Dural perforation and life-threatening central nervous system complications associated with septic arthritis of the lumbar facet joint: illustrative case.

Background: Septic arthritis of the lumbar facet joint (SALFJ) is a rare condition that can lead to serious complications. The authors present an uncommon case in which SALFJ resulted in bacterial meningitis (BM) with hydrocephalus and pyogenic ventriculitis, causing a disturbance of consciousness. Reports describing perforation of the dura mater by an epidural abscess are rare, and the present case offers valuable insights into the management of complex and severe complications arising from SALFJ.

Adult hypophosphatasia presenting with recurrent acute joint pain.

Summary: Hypophosphatasia (HPP) is a genetic disorder due to pathological variants in ALPL, the gene encoding tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase (ALP). HPP is typically associated with bone-related symptoms, such as bone deformity, fractures and bone pain in children, but can appear in adults with symptoms resembling arthritis. A 22-year-old male experienced repeated and severe sudden attacks of joint pain in the elbows and knees.

Treatment strategies for soft tissue injuries associated with blunt brachial artery injury.

Introduction: Blunt brachial artery injuries (BAI) require reconstruction with an extensive vein graft due to the wide area of arterial damage. In the upper arm, safe options for pedicle flaps are limited, and selecting recipient vessels for free-flap surgery is challenging, complicating the treatment of soft tissue injuries associated with blunt BAI. This study aimed to analyze the characteristics and soft tissue reconstruction of blunt BAI and propose treatment strategies for treating associated soft tissue injuries.

Plasma amyloid-β precursor protein /amyloid-β ratio is associated with cognition in Alzheimer's disease.

Plasma amyloid-β (Aβ) markers are significant predictors of Aβ pathology. However, their prognostic value for cognition in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) is unknown. We compared plasma amyloid-β precursor protein (APP) and Aβ levels between cognitively unimpaired participants (CU) and those with MCI due to AD and AD dementia.

Association between allergic diseases and mucosal healing in ulcerative colitis.

Allergic diseases and ulcerative colitis (UC) share pathophysiological similarities. This study aimed to investigate the unclear association between allergic diseases and mucosal healing (MH), an important factor in the prognosis of UC. We studied 289 Japanese patients with UC.

Orderly Arranged Cubic Quantum Dots along Supramolecular Templates of Naphthalenediimide Aggregates.

Precise control of assembled structures of quantum dots (QDs) is crucial for realizing the desired photophysical properties, but this remains challenging. Especially, the one-dimensional (1D) control is rare due to the nearly isotropic nature of QDs. Herein, we propose a novel strategy for controlling the 1D-arrangement range of cubic perovskite QDs in solution based on the morphological modification of a supramolecular polymer (SP) template.

Nerve Capping Using Renerve® Synthetic Collagen Conduits for Hand Amputation Neuroma Pain.

Amputated neuromas, a common consequence of peripheral nerve injury, can cause significant pain and may impair daily life. Herein, we conducted a retrospective study on patients who underwent a nerve-capping technique using the bioabsorbable nerve conduit Renerve®, with a minimum follow-up period of 6 months. We conducted a retrospective study to assess patients with amputation neuromas of the finger or palm who underwent surgical treatment using the capping technique with the Renerve® conduit between October 2018 and September 2022.

Lecanemab-Associated Amyloid-β Protofibril in Cerebrospinal Fluid Correlates with Biomarkers of Neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's Disease.

Objective: The Clarity AD phase III trial showed that lecanemab reduced amyloid markers in early Alzheimer's disease (AD) and resulted in less decline on measures of cognition and function than placebo. Herein, we aimed to characterize amyloid-β (Aβ) protofibril (PF) captured by lecanemab in human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from living participants with different stages in AD, which enable an enhanced understanding of the dynamic changes of lecanemab-associated Aβ-PF (Lec-PF) in vivo.

Methods: We newly developed a unique and highly sensitive immunoassay method using lecanemab that selectively captures Lec-PF.

