Factors affecting mass inflow of quaternary ammonium compounds into Japanese sewage treatment plants.

Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs), ecotoxic organic chemicals linked to multidrug resistance, are being used increasingly, for example to prevent the transmission of infections such as covid-19, in households, hospitals, and industry. To understand the locations, fluctuations, and fractions of QACs entering sewers, we monitored 14 QACs (benzalkonium chloride [BAC]-C8, C10, C12, C14, C16, and C18; dialkyldimethylammonium chloride [DDAC]-C8, C10, and C12; alkyltrimethylammonium chloride [ATAC]-C12, C16, and C18; benzethonium chloride; and cetylpyridinium chloride), and a disinfectant (chlorhexidine) in influent at four Japanese sewage treatment plants (STPs) five times throughout a year. Mass inflows were relatively stable throughout the year, indicating that the recent seasonal covid-19 epidemic did not greatly influence them.

Association between gut microbiota and ultra-processed foods consumption among the patients with type 2 diabetes: a cross-sectional study.

Background: This study aimed to explore the relationship between ultra-processed foods (UPFs) consumption and gut microbiota in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 362 participants with T2D. UPFs consumption was assessed using a brief-type self-administered diet history questionnaire, quantified as the density of UPFs intake (g/1000 kcal).

Dynamically patterning x-ray beam by a femtosecond optical laser.

Modern science and technology have greatly benefitted from our ability to precisely manipulate light waves, in both their spatial and temporal degrees of freedom. In the x-ray region, however, spatial control has been virtually static mainly due to stringent requirements for realizing high-performance optical elements. The lack of dynamic spatial control of x-ray beam has prevented researchers from realizing more sophisticated use of the wave field, which has rapidly advanced in the optical region in the past decades.

Multicenter, open label, randomized controlled superiority trial for availability to reduce nocturnal urination frequency: The TOP-STAR study.

Aim: Nocturia impairs the quality of life in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Although sodium glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) such as tofogliflozin increase urine volume, their impact on nocturia, in conjunction with dietary salt restriction, is less clear.

Materials And Methods: This multicenter, open-label, randomized, parallel-group trial included 80 subjects with type 2 diabetes and nocturia.

Hard X-ray Fourier transform holography at free electron lasers source.

We report on the feasibility of Fourier transform holography in the hard X-ray regime using a Free Electron Laser source. Our study shows successful single and multi-pulse holographic reconstructions of the nanostructures. We observe beam-induced heating of the sample exposed to the intense X-ray pulses leading to reduced visibility of the holographic reconstructions.

X-ray optics for the cavity-based X-ray free-electron laser.

A cavity-based X-ray free-electron laser (CBXFEL) is a possible future direction in the development of fully coherent X-ray sources. CBXFELs consist of a low-emittance electron source, a magnet system with several undulators and chicanes, and an X-ray cavity. The X-ray cavity stores and circulates X-ray pulses for repeated FEL interactions with electron pulses until the FEL reaches saturation.

Relationship between diabetes diet-related quality of life and dietary fiber intake among people with type 2 diabetes: a cross-sectional study.

Diet therapy is one of the most important treatments for people with type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, dietary restrictions due to diet therapy may reduce quality of life (QOL). This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the association between diabetes diet-related QOL and dietary fiber intake in 238 people with T2D.

Field-effect transistor biosensor with signal amplification by ternary initiation complexes for detection of wide-range RNA concentration.

Electrical detection of RNAs using transistor-based biosensors has attracted attention as a strategy for medical diagnosis and environmental monitoring. Herein, we demonstrated a proof-of-concept for specific, sensitive, and label-free RNA detection using a field-effect transistor (FET) biosensor with signal amplification by ternary initiation complexes (SATIC), which is an isothermal one-step nucleic acid amplification initiated by the combination of target RNA, circular DNA template and DNA primer. The SATIC system-applied FET biosensor specifically and quantitatively detected the target RNA with a single-nucleotide difference via the negative charges derived from the amplification products formed by a nucleic acid amplification reaction with φ29 DNA polymerase on the gate surface.

Associations between thyroid hormones and appendicular skeletal muscle index, and hand grip strength in people with diabetes: The KAMOGAWA-A study.

Aim: To assess the effects of thyroid hormones on appendicular skeletal muscle index (SMI) and hand grip strength (HGS) in people with diabetes.

Methods: This cross-sectional cohort included 1,135 participants with diabetes admitted to 3 hospitals in Japan. Multiple regression analysis was performed to determine the associations among thyroid hormone levels, SMI, and HGS.

Seeded stimulated X-ray emission at 5.9 keV.

X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) provide intense pulses that can generate stimulated X-ray emission, a phenomenon that has been observed and studied in materials ranging from neon to copper. Two schemes have been employed: amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) and seeded stimulated emission (SSE), where a second color XFEL pulse provides the seed. Both phenomena are currently explored for coherent X-ray laser sources and spectroscopy.

High-precision finishing method for narrow-groove channel-cut crystal x-ray monochromator using plasma chemical vaporization machining with wire electrode.

A channel-cut crystal monochromator (CCM) is a popular and powerful device for producing monochromatic x-ray beams with extreme angular stability at a nano-radian level. Narrowing the groove width of CCMs has various benefits; for example, it is made possible to design more compact CCMs with an equivalent working energy range and to reduce the optical delay and the amount of beam shift, enhancing compatibility with various experimental techniques. An obstacle to the use of narrow-groove CCMs is the lack of a high-precision finishing method for the inner-wall reflecting surfaces, which imposes the distortion of x-ray wavefronts and spectral purity.

