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Crime scenes may contain insect artifacts as well as samples of human origin. While the presence of insects can be important evidence in forensic medicine and forensic entomology, the insect artifacts sometimes interfere with the interpretation of bloodstain pattern analysis (BPA) which can be critical for accurate crime reconstruction. Fly artifacts are especially complicated to distinguish from true bloodstains. Indeed, we encountered a murder scene with numerous bloodstains inconsistent with the cause of death and had trouble interpreting them. The morphological method has been developed to distinguish them, but this method has to rely on the analyst's experience and opinion. This study aims not only to distinguish fly artifacts from true bloodstains but also to identify fly species by detecting fly DNA in small amounts of bloodstains at the scenes. Melt curve analysis of real-time PCR (qPCR) targeting cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (CO1) of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) was able to detect fly DNA in bloodstains from a murder scene. The fly DNA was sequenced from the qPCR product, and the fly species were identified by BLAST search. Fluorescence-labeled specific primers for four species of necrophagous flies were designed based on the sequences of the CO1 region, and differences in the length of the amplification products were used to identify fly species from trace amounts of fly DNA in the artifacts.

Abuse of pyrrolidinophenone derivatives (PPs) is known to cause severe damage to the central nervous system due to their high lipophilicity. In this study, we compared sensitivity to toxicity elicited by 4'-iodo-α-pyrrolidinononanophenone (I-α-PNP), one of the most potent cytotoxic derivatives among PPs synthesized previously, between SH-SY5Y cells differentiated by all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) and the undifferentiated cells, and found that the differentiated cells are more sensitive to I-α-PNP toxicity than the undifferentiated cells. Treatment with I-α-PNP elicited some apoptotic alterations (Bax expression, loss of mitrochondrial membrane potential, and activation of caspases) in the differentiated cells, whose patterns were similar to those in the undifferentiated cells. I-α-PNP treatment resulted in no significant alteration in Bcl-2 expression in the undifferentiated cells, whereas it considerably downregulated the protein expression in the differentiated cells, suggesting that the high I-α-PNP sensitivity of the differentiated cells is mainly due to downregulation of Bcl-2 expression. I-α-PNP treatment decreased nitric oxide (NO) production and neuronal NOS (nNOS) expression in the differentiated cells, and the patterns of I-α-PNP-evoked alterations in phosphorylation of cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression were almost the same as that in nNOS expression. Additionally, the addition of an NO donor restored the I-α-PNP-evoked alterations in expressions of Bcl-2, BDNF, and nNOS in the differentiated cells. These findings suggest that the downregulation of Bcl-2 expression by I-α-PNP in differentiated cells is attributed to the acceleration of two negative feedback loops (nNOS/NO/CREB loop and CREB/BDNF loop) triggered by decreased NO production.

Mass conversion of native vegetation to agricultural land-use triggered secondary salinity, a hydrological imbalance, which has damaged more than 1.75 million ha of farmland in south-western Australia. Various types of reforestation have been proposed and tested to restore the hydrological balance, however the economic returns from these cannot compete with existing farm practice and land-holders thus have a reluctance to adopt. An alternative approach has been to reforest abandoned saline areas with salinity and/or water-logging tolerant trees to avoid displacement of farming activities and to minimize opportunity costs. We propose an improved evaluation methodology for saline site reforestation and in this paper test its feasibility. Three eucalypts species (Eucalyptus salubris, E. camaldulensis and E. sargentii) were planted adjacent to a salt scald in Wickepin, Western Australia, and their survival and growth were monitored under increasing soil salinity ranging from moderate (ECe: 400-800 mS m-1), high (800-1,600 mS m-1) or extreme (>1,600 mS m-1) with shallow (< 1 m depth) saline ground water (EC: 2,000-3,000 mS m-1). Survival and growth of E. sargentii and E. salubris in the saline discharge areas were comparable to those in the arable area, and reforestation by these species can thus avoid land competition and opportunity costs.

