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Abstract Neutron spin echo spectroscopy is a high resolution inelastic neutron scattering method probing nanosecond dynamics. It is well suited to study the atomistic motion in polymer systems and contributes to our understanding of viscoelasticity. However, for samples under shear, or moving samples in general, Doppler scattering has to be considered. We compare the measured phase shift and depolarisation due to Doppler scattering from a rotating graphite disk to numerical and analytical calculations and find excellent agreement. This allows to take into account Doppler scattering during the data processing and makes longer Fourier times as well as higher shear rates and Q ranges possible with neutron spin echo spectroscopy, enabling for example the study of polymers under high shear.

Background: Acute sialadenitis is one of the major physical complications of radioactive iodine therapy (RAIT) for differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). It is considered necessary to pay attention to the psychological impact on the patient as well as the physical influence during RAIT. Objective: To find evidence of the benefits of Basil tea on the psychological and physical side effects of RAIT. Methods: Forty-four DTC patients after total thyroidectomy were randomly divided into Group A (Basil tea group, n = 22) and Group B (Control group, n = 22). Subjects in Group A drank 180 mL of Basil tea prepared from 2.0 g of Holy basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum Linn.) leaves after each meal for four days, starting on the day RAIT was performed. Those in Group B drank the same amount of distilled water after each meal for the same period as those in Group A. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) was used to assess anxiety, while the saliva component test, and salivary gland scintigraphy were used to assess the oral cavity. Results: The rate of change of the STAI score (both State Anxiety and Trait Anxiety) was significantly lower in Group A than in Group B (P

Sodium glucose cotransporter‐2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) are now widely used to treat diabetes, but their effects on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) remain to be determined. We aimed to evaluate the effects of SGLT2is on the pathogenesis of NAFLD. A multicenter, randomized, controlled trial was conducted in patients with type 2 diabetes with NAFLD. The changes in glycemic control, obesity, and liver pathology were compared between participants taking ipragliflozin (50 mg/day for 72 weeks; IPR group) and participants being managed without SGLT2is, pioglitazone, glucagon‐like peptide‐1 analogs, or insulin (CTR group). In the IPR group (n = 25), there were significant decreases in hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and body mass index (BMI) during the study (HbA1c, −0.41%, P

Cancer cells tend to stay in the marginal sinus when they metastasize to lymph nodes. This study aimed to elucidate the distribution of particles in lymph nodes for the development of novel therapeutic approaches to early cancer with lymph node metastasis. We subcutaneously administered five different sizes of fluorescent thiol-organosilica particles (120, 380, 840, 1700, and 2800 nm) into the footpads of mice, and observed and analyzed the distributions of particles in the popliteal lymph nodes 24 h later in vivo, histologically, and three-dimensionally. The distributions of particles varied according to size, with particles measuring 120 and 380 nm being more significantly distributed in the marginal sinus, and particles measuring 840, 1700 and 2800 nm being more distributed in the medullary area. These results suggest that thiol-organosilica particles measuring 120 and 380 nm may be useful in the treatment of early cancer with lymph node metastasis.

Radiotherapy is one of the most effective cancer treatments. Au nanoparticles (NPs) are one of the most used X-ray sensitizing materials however the effective small sub-nm size of Au NPs used for X-ray sensitizers is disadvantageous for cellular uptake. Here, we propose the surface functionalization of organosilica NPs (OS) with Au NPs (OS/Au), which combined the 100 nm size of OS and the sub-nm size of Au NPs, and synthesized effective Au materials as an X-ray sensitizer. The X-ray sensitizing potential for 4T1 mouse mammary tumor cells was revealed using a multifaceted evaluation combined with a fluorescence microscopic cell imaging assay. The number of polyethyleneimine (PEI)-modified OS (OS/PEI) and OS/Au (OS/Au/PEI) uptake per 4T1 mouse mammary tumor cell was the same; however, 4T1 cells treated with OS/Au/PEI exhibited significant inhibition of cell proliferation and increases in cell death by X-ray irradiation at 8Gy. The non-apoptotic death of OS/Au/PEI-treated 4T1 cells was increased by DNA and mitochondrial-synergized damage increase and showed potential applications in radiotherapy.

