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Abstract Atrial fibrillation (AF) is strongly associated with strokes, heart failure, and increased mortality. This study aims to identify the monocyte–macrophage heterogeneity and interactions of these cells with non-immune cells, and to identify functional biomarkers in patients with AF. Therefore, we assess the single cell landscape of left atria (LA), using a combination of single cell and nucleus RNA-seq. Myeloid cells in LA tissue are categorized into five macrophage clusters, three monocyte clusters, and others. Cell-Chat analysis revealed that monocytes and IL1B+ macrophages send epidermal growth factor (EGF) signals to fibroblasts. Amphiregulin (AREG) is the most upregulated gene in monocytes and IL1B+ macrophages in the AF group, compared with healthy controls from other groups. Serum AREG levels are higher in patients with persistent AF. These data suggested that EGF signaling pathway could be a therapeutic target for AF and serum AREG levels provide an effective biomarker for predicting persistent AF.

Wagyu beef is gaining worldwide popularity, primarily due to the fineness of its marbling. Currently, the evaluation of this marbling is performed visually by graders. This method has several issues: varying evaluation standards among graders, reduced accuracy due to long working hours and external factors causing fatigue, and fluctuations in grading standards due to the grader’s mood at the time. This paper proposes the use of fractal analysis for the grading evaluation of beef marbling to achieve automatic grading without the inconsistencies caused by human factors. In the experiments, cross-sectional images of the parts used for visual judgment were taken, and fractal analysis was performed on these images to evaluate them using fractal dimensions. The results confirmed a correlation between the marbling evaluation and the fractal dimensions, demonstrating that quantitative evaluation can be achieved, moving away from qualitative visual assessments.

Abstract Aims/Introduction This study aimed to characterize the global cognition and executive functions of older adults with type 1 diabetes mellitus in comparison with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Materials and Methods This study included 37 patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus aged ≥65 years and 37 age‐ and sex‐matched patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Patients with dementia scoring

Background: We aimed to report the second case of mitral valve plasty (MVP) for acute mitral regurgitation (MR) due to mitral valve dysplasia in a young small dog. Case Description: A 5-month-old female Jack Russell, weighing 3.5 kg, presented with dyspnea and collapse upon excitation. Acute MR with pulmonary edema due to chordal rupture was diagnosed with a suspected congenital mitral valve anomaly. Despite treatment with high-dose drugs, heart failure symptoms and enlargement worsened. An artificial chordal replacement (ACR) was inserted using polytetrafluoroethylene sutures, and annuloplasty was performed. The dog was discharged on postoperative day 7. After 7 years, the dog underwent operations for complete anterior cruciate ligament tears with no cardiac signs. After 11.5 years, the dog showed no cardiac issues and died from a non-cardiac disease. Conclusion: The MVP method with ACR employed demonstrated better durability and promoted longer survival than that of previous dog mitral valve replacements. [Open Vet J 2024; 14(6.000): 1497-1502]

This study evaluated the potential of gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) for single-cell screening compared to polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA). GelMA photopolymerized at 1000–2000 mJ/cm2 produced consistent patterns and supported HeLa cell viability. GelMA (5%w/v) facilitated better cell collection within 2 days due to its shape retention. GelMA demonstrated biocompatibility with HeLa cells exhibiting exponential proliferation and biodegradation over 5 days. The average cell displacement over 2 days was 16 µm. Two targeted cell recovery strategies using trypsin were developed: one for adherent cells encapsulated at 800 mJ/cm2, and another for floating cells encapsulated at 800 mJ/cm2, enabling the selective removal of unwanted cells. These findings suggest GelMA as a promising biomaterial for single-cell screening applications, offering advantages over PEGDA in cell encapsulation and targeted recovery.

