Improvement of Adsorption Capacity by Refined Encapsulating Method of Activated Carbon into the Hollow-Type Spherical Bacterial Cellulose Gels for Oral Absorbent.

To reduce the risk of adsorption of granular activated carbon (AC) in the gastrointestinal tract, we successfully prepared a hollow-type spherical bacterial cellulose gel encapsulated with AC (ACEG) and evaluated its pH tolerance and adsorption capacity. The bacterial cellulose gel membrane of ACEG features a three-dimensional mesh structure of cellulose fibers, allowing the selective permeation of substances based on their size. In this study, the preparation method of ACEGs was investigated, and the indole saturation adsorption capacity of the obtained gel was measured.

Bayesian estimation of trunk-leg coordination during walking using phase oscillator models.

In human walking, the legs and other body parts coordinate to produce a rhythm with appropriate phase relationships. From the point of view for rehabilitating gait disorders, such as Parkinson Disorders, it is important to understand the control mechanism of the gait rhythm. A previous study showed that the antiphase relationship of the two legs during walking is not strictly controlled using the reduction of the motion of the legs during walking to coupled phase oscillators.

Interlimb coordination is not strictly controlled during walking.

In human walking, the left and right legs move alternately, half a stride out of phase with each other. Although various parameters, such as stride frequency and length, vary with walking speed, the antiphase relationship remains unchanged. In contrast, during walking in left-right asymmetric situations, the relative phase shifts from the antiphase condition to compensate for the asymmetry.

Microbial community analysis of sand filters used to treat mine water from a closed uranium mine.

Rapid sand filters (RSFs) are employed in a drinking water treatment to remove undesirable elements such as suspended solids and dissolved metal ions. At a closed uranium (U) mine site, two sets of tandemly linked paired RSF systems (RSF1-RSF2 and RSF1-RSF3) were utilized to remove iron and manganese from mine water. In this study, a 16S rRNA-based amplicon sequencing survey was conducted to investigate the core microbes within the RSF system treating the mine water.

Encapsulation of HRP-Immobilized Silica Particles into Hollow-Type Spherical Bacterial Cellulose Gel: A Novel Approach for Enzyme Reactions within Cellulose Gel Capsules.

We revealed that the encapsulation of enzyme-immobilized silica particles in hollow-type spherical bacterial cellulose (HSBC) gels enables the use of the inside of HSBC gels as a reaction field. The encapsulation of horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-immobilized silica particles (Si-HRPs, particle size: 40-50 μm) within HSBC gels was performed by using a BC gelatinous membrane produced at the interface between suspension attached onto an alginate gel containing Si-HRPs and silicone oil. After the biosynthesis of the BC gelatinous membrane, formed from cellulose nanofiber networks, the alginate gel was removed via immersion in a phosphate-buffered solution.

Adsorption Capacity of Activated Carbon-Encapsulated Hollow-Type Spherical Bacterial Cellulose Gels for Uremic Toxins in a Simulated Human Gastrointestinal Environment.

To reduce the risk of the adsorption of granular activated carbon in the gastrointestinal tract, we successfully produced a hollow-type spherical bacterial cellulose (HSBC) gel containing activated carbon with a particle size of 6 μm. In this study, the aim of which was to develop an effective formulation, we evaluated the stability of activated-carbon-encapsulating HSBC gels under various pH conditions. Activated-carbon-encapsulating HSBC gels (ACEGs) retained the activated carbon without leaking when subjected to agitation in acidic or basic environments.

Safety and feasibility of liver resection including major hepatectomy for geriatric patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: a retrospective observational study.

Background: It is unclear whether hepatectomy, which ranges in invasiveness from partial to major hepatectomy, is safe and feasible for older adult patients. Therefore, we compared its postoperative complications and long-term outcomes between younger and older adult patients.

Methods: Patients who underwent hepatectomies for hepatocellular carcinoma (N = 883) were evaluated.

Microcirculatory disturbance in acute liver injury is triggered by IFNγ-CD40 axis.

Background: Acute liver failure (ALF) is a life-threatening disorder that progresses from self-limiting acute liver injury (ALI). Microcirculatory disturbance characterized by sinusoidal hypercoagulation and subsequent massive hypoxic hepatocyte damage have been proposed to be the mechanism by which ALI deteriorates to ALF; however, the precise molecular pathway of the sinusoidal hypercoagulation remains unknown. Here, we analyzed ALI patients and mice models to uncover the pathogenesis of ALI with microcirculatory disturbance.

Clinical characteristics and analysis of prognostic factors in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus endocarditis: A retrospective multicenter study in Japan.

Background: Infective endocarditis (IE) caused by MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) is associated with a high mortality rate. This study aimed to elucidate the characteristics of patients with MRSA-IE in Japan and identify the factors associated with prognosis.

Methods: This retrospective study included patients with a confirmed diagnosis of IE caused by MRSA, between January 2015 and April 2019.

Treatment Outcomes in Octogenarians with Chronic Limb-Threatening Ischemia after Infrainguinal Bypass Surgery or Endovascular Therapy.

Background: This study aimed to analyze the clinical outcomes after revascularization for chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) in patients aged ≥ 80 years and < 80 years.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed multicenter data of 789 patients who underwent infrainguinal revascularization for CLTI between 2015 and 2021. The end points were 2-year overall survival (OS), amputation-free survival (AFS), limb salvage (LS), and postoperative complications.

