Nondeterministic dynamics in the η-to-θ phase transition of alumina nanoparticles.

Phase diagrams and crystallography are standard tools for studying structural phase transitions, whereas acquiring kinetic information at the atomistic level has been considered essential but challenging. The η-to-θ phase transition of alumina is unidirectional in bulk and retains the crystal lattice orientation. We report a rare example of a statistical kinetics study showing that for nanoparticles on a bulk Al(OH) surface, this phase transition occurs nondeterministically through an ergodic equilibrium through the molten state, and the memory of the lattice orientation is lost in this process.

Establishment of subcutaneous transplantation platform for delivering induced pluripotent stem cell-derived insulin-producing cells.

Potential trend of regenerative treatment for type I diabetes has been introduced for more than a decade. However, the technologies regarding insulin-producing cell (IPC) production and transplantation are still being developed. Here, we propose the potential IPC production protocol employing mouse gingival fibroblast-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (mGF-iPSCs) as a resource and the pre-clinical approved subcutaneous IPC transplantation platform for further clinical confirmation study.

Judges versus artificial intelligence in juror decision-making in criminal trials: Evidence from two pre-registered experiments.

Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) is anticipated to play a significant role in criminal trials involving citizen jurors. Prior studies have suggested that AI is not widely preferred in ethical decision-making contexts, but little research has compared jurors' reliance on judgments by human judges versus AI in such settings.

Objectives: This study examined whether jurors are more likely to defer to judgments by human judges or AI, especially in cases involving mitigating circumstances in which human-like reasoning may be valued.

The effect of empathy on remote social connections via paired robots.

A range of devices and technologies are available to mediate social connections between geographically distant people. Some of these methods exploit awareness information to enhance the connectedness of distant users. However, the effect of user traits on the experience of interpersonal communication through awareness systems remains unclear.

The first complete hand-rearing of two neonatal finless porpoises.

Hand-rearing of marine mammals is an essential technique for the husbandry of orphans in captivity or the wild, especially endangered cetacean species. The purpose of the present study was to establish a method for successful hand-rearing and evaluate the nutritional state of neonatal finless porpoises. Two neonate finless porpoises maternally neglected at 5 days of age (Day 5) (neonate A, animal A) and Day 4 (neonate B, animal B) were hand reared.

Adjuvant Atezolizumab for Early Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: The ALEXANDRA/IMpassion030 Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Triple-negative breast cancer is an aggressive subtype with a high incidence in young patients, a high incidence in non-Hispanic Black women, and a high risk of progression to metastatic cancer, a devastating sequela with a 12- to 18-month life expectancy. Until recently, one strategy for treating early-stage triple-negative breast cancer was chemotherapy after surgery. However, it was not known whether the addition of immune therapy to postsurgery chemotherapy would be beneficial.

Myocardial extracellular volume fraction estimations using late enhancement CT in patients with atrial fibrillation: a comparative study with cardiac MR.

Myocardial extracellular volume fraction (ECV) measured via MRI serves as a quantitative indicator of myocardial fibrosis. However, accurate measurement of ECV using MRI in the presence of AF is challenging. Meanwhile, CT could be a promising alternative tool for measuring ECV regardless of sinus rhythm or AF.

Low skeletal muscle mass contributes to the prognosis of patients with superficial esophageal cancer treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy.

Background: Herein, we aimed to examine the relationship between sarcopenia, neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), Charlson comorbidity index (CCI), and prognostic nutritional index (PNI) in patients with superficial esophageal carcinoma who underwent definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT).

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 100 patients (87 males) diagnosed with cT1N0M0 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. The included patients underwent CRT as an initial treatment.

Rejection of the concept of hemiurid genus Pulmovermis (Digenea: Hemiuridae) and other taxonomic propositions: new morphological and molecular data regarding Lecithochirium cyanovitellosum (Coil and Kuntz, 1960) Urabe and Sokolov, comb. nov. (formerly Pulmovermis cyanovitellosus).

Pulmovermis cyanovitellosus Coil and Kuntz, 1960 is a species of hemiurid trematode that localizes in the lung of sea snakes, an unusual trait for this group of parasites. Recent molecular phylogenetic studies based on 28S rRNA gene sequences have shown that this species is closely related to members of the genus Lecithochirium Lühe, 1901. This finding is unexpected given that Pulmovermis Coil and Kuntz, 1960 and Lecithochirium are currently classified in different subfamilies of Hemiuridae (Pulmoverminae Sandars, 1961 vs.

Comparisons of oscillatory potentials and 30 Hz flicker electroretinograms for discriminating eyes with diabetic retinopathy from normal eyes.

Purpose: To compare the amplitudes and implicit times of the oscillatory (OPs) of the full-field electroretinograms (ERGs) to those of the 30 Hz flicker ERGs in differentiating eyes with diabetic retinopathy (DR) from normal eyes.

Study Design: Single-center observational study.

Methods: Full-field ERGs were recorded in 55 patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and 20 normal control subjects.

First-line biologics as a treatment for ulcerative colitis: a multicenter randomized control study.

Background: Despite the availability of several biologics for ulcerative colitis (UC), there remains a critical need to identify first-line treatment biologics. The superiority of infliximab (IFX) over vedolizumab (VED) and ustekinumab (UST) was evaluated as initial UC treatments in patients with biologic-naïve UC.

Methods: This multicenter, randomized control trial was conducted across 20 Japanese medical institutions.

