Clinical diagnostic performance of droplet digital PCR for pathogen detection in patients with Escherichia coli bloodstream infection: a prospective observational study.

Background: Droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) is a highly sensitive tool for detecting bacterial DNA in bacterial bloodstream infections (BSI). This study aimed to examine the sensitivity and specificity of ddPCR and the association between bacterial DNA load in whole blood and the time-to-positivity (TTP) of blood culture (BC) in patients with Escherichia coli BSI.

Methods: This prospective study enrolled patients with E.

Clinical and microbiological characteristics of granulomatous mastitis caused by Corynebacterium species: a case series.

Corynebacterium species are an important cause of granulomatous mastitis (GM). Although there have been worldwide reports of infections caused by Corynebacterium kroppenstedtii, few cases of C. tuberculostearicum GM have been reported.

Phase Control in Monometallic and Alloy Nanomaterials.

Metal nanomaterials with unconventional phases have been recently developed with a variety of methods and exhibit novel and attractive properties such as high activities for various catalytic reactions and magnetic properties. In this review, we discuss the progress and the trends in strategies for synthesis, crystal structure, and properties of phase-controlled metal nanomaterials in terms of elements and the combination of alloys. We begin with a brief introduction of the anomalous phase behavior derived from the nanosize effect and general crystal structures observed in metal nanomaterials.

In vitro to clinical efficacy: Neutralizing antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 strains.

Introduction: Neutralizing antibodies have been approved for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) treatment; however, no study has clarified the link among their neutralizing effect in vitro, the period of infectious virus shedding, and symptoms in the acute phase. Here, we aimed to assess the duration of virus shed and fever in patients with mild COVID-19 stratified by their characteristics and type of neutralizing antibody administered.

Methods: We evaluated the efficacy of neutralizing antibodies in terms of the duration of infectious virus excretion and fever in three groups: patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Delta strain treated with REGEN-CoV2 (REGN-CoV2 group) and patients infected with Omicron strain treated with S309 (S309 group) or untreated (untreated group).

Non-tuberculous mycobacterial shoulder arthritis with acute exacerbation soon after initiation of immune checkpoint inhibitor: A case report.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have been approved for treating various cancers; however, they can cause immune-related adverse events. Generally, ICIs are not associated with an increased risk of infection, however, several reports demonstrated infections caused by nontuberculous mycobacterium (NTM) during ICI therapy. Here, we report a case of NTM shoulder arthritis with acute exacerbation immediately after ICI initiation.

Machine-learning-based identification of patients with IgA nephropathy using a computerized medical billing database.

The billing database of the universal healthcare system in Japan potentially includes large-cohort data of patients with immunoglobulin A nephropathy, diagnosis codes aimed at billing should not be directly used for clinical research because of the risk of misdiagnosis. To solve this problem, we aimed to develop a novel method for identifying patients with immunoglobulin A nephropathy from billing data using machine learning. The medical records and bills of 3,743 patients who consulted nephrologists at a single center were extracted.

Fabrication of Rapidly Soluble Zn-Releasing Phosphate-Based Glass and Its Incorporation into Dental Resin.

Phosphate-based glasses are known for their excellent biocompatibility and adjustable degradation rates. In this study, we fabricated a rapidly soluble zinc-ion-releasing phosphate-based glass (RG) specifically designed for use in dental cavity liners. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ion-releasing properties and antibacterial effects of RG.

Ultrahigh Concentration Hydrogen Doping into TiO.

We investigate ultrahigh concentration doping of hydrogen (H) into rutile-TiO (100) single crystals by low-energy (2.5 keV) hydrogen ion beam irradiation at low temperature (LT). While the hydrogen concentration was limited to HTiO at 300 K, nuclear reaction analysis (NRA) revealed ultrahigh concentration doping of hydrogen up to HTiO by the LT irradiation at 50 K.

Platinum-Group Metal High-Entropy Selenides for the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction.

The selenides of platinum-group metals (PGMs) are emerging as promising catalysts for diverse electrochemical reactions. To date, most studies have focused on single metal or bimetallic systems, whereas the preparation of a high-entropy (HE) selenide consisting of five or more PGM elements holds the promise to further enhance catalytic performance by introducing abundant active sites with various local coordination environments and electronic structures. Herein, we report for the first time the synthesis of PGM-based HE-Selenide (HE-Se) nanoparticles with a unique amorphous structure.

