The Role of Zinc in the Development of Vascular Dementia and Parkinson's Disease and the Potential of Carnosine as Their Therapeutic Agent.

Synaptic zinc ions (Zn) play an important role in the development of vascular dementia (VD) and Parkinson's disease (PD). In this article, we reviewed the current comprehension of the Zn-induced neurotoxicity that leads to the pathogenesis of these neuronal diseases. Zn-induced neurotoxicity was investigated by using immortalised hypothalamic neurons (GT1-7 cells).

Variation in the origin of the plantar aponeurosis and its relationship to the origin of the abductor hallucis muscle.

The plantar aponeurosis comprises medial, central, and lateral bands, which arise from the calcaneal tuberosity. Descriptions of the origin of the abductor hallucis vary among different textbooks. The central band and abductor hallucis muscles are related to the windlass mechanism.

Activity-dependent glassy cell mechanics II: Nonthermal fluctuations under metabolic activity.

The glassy cytoplasm, crowded with bio-macromolecules, is fluidized in living cells by mechanical energy derived from metabolism. Characterizing the living cytoplasm as a nonequilibrium system is crucial in elucidating the intricate mechanism that relates cell mechanics to metabolic activities. In this study, we conducted active and passive microrheology in eukaryotic cells, and quantified nonthermal fluctuations by examining the violation of the fluctuation-dissipation theorem.

Measuring fluctuating dynamics of sparsely crosslinked actin gels with dual-feedback nonlinear microrheology.

We investigate the fluctuating dynamics of colloidal particles in weakly crosslinked F-actin networks with optical-trap-based microrheology. Using the dual-feedback technology, embedded colloidal particles were stably forced beyond the linear regime in a manner that does not suppress spontaneous fluctuations of particles. Upon forcing, a particle that was stably confined in a cage made of the network's crosslinks started to intermittently jump to the next caging microenvironments.

Literature Review on the Utilization of Rice Husks: Focus on Application of Materials for Digital Fabrication.

To achieve a sustainable society, it is important to use biological resources effectively to the extent that they are renewable. Rice husk, which is abundantly produced in various regions, is a useful biomass resource. To promote their use further, it is important to expand the fields in which they are used.

Toxic Effects of Two Redox States of Thallium on Immortalised Hypothalamic GT1-7 Neuronal Cells.

Thallium (Tl), is a highly toxic heavy metal that exists in monovalent (Tl(I)) and trivalent (Tl(III)) ionic states. This study aimed to compare the toxicities of Tl(I) and Tl(III) in a mouse hypothalamic GT1-7 neuronal cell line. Decreased viability and increased cytotoxicity were observed in the GT1-7 cells 16 h after Tl(I) or Tl(III) treatment.

Activity-dependent glassy cell mechanics Ⅰ: Mechanical properties measured with active microrheology.

Active microrheology was conducted in living cells by applying an optical-trapping force to vigorously fluctuating tracer beads with feedback-tracking technology. The complex shear modulus G(ω)=G(ω)-iG(ω) was measured in HeLa cells in an epithelial-like confluent monolayer. We found that G(ω)∝(-iω) over a wide range of frequencies (1 Hz < ω/2π < 10 kHz).

Boerhaave syndrome presenting black pleural effusion: A case report.

A 55-year-old man experienced nausea and vomiting after brushing his teeth. He experienced back pain after this episode and visited our emergency department. Chest computed tomography (CT) images revealed moderate pleural fluid accumulation and mild left pneumothorax.

Nerve branches to the anterior tibial artery: Clinical application.

Arteries receive vascular branches (VBs) from peripheral nerves. VBs are thought to be involved in arterial constriction. Although the anterior tibial artery (ATA) receives VBs, information on their branching patterns and distribution areas remains limited.

Enhancing Cytotoxicity of Tamoxifen Using Oil.

Aromatherapy and plant-based essential oils are widely used as complementary and alternative therapies for various symptoms, including anxiety, mild mood disorders, and cancer-related pain. In a previous study, we developed an in vitro assay using immortalized hypothalamic neuronal cells (GT1-7 cells). In this study, we used this assay to investigate the effects of oil on the cytotoxicity of the oestrogen receptor (ER) antagonist: tamoxifen (TMX).

[Case of Unresectable Gastric Mixed Neuroendocrine Neoplasm(MiNEN)Treated with Chemotherapy].

A 68-year-old man diagnosed with gastric mixed neuroendocrine-non-neuroendocrine neoplasia(MiNEN)concomitant with liver metastasis received chemotherapy using ramucirumab and paclitaxel. A decrease in tumor marker levels and size of the metastatic liver lesions was observed after 3 courses of treatment. However, the patient developed progressive disease after 9 courses of chemotherapy; hence, nivolumab chemotherapy was initiated.

[A Case of Malignant Thyroid Lymphoma That Was Difficult to Differentiate from Methotrexate-Associated Lymphoproliferative Disorders(MTX-LPD)].

