An Open-Label, Phase III Study to Assess the Efficacy and Safety of Cysteamine Ophthalmic Solution 0.55% in Japanese Cystinosis Patients.

Purpose: Corneal cystine accumulation results in photophobia and affects patients' quality of life. We assessed the efficacy and safety of cysteamine 0.55% solution in Japanese cystinosis patients with corneal cystine crystals for 52 weeks.

Human induced pluripotent stem cells are resistant to human cytomegalovirus infection primarily at the attachment level due to the reduced expression of cell-surface heparan sulfate.

Unlabelled: Cytomegalovirus (CMV), a type of herpes virus, is the predominant cause of congenital anomalies due to intrauterine infections in humans. Adverse outcomes related to intrauterine infections with human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) vary widely, depending on factors such as fetal infection timing, infection route, and viral virulence. The precise mechanism underlying HCMV susceptibility remains unclear.

In-process sintering of Au nanoparticles deposited in laser-assisted electrophoretic deposition.

In this study, we developed an in-process sintering method for laser-assisted electrophoretic deposition (LAEPD) using an additional laser to sinter Au particles and improve the Young's modulus of the microstructures fabricated using LAEPD. Thus, in addition to the laser (λ = 488 nm) that traps nanoparticles, another laser (λ = 785 nm) was installed to effectively absorb and sinter the deposited nanoparticles. Deposition was performed via LAEPD and laser sintering alternatively during fabrication.

Scanning ion conductance microscope with a capacitance-compensated current source amplifier.

A high-speed imaging method for a scanning ion conductance microscope (SICM) based on a current source amplifier that compensates for unavoidable capacitance is proposed. The capacitance is generated on a side wall of a nanopipette in the principle of the SICM. The electrical response time is deteriorated due to the capacitance, and the probe overshoots the setpoint of the detection of the sample surface.

Current evidence and practical knowledge for ultrasound-guided procedures in rheumatology: Joint aspiration, injection, and other applications.

Ultrasound (US)-guided procedures have increasingly gained their role in the daily practice of rheumatology, owing to the growing evidence supporting their utility. The utilization of US guidance in procedures may enhance their accuracy, efficacy, and safety. This article presents a comprehensive review of the current evidence and practical knowledge pertaining to US-guided procedures in rheumatology, encompassing joint aspirations, injections, and other applications such as tendon sheath injections.

Cholesterol Uptake Capacity in Cord Blood of Preterm Infants.

Background: There is insufficient research on cholesterol uptake capacity (CUC) in preterm infants; therefore, the relationship between CUC and cholesterol transport in preterm infants is unclear. This study aimed to clarify the relationship between CUC and anthropometric measurements, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels, and HDL-C subclasses in preterm infants.

Methods: Fifty-eight preterm infants were divided into small-for-gestational age (n = 20) (SGA) and appropriate-for-gestational age (AGA) (n = 38).

A case report of two systemic lupus erythematosus pregnancies with early placental exposure to belimumab: Case report with review.

Since its approval for the management of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), belimumab has been widely used. However, its pregnancy safety profile has been underinvestigated. We present the pregnancy outcomes of two cases of early placental exposure to belimumab and summarise the pregnancy outcomes in previous reports regarding placental exposure to belimumab.

Precise Deposition of Carbon Nanotube Bundles by Inkjet-Printing on a CMOS-Compatible Platform.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are ultimately small structures, attractive for future nanoelectronics. CNT-bundles on Si nanostructures can offer an alternative pathway to build hybrid CMOS-compatible devices. To develop a simple method of using such CNT-bundles as transistor channels, we fabricated semiconductor single-walled CNT field-effect transistors using inkjet printing on a CMOS-compatible platform.

Microneedle Array-Assisted, Direct Delivery of Genome-Editing Proteins Into Plant Tissue.

Genome editing in plants employing recombinant DNA often results in the incorporation of foreign DNA into the host genome. The direct delivery of genome-editing proteins into plant tissues is desired to prevent undesirable genetic alterations. However, in most currently available methods, the point of entry of the genome-editing proteins cannot be controlled and time-consuming processes are required to select the successfully transferred samples.

Lipoprotein-subclass particle numbers in children with abdominal obesity.

Background: The lipoprotein particle number (PN) profile may be a better marker of cardiovascular risks than standard serum lipid measurements. The aim of this study was to analyze the lipoprotein PNs in Japanese children with abdominal obesity and to determine the subclass profile.

Methods: The participants included 164 Japanese children (79 boys and 85 girls) aged 9-13 years.

[A case of amebic colitis that developed after corticosteroid therapy in which perforation occurred during metronidazole treatment].

Although amebiasis is usually asymptomatic, fulminant amebic colitis is associated with a high mortality rate. Here, we report the case of a patient with amebic colitis in which bowel perforation occurred despite treatment with metronidazole. A man in his 70s underwent steroid pulse therapy to treat serious acute hepatitis A.

Scanning ion conductance microscopy of isolated metaphase chromosomes in a liquid environment.

