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The presence in the interstellar medium of several imines suggests that other molecules of the same family could be present as well. The propargylimine molecule (HCCCHNH), which arises from CCH substitution on the C atom of methanimine (H2CNH), the simplest imine, has been recently detected in space. Therefore, the analogous CCH derivative substituted on the N atom, known as N-ethynylmethanimine (H2CNCCH), is a good candidate to be observed as well. To allow for its astronomical detection we have investigated its laboratory rotational spectra. The species has been produced by an electric discharge of acetonitrile (CH3CN) and acetylene (HCCH) in argon, and its rotational spectrum between 9 and 40 GHz has been characterized using a Balle–Flygare narrow band-type Fourier-transform microwave spectrometer. The spectral analysis allowed us to derive accurate spectroscopic parameters to obtain reliable frequency predictions for astronomical searches in different sources. We searched for H2CNCCH in several molecular clouds, G+0.693−0.027, L483, and TMC-1, but did not detect it. The upper limits to its abundance derived are consistent with a preference of the CCH substitution of H2CNH on the C atom rather than on the N atom, in line with quantum chemical calculations on the reaction between CCH and H2CNH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The optimal strategy for difficult-to-treat (D2T) rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has not been identified, and the ultrasound characteristics of D2T RA have not been reported. We investigated the clinical characteristics and factors contributing to the outcome in D2T RA in a multicentre RA ultrasound observational cohort. Method: We reviewed 307 Japanese patients diagnosed with RA who underwent treatment with biological and targeted synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (b/tsDMARDs). We compared the differences in patient characteristics between the D2T RA and non-D2T RA groups. We examined the factors contributing to a good response [defined as b/tsDMARD continuation and Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI) ≤ 10 at 12 months] in the D2T RA patient group. Results: Forty-three patients (14%) were categorized as D2T RA and the remaining 264 (86%) as non-D2T RA at baseline. The grey-scale (GS) score, disease duration, and CDAI at the initiation of treatment were significantly higher in the D2T RA group than in the non-D2T RA group. In contrast, the power Doppler (PD) score was not significantly different between the two groups. Of the 43 D2T RA patients, 20 achieved a good response. The introduction of CTLA4-Ig (n = 5) was significantly associated with a good response in analysis based on inverse probability weighting with propensity score. GS and PD scores at baseline were not significantly associated with therapeutic response at 12 months in D2T RA patients. Conclusions: Patients with D2T RA had high clinical and ultrasound activity and poor responses to treatment with b/tsDMARDs. CTLA4-Ig was associated with a good response at 12 months in D2T RA patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last few decades, Pd-based three-way catalysts (TWCs) have been more extensively used than Pt-based TWCs because of their higher thermal stability. In this study, the addition of CeO2 to a Pt-based TWC was performed to improve the reductivity and dispersion of Pt particles after aging at 1000 °C. The aged dispersion of the Pt-loaded CeO2 was much higher than that of a commonly used La2O3–CeO2–ZrO2 catalyst. Furthermore, the hydrogen temperature-programmed reduction conducted on Pt/CeO2 revealed that the Pt-loaded highly crystalline CeO2 (HC–CeO2) exhibited a higher reductivity as compared with that of the high surface area CeO2 (HS–CeO2). Adding a small amount of HC–CeO2 to the Pt-based TWC increased both the Pt dispersion and reductivity after aging. Owing to the high dispersion and reductivity of Pt, Rh/Pt-based TWCs with HC–CeO2 used as an additive to the Pt catalyst layer demonstrated a higher catalytic activity than that of the Rh/Pd-based TWCs even after aging at 1000 °C in an exhaust gas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We found four series of harmonically related lines in IRC +10216 with the Yebes 40m and IRAM 30m telescopes. The first series corresponds to a molecule with a rotational constant, B, of 1448.5994±0.0013MHz and a distortion constant, D, of 63.45±1.15 Hz and covers upper quantum numbers from Ju = 11 up to 33 (B1449). The second series is fitted with B= 1446.9380±0.0098MHz and D= 91±23 Hz and covers upper quantum numbers from Ju = 11 up to 17 (B1447). The third series is fitted with B= 598.7495±0.0011MHz and D= 6.13±0.43 Hz and covers quantum numbers from Ju = 26 up to 41 (B599). Finally, the frequencies of the last series of lines can be reproduced with B= 594.3176±0.0026MHz and D= 4.92±1.16 Hz (B594). The large values of D point toward four metal-bearing carriers. After exploring all plausible candidates containing Na, Al, Mg, and other metals, our ab initio calculations indicate that the cations MgC4H+, MgC3N+, MgC6H+, and MgC5N+ must be the carriers of B1449, B1447, B599, and B594, respectively. These cations could be formed by the radiative association of Mg+ with C4H, C3N, C6H, and C5N, respectively. We calculated the radiative association rate coeffcient of Mg+ with C4H, C3N, C6H, and C5N and incorporated them in our chemical model. The results confirm that the Mg-bearing cations can be formed through these radiative association reactions in the outer layers of IRC +10216. This is the first time that cationic metal-bearing species have been found in space. These results provide a new paradigm on the reactivity of ionized metals with abundant radicals and open the door for further characterization of similar species in metal-rich astrophysical environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Follicular dendritic cell sarcoma is a rare stromal tumor with no standard treatment. However, some reports have revealed that follicular dendritic cell sarcoma has an inflammatory pseudotumor variant associated with Epstein–Barr virus infection that has a relatively good prognosis. In this report, we present a case of a resected inflammatory pseudotumor variant of follicular dendritic cell sarcoma of the liver, and have reviewed the literature on the clinicopathological, molecular, and genomic features of this tumor. Case presentation: The inflammatory pseudotumor variant of follicular dendritic cell sarcoma