribution of this brain region to ASD pathogenesis.

Schwann cells (SCs) myelinate peripheral neurons to promote the rapid conduction of action potentials, and the process of myelination is known to be regulated by signals from axons to SCs. Given that SC mitochondria are one of the potential regulators of myelination, we investigated whether SC mitochondria are regulated by axonal signaling. Here, we show a purinergic mechanism that sends information from neurons to SC mitochondria during myelination. Our results show that electrical stimulation of rat sciatic nerve increases extracellular ATP levels enough to activate purinergic receptors. Indeed, electrical stimulation of sciatic nerves induces Ca2+ increases in the cytosol and the mitochondrial matrix of surrounding SCs via purinergic receptor activation. Chronic suppression of this pathway during active myelination suppressed the longitudinal and radial development of myelinating SCs and caused hypomyelination. These results demonstrate a neuron-to-SC mitochondria signaling, which is likely to have an important role in proper myelination.

We investigated the selective oxidation of styrenes to benzaldehydes by using a non-irradiated TiO2−H2O2 catalytic system. The oxidation promotes multi-step reactions from styrenes, including the cleavage of a C=C double bond and the addition of an oxygen atom selectively and stepwise to provide the corresponding benzaldehydes in good yields (up to 72%). These reaction processes were spectroscopically shown by fluorescent measurements under the presence of competitive scavengers. The absence of the signal from OH radicals indicates the participation of other oxidants such as hydroperoxy radicals (•OOH) and superoxide radicals (•O2−) into the selective oxidation from styrene to benzaldehyde.

Herein, we describe a novel posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) technique with annulus fibrosus (AF) release and the use of expandable cages (called “anterior-release PLIF” [ARPLIF]). In this technique, posterior column osteotomy (PCO) and AF release provide excellent intervertebral mobility. AF release involves circumferentially peeling off the AF above or below the endplate between the fixed vertebrae under radiographic guidance without cutting the AF and anterior longitudinal ligament. Subsequently, high-angle variable-angle expandable cages are used to simultaneously expand both sides before inserting the percutaneous pedicle screws and correcting to achieve good local lumbar lordosis. PCO and AF release achieve excellent intervertebral mobility. Intervertebral mobility and simultaneous expansion of both cages disperse the force on the endplates, reducing cage subsidence, and the high-angle cages facilitate high intervertebral angle creation. The novel ARPLIF intervertebral manipulation technique can promote good local lumbar lordosis formation.

Abstract Majorana zero modes have gained significant interest due to their potential applications in topological quantum computing and in the realization of exotic quantum phases. These zero-energy quasiparticle excitations localize at the vortex cores of two-dimensional topological superconductors or at the ends of one-dimensional topological superconductors. Here we describe an alternative platform: a two-dimensional topological superconductor with inhomogeneous superconductivity, where Majorana modes localize at the ends of topologically nontrivial one-dimensional stripes induced by the spatial variations of the order parameter phase. In certain regimes, these Majorana modes hybridize into a single highly nonlocal state delocalized over spatially separated points, with exactly zero energy at finite system sizes and with emergent quantum-mechanical supersymmetry. We then present detailed descriptions of braiding and fusion protocols and showcase the versatility of our proposal by suggesting possible setups that can potentially lead to the realization of Yang-Lee anyons and the Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev model.

Bioremediation is a promising approach for mitigating commingled contaminations of chlorinated ethenes (CEs) and 1,4-dioxane (DX). However, aerobic bioremediation to simultaneously remove CEs and DX remains challenging. This study aimed to explore the ability of Pseudonocardia sp. D17 (D17) to aerobically degrade CEs and its applicability for concurrent removal of CEs and DX. Aerobic degradation experiments of individual CEs revealed that D17 could degrade trichloroethene (TCE), three isomers of dichloroethene (DCE), and vinyl chloride (VC), and the trend of its degradation ability was cis-1,2-DCE (cDCE) > VC > TCE > trans-1,2-DCE > 1,1-DCE. Notably, the CE-degrading activity of D17 was expressed even without any auxiliary substrates. Further, when TCE, cDCE, or VC was co-present with DX (each at 1 mg/L), D17 could degrade both compounds without any significant inhibition (for TCE and cDCE) or with only a transient and reversible suspension of its DX degradation ability (for VC). These findings indicated that D17 is a promising agent for the aerobic bioremediation of CEs and DX co-contamination and provide novel insights into the future development of efficient aerobic bioremediation strategies.

