[Evaluation of the Distribution of Spatial Scattered Radiation Dose in Bedside Dynamic Chest Radiography].

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the distribution of spatial scattered radiation during mobile dynamic chest radiography and to develop protective measures.

Methods: We measured the spatial scattered radiation, assuming both mobile chest radiography and mobile dynamic chest radiography. We placed the chest phantom on a stretcher.

A chemogenetic approach for dopamine imaging with tunable sensitivity.

Genetically-encoded dopamine (DA) sensors enable high-resolution imaging of DA release, but their ability to detect a wide range of extracellular DA levels, especially tonic versus phasic DA release, is limited by their intrinsic affinity. Here we show that a human-selective dopamine receptor positive allosteric modulator (PAM) can be used to boost sensor affinity on-demand. The PAM enhances DA detection sensitivity across experimental preparations (in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo) via one-photon or two-photon imaging.

descSPIM: an affordable and easy-to-build light-sheet microscope optimized for tissue clearing techniques.

Despite widespread adoption of tissue clearing techniques in recent years, poor access to suitable light-sheet fluorescence microscopes remains a major obstacle for biomedical end-users. Here, we present descSPIM (desktop-equipped SPIM for cleared specimens), a low-cost ($20,000-50,000), low-expertise (one-day installation by a non-expert), yet practical do-it-yourself light-sheet microscope as a solution for this bottleneck. Even the most fundamental configuration of descSPIM enables multi-color imaging of whole mouse brains and a cancer cell line-derived xenograft tumor mass for the visualization of neurocircuitry, assessment of drug distribution, and pathological examination by false-colored hematoxylin and eosin staining in a three-dimensional manner.

Effects of interleukin-6 signal inhibition on Treg subpopulations and association of Tregs with clinical outcomes in rheumatoid arthritis.

Objectives: Anti-IL-6 receptor antibodies are clinically efficacious in the management of RA with an associated increase in Tregs; however, the role of functional Treg subsets has yet to be clarified. This study aimed to evaluate how functional Treg subsets are altered by IL-6 receptor blockade and to analyse the relationship between these Treg subsets and the clinical outcome of RA.

Methods: We collected frozen peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 40 patients with RA who started tocilizumab (TCZ) with or without MTX and 11 healthy controls (HCs).

Gephyrin phosphorylation facilitates sexually dimorphic development and function of parvalbumin interneurons in the mouse hippocampus.

The precise function of specialized GABAergic interneuron subtypes is required to provide appropriate synaptic inhibition for regulating principal neuron excitability and synchronization within brain circuits. Of these, parvalbumin-type (PV neuron) dysfunction is a feature of several sex-biased psychiatric and brain disorders, although, the underlying developmental mechanisms are unclear. While the transcriptional action of sex hormones generates sexual dimorphism during brain development, whether kinase signaling contributes to sex differences in PV neuron function remains unexplored.

Large-scale cranial window for in vivo mouse brain imaging utilizing fluoropolymer nanosheet and light-curable resin.

Two-photon microscopy enables in vivo imaging of neuronal activity in mammalian brains at high resolution. However, two-photon imaging tools for stable, long-term, and simultaneous study of multiple brain regions in same mice are lacking. Here, we propose a method to create large cranial windows covering such as the whole parietal cortex and cerebellum in mice using fluoropolymer nanosheets covered with light-curable resin (termed the 'Nanosheet Incorporated into light-curable REsin' or NIRE method).

Multibeam continuous axial scanning two-photon microscopy for volumetric imaging in mouse brain.

This study presents an alternative approach for two-photon volumetric imaging that combines multibeam lateral scanning with continuous axial scanning using a confocal spinning-disk scanner and an electrically focus tunable lens. Using this proposed system, the brain of a living mouse could be imaged at a penetration depth of over 450 μm from the surface. volumetric Ca imaging at a volume rate of 1.

The gephyrin scaffold modulates cortical layer 2/3 pyramidal neuron responsiveness to single whisker stimulation.

Gephyrin is the main scaffolding protein at inhibitory postsynaptic sites, and its clusters are the signaling hubs where several molecular pathways converge. Post-translational modifications (PTMs) of gephyrin alter GABA receptor clustering at the synapse, but it is unclear how this affects neuronal activity at the circuit level. We assessed the contribution of gephyrin PTMs to microcircuit activity in the mouse barrel cortex by slice electrophysiology and in vivo two-photon calcium imaging of layer 2/3 (L2/3) pyramidal cells during single-whisker stimulation.

Comprehension of active, passive, and causative sentences by Japanese-speaking children with intellectual disabilities and typical development.

This study aimed to identify the comprehension strategies employed for active, passive, and causative sentences and the involvement of phonological memory, which is a subsystem of working memory, in the comprehension skills of Japanese-speaking children with intellectual disability (ID) compared to those with typical development (TD). The participants were 29 children with ID and 18 children with TD who were matched according to mental and vocabulary ages and phonological memory scores. A picture selection method was employed as a sentence comprehension task.

Fumagillin inhibits growth of the enteric protozoan parasite by covalently binding to and selectively inhibiting methionine aminopeptidase 2.

