Effective Use of Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene Cable and Krackow Suture for Stretched Out Patellar Tendon due to Scarring in a Case with Rheumatoid Arthritis Post-Total Knee Arthroplasty.

Patellar tendon rupture is a severe complication following total knee arthroplasty. We encountered a case of rheumatoid arthritis with an incomplete rupture of the patellar tendon post-total knee arthroplasty. An 84-year-old woman was diagnosed with an incomplete rupture of the right patellar tendon 3 months post-total knee arthroplasty of her right knee.

A novel automated chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay for ADAMTS-13 activity enables accompanying measurements of the inhibitory autoantibodies.

Background: Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a fatal disease caused by severe deficiency in ADAMTS-13 (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin type 1 motifs 13) activity. ADAMTS-13 activity measurement is essential for the diagnosis of TTP, but conventional standard assays are manual and time-consuming. Automated ADAMTS-13 activity assays have recently become available; however, their accuracy remains challenging.

Clinical Association Between Immune-related Adverse Events and Treatment Efficacy in Patients With Non-small-cell Lung Cancer Treated With Nivolumab-Ipilimumab-based Therapy.

Background/aim: Nivolumab and ipilimumab combination therapy has been extensively explored for the treatment of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) through the pivotal phase III trials CheckMate 227 and CheckMate 9LA. However, the relationship between immune-related adverse events (irAEs) and the effectiveness of nivolumab plus ipilimumab-based therapy in a real-world clinical setting remains uncertain.

Patients And Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of 28 patients with advanced or recurrent NSCLC who underwent treatment with nivolumab plus ipilimumab, with or without platinum-doublet chemotherapy, from February 2021 to January 2023.

Impact of antimicrobial stewardship program-driven educational intervention for vancomycin loading dose on mortality.

Background: Although the loading dose (LD) of vancomycin (VCM) contributes to its efficacy, it may not be conducted adequately. Herein, the objective was to evaluate the effect of LD on patient prognosis using therapeutic drug monitoring by pharmacists and elucidate the impact of an antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP)-driven educational intervention on the LD implementation rate and patient prognosis.

Materials And Methods: First, a retrospective cohort study was conducted involving 121 adult patients administered with VCM and compared with 28-day mortality in LD and non-LD groups.

Effects of scan parameters on the accuracies of iodine quantification and hounsfield unit values in dual layer dual-energy head and neck computed tomography: A phantom study conducted in a hospital in Japan.

Introduction: No study has investigated scan parameters in head and neck dual layer dual-energy computed tomography (DL-DECT). This study aimed to select the appropriate scan parameters in head and neck imaging by evaluating the scan parameter effects on the accuracies of CT numbers and conduct iodine quantification in DL-DECT.

Methods: A multi-energy phantom was scanned using a dual layer CT (DLCT) scanner.

Engine performance and emissions evaluation of surfactant-free B30 biodiesel-diesel/water emulsion as alternative fuel.

Malaysia is one of the top exporters of palm oil, and although currently facing fierce resistance towards palm oil imports in some parts of the globe, one of the ways to utilize this commodity is by increasing palm biodiesel content in local commercial diesel. However, due to the oxygen-rich nature of biodiesel, its utilization suffers from increased nitrogen oxides (NO) emission compared to conventional diesel. To mitigate this issue and improve diesel engine performance and emissions using biodiesel-diesel blends, this study attempted to investigate implementation of a real-time non-surfactant emulsion fuel supply system (RTES) which produces water-in-diesel emulsion as fuel without surfactants.

A comparative study of stoma-related complications from diverting loop ileostomy or colostomy after colorectal surgery.

Purpose: Even though minor, stoma-related complications significantly impact quality of life, they are often excluded from clinical analyses that compare short-term postoperative outcomes of loop ileostomy and loop colostomy. This study compares stoma-related complications between loop ileostomy and loop colostomy after rectal resection, including minor complications, and discusses the characteristics of diverting stoma types.

Methods: A retrospective review was conducted in patients who underwent diverting stoma construction after rectal resection.

The influence of self-determination on the social functioning of long-term day hospitals users with schizophrenia: A randomized controlled trial.

Aim: In Japan, day hospitals are a method of rehabilitation for psychiatric disorders, especially for recovering social functioning. Currently, 60% of day hospital users have schizophrenia, the majority of whom are long-term users (for over 1 year). However, they show no progress in community participation.

Risk Factors for Incidence of Postoperative Spinal Epidural Hematoma Following Multilevel Microendoscopic Laminectomy.

Introduction: Due to the narrow portal of entry, microendoscopic laminectomy (MEL) is associated with a risk of postoperative spinal epidural hematoma (POSEH). This risk might be higher when performing multiple-level (m-) MEL. The purpose of this study is to clarify the incidence rate of POSEH following single-level (s-) and m-MEL by each interlaminar level and identify the risk factors for POSEH following m-MEL.

History of Phos-tag technology for phosphoproteomics.