Scanning probe microscopy (SPM) uses a probing tip which scans over a sample surface for obtaining information on the sample surface characteristics. Among various types of SPM, atomic force microscopy (AFM) has been widely applied to imaging of biological samples including chromosomes. Scanning ion conductance microscopy (SICM) has been also introduced for visualizing the surface structure of biological samples because it can obtain "contact-free" topographic images in liquid conditions by detecting ion current flow through a pipette opening.

Scanning ion-conductance microscopy with a double-barreled nanopipette for topographic imaging of charged chromosomes.

Scanning ion conductance microscopy (SICM) is useful for imaging soft and fragile biological samples in liquids because it probes the samples' surface topography by detecting ion currents under non-contact and force-free conditions. SICM acquires the surface topographical height by detecting the ion current reduction that occurs when an electrolyte-filled glass nanopipette approaches the sample surface. However, most biological materials have electrically charged surfaces in liquid environments, which sometimes affect the behavior of the ion currents detected by SICM and, especially, make topography measurements difficult.

High-Spatial-Resolution Multimodal Imaging by Tapping-Mode Scanning Probe Electrospray Ionization with Feedback Control.

Direct extraction and ionization techniques using minute amounts of solvent can be employed for the rapid analysis of chemical components in a sample without any sample preparation steps. This type of approach is important for mass spectrometry imaging of samples with multiple chemical components that have different spatial distributions (i.e.

Refractory heart failure and intermittent claudication secondary to supra-renal coral reef aorta.

Coral reef aorta (CRA), a rare disease, is characterized by severe calcification of the juxta-renal and suprarenal aorta that grows into the lumen and leads to severe stenosis. A 70-year-old woman with refractory hypertension and lower limb claudication presented with hypertension and congestive heart failure. Treatment with vasodilators and diuresis led to oliguria and exacerbated kidney function, while her congestion remained.

Subclass distribution of low-density lipoprotein triglyceride and the clustering of metabolic syndrome components in Japanese children.

Background: Recent studies demonstrated that low-density lipoprotein-tryglyceride (LDL-TG) may represent another marker of cardiovascular risks. We therefore measured LDL-TG including the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) subclass distribution and investigated the association between LDL-TG subclass profile and the clustering of metabolic syndrome (MetS) components and insulin resistance in Japanese children.

Methods: The study included 237 schoolchildren (boys 115, girls 122).

Metals by Micro-Scale Additive Manufacturing: Comparison of Microstructure and Mechanical Properties.

Many emerging applications in microscale engineering rely on the fabrication of 3D architectures in inorganic materials. Small-scale additive manufacturing (AM) aspires to provide flexible and facile access to these geometries. Yet, the synthesis of device-grade inorganic materials is still a key challenge toward the implementation of AM in microfabrication.

The Characteristics Of Abdominal Fat Distribution In Japanese Adolescents With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Purpose: The aim was to investigate the characteristics of abdominal fat distribution in Japanese adolescents with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Patients And Methods: Eighty-six Japanese adolescents with simple obesity or type 2 diabetes mellitus treated between 2002 and 2018 were included. The subjects were classified into the simple obesity group (SO group, n=38) and type 2 diabetes mellitus group (DM group, n=23) by matching average age and gender ratio.

Umbilical cord blood stearoyl-CoA desaturase index and lipoprotein lipase mass level in small-for-gestational age newborns.

We previously reported that triglyceride (TG) levels in small-for-gestational age (SGA) newborns were significantly higher than those in appropriate-for-gestational age (AGA) newborns. Stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) activity is required for TG synthesis, while lipoprotein lipase mass (LPLm) facilitates TG clearance. The purpose of this study is to reveal whether SCD activity or LPLm is the cause of high TG levels in SGA newborns.

A Stable Artificial Multienzymatic Complex Using a Heterotrimeric Protein From Metallosphaera sedula.

Bacterial cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (P450s) are promising biocatalysts for chemical syntheses because they catalyze a variety of oxidations on non-activated hydrocarbons using O . However, the requirement of two auxiliary proteins, an electron transfer protein and a reductase, for the catalysis is a major bottleneck for in vitro applications of these monooxygenases. The authors previous study showed that artificial assembly of a bacterial P450 with its auxiliary proteins using a heterotrimeric proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) from Sulfolobus solfataricus yields a self-sufficient P450, but partial dissociation of P450 from the complex at catalytic concentrations reduces the apparent specific activity of this self-sufficient P450.

Visualization of Sampling and Ionization Processes in Scanning Probe Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry.

Ambient sampling and ionization techniques based on direct liquid extraction and electrospray ionization are of great value for rapid analysis and mass spectrometry imaging. Scanning probe electrospray ionization (SPESI) enables the sampling and ionization of analyte molecules in a solid material using a liquid bridge and electrospray, respectively, from a single capillary probe. To further improve SPESI, it is essential to understand the dynamic behavior of nanoliter volumes of liquids during sampling and ionization.

A New Cell Separation Method Based on Antibody-Immobilized Nanoneedle Arrays for the Detection of Intracellular Markers.

Focusing on intracellular targets, we propose a new cell separation technique based on a nanoneedle array (NNA) device, which allows simultaneous insertion of multiple needles into multiple cells. The device is designed to target and lift ("fish") individual cells from a mixed population of cells on a substrate using an antibody-functionalized NNA. The mechanics underlying this approach were validated by force analysis using an atomic force microscope.