Clinical study on the utility of allergy tests to detect IgE-mediated anaphylaxis after diclofenac etalhyaluronate administration.

Objectives: This study was conducted to investigate factors involved in anaphylaxis related to diclofenac etalhyaluronate (DEH) [product name: Joyclu® (JCL)] (containing DEH and macrogol 400), which is used to treat patients with osteoarthritis.

Methods: Patients with osteoarthritis were divided into two groups that had (experienced patients) or had not experienced anaphylactic symptoms after JCL administration (non-experienced patients). Five tests performed to assess factors related to anaphylaxis consisted of a skin prick test (SPT) as the primary endpoint and the other tests including basophil activation test, allergen-specific IgE (sIgE) tests using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay or immunochromatographic kits, and genetic study were secondary endpoints.

Postural control strategies with alterations in visual input conditions in a standing position.

Background: Mediated by balance systems, postural control relies heavily on visual input. However, the precise relationship between various visual conditions and postural strategies for balance remains unclear. This study investigated alterations in the center of pressure (COP) and ankle muscle activity during standing positions in healthy individuals under different visual conditions.

Lipid-orchestrated paracrine circuit coordinates mast cell maturation and anaphylaxis through functional interaction with fibroblasts.

Interaction of mast cells (MCs) with fibroblasts is essential for MC maturation within tissue microenvironments, although the underlying mechanism is incompletely understood. Through a phenotypic screening of >30 mouse lines deficient in lipid-related genes, we found that deletion of the lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) receptor LPA, like that of the phospholipase PLA2G3, the prostaglandin D (PGD) synthase L-PGDS, or the PGD receptor DP1, impairs MC maturation and thereby anaphylaxis. Mechanistically, MC-secreted PLA2G3 acts on extracellular vesicles (EVs) to supply lysophospholipids, which are converted by fibroblast-derived autotaxin (ATX) to LPA.

Exercises with the StretchPole improve shoulder joint range of motion.

The 'StretchPole' foam roller product is mainly used to loosen muscle groups and joints in the deeper layers of the body that are normally inaccessible to the human hand, and to realign the skeletal structure by lying on the pole and performing exercises. It is also used to strengthen the core, which plays an important role in postural maintenance and stability. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of the 'Solacon' exercise routine using a StretchPole on shoulder joint range of motion.

Preliminary study of standardized semiquantitative method for ultrasonographic breast composition assessment.

Purpose: To develop a classification tree via semiquantitative analysis for ultrasonographic breast composition assessment using routine breast ultrasonography examination images.

Methods: This study retrospectively enrolled 100 consecutive normal women who underwent screening mammography and supplemental ultrasonography. Based on sonographic breast composition, the patients' breasts were classified as nondense or dense, which were correlated with mammographic breast composition.

Heterotelechelic Silicones: Facile Synthesis and Functionalization Using Silane-Based Initiators.

The synthetic utility of heterotelechelic polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) derivatives is limited due to challenges in preparing materials with high chain-end fidelity. In this study, anionic ring-opening polymerization (AROP) of hexamethylcyclotrisiloxane (D) monomers using a specifically designed silyl hydride (Si-H)-based initiator provides a versatile approach toward a library of heterotelechelic PDMS polymers. A novel initiator, where the Si-H terminal group is connected to a C atom (H-Si-C) and not an O atom (H-Si-O) as in traditional systems, suppresses intermolecular transfer of the Si-H group, leading to heterotelechelic PDMS derivatives with a high degree of control over chain ends.

Clinical investigation for the mechanisms of anaphylactic symptoms in osteoarthritis patients after diclofenac etalhyaluronate administration.

Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the mechanisms of anaphylaxis in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee and hip after diclofenac etalhyaluronate [product name: JOYCLU® (JCL)] intra-articular injection and to determine the utility of tests to investigate the mechanism involved.

Methods: In this observational study in Japan, patients aged ≥20 years with knee or hip osteoarthritis who received JCL intra-articular injection experienced anaphylactic symptoms considered related to JCL ('experienced patients') or did not experience allergic symptoms considered related to JCL ('non-experienced patients'). Basophil activation tests (BATs), specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibody testing by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) or immunochromatographic kit, and genome-wide association studies (GWASs) were conducted using patient blood and saliva.

Tailoring Writability and Performance of Star Block Copolypeptides Hydrogels through Side-Chain Design.

Shear-recoverable hydrogels based on block copolypeptides with rapid self-recovery hold potential in extrudable and injectable 3D-printing applications. In this work, a series of 3-arm star-shaped block copolypeptides composed of an inner hydrophilic poly(l-glutamate) domain and an outer β-sheet forming domain is synthesized with varying side chains and block lengths. By changing the β-sheet forming domains, hydrogels with diverse microstructures and mechanical properties are prepared and structure-function relationships are determined using scattering and rheological techniques.

Retraction: In utero-exposed di(n-butyl) phthalate induce dose dependent, age-related changes of morphology and testosterone-biosynthesis enzymes/associated proteins of Leydig cell mitochondria in rats.