Purpose: Atovaquone is an alternative drug that is used for the prevention and treatment of Pneumocystis pneumonia when the first-line drug, sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (ST combination), cannot be used due to side effects. However, atovaquone is known to cause ocular side effects including oculomucocutaneous syndrome and vortex keratopathy. In this report, we describe a patient who developed bilateral white granular diffuse corneal opacity that extended from the corneal sub-epithelium to the stroma after continuous oral atovaquone administration for 14 months. Observations: The patient was a 15-year-old male with no prior ophthalmological or family medical history, but with a medical history of aplastic anemia treatment at our hospital's pediatric department. Examination showed bilateral diffuse white granular corneal opacity that extended from the sub-epithelium to the stroma, with no other abnormalities in the anterior and posterior segments of both eyes. Conclusions and importance: We encountered a rare case of bilateral corneal opacity resulting from oral atovaquone administration. Regular long-term ophthalmological examinations are necessary for patients taking atovaquone.

Purpose: Although good mid-term results of the first- and second-generation cementless stems have been reported, no study has compared outcomes between generations. This study aimed to compare the mid-term results of Accolade Ti–12Mo–6Zr–2Fe (TMZF) and Accolade II over a 5-year period. Methods: This retrospective, single-institution, single-surgeon observational study included patients who underwent primary total hip arthroplasty using the Accolade TMZF (n ​= ​71, group I) or Accolade II (n ​= ​73, group II) between January 2009 and July 2015. Revision and conversion cases were excluded. Functional evaluations were performed using the Japanese Orthopaedic Association hip (JOA) score. Radiographic evaluations were performed using anteroposterior radiographs. Spot welds, radiolucency, cortical hypertrophy, and stress shielding around the stem were assessed for each Gruen zone. Subsidence and stem alignment were evaluated. Results: The 5-year postoperative stem survival rate was 100% in both groups. The JOA score improved from 44.0 ​± ​10.2 to 90.6 ​± ​7.6 in group I and from 49.1 ​± ​10.1 to 91.7 ​± ​6.6 in group II. There were no significant differences in preoperative and postoperative JOA scores and subscale scores in either group. Significant spot welds were observed in group II in Gruen zones 3 and 5. Stress shielding progressed over time in both groups, and the prevalence of grade 3 shielding was significantly lower in group II (p ​= ​0.028). Conclusion: Both stems had a survival rate of 100%. The incidence of severe stress shielding seemed to be lower with Accolade II, but further investigations should be needed.

A 67-year-old man with abdominal pain and vomiting was referred to our hospital for the treatment of ileus. Enhanced computed tomography (CT) showed marked dilatation of the ileum and a presumed cecal tumor. After the intestinal decompression using nasogastric tube, a colonoscopy showed a type 3 tumor in the cecum. Endoscopic biopsy pathologically showed atypical cells growing in a cribriform fashion, leading to the diagnosis of cecal cancer. Staging CT showed multiple lung nodules either in a solid or a cavity-forming fashion and a presumed peritoneal disseminating lesion. Smaller lung nodules tended to show a solid pattern and larger ones a cavity-forming pattern. On diagnostic laparoscopic operation, a frozen section of the resected peritoneal lesion proved peritoneal dissemination. The patient, therefore, underwent palliative colectomy with functional anastomosis followed by thoracoscopic resection of one cavity-forming lung nodule for the accurate evaluation of the disease spread. Pathologic study showed marked tumor tip deciduation of cecal cancer and interminglement of necrotic tissue and exfoliated cancer cell clusters in the cavity of the metastatic lung tumor. Oncologists should note that ulcer-forming colon cancer can develop metastatic lung tumors in a cavity-forming fashion. Co-presence of small solid nodules and large cavity-forming ones suggests metastatic lung tumors from ulcer-forming colon cancer.