Lipid vesicles are widely used as models for cell membranes, hosts for membrane protein studies, and containers for hydrophilic molecules. The vesicle solutions in these applications are usually prepared at a specific lipid concentration; however, because vesicles are solvent-filled structures, the corresponding volume fraction of vesicles is at least a factor of three times higher than the corresponding lipid volume fraction and critically depends on the vesicle radii. Here we show that these higher than may be expected vesicle volume fractions result in measurable interactions between the vesicles as well as affect the vesicle diffusion. We show that vesicle solutions prepared with lipid mass fractions, mL, as low as ≈ 0.004, which correspond to a lipid concentration of ≈ 4 mg/mL or 5 mmol/L (mM), not only have a measurable apparent structure factor (S′(q)) in small angle neutron scattering (SANS) experiments, but that this repulsive structure factor also affects the measured diffusion coefficient at small scattering vectors (q) such as those probed with dynamic light scattering (DLS). The measured diffusion coefficients are further affected by indirect solvent mediated interactions described by a hydrodynamic factor (H(q)). Accounting for the concentration-dependence of the vesicle diffusion shows that the lipid concentration dependence measured in neutron spin echo (NSE) spectroscopy is due to differences in the effective vesicle diffusion coefficients and not the membrane fluctuation dynamics. The results have practical implications for static and dynamic scattering experiments as well as provide interesting insights into the interactions between soft lipid vesicles.

Abstract Introduction Immune response to cow's milk allergen (CMA) has been analyzed mostly using crude milk antigen or a mixture of various caseins. This study aimed to assess the changes in the immunological response against αS1‐casein during oral immunotherapy (OIT) and to investigate the mechanism of tolerance. Methods We have performed rush OIT to 39 patients with CMA and obtained the serum samples up to 3 years after OIT. Immunoglobulin E (IgE) and IgG4 antibodies specific to highly purified αS1‐casein as well as passively‐sensitized basophil activation were evaluated using the serial samples. Furthermore, we examined whether basophil activation led by the pre‐OIT serum was suppressed by the post‐OIT serum, or by the tolerant serum obtained from naturally outgrown patients. Results Specific IgE to αS1‐casein was significantly reduced after OIT. Specific IgG4 (sIgG4) to αS1‐casein was also detected in most of the pre‐OIT sera, which was not significantly increased after OIT. Activation of passively‐sensitized basophils to αS1‐casein was significantly reduced after 2 years (14% ± 19%) and 3 years (19% ± 18%) post‐OIT compared with pre‐OIT (%CD63high basophils; 51% ± 27%). Furthermore, the addition of post‐OIT or tolerant serum to pre‐OIT serum significantly suppressed the basophil activation. This suppression was abrogated by washing the supernatant after passive sensitization, but not by depleting IgG antibodies from post‐OIT or tolerant sera, nor by blocking FcγRIIb using an anti‐FcγR antibody. Conclusions αS1‐casein‐sIgG4 plays a minor role in tolerance mechanisms in cases of CMA; humoral factors other than antigen‐sIgG4 may be involved.

Abstract Background Little is known about the potential use of the eosinophil count as a predictive marker of bloodstream infection. In this study, we aimed to assess the reliability of eosinopenia as a predictive marker of bloodstream infection. Methods This retrospective cohort study was performed in the outpatient department and general internal medicine department of a tertiary university hospital in Japan. A total of 189 adult patients with at least 2 sets of blood cultures obtained during the period January 1–December 31, 2018, were included; those with the use of antibiotic therapy within 2 weeks prior to blood culture, steroid therapy, or a history of haematological cancer were excluded. The diagnostic accuracies of each univariate variable and the multivariable logistic regression models were assessed by calculating the areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUROCs). The primary outcome was a positive blood culture indicating bloodstream infection. Results Severe eosinopenia (

An important mechanical property of cells is the membrane bending modulus, κ. In the case of red blood cells (RBCs) there is a composite membrane consisting of a cytoplasmic membrane and an underlying spectrin network. Literature values of κ are puzzling, as they are reported over a wide range, from 5 kBT to 230 kBT. To disentangle the contribution of the cytoplasmic membrane from the spectrin network, we investigated the bending of red blood cell cytoplasmic membranes (RBCcm) in the absence of spectrin and adenosine triphosphate (ATP). We used a combination of X-ray diffuse scattering (XDS), neutron spin-echo (NSE) spectrometry and Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations. Our results indicate values of κ of order 4 kBT to 6 kBT, relatively small compared to literature values for most single component lipid bilayers. We suggest two ways this relative softness might confer biological advantage.

