Association between the gene polymorphism-determined earwax properties and external auditory canal microbiota in healthy adults.

Unlabelled: The concept of genome-microbiome interactions, in which the microenvironment determined by host genetic polymorphisms regulates the local microbiota, is important in the pathogenesis of human disease. In otolaryngology, the resident bacterial microbiota is reportedly altered in non-infectious ear diseases, such as otitis media pearls and exudative otitis media. We hypothesized that a single-nucleotide polymorphism in the ATP-binding cassette sub-family C member 11 () gene, which determines earwax properties, regulates the ear canal microbiota.

Mini-review: Occupational Health Topics Series on the Effects of Chemicals Occupational cholangiocarcinoma incident.

In 2012, a social issue arose concerning a high incidence of cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer) among printing workers. The cause was prolonged exposure to high concentrations of 1,2-dichloropropane that was included in the ink cleaning agent. Until then, it was not known that this substance could cause cancer in humans.

A comprehensive pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis for the assessment of microplastics in various salts.

Analytical pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry(Py-GC/MS) was chosen to quantify microplastics(MPs) in edible salts: sea salt(SS), deep-sea salt(DSS), rock salt(RS), and lake salt(LS). Samples were filtered by two-step using 20 μm(MPs20) and 1 μm(MPs1) filters. Two Py-GC/MS methods with split ratios of 100/1 for high-level and 10/1 for low-level MPs were used.

Subsequent development of cholangiocarcinoma caused by exposure to 1,2-dichloropropane and/or dichloromethane in the printing company in Osaka, Japan.

After the report of 17 patients with occupational cholangiocarcinoma caused by long-term exposure to high concentrations of 1,2-dichloropropane and/or dichloromethane in a printing company in Osaka in 2014, additional five patients were diagnosed to have such cholangiocarcinoma. Cholangiocarcinoma was detected during regular health examination or follow-up for liver dysfunction in four of the five patients. Nearly all five patients presented with clinicopathological findings such as an elevated γ-glutamyl transpeptidase activity at the diagnosis, regional dilatation of intrahepatic bile ducts without tumor-induced obstruction, chronic bile duct injury, and precancerous/early cancerous lesions (biliary intraepithelial neoplasia and intraductal papillary neoplasm of the bile duct) at various sites of the bile duct.

Definitive-dose adjuvant radiotherapy following endoscopic submucosal dissection for superficial esophageal cancer.

Background: Prophylactic chemoradiation therapy (CRT) using 40-41.4 Gy post-endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for clinical T1N0M0 esophageal cancer reportedly yields favorable outcomes. However, it cannot completely prevent locoregional lymph node (LN) metastases.

Enhancement of liquid/gas production during co-pyrolysis of vacuum residue and plastics due to synergistic interactions.

Vacuum residue (VR) was copyrolysed with polyethylene (PE) or polystyrene (PS) in a batch reactor to investigate the corresponding synergistic pyrolytic interactions. The synergistic interactions between VR and plastic pyrolysates enhanced liquid and gas production while reducing coke formation, as compared with VR-only and plastic-only pyrolysis. The pyrolysis of 9:1 w/w VR: PE (PE with M = 3 MDa) and 9:1 w/w VR/PS (PS with M ≈ 350 kDa) mixtures produced oil in yields of 28.

A new filtration system for extraction and accurate quantification of microplastics.

The analysis of microplastics is crucial due to their widespread occurrence and significant impact as environmental pollutants. Appropriate extraction and analytical techniques are necessary to evaluate the abundance, dispersal, and effects of microplastics. In this context, the filtration step to extract microplastics from solution media is indispensable for quantifying microplastics accurately.

Ion sensors based on organic semiconductors acting as quasi-reference electrodes.

Thin-film devices that transduce the chemical activity of ions into electronic signals are essential components in various applications, including healthcare diagnostics and environmental monitoring. Combinations of organic semiconductors (OSCs) and ion-selective materials have been explored for developing solution-processable ion sensors. However, the necessity of reference electrodes (REs) and operational stability in ion-permeable OSCs have posed questions regarding whether reliable measurements with thin-film components are attainable with OSCs.

Robotic navigation with deep reinforcement learning in transthoracic echocardiography.

Purpose: The search for heart components in robotic transthoracic echocardiography is a time-consuming process. This paper proposes an optimized robotic navigation system for heart components using deep reinforcement learning to achieve an efficient and effective search technique for heart components.

Method: The proposed method introduces (i) an optimized search behavior generation algorithm that avoids multiple local solutions and searches for the optimal solution and (ii) an optimized path generation algorithm that minimizes the search path, thereby realizing short search times.

Intraparenchymal delivery of adeno-associated virus vectors for the gene therapy of neurological diseases.

