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Abstract The primary motor cortex (M1) is crucial for motor learning; however, its interaction with other brain areas during motor learning remains unclear. We hypothesized that the fronto-parietal execution network (FPN) provides learning-related information critical for the flexible cognitive control that is required for practice. We assessed network-level changes during sequential finger tapping learning under speed pressure by combining magnetic resonance spectroscopy and task and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. There was a motor learning-related increase in preparatory activity in the fronto-parietal regions, including the right M1, overlapping the FPN and sensorimotor network (SMN). Learning-related increases in M1-seeded functional connectivity with the FPN, but not the SMN, were associated with decreased GABA/glutamate ratio in the M1, which were more prominent in the parietal than the frontal region. A decrease in the GABA/glutamate ratio in the right M1 was positively correlated with improvements in task performance (p = 0.042). Our findings indicate that motor learning driven by cognitive control is associated with local variations in the GABA/glutamate ratio in the M1 that reflects remote connectivity with the FPN, representing network-level motor sequence learning formations.

The dorsal premotor cortex (PMd) plays an essential role in visually guided goal-directed motor behavior. Although there are several planning processes for achieving goal-directed behavior, the separate neural processes are largely unknown. Here, we created a new visuo-goal task to investigate the step-by-step planning processes for visuomotor and visuo-goal behavior in humans. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we found activation in different portions of the bilateral PMd during each processing step. In particular, the activated area for rule-based visuomotor and visuo-goal mapping was located at the ventrorostral portion of the bilateral PMd, that for action plan specification was at the dorsocaudal portion of the left PMd, that for transformation was at the rostral portion of the left PMd, and that for action preparation was at the caudal portion of the bilateral PMd. Thus, the left PMd was involved throughout all of the processes, but the right PMd was involved only in rule-based visuomotor and visuo-goal mapping and action preparation. The locations related to each process were generally spatially separated from each other, but they overlapped partially. These findings revealed that there are functional subregions in the bilateral PMd in humans and these subregions form a functional gradient to achieve goal-directed behavior.

Abstract Objectives Dermatomyositis (DM) is an autoimmune disease that presents with a wide variety of clinical manifestations. Patients with DM or clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis (CADM) with antimelanoma differentiation‐associated protein 5 (anti‐MDA5) antibodies are frequently associated with interstitial pneumonia, especially rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease. Progranulin (PGRN) is an autocrine growth factor involved in inflammation. Elevated serum PGRN levels have been reported in the patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis. However, they have not been precisely studied in DM/CADM. We assessed PGRN levels as a potential biomarker for DM/CADM with anti‐MDA5 antibodies. Methods Twenty‐four DM/CADM patients with anti‐MDA5 antibodies, 12 patients without anti‐MDA5 antibodies, and eight healthy volunteers were enrolled. We measured serum PGRN levels and compared them between the anti‐MDA5 antibody‐positive and antibody‐negative groups. They were also measured before and after the start of treatment in anti‐MDA5 antibody‐positive patients. We examined the correlations between serum PGRN levels and laboratory data such as serum KL‐6 and ferritin levels. Results Patients with DM/CADM, especially those with anti‐MDA5 antibodies, had significantly higher serum PGRN levels than healthy individuals. They decreased after the start of treatment. Serum PGRN levels were positively correlated with serum KL‐6 and ferritin levels, and anti‐MDA5 antibody titers. Conclusions This is the first study to show that PGRN levels were significantly elevated in the sera of DM/CADM patients, particularly in those with anti‐MDA5 antibodies. PGRN may be a useful biomarker of disease activity. However, further studies are required to reveal the mechanisms of PGRN in DM/CADM more precisely.

Abstract Professional boxers train to reduce their body mass before a match to refine their body movements. To test the hypothesis that the well-defined movements of boxers are represented within the motor loop (cortico-striatal circuit), we first elucidated the brain structure and functional connectivity specific to boxers and then investigated plasticity in relation to boxing matches. We recruited 21 male boxers 1 month before a match (Time1) and compared them to 22 age-, sex-, and body mass index (BMI)-matched controls. Boxers were longitudinally followed up within 1 week prior to the match (Time2) and 1 month after the match (Time3). The BMIs of boxers significantly decreased at Time2 compared with those at Time1 and Time3. Compared to controls, boxers presented significantly higher gray matter volume in the left putamen, a critical region representing motor skill training. Boxers presented significantly higher functional connectivity than controls between the left primary motor cortex (M1) and left putamen, which is an essential region for establishing well-defined movements. Boxers also showed significantly higher structural connectivity in the same region within the motor loop from Time1 to Time2 than during other periods, which may represent the refined movements of their body induced by training for the match.

