Theoretical Evaluation of Complex Dielectric Constant for Gamma Relaxation of Poly(methyl methacrylate), A Study of Quantum Chemistry and Linear Response Theory.

It is widely accepted that the γ relaxation of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) arises from the hindered rotational motion of the side chain around the C-C bond, which links to the main chain. However, the physical model to explain this process has been unknown. The hybrid density functional theory calculation showed that the PMMA intramolecular hindered rotation has an activation energy of 6.

Microbiome and Hemato-immune Aging.

The microbiome is a highly complex and diverse symbiotic component that undergoes dynamic changes with the organismal aging. Microbial perturbations, termed dysbiosis, exert strong influence on dysregulating the bone marrow niche and subsequently promoting the aging of hematopoietic and immune system. Accumulating studies have revealed the substantial impact of intestinal microbiome on the initiation and progression of age-related hematologic alteration and diseases, such as clonal hematopoiesis and blood cancers.

Association between sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor and adverse events in patients with moderate to severe chronic kidney disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Purpose: Although there is concern about the association of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor (SGLT2i) use with musculoskeletal pain, hypovolemia, and urinary tract infection in patients with severe chronic kidney disease (CKD), information on these adverse events is insufficient. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess whether SGLT2i increases the risk of urinary tract infection, hypovolemia, and musculoskeletal pain in these patients.

Methods: MEDLINE via PubMed, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and the ClinicalTrials.

Early experience with daratumumab-containing regimens in patients with light-chain cardiac amyloidosis.

Background: Immunoglobulin light-chain (AL) amyloidosis is a lethal condition resulting from misfolded immunoglobulin ALs produced by clonal CD38-positive plasma cells. Treatment with daratumumab, an anti-human CD38 monoclonal antibody, led to higher frequencies of complete hematologic response and better clinical outcomes compared with conventional treatment. This study sought to evaluate the survival benefit of daratumumab-containing regimens in patients with AL cardiac amyloidosis.

Teicoplanin 24-h loading dose regimen using a decision tree model to target serum trough concentration of 15-30 μg/mL: A retrospective study.

Introduction: Teicoplanin (TEIC) is typically administered as a loading dose over 36-48 h. Achieving an effective concentration quickly is expected to treat severe infections, such as sepsis and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections. We aimed to identify the TEIC loading dose to be completed within 24 h, targeting the concentration of 15-30 μg/mL and factors affecting the loading dose by utilizing the decision tree (DT) model.

A case of needle tract seeding of pancreatic adenosquamous carcinoma after a single endoscopic ultrasound-guided tissue acquisition.

Needle tract seeding (NTS) is a rare complication of endoscopic ultrasound-guided tissue acquisition (EUS-TA). Herein, we report the case of an 83 year-old man who presented with a solid mass in the pancreatic tail, measuring 35 mm in diameter, with cystic degeneration. EUS-TA was performed using a 22-gauge biopsy needle, with a single puncture via the stomach; however, no definitive pathological diagnosis was achieved.

Left atrial rupture during on-pump beating coronary artery bypass grafting.

Background: On-pump beating coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is a procedure that uses cardiopulmonary bypass to maintain circulation and it is a useful technique for CABG in patients with severely impaired cardiac function. Here, we report a case of left atrial rupture that occurred during CABG. Reports of left atrial injury are rare, and there have been no previous reports of such cases associated with on-pump beating CABG.

Chicken ANP32A-independent replication of highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses potentially leads to mammalian adaptation-related amino acid substitutions in viral PB2 and PA proteins.

Acidic nuclear phosphoprotein 32 family member A (ANP32A) is an important host factor that supports the efficient replication of avian influenza viruses (AIVs). To develop an antiviral strategy against Gs/Gd-lineage H5 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses in chickens, we established chicken ANP32-knockout (chANP32A-KO) DF-1 cells and evaluated their antiviral efficacy through validation. The replication of all HPAI viruses tested in chANP32A-KO cells was significantly lower compared to that of wild-type DF-1 cells.

Image-based Re-evaluation of the JCOG0911 Study Focusing on Tumor Volume and Survival, Disease Progression Diagnosis, and Radiomic Prognostication for Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma.

