Mechanical finite element analysis of needle tip shape to develop insertable polymer-based microneedle without plastic deformation.

Bioabsorbable polymer microneedles are highly attractive as modernized medical devices for efficient yet safe transdermal drug delivery and biofluid biopsy. In this study, the elastoplastic deformation of polymer microneedles, having a high aspect ratio (over 5-10), is investigated using poly(lactic) acid polymer approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration to be generally considered safe. Microneedle geometries are comprehensively analyzed for tip geometries comprising the tip diameter (ϕ) and tip taper length (l) of 100 designs.

Possible thoracic metastasis from squamous cell carcinoma of the external auditory canal: A case report.

An 80-year-old never-smoking woman, who underwent radiotherapy in combination with simultaneous intra-arterial chemotherapy for external auditory canal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) 10 years ago, was referred to our department due to a painful huge chest wall tumor. We conducted surgical resection combined with the right upper lobe and chest wall including the 3rd to 5th ribs and affected serratus anterior muscle. Histologically, atypical keratotic cells with the same morphology as external auditory canal SCC proliferated without the figure of carcinoma in situ or squamous dysplasia of the bronchial epithelium of the lung parenchyma adjacent to the tumor.

Region of interest determination algorithm of lensless calcium imaging datasets.

Advances in fluorescence imaging technology have been crucial to the progress of neuroscience. Whether it was specific expression of indicator proteins, detection of neurotransmitters, or miniaturization of fluorescence microscopes, fluorescence imaging has improved upon electrophysiology, the gold standard for monitoring brain activity, and enabled novel methods to sense activity in the brain. Hence, we developed a lightweight and compact implantable CMOS-based lensless Ca2+ imaging device for freely moving transgenic G-CaMP mouse experiments.

Millimeter-Wave Band Electro-Optical Imaging System Using Polarization CMOS Image Sensor and Amplified Optical Local Oscillator Source.

In this study, we developed and demonstrated a millimeter-wave electric field imaging system using an electro-optic crystal and a highly sensitive polarization measurement technique using a polarization image sensor, which was fabricated using a 0.35-µm standard CMOS process. The polarization image sensor was equipped with differential amplifiers that amplified the difference between the 0° and 90° pixels.

Brain-implantable needle-type CMOS imaging device enables multi-layer dissection of seizure calcium dynamics in the hippocampus.

: Current neuronal imaging methods mostly use bulky lenses that either impede animal behavior or prohibit multi-depth imaging. To overcome these limitations, we developed a lightweight lensless biophotonic system for neuronal imaging, enabling compact and simultaneous visualization of multiple brain layers.: Our developed 'CIS-NAIST' device integrates a micro-CMOS image sensor, thin-film fluorescence filter, micro-LEDs, and a needle-shaped flexible printed circuit.

Disseminated Penicillin-Resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae Infection: A Case Report.

An invasive pneumococcal disease involving sternoclavicular joint arthritis, lumbar spondylodiscitis, and muscular abscesses caused by penicillin-resistant has not been reported previously. We successfully treated a 57-year-old man with this condition using surgical drainage and debridement, and laminectomy/fenestration, in combination with the administration of two IV antimicrobial drugs based on blood culture results. Clinical resolution was obtained after decompression of the lumbar spine, with minimal restriction of the left lower limb.

Exposure Time Control Method for Higher Intermediate Frequency in Optical Heterodyne Imaging and Its Application to Electric-Field Imaging Based on Electro-Optic Effect.

We propose and demonstrate a method for equivalent time sampling using image sensors to selectively detect only the target frequency. Shortening the exposure time of the image sensor and using equivalent time sampling allows for the detection of frequency components that are higher than the frame rate. However, the imaging system in our previous work was also sensitive to the frequency component at 1/4 of the frame rate.

Malignant involvement of the iliopsoas muscle associated with non-small cell lung cancer: Two case reports.