originates only in the liver or spleen, causes no symptoms, and is more common in middle-aged Asian women. It has no characteristic imaging features, which partially explains why the inflammatory pseudotumor variant of follicular dendritic cell sarcoma is difficult to diagnose. Pathologically, the inflammatory pseudotumor variant of follicular dendritic cell sarcoma has spindle cells mixed with inflammatory cells and is variably positive for follicular dendritic cell markers (CD21, CD23, and CD35) and Epstein–Barr virus-encoded RNA. On genetic analysis, patients with this tumor high levels of latent membrane protein 1 gene expression and extremely low levels of host C–X–C Chemokine Receptor type 7 gene expression, indicating that the inflammatory pseudotumor variant of follicular dendritic cell sarcoma has a latent Epstein–Barr virus type 2 infection. Conclusions: The inflammatory pseudotumor variant of follicular dendritic cell sarcoma is an Epstein–Barr virus-associated tumor and a favorable prognosis by surgical resection, similar to Epstein–Barr virus-associated gastric cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ξ− atomic X-ray spectroscopy is one of the most useful methods for investigation of the Ξ–nucleus strong interaction. Since the X-ray energy is shifted and/or broadened due to the Ξ–nucleus strong interaction compared to those calculated from electromagnetic interaction alone, the measurement of the energy shift, Δ E , and the width, Γ, give us information on the Ξ–nucleus potential. A serious problem in the measurement is the significant background derived from in-flight Ξ− decay. A novel method of identifying stopped Ξ− events using the nuclear emulsion was developed to realize the first Ξ− atomic X-ray spectroscopy experiment as the J-PARC E07 experiment, which also aimed at searching for ΛΛ and Ξ− hypernuclei in the emulsion. The X-rays emitted from Ξ− Br and Ξ− Ag atoms were measured using germanium detectors. No clear peaks were observed in the obtained spectra. However, we succeeded in reducing the background to 1/170 by this method employing coincidence measurements using nuclear emulsion and X-ray detectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Latent space exploration is a technique that discovers interpretable latent directions and manipulates latent codes to edit various attributes in images generated by generative adversarial networks (GANs). However, in previous work, spatial control is limited to simple transformations (e.g., translation and rotation), and it is laborious to identify appropriate latent directions and adjust their parameters. In this paper, we tackle the problem of editing the StyleGAN image layout by annotating the image directly. To do so, we propose an interactive framework for manipulating latent codes in accordance with the user inputs. In our framework, the user annotates a StyleGAN image with locations they want to move or not and specifies a movement direction by mouse dragging. From these user inputs and initial latent codes, our latent transformer based on a transformer encoder‐decoder architecture estimates the output latent codes, which are fed to the StyleGAN generator to obtain a result image. To train our latent transformer, we utilize synthetic data and pseudo‐user inputs generated by off‐the‐shelf StyleGAN and optical flow models, without manual supervision. Quantitative and qualitative evaluations demonstrate the effectiveness of our method over existing methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effectiveness of treatment with Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) assessed by ultrasonography (US) activity, and the influence of patient characteristics and previous treatments. This prospective study assessed 60 treatment initiations among 53 Japanese patients diagnosed with RA who underwent treatment with JAK inhibitors during June 2013 to February 2020. Of the 53 patients, seven patients were enrolled in duplicate because they were treated with two different JAK inhibitors at different periods. For each case, the improvement rate on the power Doppler (PD) score was assessed at 6 month follow-up. Median improvement rate of PD score was used to classify cases as either US responders or non-responders, and patient characteristics were compared between the two groups. All indicators of clinical disease activity and US activity showed a significant improvement at 3 months compared with baseline. Although the JAK inhibitor-cycler group and the interleukin-6 (IL-6) inhibitor inadequate response (IR) group tended to show a later improvement for US activity, all indicators of clinical disease activity and US activity showed a significant improvement at 6 months compared with baseline for both groups. Multivariate analysis showed that concomitant methotrexate use and an IR to the previous biologic or targeted-synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (b/tsDMARD) treatment were independently and significantly associated with US responders. Use of a JAK inhibitor in combination with methotrexate and an absence of IR to any previous b/tsDMARDs demonstrated superior effectiveness for patients with RA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dynamic magnetic properties of Ta-O/Co20Fe60B20 bilayer films are strongly influenced by the oxidation condition of the Ta-O layer. The oxidation of the Ta-O layer by a slight amount of oxygen with a pressure (POxygen) of 0.03 Pa decreases in-plane damping constant (αIP), and increases the effective magnetization (4πMs,eff). Then, both αIP and 4πMs,eff maintain their values by increasing POxygen up to 0.3 Pa. The out-of-plane damping constant (αOP) showed a similar tendency to that of αIP against POxygen, although αOP is much smaller than αIP in every POxygen. αOP reaches to 0.0033 for sample oxidized at 0.03 Pa. It was suggested that αIP consists of both the intrinsic damping and the extrinsic damping, while αOP is closer to the intrinsic damping. The control of αOP and αIP by the oxidation would be beneficial in designing the high frequency spintronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the discovery of the C5H+ cation toward TMC-1 with the QUIJOTE line survey. Four lines from J = 7 − 6 up to J = 10 − 9 have been identified in perfect harmonic frequency relation that can be fit with B = 2411.94397 ± 0.00055 MHz and D = 138 ± 3 Hz. The standard deviation of the fit is 4.4 kHz. After discarding potential candidates, C5H− among them, we conclude that the carrier is C5H+, for which accurate ab initio calculations provide B = 