The spider fauna of the Ogasawara Islands, oceanic islands located 1,000 km south of mainland Japan was comprehensively examined by the National Museum of Nature and Science in 2011, which revealed that approximately 70% of the spider fauna was composed of non-native species. Following the preceding study, however, only descriptions of several new species have been added and no major updates have been made for the overall spider fauna of the Islands.The faunistic survey of spiders conducted on Chichi-jima Island, the largest island in the Ogasawara Islands in 2023 revealed the presence of two ground-dwelling spider species, Oedignatha scrobiculata Thorell, 1881 (Araneae, Liocranidae) and Boagrius qiong Lin & Li, 2022 (Araneae, Palpimanidae) on the Island. This represents the first record of the two species from Japan, the first record of palpimaid spiders from Japan and the initial documentation of liocranid spiders in the Ogasawara Islands.

Abstract Background Predicting the periovulatory period is very important for conception. Current approaches to predicting the periovulatory period include monitoring of basal body temperature and urine luteinizing hormone (LH) concentration; however, these methods are time-consuming. Here, we examined the potential of using vaginal discharge (VD) as a non-invasive means of sample collection for determining the LH surge that indicates ovulation. Methods Urine and VD samples were collected from 35 healthy women aged 20–39 years. VD samples were collected with panty liners to reduce the burden on participants. Daily first urine samples and used panty liners were collected from the 10th through 19th days of the menstrual cycle. Urine and VD LH (uLH and vLH) levels in the samples were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Measured vLH baseline and first surge values were analyzed using Student's t-test and ROC curves. Results Samples for a total of 55 menstrual cycles were collected. We used uLH surge to establish the date of ovulation. uLH surges were observed in 49 cycles, 34 of which had corresponding VD samples that qualified for measurement. Five cycles were excluded due to a lack of vLH data. In the remaining 29 cycles, the vLH surge appeared within the fertile window 90% of the time, and the sensitivity and specificity of the test were 86% and 83%, respectively. Conclusions VD has potential for use as a sample for predicting the periovulatory period by measuring LH content.

Abstract Objectives Localized autoimmune pancreatitis is difficult to differentiate from pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma on endoscopic ultrasound images. In recent years, deep learning methods have improved the diagnosis of diseases. Hence, we developed a special cross‐validation framework to search for effective methodologies of deep learning in distinguishing autoimmune pancreatitis from pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma on endoscopic ultrasound images. Methods Data from 24 patients diagnosed with localized autoimmune pancreatitis (8751 images) and 61 patients diagnosed with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (20,584 images) were collected from 2016 to 2022. We applied transfer learning to a convolutional neural network called ResNet152, together with our innovative imaging method contributing to data augmentation and temporal data process. We divided patients into five groups according to different factors for 5‐fold cross‐validation, where the ordered and balanced datasets were created for the performance evaluations. Results ResNet152 surpassed the endoscopists in all evaluation metrics with almost all datasets. Interestingly, when the dataset is balanced according to the factor of the endoscopists’ diagnostic accuracy, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve and accuracy were highest at 0.85 and 0.80, respectively. Conclusions It is deduced that image features useful for ResNet152 correlate with those used by endoscopists for their diagnoses. This finding may contribute to sample‐efficient dataset preparation to train convolutional neural networks for endoscopic ultrasonography‐imaging diagnosis.

The thread-legged assassin bug Gardena melinarthrum Dohrn, 1860 (Heteroptera: Reduviidae) is reported for the first time from Thailand. Morphological data of the female adult, including detailed information of the genitalia, is provided with photographs. We also report the predation of an araneophagic spider Portia sp. (Araneae: Salticidae) by the bug in a spider’s web. It is the occasional observation of intra-guild predation evidence involving an assassin bug (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Gardena melinarthrum) and a spider (Araneae: Salticidae: Portia sp.) in a riparian habitat.