The role of a covered vs. an uncovered self-expandable metal stent (SEMS) for malignant distal biliary obstruction (MDBO) is not clear. This meta-analysis compared the efficacy of covered vs. uncovered SEMS for patients with MDBO after endoscopic insertion.A systematic meta-analysis of all relevant articles listed in PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar databases was performed. Fixed effects or random effects models were used to investigate pooled effects with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).The meta-analysis included 2358 patients from 12 eligible studies. Time to recurrent biliary obstruction (RBO) was significantly longer for covered SEMS (mean difference, 45.51 days; 95% CI 11.79-79.24). Although there was no significant difference in the RBO rate, subgroup analysis in pancreatic cancer occupying more than 90% (PC) revealed that the RBO rates were significantly lower for covered SEMS (odds ratio [OR] 0.43, 95% CI 0.25-0.74). Stent migration, sludge formation, and overgrowth were significantly more common with a covered SEMS (OR 7.92, 95% CI 4.01-15.64; OR 3.25, 95% CI 1.89-5.59; OR 2.03, 95% CI 1.20-3.43, respectively). The rate of ingrowth was significantly lower for covered SEMS. There was no significant difference in total procedure-related adverse events between the two types of SEMS.A covered SEMS is superior to an uncovered SEMS with respect to prevention of RBO in patients with MDBO, particularly those caused by PC.

In this study, we newly synthesized four α-pyrrolidinononanophenone (α-PNP) derivatives [4'-halogenated derivatives and α-pyrrolidinodecanophenone (α-PDP)], and then performed the structure-cytotoxicity relationship analyses. The results showed the rank order for the cytotoxic effects, α-PNPα-PDP4'-fluoro-α-PNP4'-chrolo-α-PNP4'-bromo-α-PNP4'-iodo-α-PNP (I-α-PNP), and suggest that cytotoxicities of 4'-halogenated derivatives were more intensive than that of elongation of the hydrocarbon chain (α-PDP). We also surveyed the apoptotic mechanism of I-α-PNP in brain microvascular endothelial (HBME) cells that are utilized as the in vitro model of the blood-brain barrier. HBME cell treatment with I-α-PNP facilitated the apoptotic events (caspase-3 activation, externalization of phosphatidylserine, and DNA fragmentation), which were almost completely abolished by pretreating with antioxidants. In addition, the immunofluorescent staining revealed the enhanced production of hydroxyl radical in mitochondria by the I-α-PNP treatment, inferring that the I-α-PNP treatment triggers the apoptotic mechanism dependent on the enhanced ROS production in mitochondria. The treatment with I-α-PNP increased the production of cytotoxic aldehyde 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal and decreased the amount of reduced glutathione. Additionally, the treatment decreased the 26S proteasome-based proteolytic activities and aggresome formation. These results suggest that decrease in the antioxidant properties is also ascribable to HBME cell apoptosis elicited by I-α-PNP.

Mangrove forests play an important role in the carbon cycle by sequestering atmospheric CO 2 and storing it as carbon in plant materials and sediments. We evaluated the ecosystem carbon stocks and carbon accumulation rates of an 18-year mangrove reforestation site located in abandoned shrimp ponds of Southeast Thailand. Consequently, carbon stocks in biomass and soil increased drastically through reforestation compared to those in nonplanted area (NPA). Soil carbon stocks at 1.0- and 2.0-m depth after 18 years were approximately 2.1 times and 1.8 times higher than those in NPA. Soil carbon stocks at 1.0-m soil depth increased gradually across the mangrove chronosequence over 18 years. Ecosystem carbon stocks at the 18-year site were 179.6 ± 40.5 Mg C·ha −1 to 1-m soil depth and 325.0 ± 77.6 Mg C·ha −1 to 2-m soil depth, which was higher compared to those in NPA [69.3 ± 8.0 Mg C·ha −1 (1 m) and 157.8 ± 10.9 Mg C·ha −1 (2 m)]. The ecosystem carbon stocks were lower than the global mean value, but the carbon accumulation rate had a comparatively high value. The total carbon accumulation rate after 18 years was 9.9 Mg C·ha −1 ·year −1 to soil 1-m depth and 18.1 Mg C·ha −1 ·year −1 to 2-m depth. Moreover, correlation relationships between soil carbon stock and physicochemical properties such as pH, electrical conductivity, redox potential, bulk density, elapsed year, and temperature in NPA and reforestation sites were confirmed. Therefore, the recovery of carbon stocks through mangrove reforestation in abandoned shrimp pond can contribute to blue carbon ecosystem restoration as nature-based solutions.