How coherent neural oscillations are involved in task execution is a fundamental question in neuroscience. Although several electrophysiological studies have tackled this issue, the brain-wide task modulation of neural coherence remains uncharacterized. Here, with a fast fMRI technique, we studied shifts of brain-wide neural coherence across different task states in the ultraslow frequency range (0.01–0.7 Hz). First, we examined whether the shifts of the brain-wide neural coherence occur in a frequency-dependent manner. We quantified the shift of a region's average neural coherence by the inter-state variance of the mean coherence between the region and the rest of the brain. A clustering analysis based on the variance's spatial correlation between frequency components revealed four frequency bands (0.01–0.15 Hz, 0.15–0.37 Hz, 0.37–0.53 Hz, and 0.53–0.7 Hz) showing band-specific shifts of the brain-wide neural coherence. Next, we investigated the similarity of the inter-state variance's spectra between all pairs of regions. We found that regions showing similar spectra correspond to those forming functional modules of the brain network. Then, we investigated the relationship between identified frequency bands and modules’ inter-state variances. We found that modules showing the highest variance are those made up of parieto-occipital regions at 0.01–0.15 Hz, while it is replaced with another consisting of frontal regions above 0.15 Hz. Furthermore, these modules showed specific shifting patterns of the mean coherence across states at 0.01–0.15 Hz and above 0.15 Hz, suggesting that identified frequency bands differentially contribute to neural interactions during task execution. Our results highlight that usage of the fast fMRI enables brain-wide investigation of neural coherence up to 0.7 Hz, which opens a promising track for assessment of the large-scale neural interactions in the ultraslow frequency range.

Romantic relationship, a widespread feature of human society, is one of the most influential factors in daily life. Although stimuli related to romantic love or being in a romantic relationship commonly result in enhancement of activation or functional connectivity of the reward system, including the striatum, the structure underlying romantic relationship-related regions remain unclear. Because individual experiences can alter gray matter within the adult human brain, we hypothesized that romantic relationship is associated with structural differences in the striatum related to the positive subjective experience of being in a romantic relationship. Because intimate romantic relationships contribute to perceived subjective happiness, this subjective enhancement of happiness might be accompanied by the experience of positive events related to being in a romantic relationship. To test this hypothesis and elucidate the structure involved, we compared subjective happiness, an indirect measure of the existence of positive experiences caused by being in a romantic relationship, of participants with or without romantic partners (N = 68). Furthermore, we also conducted a voxel-based morphometry (VBM) study of the effects of being in a romantic relationship (N = 113). Being in a romantic relationship was associated with greater subjective happiness and reduced gray matter density within the right dorsal striatum. These results suggest that being in a romantic relationship enhances perceived subjective happiness via positive experiences. Furthermore, the observed reduction in gray matter density in the right dorsal striatum may reflect an increase in saliency of social reward within a romantic relationship. Thus, being in a romantic relationship is associated with positive experiences and a reduction of gray matter density in the right dorsal striatum, representing a modulation of social reward.

Weather map recognition is a complex image recognition task that requires two cognitive processes: the interpretation of symbols and future predictions. Recent advancements in multimodal AI have shown the potential to solve such complex tasks. This research uses ChatGPT, a type of multimodal AI, to validate the recognition performance of weather map images and proposes prompt engineering for more accurate recognition. Weather map recognition is a problem that is also featured in the Common University Entrance Test. If weather maps can be recognized, automatic grading and question generation become possible, leading to learning support. Furthermore, it is expected that weather commentary text can be automatically generated from weather maps. Therefore, weather map image recognition is an important task, but it requires not only recognizing time-series changes in local weather data but also recognizing information on large-scale weather patterns such as pressure pattern and making future predictions. In this research, we use ChatGPT4-Vision, a multimodal AI, to validate the recognition performance of weather map images. We investigate whether it can answer questions about weather maps from university entrance exams and generate weather commentary text from weather map images. By conducting multiple experiments with varying tasks and information in the prompts, and evaluating the accuracy of the generated commentaries, we propose and validate improvements in reading performance through prompt engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Ischemic priapism is a rare pathological condition, and delayed intervention can result in irreversible sequelae. Most cases are attributed to the use of antipsychotics. The blockade of α1‐adrenergic receptors is thought to be associated with the disease onset, although data supporting this hypothesis are lacking. No consensus regarding the optimal choice of medication is available. Case Presentation A 59‐year‐old man with schizophrenia, who had been receiving long‐acting injections of risperidone, developed ischemic priapism after receiving paliperidone treatment. Following improvement in ischemic priapism, we administered a combination of aripiprazole and olanzapine, which improved his psychiatric symptoms. We did not observe any recurrence of ischemic priapism. Conclusions Switching the antipsychotic drug causing ischemic priapism to patients having a relatively low affinity for α1‐adrenergic receptors may enable the treatment of schizophrenia without recurrence of ischemic priapism. In addition to the affinity for α1‐adrenergic receptor, differences in metabolic enzyme types and antipsychotic doses may be involved in the occurrence of ischemic priapism. Accumulating evidence is necessary to establish guidelines for selecting medication of patients with ischemic priapism.