Abstract Background Ventricular tachycardia (VT) non‐inducibility at the end of ablation is associated with a less likely VT recurrence. However, it is not clear whether we should use VT non‐inducibility as a routine end point of VT ablation. The aim of this study was to evaluate VT recurrence in patients in whom VT non‐inducibility was not achieved at the end of the radiofrequency (RF) ablation and the factors attributing to the VT recurrence. Methods We analyzed that 62 patients in whom VT non‐inducibility was not achieved at the end of the RF ablation were studied. Results Over 2 years, 22 (35%) of the cases had VT recurrences. A multivariate analysis showed that an LVEF ≥35% (HR: 0.19; 95% CI: 0.06–0.49; p

A young-male underwent radiofrequency (RF) ablation of ventricular premature contractions (VPCs) of over 30,000/day and the morphology exhibited left bundle branch block and a superior axis, which indicated the VPCs originated from the inferior portion of the right ventricle (RV). While the PENTARAY catheter was placed under the tricuspid valve (TV), the earliest potential, which preceded the QRS onset by 34 ms, was recorded. Pace mapping there presented a very similar QRS morphology to the target VPC. However, the radiofrequency (RF)-catheter could not be placed under the TV even when a deflectable sheath was used, because the deflectable curve of the RF-catheter was larger than that of the PENTARAY. An over-the-vale RF application was not effective, so the trans-jugular approach with a deflectable sheath was indicated. The tip of the sheath was placed at a higher portion of the RV cavity to maintain an adequate distance for the RF-catheter tip to be deflected and placed under the TV. With this maneuver, the tip of the RF-catheter was successfully placed under the TV, which was confirmed by intracardiac ultrasound. Small atrial potentials and larger ventricular potentials could be recorded from the distal tip of the RF-catheter, which might indicate that the tip was placed at the TV annulus. An RF application at that site permanently abolished the VPC. Placing the tip of the RF-catheter under the TV by the femoral approach is very difficult in some cases. The trans-jugular approach with a deflectable sheath is one option for arrhythmias from the TV.

Abstract Background It is uncertain whether cardiac resynchronization therapy with a defibrillator (CRT‐D) provides better survival benefits than a CRT‐pacemaker (CRT‐P) in heart failure patients with a reduced ejection fraction (≦35%, HFrEF) treated with contemporary HF therapy. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the ventricular arrhythmia (VAs; sustained ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation) events in HFrEF patients who underwent CRT without a prior history of VAs or aborted sudden cardiac death before the CRT implantation. Between January/2010 and December/2020, a CRT device was implanted in 79 HFrEF patients (mean age: 69 ± 12 years, male: 57, ischemic cardiomyopathy: 16). CRT‐D and CRT‐P devices were implanted in 50 and 29 patients, respectively, at each physician's discretion. CRT‐Ds were indicated in younger patients than were CRT‐Ps (66 ± 12 vs. 73 ± 12 years, p = 0.03), but the gender distribution did not differ (female, 24% [12 of 50] vs. 35% [10 of 29], p = 0.44). The VA events during a median follow‐up of 3.5‐years (interquartile range [IQR]:1.6–5.5) and their predictors were analyzed. Results VA events occurred in 9 patients with CRT‐Ds (18%) and one with a CRT‐P (3%, p = 0.08). The VA event rate was significantly lower in patients without a prior non‐sustained ventricular tachycardia (NSVT: ≥3 beats; rate, ≥120 bpm; lasting

