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Although the routine use of immunohistochemistry has improved the accuracy of histopathologic diagnosis in clinical practice, new methods for discovering novel diagnostic markers are still needed. We sought new diagnostic markers for malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) using a reverse translational approach with limited archival tissues from a very rare case. Total RNA extracted from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues of a synchronous collision tumor consisting of MPM and pulmonary adenocarcinoma (PAC) was employed for gene expression profiling (GEP) analysis. Among the 54 genes selected by GEP analysis, we finally identified the following two candidate MPM marker genes: PHGDH and TRIM29. Immunohistochemical analysis of 48 MM and 20 PAC cases showed that both PHGDH and TRIM29 had sensitivity and specificity almost equivalent to those of calretinin (sensitivity 50% and 46% vs. 63%, and specificity 95% and 100% vs. 100%, respectively). Importantly, of the 23 epithelioid MMs, all 3 calretinin-negative cases were positive for TRIM29. These two markers may be diagnostically useful for immunohistochemical distinction between MPMs and PACs. This successful reverse translational approach based on FFPE samples from one very rare case encourages the further use of such samples for the development of novel diagnostic markers.

Multifocal micronodular pneumocyte hyperplasia (MMPH) is a rare pulmonary disease, generally manifesting as a tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), characterised by multiple, small ground-glass nodular shadows on chest computed tomography (CT). Histological examination typically reveals multicentric, well-demarcated, nodular type II pneumocystic growth. Herein, we describe three cases of this rare pulmonary disease occurring within one family. Using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and direct DNA sequencing, we identified a novel germline mutation, a point mutation in TSC1 intron 5, which yielded a splice variant and loss of function of TSC1. Furthermore, immunohistochemical staining indicated the expression of phospho-p70S6K and phospho-4E-BP1, suggesting that TSC1 function was impaired by the novel gene mutation in MMPH cells.

Abstract Nonhuman primates (NHPs) exhibit complex and diverse behavior that typifies advanced cognitive function and social communication, but quantitative and systematical measure of this natural nonverbal processing has been a technical challenge. Specifically, a method is required to automatically segment time series of behavior into elemental motion motifs, much like finding meaningful words in character strings. Here, we propose a solution called SyntacticMotionParser (SMP), a general-purpose unsupervised behavior parsing algorithm using a nonparametric Bayesian model. Using three-dimensional posture-tracking data from NHPs, SMP automatically outputs an optimized sequence of latent motion motifs classified into the most likely number of states. When applied to behavioral datasets from common marmosets and rhesus monkeys, SMP outperformed conventional posture-clustering models and detected a set of behavioral ethograms from publicly available data. SMP also quantified and visualized the behavioral effects of chemogenetic neural manipulations. SMP thus has the potential to dramatically improve our understanding of natural NHP behavior in a variety of contexts.

Abstract This study aimed to investigate whether global air pollution harms human morals beyond physiological and psychological health. To accomplish this, we conducted an original survey involving over 80,000 individuals across 30 countries, inquiring about their recent perceived unethical behaviors. Through regression analyses, we identified global evidence of a positive correlation between local monthly average concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and perceptions of unethical behavior. This finding suggests that air pollution may potentially elicit unethical behavior through a complex response mechanism. It is noteworthy that the impact of air pollution on the inclination to perceive unethical behavior is heterogeneous across categories of unethical behavior and countries. For example, the effects of increasing air pollution concentrations vary even within the same European country: an increase in NO2 concentration in Greece and the Netherlands augments the inclination to perceive fatal unethical behaviors such as murder, terrorism, and suicide, while in Germany, NO2 concentration diminishes the inclination to perceive the same types of unethical behaviors. Overall, the societal costs of air pollution may be even more far-reaching than previously acknowledged, and further research is necessary to unveil the intricate response mechanisms underlying this issue.

