Two cases of myeloid sarcoma of the mediastinum.

Myeloid sarcoma is a malignancy characterized by the excessive proliferation of immature myeloid cells or myeloblasts, leading to tumor formation outside the bone marrow. This condition often manifests before or after the onset of acute myeloid leukemia or during a relapse following initial remission. Myeloid sarcoma develops in any organs or parts of the body, but its occurrence in the mediastinum is rare.

Interstitial lung disease associated with anti-aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase syndrome: quantitative evaluation of CT after initial treatment and long-term follow-up.

Background: Visual evaluation of interstitial lung disease (ILD)-related changes can generate intra- and inter-observer errors. However, recent deep learning (DL) algorithm advances have facilitated accurate lung segmentation, lesion characterization, and quantification.

Purpose: To evaluate the treatment response and long-term course in ILD associated with anti-aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase syndrome (anti-ARS ILD) using a DL algorithm.

Regularizing hyperparameters of interacting neural signals in the mouse cortex reflect states of arousal.

In natural behaviors, multiple neural signals simultaneously drive activation across overlapping brain networks. Due to limitations in the amount of data that can be acquired in common experimental designs, the determination of these interactions is commonly inferred via modeling approaches, which reduce overfitting by finding appropriate regularizing hyperparameters. However, it is unclear whether these hyperparameters can also be related to any aspect of the underlying biological phenomena and help interpret them.

Transarterial and Transvenous Approach for the Embolization of Arteriovenous Fistula between the Hepatic Arteries and Inferior Vena Cava Associated with Liver Abscess Due to Cholangitis.

An 87-year-old woman was hospitalized for liver abscesses and cholangitis due to common bile duct stones. She developed worsening anemia and abdominal pain. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed an intrahepatic pseudoaneurysm and an arteriovenous fistula between the hepatic arteries and inferior vena cava.

Efficient coding of natural images in the mouse visual cortex.

How the activity of neurons gives rise to natural vision remains a matter of intense investigation. The mid-level visual areas along the ventral stream are selective to a common class of natural images-textures-but a circuit-level understanding of this selectivity and its link to perception remains unclear. We addressed these questions in mice, first showing that they can perceptually discriminate between textures and statistically simpler spectrally matched stimuli, and between texture types.

Transgenic tools targeting the basal ganglia reveal both evolutionary conservation and specialization of neural circuits in zebrafish.

The cortico-basal ganglia circuit mediates decision making. Here, we generated transgenic tools for adult zebrafish targeting specific subpopulations of the components of this circuit and utilized them to identify evolutionary homologs of the mammalian direct- and indirect-pathway striatal neurons, which respectively project to the homologs of the internal and external segment of the globus pallidus (dorsal entopeduncular nucleus [dEN] and lateral nucleus of the ventral telencephalic area [Vl]) as in mammals. Unlike in mammals, the Vl mainly projects to the dEN directly, not by way of the subthalamic nucleus.

Protein kinase Cγ negatively regulates the intrinsic excitability in zebrin-negative cerebellar Purkinje cells.

Protein kinase C γ (PKCγ), a neuronal isoform present exclusively in the central nervous system, is most abundantly expressed in cerebellar Purkinje cells (PCs). Targeted deletion of PKCγ causes a climbing fiber synapse elimination in developing PCs and motor deficit. However, physiological roles of PKCγ in adult mouse PCs are little understood.

Improving cell-specific recombination using AAV vectors in the murine CNS by capsid and expression cassette optimization.

The production of cell-type- and age-specific genetically modified mice is a powerful approach for unraveling unknown gene functions. Here, we present a simple and timesaving method that enables adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated cell-type- and age-specific recombination in floxed mice. To achieve astrocyte-specific recombination in floxed Ai14 reporter mice, we intravenously injected blood-brain barrier-penetrating AAV-PHP.

Effect of daily ingestion of Bifidobacterium and dietary fiber on vascular endothelial function: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group comparison study.

Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis GCL2505 (GCL2505) improves the intestinal microbiota and reduces human visceral fat. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study was conducted to examine the effects of inulin, a prebiotic dietary fiber, and GCL2505 on vascular endothelial function in healthy subjects (n = 60).

Superior mesenteric artery embolism associated with Cisplatin-induced aortic thrombosis.

Cardiovascular complications of cancer therapy are among the most important factors affecting cancer prognosis. Cisplatin-induced aortic thrombosis is rare but can be life-threatening in the event of peripheral embolism. In this report, we describe a case of superior mesenteric artery (SMA) embolism associated with cisplatin-induced aortic thrombosis.

Gastrointestinal Bleeding Due to the Rupture of Splenic Artery Caused by Pancreatic Carcinoma: A Case Requiring Repeated Transcatheter Arterial Embolization in a Short Period of Time.

In this report, we present a case of gastrointestinal bleeding due to splenic artery rupture, which required repeated transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) within a short period of time. A 75-year-old man with pancreatic carcinoma was transported to our hospital with active hematemesis and vital signs consistent with shock. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography images showed a pancreatic tumor that had caused a pseudoaneurysm of the splenic artery to rupture.

Analysis of the Effects of Known Sleep-Support Supplements in Relation to Life Habits, Sleep Conditions, and Sleep Problems.

Sleep is a crucial component of health, and insomnia is among the most common and vexing of life-habit-related disorders. While dietary sleep-support supplements can improve sleep, choosing an effective dietary supplement can be challenging for users due to the wide variety of options available and the varying effects experienced by different individuals. In this study, to identify new criteria for estimating the effects of dietary supplements, we examined the relationships among the dietary supplements, the pre-conditions (PCs; defined as the life habits and sleep conditions before supplementation), and the sleep problems of subjects before supplementation.