In this study, we reported two patients with clinical pictures compatible with the diagnosis of bilateral Fuchs’ superficial marginal keratitis (FSMK) treated with surgical treatment and anti-inflammatory drugs. The cases suffered from bilateral photophopia, blurred vision, and pseudopterygium with normal intraocular pressure (IOP). Pseudopterygia extended from temporal and nasal sides and had a gray line between the corneal normal epithelium with no lipid deposits. The first case had a bilateral high mixed astigmatic error and the second had dry eye symptoms. No abnormalities, including systemic inflammatory disease, were found in the laboratory investigations. The first case had bilateral pseudopterygium excision, mitomycin C (MMC) application, and pedicled conjunctival flap transplantation. The patient was followed regularly, and her condition was stable without any recurrence or deterioration in the ocular findings. The second case had conjunctival resection + amniotic membrane transplantation + MMC application six times on the right eye and three times on the left eye during 4 years and suffered recurrences after each operation. Her visual acuity severely decreased with the elevated IOP of both eyes. The patient refused to do any further surgical intervention. Despite its rarity, FSMK should be considered when peripheral corneal infiltration, corneal thinning, and pseudopterygia are observed in both eyes.

Realizing smooth traffic flow is important for achieving carbon neutrality. Adaptive traffic signal control, which considers traffic conditions, has thus attracted attention. However, it is difficult to ensure optimal vehicle flow throughout a large city using existing control methods because of their heavy computational load. Here, we propose a control method called AMPIC (Adaptive Model Predictive Ising Controller) that guarantees both scalability and optimality. The proposed method employs model predictive control to solve an optimal control problem at each control interval with explicit consideration of a predictive model of vehicle flow. This optimal control problem is transformed into a combinatorial optimization problem with binary variables that is equivalent to the Ising problem. This transformation allows us to use Ising solvers, which have been widely studied and are expected to offer fast and efficient optimization performance. The method works adaptively according to traffic conditions such as the structure of the road network and feedback from observation of the traffic system. We performed numerical experiments using a microscopic traffic simulator for a realistic city road network. Compared to the classical pattern control method, the results show that AMPIC increases the vehicle cruising speed by 13%, reduces the waiting vehicle ratio to 60%, and lowers the CO 2emissions to only 25% of the original level. The model predictive approach with a long prediction horizon thus effectively improves control performance. Systematic parametric studies on model cities indicate that the proposed method realizes smoother traffic flows for large city road networks. Among Ising solvers, D-Wave’s quantum annealing is shown to find near-optimal solutions at a reasonable computational cost.

Abstract Background Placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) cesarean hysterectomy is performed under conditions of shock and can result in serious complications. This study aimed to evaluate the usefulness of the “Holding-up uterus” surgical technique with a shock index (S.I.) > 1.5. Methods Twelve patients who underwent PAS cesarean hysterectomy were included in the study. Results Group I had S.I. > 1.5, and group II had S.I. ≤ 1.5. Group I had more complications, but none were above Grade 3 or fatal. Preoperative scheduled uterine artery embolization did not result in serious complications, but three patients who had emergency common iliac artery balloon occlusion (CIABO) and a primary total hysterectomy with S.I. > 1.5 had postoperative Grade 2 thrombosis. Two patients underwent manual ablation of the placenta under CIABO to preserve the uterus, both with S.I. > 1.5. Conclusions The study found that the “Holding-up uterus” technique was safe, even in critical situations with S.I. > 1.5. CIABO had no intervention effect. The study also identified assisted reproductive technology pregnancies with a uterine cavity length of less than 5 cm before conception as a critical factor.