Editor's AnnouncementIn utero-exposed di(n-butyl) phthalate induce dose dependent, age-related changes of morphology and testosterone-biosynthesis enzymes/associated proteins of Leydig cell mitochondria in ratsMasaya Motohashi, Michael F. Wempe, Tomoko Mutou, Yuya Okayama, Norio Kansaku, Hiroyuki Takahashi, Masahiro Ikegami, Masao Asari, Shin Wakui(The Journal of Toxicological Sciences, 41, 195-206, 2016) I have retracted the above paper as Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of Toxicological Sciences since I have serious concerns about it, primarily due to inappropriate authorship on a non-negligible scale.When it was brought to my attention that there was inappropriate authorship in this paper, I contacted the co-authors to confirm this point.

Safety Profile and Effectiveness of Rivaroxaban for Patients With Venous Thromboembolism in Japan - Results From Post-Marketing Surveillance (XASSENT).

Background: The incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE; pulmonary embolism [PE] and/or deep vein thrombosis [DVT]) in Japan is increasing, but relatively small numbers of patients from Japan have been included in studies investigating rivaroxaban (a direct factor Xa inhibitor) for the treatment of VTE and preventing its recurrence.

Methods and results: An open-label, prospective, observational study (XASSENT [NCT02558465]) investigated the safety profile and effectiveness of rivaroxaban for ≤2 years in the treatment of VTE and prevention of its recurrence in Japanese clinical practice. Primary outcomes were major bleeding and symptomatic recurrent VTE.

Building Tunable Degradation into High-Performance Poly(acrylate) Pressure-Sensitive Adhesives.

Pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs) based on poly(acrylate) chemistry are common in a wide variety of applications, but the absence of backbone degradability causes issues with recycling and sustainability. Here, we report a strategy to create degradable poly(acrylate) PSAs using simple, scalable, and functional 1,2-dithiolanes as drop-in replacements for traditional acrylate comonomers. Our key building block is α-lipoic acid, a natural, biocompatible, and commercially available antioxidant found in various consumer supplements.

Benefits of guideline-directed medical therapy to loop diuretics in management of heart failure.

Background: We sought to compare the outcomes of patients receiving combination therapy of diuretics and neurohormonal blockers, with a matched cohort with monotherapy of loop diuretics, using real-world big data.

Methods: This study was based on the Diagnosis Procedure Combination database in the Japanese Registry of All Cardiac and Vascular Datasets (JROAD-DPC). After exclusion criteria, we identified 78,685 patients who were first hospitalized with heart failure (HF) between April 2015 and March 2017.

Triboelectric Nanogenerators: Enhancing Performance by Increasing the Charge-Generating Layer Compressibility.

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have received significant attention for next-generation wearable electronics due to their simple device structure and low cost. Although the performance of TENGs is intimately tied to compressibility effects in the charge-generating layer, achieving high compressibility with conventional elastomers is challenging because molecular entanglements place a lower bound on the softness of cross-linked networks. Here, we demonstrate that bottlebrush elastomers are efficient charge-generating layers that improve the output performance of TENGs, including voltage, current, and surface potential, by minimizing entanglements and decreasing the compressive modulus ().

SV40 miR-S1 and Cellular miR-1266 Sequester Each Other from Their Targets, Enhancing Telomerase Activity and Viral Replication.

Virus-encoded microRNAs (miRNAs) target viral and host mRNAs to repress protein production from viral and host genes, and regulate viral persistence, cell transformation, and evasion of the immune system. The present study demonstrated that simian virus 40 (SV40)-encoded miRNA miR-S1 targets a cellular miRNA miR-1266 to derepress their respective target proteins, namely, T antigens (Tags) and telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT). An in silico search for cellular miRNAs to interact with viral miR-S1 yielded nine potential miRNAs, five of which, including miR-1266, were found to interact with miR-S1 in dual-luciferase tests employing reporter plasmids containing the miRNA sequences with miR-S1.

Impact of three major risk factors on clinical outcomes in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation receiving rivaroxaban: Sub-analysis from the XAPASS study.

Background: To evaluate the impact of three risk factors (age [≥75 years], renal impairment [creatinine clearance <50 ml/min], and low body weight [≤50 kg]) on the risk of any bleeding events, all-cause mortality, and stroke, non-central nervous system (non-CNS) systemic embolism (SE), and myocardial infarction (MI) in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) treated with rivaroxaban in a real-world clinical setting.

Methods: The Xarelto Post-Authorization Safety and Effectiveness Study in Japanese Patients with Atrial Fibrillation (XAPASS) is a prospective, single-arm, observational study. Enrolled patients were divided into four subgroups by the number of risk factors.

Neuro-allergology: Mast cell-nerve cross-talk.

Mast cells (MCs) are derived from hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow, and their maturation is regulated by the tissue environment, such as the skin, lung and gut, leading to host defense. Peripheral nerve fibers located in various tissues are involved in diverse physiological and pathological processes. Anatomical relationships between MCs and nerve fibers were reported to have been observed in various organs.

Effectiveness and safety of sorafenib for renal cell, hepatocellular and thyroid carcinoma: pooled analysis in patients with renal impairment.

Purpose: Sorafenib is an oral multikinase inhibitor with regulatory approval in advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC), hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and refractory differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC). Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) inhibitors like sorafenib may cause proteinuria. This study aimed to analyze the effectiveness and safety of sorafenib in RCC, HCC and DTC patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).