The formation of autophagosomes involves dynamic morphological changes of a phagophore from a disk-shaped membrane cisterna into a cup-shaped intermediate and a spherical autophagosome. However, the physical mechanism behind these morphological changes remains elusive. Here, we determined the average shapes of phagophores by statistically investigating three-dimensional electron micrographs of more than 100 phagophores. The results showed that the cup-shaped structures adopted a characteristic morphology; they were longitudinally elongated, and the rim was catenoidal with an outwardly recurved shape. To understand these characteristic shapes, we established a theoretical model of the shape of entire phagophores. The model quantitatively reproduced the average morphology and revealed that the characteristic shape of phagophores (i.e., an elongated shape with a catenoidal rim) was primarily determined by the relative size of the open rim to the total surface area. These results suggest that autophagosomal membranes are highly flexible and that the morphological changes during autophagosome formation follow a stable path determined by elastic bending energy minimization.SummaryThe formation of autophagosomes involves dynamic morphological changes of membrane cisternae. Sakai et al. determined the average shapes of forming autophagosomes by statistically investigating three-dimensional electron micrographs and established a theoretical model that quantitatively reproduces the phagophore shapes.

α-Pyrrolidinononanophenone (α-PNP) is a highly lipophilic synthetic cathinone (SC) that possesses a long hydrocarbon chain. It is considered that abuse of α-PNP and its derivatives causes serious health hazards, but there has been little evidence to date on the toxicological, pharmacological and pharmacokinetic properties. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the structure–toxicity relationship and the mechanism of neurocytotoxicity of α-PNP derivatives. We synthesized three α-PNP derivatives [4′-fluoro, 4′-methoxy and 3′,4′-methylenedioxy substituents on the aromatic ring] and examined their toxicities against four human cells. The mechanism of 4′-fluoro-α-PNP (F-α-PNP)-induced neurocytotoxicity was investigated in terms of productions of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS). Cytotoxicites of α-PNP derivatives were augmented by the presence of 4′-fluoro or 3′,4′-methylenedioxy group on α-PNP, and F-α-PNP exhibited the most potent cytotoxicity. The F-α-PNP treatment resulted in ROS production, cytochrome-c release into cytosol, caspase-9 and caspase-3 activation and DNA fragmentation in neuronal SK-N-SH cells. In addition, subcellular fractionation analysis demonstrated that F-α-PNP is localized in the mitochondria as early as 12 h after the incubation. α-PNP derivatives increased level of nitric oxide (NO) and 3-nitrotyrosine adducts, indicative of peroxynitrite formation, in SK-N-SH cells. Pretreatment with a NO or peroxynitrite donor also exacerbated the cellular toxicity of F-α-PNP. The presence of 4′-fluoro or 3′,4′-methylenedioxy group in the aromatic ring on SCs likely elevates the risk of occurrence of health hazards. Additionally, enhanced production of ROS and RNS plays central roles in neuronal cell apoptotic mechanism of F-α-PNP.

Although some salvage techniques have been developed to overcome difficult biliary cannulation in endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), few reports analyzed the choice of techniques and their clinical outcomes in large cohorts. This study aimed to evaluate the outcomes of biliary cannulation in patients with initial treatment papillae. We retrospectively identified 1021 patients who underwent initial ERCP from January 2013 to March 2020. We investigated background factors, treatment details, success rates, and adverse event rates. Then we analyzed a series of treatment processes, including salvage techniques such as double guidewire technique (DGT), needle knife pre-cutting (NKP), and transpancreatic pre-cut papillotomy (TPPP). The initial ERCP success rate was 94.3%, and the eventual success rate was 98.3%. Salvage techniques were required in 380 of 1021 patients (37.2%), associated with long oral protrusion (OR, 2.38; 95% CI, 1.80–3.15; p < 0.001). A total of 503 cases (49.3%) had long oral protrusions, 47.5% of which required the salvage techniques, much higher than 27.5% of not-long cases. Patients with long oral protrusions had a higher frequency of NKP. In conclusion, patients with long oral protrusions frequently required salvage techniques. Appropriate strategies and salvage techniques may help to overcome many difficult biliary cannulation cases.