Abstract Background 123I-meta-iodobenzylguanidine (mIBG) has been applied to patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). However, the relationship between 123I-mIBG activity and lethal arrhythmic events (ArE) is not well defined. This study aimed to determine this relationship in Japanese and European cohorts. Results We calculated heart-to-mediastinum (H/M) count ratios and washout rates (WRs) of 827 patients using planar 123I-mIBG imaging. We defined ArEs as sudden cardiac death, arrhythmic death, and potentially lethal events such as sustained ventricular tachycardia, cardiac arrest with resuscitation, and appropriate implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) discharge, either from a single ICD or as part of a cardiac resynchronization therapy device (CRTD). We analyzed the incidence of ArE with respect to H/M ratios, WRs and New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional classes among Japanese (J; n = 581) and European (E; n = 246) cohorts. We also simulated ArE rates versus H/M ratios under specific conditions using a machine-learning model incorporating 13 clinical variables. Consecutive patients with CHF were selected in group J, whereas group E comprised candidates for cardiac electronic devices. Groups J and E mostly comprised patients with NYHA functional classes I/II (95%) and II/III (91%), respectively, and 21% and 72% were respectively implanted with ICD/CRTD devices. The ArE rate increased with lower H/M ratios in group J, but the relationship was bell-shaped, with a high ArE rate within the intermediate H/M range, in group E. This bell-shaped curve was also evident in patients with NYHA classes II/III in the combined J and E groups, particularly in those with a high (> 15%) mIBG WR and with ischemic, but not in those with non-ischemic etiologies. Machine learning-based prediction of ArE risk aligned with these findings, indicating a bell-shaped curve in NYHA class II/III but not in class I. Conclusions The relationship between cardiac 123I-mIBG activity and lethal arrhythmic events is influenced by the background of patients. The bell-shaped relationship in NYHA classes II/III, high WR, and ischemic etiology likely aids in identifying patients at high risk for ArEs.

Abstract Background Empyema necessitans (EN) is a rare condition characterized by pleural infection with pus spreading into adjacent soft tissues. Although Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Actinomyces israelii are common causative agents, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is relatively rare, but it is associated with high mortality in empyema cases. We aimed to report a unique case of EN caused by MRSA and present a literature review to better understand this rare condition. Case presentation A 69-year-old man with a history of right ureteral stone presented with fever and left anterior thoracic pain. A physical examination revealed redness and swelling in the left thoracic region. Imaging studies confirmed EN with fluid accumulation around the sternocostal joint of the left first rib. MRSA was identified from blood and pleural fluid cultures. The patient received antimicrobial therapy, and a chest tube was inserted for drainage. Despite initial improvement, vertebral osteomyelitis was diagnosed on day 17. The antimicrobials were subsequently terminated after 6 weeks, but vertebral osteomyelitis recurred, and treatment was resumed and completed on day 215. Conclusion EN caused by MRSA is rare, and the literature review revealed 14 cases from human sources. Positive blood cultures were observed in 40% of cases, and metastatic infections were present in 30% of cases. Osteomyelitis was the most common type of metastatic lesion. All the patients underwent drainage. Patients with MRSA-associated EN frequently develop disseminated lesions and should therefore be carefully examined. Moreover, appropriate treatment with antibiotics and drainage is necessary for a good prognosis. Although the prognosis appeared to be favorable in our review, publication bias and treatment challenges for metastatic infections should be considered.

Abstract Refractory pneumothorax associated with interstitial lung disease (ILD) remains a challenging condition due to the patient's tolerability and lung compliance that restrict the feasibility of aggressive interventions. Additionally, many cases recur after improvement with treatment, and reports of successful management for this complicated condition are limited. Herein, we report the case of a 60‐year‐old man with ILD, utilizing home oxygen therapy, who experienced a successful recovery from a surgical intervention under local anaesthesia for pneumothorax. This case highlights the potential for operative intervention under local anaesthesia as a viable option for patients who do not respond to internal approaches.

