Subcutaneous adipose tissue radiodensity as a predictor of poor prognosis in advanced biliary tract cancer.

Background: High subcutaneous adipose tissue radiodensity (SATr), an indirect surrogate marker of adipose tissue quality, was associated with poor prognosis in various cancers. The present study aimed to assess the association of SATr with survival outcomes in patients with advanced biliary tract cancer (BTC).

Methods: This retrospective, single-center study included patients with unresectable or recurrent BTC who underwent chemotherapy/chemoradiotherapy.

Specific PCR primer designed from genome data for rapid detection of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense tropical race 4 in the Cavendish banana.

Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc) tropical race 4 (TR4) severely affects banana production worldwide.

Orthogonal Agent Comprising a Nitrile N-Oxide and a Phenylcarbamate for Facile Molecular Integration on Styrne-Butadiene Resin.

The covalent attachment of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEGylation) to materials minimizes non-specific fouling of the material surface with biocomponents. While the PEGylation reaction on polar surfaces is widely used and regarded as a common technique, the PEGylation on less polar polymers and elastomers is extremely difficult due to the absence of reactive points with PEG terminus. Herein, the design and synthesis of an orthogonal agent with a nitrile N-oxide and a phenyl carbamate that can mediate between an alkene and an amine are reported.

Iron-Based Layered Perovskite Oxyfluoride Electrocatalyst for Oxygen Evolution: Insights from Crystal Facets with Heteroanionic Coordination.

Mixed-anion compounds have recently attracted attention as solid-state materials that exhibit properties unattainable with those of their single-anion counterparts. However, the use of mixed-anion compounds to control the morphology and engineer the crystal facets of electrocatalysts has been limited because their synthesis method is still immature. This study explored the electrocatalytic properties of a Pb-Fe oxyfluoride, PbFeOF, with a layered perovskite structure for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and compared its properties in detail with those of a bulk-type cubic three-dimensional (3D) perovskite, PbFeOF.

Secular change in seaweed species composition and coverage of Sargassaceae on the artificial reef in Wakasa Bay, Japan.

The threat of declining seaweed beds has been a concern around the world. Seagrass and seaweed (brown algae) beds are essential habitats supporting fisheries. However, approximately 22% of these habitats have been lost in Japan due to increased coastal landfill sites and ports.

Evaluation of the association between predictive factors and the development of immune-related adverse events and prognostic factors for chemoimmunotherapy in patients with non-small cell lung cancer: A multicenter retrospective study.

Introduction: Chemoimmunotherapy is widely used as the first-line management of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in clinical settings. However, predictive factors associated with the development of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) and prognostic factors for NSCLC patients undergoing chemoimmunotherapy remains largely unexplored. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to evaluate predictive factors for irAE development and prognostic factors associated with chemoimmunotherapy in NSCLC patients.

Children's injuries in legislated types child-care institutions.

Background: Severe injuries in child-care institutions are an important social issue. However, no reports on this matter have been made in Japan. This study examined trends in severe injuries at child-care institutions, including the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Preoperative risk factors for skeletal muscle mass loss in patients with biliary tract cancer.

Background: Endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERC)-related procedures, usually performed before biliary tract cancer (BTC) surgery, are associated with increased risk for various complications, which can cause sarcopenia. No study has previously elucidated the relationship between preoperative ERC-related procedures and sarcopenia/skeletal muscle mass loss.

Methods: Patients with BTC who underwent radical surgical resection following ERC-related procedures were included.

GGT1 is a SNP eQTL gene involved in STAT3 activation and associated with the development of Post-ERCP pancreatitis.

Post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP) is an acute pancreatitis caused by endoscopic-retrograde-cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). About 10% of patients develop PEP after ERCP. Here we show that gamma-glutamyltransferase 1 (GGT1)-SNP rs5751901 is an eQTL in pancreatic cells associated with PEP and a positive regulator of the IL-6 amplifier.

Surgical management of omega deformity in a patient with neurofibromatosis type 1: a case report.

Purpose: To describe the surgical treatment in a patient with a partial omega deformity in the thoracic spine with neurofibromatosis type 1.

Methods: The patient was a 55-year-old man with an omega deformity, which is defined as a curvature in which the end vertebra is positioned at the level of, above, or below the apical vertebra (i.e.

Simultaneous Recording of Remote Domain Dynamics in Membrane Proteins Using the Double-Labeled DXB/DXT Technique.

Protein dynamics play important roles in biological functions, which accompany allosteric structure changes. Diffracted X-ray blinking (DXB) uses monochromatic X-rays and nanocrystal probes. The intramolecular motion of target proteins is analyzed from the intensity changes in detector signals at the diffraction rings.

Modification of Visible-Light-Responsive PbTiOF with Metal Oxide Cocatalysts to Improve Photocatalytic O Evolution toward Z-Scheme Overall Water Splitting.

The development of a highly active photocatalyst for visible-light water splitting requires a high-quality semiconductor material and a cocatalyst, which promote both the migration of photogenerated charge carriers and surface redox reactions. In this work, a cocatalyst was loaded onto an oxyfluoride photocatalyst, PbTiOF, to improve the water oxidation activity. Among the metal oxides examined as cocatalysts, RuO was found to be the most suitable, and the O evolution activity depended on the preparation conditions for Ru/PbTiOF.

Description and Pathogenicity of sp. nov, a Cherelle Wilt Pathogen Belonging to the Gigasporum Species Complex.