An increase in the number of herpes zoster patients has been reported since universal varicella immunization was introduced, perhaps because of reduced opportunities for varicella patients to experience the natural booster effect caused by reexposure. We investigated recent trends of varicella zoster virus (VZV)–related central nervous system (CNS) infections at a university hospital in Japan. We enrolled patients with suspected CNS infection during 2013–2022 and tested cerebrospinal fluid samples by real-time PCR for DNA from 7 human herpesviruses. VZV DNA was the most commonly detected in 62 (10.2%) of 615 patients. Kulldorff’s circular spatial scan statistics demonstrated a significant temporal cluster of patients with VZV-related CNS infections during 2019–2022 (p = 0.008). Among persons with such infections, the percentage with aseptic meningitis was significantly higher during 2019–2022 (86.8%), when the temporal cluster of cases occurred, than during 2013–2018 (50.0%) (p = 0.0029).

Little is known regarding the diversity patterns of Xylariaceae and Hypoxylaceae (Ascomycota) fungi taking part in the lignin decomposition of leaf litter from different tree species and under different climatic regions. The alpha and beta diversity of Xylariaceae and Hypoxylaceae fungi was investigated on bleached leaf litter from nine subtropical and cool temperate tree species in Japan. A total of 248 fungal isolates, obtained from 480 leaves from the nine tree species, were classified into 43 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) with a 97% similarity threshold and were assigned to nine genera of Xylariaceae and Hypoxylaceae. There was no overlap of fungal OTUs between subtropical and cool temperate trees. The mean number of fungal OTUs was generally higher in subtropical than cool temperate trees, whereas rarefaction curves depicting the numbers of OTU with respect to the number of leaves from which fungi were isolated were less steep in subtropical trees than in cool temperate trees, reflecting the dominance of major OTUs in the subtropical trees and indicating a higher species richness in cool temperate regions. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling showed general overlaps of fungal OTU compositions among tree species in the respective climatic regions, and one-way permutational multivariate analysis of variance indicated that the OTU composition was not significantly different between the tree species. These results suggest a wide host range and some geographic and climatic structures of distribution of these ligninolytic fungi.

Abstract Introduction Psychotropic drugs have been reported to cause urinary retention (UR) via anticholinergic and other mechanisms. However, UR has not received much attention because of its non-fatal symptoms. We investigated the occurrence of UR associated with psychotropic drugs using the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report (JADER) database. Methods Using the JADER database, we calculated reporting odds ratios for UR for 74 psychotropic drugs. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to adjust for the effects of sex, underlying disease, and age on UR. Variable selection included forced entry for sex, age, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), depression, and backward-forward stepwise selection for each drug. Results A total of 887,704 cases were reported, of which 4653 (0.52%) had UR. In terms of sex, 0.79% (3401/429,372 cases) and 0.43% (1797/415,358 cases) of male and female patients had UR. In terms of age, 0.31% (892/288,676 cases) and 0.68% (3463/506,907 cases) of patients aged < 60 years and 60 years or older had UR. Among the underlying diseases, 8.22% (930/11,316 cases) and 0.43% (3723/876,388 cases) of patients with BPH and without BPH had UR, respectively. Further, 1.99% (337/16,959 cases) and 0.50% (4316/870,745 cases) of patients with depression and without depression had UR, respectively. Overall, 38 psychotropic drugs met the criteria for signal detection. In logistic regression, a total of 783,083 patients of discernible age and sex were included. The selected variables were sex, age, BPH, depression, and 23 drugs, including quetiapine [adjusted reporting odds ratio (ROR) 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.46–2.81], chlorpromazine (adjusted ROR 95%CI: 1.29–3.13), etizolam (adjusted ROR 95%CI: 1.47–3.09), maprotiline (adjusted ROR 95%CI: 1.99–8.34), mirtazapine (adjusted ROR 95%CI: 1.37–2.88), and duloxetine (adjusted ROR 95%CI: 2.15–4.21). Conclusions Many psychotropic drugs induce UR, which may be owing to their pharmacological effects. Appropriate monitoring is needed, especially in patients with other risk factors for UR.