2410.3 MHz. We also report for the first time in a cold starless core the detection of the C3H+ cation. The column densities we derive for C5H+ and C3H+ are (8.8 ± 0.5)×1010 cm−2 and (2.4 ± 0.2)×1010 cm−2, respectively. Hence, the C5H+/C3H+ abundance ratio is 3.7 ± 0.5. The fact that C5H+ is more abundant than C3H+ is well explained by dedicated chemical models and is due to the slow reactivity of C5H+ with H2, while C3H+ reacts with H2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IgG/IgA pemphigus representing pemphigus vegetans caused by low titres of IgG and IgA antibodies to desmoglein 3 and IgA antibodies to desmocollin 3. However, more sensitive mammalian ELISAs have shown that 36.8% of them form autoantibodies against Dsc1-3 to several degrees.1 In addition, a mouse model expressing anti-Dsc3 autoantibodies has been shown to develop mild and atypical form of pemphigus.10 In the reported cases of anti-Dsc autoantibodies-positive pemphigus vegetans, all anti-Dsg3-negative patients had anti-Dsc3 autoantibodies. IgA pemphigus pathologically demonstrates neutrophilic and eosinophilic abscesses, but only one patient had IgA antibodies to Dsc3.5 The reported cases were administered PSL (20 mg/day to 1 mg/kg/day), minocycline, doxycycline and rituximab. [Extracted from the article]

Objectives: Using multicentre ultrasound (US) cohort data among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), we aimed to identify baseline factors that permit differentiation between two patient cohorts achieving US remission and clinical remission, and to determine the factors contributing to the discrepancy. Method: We reviewed 248 Japanese patients diagnosed with RA who underwent treatment with biological disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs at 13 centres. We performed US assessments of the synovia of 22 joints. We assessed the percentages of patients with clinical remission and US remission, defined as total power Doppler scores of 0 at 12 months. Results: The 87 patients who achieved US remission were divided into a group that achieved both clinical and US remission (n = 53) and a group that achieved US remission only (n = 34). Baseline factors that were significantly and independently associated with clinical remission at 12 months among patients who also achieved US remission included short disease duration, the presence of concomitant methotrexate use, and low patient global assessment score (p < 0.05, p < 0.05, and p < 0.005, respectively). Conclusions: RA patients with baseline high patient global assessment scores and long disease duration at baseline were unlikely to achieve clinical remission even after achieving US remission. Objective joint assessments using US provide additional information of potential importance for the management of RA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The modern supervised approaches for human image relighting rely on training data generated from 3D human models. However, such datasets are often small (e.g., Light Stage data with a small number of individuals) or limited to diffuse materials (e.g., commercial 3D scanned human models). Thus, the human relighting techniques suffer from the poor generalization capability and synthetic‐to‐real domain gap. In this paper, we propose a two‐stage method for single‐image human relighting with domain adaptation. In the first stage, we train a neural network for diffuse‐only relighting. In the second stage, we train another network for enhancing non‐diffuse reflection by learning residuals between real photos and images reconstructed by the diffuse‐only network. Thanks to the second stage, we can achieve higher generalization capability against various cloth textures, while reducing the domain gap. Furthermore, to handle input videos, we integrate illumination‐aware deep video prior to greatly reduce flickering artifacts even with challenging settings under dynamic illuminations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bound systems of |$\Xi^-$| – |$^{14}_{}{\rm N}$| are studied via |$\Xi^-$| capture at rest followed by emission of a twin single- |$\Lambda$| hypernucleus in the emulsion detectors. Two events forming extremely deep |$\Xi^-$| bound states were obtained by analysis of a hybrid method in the E07 experiment at J-PARC and reanalysis of the E373 experiment at KEK-PS. The decay mode of one event was assigned as |$\Xi^-+^{14}\!\,\!\!{\rm N}\to^{5}_{\Lambda}\!\!\!{\rm He} + ^{5}_{\Lambda}\!\!{\rm He} + ^{4}\!\!{\rm He} + \mathrm{n}$|⁠. Since there are no excited states for daughter particles, the binding energy of the |$\Xi^-$| hyperon, |$B_{\Xi^-}$|⁠ , in the |$^{14}_{}{\rm N}$| nucleus was uniquely determined to be |$6.27 \pm 0.27$| MeV. Another |$\Xi^-$| – |$^{14}_{}{\rm N}$| system via the decay |$^{9}_{\Lambda}{\rm Be} + ^{5}_{\Lambda}\!\!\!{\rm He} + \mathrm{n}$| brings a |$B_{\Xi^-}$| value, |$8.00 \pm 0.77$| MeV or |$4.96 \pm 0.77$| MeV, where the two possible values of |$B_{\Xi^-}$| correspond to the ground and the excited states of the daughter |$^{9}_{\Lambda}{\rm Be}$| nucleus, respectively. Because the |$B_{\Xi^-}$| values are larger than those of the previously reported events (KISO and IBUKI), which are both interpreted as the nuclear |$1p$| state of the |$\Xi^-$| – |$^{14}_{}{\rm N}$| system, these new events give the first indication of the nuclear |$1s$| state of the |$\Xi$| hypernucleus, |$^{15}_{\Xi}{\rm C}$|⁠. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Polymyositis/dermatomyositis (PM/DM) is an autoimmune disease that is sometimes complicated with rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease (RPILD). However, serum and lung biomarkers that can predict RPILD development remain unclear. Objectives: To determine potential serum and lung biomarkers that can predict RPILD development in patients with PM/DM‐ILD. Methods: In total, 49 patients with PM/DM‐ILD were enrolled. We measured the serum levels of 41 cytokines/chemokines, ferritin and anti‐MDA5 antibody, compared them between the RPILD (n = 23) and non‐RPILD (n = 26) groups, and ranked them by their importance through random forest analysis. To distinguish the two groups, we determined biomarker combinations by logistic regression analysis. We also measured the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) levels of 41 cytokines/chemokines. Using immunohistochemistry, we examined IL‐15 expression in lung tissues. The IL‐15 production was also investigated using A549 and BEAS‐2B cells. Results: The RPILD group had significantly higher IL‐15, IL‐1RA, IL‐6, CXCL10, VCAM‐1, anti‐MDA5 