Amebiasis is an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and caused by infection with the protozoan parasite . Metronidazole is currently the first-line drug despite adverse effects and concerns on the emergence of drug resistance. Fumagillin, a fungal metabolite from and its structurally related natural and synthetic compounds have been previously explored as potential anti-angiogenesis inhibitors for cancers, anti-microbial, and anti-obese compounds.

All-synchronized picosecond pulses and time-gated detection improve the spatial resolution of two-photon STED microscopy in brain tissue imaging.

Super-resolution in two-photon excitation (2PE) microscopy offers new approaches for visualizing the deep inside the brain functions at the nanoscale. In this study, we developed a novel 2PE stimulated-emission-depletion (STED) microscope with all-synchronized picosecond pulse light sources and time-gated fluorescence detection, namely, all-pulsed 2PE-gSTED microscopy. The implementation of time-gating is critical to excluding undesirable signals derived from brain tissues.

Improving two-photon excitation microscopy for sharper and faster biological imaging.

Two-photon excitation laser scanning microscopy (TPLSM) has provided many insights into the life sciences, especially for thick biological specimens, because of its superior penetration depth and less invasiveness owing to the near-infrared wavelength of its excitation laser light. This paper introduces our four kinds of studies to improve TPLSM by utilizing several optical technologies as follows: (1) A high numerical aperture objective lens significantly deteriorates the focal spot size in deeper regions of specimens. Thus, approaches to adaptive optics were proposed to compensate for optical aberrations for deeper and sharper intravital brain imaging.

Cryogenic Single-Molecule Fluorescence Detection of the Mid-Infrared Response of an Intrinsic Pigment in a Light-Harvesting Complex.

We observed the mid-infrared (MIR) response of a single pigment of bacteriochlorophyll at the B800 binding site of a light-harvesting 2 complex. At a temperature of 1.5 K, a single complex in a spatially isolated spot in a near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence image was selected and was simultaneously irradiated with MIR and NIR light.

Spatial Scattering Radiation to the Radiological Technologist during Medical Mobile Radiography.

Mobile radiography allows for the diagnostic imaging of patients who cannot move to the X-ray examination room. Therefore, mobile X-ray equipment is useful for patients who have difficulty with movement. However, staff are exposed to scattered radiation from the patient, and they can receive potentially harmful radiation doses during radiography.

Clinical and immunological effects of hydroxychloroquine in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis despite antirheumatic treatment.

Objectives: To investigate the efficacy and safety of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: Patients with active RA, despite conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (csDMARDs), were recruited. HCQ was administered for 24 weeks, in addition to prior treatment.

Serum cytokines and bone metabolic markers in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with biological disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs.

Introduction: /objectives Several biological disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) have been widely used for the management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). These drugs target different molecules important for the pathophysiology of RA; however, only a few studies have compared the effects of these biological drugs on cytokines and bone metabolic markers. The main aim of this study is to clarify the effects of bDMARDs with different modes of action on the cytokine and bone metabolic marker levels in patients with RA.

Dynamics of microbiota in the imported beef primal cuts during storage at different chilled temperatures.

Primal cuts of Australian beef transported by sea were stored under different chilled temperatures (0, 2, and 4 °C) for 6 weeks in different packaging conditions (aerobic or anaerobic packaging). The number of microorganisms and the transition of the microbiota were investigated using culture methods and amplicon sequencing. After 6 weeks of storage, the beef tended to show a high total viable count under aerobic packaging conditions and a high lactic acid bacteria count under anaerobic packaging conditions.

Five-Year Impacts of Antithrombotic Therapy Based on 10-Year Clinical Outcomes of Cypher™ Stent Implantation.

Introduction: Few researchers have investigated the optimal long-term antithrombotic therapy regimen, especially after first-generation drug-eluting stent (DES) use. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of mid-term antithrombotic therapy on long-term outcomes in patients treated with the first sirolimus-eluting coronary stent (Cypher™).

Methods: Between 2004 and 2009, 1021 patients underwent Cypher™ implantation at our institute; among them, 567 patients had available data on antithrombotic therapy at year 5.

Single-scan volumetric imaging throughout thick tissue specimens by one-touch installable light-needle creating device.

Biological tissues and their networks frequently change dynamically across large volumes. Understanding network operations requires monitoring their activities in three dimensions (3D) with single-cell resolution. Several researchers have proposed various volumetric imaging technologies.

Multiband infrared emissions limited in the grazing angle from metal-dielectric-metal metamaterials.

Thermal radiation management remains a challenge because of the incoherent and isotropic nature of electromagnetic waves. In this study, a multiband and angular-selective infrared emitter, consisting of a simple one-dimensional (1D) metal-dielectric-metal metamaterial, is demonstrated. Although this structure has been well known as spectrally selective emitters, we analytically reveal that when the dielectric layer thickness is much smaller than the wavelength of interest (< 1/10), directive emission at nearly equal to the grazing angles (> 80°) can be obtained at multiple resonant wavelengths.

Low-invasive 5D visualization of mitotic progression by two-photon excitation spinning-disk confocal microscopy.

Non-linear microscopy, such as multi-photon excitation microscopy, offers spatial localities of excitations, thereby achieving 3D cross-sectional imaging with low phototoxicity even in thick biological specimens. We had developed a multi-point scanning two-photon excitation microscopy system using a spinning-disk confocal scanning unit. However, its severe color cross-talk has precluded multi-color simultaneous imaging.