Overuse of pyrrolidinophenones (PPs) is known to cause damage to vascular and central nervous systems, but little is known about its effect on brain endothelial barrier function. In this study, we found that exposure to 4'-iodo-α-pyrrolidinononanophenone (I-α-PNP), one of the most potently cytotoxic PPs, at sublethal concentrations decreases trans-endothelial electrical resistance and increases paracellular permeability across a monolayer of human brain microvascular endothelial cells. Treatment with I-α-PNP also elevated the production of superoxide anion. Furthermore, the treatment reduced the expression and plasma membrane localization of a tight junction protein claudin-5 (CLDN5), which was almost restored by pretreatment with an antioxidant N-acetyl-l-cysteine. These results indicate that I-α-PNP treatment may down-regulate the plasma membrane-localized CLDN5 by elevating the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The treatment with I-α-PNP increased the nuclear translocation of Forkhead box protein O1 (FoxO1), an oxidative stress-responsive transcription factor, and pretreating with a FoxO1 inhibitor ameliorated the decrease in CLDN5 mRNA. In addition, I-α-PNP treatment up-regulated the expression and secretion of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP2) and MMP9, and the addition of an MMP inhibitor reversed the degradation of CLDN5 by I-α-PNP. Moreover, I-α-PNP treatment facilitated the activation of 26S proteasome-based proteolytic activity and pretreatment with an inhibitor of 26S proteasome, but not autophagy, suppressed the CLDN5 degradation by I-α-PNP. Accordingly, it is suggested that the down-regulation of CLDN5 by exposure to I-α-PNP is ascribable to suppression of the gene transcription due to FoxO1 nuclear translocation through ROS production and to acceleration both of the MMPs (MMP2 and MMP9)- and 26S proteasome-based proteolysis.

The treatment result of the uncovered metallic stent (uncovered MS) and covered metallic stent (covered MS) for unresectable malignant distal biliary obstruction is controversial. This time, we conducted this study to compare the efficacies and complication rates of uncovered MS and covered MS in unresectable malignant distal biliary obstructions at a prospective randomized multicenter trial.From April 2014 to September 2018, patients with unresectable malignant distal biliary obstruction were randomly assigned to 2 groups: the uncovered MS group and the covered MS group.92 treatment results patients were discussed. 48 patients were assigned to the uncovered MS group and 44 cases were assigned to the covered MS group. Both groups showed a drainage effect. No significant difference was found in the drainage effect between the 2 groups. The number of stent occlusion was significantly greater (Covered MS showed the possibility of extending the stent patency period by suppressing tumor ingrowth more than uncovered MS does. The UMIN Clinical Trial Registry number is UMIN000015093.

Large-scale afforestation is a key measure to mitigate global warming, however, implementation may result in land-use competition with agriculture. To avoid such competition, carbon mitigation methods using arid and semi-arid areas have been proposed, but to our knowledge there is no report of rates of sequestration based on long-term observations from actual experimentation. In this study (1999–2015), in an arid area near Leonora, Western Australia (annual rainfall: 220 mm year−1; pan evaporation: 3400 mm year−1), carbon sequestration was assessed in above and below ground biomass in Eucalyptus camaldulensis under ambient conditions and with active site amelioration (combination of water harvesting with large mounds and hardpan blasting). The carbon sequestration rate was estimated at 7.92 Mg-CO2-e ha−1 year−1 for a total carbon sink of 230 Mg-CO2-e ha−1. Carbon mitigation may thus be a viable option in arid regions, not only in Western Australia but globally, and can be enhanced with active site engineering.

Bile duct epithelial tumours showing papillary neoplasm in the bile duct lumen are present in the intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile ducts. Clinicopathological images of these tumours are distinctive and diverse, including histological images with a low to high grade dysplasia, infiltrating and noninfiltrating characteristics, excessive mucus production, and similarity to intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) of the pancreas. The World Health Organization Classification of Tumours of the Digestive System in 2010 named these features, intraductal papillary neoplasm of the bile duct (IPNB), as precancerous lesion of biliary carcinoma. IPNB is currently classified into type 1 that is similar to IPMN, and type 2 that is not similar to IPMN. Many of IPNB spreads superficially, and diagnosis with cholangioscopy is considered mandatory to identify accurate localization and progression. Prognosis of IPNB is said to be better than normal bile duct cancer.