A versatile pressure-cell design for studying ultrafast molecular-dynamics in supercritical fluids using coherent multi-pulse x-ray scattering.

Supercritical fluids (SCFs) can be found in a variety of environmental and industrial processes. They exhibit an anomalous thermodynamic behavior, which originates from their fluctuating heterogeneous micro-structure. Characterizing the dynamics of these fluids at high temperature and high pressure with nanometer spatial and picosecond temporal resolution has been very challenging.

Reasons for Discontinuing Treatment with Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitors in Patients with Diabetes in Real-World Settings: The KAMOGAWA-A Study.

Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) are a class of antidiabetic agents known to exert cardioprotective, renoprotective, and hypoglycemic effects. However, these agents have been associated with adverse effects, such as genital infection, volume depletion, hypoglycemia, and diabetic ketoacidosis, resulting in drug discontinuation. Herein, we aimed to determine the reasons for discontinuing treatment with SGLT2is among Japanese patients with diabetes.

Femtosecond Reduction of Atomic Scattering Factors Triggered by Intense X-Ray Pulse.

X-ray diffraction of silicon irradiated with tightly focused femtosecond x-ray pulses (photon energy, 11.5 keV; pulse duration, 6 fs) was measured at various x-ray intensities up to 4.6×10^{19}  W/cm^{2}.

Tailoring Effective Phage Cocktails for Long-Term Lysis of Based on Physiological Properties of Constituent Phages.

Background: Bacteriophage (phage) therapy has regained attention as an alternative to antimicrobial agents for eliminating bacteria; however, the emergence of phage-resistant bacteria during the therapy is a major concern. One method to control this emergence is to create a cocktail composed of multiple phages.

Materials And Methods: In this study, we isolated 28 phages infecting and evaluated their bacteriolysis (lysis) activity, lytic spectrum, adsorption rate constant, burst size, and titer of a 1-day incubation, followed by clustering of the phages based on these physiological characteristics.

A case of pituitary metastasis discovered when diabetes insipidus developed in a patient 20 years after breast cancer treatment.

The patient was a 52-year-old woman. She had a history of left breast cancer at age 32 years, with no recurrences. She was examined for a feeling of oral dryness and nocturia, and central diabetes insipidus was diagnosed.

Ultrafast X-Ray Scattering Reveals Composite Amplitude Collective Mode in the Weyl Charge Density Wave Material (TaSe_{4})_{2}I.

We report ultrafast x-ray scattering experiments of the quasi-1D charge density wave (CDW) material (TaSe_{4})_{2}I following ultrafast infrared photoexcitation. From the time-dependent diffraction signal at the CDW sidebands we identify a 0.11 THz amplitude mode derived primarily from a transverse acoustic mode of the high-symmetry structure.

Two-dimensional Kβ-Kα fluorescence spectrum by nonlinear resonant inelastic X-ray scattering.

High sensitivity of the Kβ fluorescence spectrum to electronic state is widely used to investigate spin and oxidation state of first-row transition-metal compounds. However, the complex electronic structure results in overlapping spectral features, and the interpretation may be hampered by ambiguity in resolving the spectrum into components representing different electronic states. Here, we tackle this difficulty with a nonlinear resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) scheme, where we leverage sequential two-photon absorption to realize an inverse process of the Kβ emission, and measure the successive Kα emission.

Utility of the New Early Warning Score (NEWS) in combination with the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio for the prediction of prognosis in older patients with pneumonia.

Objective: Predictors of prognosis are necessary for use in routine clinical practice for older patients with pneumonia, given the ageing of the population. Recently, the National Early Warning Score (NEWS), a comprehensive predictor of severity that consists solely of physiological indicators, has been proposed to predict the prognosis of pneumonia. The neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a simple index of inflammation that may also be predictive of pneumonia.

Favorable Appendicular Skeletal Muscle Mass Changes in Older Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Receiving GLP-1 Receptor Agonist and Basal Insulin Co-Therapy.

Background And Aims: Maintaining appendicular skeletal muscle mass is important for maintaining the quality of life of elderly patients with type 2 diabetes. The possibility of GLP-1 receptor agonists for maintaining appendicular skeletal muscle mass has previously been reported. We investigated changes in appendicular skeletal muscle mass, measured by body impedance analysis, in elderly patients who were hospitalized for diabetes self-management education.

Cross-Reactivity of Antibodies in Intravenous Immunoglobulin Preparation for Protection against SARS-CoV-2.

Severe cases of COVID-19 continue to put pressure on medical operations by prolonging hospitalization, occupying intensive care beds, and forcing medical personnel to undergo harsh labor. The eradication of SARS-CoV-2 through vaccine development has yet to be achieved, mainly due to the appearance of multiple mutant-incorporating strains. The present study explored the utility of human intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) preparations in suppressing the aggravation of any COVID-19 infection using a SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus assay.

Relative low muscle mass and muscle strength is associated with the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in patients with type 2 diabetes.

This cross-sectional study investigated the association of metabolic syndrome (MetS) with sarcopenia defined by absolute low muscle mass (aLMM) and absolute low muscle strength (aLMS), or sarcopenia defined by relative low muscle mass (rLMM) and relative low muscle strength (rLMS). The cut-off values for men and women were as follows: aLMM, appendicular muscle mass in kg/height‍ was <7.0 kg/m‍ and <5.