The Nature of Structural Defects in ZIF-8 Revealed with H and P MAS NMR and X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopy.

The metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) attract interest as potential catalysts whose catalytic properties are driven by defects. Several methods have been proposed for the defects-inducing synthesis of MOFs. However, the active species formed on the defective sites remain elusive and uncharacterized, as the spectroscopic fingerprints of these species are hidden by the regular structure signals.

Proton Conduction via Water and Ammonia Coordinated Metal Cationic Species in MOF and MHOF Platforms.

Although metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and metalo hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (MHOFs) are designed as promising solid-state proton conductors by incorporating various protonic species intrinsically or extrinsically, design and development of such materials by employing the concept of proton conduction through coordinated polar protic solvent is largely unexplored. Herein, we have constructed two proton-conducting materials having different solvent coordinated metal cationic species: In-HO-MOF, ({[In(HO)][In(Pzdc)] ⋅ 15HO}; HPzdc: pyrazine-2,3-dicarboxylic acid) with coordinated water molecules from hexaaquaindium cationic species, and MHOF-4, ([{Co(NH)}(2,6-NDS)(HO)]; 2,6-HNDS: 2,6-naphthalenedisulfonic acid) with coordinated ammonia from hexaammoniacobalt cationic species. Interestingly, higher proton conductivity was achieved for In-HO-MOF (1.

Binuclear Coordination Assemblies of Metal Tetraphenylporphyrins (M = Mn, Fe, and In) with Anionic Thioindigo Bridges as Promising Magnetic Systems with Tunable Properties.

A series of hybrids comprising two metal (Mn, Fe, and In) tetraphenylporphyrins axially substituted with anionic bidentate -thioindigo ligands (TI) were obtained. Substitution of the axial chloride anion by an oxygen atom of the dye forms short M-O bonds. Crystalline binuclear assemblies (TI)·{[MnTPP]·[MnTPP]}·CHCl ( = 2 for or 1 for ) and (TI){[MTPP]}·CHCl (M = Fe and = 2 for , M = In and = 1 for ) were synthesized.

Dimensionally Extending from 1D MX-Chain to Ladder and Nanotube Systems: Structural and Electronic Properties.

Molecular one-dimensional (1D) electron systems have attracted much attention due to their unique electronic state, physical and chemical properties derived from high-aspect-ratio structures. Among 1D materials, mixed-valence halogen-bridged transition-metal chain complexes (MX-chains) based on coordination assemblies are currently of particular interest because their electronic properties, such as mixed-valence state and band gap, can be controlled by substituting components and varying configurations. In particular, chemistry has recently noted that dimensionally extending MX-chains through organic rung ligands can introduce and modulate electronic coupling of metal atoms between chains, i.

Intraoperative Remifentanil Use Reduces Atrial Fibrillation After Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery.

Objectives: Atrial fibrillation after coronary artery bypass grafting is a relatively well known complication that has been observed for a long time. Though the management and drugs in the perioperative period have changed, their impact on the generation of postoperative atrial fibrillation remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated various perioperative management methods and the occurrence of postoperative atrial fibrillation.

Atomic-Scale Behavior of Perovskite-Supported Ir-Pd-Ru Nanoparticles under Redox Atmospheres.

An advanced materials solution utilizing the concept of "smart catalysts" could be a game changer for today's automotive emission control technology, enabling the efficient use of precious metals via their two-way switching between metallic nanoparticle forms and ionic states in the host perovskite lattice as a result of the cyclical oxidizing/reducing atmospheres. However, direct evidence for such processes remains scarce; therefore, the underlying mechanism has been an unsettled debate. Here, we use advanced scanning transmission electron microscopy to reveal the atomic-scale behaviors for a LaFePdO-supported Ir-Pd-Ru nanocatalyst under fluctuating redox conditions, thereby proving the reversible dissolution/exsolution for Ir and Ru but with a limited occurrence for Pd.

Allergen-specific immunoglobulin-Es for dermatitis in the Japanese native Noma horses.

Noma horses are native Japanese horses. Health checkups revealed that many Noma horses developed dermatitis during summer, which subsided in winter. Seasonal development and signs of itching, suggestive of allergic dermatitis, were observed.