Comparison of DWI techniques in patients with epidermoid cyst: TGSE-BLADE DWI vs. SS-EPI DWI.

Purpose: To compare quantitative values and image quality between single-shot echo-planar imaging (SS-EPI) diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and two-dimensional turbo gradient- and spin-echo DWI with non-Cartesian BLADE trajectory (TGSE-BLADE DWI) in patients with epidermoid cyst.

Methods: Patients with epidermoid cyst who underwent both SS-EPI DWI and TGSE-BLADE DWI were included in this study. Two raters placed ROIs encircling the entire epidermoid cyst on SS-EPI DWI, and then on TGSE-BLADE DWI.

Causal effects of promotion to managerial positions on mental health and satisfaction in Japanese male workers.

Purpose: We estimated the static and dynamic effects of promotion to managerial positions on mental health and satisfaction using the recent estimation method; we addressed the gap in extant research by considering the heterogeneity in treatment timing to reconfirm evidence regarding the causal effects of promotion.

Methods: We used a modified estimation method of two-way fixed effects recommended by (Callaway and Sant'Anna, J Econom 225:200-230, 2021). To check for robustness, we compared the analyses using propensity sample matching, an alternative treatment timing heterogeneity-robust analysis, and a normal two-way fixed effects event study.

Substrate expansion of Geotrichum candidum alcohol dehydrogenase towards diaryl ketones by mutation.

Chiral diaryl alcohols, such as (4-chlorophenyl)(pyridin-2-yl)methanol, are important intermediates for pharmaceutical synthesis. However, using alcohol dehydrogenases (ADHs) in the asymmetric reduction of diaryl ketones to produce the corresponding alcohols is challenging due to steric hindrance in the substrate binding pockets of the enzymes. In this study, the steric hindrance of the ADH from Geotrichum candidum NBRC 4597 (G.

Longitudinal Metabolomics Reveals Metabolic Dysregulation Dynamics in Patients with Severe COVID-19.

A dysregulated metabolism has been studied as a key aspect of the COVID-19 pathophysiology, but its longitudinal progression in severe cases remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate metabolic dysregulation over time in patients with severe COVID-19 requiring mechanical ventilation (MV). In this single-center, prospective, observational study, we obtained 236 serum samples from 118 adult patients on MV in an ICU.

Assessment of Chicken Fecal Contamination Using Microbial Source Tracking (MST) and Environmental DNA (eDNA) Profiling in Silway River, Philippines.

The Silway River has historically failed to meet safe fecal coliform levels due to improper waste disposal. The river mouth is located in General Santos City, the tuna capital of the Philippines and a leading producer of hogs, cattle, and poultry. The buildup of contaminants due to direct discharge of waste from chicken farms and existing water quality conditions has led to higher fecal matter in the Silway River.

Amplitude modulation structure in French and German poetry: universal acoustic physical structures underpin different poetic rhythm structures.

French and German poetry are classically considered to utilize fundamentally different linguistic structures to create rhythmic regularity. Their metrical rhythm structures are considered poetically to be very different. However, the biophysical and neurophysiological constraints upon the speakers of these poems are highly similar.

Dilatory responsiveness of the internal carotid artery to shear stimulus is constant under different levels of transient hypercapnia.

Peripheral endothelial function, which accounts for the variability in shear stimulus, can be assessed using shear-mediated dilation normalized to the increased shear stimulus. Similarly, shear-mediated dilation of the internal carotid artery (ICA), an index of cerebrovascular endothelial function, should be normalized to increased shear stimulus. However, this approach has not yet been validated.

Support-Free, Connected Core-Shell Nanoparticle Catalysts Synthesized via a Low-Temperature Process for Advanced Oxygen Reduction Performance.

Nanostructured Pt-based catalysts have attracted considerable attention for fuel-cell applications. This study introduces a novel one-pot and low-temperature polyol approach for synthesizing support-free, connected nanoparticles with non-Pt metal cores and Pt shells. Unlike conventional heat treatment methods, the developed support-free and Fe-free connected Pd@Pt (Pd@Pt) nanoparticle catalyst possesses a stable nanonetwork structure with a high surface area.

Intrinsic Temperature Dependence of Raman-Active Modes in Individual Isolated Single- and Double-Walled Carbon Nanotubes.

The intrinsic temperature dependence of Raman-active modes in carbon nanotubes (CNTs), particularly the radial breathing mode (RBM), has been a topic of a long-standing controversy. In this study, we prepared suspended individual CNTs to investigate how their Raman spectra depend on temperature and to understand the effects of environmental conditions on this dependency. We analyzed the intrinsic temperature dependence of the main Raman-active modes, including the RBM, the moiré-activated R feature, and the G-band in double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWCNT) and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) after complete desorption of air.

Development of a quantitative assessment for abnormal flexor synergy index in patients with stroke: a validity and responsiveness study.

Background: Arm-lifting movements (shoulder flexion) are essential for upper extremity rehabilitation after a stroke. Abnormal flexor synergy (elbow flexion) is frequently observed during shoulder flexion, impeding functional improvement. However, no quantitative method exists for assessing abnormal flexor synergy.

Oscillatory Motion of a Camphor Disk on a Water Phase with an Ionic Liquid Sensitive to Transition Metal Ions.

We investigated oscillatory motion of a camphor disk floating on water containing 5 mM hexylethylenediaminium trifluoroacetate (HHexen-TFA) as an ionic liquid (IL). The frequency of the oscillatory motion increased with increasing concentrations of the transition metal ions Cu and Ni but was insensitive to Na, Ca, and Mg, the typical metal ions in the water phase. The surface tension of the water phase containing 5 mM HHexen-TFA also increased with increasing concentrations of Cu and Ni but was insensitive to Na, Ca, and Mg.