This study conducted numerical investigations on solitary wave attenuation by a vertical plate-type flexible breakwater constructed using hyperelastic neo-Hookean material. The wave attenuation performance and elastic behaviors of the flexible breakwater were discussed systematically by considering the effects of three prominent factors: mass coefficient, stiffness coefficient, and Poisson’s ratio. It is indicated that more compressible and flexible materials are beneficial for enhancing efficiency in mitigating solitary wave energy and protecting the structure from damage. In addition, the performance of the hyperelastic neo-Hookean material model was compared with that of a linear elastic isotropic material model coupled with linear and nonlinear geometry analysis (LGEOM and NLGEOM) by evaluating several key targets: wave reflection coefficient, transmission coefficient, horizontal tip displacement, and wave load. Our findings revealed that the hyperelastic neo-Hookean material model showed almost the same predictions as the linear elastic isotropic material model with NLGEOM, but significantly diverged from that with LGEOM. The linear elastic isotropic material model with LGEOM cannot capture the nonlinear variations in structural geometry and stress–strain relationship, resulting in the underestimation and overestimation of horizontal tip displacement under moderate and extreme wave loads, respectively. Moreover, it underestimates the damage inflicted by solitary waves due to inaccurately predicted wave reflection and transmission.

Liquid crystalline triphenylene derivatives, TPC1p-n (n = 6, 12, 14, 16) were prepared using p-alkoxycinnamate as the [2+2] photo-cyclization site. TPC1p-n (n = 12, 14, 16) showed Colr phase and gave crescent-shaped or helical fibers after UV-irradiated in liquid paraffin solutions at 90 and 110 °C in the Colr temperature range. The apparent photoreaction products were shown to be thermally reversible, i.e. they dissolved in liquid paraffin at high temperatures and reappeared on cooling, indicating that they were aggregates of oligomerized TPC1p-n. The reaction mechanism was discussed in terms of the structure of the liquid crystalline phase.

AimsCardiac mortality in patients with heart failure (HF) is likely to be aggravated by malnutrition, assessed by serum cholinesterase (ChE) level, as well as by kidney dysfunction or impairment of cardiac sympathetic denervation. Their prognostic interactions, however, have not been determined.MethodsA total of 991 systolic HF patients were enrolled in our HF database following clinical evaluation including evaluation of the nutrition state and assessment of standardized heart-to-mediastinum ratio (sHMR) of iodine-123-labeled meta-iodobenzylguanidine activity. Patients were followed up for an average of 43 months with the primary endpoint of fatal cardiac events (CEs).ResultsThe CE patient group had a lower level of ChE, lower estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and lower late sHMR than those in the non-CE patient group. A five-parameter model with the addition of serum ChE selected in the multivariate logistic analysis (model 2) significantly increased the AUC predicting risk of cardiac events compared with a four-parameter model without serum ChE (model 1), and net reclassification analysis also suggested that the model with the addition of serum cholinesterase significantly improved cardiac event prediction. Moreover, in overall multivariate Cox hazard analysis, serum ChE, eGFR and late sHMR were identified to be significant prognostic determinants. HF patients with two or all of the prognostic variables of serum ChE

In recent years, autonomous mobile robots have significantly increased in prevalence due to their ability to augment and diversify the workforce. One critical aspect of their operation is effective local path planning, which considers dynamic constraints. In this context, the Dynamic Window Approach (DWA) has been widely recognized as a robust local path planning. DWA produces a set of path candidates derived from velocity space subject to dynamic constraints. An optimal path is selected from path candidates through an evaluation function guided by fixed weight coefficients. However, fixed weight coefficients are typically designed for a specific environmental context. Consequently, changes in environmental conditions such as congestion levels, road width, and obstacle density could potentially lead the evaluation function to select inefficient paths or even result in collisions. To overcome this challenge, this paper proposes the dynamic weight coefficients based on Q-learning for DWA (DQDWA). The proposed method uses a pre-learned Q-table that comprises robot states, environmental conditions, and actions of weight coefficients. DQDWA can use the pre-learned Q-table to dynamically select optimal paths and weight coefficients that better adapt to varying environmental conditions. The performance of DQDWA was validated through extensive simulations and real experiments to confirm its ability to enhance the effectiveness of local path planning.