Lipids that have two tails of different lengths are found throughout biomembranes in nature, yet the effects of this asymmetry on the membrane properties are not well understood, especially when it comes to the membrane dynamics. Here we study the nanoscale bending fluctuations in model mixed-chain 14:0–18:0 PC (MSPC) and 18:0–14:0 PC (SMPC) lipid bilayers using neutron spin echo (NSE) spectroscopy. We find that despite the partial interdigitation that is known to persist in the fluid phase of these membranes, the collective fluctuations are enhanced on timescales of tens of nanoseconds, and the chain-asymmetric lipid bilayers are softer than an analogous chain-symmetric lipid bilayer with the same average number of carbons in the acyl tails, di-16:0 PC (DPPC). Quantitative comparison of the NSE results suggests that the enhanced bending fluctuations at the nanosecond timescales are consistent with experimental and computational studies that showed the compressibility moduli of chain-asymmetric lipid membranes are 20% to 40% lower than chain-symmetric lipid membranes. These studies add to growing evidence that the partial interdigitation in mixed-chain lipid membranes is highly dynamic in the fluid phase and impacts membrane dynamic processes from the molecular to mesoscopic length scales without significantly changing the bilayer thickness or area per lipid.

The development of science and technology of advanced materials using nanoscale units can be conducted by a novel concept involving combination of nanotechnology methodology with various research disciplines, especially supramolecular chemistry. The novel concept is called ‘nanoarchitectonics’ where self-assembly processes are crucial in many cases involving a wide range of component materials. This review of self-assembly processes re-examines recent progress in materials nanoarchitectonics. It is composed of three main sections: (1) the first short section describes typical examples of self-assembly research to outline the matters discussed in this review; (2) the second section summarizes self-assemblies at interfaces from general viewpoints; and (3) the final section is focused on self-assembly processes at interfaces. The examples presented demonstrate the strikingly wide range of possibilities and future potential of self-assembly processes and their important contribution to materials nanoarchitectonics. The research examples described in this review cover variously structured objects including molecular machines, molecular receptors, molecular pliers, molecular rotors, nanoparticles, nanosheets, nanotubes, nanowires, nanoflakes, nanocubes, nanodisks, nanoring, block copolymers, hyperbranched polymers, supramolecular polymers, supramolecular gels, liquid crystals, Langmuir monolayers, Langmuir–Blodgett films, self-assembled monolayers, thin films, layer-by-layer structures, breath figure motif structures, two-dimensional molecular patterns, fullerene crystals, metal–organic frameworks, coordination polymers, coordination capsules, porous carbon spheres, mesoporous materials, polynuclear catalysts, DNA origamis, transmembrane channels, peptide conjugates, and vesicles, as well as functional materials for sensing, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, photovoltaics, charge transport, excitation energy transfer, light-harvesting, photocatalysts, field effect transistors, logic gates, organic semiconductors, thin-film-based devices, drug delivery, cell culture, supramolecular differentiation, molecular recognition, molecular tuning, and hand-operating (hand-operated) nanotechnology.

An oil-swollen surfactant membrane is employed to measure the effects of incorporated hydrophobically functionalized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) on the structure and dynamics of the membranes. While maintaining an average AuNP diameter of approximately 5 nm, the membrane thickness was varied from 5 nm to 7.5 nm by changing the amount of oil in the membrane. The membranes become softer as the proportion of oil is increased, while the thickness fluctuations become slower. We attribute this to an increased fluctuation wavelength. Incorporation of AuNPs in the membrane induces membrane thinning and softening. Oil molecules surround the nanoparticles in the membrane and help their relatively homogeneous distribution. AuNPs significantly alter the membrane's structure and dynamics through thinning of the membrane, increased compressibility, and possible diffusion of AuNPs inside the membrane.

