The association between difficult-to-treat rheumatoid arthritis and probable sarcopenia.

Objectives: To identify factors associated with probable sarcopenia in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: Probable sarcopenia was diagnosed using the SARC-F questionnaire. Patients with difficult-to-treat RA (D2T-RA) were defined as those with a history of using ≥2 biological/targeted synthetic (b/ts) disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (b/tsDMARDs) who had moderate or high disease activity.

Iono-Magnonic Reservoir Computing With Chaotic Spin Wave Interference Manipulated by Ion-Gating.

Physical reservoirs are a promising approach for realizing high-performance artificial intelligence devices utilizing physical devices. Although nonlinear interfered spin-wave multi-detection exhibits high nonlinearity and the ability to map in high dimensional feature space, it does not have sufficient performance to process time-series data precisely. Herein, development of an iono-magnonic reservoir by combining such interfered spin wave multi-detection and ion-gating involving protonation-induced redox reaction triggered by the application of voltage is reported.

Clinical effectiveness of baricitinib and abatacept in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Aim: The objective of this study was to compare the clinical effectiveness of baricitinib and abatacept in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: This study included 274 patients treated with abatacept and 241 treated with baricitinib who were followed for >52 weeks. Potential treatment selection bias was addressed by using inverse probability of treatment weighting.

Verification of grip strength as an evaluation tool for locomotive syndrome in rheumatoid arthritis.

Objectives: Locomotive syndrome (LS) leads to reduced physical function and a high risk of becoming bedridden. Grip strength serves as an indicator of upper limb and overall physical function. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with reduced grip strength frequently show finger and wrist joint inflammation.

Clinical features of juvenile onset ankylosing spondylitis in Japanese patients.

Objectives: This retrospective study aimed to examine the clinical features of juvenile onset ankylosing spondylitis (JoAS) in Japanese patients.

Methods: We examined clinical symptoms (including initial symptoms) and the progression to diagnosis of AS in 17 Japanese JoAS patients at Nagoya university hospital between January 2004 and May 2023. Initial symptoms considered were pain at axial joints and/or extra-axial joints.

Prevalence of social frailty in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: data from a multicenter observational study (T-FLAG study).

Background: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of social frailty and associated factors.

Methods: A total of 655 consecutive patients who were able to complete the Kihon Checklist (KCL) and the Questionnaire on Social Frailty between June and August 2022 were enrolled. Social frailty was assessed using the Makizako Social Frailty Index.

Solid polymer electrolyte-based atomic switches: from materials to mechanisms and applications.

As miniaturization of semiconductor memory devices is reaching its physical and technological limits, there is a demand for memory technologies that operate on new principles. Atomic switches are nanoionic devices that show repeatable resistive switching between high-resistance and low-resistance states under bias voltage applications, based on the transport of metal ions and redox reactions in solids. Their essential structure consists of an ion conductor sandwiched between electrochemically active and inert electrodes.

Factors associated with discrepancies in disease activity as assessed by SDAI and RAPID3 in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: Data from a multicentre observational study (T-FLAG).

Objectives: The present study aimed to examine discrepancies between assessments based on Routine Assessment of Patient Index Data 3 (RAPID3) and Simple Disease Activity Index (SDAI) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with controlled disease activity.

Methods: Data from 464 RA patients in SDAI remission or low disease activity (REM/LDA) were analysed. Patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures, including Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI), 25-question Geriatric Locomotive Function Scale (GLFS-25), and Kihon checklist (KCL), were assessed.

Magnetization Vector Rotation Reservoir Computing Operated by Redox Mechanism.

Physical reservoir computing is a promising way to develop efficient artificial intelligence using physical devices exhibiting nonlinear dynamics. Although magnetic materials have advantages in miniaturization, the need for a magnetic field and large electric current results in high electric power consumption and a complex device structure. To resolve these issues, we propose a redox-based physical reservoir utilizing the planar Hall effect and anisotropic magnetoresistance, which are phenomena described by different nonlinear functions of the magnetization vector that do not need a magnetic field to be applied.

Few- and single-molecule reservoir computing experimentally demonstrated with surface-enhanced Raman scattering and ion gating.

Molecule-based reservoir computing (RC) is promising for achieving low power consumption neuromorphic computing, although the information-processing capability of small numbers of molecules is not clear. Here, we report a few- and single-molecule RC that uses the molecular vibration dynamics in the para-mercaptobenzoic acid (pMBA) detected by surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) with tungsten oxide nanorod/silver nanoparticles. The Raman signals of the pMBA molecules, adsorbed at the SERS active site of the nanorod, were reversibly perturbated by the application of voltage-induced local pH changes near the molecules, and then used to perform time-series analysis tasks.

Association between laughter, frailty, and depression in rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Objective: This study aimed to determine whether there are associations between laughter, disease activity, frailty, and depression in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.