According to the analysis of inspection data accumulated, a tendency was found that damage was concentrated at the viaduct ends. The primary cause of the damage was leakage of water from expansion joints. In general, viaducts are repaired on a full-span basis. However, it is not efficient to perform a repair on the entire viaduct every time its end parts need to be repaired. Therefore, a strategic repair program focusing on the viaduct ends was planned and implemented. The viaduct end repair mainly consists of the repair of water leakage which is the main damage and the repair of corrosion which is the secondary damage. The study results showed that a high repair effect could be obtained by performing water sealing in combination with repainting. This paper will report the results of the damage analysis on the viaducts with the inspection data as well as the effect of the viaduct end repair.

Increasing soil carbon storage and biomass utilization is an effective process for mitigating global warming. Coal bio-briquettes (CBB) are made using two low-ranked coals with high sulfur content, corn stalks, and calcium hydroxide, and the combustion ash can ameliorate the physicochemical properties in salt-affected soil. CBB ash contains mainly calcium compounds, such as calcium sulfate, calcium hydroxide, and calcium carbonate, and coal fly ash and biomass ash. In this paper, changes in soil carbon and nitrogen content through salt-affected soil amelioration during 5 months using two CBB ashes and pig manure were examined in Northeast China. Application rates of CBB ash were 0 tha&minus, 1 (control), 11.6 tha&minus, 1, 23.2 tha&minus, 1, 46.4 tha&minus, 1, and 69.6 tha&minus, 1. Consequently, total carbon content in topsoil (0&ndash, 0.15 m) after harvest of maize in all test fields indicated a range between 27.7 tCha&minus, 1 and 50.2 tCha&minus, 1, and showed increased levels compared to untreated salt-affected soil. In a 3.0% (69.6 tha&minus, 1) application plot of only CBB ash with higher carbon and higher exchangeable Ca2+, the carbon content increased by 51.5% compared to control plot, and changes in carbon sequestration compared to untreated soil was roughly twice that of the control plot. CBB ash contributed to carbon application and pig manure supply as a form of N fertilization in the case of all test plots. Changes in carbon content due to soil amelioration have a significant relationship with changes in corn production and soil chemical properties, such as pH, Na+, Cl&minus, sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), and exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP). Therefore, CBB production from low-ranked coal and waste biomass, and the use of CBB ash in agriculture is advocated as an effective means for sequestering carbon.

According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 73% of used clothing is landfilled or incinerated globally and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from fabric manufacturing in 2015 amounted to 1.2 billion tons. It must be reduced in the future, especially by reusing and recycling used clothing. Based on this perspective, researchers calculated the energy consumption and GHG emissions associated with reusing and recycling used clothing globally with a life cycle assessment (LCA). However, no study was conducted so far to estimate the total GHG emission reductions in Japan by reusing and recycling used clothing. In this study, the amount of used clothing currently discharged from households as combustible and noncombustible waste and their fiber types were estimated using literature. Then, the methods for reusing and recycling of used clothing were categorized into the following 5 types based on fiber type, that is, &ldquo, reuse overseas,&rdquo, &ldquo, textile recycling to wipers,&rdquo, fiber recycling,&rdquo, chemical recycling&rdquo, and &ldquo, thermal recycling.&rdquo, After that, by applying LCA, the GHG emission reductions by above 5 methods were estimated, based on the annual discharged weights of each fiber type. Consequently, the total GHG emissions reductions by reusing and recycling 6.03 &times, 108 kg of used clothing totally were estimated around 6.60 &times, 109 kg CO2e, to range between 6.57 &times, 109 kg CO2e and 6.64 &times, 109 kg CO2e, which depended on the type of &ldquo, chemical recycling.&rdquo, The largest contribution was &ldquo, which was 4.01 &times, 109 kg CO2e corresponded to approximately 60% of the total reduction. Where, it was assumed that used clothing were exported from Japan to Malaysia which was currently the largest importing country. In this case, GHG emissions to manufacture new clothing in China, the largest country currently to export them to Japan, can be avoided, which are 29.4 kg CO2e and 32.5 kg CO2e respectively for 1 kg jeans and 1 kg T-shirts. Adding the GHG emissions for overseas transportation to this, on average, 32.0 kg CO2e per kg of used clothing was reduced by &ldquo, which was 19.6 times larger than GHG emissions by incineration, 1.63 kg CO2e per kg, in which carbon neutrality for cotton was not counted. As the result, the total GHG emission reductions above mentioned, around 6.60 &times, 109 kg CO2e, corresponds to 70% of the GHG emissions by incineration of total household garbage in Japan.

