In situ crystal data-collection and ligand-screening system at SPring-8.

In situ diffraction data collection using crystallization plates has been utilized for macromolecules to evaluate crystal quality without requiring additional sample treatment such as cryocooling. Although it is difficult to collect complete data sets using this technique due to the mechanical limitation of crystal rotation, recent advances in methods for data collection from multiple crystals have overcome this issue. At SPring-8, an in situ diffraction measurement system was constructed consisting of a goniometer for a plate, an articulated robot and plate storage.

Trans-cuff leakage in bio-Bentall operation.

We have reported a case of trans-cuff leakage that occurred in a composite graft of bio-Bentall operation. The leakage resolved several months after surgery, similar to the trans-cuff leakage seen in simple aortic valve replacement. We have proposed hypotheses on the mechanism of trans-cuff leakage during a bio-Bentall operation and suggested ways to prevent it from occurring.

XFEL Crystal Structures of Peroxidase Compound II.

Oxygen activation in all heme enzymes requires the formation of high oxidation states of iron, usually referred to as ferryl heme. There are two known intermediates: Compound I and Compound II. The nature of the ferryl heme-and whether it is an Fe=O or Fe-OH species-is important for controlling reactivity across groups of heme enzymes.

Short-lived intermediate in NO generation by P450 NO reductase captured by time-resolved IR spectroscopy and XFEL crystallography.

Nitric oxide (NO) reductase from the fungus is a P450-type enzyme (P450nor) that catalyzes the reduction of NO to nitrous oxide (NO) in the global nitrogen cycle. In this enzymatic reaction, the heme-bound NO is activated by the direct hydride transfer from NADH to generate a short-lived intermediate ( ), a key state to promote N-N bond formation and N-O bond cleavage. This study applied time-resolved (TR) techniques in conjunction with photolabile-caged NO to gain direct experimental results for the characterization of the coordination and electronic structures of TR freeze-trap crystallography using an X-ray free electron laser (XFEL) reveals highly bent Fe-NO coordination in , with an elongated Fe-NO bond length (Fe-NO = 1.

XFEL Crystal Structures of Peroxidase Compound II.

Oxygen activation in all heme enzymes requires the formation of high oxidation states of iron, usually referred to as ferryl heme. There are two known intermediates: Compound I and Compound II. The nature of the ferryl heme-and whether it is an Fe =O or Fe -OH species-is important for controlling reactivity across groups of heme enzymes.

Paradoxical doppler echocardiographic parameters during recovery of left atrial contractility after spontaneous conversion from paroxysmal atrial fibrillation to sinus rhythm.

Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) reduces atrial contractility due to atrial remodeling, but little is known about the process by which contractile function is reconstituted after spontaneous conversion to sinus rhythm (SR). A 63-year-old healthy man developed PAF. PAF persisted for 2 days before spontaneous conversion to SR.

A rare form of cardiac myxoma: interatrial septum tumor.

A myxoma is one of the most common tumors in cardiac surgery, with most of them originating from the left or right atrial walls and causing embolic complications. An 84-year-old woman was referred to our institution after echocardiography showed an interatrial septum tumor that was presumed to be a thrombus; however, postoperative pathological examination revealed it to be a cardiac myxoma. This atypical myxoma was covered with a solid capsule containing connective tissue and substantial calcifications, which had made it difficult to establish a diagnosis of myxoma.

Development of SPACE-II for rapid sample exchange at SPring-8 macromolecular crystallography beamlines.

Reducing the sample-exchange time is a crucial issue in maximizing the throughput of macromolecular crystallography (MX) beamlines because the diffraction data collection itself is completed within a minute in the era of pixel-array detectors. To this end, an upgraded sample changer, SPACE-II, has been developed on the basis of the previous model, SPACE (SPring-8 Precise Automatic Cryo-sample Exchanger), at the BL41XU beamline at SPring-8. SPACE-II achieves one sample-exchange step within 16 s, of which its action accounts for only 11 s, because of three features: (i) the implementation of twin arms that enable samples to be exchanged in one cycle of mount-arm action, (ii) the implementation of long-stroke mount arms that allow samples to be exchanged without withdrawal of the detector and (iii) the use of a fast-moving translation and rotation stage for the mount arms.

