Exploring the subtle and novel renal pathological changes in diabetic nephropathy using clustering analysis with deep learning.

To decrease the number of chronic kidney disease (CKD), early diagnosis of diabetic kidney disease is required. We performed invariant information clustering (IIC)-based clustering on glomerular images obtained from nephrectomized kidneys of patients with and without diabetes. We also used visualizing techniques (gradient-weighted class activation mapping (Grad-CAM) and generative adversarial networks (GAN)) to identify the novel and early pathological changes on light microscopy in diabetic nephropathy.

Metachronous Pancreatic Cancer with Pancreaticobiliary Maljunction Diagnosed Five Years after Cholecystectomy for Gallbladder Cancer, in Which Follow-up Imaging was Possible Until the Onset of Cancer: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Whether or not pancreaticobiliary maljunction (PBM) is a risk factor for pancreatic cancer (PC) is unclear. We present a case of metachronous PC with PBM diagnosed after cholecystectomy for gallbladder cancer, in which follow-up imaging was possible until PC onset. A 63-year-old man who had been diagnosed with gallbladder cancer and had undergone cholecystectomy 5 years earlier developed pancreatitis.

Serum laminin γ2 monomer as a novel diagnostic and prognostic marker for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Background: The identification of effective diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers is critical to improving the outcomes of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). We explored the potential of serum levels of laminin γ2 monomer (LG2m) as a biomarker in PDAC.

Methods: This study included two cohorts.

Surface State Control of Apatite Nanoparticles by pH Adjusters for Highly Biocompatible Coatings.

Apatite nanoparticles are biocompatible nanomaterials, so their film formation on biodevices is expected to provide effective bonding with living organisms. However, the biodevice-apatite interfaces have not yet been elucidated because there is little experimental evaluation and discussion on the nanoscale interactions, as well as the apatite surface reactivities. Our group has demonstrated the biomolecular adsorption properties on a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) sensor coated with apatite nanoparticles, demonstrating the applicability of apatite nanoparticle films on devices.

Supramolecular Ionic Gels for Stretchable Electronics and Future Directions.

Ionic gels (IGs), ionic liquids (ILs) dispersed in polymers, exhibit extremely low vapor pressure, electrochemical and thermal stability, and excellent mechanical characteristics; therefore, they are used for fabricating stretchable sensors, electrochemical transistors, and energy storage devices. Although such characteristics are promising for flexible and stretchable electronics, the mechanical stress-induced ruptured covalent bonds forming polymer networks cannot recover owing to the irreversible interaction between the bonds. Physical cross-linking via noncovalent bonds enables the interaction of polymers and ILs to form supramolecular IGs (SIGs), which exhibit favorable characteristics for wearable devices that conventional IGs with noncovalent bonds cannot achieve.