Like many soft materials, lipids undergo a melting transition associated with a significant increase in their dynamics. At temperatures below the main melting transition (Tm), all molecular and collective dynamics are suppressed, while above Tm the alkyl tail motions, lipid diffusivity, and collective membrane undulations are at least an order of magnitude faster. Here we study the collective dynamics of dimyristoylphosphatidylglycerol (DMPG, di 14:0 PG) using neutron spin echo spectroscopy throughout its anomalous phase transition that occurs over a 12 °C–20° C wide temperature window. Our results reveal that the membranes are softer and more dynamic during the phase transition than at higher temperatures corresponding to the fluid phase and provide direct experimental evidence for the predicted increase in membrane fluctuations during lipid melting. These results provide new insights into the nanoscale lipid membrane dynamics during the melting transition and demonstrate how these dynamics are coupled to changes in the membrane structure.

Abstract Background Somatization is regarded as psychological or emotional distress in the form of physical symptoms that are otherwise medically unexplained. Case presentation We report a case of a patient with a somatic symptom disorder (SSD) and depression who was later diagnosed with anterior cutaneous nerve entrapment syndrome (ACNES) when Carnett’s test was positive and block anesthesia using trigger point injections dramatically improved the symptom of abdominal pain. Conclusion We concluded that the differentiation of SSDs, such as psychogenic pain, from ACNES is very difficult. Psychiatrists should be aware of this syndrome.

Abstract Multimodal imaging using novel multifunctional nanoparticles provides new approach to biomedical field. Thiol-organosilica nanoparticles containing iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) and rhodamine B (thiol OS-MNP/Rho) were applied to multimodal imaging of hepatic tumor of Long−Evans Cinnamon (LEC) rat. The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of LEC rats revealed tumors in the liver clearly and semi-quantitatively due to a labeling of macrophages in liver. The fluorescent imaging (FI) showed abnormal fluorescent patterns of the liver at the mesoscopic level that was between macroscopic and microscopic level. We performed correlation analysis between optical imaging including FI and MRI. We found that the labeled macrophages located specific area in the tumor tissue and influenced the tumor size on MRI. In addition histological observation showed the labeled macrophages related specific tissue in the pathological region. We demonstrated a new approach to evaluate tumor tissue at the macroscopic and microscopic level as well as mesoscopic level using multimodal imaging.

Nanoparticles have demonstrated several advantages for biomedical applications, including for the development of multifunctional agents as innovative medicine. Silica nanoparticles hold a special position among the various types of functional nanoparticles, due to their unique structural and functional properties. The recent development of silica nanoparticles has led to a new trend in light-based nanomedicines. The application of light provides many advantages for in vivo imaging and therapy of certain diseases, including cancer. Mesoporous and non-porous silica nanoparticles have high potential for light-based nanomedicine. Each silica nanoparticle has a unique structure, which incorporates various functions to utilize optical properties. Such advantages enable silica nanoparticles to perform powerful and advanced optical imaging, from the in vivo level to the nano and micro levels, using not only visible light but also near-infrared light. Furthermore, applications such as photodynamic therapy, in which a lesion site is specifically irradiated with light to treat it, have also been advancing. Silica nanoparticles have shown the potential to play important roles in the integration of light-based diagnostics and therapeutics, termed “photo-theranostics”. Here, we review the recent development and progress of non-porous silica nanoparticles toward cancer “photo-theranostics”.

The liquid junction potential (LJP), the phenomenon that occurs when two electrolyte solutions of different composition come into contact, prevents accurate measurements in potentiometry. The effect of the LJP is usually remarkable in measurements of diluted solutions with low buffering capacities or low ion concentrations. Our group has constructed a simple method to eliminate the LJP by exerting spatiotemporal control of a liquid junction (LJ) formed between two solutions, a sample solution and a baseline solution (BLS), in a flow-through-type differential pH sensor probe. The method was contrived based on microfluidics. The sensor probe is a differential measurement system composed of two ion-sensitive field-effect transistors (ISFETs) and one Ag/AgCl electrode. With our new method, the border region of the sample solution and BLS is vibrated in order to mix solutions and suppress the overshoot after the sample solution is suctioned into the sensor probe. Compared to the conventional method without vibration, our method shortened the settling time from over two min to 15 s and reduced the measurement error by 86% to within 0.060 pH. This new method will be useful for improving the response characteristics and decreasing the measurement error of many apparatuses that use LJs.