Quantum repeater composed of a quantum memory and an interface between photon qubits and memory qubits is indispensable for long-distance quantum communication. Gate-defined lateral quantum dots (QDs) can be a suitable platform for such quantum repeaters because of its aptitude for spin qubit and feasibility of quantum state transfer from photon polarization to electron spin. So far, the reported photoelectron excitation probabilities in such a QD are not high enough to implement practical repeater protocols. To improve the photoexcitation probability, we combine a surface plasmon antenna (SPA) with QDs. We fabricated a SPA designed to enhance the optical transmission to the QDs in a practical illumination setup in a refrigerator and characterized the fabricated antenna by measuring photocurrents at room temperature.

Soil degradation due to salinity and sodicity is one of the most important impediments to agricultural production. Coal bio-briquettes (CBB) made from coal, biomass, and desulfurizers have been proposed for use in desulfurization and usage of sustainable energy for coal and biomass in China. CBB ash contains calcium compounds such as calcium sulfate, calcium carbonate, and fly ash. The potential improvement of salt-affected soils using ashes from CBB made from two low-quality coals and/or organic manure (OM) was investigated in northeast China. The CBB ash application rates were 0 kg/m2 (control), 1.16 kg/m2, 2.32 kg/m2, 4.64 kg/m2, and 6.96 kg/m2. Following the application of CBB ash and/or co-application of OM, maize production increased significantly, compared to control plots. Moreover, co-application with OM resulted in higher maize production than application of CBB ash only. Soil pH, sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP), and Na+, HCO3&minus, and CO32&minus, concentrations decreased, and Ca2+, Mg2+, and SO42&minus, concentrations increased from the start of the experiment to harvesting time. Maize production showed a tendency to increase with increasing CBB ash/OM application rates. The decrease in pH, ESP, and HCO3&minus, and increase in Ca2+ in the application plots over time was particularly remarkable. Moreover, saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) after CBB ash application in the slightly and moderately salt-affected soils increased with increasing application rates. In case of the highest application rate (6.96 kg/m2), using ash from CBB made from lower quality coal, pH and ESP decreased from 9.47 to 7.61, and from 7.0% to 0.98%, respectively, and Ks increased drastically by three orders of magnitude. Therefore, not only soil chemical properties, but also Ks, were improved in salt-affected soils using CBB ash. In addition, the heavy metal content in CBB ashes was below the standard values according to Chinese guidelines. Taken together, these results demonstrate the feasibility of sustainable methods for energy usage and environmental application in China.

Summary Autophagy is an intracellular degradation process that is mediated by de novo formation of autophagosomes. Autophagosome formation involves dynamic morphological changes; a disk-shaped membrane cisterna grows, bends to become a cup-shaped structure, and finally develops into a spherical autophagosome. We have constructed a theoretical model that integrates the membrane morphological change and entropic partitioning of putative curvature generators, which we have used to investigate the autophagosome formation process quantitatively. We show that the membrane curvature and the distribution of the curvature generators stabilize disk- and cup-shaped intermediate structures during autophagosome formation, which is quantitatively consistent with in vivo observations. These results suggest that various autophagy proteins with membrane curvature-sensing properties control morphological change by stabilizing these intermediate structures. Our model provides a framework for understanding autophagosome formation., Graphical Abstract, Highlights • A model of morphological transition during autophagosome formation is established • A dynamic distribution of curvature generators stabilizes cup-shaped intermediates • An abundance of curvature generators regulates the size of autophagosomes • The model is quantitively consistent with in vivo observations, Biophysics; Cell Biology; Molecular Biology; Membrane Architecture