Introduction: Posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) is a common treatment for nerve root disease associated with lumbar foraminal stenosis or lumbar spondylolisthesis. At our institution, PLIF is usually performed with high-angle cages and posterior column osteotomy (PLIF with HAP). However, not all patients achieve sufficient segmental lumbar lordosis (SLL). This study determined whether the location of PLIF cages affect local lumbar lordosis formation. Methods: A total of 59 patients who underwent L4/5 PLIF with HAP at our hospital, using the same titanium control cage model, were enrolled in this cohort study. The mean ratio of the distance from the posterior edge of the cage to the posterior wall of the vertebral body/vertebral length (RDCV) immediately after surgery was 16.5%. The patients were divided into two groups according to RDCV

Detecting source code vulnerabilities is a critical challenge in secure software development. Early identification of vulnerabilities ensures that software performance and security remain uncompromised. However, existing vulnerability detection methods often struggle to capture the semantic meaning of source code, particularly for vulnerability types that require a deeper understanding of code flow and context. This work addresses this challenge by introducing ContextCPG, a novel enhancement of the code property graph (CPG) representation. ContextCPG augments the CPG by incorporating additional information about variable names and data types within the source code. Our approach combines natural language processing analysis with graph-based analysis to capture a richer context surrounding the source code, relying on both the structural features of the graph representation and the naming, type, and value of nodes as natural language analysis. These additional features enhance the capability of graph neural network models to capture the semantic meaning of the source code and better detect vulnerabilities. We evaluate ContextCPG by applying it to three selected C/C++ vulnerabilities (buffer overflow, invalid input, and use-after-free) and comparing its performance against CPGs. The evaluation results reveal that ContextCPG consistently outperforms the CPG on all vulnerability types, demonstrating an average accuracy increase of 8%. ContextCPG showcases the value of providing supplementary information within the graph representation, consistently enhancing vulnerability detection efficacy.

Abstract Background Most cases of microsporidial keratoconjunctivitis are found in the Southern hemisphere. Our purpose was to investigate the first outbreak of microsporidial keratoconjunctivitis in Japan among healthy, immunocompetent soccer players from the same team during a 1-month period. Case presentation This study is an observational case series. The medical records were analyzed for five cases with microsporidial keratoconjunctivitis who presented within September 2022. All five cases were males between 28 and 36 years old. These previously healthy individuals belonged to the same football team. Their eyes were considered susceptible to contaminated water or dirt from the turf at game and practice sites. All cases involved unilateral conjunctivitis, with scattered round white lesions that showed positive fluorescein staining in the corneal epithelium. All cases experienced diminution of vision in the affected eye. In three cases, direct smears showed spores of approximately 2–3 μm in diameter. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of corneal scrapes revealed partial amplification of microsporidial 18 S ribosomal RNA gene in four cases. Sequences of PCR products from all four cases showed 100% identity with strains of Vittaforma corneae previously reported from an outbreak in Singapore. All cases were treated with topical therapy, including voriconazole, fluorometholone, and levofloxacin. Four eyes underwent corneal scraping. After treatment, all eyes healed without residual opacities. Conclusions Only a few sporadic case reports of this disease have previously been reported in Japan. We detected V. corneae in our case series, representing what appears to be the first outbreak of microsporidial keratoconjunctivitis in Japan. Exposure to contaminated water or soil, in addition to inadequate sanitary facilities, represents a potential source of infection. Further investigations to clarify the characteristics of microsporidia seem warranted.

Background: Pseudohypoparathyroidism (PHP) and nonsurgical hypoparathyroidism (NS-HypoPT) are rare diseases with hypocalcemia, hyperphosphatemia, and high and low parathyroid hormone levels, respectively. In Japan, over 20 years have passed since the last survey on these diseases. We carried out a nationwide cross-sectional survey to estimate the prevalence of these diseases in 2018. Methods: We conducted a nationwide mail-based survey targeting hospitals in 2018. >From a total of 13,156 departments throughout Japan, including internal medicine, pediatrics, neurology, and psychiatry, 3,501 (27%) departments were selected using a stratified random sampling method. We asked each included department to report the number of patients with PHP and NS-HypoPT in 2017. Results: The overall survey response rate was 52.0% (1,807 departments). The estimated number of patients with PHP and NS-HypoPT was 1,484 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1,143–1,825) and 2,304 (95% CI, 1,189–3,419), respectively; the prevalence per 100,000 population was 1.2 and 1.8, respectively. Conclusion: In this study, we generated estimates of the national prevalence of PHP and NS-HypoPT in Japan during 2017, which were found to be higher than those previously reported.