Multiple secondary stabiliser injuries increase rotational instability in anterior cruciate ligament-deficient knees.

Purpose: Medial meniscus ramp lesions (MMRLs), lateral meniscus posterior root tears (LMPRTs), and anterolateral complex injuries (ALCIs) are major secondary stabiliser injuries associated with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. This study aimed to investigate the effect of the number of secondary stabiliser injuries on knee instability in ACL injuries.

Methods: Patients who underwent primary ACL reconstruction between January 2017 and May 2023 were enroled in this study.

Genetic landscape in undiagnosed patients with syndromic hearing loss revealed by whole exome sequencing and phenotype similarity search.

There are hundreds of rare syndromic diseases involving hearing loss, many of which are not targeted for clinical genetic testing. We systematically explored the genetic causes of undiagnosed syndromic hearing loss using a combination of whole exome sequencing (WES) and a phenotype similarity search system called PubCaseFinder. Fifty-five families with syndromic hearing loss of unknown cause were analyzed using WES after prescreening of several deafness genes depending on patient clinical features.

PMDA Perspective on Use of Real-World Data and Real-World Evidence as an External Control: Recent Examples and Considerations.

Recent discussions about the utilization of real-world data (RWD) and real-world evidence (RWE) have been more focused on drug development for regulatory approval rather than during the post-marketing stage. In Japan, RWD/RWE have been practically utilized as an external control for drug approval. Most cases were related to orphan diseases where the feasibility of conducting randomized controlled clinical trials was generally low.

Hypoxia-induced increase in sphingomyelin synthase 2 aggravates ischemic skeletal muscle inflammation.

Critical limb ischemia (CLI) is the most advanced stage of peripheral arterial disease, posing a high risk of mortality. Sphingomyelin, a sphingolipid synthesized by sphingomyelin synthases (SMSs) 1 and 2, plays an essential role in signal transduction as a component of lipid rafts. However, the role of sphingomyelin in the inflammation of ischemic skeletal muscles remains unclear.

Imaging phenotype reveals that disulfirams induce protein insolubility in the mitochondrial matrix.

The cell painting assay is useful for understanding cellular phenotypic changes and drug effects. To identify other aspects of well-known chemicals, we screened 258 compounds with the cell painting assay and focused on a mitochondrial punctate phenotype seen with disulfiram. To elucidate the reason for this punctate phenotype, we looked for clues by examining staining steps and gene knockdown as well as examining protein solubility and comparing cell lines.

Structural MRI study of Pareidolia and Visual Hallucinations in Drug-Naïve Parkinson's disease.

Visual hallucinations (VH) and pareidolia, a type of minor hallucination, share common underlying mechanisms. However, the similarities and differences in their brain regions remain poorly understood in Parkinson's disease (PD). A total of 104 drug-naïve PD patients underwent structural MRI and were assessed for pareidolia using the Noise Pareidolia Test (NPT) were enrolled.

A Reflective Terahertz Point Source Meta-Sensor with Asymmetric Meta-Atoms for High-Sensitivity Bio-Sensing.

Biosensors operating in the terahertz (THz) region are gaining substantial interest in biomedical analysis due to their significant potential for high-sensitivity trace-amount solution detection. However, progress in compact, high-sensitivity chips and methods for simple, rapid and trace-level measurements is limited by the spatial resolution of THz waves and their strong absorption in polar solvents. In this work, a compact nonlinear optical crystal (NLOC)-based reflective THz biosensor with a few arrays of asymmetrical meta-atoms was developed.

Greater Rotational Knee Laxity Observed at Second-Look Arthroscopy in Patients With Failed Meniscal Repair Performed at the Time of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction.

Purpose: To evaluate the healing of meniscal repair performed concomitantly with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) using second-look arthroscopy, as well as the relationship between meniscal healing and knee laxity using quantitative evaluation under anesthesia.