Abstract Recent studies have revealed that the Sry-related HMG box gene 17 (SOX17) plays an important role in ovarian carcinogenesis. Unlike other types of ovarian cancer, ovarian clear cell carcinoma (OCCC) has a distinct pathobiological phenotype, often harboring an AT-rich interaction domain 1 A (ARID1A) mutation. In the present study, to determine the SOX17 in OCCC cells, we immunohistochemically examined SOX17 expression in 47 whole-tissue specimens of OCCC. Although not statistically significant, SOX17-high immunoreactivity tended to be related to unfavorable patient outcomes. We also aimed to determine the relationship of SOX17 with ARID1A. Double immunofluorescence staining demonstrated that SOX17 immunoreactivity was not associated with ARID1A immunoreactivity. Immunoblotting revealed that SOX17 was abundantly expressed in cultured OVISE and RMG-V OCCC cells, but not in OVTOKO OCCC cells. Polyubiquitinated bands of SOX17 were observed in MG132 treated OVTOKO, but not in OVISE or RMG-V OCCC cells. Notably, si-RNA-mediated knockdown of a deubiquitinase enzyme, ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase L1, increased polyubiquitination followed by proteasome degradation of SOX17 in OVISE. These findings indicate that SOX17 is not uniformly and heterogeneously expressed in OCCCs, independent of ARID1A deficiency. Impaired ubiquitin-mediated proteasome degradation may stabilize SOX17 in some OCCC cells.

Abstract Introduction Sex‐determining region Y‐related high‐mobility group box 17 protein (SOX17), a proangiogenic transcription factor, is specifically expressed in tumor endothelial cells (TECs) of implanted Lewis lung carcinoma. However, the expression profile of SOX17 is largely unknown in human lung cancer. We aimed to elucidate SOX17 expression in cancer cells and the tumor microenvironment of lung adenocarcinoma. Methods In the present study, we examined SOX17 expression in whole‐tissue specimens of 83 lung adenocarcinomas by immunohistochemistry. Results SOX17 immunoreactivity was minimal in lung adenocarcinoma cells, except in five non‐mucinous adenocarcinomas in situ. SOX17 was also expressed in cultured A549 lung adenocarcinoma cells, which is widely used as a model of malignant alveolar type II epithelial cells. Notably, SOX17 immunoreactivity was found in endothelial cells of tumor‐penetrating vessels in 19 of 83 lung adenocarcinoma tissue specimens, with statistical significance to stromal infiltration of CD8+ T cells (p

Abstract In patients with anterior shoulder instability (ASI), a chronic imbalance might exist between the anterior and posterior shoulder muscles (i.e., subscapular [Ssc] vs. infraspinatus and teres minor [Isp + TM]). The balance could be evaluated as the ratio of volume (VR Ssc/Isp+TM) and computed tomography density (CT-DR Ssc/Isp+TM) using a 3D sectional approach. A total of 28 CT images (19 patients) of non-pathological shoulders (clavicular fracture [CF]) and 17 CT images (17 patients) of ASI were used. Segmentation of Ssc and Isp + TM muscles was performed; the reconstructed models were separated by the Y-view plane and the planes situated 2.5 cm and 5 cm medial to the Y-view plane to generate muscle models. VR Ssc/Isp+TM and CT-DR Ssc/Isp+TM were measured in each section of both the groups, as well as in whole muscle measurements in the CF group. VR Ssc/Isp+TM and CT-DR Ssc/Isp+TM obtained through a 3D sectional approach in the CF group were comparable to the whole muscle measurements, with a value of 1.06 for both. In the ASI group, the VR Ssc/Isp+TM was higher, whereas the CT-DR Ssc/Isp+TM was lower than those in the CF group. The VR Ssc/Isp+TM and CT-DR Ssc/Isp+TM appeared to be balanced in the CF group. However an imbalance was observed in the ASI group. Our 3D sectional measurement approach has the potential to assess the balance between the anterior and posterior shoulder muscles in ASI.

Introduction Human T‐cell lymphotropic virus type 1 infection can cause HTLV‐1‐associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis, characterized by spastic paralysis of both lower limbs. More than 90% of HAM/TSP patients show lower urinary tract symptoms and dysfunction. Case presentation A 27‐year‐old woman diagnosed with HAM/TSP presented with overactive bladder. A urodynamic study revealed detrusor overactivity. OAB remained despite improvements in spastic paralysis of the lower limbs after starting prednisolone. The addition of solifenacin likewise failed to improve OAB or DO in this patient. Switching from solifenacin to vibegron improved OAB symptoms. Conclusion In patients for whom OAB and DO do not improve with steroid treatment and solifenacin, treatment with vibegron may improve OAB symptoms.