Methods: A total of 240 patients were included in this prospective cohort study on frailty in RA patients between March 2021 and June 2022. Patients were divided into the following four groups according to the frequency of laughter: "almost every day," "1-5 days per week," "1-3 days per month," and "never or almost never.

Associations of frailty with RA-ILD and poor control of disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: A multi-center retrospective observational study.

Background: This study aimed to investigate factors associated with frailty in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.

Methods: A total of 656 RA patients were evaluated using data from an observational study in 2022. Among these patients, 152 with frailty were assigned to the frailty group, and 504 without frailty were assigned to the non-frailty group.

Redox-based ion-gating reservoir consisting of (104) oriented LiCoO film, assisted by physical masking.

Reservoir computing (RC) is a machine learning framework suitable for processing time series data, and is a computationally inexpensive and fast learning model. A physical reservoir is a hardware implementation of RC using a physical system, which is expected to become the social infrastructure of a data society that needs to process vast amounts of information. Ion-gating reservoirs (IGR) are compact and suitable for integration with various physical reservoirs, but the prediction accuracy and operating speed of redox-IGRs using WO as the channel are not sufficient due to irreversible Li trapping in the WO matrix during operation.

Well-controlled disease activity with drug treatment will not improve the frailty status of RA patients to robust state: A multicenter observational study (T-FLAG).

Objectives: To investigate a plateau in treatment enhancement for improving the frailty status of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.

Methods: A total of 345 RA patients who were not robust in 2021 were assigned to the improved ("robust 2022," n = 51) and non-improved ("pre-frailty/frailty 2022," n = 294) groups. Factors associated with "robust 2022" were examined by logistic regression analysis.

Effects of Mg Doping to a LiCoO Channel on the Synaptic Plasticity of Li Ion-Gated Transistors.

Artificial synapses with ideal functionalities are essential in hardware neural networks to allow for energy-efficient analog computing. However, the realization of linear and symmetric weight updates in real synaptic devices has proven challenging and ultimately limits the online training capabilities of neural network systems. Herein, we investigate the effect of Mg doping on a LiCoO (LCO) channel in a Li ion-gated synaptic transistor, so as to improve long-term and short-term plasticity.

Intervertebral fusion sites in patients with ankylosing spondylitis: A computed tomography study.

Objectives: To examine intervertebral fusion sites along the whole spine of patients with ankylosing spondylitis using computed tomography.

Methods: This retrospective study examined intervertebral fusion of five sites (anterior/posterior vertebrae, left/right zygapophyseal joints, and spinous process) on 23 vertebrae in the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar regions of the spine in 40 patients diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis at our institute between January 2004 and December 2022.

Results: Mean age [± standard deviation (SD)] was 40.

Relationship between frailty and methotrexate discontinuation due to adverse events in rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Introduction: Methotrexate (MTX) is an anchor drug in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Frailty is the intermediate condition between being healthy and disabled, and can lead to negative health outcomes. Adverse events (AEs) due to RA drugs are expected to be higher in frail patients.

Choice of and response to treatment in patients with early-diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis: Real-world data from an inception cohort in Japan (NICER-J).

Objective: Various guidelines recommend that patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) try to achieve clinical remission within 6 months, and early therapeutic intervention is important to this end. This study aimed to investigate short-term treatment outcomes of patients with early-diagnosed RA in clinical practice and to examine predictive factors for achieving remission.

Methods: Of the 210 patients enrolled in the multicenter RA inception cohort, 172 patients who were followed up to 6 months after treatment initiation (baseline) were included.

Proton-Gated Synaptic Transistors, Based on an Electron-Beam Patterned Nafion Electrolyte.

Neuromorphic processors using artificial neural networks are the center of attention for energy-efficient analog computing. Artificial synapses act as building blocks in such neural networks for parallel information processing and data storage. Herein we describe the fabrication of a proton-gated synaptic transistor using a Nafion electrolyte thin film, which is patterned by electron-beam lithography (EBL).

Nitrogen Plasma Enhanced Low Temperature Atomic Layer Deposition of Magnesium Phosphorus Oxynitride (MgPON) Solid-State Electrolytes.

Solid-state batteries (SSBs) that use solid electrolytes instead of flammable liquid electrolytes have the potential to generate higher specific capacity and offer better safety. Magnesium (Mg) based SSBs with Mg metal anodes are considered to be one of the most promising energy storage candidates, because it gives high theoretical volumetric capacities of 3830 mAh cm . Here, we demonstrate an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process with a double nitrogen plasma process that successfully produces nitrogen-incorporated magnesium phosphorus oxynitride (MgPON) solid-state electrolyte (SSE) thin films at a low deposition temperature of 125 °C.

Locomotive syndrome in rheumatoid arthritis patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This study aimed to longitudinally evaluate the development of locomotive syndrome (LS) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients during the COVID-19 pandemic using the 25-question Geriatric Locomotive Function Scale (GLFS-25). Subjects were 286 RA patients (female, 70.6%; mean age, 64.