Abstract Properly patterned deposition of cell wall polymers is prerequisite for the morphogenesis of plant cells. A cortical microtubule array guides the two-dimensional pattern of cell wall deposition. Yet, the mechanism underlying the three-dimensional patterning of cell wall deposition is poorly understood. In metaxylem vessels, cell wall arches are formed over numerous pit membranes, forming highly organized three-dimensional cell wall structures. Here, we show that the microtubule-associated proteins, MAP70-5 and MAP70-1, regulate arch development. The map70-1 map70-5 plants formed oblique arches in an abnormal orientation in pits. Microtubules fit the aperture of developing arches in wild-type cells, whereas microtubules in map70-1 map70-5 cells extended over the boundaries of pit arches. MAP70 caused the bending and bundling of microtubules. These results suggest that MAP70 confines microtubules within the pit apertures by altering the physical properties of microtubules, thereby directing the growth of pit arches in the proper orientation. This study provides clues to understanding how plants develop three-dimensional structure of cell walls.

Background: Neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease (NIID) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the formation of intranuclear inclusions in cells. Adult-type NIID usually develops in elderly patients with various clinical manifestations and is sometimes accompanied by ocular symptoms. A case of adult-onset NIID with early and unique manifestations, including a progressive corneal defect and retinal changes, which are concerning at a young age, is reported. Case Presentation: A 29-year-old woman with adult sporadic NIID presented to our department with a progressive corneal disorder. Her neurological symptoms started at the age of 22 years, and she was diagnosed with NIID by skin biopsy and genetic testing. Ocular examination revealed bilateral corneal superficial punctate keratitis, right corneal opacity, decreased vision, nocturnal lagophthalmos, and early retinal changes. Corneal nerve fiber atrophy was detected by in vivo confocal microscopy. With a Cochet–Bonnet aesthesiometer, the progression of NIID and decreased corneal sensation were confirmed. Findings consistent with neurotrophic keratitis and keratoconjunctivitis due to nocturnal lagophthalmos were both suggested as being complications of her underlying NIID. Treatment with punctal plugs, sodium hyaluronate eye drops, diquafosol sodium eye drops, systemic and local antivirals, and local steroid medications resulted in the gradual improvement in the irregularity and opacity of the epithelium. Conclusions: NIID may lead to neurotrophic keratopathy due to impairment of the corneal sensory nerves. Nocturnal lagophthalmos is a remarkable finding in a case of NIID. The findings in the present case highlight the complex and multifaceted nature of NIID, with neurological and ocular manifestations requiring a multidisciplinary approach to management.

A hybrid electrolyte composed of a high-concentration electrolyte made of dimethyl carbonate and lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide and lithium exchanged faujasite-type zeolite exhibits solidification of the electrolyte with high ionic conductivity and excellent contact properties with a lithium metal anode and an olivine-type LiFePO4 cathode. The assembled battery showed excellent cyclability for at least 100 cycles at a charge rate of 1 C at 60 °C with a discharge capacity retention of 98.6 % and high coulombic efficiency.

We developed a technique that can measure corneal transepithelial electrical resistance (TER) in mice, which was used for evaluating corneal toxicity induced by ophthalmic drugs. We used a tissue culture well and its insert to mount the mouse globe and separated the cornea from the rest of the globe to enable corneal TER measurements to be taken. The explanted mouse eyes were divided into groups, and the corneal epithelia were exposed to different concentrations of BAC. Half of these eyes were fixed for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) examination and the other for ZO-1 immunohistochemical (IHC) evaluation. After exposure to control, 0.1%, 0.2%, and 0.5% BAC, the TER was 100 ± 0%, 91 ± 14%, 83 ± 13%, and 34 ± 12% of the pre-exposure TER at 1 min, respectively, with a statistically significant decrease in the 0.5% group. After 3 min, the TER showed a statistically significant decrease in the 0.2% and 0.5% groups. The TEM examinations showed a loss of epithelial tight junctions between superficial cells in the 0.2% and 0.5% groups. The IHC examination showed decreased ZO-1 staining of the corneal epithelium of the same groups as compared to the control. To the best of our knowledge, we succeeded in developing an innovative technique for corneal TER measurement in mice.