Abstract Background Hypertensive emergency is a critical disease that causes multiple organ injuries. Although the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAS) is enormously activated in this disorder, whether the RAS contributes to the development of the organ damage has not been fully elucidated. This cross-sectional study was conducted to characterize the association between RAS and the organ damage in patients with hypertensive emergencies. Methods We enrolled 63 patients who visited our medical center with acute severe hypertension and multiple organ damage between 2012 and 2020. Hypertensive target organ damage was evaluated on admission, including severe kidney impairment (eGFR less than 30 mL/min/1.73 m2, SKI), severe retinopathy, concentric left ventricular hypertrophy (c-LVH), thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA), heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and cerebrovascular disease. Then, whether each organ injury was associated with blood pressure or a plasma aldosterone concentration was analyzed. Results Among 63 patients, 31, 37, 43 and 8 cases manifested SKI, severe retinopathy, c-LVH and ischemic stroke, respectively. All populations with the organ injuries except cerebral infarction had higher plasma aldosterone concentrations than the remaining subset but exhibited a variable difference in systolic or diastolic blood pressure. Twenty-two patients had a triad of SKI, severe retinopathy and c-LVH, among whom 5 patients manifested TMA. Furthermore, the number of the damaged organs was correlated with plasma aldosterone levels (Spearman’s coefficient = 0.50), with a strong association observed between plasma aldosterone (≥ 250 pg/mL) and 3 or more complications (odds ratio = 9.16 [95%CI: 2.76–30.35]). Conclusion In patients with hypertensive emergencies, a higher aldosterone level not only contributed to the development of the organ damage but also was associated with the number of damaged organs in each patient.

Abstract Fusicoccin-A (FC-A) is a diterpene glucoside produced by a pathogenic fungus. Since its discovery, FC-A has been widely recognized as a phytotoxin that induces stomatal opening and leaf wilting, eventually leading to plant death. In this study, we present the first evidence that FC-A enhances plant growth by stabilizing the protein-protein interaction between plasma membrane (PM) H+-ATPase and 14-3-3 in guard cells. Long-term treatment of Arabidopsis plants with FC-A resulted in ~ 30% growth enhancement. Structurally similar fusicoccin-J (FC-J) showed a similar degree of growth-promotion activity as FC-A, whereas the more hydrophilic fusicoccin-H (FC-H) exhibited no effect on plant growth, indicating that the enhancement of plant growth observed with FC-A and FC-J involves upregulation of the protein-protein interaction between PM H+-ATPase and 14-3-3 in guard cells, which promotes stomatal opening and photosynthesis.

Summary: Background & aims: The prognostic nutritional index (PNI), calculated from the serum level of albumin (Alb) and total lymphocyte count (TLC), has been considered to effectively predict the outcomes of critically ill COVID-19 patients. However, since the establishment of COVID-19 treatment regimens, its effectiveness has become unclear. Therefore, we conducted a multicenter study to establish whether PNI is still valid as a prognostic indicator for these patients. Methods: We retrospectively examined the medical records of critically ill COVID-19 patients who required intubation and mechanical ventilatory management (MV) between July 2021 and March 2023. Results: Seventy patients (50 males, mean age 62.9 years) were included and PNI at the start of intensive care was 31.7, which was in the “critical range”. The results obtained showed that PNI was not a predictor of death, whereas the presence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and a high SOFA score were identified as predictors. The presence of COPD and obesity were also predictive factors for the number of days of MV. Conclusions: Since the establishment of COVID-19 treatment regimens, PNI may not be an effective tool for predicting the risk of death or MV days in critically ill COVID-19 patients.

Abstract Understanding Mercury’s magnetosphere is crucial for advancing our comprehension of how the solar wind interacts with the planetary magnetospheres. Despite previous missions, several gaps remain in our knowledge of Mercury’s plasma environment. Here, we present findings from BepiColombo’s third flyby, offering a synoptic view of the large scale structure and composition of Mercury’s magnetosphere. The Mass Spectrum Analyzer (MSA), Mass Ion Analyzer (MIA), and Mass Electron Analyzer (MEA) on the magnetospheric orbiter reveal insights, including the identification of trapped energetic hydrogen (H+) with energies around 20 keV e−1 evidencing a ring current, and a cold ion plasma with energies below 50 eV e−1. Additionally, we observe a Low-Latitude Boundary Layer (LLBL), which is a region of turbulent plasma at the edge of the magnetosphere, characterized by bursty ion enhancements, indicating an ongoing injection process in the duskside magnetosphere flank. These observations during cruise phase provide a tantalizing glimpse of future discoveries expected from the Mercury Plasma Particle Experiment (MPPE) instruments after orbit insertion, promising broader impacts on our understanding of planetary magnetospheres.