Purpose: To re-evaluate images recovered from JCOG0911, a randomized phase 2 trial for newly diagnosed glioblastoma (nGBM) conducted by the Japan Clinical Oncology Group (JCOG) Brain Tumor Study Group.

Methods: The correlation between tumor volumes and survival was evaluated, followed by progression-free survival (PFS) analysis by independent central review based on Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology (RANO) criteria using MRI recovered from 118 nGBM patients enrolled in the JCOG0911 trial. A radiomic analysis was also performed to identify radiomic features predictive of nGBM prognosis.

Allosteric changes in the conformational landscape of Src kinase upon substrate binding.

Precise regulation of protein kinase activity is crucial in cell functions, and its loss is implicated in various diseases. The kinase activity is regulated by interconverting active and inactive states in the conformational landscape. However, how protein kinases switch conformations in response to different signals such as the binding at distinct sites remains incompletely understood.

Polycyclic aromatic polymer nanoparticles show potent infectious particle adsorption capability.

Nonspecific viral adsorption by polymer nanoparticles is more economical and superior in terms of operating cost and energy efficiency than viral adsorption using virus-specific antibodies and filtration techniques involving size exclusion in the order of tens of nanometres. In this study, we synthesised four types of polycyclic aromatic polymer (ArP) nanoparticles with different structures and evaluated their virus adsorption capability for infectious particles of the newly emerged severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). ArP nanoparticles with a diameter of approximately 500 nm were prepared by one-pot precipitation polymerisation using structural isomers of bifunctional dihydroxynaphthalene (1,5-dihydroxynaphthalene and 2,6-dihydroxynaphthalene) as phenol monomers, as well as 3-hydroxybenzoic acid and 3-aminophenol as comonomers to introduce carboxylic acid and amino groups, respectively.

The contribution of the CRP/CD64 axis to renal cancer progression by inducing protumor activation of tumor-associated macrophages.

Objectives: C-reactive protein (CRP) is a well-known acute-phase protein that increases remarkably under various inflammatory conditions and is elevated in patients with malignant tumors. In this study, we investigated the influence of CRP on the tumor microenvironment in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC).

Methods: This study explored CRP's role in ccRCC by co-culturing human macrophages with ccRCC cells and employing antibody blocking, RNA sequencing and experiments for functional insights.

YAP acts as an independent prognostic marker and regulates growth and metastasis of gastrointestinal stromal tumors via FBXW7-YAP pathway.

Background: Although imatinib (IM) and subsequent tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) significantly improve the prognosis of GIST patients by delaying metastasis and recurrence, most patients experience limited efficacy due to toxicity and secondary resistance. We evaluated Yes-associated protein (YAP), a coactivator of the Hippo pathway accounting for IM resistance and aggressive GIST phenotypes, in GISTs. The degradation of YAP is mediated by FBXW7, and FBXW7 predicts recurrence and IM efficacy for GIST patients.

Validation of British Society of Gastroenterology guidelines for acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding from 8,956 cases in Japan.

Background And Aims: We sought to validate the British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG) guidelines for acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding (ALGIB).

Methods: We analyzed 8,956 patients with ALGIB in CODE BLUE-J study and categorized them into four groups based on BSG guidelines. Outcomes included 30-day rebleeding, 30-day mortality, blood transfusion, therapeutic intervention, and severe bleeding.

Rivaroxaban for 18 Months Versus 6 Months in Patients With Cancer and Acute Low-Risk Pulmonary Embolism: An Open-Label, Multicenter, Randomized Clinical Trial (ONCO PE Trial).

Background: The optimal duration of anticoagulation therapy for patients with cancer and acute low-risk pulmonary embolism (PE) is clinically relevant, but evidence is lacking. Prolonged anticoagulation therapy could have a potential benefit for prevention of thrombotic events; however, it could also increase the risk of bleeding.

Methods: In a multicenter, open-label, adjudicator-blinded, randomized clinical trial at 32 institutions in Japan, we randomly assigned patients with cancer and acute low-risk PE of the simplified version of the Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index score of 1, in a 1:1 ratio, to receive either an 18-month or a 6-month rivaroxaban treatment.