Similar to cacao pod rot, cherelle wilt decreases production from cacao fields. Among all known fungal pathogens of the cacao, spp. are common infectious agents that affect the cherelles and pods of cacao; thus, cacao diseases are often classified by stage.

Surgical Management of Intraosseous Neurofibroma in Cervical Spine: A Case Report.

Case: A 30-year-old man had cervical radiculomyelopathy and neck pain caused by a massive intraosseous neurofibroma (IONF) originating from the C6 vertebrae. We performed posterior tumor resection with spinal instrumentation and fusion from C3 to T2 and a follow-up resection procedure of the remaining C6 anterior tumor, sacrificing the affected vertebral artery (VA), which accordingly required bypass surgery at 2 months recovery. Reconstruction using a titanium mesh cage was successfully performed.

Lumbar clear cell meningioma mimicking schwannoma 7 years after resection of the same type of intracranial tumor: a case report.

Background: Meningioma is the second most common intradural extramedullary tumor, following schwannoma. Meningioma is primarily categorized as benign World Health Organization grade 1, but clear cell meningioma is grade 2 of the intermediate malignant category. Clear cell meningiomas are rare, accounting for less than 1% of all meningioma tumors.

Prognostic Value of the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index in Previously Untreated Patients with Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Treated with a Combination Therapy of Anti-PD-1/-PD-L1 Antibodies and Platinum-Based Chemotherapy: A Multicenter Retrospective Study.

Introduction: Combination therapy of anti-programmed cell death 1 (PD-1)/programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) antibodies and platinum-based chemotherapy has been widely used as a first-line treatment for patients with unresectable advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in clinical settings; however, prognostic biomarkers associated with survival outcomes have not been sufficiently investigated.

Methods: We enrolled 147 previously untreated patients with advanced NSCLC who were treated with a combination therapy of anti-PD-1/-PD-L1 antibodies and platinum-based chemotherapy at eight institutions in Nagano Prefecture between December 2018 and April 2023. We evaluated the prognostic value of the geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI), a systemic inflammatory nutritional biomarker calculated from body weight and serum albumin level, for patients with NSCLC treated with a combination therapy of anti-PD-1/-PD-L1 antibodies and platinum-based chemotherapy.

Visualization of the Dynamics of Photoinduced Crawling Motion of 4-(Methylamino)Azobenzene Crystals via Diffracted X-ray Tracking.

The photoinduced crawling motion of crystals is a continuous motion that azobenzene molecular crystals exhibit under light irradiation. Such motion enables object manipulation at the microscale with a simple setup of fixed LED light sources. Transportation of nano-/micromaterials using photoinduced crawling motion has recently been reported.

Pulmonary Spindle Cell Carcinoma Presenting Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase Rearrangement.

Pulmonary spindle cell carcinoma is a subtype of pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma and a very rare tumor type with a poor prognosis. A few case reports have documented patients with pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma with anaplastic lymphoma kinase rearrangement, and the efficacy and outcomes of anaplastic lymphoma kinase inhibitors remain unclear. Herein, we present the case of a 60-year-old woman with stage IVB disease who was diagnosed with a metastatic brain tumor.

Vapor-Induced Assembly of a Platinum(II) Complex Loaded on Layered Double Hydroxide Nanoparticles.

Invited for the cover of this issue is the group of Masaki Yoshida and Masako Kato at Hokkaido University/Kwansei Gakuin University. The image depicts the changes in the assembly of Pt complexes with humidity on layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanoparticles, resulting in a drastic emission color change from green to orange. Read the full text of the article at 10.

Cooperative Spin-State Switching and Vapochromism of Mononuclear Ni(II) Complexes by Pyridine Coordination/Decoordination.

Two mononuclear Ni(II) complexes ( and ) have been found to display color changes upon coordination/decoordination of pyridine, resulting in their structural transformation between square-planar and octahedral geometries as well as a change in their spin state. Compound changes between red () and yellow () upon exposure to or elimination of pyridine, while undergoes a two-step transformation, changing orange ( = 0) ⇄ gray ( = 1) → yellow ( = 1) depending on the reaction time. The first step ( → ) takes less than 45 min, which is significantly faster than the previously reported reaction time of 1 day for a Ni(II) complex/pyridine vapor system.

Metabolomics of Duodenal Juice for Biliary Tract Cancer Diagnosis.

The poor prognosis of malignant biliary diseases is partially caused by their difficult early diagnosis. Therefore, many patients are only diagnosed at advanced stages. This study aimed to improve diagnosis by clarifying the differences in the duodenal juice metabolomes of benign and malignant biliary diseases.

Real-Time Observation of Capsaicin-Induced Intracellular Domain Dynamics of TRPV1 Using the Diffracted X-ray Tracking Method.

The transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 (TRPV1) is a multimodal receptor which responds to various stimuli, including capsaicin, protons, and heat. Recent advances in cryo-electron microscopy have revealed the structures of TRPV1. However, due to the large size of TRPV1 and its structural complexity, the detailed process of channel gating has not been well documented.

CH Synthesis from CO and HO of an Electron Source over Rh-Ru Cocatalysts Loaded on NaTaO:Sr Photocatalysts.

CO reduction as an artificial photosynthetic system is a promising technology to produce green energies and chemicals because it uses light energy to convert HO and CO into valuable products such as CO, HCOOH, CHOH, CH, and preferably higher hydrocarbons. In photocatalytic reduction, water should be used as hydrogen and electron sources for CO reduction. Moreover, CH formation is an attractive and challenging topic because of the eight-electron-reducing product of CO.