antibody and ferritin serum levels than the non‐RPILD group, but it had a significantly low CCL22 level. Meanwhile, anti‐MDA5 antibody, IL‐15, CXCL8, CCL22, IL‐1RA and ferritin were the best combination to distinguish the two groups. IL‐15 and CCL22 were also predictive marker for RPILD development in anti‐MDA5 antibody‐positive patients. Additionally, the RPILD group had significantly high IL‐15 levels in BALF. The lung tissues expressed IL‐15, which increased after cytokine stimulation in the A549 cells. Conclusion: This study identified a combination of biomarkers predicting PM/DM‐RPILD progression, and IL‐15 is an important cytokine for predicting RPILD development and reflecting ILD severity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine whether the positivity of baseline anti-Ro/Sjögren's syndrome antigen A (SSA) antibodies influences the response to abatacept, we compared therapeutic responses between anti-Ro/SSA antibody-negative and -positive patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) using a multicentre RA ultrasonography prospective cohort. Method: We reviewed Japanese patients with RA who started abatacept as the first biological disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug between June 2013 and April 2018. We assessed 28-joint Disease Activity Score–erythrocyte sedimentation rate (DAS28-ESR) change between baseline and 6 or 12 months after treatment in RA patients treated with abatacept, and European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) response at 6 and 12 months. The Global OMERACT-EULAR Synovitis Score (GLOESS) was calculated at baseline and at 6 and 12 months. Results: Overall, 51 patients were enrolled and divided into anti-Ro/SSA antibody-negative and -positive groups of 35 and 16, respectively. Median age at baseline was significantly higher in the anti-Ro/SSA antibody-negative group (p = 0.04). The retention rate and percentage of EULAR good responders at 12 months were significantly higher in the anti-Ro/SSA antibody-negative group (both p = 0.02). Anti-Ro/SSA antibody-negative patients exhibited larger decreases in both DAS28-ESR and DAS28-C-reactive protein at 12 months than anti-Ro/SSA antibody-positive patients (p = 0.02 and 0.04, respectively). GLOESS decreased significantly at 6 months in anti-Ro/SSA antibody-negative patients (p = 0.03). Multivariate analyses showed that anti-Ro/SSA antibody positivity was an independent factor associated with change in the DAS28-ESR at 6 months (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Anti-Ro/SSA antibody positivity predicts a poor response to abatacept and low retention rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the Yebes 40m and IRAM 30m radio telescopes, we detected a series of harmonically related lines with a rotational constant B0 = 4460.590 ± 0.001 MHz and a distortion constant D0 = 0.511 ± 0.005 kHz towards the cold dense core TMC-1. High-level-of-theory ab initio calculations indicate that the best possible candidate is protonated tricarbon monoxide, HC3O+. We have succeeded in producing this species in the laboratory and observed its Ju − Jl = 2–1 and 3–2 rotational transitions. Hence, we report the discovery of HC3O+ in space based on our observations, theoretical calculations, and laboratory experiments. We derive an abundance ratio N(C3O)/N(HC3O+) ∼ 7. The high abundance of the protonated form of C3O is due to the high proton affinity of the neutral species. The chemistry of O-bearing species is modelled, and predictions are compared to the derived abundances from our data for the most prominent O-bearing species in TMC-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Semantic image synthesis is a process for generating photorealistic images from a single semantic mask. To enrich the diversity of multimodal image synthesis, previous methods have controlled the global appearance of an output image by learning a single latent space. However, a single latent code is often insufficient for capturing various object styles because object appearance depends on multiple factors. To handle individual factors that determine object styles, we propose a class‐ and layer‐wise extension to the variational autoencoder (VAE) framework that allows flexible control over each object class at the local to global levels by learning multiple latent spaces. Furthermore, we demonstrate that our method generates images that are both plausible and more diverse compared to state‐of‐the‐art methods via extensive experiments with real and synthetic datasets in three different domains. We also show that our method enables a wide range of applications in image synthesis and editing tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the influence of hard mask (HM) materials on tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) properties and magnetic properties for the magnetic tunnel junctions with pependicular easy axis (p-MTJs) with double CoFeB/MgO interface annealed at 400 °C for 0.5–10 h. After annealing at 400 °C for 5 h, the TMR ratio of the MTJ with TiN HM was significantly decreased, whereas the TMR ratio of the MTJ with Ta-HM was maintained at a value of more than 120%. The analysis results by secondary-ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) revealed that Ru in Ru-cap for the MTJ with TiN-HM diffused into the free layer through the MgO-cap layer, resulting in the degradation of the magnetic and TMR properties of the MTJ with TiN-HM. In contrast, Ru did not diffuse into the free layer for the MTJ with Ta-HM, which results from suppression of Ru diffusion into the free layer due to the formation of Ta–Ru alloy. Furthermore, in both the MTJs with TiN-HM and Ta-HM annealed at 400 °C for 10 h, EDX analysis revealed Pt diffusion into the CoFeB reference layer, which could degrade the magnetic properties of the reference layer, resulting in the degradation of TMR properties. To obtain a double CoFeB/MgO interface p-MTJ with higher thermal tolerance, it is necessary to design an HM material that suppresses the diffusion of the cap material into the free layer in addition to suppressing the Pt diffusion of the reference layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer-promoting inflammation is an important event in cancer development. Canine urothelial carcinoma (cUC) overexpresses prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and has a unique sensitivity to cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2)-inhibiting therapy. In addition, majority of cUC harbour BRAFV595E mutation. However, mechanisms underlying aberrant PGE2 production in BRAFV595E cUC patients remain unclear. Drug screening revealed that inhibition of RAF/MEK/ERK pathway, p38 and JNK pathway reduced PGE2 production in cUC cells. By pharmacological inhibition of the multiple components in the pathway, activation of the ERK MAPK pathway was shown to mediate overexpression of COX2 and production of PGE2 in BRAFV595E cUC cells. In silico gain-of-function analysis of the BRAF mutation also implicated involvement of mutation in the process. The positive association between ERK activation and COX2 expression was further validated in the clinical patients. Moreover, it was also suggested that p38 and JNK regulates PGE2 production independently of ERK pathway, possibly through COX2-dependent and COX1-/COX2- independent manner, respectively. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that activation of ERK induces production of PGE2 in BRAFV595E cUC cells, which is also independently regulated by p38 and JNK. With its unique vulnerability to COX-targeted therapy, BRAFV595E cUC may serve as a valuable model to study the tumour-promoting inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Electron tomography methods using the conventional transmission electron microscope have been widely used to investigate the three‐dimensional distribution patterns of various cellular structures including microtubules in neurites. Because the penetrating power of electrons depends on the section thickness and accelerating voltage, conventional TEM, having acceleration voltages up to 200 kV, is limited to sample thicknesses of 0.2 µm or less. In this paper, we show that the ultra‐high voltage electron microscope (UHVEM), employing acceleration voltages of higher than 1000 kV (1 MV), allowed distinct reconstruction of the three‐dimensional array of microtubules in a 0.7‐µm‐thick neurite section. The detailed structure of microtubules was more clearly reconstructed from a 0.7‐µm‐thick section at an accelerating voltage of 1 MV compared with a 1.0 µm section at 2 MV. Furthermore, the entire distribution of each microtubule in a neurite could be reconstructed from serial‐section UHVEM tomography. Application of optimised UHVEM tomography will provide new insights, bridging the gap between the structure and function of widely‐distributed cellular organelles such as microtubules for neurite outgrowth. Lay Description: An optimal 3D visualisation of microtubule cytoskeleton using ultra‐high voltage electron microscopy tomography The ultra‐high voltage electron microscope (UHVEM) is able to visualise a micrometre‐thick specimen at nanoscale spatial resolution because of the high‐energy electron beam penetrating such a specimen. In this study, we determined the optimal conditions necessary for microtubule cytoskeleton imaging within 0.7‐µm‐thick section using a combination with UHVEM and electron tomography method. Our approach provides excellent 3D information about the complex arrangement of the individual microtubule filaments that make up the microtubule network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The purpose was to determine if increasing serum 25(OH)D and calcium in postmenopausal women increased skeletal muscle size, strength, balance, and functional task performance while decreasing muscle fatigue. PCSA of the vastus lateralis increased and ascent of stairs time decreased after 6 months of increased serum 25(OH)D. Purpose: The Institute of Medicine recommends ≥ 20 ng/ml of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] for bone and overall health. Serum 25(OH)D levels have been associated with physical performance, postural sway, and falls. The purpose of this study was to determine if increasing postmenopausal women's serum 25(OH)D levels from 20–30 ng/ml to 40–50 ng/ml improved skeletal muscle size, strength, balance, and functional performance while decreasing skeletal muscle fatigue. Methods: Twenty-six post-menopausal women (60–85 years old) with baseline serum 25(OH)D levels between 20 and 30 ng/ml were recruited. Oral over-the-counter (OTC) vitamin D3 and calcium citrate were prescribed to increase subjects' serum 25(OH)D to levels between 40 and 50 ng/ml, serum calcium levels above 9.2 mg/dl, and PTH levels below 60 pg/ml, which were confirmed at 6 and 12 weeks. Outcome measures assessed at baseline and 6 months included muscle physiological cross-sectional area (PCSA), muscle strength, postural balance, time to perform functional tasks, and muscle fatigue. Repeated measures comparisons between baseline and follow-up were performed. Results: Nineteen subjects completed the study. One individual could not afford the time commitment for the repeated measures. Three individuals did not take their vitamin D as recommended. Two subjects were lost to follow-up (lack of interest), and one did not achieve targeted serum 25(OH)D. Vastus lateralis PCSA increased (p = 0.007) and ascent of stair time decreased (p = 0.042) after 6 months of increasing serum 25(OH)D levels from 20–30 ng/ml to 40–50 ng/ml. Isometric strength was unchanged. Anterior-posterior center of pressure (COP) excursion and COP path length decreased (p < 0.1) albeit non-significantly, suggesting balance may improve from increased serum 25(OH)D and calcium citrate levels. Conclusions: Several measures of muscle structure and function were sensitive to elevated serum 25(OH)D and calcium levels indicating that further investigation of this phenomenon in post-menopausal women is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Successful rheumatoid arthritis (RA) outcome depends on treatment efficacy in the early stages of the disease and its sustainability. It is thus critical to identify factors predicting treatment persistence with biological agents, such as abatacept. We compared clinical profiles, including early changes in autoantibody titres at 3 months, between patients with RA demonstrating sustained persistence and those discontinuing abatacept treatment.Method: We prospectively enrolled 71 and 78 active RA patients treated with abatacept and tumour necrosis factor inhibitors (TNF-Is), respectively, who had previous disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug) failure. Clinical characteristics were compared between non-continuation and continuation groups stratified according to abatacept or TNF-I persistence for at least 12 months from treatment initiation.Results: Significantly larger decreases in rheumatoid factor titre and anti-citrullinated protein autoantibody (ACPA) titre were observed in the continuation group of abatacept therapy