An oxyl/oxo mechanism for oxygen-oxygen coupling in PSII revealed by an x-ray free-electron laser.

Photosynthetic water oxidation is catalyzed by the MnCaO cluster of photosystem II (PSII) with linear progression through five S-state intermediates (S to S). To reveal the mechanism of water oxidation, we analyzed structures of PSII in the S, S, and S states by x-ray free-electron laser serial crystallography. No insertion of water was found in S, but flipping of D1 Glu upon transition to S leads to the opening of a water channel and provides a space for incorporation of an additional oxygen ligand, resulting in an open cubane MnCaO cluster with an oxyl/oxo bridge.

Eicosapentaenoic acid therapy is associated with decreased coronary plaque instability assessed using optical frequency domain imaging.

Background: The relationship between eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) therapy and coronary plaque stability assessed by optical frequency domain imaging (OFDI) has not been thoroughly described.

Hypothesis: EPA therapy is associated with decreased plaque instability in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) using OFDI.

Methods: Data on coronary artery plaques from 121 patients who consecutively underwent PCI between October 2015 and July 2018 were retrospectively analyzed.

Obstructive sleep apnea is associated with increased coronary plaque instability: an optical frequency domain imaging study.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with coronary artery disease (CAD) and with an increased risk for myocardial infarction, stroke or death due to cardiovascular disease. Optical frequency-domain imaging (OFDI) is a useful modality for evaluating the characteristics of atherosclerotic plaque. The purpose of the study was to use OFDI to investigate the association of OSA with coronary plaque characteristics in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

[Surgical Repair of Stanford Type A Acute Aortic Dissection Associated with Anomalous Retroaortic Left Brachiocephalic Vein;Report of a Case].

Anomalous retroaortic left brachiocephalic vein( ARLBV) is a rare vascular abnormaly, usually asossiated with congenital heart diseases. We present a very rare case of Stanford type A acute aortic dissection associated with ARLBV. A 70-year-old man was referred to our hospital complaining of worsening back pain and chest pain.

[Video-assisted Thoracoscopic Pericardial Fenestration for Pericardial Effusion in a Patient with Crow-Fukase Syndrome].

A 65-year-old woman was referred to our department with recurrent pericardial effusion. Her serum vascular endothelial growth factor was high, serum M-protein was positive, and nerve conduction velocity of extremities was decreased. Therefore, she was diagnosed with Crow-Fukase (polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, M protein, skin changes:POEMS) syndrome, which is characterized by the presence of plasma cell dyscrasia with them.

Woman in her 50s with shortness of breath on exertion.

A 59-year-old woman visited an outpatient cardiology clinic due to shortness of breath on exertion. Physical examination showed no significant abnormality of vital signs. A III/VI systolic murmur was heard on the fourth intercostal space at the right sternal border.

Investigation on the optimal implantation site and setting of Reveal LINQ avoiding interference with performance of transthoracic echocardiography.

Background: The optimal implantation site of a new implantable cardiac monitor (ICM) named Reveal LINQ may be limited based on a sufficient amplitude of R wave potential (AEP) acquisition because it is the same anatomic area used for transthoracic echocardiography (TTE).

Methods: Among 18 healthy volunteers, we assessed AEPs in 3 combinations through parasternal placement of 2 electrodes, (i) in the 4th intercostal space (ICS; site A/setting a; A/a), (ii) the same setting in the 5th ICS (site B/setting a; B/a), and (iii) in a sagittal plane relative to the left sternal border at the 4th ICS (site A/setting b; A/b), and further measured AFPs in several body positions in all site-setting combinations: supine, left and right lateral decubitus, sitting, and standing. The degree of interference with TTE performance was assessed by placement of an imitation ICM in setting a at both sites A and B.

A nanosecond time-resolved XFEL analysis of structural changes associated with CO release from cytochrome c oxidase.