This paper proposes a path planning method for a nonholonomic mobile robot that takes turnabouts on a narrow road. A narrow road is any space in which the robot cannot move without turning around. Conventional path planning techniques ignore turnabout points and directions determined by environmental data, which might result in collisions or deadlocks on a narrow road. The proposed method uses the Deep Q-network (DQN) to obtain a control strategy for path planning on narrow roads. In the simulation, the robot learned the optimal velocity commands that maximized the long-term reward. The reward is designed to reach a target with a smaller change in robot velocity and fewer turnabouts. The success rate and the number of turnabouts in the simulation and experiment were used to evaluate the trained model. According to simulation and environmental data, the proposed strategy enables the robot to travel on narrow roads. Additionally, these outcomes demonstrate comparable performance on a number of roadways that are not part of the learning environments, supporting the robustness of the trained model.

In this report, we present a case of nonsmall-cell lung cancer with anaphylaxis after 41 courses of pembrolizumab along with adrenal insufficiency as an immune-related adverse event (irAE). A 73-year-old man with no allergic disease started pembrolizumab for postoperative recurrence of lung cancer. After four courses, tumor shrinkage was observed and maintained thereafter. After the 39th course, his serum sodium level and random serum cortisol level decreased. Adrenal insufficiency was considered; however, the patient was asymptomatic. Furthermore, his serum sodium level improved spontaneously; therefore, he was followed up. At the end of the 40th course, rhinorrhea and pharyngeal discomfort were noted; however, they were mild and resolved spontaneously. Immediately after administration of the 41st course, he developed pembrolizumab-induced anaphylaxis with percutaneous oxygen saturation decreased. The symptoms quickly improved after intramuscular adrenaline were administered and did not recur. Three months after discharge, the patient was urgently examined for vomiting and anorexia. His serum sodium levels decreased to 119 mEq/L, and an adrenocorticotropic hormone stimulation test was performed. It showed a low response, and the patient was diagnosed with secondary adrenal insufficiency as an irAE of pembrolizumab and treated with hydrocortisone, which quickly improved his serum sodium levels and symptoms. When adrenal insufficiency develops due to irAEs, patients may be susceptible to allergic reactions.

Abstract Background Although diffuse alveolar damage (DAD) is a histopathological hallmark of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), its detection without lung biopsy is challenging. In patients with ARDS, the specificity of the Berlin definition to diagnose DAD as a reference standard is not adequately high, making it difficult to adequately diagnose DAD. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between DAD and clinical findings, including KL-6 and geographic appearance, in ARDS patients and to identify more specific diagnostic criteria for DAD. Methods Among all adult autopsy cases at a tertiary hospital in Japan between January 2006 and March 2021, patients with ARDS who met the Berlin definition criteria were included. The patients’ conditions were classified according to histopathological patterns as DAD or non-DAD, and clinical characteristics, laboratory data, and high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) findings were compared between the two groups. Results During the study period, 27 met the Berlin definition (median age: 79 years, 19 men), of whom 18 (67%) had DAD and 9 (33%) did not. In the non-DAD group, histopathologic findings revealed organizing pneumonia in seven patients and pulmonary hemorrhage in two patients. On HRCT at onset, patients with DAD had more geographic appearance than those without DAD (89% vs. 44%). In patients with geographic appearance and elevated KL-6 (> 500 U/mL), the sensitivity and specificity for DAD diagnosis were 56% and 100%, respectively. All three patients with no geographic appearance and normal KL-6 did not have DAD. Conclusions Geographic appearance on HRCT combined with KL-6 levels may predict the presence of DAD in patients with ARDS.

Abstract A 49‐year‐old man diagnosed with metastatic non‐small cell lung cancer was treated with immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) combination therapy (nivolumab + ipilimumab) as first‐line therapy. During the treatment course, the patient developed ICI‐associated diabetes mellitus and adrenal insufficiency, and insulin and hydrocortisone replacement therapy (10 mg/day) were initiated for endocrine toxicity. Despite systemic treatment, the disease progressed. Near the end of the patient's life, he was repeatedly hospitalized for diabetic ketoacidosis and adrenal crisis because he could not physically administer insulin subcutaneously or self‐administer oral hydrocortisone due to the deterioration of his general condition as a result of disease progression. This case report demonstrates that it is necessary to evaluate not only the impact of immune‐related adverse events on short‐term quality of life during ICI treatment but also on the patient's end‐of‐life care.