at 3 months, and early reduction in ACPA titre remained a significant and independent predictor of sustained persistence with abatacept in multivariate analysis. In addition, we obtained the area under the receiver operator characteristics curve of 0.904 from a model including baseline ACPA titre and reduction of ACPA titre at 3 months. Sustained reduction of RA disease activity score at 12 months was significantly and independently associated with reduced ACPA titre at 3 months.Conclusions: Persistence with abatacept and sustained therapeutic response are associated with an early reduction in ACPA titre. Prediction of abatacept continuation and efficacy will facilitate the optimal design of therapy in the early stages of RA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic properties of Co film in Pt/Co/α-Cr2O3/Pt/α-Al2O3 structure were investigated. Co layer thickness tCo dependence of perpendicular magnetic anisotropy energy density K reveals that the bulk magnetic anisotropy plays an important role in the system in addition to the interfacial anisotropy. Damping constant α monotonically increases with the decrease of tCo but not proportionally to 1/tCo. Both K and α increase with the increase of Pt layer thickness tPt from 3 nm to 5 nm and keeps almost constant in the tPt range between 5 nm to 20 nm. These results are of importance to understand the magnetization switching behavior driven by the magneto-electric (ME) effect as well as to design the spintronics device using the ME effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Lupus nephritis (LN) is a major risk factor for overall morbidity and mortality in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods We retrospectively analyzed cases of proliferative and membranous LN patients who underwent a renal biopsy at our hospital in 1993–2016. We analyzed the association between complete renal response (CR) rates at 12 months after induction therapy and predictive factors for CR and their association with renal flares. Results Of the 95 cases analyzed, we were able to track the therapeutic responses of 81 patients at 12 months after their induction therapy. The median follow-up duration after renal biopsy was 51 months (interquartile range: 16.5–154.5 months). The Cox proportional hazards model showed that, compared to not attaining CR at 12 months, the attainment of CR at 12 months was correlated with being free from renal flares. The multivariate logistic analysis revealed that the predictive factors for CR at 12 months were the anti-La/SSB antibodies (U/ml) (odds ratio (OR) 1.22, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01–1.63, p = 0.0220), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) (OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.44–0.90, p = 0.00048) and serum β2 microglobulin (MG) (OR 0.26, 95% CI 0.06–0.74, p = 0.00098) levels. Conclusions Among LN patients, being free from renal flares was associated with attaining CR at 12 months after induction therapy. Anti-La/SSB antibodies were a positive predictive factor, and BUN and serum β2MG levels were negative predictive factors of CR at 12 months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigates the crystal structure and magnetic properties of iron (111) single crystal films. Presence of aligned epitaxial growth of the iron layer film on gallium-arsenic layer; Absence of diffusion of arsenic atoms into the deposited iron layers in the depth profile of Auger electron spectra; Threefold symmetric anisotropy of the iron layer.

Blue naevus is a subset of benign melanocytic tumours typically located on the dorsal aspects of extremities, scalp and buttocks.1 It is also reported to occur rarely even at the oral and genital mucosa.2,3 Herein, we report a case of blue naevus of the labium minus with atypical clinical manifestations, which was confirmed by whole-exome sequencing. The tumour cells spread in parallel to the dermal layer without any junctional components and spared the central, blood vessel-rich connective tissue of the labium minus. The tumour cells spared the central connective tissue of the labium minus, which naturally contained rich small blood vessels (scale bar = 500 µm). gl To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report to describe blue naevus of the labium minus. [Extracted from the article]

This paper describes the measurement of microscopic radio frequency (RF) field distribution with a magnetic force microscope (MFM) tip exploring the beat signal from a coplanar waveguide (CPW) with a signal line as fine as 5 lm and a ground line of 50 lm. To produce a beating field in close proximity to the CPW, two RF currents with slightly different frequencies are supplied, where one is the signal current with a fixed frequency of 1.1 GHz and the other is the reference. The reference is adjusted to produce a beat with a frequency near the cantilever mechanical resonance frequency. Thus, the mechanical resonance of the cantilever excited by the beat field includes information about the 1.1 GHz field distribution from the CPW signal current. Detection of a beating field with a MFM tip can provide very high resolutions of the RF field distribution in the proximity of RF circuit component. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canine hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary hepatic tumour in dogs. MicroRNA (miRNA) dysregulation has been reported in human HCC and shown to have diagnostic and prognostic value; however, there are no data on miRNA expression in canine HCC. The aim of the present study was to investigate differentially expressed miRNAs in canine HCC. Analysis of miRNA expression in canine HCC tissues and cell lines by quantitative reverse transcription PCR showed that miR‐1, miR‐122, let‐7a, and let‐7g were downregulated, whereas miR‐10b and miR‐21 were upregulated in canine HCC. MET is one of the target genes of miR‐1. MET was upregulated in canine HCC at the gene and protein levels, and a significant correlation between the concomitant downregulation of miR‐1 and upregulation of MET was observed. Fast/intermediate‐proliferating canine HCC cell lines had higher MET gene and protein expression levels than the slow‐proliferating cell line. These findings suggest that miRNAs are differentially expressed in canine HCC, and that the miR‐1/MET pathway may be associated with canine HCC cell proliferation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cats are known to be the main reservoir for Bartonella henselae and Bartonella clarridgeiae, which are the agents of ‘cat-scratch