Abstract Selpercatinib is the first targeted therapy for rearranged during transfection (RET) fusion‐positive unresectable non‐small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The main adverse effects of selpercatinib include hypertension, liver dysfunction, diarrhea, and QT prolongation on electrocardiograms. However, instances of drug‐induced interstitial lung disease (DI‐ILD) are infrequently reported. We describe the first case of a patient with RET fusion‐positive NSCLC treated with selpercatinib who developed DI‐ILD, confirmed pathologically. The patient, a 72‐year‐old woman, initiated selpercatinib treatment following the postoperative recurrence of lung adenocarcinoma. After 15 months of treatment, computed tomography scans revealed multiple infiltrates and ground‐glass opacities in both lungs. A thoracoscopic lung biopsy identified organizing pneumonia, attributed to DI‐ILD caused by selpercatinib. Although she was asymptomatic, the patient's selpercatinib treatment was discontinued, leading to a gradual improvement in the lung infiltrates. Despite the lack of detailed reports, DI‐ILD with selpercatinib represents a potentially serious adverse event and should be approached with caution.

Abstract Primates must adapt to changing environments by optimizing their behavior to make beneficial choices. At the core of adaptive behavior is the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) of the brain, which updates choice value through direct experience or knowledge-based inference. Here, we identify distinct neural circuitry underlying these two separate abilities. We designed two behavioral tasks in which two male macaque monkeys updated the values of certain items, either by directly experiencing changes in stimulus-reward associations, or by inferring the value of unexperienced items based on the task’s rules. Chemogenetic silencing of bilateral OFC combined with mathematical model-fitting analysis revealed that monkey OFC is involved in updating item value based on both experience and inference. In vivo imaging of chemogenetic receptors by positron emission tomography allowed us to map projections from the OFC to the rostromedial caudate nucleus (rmCD) and the medial part of the mediodorsal thalamus (MDm). Chemogenetic silencing of the OFC-rmCD pathway impaired experience-based value updating, while silencing the OFC-MDm pathway impaired inference-based value updating. Our results thus demonstrate dissociable contributions of distinct OFC projections to different behavioral strategies, and provide new insights into the neural basis of value-based adaptive decision-making in primates.

Abstract Background There are few reports of kidney disease caused by cryofibrinogen (CF). There are still many unknowns regarding its diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. Case presentation A woman in her 70s experienced gross hematuria without any triggers; no urinary abnormalities had been previously detected. At the same time, the urine protein level was 5 g; therefore, a renal biopsy was performed. Light microscopy revealed a membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis-like pattern. And the electron microscopic findings were extremely characteristic and specific. Development of ischemic lesions was observed in the lower legs. A skin biopsy performed at the sites of toe necrosis showed fibrinoid necrotizing vasculitis and thrombi in the blood vessels. Eventually, the patient was diagnosed with cryofibrinogenemia (CF-emia) by mass spectrometry. The effect of steroids was limited. Subsequently, the patient’s renal function rapidly deteriorated, and toe necrosis progressed. The patient died after initiation of hemodialysis. Conclusion Although CF-emia is an unknown disease and has been infrequently reported, no reported cases exhibited rapid worsening of toe necrosis and renal function during the same period. Therefore, this case can be said to be the first case of fulminant cryofibrinogenemia. Due to the development of nephropathy, which is likely to be a factor for poor prognosis, establishment of therapeutic strategies is urgently required.

We measured the adhesion force between a sphere and a plane in water using a surface force apparatus that can measure the adhesion force with ultra-high accuracy. In particular, we focused on the relationship between the withdrawal speed and the adhesion force as one of the dynamic characteristics of the surface force. PDMS (Polydimethylsiloxane) was used as a spherical probe, and PEEK (Poly Ether Ether Ketone) and Si were used as plane samples. The results revealed that the adhesion forces depended on the withdrawal speed in water. This dependence was found to be qualitatively the same as that observed in a vacuum, indicating the influence of the viscoelasticity of PDMS on the adhesion forces. Furthermore, a comparison of the adhesion forces in air and water showed that they are dependent on the combination of materials. We deduced that the wettability of the material affected the adhesion forces. Specifically, the low affinity of the two surfaces to water resulted in hydrophobic attraction, while a hydration repulsion acts when one surface becomes hydrophilic.

Abstract A three-dimensional convolutional neural network model was developed to classify the severity of chronic kidney disease (CKD) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) Dixon-based T1-weighted in-phase (IP)/opposed-phase (OP)/water-only (WO) imaging. Seventy-three patients with severe renal dysfunction (estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR]

Abstract Visual object memory is a fundamental element of various cognitive abilities, and the underlying neural mechanisms have been extensively examined especially in the anterior temporal cortex of primates. However, both macroscopic large-scale functional network in which this region is embedded and microscopic neuron-level dynamics of top-down regulation it receives for object memory remains elusive. Here, we identified the orbitofrontal node as a critical partner of the anterior temporal node for object memory by combining whole-brain functional imaging during rest and a short-term object memory task in male macaques. Focal chemogenetic silencing of the identified orbitofrontal node downregulated both the local orbitofrontal and remote anterior temporal nodes during the task, in association with deteriorated mnemonic, but not perceptual, performance. Furthermore, imaging-guided neuronal recordings in the same monkeys during the same task causally revealed that orbitofrontal top-down modulation enhanced stimulus-selective mnemonic signal in individual anterior temporal neurons while leaving bottom-up perceptual signal unchanged. Furthermore, similar activity difference was also observed between correct and mnemonic error trials before silencing, suggesting its behavioral relevance. These multifaceted but convergent results provide a multiscale causal understanding of dynamic top-down regulation of the anterior temporal cortex along the ventral fronto-temporal network underpinning short-term object memory in primates.