Distribution analysis of RAB11A and RAB11B, small GTP-binding proteins, in mice.

Background: RAB11 is a small GTP-binding protein that regulates intracellular trafficking of recycling endosomes and is thereby involved in several neural functions. Highly similar RAB11 isoforms are encoded by RAB11A and RAB11B genes, and their pathogenic variants are associated with similar neurodevelopmental disorders, suggesting that RAB11A and RAB11B play similar and important roles in brain development. However, the detailed distribution patterns of these isoforms in various organs, including the brain, remain undetermined.

Management Strategies for Truncus Arteriosus: A Comparative Analysis of Staged vs. Primary Repair.

We reviewed the outcomes of truncus arteriosus repair (primary vs. staged repair incorporating bilateral pulmonary artery banding), focusing on survival, reintervention, and functional data. We analyzed 39 patients who underwent a first intervention for truncus arteriosus (staged, n = 19; primary, n = 20) between 1992 and 2022.

Aryne Generation from -Triazenylarylboronic Acids Induced by 1,2-Diols and 4-Nitrophenol.

Arynes are important synthetic intermediates that are usually generated under alkaline conditions. We developed a method for generating arynes using two hydroxy compounds as activators. -Triazenylarylboronic acids generate (hetero)arynes when activated by a combination of ethylene glycol, pinacol, and -nitrophenol; these arynes then react with a range of arynophiles under slightly acidic conditions that complement the conventional basic conditions with unique chemoselectivities observed even in the presence of excess hydroxy compounds.

Recent progress in xenotransplantation and its application to pediatric kidney disease.

Patients with kidney failure require dialysis or kidney transplantation. Kidney transplantation offers great benefits, including reduced mortality; however, many patients who wish to undergo kidney transplantation are unable to do so due to a shortage of donor organs. This shortage is a global issue, and xenotransplantation has emerged as a potential solution.

Distinct Aggregation Behavior of -Terminally Truncated Aβ Over Aβ in the Presence of Zn(II).

The deposition of amyloid-β (Aβ) aggregates and metal ions within senile plaques is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Among the modifications observed in Aβ peptides, -terminal truncation at Phe4, yielding Aβ, is highly prevalent in AD-affected brains and significantly alters Aβ's metal-binding and aggregation profiles. Despite the abundance of Zn(II) in senile plaques, its impact on the aggregation and toxicity of Aβ remains unexplored.

Retinoid-impregnated nanoparticles enable control of bone growth by site-specific modulation of endochondral ossification in mice.

Growth-plate (GP) injures in limbs and other sites can impair GP function and cause deceleration of bone growth, leading to progressive bone lengthening imbalance, deformities and/or physical discomfort, decreased motion and pain. At present, surgical interventions are the only means available to correct these conditions by suppressing the GP activity in the unaffected limb and/or other bones in the ipsilateral region. Here, we aimed to develop a pharmacologic treatment of GP growth imbalance that involves local application of nanoparticles-based controlled release of a selective retinoic acid nuclear receptor gamma (RARγ) agonist drug.

Phototropin 2 mediates daily cold priming to promote light responses in Arabidopsis.

Organisms adapt to predictable environmental changes via a biological mechanism called priming. Phototropin (phot) is a plant-specific blue light photoreceptor that mediates daily light-induced responses, such as chloroplast relocation, stomatal opening, and phototropism, to optimize photosynthesis. Phot also functions as a thermosensor for chloroplast relocation that may sense daily temperature decreases at night, thereby modulating light-induced responses at dawn; however, this hypothesis has not yet been fully explored.

Validation of a Pretransplant Risk Prediction Model for Early Allograft Dysfunction After Living-donor Liver Transplantation.

Background: Early allograft dysfunction (EAD) affects outcomes in liver transplantation (LT). Existing risk models developed for deceased-donor LT depend on posttransplant factors and fall short in living-donor LT (LDLT), where pretransplant evaluations are crucial for preventing EAD and justifying the donor's risks.

Methods: This retrospective study analyzed data from 2944 adult patients who underwent LDLT at 17 centers between 2016 and 2020.

Identification of an enzyme with strong single-stranded DNA ligation activity and its application for sequencing.

An enzyme with strong single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) ligation activity would be advantageous for many molecular biology applications. However, currently available enzymes exhibit only limited activity. Here, we identified an enzyme with strong ssDNA ligation activity upon searching the databases for proteins homologous to TS2126 RNA ligase, the known enzyme with the highest yet limited ssDNA ligation activity.

Ultrathin Terahertz-Wave Absorber Based on Inorganic Materials for 6G Wireless Communications.

Terahertz waves are gathering attention as carrier waves for next-generation wireless communications such as sixth-generation wireless communication networks and autonomous driving systems. Electromagnetic-wave absorbers for the terahertz-wave region are necessary to ensure information security and avoid interference issues. Herein we report a high-performance terahertz-wave absorber composed of a composite of metallic λ-TiO and insulating TiO nanocrystals (λ-TiO@TiO).

Site-Selective and High-Density Gold Nanoparticle Photodeposition on the Edges of ZnO Nanowires.

Selective modification of chemically active sites on supports, such as steps, edges, and corners, with metal nanoparticles (NPs) is a challenging topic in the fields of catalysis and photocatalysis. However, the formation of site-selective, high-density metal NPs on a support has not yet been achieved. Radial ZnO mesocrystals composed of hexagonal nanowires (NWs) with {101̅0} sidewalls were synthesized by a simple solution-phase method.