Fatty acids from cheese stimulate cholesterol efflux by ABC transporters.

It is essential to remove cholesterol from the body to suppress atherosclerosis progression. ABCA1 and ABCG1 transport cholesterol in peripheral cells including macrophages and function in the formation of high-density lipoprotein (HDL). ABCG5/ABCG8 functions in the efflux of cholesterol from the body.

Variations in serum concentrations of sunitinib and its metabolites in patients receiving long-term sunitinib treatment.

Purpose: The blood concentrations of some tyrosine kinase inhibitors are known to decrease with long-term administration. We evaluated the variability in the serum concentrations of sunitinib and its metabolites in patients receiving long-term sunitinib treatment.

Methods: This study prospectively recruited patients who received sunitinib for metastatic renal cell carcinoma at the Showa University Hospital between March 2020 and January 2022.

Changes in Aqueous Angiopoietin-1/2 Concentrations During the Induction Phase of Intravitreal Faricimab Injections for Diabetic Macular Edema.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the dynamic changes in aqueous concentrations of angiopoietin (Ang)-1/2 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) during injection in treatment-naïve patients with diabetic macular edema (DME) receiving faricimab during the induction phase (3 consecutive monthly doses) and retrospectively analyze the data.

Methods: Thirty-five eyes of 26 patients (age = 63.1 ± 12.

Support leg joint kinetic determinants of maximal speed sprint performance.

This study aimed to comprehensively demonstrate support leg joint kinetic determinants of maximal speed sprint performance. Ground reaction forces and marker coordinates attached to the body were measured in the maximal speed phase from 44 male sprinters. Then, three-dimensional leg joint torque, angular velocity and power were calculated.

How are the Barthel Index and care need levels associated in residents of nursing homes in Japan?

This study examined the relationship between Long-Term Care Insurance care need levels and Barthel Index scores in Japanese nursing home residents. Findings show a strong correlation (r = -0.68), comparable to community-dwelling individuals, yet certain care need levels exhibited large score variability.

Conditioned serum-free culture medium accomplishes adhesion and proliferation of bovine myogenic cells on uncoated dishes.

To establish a sustainable cultured meat technology, a low-cost culture medium must be developed without expensive biological materials such as serum and coating substances. However, even adhering bovine myogenic cells to uncoated culture dishes in the serum-free medium is challenging. We found that serum-free culture medium conditioned by HepG2 and NIH/3T3 cells not only accomplished the cell adhesion on uncoated culture dishes (the serum-containing medium : the serum-free medium : the conditioned medium = 6722 ± 1500 : 2210 ± 319 : 5985 ± 1558 cells/cm), but also induced proliferation comparable to that observed in a serum-containing medium (the serum-containing medium : the serum-free medium : the conditioned medium = 10,050 ± 2814 : 2200 ± 707 : 8998 ± 3890 cells/cm).

An optical BOD biosensor based on intracellular ATP measurements in genetically modified Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

A biosensor for biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) was developed based on intracellular 5'-adenosine triphosphate (ATP) measurements in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Intracellular ATP was measured using an engineered protein named ATeam, comprising a bacterial FF-ATP synthase ε subunit sandwiched between cyan fluorescent protein and mVenus, a modified yellow fluorescent protein. Because the binding of ATP to ATeam induces changes in the fluorescence spectra owing to Fӧrster resonance energy transfer, S.

Associations of malnutrition factors with dysphagia mediated by ADL among nursing home residents.

Objective: The potential link between malnutrition and dysphagia along with its underlying mechanisms remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the association between malnutrition factors and dysphagia mediated by a decline in activities of daily living (ADL) among nursing home residents.

Methods: This cross-sectional study used data from 705 nursing home residents.

Dynamic Control of Chiral Recognition in Water-Soluble Naphthotubes Induced by Hydrostatic Pressure.

The dynamic control of chiral (enantiomeric) responses in chiral host-guest complexes through external stimuli is a significant challenge in modern chemistry for developing smart stimuli-responsive materials. Herein, we report the (chir)optical properties and chiral recognition behavior of water-soluble chiral naphthotubes () under the influence of hydrostatic pressure as an external stimulus. The hydrostatic pressure spectral profiles compared to those obtained at normal pressure revealed the dynamic behavior of under hydrostatic pressure, owing to the flexible linker.

Development and validation of the Japanese version of the Public Attitudes Toward Epilepsy (PATE-J) Scale.

Aim: This study aimed to develop and validate a Japanese version of the Public Attitudes Toward Epilepsy (PATE-J) Scale to measure attitudes towards epilepsy among the general Japanese population.

Methods: The study employed a cross-sectional design using an online survey of 537 participants from the general public in Japan, with follow-up surveys at 2 weeks and 3 months. The PATE Scale was translated following standard guidelines and validated by conducting confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) on the complete data set to assess the original two-factor structure of the PATE Scale.

Efficacy and safety of ceftazidime-avibactam in combination with metronidazole in Japanese patients with complicated intra-abdominal infection: A phase 3, multicentre, open-label study.

Background: This phase 3 open-label study evaluated the efficacy and safety of ceftazidime-avibactam in Japanese patients with complicated intra-abdominal infections (cIAIs).

Methods: Hospitalised adults with cIAI received ceftazidime-avibactam + metronidazole for 5-14 days. The primary efficacy endpoint was clinical cure at the test-of-cure (TOC) visit in the clinically evaluable (CE) analysis set.

Relationships between trunk tissue distribution, metabolic risk factors and physical performance in young people-A pilot study.

The present study examined the relationships between trunk tissue distribution, metabolic risk factors, and physical performance in young Japanese individuals using cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses. Thirty-six healthy Japanese men (n = 20, body mass index [BMI]: 20.8 ± 2.