Background and Objectives: Parinaud oculoglandular syndrome (POS) is unilateral granulomatous follicular conjunctivitis with ipsilateral afferent lymphadenopathy, primarily caused by cat-scratch disease, tularemia, and sporotrichosis. We report a case of POS in which Bartonella DNA was detected using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in corneal and conjunctival specimens. Methods: A 29-year-old man, who started keeping a stray cat two months prior, became aware of right preauricular lymphadenopathy and right ocular conjunctival hyperemia one month prior. Subsequently, he developed a fever of approximately 37.9 °C, with a purulent ocular discharge appearing 1 week before being referred to our department for a detailed ophthalmological examination. The patient’s right eye showed hyperemia and edema in the bulbar conjunctiva, along with palpebral conjunctival hyperemia, follicles, and white ulcers. Two weeks later, his serum IgM titer for Bartonella henselae was 1:20, and Bartonella DNA was detected by PCR in the corneal and conjunctival specimens. Based on these findings, the patient was diagnosed with POS caused by cat-scratch disease (CSD). Oral doxycycline, rifampicin, topical gatifloxacin, betamethasone phosphate, and erythromycin eye ointments were prescribed. Results: After 2 weeks of oral treatment and 2 months of eye drop treatment, the deterioration of the cornea and conjunctiva improved when the patient recovered good visual acuity. Conclusions: PCR assays of corneal and conjunctival specimens are useful for the diagnosis of CSD presenting with POS. These results suggested that Bartonella may be directly involved in the ocular surface pathogenesis of POS.

An 82-year-old man developed a hypervascular renal tumor, 2 cm in size, and multiple liver tumors. Liver tumors had obscured tumor margins on ultrasonography. Positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) showed no areas of avid radiotracer uptake in the liver. Routine pathological examination failed to demonstrate tumor cells in 9 tissue samples obtained from repeated core needle biopsies. Even a frozen section of the liver segment 8 tumor further failed to prove malignant cells, and an additive frozen section of the liver section 2 tumor finally proved atypical cells growing in tubular and solid fashions with eosinophilic cytoplasm. Tumors showed expansive growth patterns, were in direct contact with normal liver cells, had abundant micro-vessels, had only sparse hyalinized septa, and had no pale cells. Immunostaining revealed the tumor cells to be positive for CD10, CD117, and E-cadherin and negative for CK7, and PAX8, leading to the diagnosis of metastatic chromophobe renal cell carcinoma (chRCC) in the liver. Arginase-1 immunostaining clearly demarcated the boundary between the chRCC cells and normal hepatic cells. Diagnostic physicians should note that chRCCs are of low-grade malignancy despite their abundant intra-tumoral blood flow and can often pose imaging and pathologic diagnostic difficulties.

Abstract Background Perioperative greater trochanteric fracture following total hip arthroplasty (THA) using the anterolateral approach is a recognized perioperative complication. There was no previous study to determine the relationship between bone mineral density (BMD) and three-dimensional greater trochanter morphology for perioperative greater trochanter fractures. The purpose of this study is to identify the influence of greater trochanteric bone density and three-dimensional morphology on perioperative greater trochanteric fracture following THA using the anterolateral approach. Methods We investigated 209 hips done primary THA using the anterolateral approach and preoperative BMD test for the proximal femoral bone with a minimum of 6 months follow-up. We picked up all patients who had perioperative greater trochanteric fractures. Multivariate analysis was done in order to investigate the influence of the greater trochanter young adult mean (YAM) and three-dimensional morphology on perioperative greater trochanteric fractures. Results There were 10 joints (10/209, 4.8%) with perioperative greater trochanteric fractures. Osteosynthesis was required only in one joint (1/209, 0.5%) because the bone fragments were significantly displaced proximally by the gluteus medius. Multivariate analysis showed the combination of Type B femoral shape (in cases where the top of the great trochanter was inside the longitudinal central axis of the planned femoral stem in computed tomography (CT)- based three-dimensional templating) and a YAM of