Polyethylene terephthalate widely used as fibre materials and container packaging materials is produced by the condensation polymerisation of monoethylene glycol and terephthalic acid. Monoethylene glycol and terephthalic acid have been conventionally manufactured using petroleum as the raw material, however monoethylene glycol has recently been manufactured from biomass as the raw material from the viewpoint of reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Recently, a process for manufacturing para-xylene from ethanol was developed, and 100% bio-derived polyethylene terephthalate using terephthalic acid produced by para-xylene obtained from bio-based ethanol and bio-based monoethylene glycol is currently under development. However, a study of calculating greenhouse gas emissions from 100% bio-derived polyethylene terephthalate has not been reported. In this study, greenhouse gas emissions of 100% bio-derived polyethylene terephthalate were calculated using material balance data from the production process of para-xylene from ethanol under development. This methodology complied with the life cycle inventory study of ISO 14040 (2006) and 14044 (2006). As the result, greenhouse gas emissions of 100% bio-derived polyethylene terephthalate, assuming that bio-para-xylene is produced by 20% of sugarcane and 80% of corn, decreased by 24.0% compared with those of petroleum-derived polyethylene terephthalate. In addition, the greenhouse gas emissions of 100% bio-derived polyethylene terephthalate using bio-based ethanol obtained only from sugarcane as the raw material of bio-based para-xylene were 1.88 kg-CO2e/kg-polyethylene terephthalate, which demonstrates the potential to decrease greenhouse gas emissions from petroleum-derived polyethylene terephthalate by about 58%.

BACKGROUND AND AIM Endoscopic nasobiliary drainage (ENBD) is often recommended in preoperative biliary drainage (PBD) for hilar malignant biliary obstruction (MBO), but endoscopic biliary stent (EBS) is also used in the clinical practice. We conducted this large-scale multicenter study to compare ENBD and EBS in this setting. METHODS A total of 374 cases undergoing PBD including 281 ENBD and 76 EBS for hilar MBO in 29 centers were retrospectively studied. RESULTS Extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ECC) accounted for 69.8% and Bismuth-Corlette classification was III or more in 58.8% of the study population. Endoscopic PBD was technically successful in 94.6%, and adverse event rate was 21.9%. The rate of post-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography pancreatitis was 16.0%, and non-endoscopic sphincterotomy was the only risk factor (odds ratio [OR] 2.51). Preoperative re-intervention was performed in 61.5%: planned re-interventions in 48.4% and unplanned re-interventions in 31.0%. Percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage was placed in 6.4% at the time of surgery. The risk factors for unplanned procedures were ECC (OR 2.64) and total bilirubin ≥ 10 mg/dL (OR 2.18). In surgically resected cases, prognostic factors were ECC (hazard ratio [HR] 0.57), predraiange magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (HR 1.62) and unplanned re-interventions (HR 1.81). EBS was not associated with increased adverse events, unplanned re-interventions, or a poor prognosis. CONCLUSIONS Our retrospective analysis did not demonstrate the advantage of ENBD over EBS as the initial PBD for resectable hilar MBO. Although the technical success rate of endoscopic PBD was high, its re-intervention rate was not negligible, and unplanned re-intervention was associated with a poor prognosis in resected hilar MBO.

Electron spins in gate-defined lateral quantum dots (QDs) are a suitable platform for qubits and have the capacity for coherent coupling to free-space photons. Superposition state transfer from single photon polarizations to single spins has been realized using a GaAs gate-defined QD. However, its efficiency is limited by small size of the QDs. Here, we use a surface plasmon antenna to improve the single photoelectron trapping probability in a GaAs gate-defined QD and demonstrate that the photoelectron detection probability is enhanced by 5.3–9.2 times. This result contributes to the development of photon–spin quantum interface using lateral QDs.