Abstract Background Perioperative management of patients on dialysis is critical for controlling bleeding and thrombotic risk, in addition to infection control. Postoperative anticoagulation is often difficult to control, and different institutions have different policies. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to investigate factors associated with postoperative bleeding events and whether warfarin (WF) therapy affects the incidence of postoperative bleeding events, total mortality, and stroke. Methods Patients who were admitted to the cardiovascular surgery department and underwent valve replacement or plasty were included, and those who underwent mechanical valve introduction were excluded. Thirty-nine patients were included in the study. The primary endpoint was to identify factors associated with the composite endpoint of postoperative bleeding events, and the secondary endpoint was to determine the effect size of WF therapy on postoperative bleeding events, all-cause mortality, and stroke and the strength of association between the crossed endpoints. The strength of the association between the crossed items was examined. Results Low body weight (p = 0.038) was identified as a factor associated with the primary endpoint of postoperative bleeding events. The secondary endpoint of whether or not patients received WF therapy was largely unrelated to bleeding events, all-cause mortality, and postoperative stroke up to 90 days after surgery. Conclusions Preliminary studies suggest that low body weight is a risk factor for postoperative bleeding events in patients on dialysis, although further exploration of other factors will be necessary with the accumulation of similar cases.

Abstract Background Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are crucial in cancer treatment; however, they carry the risk of immune-related adverse events (irAEs), such as enteritis. Case presentation: This study investigated the role of the gut microbiota during the onset and remission of irAE enteritis in a patient with stage IV melanoma undergoing anti-PD-1 and anti-CTLA-4 therapy. Following commencement of ICI treatment, the patient developed severe diarrhea and was diagnosed with grade 3 irAE enteritis. Steroid and probiotic treatments provided swift symptom relief and remission, as confirmed by reduced fecal calprotectin levels and gastrointestinal imaging. Microbiota diversity analysis conducted via 16S rRNA gene sequencing identified a decrease in Streptococcus prevalence with improvement in enteritis symptoms. Conversely, genera Fusobacterium, Faecalibacterium, Bacteroides, Prevotella, and Bifidobacterium showed increased representation after remission. These genera are associated with anti-inflammatory properties and fibrous substrate degradation, aiding gut health. Immunological assessment demonstrated fluctuations in cytokine expression and the modulation of costimulatory molecules, aligning with therapeutic interventions and microbiota alterations. Conclusions Our findings indicate a significant correlation between gut microbiota and immune responses in irAE enteritis. This underscores the potential utility of microbiome profiling in predicting irAE occurrence and in providing treatment strategies, thereby promoting a more comprehensive approach to managing the adverse effects of ICIs.

The asymmetry of plasma-particle load on divertor tiles at helically symmetrical positions has been investigated in the Large Helical Device (LHD). The asymmetry reverses when the toroidal magnetic field direction changes, suggesting that particle drifts cause the asymmetry. This study conducted proton orbit tracing calculations under a vacuum condition to investigate the effects of grad-B drift and curvature drift on the asymmetry. The calculations were performed for the major radius of the magnetic axis, Rax, at 3.75 m and 3.6 m configurations. The results showed that due to the effects of grad-B drift and curvature drift, a similar asymmetry to the experimentally observed one appeared in the number of protons reaching the divertor tiles. The degree of asymmetry (DOA), representing the ratio of protons reaching the symmetrical divertor tiles, increased with higher proton energy and was smaller for the Rax = 3.75 m configuration than the Rax = 3.6 m one. An analysis of the experimental data for these magnetic field configurations revealed a consistent asymmetry between the Rax = 3.75 m and the Rax = 3.6 m configuration. It was also found that the asymmetry increased with higher electron temperature and was smaller in the Rax = 3.75 m configuration than in the Rax = 3.6 m one, which was consistent with the calculations. On the other hand, the experiments showed that the DOA saturated, which was not reproduced in the calculations.