Abstract Background This study aimed to evaluate whether “visiting restrictions” implemented due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic are a risk factor for postpartum depression using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Methods This case-control study participants who gave birth during the spread of COVID-19 (COVID-19 study group) and before the spread of COVID-19 (control group). Participants completed the EPDS at 2 weeks and 1 month after childbirth. Results A total of 400 cases (200 in each group) were included in this study. The EPDS positivity rate was significantly lower with visiting restrictions than without (8.5% vs.18.5%, p = 0.002). Multivariate analysis of positive EPDS screening at the 1st month checkup as the objective variable revealed that visiting restrictions (odds ratio (OR): 0.35, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.18–0.68), neonatal hospitalization (OR: 2.17, 95% CI: 1.08–4.35), and prolonged delivery (OR: 2.87, 95% CI: 1.20–6.85) were factors associated with an increased risk of positive EPDS screening. Conclusion Visiting restrictions on family during the hospitalization period for delivery during the spread of COVID-19 pandemic did not worsen EPDS screening scores 1 month postpartum, but stabilized the mental state of some mothers.

Abstract A previous study suggested that the airlift condition is superior to the Optisol-GS condition for preserving the limbal tissue of the human cornea. The purpose of this research is to investigate a new preservation device that preserves the cornea while separating epithelial and endothelial areas. The differences after preserving the corneal epithelium under different conditions were compared. A total of 24 corneas of New Zealand rabbits were divided into four groups in which the corneal epithelia were submersed in Optisol-GS or under airlift conditions for 1 and 2 weeks at 4 $$^{\circ }$$ ∘ C. Transparency, optical coherence tomography (OCT), hematoxylin and eosin (H &E) staining, and epithelial migration tests were used to assess corneal status. The epithelial migration examination showed significantly greater migration ability after the airlift condition. Corneas in the 1-week Optisol-GS group were the most transparent, followed by the 1-week airlift group. OCT showed a progressive increase in corneal thickness to the end of the study. H &E staining showed that the epithelial cells retained intact cellular structure and morphology of the cells for both 1-week-preserved groups. However, there was disruption of the corneal epithelial cell structure for both 2-week-preserved groups. Corneal epithelium preserved under the hypothermic airlift condition was comparable to that under the Optisol-GS condition.

Abstract Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is characterized by biofilm infection, which is difficult to alleviate while preserving implant integrity. Furthermore, long-term antibiotic therapy may increase the prevalence of drug-resistant bacterial strains, necessitating a non-antibacterial approach. Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) exert antibacterial effects; however, their efficacy in PJI remains unclear. This study investigates the efficacy of combined intravenous ADSCs and antibiotic therapy in comparison to antibiotic monotherapy in a methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA)-infected PJI rat model. The rats were randomly assigned and equally divided into 3 groups: no-treatment group, antibiotic group, ADSCs with antibiotic group. The ADSCs with antibiotic group exhibited the fastest recovery from weight loss, with lower bacterial counts (p = 0.013 vs. no-treatment group; p = 0.024 vs. antibiotic group) and less bone density loss around the implants (p = 0.015 vs. no-treatment group; p = 0.025 vs. antibiotic group). The modified Rissing score was used to evaluate localized infection on postoperative day 14 and was the lowest in the ADSCs with antibiotic group; however, no significant difference was observed between the antibiotic group and ADSCs with antibiotic group (p < 0.001 vs. no-treatment group; p = 0.359 vs. antibiotic group). Histological analysis revealed a clear, thin, and continuous bony envelope, a homogeneous bone marrow, and a defined, normal interface in the ADSCs with antibiotic group. Moreover, the expression of cathelicidin expression was significantly higher (p = 0.002 vs. no-treatment group; p = 0.049 vs. antibiotic group), whereas that of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin(IL)-6 was lower in the ADSCs with antibiotic group than in the no-treatment group (TNF-α, p = 0.010 vs. no-treatment group; IL-6, p = 0.010 vs. no-treatment group). Thus, the combined intravenous ADSCs and antibiotic therapy induced a stronger antibacterial effect than antibiotic monotherapy in a MSSA-infected PJI rat model. This strong antibacterial effect may be related to the increased cathelicidin expression and decreased inflammatory cytokine expression at the site of infection.