Under the current progression of molecular targeting or immune therapy, early detection and radiation therapy of iliopsoas metastasis will not only improve performance status but also enable the continuation of effective systemic cancer treatment.

Thin and Scalable Hybrid Emission Filter via Plasma Etching for Low-Invasive Fluorescence Detection.

Hybrid emission filters, comprising an interference filter and an absorption filter, exhibit high excitation light rejection performance and can act as lensless fluorescent devices. However, it has been challenging to produce them in large batches over a large area. In this study, we propose and demonstrate a method for transferring a Si substrate, on which the hybrid filter is deposited, onto an image sensor by attaching it to the sensor and removing the substrate via plasma etching.

Multi-Region Microdialysis Imaging Platform Revealed Dorsal Raphe Nucleus Calcium Signaling and Serotonin Dynamics during Nociceptive Pain.

In this research, we combined our ultralight micro-imaging device for calcium imaging with microdialysis to simultaneously visualize neural activity in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) and measure serotonin release in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Using this platform, we observed brain activity following nociception induced by formalin injection in the mouse's hind paw. Our device showed that DRN fluorescence intensity increased after formalin injection, and the increase was highly correlated with the elevation in serotonin release in both the CeA and ACC.

Development of Compact Readout Device for Neural Observation System using Fluorescence Imaging and Fast-scan Cyclic Voltammetry.

A readout device for a dual-functional neural observation system is presented. The authors separately developed the reading operation of an implantable CMOS image sensor and a setup for fast-scan cyclic voltammetry and implemented them together in a microcontroller-based device. The developed imaging readout device with a size of [Formula: see text] can reach the highest reading rate of 160 fps with a 120×268 pixel image sensor.

Long-term outcomes of cataract surgery with toric intraocular lens implantation by the type of preoperative astigmatism.

Surgical outcomes of toric intraocular lens (IOL) implantation for 8 years after surgery were analyzed. Data were retrospectively collected in 176 eyes of 176 patients before and 1 month, 1, 3, 5, and 8 years after phacoemulsification and implantation of a toric IOL. Preoperative corneal and postoperative manifest astigmatism was analyzed by converting to power vector notations; horizontal/vertical (J) and oblique (J) astigmatism components.

Effect of small-incision sutureless cataract surgery on the natural course of astigmatism over 10 to 20 years.

Purpose: To retrospectively assess astigmatic changes over 10 years and 20 years after small-incision cataract surgery.

Setting: 5 ophthalmic surgical sites in Japan.

Design: Retrospective case series.

Modular head-mounted cortical imaging device for chronic monitoring of intrinsic signals in mice.

Significance: Intrinsic optical signals (IOS) generated in the cortical tissue as a result of various interacting metabolic processes are used extensively to elucidate the underlying mechanisms that govern neurovascular coupling. However, current IOS measurements still often rely on bulky, tabletop imaging systems, and there remains a dearth of studies in freely moving subjects. Lightweight, miniature head-mounted imaging devices provide unique opportunities for investigating cortical dynamics in small animals under a variety of naturalistic behavioral settings.

Investigating the Influence of GABA Neurons on Dopamine Neurons in the Ventral Tegmental Area Using Optogenetic Techniques.

Dopamine (DA) is the key regulator of reward behavior. The DA neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and their projection areas, which include the prefrontal cortex (PFC), nucleus accumbens (NAc), and amygdala, play a primary role in the process of reward-driven behavior induced by the drugs of addiction, including nicotine and alcohol. In our previous study, we developed a novel platform consisting of micro-LED array devices to stimulate a large area of the brain of rats and monkeys with photo-stimulation and a microdialysis probe to estimate the DA release in the PFC.

Ultrasmall compact CMOS imaging system for bioluminescence reporter-based live gene expression analysis.

Significance: Gene expression analysis is an important fundamental area of biomedical research. However, live gene expression imaging has proven challenging due to constraints in conventional optical devices and fluorescent reporters.