Abstract Background Variants in the valosin-containing protein (VCP) gene were identified as one of the causes for inclusion body myopathy associated with Paget disease of the bone and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Previously identified pathogenic variants in VCP are associated with frontotemporal lobar degeneration with TDP-43 inclusions (FTLD-TDP) pathologically, but p.Asp395Gly VCP was recently reported to cause familial FTD with tauopathy characterized by neurofibrillary tau tangles (NFT) and not FTLD-TDP. We describe the clinical and genetic findings of a patient with p.Asp395Gly valosin-containing protein (VCP), who was diagnosed with FTD without a family history and in the absence of muscle or bone disease comorbidity. Case presentation The patient was a 62-year-old man, who developed atypical depression at the age of 37 years. Subsequently, he presented with self-centered behavior at the age of 45 years. The self-centered behavior intensified from around the age of 50 years, which was accompanied by the development of executive dysfunction; therefore, he visited our hospital at 52 years of age. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed bilateral frontal lobe atrophy. Brain perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography revealed bilateral frontal lobe hypoperfusion. The patient fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for behavioral variant of FTD. Ten years after the diagnosis, computed tomography of the trunk and limbs, muscle biopsy, and bone scintigraphy revealed the absence of concomitant muscle and bone disease. The concentrations of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) total tau and phosphorylated tau proteins were 389 pg/mL and 53.2 pg/mL (cut-off: 50 pg/mL), respectively. Genetic analyses were performed using the whole-exome and Sanger sequencing methods. We identified p.Asp395Gly VCP in this patient with pure FTD. Conclusions p.Asp395Gly VCP was identified in a patient with likely sporadic FTD without concomitant muscle and bone disease. The CSF analysis suggested that our patient may have FTD due to NFT accumulation similar to the familial FTD patients with p.Asp395Gly VCP recently reported. Our findings suggest that a genetic search for the pathogenic variants of VCP should be considered not only for familial FTD, but also for patients with sporadic FTD, even in the absence of comorbid muscle or bone disease.

Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of building wellness performance on the productivity of office workers. In six offices with different CASBEE Wellness Office (CASBEE‐WO) scores, a questionnaire survey on indoor environment satisfaction, work efficiency, CASBEE Office Health Checklist (CASBEE‐OHC) simplified version, and work engagement was conducted. The results revealed that most workers in offices with high wellness performance reported more satisfaction with the thermal, light, sound, and air quality environments. In addition, the overall indoor environment improved the work efficiency of workers. Moreover, workers in offices with high CASBEE‐WO scores tended to have high CASBEE‐OHC simplified version scores. In the offices with high CASBEE‐WO scores, the top 20% of workers with high work engagement tended to have higher CASBEE‐OHC simplified version scores than the remaining 80%. According to the “80/20 law,” most outcomes of a group depend on the top 20% of productive workers. Thus, considering the wellness performance of the office, it may be possible that the productivity of workers with high work engagement will be improved.

ABSTRACT Aims/Introduction To investigate factors influencing glycemic control in diabetes mellitus complicated by autoimmune pancreatitis. Materials and Methods This retrospective cohort study investigated 33 patients with diabetes mellitus complicated by autoimmune pancreatitis who had received steroid therapy at Toranomon Hospital between January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2020. The course of glycemic control at 12 months after starting steroids was classified into three groups: Improved, Unchanged, or Worsened. Factors affecting these groups were investigated. Furthermore, we created two scores: (1) time of diabetes mellitus onset and baseline body mass index; (2) time of diabetes mellitus onset and baseline C‐peptide index. Diabetes mellitus occurring at the same time as autoimmune pancreatitis, body mass index ≥22 kg/m2, and C‐peptide index ≥1.1 were each worth 1 point. Scores were summed and totals of 0–2 were compared between groups. Results Ten patients were in the Improved group, 10 were in the Unchanged group, and 13 were in the Worsened group. The baseline body mass index and baseline C‐peptide index were lower in the Worsened group than in the Improved group (P

This paper provides descriptions of two new theridiosomatid species, Theridiosoma nigrivirgatum sp. nov. and Sennin tanikawai gen. nov., sp. nov. from the Ryukyu Islands, southwest Japan, with photographs and illustrations of both sexes. Sennin gen. nov. is a troglophilic genus composed of two species, S. tanikawai sp. nov. (Iriomote Island, Japan) and S. coddingtoni (Zhu, Zhang & Chen, 2001), comb. nov. (southern China). Zoma dibaiyin Miller, Griswold & Yin, 2009, which recently joined the Japanese fauna, was morphologically reexamined based on specimens from the Ryukyus, and taxonomic features of Zoma males were reassessed. A distributional map of theridiosomatid spiders in the Ryukyus is also provided, including T. dissimulatum Suzuki, Serita & Hiramatsu, 2020, and T. alboannulatum Suzuki, Serita & Hiramatsu, 2020 with their habitat types, web morphology, and web-building behavior in detail.