Abstract We aimed to assess the reliability and validity of OpenPose, a posture estimation algorithm, for measuring hip-knee-ankle (HKA) angle in patients with knee osteoarthritis, by comparing it with radiography. In this prospective study, we analysed 60 knees (30 patients) with knee osteoarthritis. We measured HKA angle using OpenPose and radiography before or after total knee arthroplasty and assessed the test–retest reliability of each method with intraclass correlation coefficient (1, 1). We evaluated the ability to estimate the radiographic measurement values from the OpenPose values using linear regression analysis and used intraclass correlation coefficients (2, 1) and Bland–Altman analyses to evaluate the agreement and error between OpenPose and radiographic measurements. OpenPose had excellent test–retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient (1, 1) = 1.000) and excellent agreement with radiography (intraclass correlation coefficient (2, 1) = 0.915), with regression analysis indicating a large correlation (R2 = 0.865). OpenPose also had a 1.1° fixed error and no systematic error when compared with radiography. This is the first study to validate the use of OpenPose for the estimation of HKA angle in patients with knee osteoarthritis. OpenPose is a reliable and valid tool for measuring HKA angle in patients with knee osteoarthritis. OpenPose, which enables non-invasive and simple measurements, may be a useful tool to assess changes in HKA angle and monitor the progression and post-operative course of knee osteoarthritis. Furthermore, this validated tool can be used not only in clinics and hospitals, but also at home and in training gyms; thus, its use could potentially be expanded to include self-assessment/monitoring.

This study reports an intriguing observation regarding the betaproteobacterium Pelomonas saccharophila MRB3 (NITE P-01647), a candidate plant growth-promoting bacterium that accelerates biomass production of the aquatic plant, duckweed. In a series of experiments in which strain MRB3 cells were inoculated into duckweed cultures, MRB3 improved duckweed growth with decreasing cell density in the culture medium. By monitoring nutrient dynamics of plants and bacteria, we found that MRB3 exhibited spontaneous cell lysis and released NH4+ and PO43–, which were subsequently utilized for duckweed growth. Surprisingly, the amount of NH4+ released by MRB3 corresponded to approximately half of the total nitrogen contained in the inoculated cells, notwithstanding the fact that the majority of nitrogen elements in bacterial cells should be present in plant-unavailable forms, such as proteins and nucleic acids. Spontaneous cell lysis, provision of macronutrients, and duckweed growth promotion by MRB3 were robustly observed in different inoculation amounts and growth media, including natural pond water. These observations indicated the possibility of utilizing autolytic bacteria as an alternative nutrient source in hydroponic cultivation of duckweeds and other plants.

Malicious JavaScript code in web applications poses a significant threat as cyber attackers exploit it to perform various malicious activities. Detecting these malicious scripts is challenging, given their diverse nature and the continuous evolution of attack techniques. Most approaches formulate this task as a static or sequential feature of the script, which is insufficient in terms of flexibility to various attack techniques and the ability to capture the script’s semantic meaning. To address this issue, we propose an alternative approach that leverages JavaScript code’s abstract syntax tree (AST) representation, focusing on distinctive syntactic structure features. The proposed approach uses graph neural networks to extract structural features from the AST graph while considering the attribute features of individual nodes, which uses neural message passing with neighborhood aggregation. The proposed method encodes both the local AST graph structure and attributes of the nodes. It enables capturing the source code’s semantic meaning and exploits the signature structure in the AST representations. The proposed method consistently achieved high detection performance in extensive experiments on two different datasets, with accuracy scores of 99.4% and 96.92%. The obtained evaluation metrics demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach in accurately detecting malicious JavaScript code, with our proposed method successfully detecting more than 81% for various attack types and achieving an almost twofold performance improvement on JS-Droppers compared to the sequence-based approach. In addition, we observed that the AST graph structure represented the code’s semantic meaning, exhibiting distinctive patterns and signatures that could be effectively captured using the proposed method.