Aim: Our aim is to develop smaller, more cost-effective, and versatile imaging capabilities compared with conventional devices.

Self-Reset Image Sensor With a Signal-to-Noise Ratio Over 70 dB and Its Application to Brain Surface Imaging.

In this study, we propose a complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor with a self-resetting system demonstrating a high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) to detect small intrinsic signals such as a hemodynamic reaction or neural activity in a mouse brain. The photodiode structure was modified from N-well/P-sub to P+/N-well/P-sub to increase the photodiode capacitance to reduce the number of self-resets required to decrease the unstable stage. Moreover, our new relay board was used for the first time.

Simultaneous CMOS-Based Imaging of Calcium Signaling of the Central Amygdala and the Dorsal Raphe Nucleus During Nociception in Freely Moving Mice.

Fluorescence imaging devices have been indispensable in elucidating the workings of the brain in living animals, including unrestrained, active ones. Various devices are available, each with their own strengths and weaknesses in terms of many factors. We have developed CMOS-based needle-type imaging devices that are small and lightweight enough to be doubly implanted in freely moving mice.

Cytokine Profiles Before and After Exchange Transfusions in Severe Late-Onset Neonatal Group B Streptococcus Meningitis: A Case Report.

Streptococcus agalactiae or group B streptococcus (GBS) is a pathogen that causes severe neonatal infections, resulting in sepsis, pneumonia, and meningitis. Neonatal GBS meningitis has a poor neurological prognosis and a high mortality rate. GBS disease is classified as early- and late-onset if the onset age is 0-6 and 7-89 days after birth, respectively.

Comparison Between Facilitating and Suppressing Facial Emotional Expressions Using Frontal EEG Asymmetry.

The prefrontal cortex plays a key role in emotional state. Electroencephalography (EEG) studies have reported relationships between frontal asymmetry in the alpha band, emotional state, and emotion-related motivation. The current study investigated whether the positive or negative valence of emotional stimulation or the behavioral intention to either facilitate or suppress one's facial expression in response to these stimuli is reflected in relevant changes in frontal EEG asymmetry.

Inter-laboratory comparison of pulmonary lesions induced by intratracheal instillation of NiO nanoparticle in rats: Histopathological examination results.

Objective: In this study, in order to investigate the usefulness of intratracheal instillation in assessing the pulmonary toxicity of nanomaterials, intratracheal instillation of nickel oxide-nanoparticles (NiO-NP) was performed.

Methods: In this study, rats were administered test materials by intratracheal instillation at five different research institutions in order to assess the validity of using intratracheal instillation for hazard identification of nanomaterials. Eight-week-old male SD rats were administered NiO-NP dispersed in deionized water by a single intratracheal instillation at doses of 0 (vehicle control), 0.

Optical measurement platform of temperature-dependent interaction between nanoliposomes and a polymer-grafted surface.

In this study, we report an opto-microfluidic platform integrated with dark-field light scattering imaging and fluorescence microspectroscopy to investigate the temperature-dependent behavior of nanoliposomes. This newly developed experimental platform enabled both in situ measurements of the temperature of the sample solution and observation of individual nanoliposomes. As a proof-of-concept, the temperature-dependent interaction between 1,2-dilauroyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DLPC) nanoliposomes and a poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) grafted surface was investigated using this opto-microfluidic platform.

Effect of the Thermal History on the Crystallinity of Poly (L-lactic Acid) During the Micromolding Process.

The micromolding process using biocompatible thermoplastic polymers is highly attractive as a fabrication process of microdevices in biomedical applications. In this study, we investigated the effect of the thermal history in the micromolding process on the crystallinity of semi-crystalline polymers, such as poly (L-lactic acid) (PLLA), during their crystallization from the amorphous and molten states. In particular, the thermal history in the micromolding process using poly(dimethylsiloxane) replica mold embedded with a thermocouple was recorded.