The dication of the title compound, [Cu2(C28H28P2)2(C16H16N2)2](PF6)2·2CH2Cl2, has crystallographically imposed inversion symmetry. The copper(I) cation is coordinated in a distorted tetrahedral geometry by two N atoms of a chelating 3,4,7,8-tetramethyl-1,10-phenanthroline ligand and two P atoms of two bridging 1,4-bis(diphenylphosphanyl)butane ligands, forming a 14-membered ring. An intramolecular π–π interaction stabilizes the conformation of the dication. In the crystal, dications are linked by π–π interactions involving adjacent phenanthroline rings, forming chains running parallel to [111]. Weak C—H...F hydrogen interactions are also observed.

Our recent achievements relating to photofunctional molecules are addressed. Section 1 discloses a new concept of photoisomerization. Pyridylpyrimidine-copper complexes undergo a ring inversion that can be modulated by the redox state of the copper center. In combination with an intermolecular photoelectron transfer (PET) initiated by the metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) transition of the Cu(I) state, we realize photonic regulation of the ring inversion. Section 2 reports on the first examples of heteroleptic bis(dipyrrinato)zinc(II) complexes. Conventional homoleptic bis(dipyrrinato)zinc(II) complexes suffered from low fluorescence quantum yields, whereas the heteroleptic ones feature bright fluorescence even in polar solvents. Section 3 describes our new findings on Pechmann dye, which was first synthesized in 1882. New synthetic procedures for Pechmann dye using dimethyl bis(arylethynyl)fumarate as a starting material gives rise to its new structural isomer. We also demonstrate potentiality of a donor-acceptor-donor type of Pechmann dye in organic electronics.

Yamada Fûtarô is famous for his Ninja novels. His originality resides in the representation of the human body. Each ninja has an original skill that exploits one’s physical characteristic. Most often he seeks to give his romantic inventions some objectivity by using a pseudo-scientific vocabulary. What is fundamental to him is the sagacity of the medical gaze that demystifies the human body as an object. Like a surgeon who operates the body without mixing emotional value, Yamada “sutures” or “transplants” some corporal elements of his characters. In the climate of modern Japanese literature, its excessive aspects make his novels of Ninja stand out particularly.

As there are frequent needs to install a micro wind turbine generator in a residential area, we have developed such a downwind-type turbine rotor having the following specifications: The rotor has the tip diameter of 1.5 m and three two-dimensional NACA0018 blades of 0.15 m chord whose material is light, soft and pliable foam plastic for perfect safety. From the wind tunnel test under the wind speed less than 14 m/s, it is clarified that the downwind turbine generator having soft blades has the low noise and the self-output-control characteristics, which are regarded as favorable for its actual operation. The latter feature is primarily attributed to bending and torsional elastic-deformation of the soft blade. The remarkable aerodynamic performances are summarized in this paper.

It is known that the pressure fluctuation in the runner will become large when a Francis turbine operates at the low flow rate and high head. One of the reasons is the occurrence of channel vortices, which are caused by the three-dimensional flow separating from the suction side of runner blades. In this study, two three-dimensional guide vanes (1# 3D GV, 2# 3D GV) are designed so as to depress the channel vortices and improve the operation performance of a Francis turbine. The flow rate equation for 3D GV is derived firstly in this paper. Then, in order to show the influence of 3D GV on the turbine characteristic, performance test and video-recording of the channel vortices are conducted. Numerical simulation for a part load operation is applied finally to the entire turbine flow passage (from the inlet of spiral case to the outlet of draft tube) using the RNG k-ε turbulence model to make clear the three-dimensional internal flow. From evaluation of both the experimental and calculation results, it is noted that the channel vortices from the blade suction side were suppressed effectively by 3D GV, and the turbine efficiency with 3D GV was 0.41 % higher than that with the conventional 2D GV.