Abstract A 52‐year‐old man developed a right pneumothorax during treatment for COVID‐19. In a previous case report concerning this patient, his recovery was achieved through implanting four endobronchial Watanabe spigots (EWS) in the right B1 and B3 in two phases and spraying N‐butyl‐2‐cyanoacrylate (NBCA). One year later, EWS removal was planned. He was intubated under bronchoscopic guidance, and the right upper lobe was observed. The right B1 and B3 inlets were found to be covered with granuloma. Despite the presence of a nylon thread for easy retrieval and partial debridement of the granulation, removal of the implanted EWS in the right B1 and B3 using grasping forceps, basket forceps, and two types of balloons under fluoroscopic guidance was challenging. NBCA spraying is a possible cause of foreign body granuloma formation. Therefore, careful consideration of the indications for the combined EWS‐NBCA procedure is necessary.

Abstract Background To assess the multicenter outcomes of posterior chamber phakic intraocular lens implantation with a central hole (EVO-ICL, STAAR Surgical) for patients undergoing previous laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK). Methods This case series enrolled 31 eyes of 21 consecutive patients undergoing EVO-ICL implantation to correct residual refractive errors after LASIK at 7 nationwide major surgical sites. We investigated safety, efficacy, predictability, stability, and adverse events at 1 week, 1, 3, and 6 months postoperatively, and at the final visit. Results The mean observation period was 1.6 ± 1.8 years. Uncorrected and corrected visual acuities were − 0.14 ± 0.11 and − 0.22 ± 0.09 logMAR at 6 months postoperatively. At 6 months postoperatively, 81% and 100% of eyes were within ± 0.5 D and ± 1.0 D, respectively, of the targeted correction. We found neither significant manifest refraction changes of 0.05 ± 0.38 D from 1 week to 6 months nor apparent intraoperative or postoperative complications in any case. Conclusions Our multicenter study confirmed that the EVO-ICL provided good outcomes in safety, efficacy, predictability, and stability, even in post-LASIK eyes. Therefore, EVO-ICL implantation may be a viable surgical option, even for correcting residual refractive errors after LASIK. Trial registration University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trial Registry (000045295).

Abstract To assess the multicenter clinical outcomes of the implantation of hole implantable collamer lens (Hole ICL, ICL KS-AquaPORTTM; STAAR Surgical, Nidau, Switzerland) in patients of 45 years or more. We retrospectively assessed the surgery’s safety, efficacy, predictability, stability, and adverse events before surgery and after the surgery at 1 week; 1, 3, and 6 months; and 1 year, followed by once every year for approximately 2.2 years. A total of 118 eyes of 65 patients aged 45–65 years with myopic refractive errors ranging from − 2.13 to − 18.75 diopters (D) underwent hole ICL implantation and routine postoperative examinations. The average observation period was 2.2 ± 1.0 years. The safety and efficacy indices were 1.08 ± 0.21 and 0.87 ± 0.25, respectively. Manifest refraction changes of − 0.20 ± 0.43 D occurred from 1 month to the final visit after ICL implantation. Eight eyes (6.8%) developed asymptomatic anterior subcapsular cataract (ASC) immediately after surgery, and three eyes (2.5%) developed clinically significant symptomatic nuclear cataracts during the follow-up period. According to our experience, hole ICL implantation offered favorable outcomes in all measures of safety, efficacy, predictability, and stability, even in middle-aged patients, during the 2.2-year observation period.

Floating caissons can oscillate owing to ocean waves when towed to an installation site. To reduce these oscillations, free-surface anti-oscillation tanks mounted on floating caissons have been proposed. However, no coupled numerical model exists between the motion of the floating caisson and fluid flow in the tanks based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD). In this study, a coupled model is developed and compared to existing physical experiments for validation. In the coupled model, the vertical and rotational motion of the floating caisson are computed as a rigid body, and the motion of the free water in the tank is computed using a CFD model. Numerical results show the predictive capability of the coupled model in terms of the rotational motion (pitch) of the floating caisson within ±20% of experimental data, regardless of the absence or presence of water in the tank. The numerical results also show that the fluid flow with complex air–water interface motion in the tank can be analyzed in detail using the coupled model. This suggests that the coupled model developed in this study is a useful tool for quantitatively assessing the effectiveness of an anti-oscillation tank for reducing the pitch of a floating caisson.