The marine sponge microbiome has been investigated for decades, yet its temporal fluctuation/stability is poorly understood. This study aimed to describe the seasonal dynamics of the bacterial composition and predicted functions associated with two tropical marine sponge species (Aaptos suberitoides and Xestospongia testudinaria) collected off Karah Island, Malaysia, in the three seasons (dry season, pre- and post-monsoon season) using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and Functional Annotation of Prokaryotic Taxa (FAPROTAX). The bacterial taxonomic structures demonstrated divergences among A. suberitoides, X. testudinaria, and seawater, regardless of seasons. Chloroflexi, Proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria, Actinobacteriota, and Acidobacteriota comprised the core bacterial communities in two marine sponge species throughout the seasons, however, there were differences in bacterial composition between the two marine sponges. In addition, A. suberitoides was enriched with Dadabacteria, Spirochaetota, and Bdellovibrionota, whereas X. testudinaria abundantly harbored Poribacteria, PAUC34f, and Anck6. At the genus level, SAR202 clade and Candidatus Synechococcus spongiarum group dominated marine sponge samples throughout the year. Several genera, such as SAR202 clade, Candidatus Synechococcus spongiarum group, and Entotheonellaceae, were discovered only in marine sponge samples. Spirochaeta and Dadabacteriales displayed higher relative abundances in A. suberitoides, while Poribacteria and PAUC34f were more abundant in X. testudinaria. SAR202 clade was positively correlated with dissolved oxygen (DO), pH, phosphate, and ammonia in A. suberitoides. Likewise, Candidatus Synechococcus spongiarum group was negatively correlated with salinity and nitrate in X. testudinaria. Predicted functions by FAPROTAX annotated the phototrophic-related functions in both marine sponges, which might be attributed to a sponge-specific taxon Candidatus Synechococcus spongiarum group. The functions “predatory or exoparasitic” and “fermentation” were highly detected in A. suberitoides, which might be related to the bacterial genera Bdellovibrio and Spirochaeta, respectively. This study guides a deep understanding of the bacterial community structures associated with tropical marine sponges and their temporal behavior.

Purpose: This study aimed to present a case of a woman diagnosed with congenital nasal optic disc hypoplasia (NOH) in the right eye. Observations: A woman in her 20s presented with a small optic disc, irregular optic disc margins with a double-ring sign, and wedge-shaped defects temporally extending from Mariotte's blind spot in the right eye. The radial peripapillary capillary (RPC) density around the optic nerve disc was examined using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). The best-corrected visual acuity was 1.2 OU, and intraocular pressure was 12 mmHg OU. Optical coherence tomography C-scan detected thinning of the circumpapillary retinal nerve fiber layer, and OCTA revealed that a decrease in RPC density on the nasal side of the optic disc in the right eye was markedly lower than that in the other eye areas. Furthermore, it was lower than the RPC density on the nasal side of the left eye. Conclusions and importance: OCTA may help detect the clinical features and pathogenesis of NOH.

Purpose: This study assessed the serial volume changes in multiple shoulder muscles simultaneously following arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (ARCR) by a three-dimensional (3D) modeling-based sectional measurement. These volume changes were correlated with background preoperative factors. Methods: Four consecutive magnetic resonance imaging scans (preoperatively and postoperatively at 3, 6, and 12 months) of 33 shoulders from 31 patients who underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair were examined. We focused on the sectional volume differences of the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis between preoperatively and 3 months postoperatively (Dif.pre.3mo) and between 3 and 12 months postoperatively (Dif.3.12mo). The correlation between volume differences and clinical/demographic parameters was determined by a multivariate analysis. Results: No statistically significant differences were observed for most serial changes in the shoulder muscle volumes. The tear-site muscles (supraspinatus and infraspinatus) showed similar tendencies for volume changes, whereas the non-tear-site muscles (teres minor and subscapularis) differed. A negative correlation was observed between Dif.pre.3mo and Dif.3.12mo for the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, and teres minor. These perioperative volume differences might correlate with tear size and symptom duration in the supraspinatus, as well as with a history of steroid injections and work and sports activity levels in the infraspinatus and teres minor. Conclusion: The serial volume changes in multiple shoulder muscles after ARCR measured using our 3D sectional approach exhibited different tendencies and clinical implications depending on the primary and non-primary site of tears. Our method may serve as a potential indicator to facilitate muscle recovery and prevent the progression of postoperative muscle atrophy.

ABSTRACTInfection-induced SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence has been studied worldwide. At Juntendo University Hospital (JUH) in Tokyo, Japan, we have consistently conducted serological studies using the blood residue of healthcare workers (HCWs) at annual health examinations since 2020. In this 2023 study (n = 3,594), N-specific seroprevalence (infection-induced) was examined while univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to compute ORs of seroprevalence with respect to basic characteristics of participants. We found that the N-specific seroprevalence in 2023 was 54.1%—a jump from 17.7% in 2022, and 1.6% in 2021—with 37.9% as non-PCR-confirmed asymptomatic infection cases. Those younger than 50 (adjusted OR = 1.62; p