Methods: This retrospective study included patients who underwent primary double-bundle ACLR with meniscal repair between June 2016 and June 2021, with a 2-year minimum follow-up. Meniscal healing was evaluated by second-look arthroscopy at least 1 year postoperatively, and knee laxity was measured under general anesthesia preoperatively, intraoperatively, and at second-look arthroscopy.

Generating a mirror-image monobody targeting MCP-1 via TRAP display and chemical protein synthesis.

Biologically produced protein drugs are generally susceptible to degradation by proteases and often exhibit immunogenicity. To address this issue, mirror-image peptide/protein binders consisting of D-amino acids have been developed so far through the mirror-image phage display technique. Here, we develop a mirror-image protein binder derived from a monobody, one of the promising protein scaffolds, utilizing two notable technologies: chemical protein synthesis and TRAP display, an improved version of mRNA display.

Long-term follow-up of chronic osteomyelitis after bone tumor resection.

The standard treatment for chronic osteomyelitis after trauma is affected bone resection and bone and soft tissue defect reconstruction. However, few reports exist regarding chronic osteomyelitis after bone tumor surgery. We retrospectively reviewed five cases of chronic infection after bone tumor surgery, including their treatment strategy and clinical course.

Real-world status of multimodal treatment of Stage IIIA-N2 non-small cell lung cancer in Japan: Results from the SOLUTION study, a non-interventional, multicenter cohort study.

Objectives: There is limited consensus on resectability criteria for Stage IIIA-N2 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We examined the patient characteristics, N2 status, treatment decisions, and clinical outcomes according to the treatment modality for Stage IIIA-N2 NSCLC in Japan.

Materials And Methods: Patients with Stage IIIA-N2 NSCLC in Japan were consecutively registered in the SOLUTION study between 2013 and 2014.

Diverse microbiome functions, limited temporal variation and substantial genomic conservation within sedimentary and granite rock deep underground research laboratories.

Background: Underground research laboratories (URLs) provide a window on the deep biosphere and enable investigation of potential microbial impacts on nuclear waste, CO and H stored in the subsurface. We carried out the first multi-year study of groundwater microbiomes sampled from defined intervals between 140 and 400 m below the surface of the Horonobe and Mizunami URLs, Japan.

Results: We reconstructed draft genomes for > 90% of all organisms detected over a four year period.

CAR-NK cells derived from cord blood originate mainly from CD56CD7CD34HLA-DRLin NK progenitor cells.

Cord blood (CB)-derived chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-natural killer (NK) cells targeting CD19 have been shown to be effective against B cell malignancies. While human CD56 NK cells can be expanded , NK cells can also be differentiated from hematopoietic progenitor cells. It is still unclear whether CAR-NK cells originate from mature NK cells or NK progenitor cells in CB.

Impact of Nutritional Status and Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing-Based Exercise Education on Long-Term Outcomes in Acute Coronary Syndrome - Insights From the Mie ACS Registry.

Background: Exercise training based on cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) improves outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), while nutritional status is also crucial. This study evaluated CPET implementation and the impacts of clinical parameters, including CPET and nutritional status, on 2-year outcomes in ACS patients.

Methods And Results: Data from 2,621 ACS patients enrolled in the Mie ACS registry were analyzed.

Risk Factors and Impact on Survival of Pathological Fractures in Patients With Humeral Metastasis.

Background Bone metastases often cause pathological fractures and impair patients' quality of life and survival. Although several studies have been conducted on pathological fractures in the femur and spine, limited research has been done on the upper limbs. This study aimed to reveal the risk factors and determine how pathological fractures impact survival in patients with humeral metastasis.

Meiotic DNA break resection and recombination rely on chromatin remodeler Fun30.

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are nucleolytically processed to generate single-stranded DNA for homologous recombination. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae meiosis, this resection involves nicking by the Mre11-Rad50-Xrs2 complex (MRX), then exonucleolytic digestion by Exo1. Chromatin remodeling at meiotic DSBs is thought necessary for resection, but the remodeling enzyme was unknown.