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

Abstract Background Infections caused by Enterococcus hirae are common in animals, with instances of transmission to humans being rare. Further, few cases have been reported in humans because of the difficulty in identifying the bacteria. Herein, we report a case of pyelonephritis caused by E. hirae bacteremia and conduct a literature review on E. hirae bacteremia. Case presentation A 57-year-old male patient with alcoholic cirrhosis and neurogenic bladder presented with fever and chills that had persisted for 3 days. Physical examination revealed tenderness of the right costovertebral angle. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) of the patient’s blood and urine samples revealed the presence of E. hirae, and pyelonephritis was diagnosed. The patient was treated successfully with intravenous ampicillin followed by oral linezolid for a total of three weeks. Conclusion The literature review we conducted revealed that E. hirae bacteremia is frequently reported in urinary tract infections, biliary tract infections, and infective endocarditis and is more likely to occur in patients with diabetes, liver cirrhosis, and chronic kidney disease. However, mortality is not common because of the high antimicrobial susceptibility of E. hirae. With the advancements in MALDI-TOF MS, the number of reports of E. hirae infections has also increased, and clinicians need to consider E. hirae as a possible causative pathogen of urinary tract infections in patients with known risk factors.

Background: The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic significantly affected management of cardiovascular disease around the world. The effect of the pandemic on volume of cardiovascular diagnostic procedures is not known. Objectives: This study sought to evaluate the effects of the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic on cardiovascular diagnostic procedures and safety practices in Asia. Methods: The International Atomic Energy Agency conducted a worldwide survey to assess changes in cardiovascular procedure volume and safety practices caused by COVID-19. Testing volumes were reported for March 2020 and April 2020 and were compared to those from March 2019. Data from 180 centers across 33 Asian countries were grouped into 4 subregions for comparison. Results: Procedure volumes decreased by 47% from March 2019 to March 2020, showing recovery from March 2020 to April 2020 in Eastern Asia, particularly in China. The majority of centers cancelled outpatient activities and increased time per study. Practice changes included implementing physical distancing and restricting visitors. Although COVID testing was not commonly performed, it was conducted in one-third of facilities in Eastern Asia. The most severe reductions in procedure volumes were observed in lower-income countries, where volumes decreased 81% from March 2019 to April 2020. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic in Asia caused significant reductions in cardiovascular diagnostic procedures, particularly in low-income countries. Further studies on effects of COVID-19 on cardiovascular outcomes and changes in care delivery are warranted.

In this study, HcVGH, a method that learns spatio-temporal categories by segmenting first-person-view (FPV) videos captured by mobile robots, is proposed. Humans perceive continuous high-dimensional information by dividing and categorizing it into significant segments. This unsupervised segmentation capability is considered important for mobile robots to learn spatial knowledge. The proposed HcVGH combines a convolutional variational autoencoder (cVAE) with HVGH, a past method, which follows the hierarchical Dirichlet process-variational autoencoder-Gaussian process-hidden semi-Markov model comprising deep generative and statistical models. In the experiment, FPV videos of an agent were used in a simulated maze environment. FPV videos contain spatial information, and spatial knowledge can be learned by segmenting them. Using the FPV-video dataset, the segmentation performance of the proposed model was compared with previous models: HVGH and hierarchical recurrent state space model. The average segmentation F-measure achieved by HcVGH was 0.77; therefore, HcVGH outperformed the baseline methods. Furthermore, the experimental results showed that the parameters that represent the movability of the maze environment can be learned.