Phos-tag is a functional molecule that selectively captures a phosphate monoester dianion in neutral aqueous solutions. The affinity of Phos-tag for phosphate monoester dianions is more than 10,000 times greater than that for other anions present in living organisms, such as carboxylic acid anions. We have developed and applied useful techniques for phosphoproteomics based on Phos-tag.

Recent advances in the Phos-tag technique focused on the analysis of phosphoproteins in a bacterial two-component system.

In a bacterial two-component system (TCS), signals are generally conveyed by means of a His-Asp phosphorelay. Each system consists of a histidine kinase (HK) and its cognate response regulator (RR). The His- and Asp-bound phosphate groups are extremely unstable under acidic conditions easily to be hydrolyzed within a few hours.

Characterization of Phosphorylation Status and Kinase Activity of Src Family Kinases Expressed in Cell-Based and Cell-Free Protein Expression Systems.

The production of heterologous proteins is an important procedure for biologists in basic and applied sciences. A variety of cell-based and cell-free protein expression systems are available to achieve this. The expression system must be selected carefully, especially for target proteins that require post-translational modifications.

Ascending Aortic Calcification as a Potential Predictor for Low Bone Mineral Density: A Pilot Study.

Background: Identifying the factors related to low bone mineral density (BMD) can have significant implications for preventing hip fractures. The correlation between ascending aortic calcification and BMD has never been reported. Therefore, the purpose of the current study is to confirm the hypothesis that ascending aortic calcification can be used as a predictive factor for low BMD and to find a radiographic sign to show it.

An assay of human tyrosine protein kinase ABL activity using an protein expression system.

ABL, a human tyrosine protein kinase, and its substrate are co-expressed in . Tyrosine phosphorylation of the substrate in was detected using Phos-tag SDS-PAGE. The bacterial co-expression system was used as a field for the kinase reaction to evaluate the enzymatic activity of five types of ABL kinase domain mutants.

Phos-Tag Fluorescent Gel Staining for the Quantitative Detection of His- and Asp-Phosphorylated Proteins.

We describe a standard protocol for phosphate-affinity fluorescent gel staining that uses a fluorophore-labeled dizinc(II) complex of a derivative of the phosphate-binding tag molecule Phos-tag to detect His- and Asp-phosphorylated proteins separated by SDS-PAGE. The procedure permits the quantitative monitoring of phosphorylated histidine kinases (His-phosphoproteins) and their cognate phosphorylated response regulators (Asp-phosphoproteins) in bacterial two-component signaling transduction systems. The total time required for each gel staining operation is about 2 h at room temperature.

[Reduction of Operator Exposure Radiation Dose and Evaluation of Image Quality Using Half Scan in CT Fluoroscopy].

In recent years, the number of examinations and treatments using computed tomography fluoroscopy (CTF) has been increasing, and there is concern about an increase in the exposure radiation dose of the operator. Use of half scan CTF can be expected to reduce the exposure radiation dose, but there is no report. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the exposure radiation dose at the operator's position and image quality when using a half scan CTF.

Determining Protein Phosphorylation Status Using Antibody Arrays and Phos-Tag Biotin.

We describe here a standard protocol for determining the phosphorylation status of protein multiplexes using antibody arrays and a biotinylated Phos-tag with a dodeca(ethylene glycol) spacer (Phos-tag Biotin). The procedure is based on an antibody microarray technique used in conjunction with an enhanced chemiluminescence system, and it permits the simultaneous and highly sensitive detection of multiple phosphoproteins in a cell lysate. By using this procedure, we have demonstrated the quantitative detection of the entire phosphorylation status of a target protein involved in intracellular signaling.

A pH-Adjustable Tissue Clearing Solution That Preserves Lipid Ultrastructures: Suitable Tissue Clearing Method for DDS Evaluation.

Visualizing biological events and states to resolve biological questions is challenging. Tissue clearing permits three-dimensional multicolor imaging. Here, we describe a pH-adjustable tissue clearing solution, Seebest (SEE Biological Events and States in Tissues), which preserves lipid ultrastructures at an electron microscopy level.

Phos-tag diagonal electrophoresis precisely detects the mobility change of phosphoproteins in Phos-tag SDS-PAGE.

Phos-tag diagonal electrophoresis was developed to identify precisely a change in electrophoretic mobility of phosphoproteins in Phos-tag SDS-PAGE. Previously, if a single protein band was detected, it was impossible to determine whether mobility of the protein altered by Mn Phos-tag in Phos-tag SDS-PAGE gels because SDS-PAGE and Phos-tag SDS-PAGE were performed on different gels. Moreover, when multiple protein bands were detected, it was difficult to determine whether the band with the highest mobility was altered mobility by Mn Phos-tag.

Protein-N-myristoylation-dependent phosphorylation of serine 13 of tyrosine kinase Lyn by casein kinase 1γ at the Golgi during intracellular protein traffic.

Protein N-myristoylation of Src-family kinases (SFKs) is a critical co-translational modification to anchor the enzymes in the plasma membrane. Phosphorylation of SFKs is also an essential modification for regulating their enzymatic activities. In this study, we used Phos-tag SDS-PAGE to investigate N-myristoylation-dependent phosphorylation of SFKs and their non-N-myristoylated G2A mutants.