Abstract Background Corticosteroids are widely used in patients with cardiac sarcoidosis (CS). In addition, upgrading to cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is sometimes needed. This study aimed to investigate the impact of corticosteroid use on the clinical outcomes following CRT upgrades. Methods A total of 48 consecutive patients with non‐ischemic cardiomyopathies who underwent CRT upgrades were retrospectively reviewed and divided into three groups: group 1 included CS patients taking corticosteroids before the CRT upgrade (n = 7), group 2, CS patients not taking corticosteroids before the CRT upgrade (n = 10), and group 3, non‐CS patients (n = 31). The echocardiographic response, heart failure hospitalizations, and cardiovascular deaths were evaluated. Results The baseline characteristics during CRT upgrades exhibited no significant differences in the echocardiographic data between the three groups. After the CRT upgrade, responses regarding the ejection fraction (EF) and end‐systolic volume (ESV) were significantly lower in CS patients than non‐CS patients (ΔEF: group 1, 6.7% vs. group 2, 7.7% vs. group 3, 13.6%; p = .039, ΔESV: 3.0 ml vs. ‐12.7 ml vs. ‐37.2 ml; p = .008). The rate of an echocardiographic response was lowest in group 1 (29%). There were, however, no significant differences in the cumulative freedom from a composite outcome among the three groups (p = .19). No cardiovascular deaths occurred in group 1. Conclusion The echocardiographic response to an upgrade to CRT and the long‐term prognosis in patients with CS should be carefully evaluated because of the complex etiologies and impact of immunosuppressive therapy.

Abstract Background Cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis (CTX) is an autosomal-recessive lipid storage disorder caused by mutations in the CYP27A1 gene encoding the key enzyme in the bile acid synthesis, sterol 27-hydroxylase. Here, we report two Japanese CTX siblings with a novel compound heterozygous CYP27A1 mutation, showing different clinical phenotypes and responses to chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) therapy. Case presentation The proband, a 32-year-old man, who had chronic diarrhea, bilateral cataracts, and xanthomas, demonstrated progressive neurological manifestations including ataxia, and spastic paraplegia during a 5-year follow-up period despite normalization of serum cholestanol after initiation of CDCA treatment. He also exhibited cognitive decline although improvement had been observed at the beginning of treatment. Follow-up brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed pronounced progressive atrophy in the cerebellum, in addition to expanding hyperintense lesions in the dentate nuclei, posterior limb of the internal capsule, cerebral peduncles, and inferior olives on T2-weighted images. In contrast, the two-year-younger sister of the proband presented with chronic diarrhea, cataracts, xanthomas, and intellectual disability but no other neurological symptoms at the time of diagnosis. CDCA treatment lead to improvement of cognitive function and there were no characteristic CTX-related MRI features during the follow-up period. The siblings shared a paternally inherited c.1420C > T mutation (p.Arg474Trp) and a maternally inherited novel c.1176_1177delGA mutation, predicting p.(Glu392Asp*20). Conclusions Our cases suggest that early diagnosis and subsequent initiation of CDCA treatment are crucial before the appearance of characteristic MRI findings and severe neurological manifestations related to CTX. Further studies are required to elucidate mechanisms responsible for the clinical diversity of CTX and prognostic factors for long-term outcomes following initiation of CDCA treatment.

Abstract Background Some of atrial fibrillation (AF) drivers are found in normal/mild late‐gadolinium enhancement (LGE) areas, as well as moderate ones. The atrial wall thickness (AWT) has been reported to be important as a possible AF substrate. However, the AWT and degree of LGEs as an AF substrate has not been fully validated in humans. Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of the AWT in normal/mild LGE areas on AF drivers. Methods A total of 287 segments in 15 persistent AF patients were assessed. AF drivers were defined as non‐passively activated areas (NPAs), where rotational activation was frequently observed, and were detected by the novel real‐time phase mapping (ExTRa Mapping), mild LGE areas were defined as areas with a volume ratio of the enhancement voxel of 0% to