Bovine cytochrome c oxidase (CcO), a 420-kDa membrane protein, pumps protons using electrostatic repulsion between protons transferred through a water channel and net positive charges created by oxidation of heme (Fe ) for reduction of O at heme (Fe ). For this process to function properly, timing is essential: The channel must be closed after collection of the protons to be pumped and before Fe oxidation. If the channel were to remain open, spontaneous backflow of the collected protons would occur.

Usefulness of the echocardiographic paravertebral approach for the diagnosis of descending thoracic aortic dissection.

Background: Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is not recommended as the first-line diagnostic modality for Stanford type B aortic dissection (type-B AD).

Purposes: The aims of this study were to evaluate the usefulness and factors influencing for the diagnosis of type-B AD using the transthoracic echocardiographic paravertebral approach (PVA).

Methods: We compared the image acquisition rate of descending thoracic aorta (DTA) and the diagnostic rate of type-B AD using TTE versus PVA.

A nearly on-axis spectroscopic system for simultaneously measuring UV-visible absorption and X-ray diffraction in the SPring-8 structural genomics beamline.

UV-visible absorption spectroscopy is useful for probing the electronic and structural changes of protein active sites, and thus the on-line combination of X-ray diffraction and spectroscopic analysis is increasingly being applied. Herein, a novel absorption spectrometer was developed at SPring-8 BL26B2 with a nearly on-axis geometry between the X-ray and optical axes. A small prism mirror was placed near the X-ray beamstop to pass the light only 2° off the X-ray beam, enabling spectroscopic analysis of the X-ray-exposed volume of a crystal during X-ray diffraction data collection.

Native structure of photosystem II at 1.95 Å resolution viewed by femtosecond X-ray pulses.

Photosynthesis converts light energy into biologically useful chemical energy vital to life on Earth. The initial reaction of photosynthesis takes place in photosystem II (PSII), a 700-kilodalton homodimeric membrane protein complex that catalyses photo-oxidation of water into dioxygen through an S-state cycle of the oxygen evolving complex (OEC). The structure of PSII has been solved by X-ray diffraction (XRD) at 1.

Prognosis of medically treated patients at least 80 years old with severe sclerotic aortic stenosis.

Background: The prevalence of severe sclerotic aortic stenosis (ScAS) in those at least ≧80 years old has been increasing in Japan; however, the prognosis of these Japanese patients without surgical treatment has not been reported.

Methods And Results: Ninety consecutive patients with medically treated severe ScAS were prospectively studied. To assess further event-free survival rate (EFSR) from either cardiac (heart failure or cardiac death) events or noncardiac deaths, they were divided into three groups based on aortic valve area (AVA) at the initial diagnosis (group A: AVA≦0.

Determination of damage-free crystal structure of an X-ray-sensitive protein using an XFEL.

We report a method of femtosecond crystallography for solving radiation damage-free crystal structures of large proteins at sub-angstrom spatial resolution, using a large single crystal and the femtosecond pulses of an X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL). We demonstrated the performance of the method by determining a 1.9-Å radiation damage-free structure of bovine cytochrome c oxidase, a large (420-kDa), highly radiation-sensitive membrane protein.

The effect of vascular pedicle preservation on blood flow and clinical outcome following ulnar nerve transposition.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of a technique to preserve the extrinsic vascular supply to the ulnar nerve after transposition and its effect on blood flow and clinical outcome.

Methods: We included 36 patients with cubital tunnel syndrome. The patients were randomly selected to undergo vascular pedicles-sparing surgery for anterior ulnar nerve transposition (VP group) or nerve transposition and artery ligation (non-VP group).

Technical difficulties and their prediction in 2-portal endoscopic carpal tunnel release for idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome.

Purpose: This study aimed to identify technical difficulties encountered during 2-portal endoscopic carpal tunnel release (ECTR) and to determine their incidence. Furthermore, we assessed the possibility of preoperatively predicting such technical difficulties.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 311 hands of 311 patients with idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome who underwent ECTR with our modified Chow 2-portal technique.