A female patient in her 60s was going to get treatment for rheumatoid arthritis(RA). Considering the possibility of using biologics, CT examination was performed for screening of malignant diseases. A mass shadow in the left lobe of the thyroid gland was detected.

[A Case of Metastatic Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Successfully Treated with Modified FOLFIRINOX and Concurrent Radiotherapy].

A 70-year-old man with metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma(cT4N1bM1, cStage Ⅳ)underwent chemotherapy with modified FOLFIRINOX without any severe adverse event to 20 cycles. In the middle of that, concurrent irradiation toward primary lesion(total dose, 43.2 Gy)was administered.

[A Case of Intraductal Apocrine Carcinoma of the Breast].

A female in her 60s who complained of nipple discharge in her left breast for 1 year. A soft mass ill-defined margin in the border of AB area was observed. Mammography showed a focal asymmetric density.

Assessment of intrathoracic lymph nodes by FDG PET/CT in patients with asbestos-related lung cancer.

Background: This study explored the assessment of intrathoracic lymph node metastasis by 18F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) positron emission tomography computed tomography (PET/CT) in patients with asbestos-related lung cancer (ARLC).

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the data on 35 patients with ARLC who underwent preoperative FDG-PET/CT and surgical resection between January 2012 and December 2018. We collected medical information from medical records and imaging systems and examined the FDG uptake in each lymph nodal region resected by surgery and the presence or absence of pathological lymph node metastasis.

A rare case of chest wall tuberculosis: Tuberculous scapulothoracic bursitis.

Chest wall tuberculosis is a relatively rare extrapulmonary tuberculosis, and is often difficult to diagnose and treat because of the lack of symptoms. The scapulothoracic joint is a special joint that does not have a joint capsule, cartilage, or synovial membrane but consists of muscle and bursa. Tuberculosis infection of the scapulothoracic joint is an extremely rare musculoskeletal tuberculosis of the chest wall.

Noise-Induced Acceleration of Single Molecule Kinesin-1.

The movement of single kinesin molecules was observed while applying noisy external forces that mimic intracellular active fluctuations. We found kinesin accelerates under noise, especially when a large hindering load is added. The behavior quantitatively conformed to a theoretical model that describes the kinesin movement with simple two-state reactions.

Primary omental torsion diagnosed and treated laparoscopically: a case report.

Omental torsion, a rare cause of acute abdomen in children and adults, is difficult to correctly diagnose before surgery because it mimics the common causes of acute surgical abdomen. We present a case of greater omental torsion that was diagnosed by laparoscopy. A 37-year-old man presented with right lower abdominal pain and was suspected to have appendicitis.

Catamenial pneumothorax due to heterotopic endometriosis in the pericardium.

A 46-year-old woman presented with a right pneumothorax at a regular medical examination during menstruation. The pneumothorax resolved without intervention; however, 6 months later, she was referred to our hospital due to chest pain and dyspnoea. A chest X-ray showed grade III pneumothorax and surgery was performed.

Recurrent position and innervation pattern of recurrent peroneal nerve: A cadaveric study.

Background: The recurrent peroneal nerve (RPN) branches from the common peroneal nerve or the deep peroneal nerve and it innervates to the lower patellar region. It has recently been reported that damage to the RPN causes pain in the lower patellar region; therefore, this study examined the recurrent position and the innervation pattern of the RPN.

Methods: Cases of knee deformity or atrophy were excluded, and 50 legs (25 males and 25 females) of 34 cadavers (15 males and 19 females) were examined to assess the recurrent position and the innervation pattern of the RPN.

Rapid local compression in active gels is caused by nonlinear network response.

The actin cytoskeleton in living cells generates forces in conjunction with myosin motor proteins to directly and indirectly drive essential cellular processes. The semiflexible filaments of the cytoskeleton can respond nonlinearly to the collective action of motors. We here investigate mechanics and force generation in a model actin cytoskeleton, reconstituted in vitro, by observing the response and fluctuations of embedded micron-scale probe particles.

[Two Cases of Stage Ⅳ Occult Breast Cancer].

The first case is a 62-year-old female who complained of painful left axillary lymph node swelling. Six months later, a CT scan revealed multiple lung nodules. Biopsies of the axillary lymph node and lung showed metastatic carcinoma from breast cancer.

Experimental and theoretical energetics of walking molecular motors under fluctuating environments.

Molecular motors are nonequilibrium open systems that convert chemical energy to mechanical work. Their energetics are essential for various dynamic processes in cells, but largely remain unknown because fluctuations typically arising in small systems prevent investigation of the nonequilibrium behavior of the motors in terms of thermodynamics. Recently, Harada and Sasa proposed a novel equality to measure the dissipation of nonequilibrium small systems.

[A Case of Breast Metastasis of Gastric Cancer after an Eight Year Latency Period].

A 66-year-old woman underwent distal gastrectomy because of gastric cancer(stage ⅠB)and received no adjuvant chemotherapy. Eight years after the operation, computed tomography showed a small nodule in the right breast. Mammography did not reveal any abnormalities.