Abstract A trisomy is a type of aneuploidy characterised by an additional chromosome. The additional chromosome theoretically accepts any kind of changes since it is not necessary for cellular proliferation. This advantage led us to apply two chromosome manipulation methods to autosomal trisomy in chicken DT40 cells. We first corrected chromosome 2 trisomy to disomy by employing counter-selection markers. Upon construction of cells carrying markers targeted in one of the trisomic chromosome 2s, cells that have lost markers integrated in chromosome 2 were subsequently selected. The loss of one of the chromosome 2s had little impacts on the proliferative capacity, indicating unsubstantial role of the additional chromosome 2 in DT40 cells. We next tested large-scale truncations of chromosome 2 to make a mini-chromosome for the assessment of chromosome stability by introducing telomere repeat sequences to delete most of p-arm or q-arm of chromosome 2. The obtained cell lines had 0.7 Mb mini-chromosome, and approximately 0.2% of mini-chromosome was lost per cell division in wild-type background while the rate of chromosome loss was significantly increased by the depletion of DDX11, a cohesin regulatory protein. Collectively, our findings propose that trisomic chromosomes are good targets to make unique artificial chromosomes.

Abstract Volcanic eruptions are one of the largest natural disturbances and are followed by the establishment of novel plant and animal communities in terrestrial ecosystems. However, the role of pre‐eruption vegetation in the establishment of arthropod communities after volcanic disturbances is currently unknown. Here, we asked whether the legacy of pre‐eruption vegetation mediates the community structure of ground‐dwelling arthropods after volcanic disturbances. The 2015 eruption in Kuchinoerabu‐jima Island, southwest Japan, caused two types of disturbances [a pyroclastic flow and a lahar (i.e., mudflow)] in three types of forests (broad‐leaved, black pine, and cedar). We hypothesized that pre‐eruption vegetation would influence the community structure of ground‐dwelling arthropods after the disturbance, and we expected that these effects from vegetation would be more prevalent for the less severe disturbances. The total abundance of ground‐dwelling arthropods decreased more in the lahar than the pyroclastic flow, and arthropod species composition showed a greater change after the lahar. These findings suggest that the lahar disturbance was more severe than the pyroclastic disturbance. Contrary to expectations, the difference in the arthropod species composition among the vegetation types was greatest after the lahar. After the pyroclastic flow, leaf litter remained to some degree with all the vegetation types. After the lahar disturbance, however, although the litter in the cedar forests remained, the litter disappeared completely from broad‐leaved and black pine forests. The disappearance of litter from these two forest types after the lahar may be responsible for the greater difference in arthropod species composition among the vegetation types. This study shows that the legacy effects of pre‐eruption vegetation on terrestrial arthropod communities after volcanic disturbance were different depending on the type of disturbance. Focusing on the role of pre‐eruption biotic factors would contribute to a better understanding of the recovery processes of terrestrial ecosystems after large natural disturbances.

Abstract Background Early recurrences of atrial arrhythmias (ERAAs) after ablation may require therapeutic intervention. The optimal medical therapy that prevents ERAAs requires clarification. This study aimed to compare the incidence of ERAAs between patients who received or did not receive bisoprolol transdermal patches (BTPs) at 3 months postablation. Methods This single‐center retrospective study enrolled 203 consecutive patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) who had undergone their first ablation, comprising 59 in the BTP group and 144 in the non‐BTP group. Follow‐up assessments were conducted monthly for 3 months. We evaluated the incidence of ERAAs. Results During the initial 1‐week observational period, the rate of ERAAs was lower in the BTP group (5.0%) than that in the non‐BTP group (18.8%) (P = .013). At 3 months postablation, the rate of ERAAs was lower in the BTP group (6.8%) than that in the non‐BTP group (25.7%) (P = .002). The cumulative freedom from ERAAs was significantly lower in the BTP group than in the non‐BTP group (log‐rank: P = .003). Administering BTPs was an independent factor that protected against ERAAs (odds ratio 0.181, [95% confidence interval 0.059‐0.559], P = .003). Conclusion BTPs may prevent ERAAs after ablation.