In the centrosymmetric dinuclear copper(I) complex cation of the title compound, [Cu2(C28H28P2)3](PF6)2·2C4H10O, the CuI atom is bonded to three P atoms of two butane-1,4-diylbis(diphenylphosphane) (dppb) ligands with a triangular coordination geometry. One of these P atoms belongs to a bridging dppb ligand [Cu—P = 2.2381 (5) Å] and two belong to a chelating dppb ligand [Cu—P = 2.2450 (6) and 2.2628 (5) Å]. The bridging dppb ligand lies on an inversion centre. In the crystal, the cation and the PF6− anion are linked by C—H...F interactions, forming a tape along [110]. The cation and the diethyl ether solvent molecule are also linked by a C—H...O interaction.

Aim. Delayed bleeding after endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for gastric epithelial neoplasms is a major complication. We investigated factors related to post-ESD bleeding to identify preventive measures. Methods. The study included 161 gastric epithelial neoplasms in 142 patients from June 2007 to September 2010. Post-ESD bleeding was defined as an ulcer with active bleeding or apparent exposed vessels diagnosed by an emergency endoscopy or a planned follow-up endoscopy. We analyzed associations between bleeding and the following factors: age, sex, morphology, pathology, tumor depth, ulcer presence/absence, location, size of the resected lesion, duration of the procedure, the number of times bleeding occurred during ESD, and the use of anticoagulants and/or antiplatelet drugs. Subsequently, we examined characteristics of bleeding cases. Results. Post-ESD bleeding occurred in 21 lesions. Univariate analysis of these cases showed that ulcer presence/absence (𝑃

We present an unusual case of a delayed right ventricular perforation by a single standard-caliber implantable cardioverter-defibrillator lead, which manifested 14 days after implantation. Multidetector computed tomography could clearly display the lead perforation, and allow for identification of the associated sequelae such as pericardial effusion and planning the lead extraction strategy.

Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with N-isopropyl-p-[123I]-iodoamphetamine was performed twice at different times in 18 children suffering from partial seizures to evaluate the time-course changes of the hemodynamics in the focal region. Comparison of the 2 SPECT images revealed that a decreased regional cerebral blood flow (CBF) in the first was normalized in 4 cases (22.2%) and contracted in 7 cases (38.9%). The region of decreased blood flow in the second was contralateral to that in the first in 1 case (5.6%) and unchanged in 6 cases (33.3%). Most of the normalized and contracted cases were those in which clinical seizures disappeared and the EEG findings were normalized. In these cases which responded to treatment, the decreased regional CBF was also found to be improved. Repeated SPECT appears to be useful for evaluating the therapeutic efficacy. On the other hand, most of the unchanged cases were those in which clinical seizures were frequent or uncontrolled, or which persistently showed the abnormalities in their EEG. SPECT was considered to reflect well the conditions of the epileptic foci. These results indicate that repeated SPECT for observing the time-course changes of the regional CBF represents a useful technique with can be applied in evaluating the therapeutic efficacy or deciding the time to discontinue treatment and for pathogenetic elucidation of the epileptic foci.

An examination was made of high dose non-treated immunoglobulin (NTIG) therapy at an early stage of the West syndrome (WS). Six patients with cryptogenic WS who suffered attacks ranging from 15 days to 6 months (mean 70 days) and 5 patients with symptomatic WS who suffered attacks ranging from 14 days to 4 months (mean 32 days), were administered NTIG 6-10 times intravenously at 100-200 mg/kg of body weight at intervals of 2 or 3 weeks. All patients with cryptogenic WS showed complete remission in accordance with normalized electroencephalogram (EEG) without following anticonvulsants medication. Of the 5 patients with symptomatic WS one patient showed cessation of clinical seizures in agreement with EEG improvement and 2 other patients revealed transient cessation of clinical seizures with recurrence. In cases of complete remission, the energy percentage of the power spectrum for each frequency band displayed a tendency toward gradual decrease of delta wave band in correspondence with the increase of theta wave band percentage after NTIG therapy, suggesting that high dose NTIG may be useful for early treatment of cryptogenic WS and for inhibiting brain deterioration owing to epileptic encephalopathy.