Undiagnosed Perihepatic Abscess Revealed at Autopsy of a Patient With COVID-19 Undergoing Prolonged Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) Therapy.

The use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, complications associated with the long-term use of ECMO are poorly understood. This case report describes the autopsy findings of a perihepatic abscess in a patient with long-term COVID-19, which could not be diagnosed before death.

Coding, Decoding and Retrieving a Message Using DNA: An Experience from a Brazilian Center Research on DNA Data Storage.

DNA data storage based on synthetic oligonucleotides is a major attraction due to the possibility of storage over long periods. Nowadays, the quantity of data generated has been growing exponentially, and the storage capacity needs to keep pace with the growth caused by new technologies and globalization. Since DNA can hold a large amount of information with a high density and remains stable for hundreds of years, this technology offers a solution for current long-term data centers by reducing energy consumption and physical storage space.

Stable States of a Microbial Community Are Formed by Dynamic Metabolic Networks with Members Functioning to Achieve Both Robustness and Plasticity.

A more detailed understanding of the mechanisms underlying the formation of microbial communities is essential for the efficient management of microbial ecosystems. The stable states of microbial communities are commonly perceived as static and, thus, have not been extensively examined. The present study investigated stabilizing mechanisms, minority functions, and the reliability of quantitative ana-lyses, emphasizing a metabolic network perspective.

Retrograde transvenous thoracic duct embolization for lymphatic leakage after retroperitoneal tumor and lymph node resection: a case report and literature review.

Background: Postoperative lymphatic leakage is a complication of ineffective conservative treatment for retroperitoneal mass. Herein, we report a case of lymphatic leakage that arose after retroperitoneal tumor resection and that was treated with retrograde transvenous thoracic duct embolization.

Case Presentation: A 28-year-old man with persistent abdominal pain was diagnosed with a large retroperitoneal metastatic tumor measuring 10 cm and a subdiaphragmatic lymph node originating from a testicular tumor.

Impact of Concurrent aerobic-anaerobic Methanotrophy on Methane Emission from Marine Sediments in Gas Hydrate Area.

Microbial methane oxidation has a significant impact on the methane flux from marine gas hydrate areas. However, the environmental fate of methane remains poorly constrained. We quantified the relative contributions of aerobic and anaerobic methanotrophs to methane consumption in sediments of the gas hydrate-bearing Sakata Knoll, Japan, by geochemical and microbiological analyses coupled with C-tracer incubation experiments.

A Reduction in the Number of Hospitalized Cases of Acute Meningitis during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Japan.

Objective The changes in the prevalence of acute meningitis during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic remain unclear. This study aimed to compare the prevalence of acute meningitis before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the Japanese nationwide administrative medical payment system database, Diagnosis Procedure Combination (DPC), from 2016 to 2022.

[A Case of Recurrent Breast Cancer That Was BRCA1 Pathogenic Variant-Positive Successfully Treated with PARP Inhibitor].

The patient was a 51-year-old woman at the time of diagnosis of left breast cancer. She underwent a mastectomy and axillary dissection. Pathological findings were invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast, tumor diameter 25 mm, and metastasis in 2 of 16 removed axillary lymph nodes.

Novel Advances in Qualitative Diagnostic Imaging for Decision Making in Multidisciplinary Treatment for Advanced Esophageal Cancer.

Recently, neoadjuvant therapy and the succeeding surgery for advanced esophageal cancer have been evaluated. In particular, the response to the therapy has been found to affect surgical outcomes, and thus a precise evaluation of treatment effect is important for this strategy. In this study, articles on qualitative diagnostic modalities to evaluate tumor activities were reviewed, and the diagnostic indices were examined.

Methane diffusion affects characteristics of benthic communities in and around microbial mat-covered sediments in the northeastern Japan sea.

We investigated relationships between features of benthic macrofaunal communities and geochemical parameters in and around microbial mat-covered sediments associated with a methane seepage on Sakata Knoll in the eastern Japan Sea. A depression on top of the knoll corresponds to a gas-hydrate-bearing area with seepage of methane-rich fluid, and microbial mats cover the seafloor sediments. Sediment cores were collected at three sites for this study: one within a microbial mat, a second a few meters outside of the microbial mat, and a third from a reference site outside the gas-hydrate-bearing areas.

Status of epilepsy care delivery and referral in clinics, hospitals, and epilepsy centers in Japan: A nationwide survey.

Objective: Collaboration among medical facilities is crucial to deliver comprehensive epilepsy care to a diverse and large population of people with epilepsy. We conducted a survey among medical facilities of various sizes throughout Japan to investigate the status of epilepsy care delivery, functioning, and referral.

Methods: With the cooperation of the Japan Neurological Society (1428 facilities), Japanese Neurosurgical Society (3489 specialists), and Epilepsy Care Network (948 facilities), a questionnaire was mailed to 5865 locations that provide epilepsy care in Japan.

Acute kidney injury is an unfavorable prognostic factor in acute liver failure and is associated with tumor necrosis factor-alpha.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication of acute liver failure (ALF); but its pathogenesis is unknown. ALF was divided into 2 subgroups; ALF with hepatic coma, which corresponds to ALF in the US and Europe, and ALF without hepatic coma. AKI has been shown to worsen the prognosis of ALF patients with hepatic coma; however, its prognostic significance in ALF without hepatic coma remains unknown.