Abstract Conferring drought resistant traits to crops is one of the major aims of current breeding programs in response to global climate changes. We previously showed that exogenous application of acetic acid to roots of various plants could induce increased survivability under subsequent drought stress conditions, but details of the metabolism of exogenously applied acetic acid, and the nature of signals induced by its application, have not been unveiled. In this study, we show that rice rapidly induces jasmonate signaling upon application of acetic acid, resulting in physiological changes similar to those seen under drought. The major metabolite of the exogenously applied acetic acid in xylem sap was determined as glutamine—a common and abundant component of xylem sap—indicating that acetic acid is not the direct agent inducing the observed physiological responses in shoots. Expression of drought-responsive genes in shoot under subsequent drought conditions was attenuated by acetic acid treatment. These data suggest that acetic acid activates root-to-shoot jasmonate signals that partially overlap with those induced by drought, thereby conferring an acclimated state on shoots prior to subsequent drought.

The troglophilic spider subspecies Nesticus latiscapus kosodensis Yaginuma, 1972 is compared with its nominal species N. latiscapus Yaginuma, 1972 using an integrated taxonomic approach. Both morphological and molecular analysis suggest the two taxa are distinct, rejecting the status of subspecies. In the light of these results, N. kosodensis stat. nov. is elevated to species level and both species are redescribed. We expect that future revisions of Japanese Nesticidae will find that many currently designated subspecies are in fact distinct species. Taxonomic revision of long-established and unrevised subspecies may help to improve the conservation efforts aiming to protect the Japanese endemic cave fauna.

The Japanese Society for Burn Injuries (JSBI) published the third edition of guidelines to present the standard of care for inpatient treatment of burn injuries in Japan. The guideline is not a mere revision of the first and second editions but has been carefully designed to be user friendly and of high quality for medical professionals engaged in burn care. We think it is important to share these guidelines with other countries to work toward a consensus of burn care, then develop new research to establish evidence for burn care and treatment in the future.

(1) Background: A mouth-free interface is required for functional electrical stimulation (FES) in people with spinal cord injuries. We developed a novel system for clenching the human metacarpophalangeal (MP) joint using an earphone-type ear canal movement sensor. Experiments to control joint angle and joint stiffness were performed using the developed system. (2) Methods: The proposed FES used an equilibrium point control signal and stiffness control signal: electrical agonist–antagonist ratio and electrical agonist–antagonist sum. An angle sensor was used to acquire the joint angle, and system identification was utilized to measure joint stiffness using the external force of a robot arm. Each experiment included six and five subjects, respectively. (3) Results: While the joint angle could be controlled well by clenching with some hysteresis and delay in three subjects, it could not be controlled relatively well after hyperextension in the other subjects, which revealed a calibration problem and a change in the characteristics of the human MP joint caused by hyperextension. The joint stiffness increased with the clenching amplitude in five subjects. In addition, the results indicated that viscosity can be controlled. (4) Conclusions: The developed system can control joint angle and stiffness. In future research, we will develop a method to show that this system can control the equilibrium point and stiffness simultaneously.

In 1996, we reported that silyl groups of 9,10-disilylanthracenes significantly affect the UV/Vis and fluorescence spectra. Although the results indicate that the silyl groups have strong electronic effects on anthracene, the details of the mechanisms responsible for this have not yet been clarified. This article describes the analysis of the UV/Vis and fluorescence spectra of 9,10-bis(diisopropylsilyl)anthracene by theoretical calculations. This study reveals that π conjugation of anthracene is extended by cooperation of σ–π and σ*–π* conjugation between the silyl groups and anthracene. This effect increases the transition moment of the π–π* transition of anthracene. As a result, the molecular extinction coefficient of the 1La band and the fluorescence quantum yield are increased.

The superconducting gap structure of FeSe remains a debated issue. Here, Hashimoto et al. report momentum dependence of the gap in single- and multi-domain regions of orthorhombic FeSe crystals, revealing an unusual node lifting of the gap structure in multi-domain regions.