Introduction: In gene therapy with adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors for diseases of the central nervous system, the vectors can be administered into blood vessels, cerebrospinal fluid space, or the brain parenchyma. When gene transfer to a large area of the brain is required, the first two methods are used, but for diseases in which local gene transfer is expected to be effective, vectors are administered directly into the brain parenchyma.

Areas Covered: Strategies for intraparenchymal vector delivery in gene therapy for Parkinson's disease, aromatic l-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) deficiency, and epilepsy are reviewed.

Selective recovery of pyrolyzates of biodegradable (PLA, PHBH) and common plastics (HDPE, PP, PS) during co-pyrolysis under slow heating.

Pyrolytic synergistic interactions, in which the production of pyrolyzates is enhanced or inhibited, commonly occur during the co-pyrolysis of different polymeric materials, such as plastics and biomass. Although these interactions can increase the yield of desired pyrolysis products under controlled degradation conditions, the desired compounds must be separated from complex pyrolyzates and further purified. To balance these dual effects, this study was aimed at examining pyrolytic synergistic interactions during slow heating co-pyrolysis of biodegradable plastics including polylactic acid (PLA) and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexaoate) (PHBH) and petroleum-based plastics including high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP), and polystyrene (PS).

Combination of cytoplasmic and nuclear patterns on Hep-2 antinuclear antibody is useful as a screening test for anti-synthetase syndrome.

Objective: This study aimed to establish a screening model for differentiating anti-synthetase syndrome (ASS) from other ANA-associated rheumatic diseases (AARDs) using a combination of cytoplasmic and non-cytoplasmic ANA (ncANA) patterns.

Methods: : This retrospective observational study included patients with AARDs such as SLE, SSc, SS, MCTD and PM/DM who underwent ANA screening between April 2012 and December 2021. Variables included age, sex, ANA patterns (Cytoplasmic and ncANA) and titres.

Effect of Addition of Tannin Extract from Underutilized Resources on Allergenic Proteins, Color and Textural Properties of Egg White Gels.

Tannins, present in numerous plants, exhibit a binding affinity for proteins. In this study, we aimed to exploit this property to reduce the concentration of allergenic egg white proteins. Tannins were extracted, using hot water, from the lyophilized powder of underutilized resources, such as chestnut inner skin (CIS), young persimmon fruit (YPF), and bayberry leaves (BBLs).

LTK mutations responsible for resistance to lorlatinib in non-small cell lung cancer harboring CLIP1-LTK fusion.

The CLIP1-LTK fusion was recently discovered as a novel oncogenic driver in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Lorlatinib, a third-generation ALK inhibitor, exhibited a dramatic clinical response in a NSCLC patient harboring CLIP1-LTK fusion. However, it is expected that acquired resistance will inevitably develop, particularly by LTK mutations, as observed in NSCLC induced by oncogenic tyrosine kinases treated with corresponding tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs).

Cathode active materials using rare metals recovered from waste lithium-ion batteries: A review.

Large-scale lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are overtaking as power sources for electric vehicles and grid-scale energy-storage systems for renewable sources. Accordingly, large amounts of LIBs are expected to be discarded in the near future. Recycling technologies for waste LIBs, particularly for valuable rare metals (Li, Co, and Ni) used in cathode active materials, need to be developed to construct continuous LIB supply chains.

Regulatory T cell-mediated immunosuppression orchestrated by cancer: towards an immuno-genomic paradigm for precision medicine.

Accumulating evidence indicates that aberrant signalling stemming from genetic abnormalities in cancer cells has a fundamental role in their evasion of antitumour immunity. Immune escape mechanisms include enhanced expression of immunosuppressive molecules, such as immune-checkpoint proteins, and the accumulation of immunosuppressive cells, including regulatory T (T) cells, in the tumour microenvironment. Therefore, T cells are key targets for cancer immunotherapy.

Recent Advancements in Pyrolysis of Halogen-Containing Plastics for Resource Recovery and Halogen Upcycling: A State-of-the-Art Review.

Plastic waste has emerged as a serious issue due to its impact on environmental degradation and resource scarcity. Plastic recycling, especially of halogen-containing plastics, presents challenges due to potential secondary pollution and lower-value implementations. Chemical recycling via pyrolysis is the most versatile and robust approach for combating plastic waste.

Latest trends and challenges in PVC and copper recovery technologies for End-of-Life thin cables.

This review investigates the latest trends in separation technologies regarding hard-to-recycle thin cables, specifically in the form of end-of-life wire harnesses (WHs). The cables in WHs mainly contain copper (Cu) and poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC), which is commonly used to insulate and sheath cables. This review reveals that most separation technologies prioritize the recovery of Cu and overlook that of PVC.