Early caffeine therapy on the prevention of severe hyperkalemia in preterm infants.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of caffeine therapy in preventing severe hyperkalemia in preterm infants.

Methods: We performed a single-center, retrospective study of preterm infants of 25-29 weeks' gestation admitted in our neonatal intensive care unit from January 2019-August 2020. We divided the infants into two groups: the control group (January 2019-November 2019) and the early caffeine group (December 2019-August 2020).

Distributed context-dependent choice information in mouse posterior cortex.

Choice information appears in multi-area brain networks mixed with sensory, motor, and cognitive variables. In the posterior cortex-traditionally implicated in decision computations-the presence, strength, and area specificity of choice signals are highly variable, limiting a cohesive understanding of their computational significance. Examining the mesoscale activity in the mouse posterior cortex during a visual task, we found that choice signals defined a decision variable in a low-dimensional embedding space with a prominent contribution along the ventral visual stream.

Common and uncommon vascular injuries and endovascular treatment associated with pelvic blunt trauma: a real-world experience.

Pelvic fractures are common in cases of blunt trauma, which is strongly associated with mortality. Transcatheter arterial embolization is a fundamental treatment strategy for fatal arterial injuries caused by blunt pelvic trauma. However, vascular injuries due to blunt pelvic trauma can show various imaging findings other than arterial hemorrhage.

Human Gut Microbiota and Its Metabolites Impact Immune Responses in COVID-19 and Its Complications.

Background & Aims: We investigate interrelationships between gut microbes, metabolites, and cytokines that characterize COVID-19 and its complications, and we validate the results with follow-up, the Japanese 4D (Disease, Drug, Diet, Daily Life) microbiome cohort, and non-Japanese data sets.

Methods: We performed shotgun metagenomic sequencing and metabolomics on stools and cytokine measurements on plasma from 112 hospitalized patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection and 112 non-COVID-19 control individuals matched by important confounders.

Results: Multiple correlations were found between COVID-19-related microbes (eg, oral microbes and short-chain fatty acid producers) and gut metabolites (eg, branched-chain and aromatic amino acids, short-chain fatty acids, carbohydrates, neurotransmitters, and vitamin B6).

Population-level Metagenomics Uncovers Distinct Effects of Multiple Medications on the Human Gut Microbiome.

Background & Aims: Medication is a major determinant of human gut microbiome structure, and its overuse increases the risks of morbidity and mortality. However, effects of certain commonly prescribed drugs and multiple medications on the gut microbiome are still underinvestigated.

Methods: We performed shotgun metagenomic analysis of fecal samples from 4198 individuals in the Japanese 4D (Disease, Drug, Diet, Daily life) microbiome project.

Metagenomic Identification of Microbial Signatures Predicting Pancreatic Cancer From a Multinational Study.

Background & Aims: To identify gut and oral metagenomic signatures that accurately predict pancreatic ductal carcinoma (PDAC) and to validate these signatures in independent cohorts.

Methods: We conducted a multinational study and performed shotgun metagenomic analysis of fecal and salivary samples collected from patients with treatment-naïve PDAC and non-PDAC controls in Japan, Spain, and Germany. Taxonomic and functional profiles of the microbiomes were characterized, and metagenomic classifiers to predict PDAC were constructed and validated in external datasets.

Commensal microbe-derived acetate suppresses NAFLD/NASH development via hepatic FFAR2 signalling in mice.

Background: Non-alcoholic liver disease (NAFLD) is the hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome, and it can progress to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Alterations in the gut microbiome have been implicated in the development of NAFLD/NASH, although the underlying mechanisms remain unclear.

Results: We found that the consumption of the prebiotic inulin markedly ameliorated the phenotype of NAFLD/NASH, including hepatic steatosis and fibrosis, in mice.

Hepatic Adenosine Triphosphate Reduction Through the Short-Chain Fatty Acids-Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor γ-Uncoupling Protein 2 Axis Alleviates Immune-Mediated Acute Hepatitis in Inulin-Supplemented Mice.

How liver tolerance is disrupted in immune-mediated liver injury is currently unclear. There is also insufficient information available regarding susceptibility, precipitation, escalation, and perpetuation of autoimmune hepatitis. To explore how dietary fiber influences hepatic damage, we applied the concanavalin A (ConA)-induced acute immune-mediated liver injury model in mice fed a diet supplemented with 6.

Probabilistic discrimination of relative stimulus features in mice.

During perceptual decision-making, the brain encodes the upcoming decision and the stimulus information in a mixed representation. Paradigms suitable for studying decision computations in isolation rely on stimulus comparisons, with choices depending on relative rather than absolute properties of the stimuli. The adoption of tasks requiring relative perceptual judgments in mice would be advantageous in view of the powerful tools available for the dissection of brain circuits.

Attention separates sensory and motor signals in the mouse visual cortex.

Visually guided behaviors depend on the activity of cortical networks receiving visual inputs and transforming these signals to guide appropriate actions. However, non-retinal inputs, carrying motor signals as well as cognitive and attentional modulatory signals, also activate these cortical regions. How these networks integrate coincident signals ensuring reliable visual behaviors is poorly understood.

Computed tomography imaging of resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA): pearls and pitfalls.

Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) is performed in patients with hemorrhagic shock who develop massive subdiaphragmatic bleeding. This procedure enables rapid and less invasive aortic blockade compared to resuscitative thoracotomy and aortic cross-clamp procedures. However, the REBOA procedure is often blindly performed in the emergency department without fluoroscopy, and the appropriateness of the procedure may be evaluated on computed tomography (CT) after REBOA.