AIM To evaluate the short- and long-term results of endoscopic ultrasound-guided transmural drainage (EUS-GTD) for pancreatic fluid collection (PFC) and identify the predictive factors of treatment outcome for walled-off necrosis (WON) managed by EUS-GTD alone. METHODS We investigated 103 consecutive patients with PFC who underwent EUS-GTD between September 1999 and August 2015. Patients were divided into four groups as follows: WON (n = 40), pancreatic pseudocyst (PPC; n = 11), chronic pseudocyst (n = 33), and others (n = 19). We evaluated the short- and long-term outcomes of the treatment. In cases of WON, multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the predictor variables associated with the treatment success. In addition, PFC recurrence was examined in patients followed up for more than 6 mo and internal stent removal after successful EUS-GTD was confirmed. RESULTS In this study, the total technical success rate was 96.1%. The treatment success rate of WON, PPC, chronic pseudocyst, and others was 57.5%, 90.9%, 91.0%, and 89.5%, respectively. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography using the multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the treatment success rate of WON was significantly lower in patients with more than 50% pancreatic parenchymal necrosis (OR = 17.0; 95%CI: 1.9-150.7; P = 0.011) and in patients with more than 150 mm of PFC (OR = 27.9; 95%CI: 3.4-227.7; P = 0.002).The recurrence of PFC in the long term was 13.3% (median observation time, 38.8 mo). Mean amylase level in the cavity was significantly higher in the recurrence group than in the no recurrence group (P = 0.02). CONCLUSION The reduction of WON by EUS-GTD alone was associated with the proportion of necrotic tissue and extent of the cavity. The amylase level in the cavity may be a predictive factor for recurrence of PFC.

Fluorene and 9,9-dialkyl fluorenes were examined by electrospray droplet impact/secondary ion mass spectrometry (EDI/SIMS). From the major peaks: M+ , [M+H]+, [M−R]+, and [M−R−(R−H)]+detected by EDI/SIMS, information on the molecular masses (M) and the side chains (R) could be obtainedfor dioctyl-, dihexyltri-, dioctyltri- and dihexylheptafluorenes. Despite the different alkyl substituents, dihexyltrifluorene (C75H98) and dioctyltrifluorene (C87H122) gave similar fragment-ion distribution patterns with the common peak values at m/z 339 and 517 in the two envelopes. This suggests that the fragmentation paths are similar for these two compounds. The ions with m/z 339 and 517 were tentatively assigned asC27H15+ and C41H25+in which all the alkyl substituents (R) were eliminated. Fragmentation paths of protonated fluorenes were examined by DFT calculations.The reaction paths of the elimination of side two alkyl chains to give fluorenyl cations as the final products were postulated for 9,9-dimethylfluorene and 9,9-dioctylfluorene.

We experimentally demonstrated significant enhancement of terahertz-wave absorption in monolayer graphene by simply sandwiching monolayer graphene between two dielectric media in a total internal reflection geometry. In going through this structure, the evanescent wave of the incident terahertz beam interacts with the sandwiched graphene layer multiple (up to four) times at varying incidence angles. We observed extremely large attenuation (up to ∼70% per reflection), especially for s-polarized radiation. The experimental results are quantitatively consistent with our calculations, where we modeled the experiment as an electromagnetic wave reflection process in monolayer graphene. We also derived analytical expressions for the absorptance, showing that the absorptance is proportional to the amount of Joule heating on the graphene surface induced by the terahertz radiation.

To investigate whether the 2-devices-in-1-channel method is useful for selective biliary cannulation in patients with parapapillary diverticulum or intradiverticular papilla, where the papilla cannot be seen from the front.Biliary cannulation using the 2-devices-in-1-channel method was performed in 28 patients who presented difficulty due to parapapillary diverticulum or intradiverticular papilla. There were 15 men and 13 women whose mean age was 68.8 (58 to 88) years. There were 22 patients with common bile duct stones, 5 with pancreatic cancer, and 1 with gallbladder cancer.Selective biliary cannulation was successful in all 28 patients. Common bile duct stones could be removed in all 22 patients after endoscopic sphincterotomy or endoscopic balloon dilation, and all 5 patients with pancreatic cancer as well as the patient with gallbladder cancer were successfully drained. There were no procedure-related complications.From these results, we consider the 2-devices-in-1-channel method is useful and safe to perform selective biliary cannulation when the papilla cannot be seen from the front due to parapapillary diverticulum, or intradiverticular papilla.