PurposeTo assess the nationwide multicenter outcomes of posterior chamber phakic intraocular lens implantation with a central hole (EVO-ICL, STAAR Surgical) for patients with low myopia.MethodsThis multicenter study comprised 172 eyes of 111 consecutive patients undergoing hole ICL implantation to correct low myopia and myopic astigmatism [manifest spherical equivalent (MSE);−3 diopters (D) or less] at seven nationwide major surgical facilities. We retrospectively determined safety, efficacy, predictability, stability, and adverse events at 1 week, 1, 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively, and at the final visit.ResultsThe mean follow-up period was 1.4 ± 1.0 years. Uncorrected and corrected visual acuities at 1 year postoperatively were −0.17 ± 0.12 and −0.24 ± 0.07 logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution (logMAR), respectively. At 1 year postoperatively, 91% and 100% of eyes were within 0.5 and 1.0 D of the target correction, respectively. No significant manifest refraction changes of −0.07 ± 0.26 D occurred from 1 week to 1 year. No vision-threatening complications occurred at any time in this series.ConclusionsAccording to our experience, the EVO-ICL performed well without significant complications throughout the 1-year observation period, even for the correction of low myopia. It is suggested that current ICL implantation is one of the viable surgical options for correcting low myopia.

Abstract Background We previously reported that heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) phosphorylation plays an important role in the activation of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), resulting in the upregulation of the pentose phosphate pathway and antioxidant effects against cerebral ischemia–reperfusion injury. The present study investigated the effect of geranylgeranylacetone, an inducer of HSP27, on ischemia–reperfusion injury in male rats as a preliminary study to see if further research of the effects of geranylgeranylacetone on the ischemic stroke was warranted. Methods In all experiments, male Wistar rats were used. First, we conducted pathway activity profiling based on a gas chromatography–mass spectrometry to identify ischemia–reperfusion-related metabolic pathways. Next, we investigated the effects of geranylgeranylacetone on the pentose phosphate pathway and ischemia–reperfusion injury by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), immunoblotting, and G6PD activity, protein carbonylation and infarct volume analysis. Geranylgeranylacetone or vehicle was injected intracerebroventricularly 3 h prior to middle cerebral artery occlusion or sham operation. Results Pathway activity profiling demonstrated that changes in the metabolic state depended on reperfusion time and that the pentose phosphate pathway and taurine-hypotaurine metabolism pathway were the most strongly related to reperfusion among 137 metabolic pathways. RT-PCR demonstrated that geranylgeranylacetone did not significantly affect the increase in HSP27 transcript levels after ischemia–reperfusion. Immunoblotting showed that geranylgeranylacetone did not significantly affect the elevation of HSP27 protein levels. However, geranylgeranylacetone significantly increase the elevation of phosphorylation of HSP27 after ischemia–reperfusion. In addition, geranylgeranylacetone significantly affected the increase in G6PD activity, and reduced the increase in protein carbonylation after ischemia–reperfusion. Accordingly, geranylgeranylacetone significantly reduced the infarct size (median 31.3% vs 19.9%, p = 0.0013). Conclusions As a preliminary study, these findings suggest that geranylgeranylacetone may be a promising agent for the treatment of ischemic stroke and would be worthy of further study. Further studies are required to clearly delineate the mechanism of geranylgeranylacetone-induced HSP27 phosphorylation in antioxidant effects, which may guide the development of new approaches for minimizing the impact of cerebral ischemia–reperfusion injury.

A two-phase incompressible flow model in three-dimensional cylindrical coordinates is applied for oblique wave generation in a numerical circular wave tank. The governing equations are discretized by a finite volume method, and a mass source function is added to reproduce oblique waves through a spiral wave generator positioned at the center of the tank. The volume of fluid method is implemented to track the free surfaces between the air and fluid, and the zonal embedded grid system is adopted to obtain a grid-independent solution in the cylindrical coordinates. A permeable, circumferentially sloping topography (1:7), similar to a natural beach profile, is set up for investigating wave propagation and other characteristics. The simulation and physical experimental results are compared, which show a good agreement in randomly selected water surface elevation profiles and wave heights under the same wave and sloping conditions. The spiral waves are reproduced and propagated in a phenomenon similar to that observed in the physical experiment. The results also show that the wave-breaking positions differ in different wave conditions and suggest a relationship with cross-shore and longshore velocity distribution in terms of incident wave heights and wave-breaking positions in different wave periods on the same sloping topography. Furthermore, this model can be used to investigate the mechanism of longshore current generation and the influences of beach slope on the generated wave propagation in a sloping topography.