disease’ in humans. In the present study, we investigated the prevalence of the two Bartonella species on 1754 cat bloods collected from all prefectures in Japan during 2007–2008 by a nested-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting the 16S–23S rRNA internal transcribed spacer region. Overall, Bartonella DNA was detected in 4·6% (80/1754) of the cats examined. The nested-PCR showed that 48·8% (39/80) of the positive cats were infected with B. henselae mono-infection, 33·8% (27/80) with B. clarridgeiae mono-infection and 17·5% (14/80) were infected with both species. The prevalence (5·9%; 65/1103) of Bartonella infection in the western part of Japan was significantly higher than that (2·3%; 15/651) of eastern Japan (P < 0·001). Statistical analysis of the cats examined suggested a significant association between Bartonella infection and FeLV infection (OR = 1·9; 95% CI = 1·1–3·4), but not with FIV infection (OR = 1·6; 95% CI = 1·0–2·6). [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We experienced a rare case of lymphatic effusion and skin metastasis at a TIVAP site in a patient with pancreatic cancer. The patients in this manuscript have given written informed consent to the publication of their case details. Aggressive, progressive or poorly differentiated tumours are more likely to be associated with tumour dissemination to the insertion site than localised or well-differentiated tumours. [Extracted from the article]

Presents information on a study which investigated the interlayer coupling of iron/silicon/iron trilayers with thin boundary layers. Experimental procedure; Results and discussion; Conclusions.

Background Nickel (Ni) is the most frequent metal allergen and induces a TH1-dependent type- IV allergy. Although Ni2+ is considered to bind to endogenous proteins, it currently remains unclear whether these Ni-binding proteins are involved in Ni allergy in vivo. We previously reported the adjuvant effects of lipopolysaccharide ( LPS) in a Ni allergy mouse model. As LPS induces a number of inflammatory mediators, we hypothesized that Ni-binding protein(s) are also induced by LPS. Objective The objective of this study was to purify and identify Ni-binding protein(s) from serum taken from LPS-injected mice (referred as LPS serum) and examined the augmenting effects of these Ni-binding protein(s) on Ni allergy in an in vivo model. Methods BALB/ cA mice were sensitized with an i.p. injection of NiCl2 and LPS. Ten days after sensitization, mice were challenged with NiCl2 by an i.d. injection into ear pinnae. Ni-binding protein(s) were purified by Ni-affinity column chromatography and gel filtration. Results Lipopolysaccharide serum, but not serum taken from saline-injected mice, augmented ear swelling induced by Ni-allergic inflammation. Ni-binding, but not non-binding fraction, purified from LPS serum augmented Ni-allergic inflammation. Mass spectrometry and Western blotting detected CXCL4 in the active fraction. A batch analysis with Ni-sepharose and a surface plasmon resonance analysis revealed direct binding between CXCL4 and Ni2+. Recombinant CXCL4 augmented Ni-allergic inflammation and exerted adjuvant effects at the sensitization phase. Conclusions These results indicate that CXCL4 is a novel Ni-binding protein that augments Ni allergy at the elicitation and sensitization phases. This is the first study to demonstrate that the Ni-binding protein augments Ni allergy in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background In extramammary Paget disease (EMPD), Paget cells are sometimes detected outside the clinical border (subclinical extension). However, the spread- ing pattern of Paget cells in subclinical extension remains unclear. In addition, the macroscopic appearances of lesions accompanied by subclinical extension are totally unknown. Objectives To characterize the spreading pattern of Paget cells as well as the macro- scopic appearance of lesions of EMPD with subclinical extension. Methods Nineteen patients with primary anogenital EMPD underwent mapping biopsies and excisional surgeries; biopsy samples were then taken at the periph- ery of well-demarcated lesions. Samples were transparentized and subjected to whole-mount immunostaining with anticytokeratin 7 antibody to label Paget cells. The histological border was evaluated in three dimensions by two-photon microscopy. The shape and location of the histological border were compared with those of the clinical border. Results In 21 samples taken at the lesion where subclinical extension was not shown by mapping biopsy, the shape and location of the histological border were almost identical to those of the clinical border. However, two samples exhibited small foci of Paget cells outside the clinical border, showing subclinically extended satellite lesions. In the two samples taken at the lesions where subclinical extension was shown by mapping biopsy, a continuous arrangement of Paget cells extending beyond the clinical border was identified. Subclinically extended Paget cells were detected solely outside hypopigmented patches with erythema. Conclusions In EMPD, at least two patterns of subclinical extension exist: continu- ous and satellite lesions. Subclinical extension might exist preferentially outside hypopigmented patches with erythema. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In neonates, small changes in tidal volumes (V(T)) may lead to complications. Previous studies have shown a significant difference between ventilator-measured tidal volume and tidal volume delivered (actual V(T)). We evaluated the accuracy of three different ventilators to deliver small V(T) during volume-controlled ventilation. We tested Servo 300, 840 ventilator and Evita 4 Neoflow ventilators with lung models simulating normal and injured neonatal lung compliance models. Gas volume delivered from the ventilator into the test circuit (V(TV)) and actual V(T) to the test lung were measured using Ventrak respiration monitors at set V(T) (30 ml). The gas volume increase of the breathing circuit was then calculated. Tidal volumes of the SV300 and PB840 in both lung models were similar to the set V(T) and the actual tidal volumes in the injured model (20.7 ml and 19.8 ml, respectively) were significantly less than that in the normal model (27.4 ml and 23.4 ml). PB840 with circuit compliance compensation could not improve the actual V(T). V(TV) of the EV4N in the normal and the injured models (37.8 ml and 46.6 ml) were markedly increased compared with set V(T), and actual V(T) were similar to set V(T) in the normal and injured model (30.2 ml and 31.9 ml, respectively). EV4N measuring V(T) close to the lung could match actual V(T) to almost the same value as the set V(T) however the gas volume of the breathing circuit was increased. If an accurate value for the patient's actual V(T) is needed, this V(T) must be measured by a sensor located between the Y-piece and the tracheal tube. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transitional cell carcinoma ( TCC) is a urinary bladder tumour associated with high mortality in dogs. In this study, we investigated the feasibility of using p63, Ki67 or β-catenin as a clinical marker for predicting biological behaviour and prognosis in canine TCC. Expression levels of these proteins in TCC ( n = 25), polypoid cystitis ( n = 5) and normal urinary bladder ( n = 5) were scored after immunohistochemical staining. The staining scores for p63 ( P < 0.01) and β-catenin ( P < 0.05) in TCC were significantly lower than those in normal urinary bladder and polypoid cystitis. In contrast, Ki67 ( P < 0.01) staining scores in TCC were significantly higher than those in normal urinary bladder and polypoid cystitis. In TCC, low p63 expression was significantly related to the presence of vessel invasion ( P < 0.05) and metastasis ( P < 0.01) as well as short survival time ( P < 0.05). These findings show that p63 could be a reliable marker for predicting prognosis in canine TCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Docetaxel and paclitaxel are widely used in the treatment of various malignant neoplasms. Taxane-induced sclerosis is dose-dependent and usually not generalized. Little information on the pathogenesis of scleroderma is currently available. Here, we report a case of generalized scleroderma and a case of early-stage oedematous sclerosis, both of which presented with intense versican deposits after administration of taxane for angiosarcoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reasons for performing study Flexural deformities are common conditions of growing horses and are suggested to have a relationship with the contraction of musculotendinous units. However, limited studies have documented the changes in each tendon and ligament in the metacarpal region with age. Objectives To investigate the changes in the cross-sectional area ( CSA) of each tendon and ligament in the metacarpal region with age by ultrasonographic examination. Study design Longitudinal study of foals from Day 1 to age 24 months. Methods The CSA of the superficial digital flexor tendon, deep digital flexor tendon, accessory ligament of the deep digital flexor tendon and suspensory ligament was measured by ultrasonographic examination at monthly intervals from Day 1 to age 24 months in 7 Thoroughbred foals. Results Changes in superficial digital flexor CSA in all regions were larger than those of other structures from 10 months to 15 months. The suspensory ligament CSA was significantly larger than those of other structures on Day 1 in both the region of suspensory origin ( RSO) and region of suspensory body ( RSBO). This condition continued until 2 months in the RSO and until 5 months in the RSBO. The changes in deep digital flexor CSA were larger than those of other structures from 2 to 5 months in both the RSO and RSBO. Conclusions The rate of change in each structure varies with age. Thus, the functional adaptation with age that takes place may differ among structures because the primary function of each structure differs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Sublingual immunotherapy ( SLIT) has proven to be safe and efficient for the treatment of type I allergies. However, the mechanisms underlying allergen transportation within the sublingual compartment, the localization of antigens, and the identities of the cells responsible for this immunization remain incompletely understood. Objective In this study, we focused on the sublingual ductal system and analysed the localization and transportation of antigens after their sublingual application. Methods In mice given adjuvant-free antigens sublingually, tissues were removed at 0, 0.5, 1, or 2 h after the application and subjected to immunohistochemistry. Cells isolated from the sublingual duct and mucosa were analysed by flow cytometry. Results Substantial immunoreactivity to ovalbumin ( OVA) was evident in sublingual ductal epithelial cells at 30 min and 1 h after sublingual administration of OVA, but it had disappeared at 2 h. The ductal epithelial cells incorporated not only OVA, but also particulate antigens such as latex or silica beads and microbes. MHC class II ( MHCII)+ antigen-presenting cells ( APCs) were located around the sublingual ductal system, and MHCII+ cells were co-localized with, and around, antigen-incorporated sublingual duct cells. CD11b+ CD11c− cells were present among CD45+ MHCII+ cells at greater frequency in the sublingual duct than in the sublingual mucosa, and they were the main contributors to the incorporation of OVA in vitro. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance This study reveals that sublingual antigens can be transported across sublingual ductal epithelial cells to the ductal APCs. If the system is the same in humans as in mice, the ductal APCs may prove to be important target cells for SLIT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose an image editing system for repositioning objects in a single image based on the perspective of the scene. In our system, an input image is transformed into a layer structure that is composed of object layers and a background layer, and then the scene depth is computed from the ground region that is specified by the user using a simple boundary line. The object size and order of overlapping are automatically determined during the reposition based on the scene depth. In addition, our system enables the user to move shadows along with objects naturally by extracting the shadow mattes using only a few user-specified scribbles. Finally, we demonstrate the versatility of our system through applications to depth-of-field effects, fog synthesis and 3D walkthrough in an image. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resin monomers (RMs) are inflammatory agents and are thought to cause allergic contact dermatitis (ACD). However, mouse models are lacking, possibly because of the weak antigenicities of RMs. We previously reported that inflammatory substances can promote the allergic dermatitis (AD) induced by intradermally injected nickel (Ni-AD) in mice. Here, we examined the effects of RMs on Ni-AD. To sensitize mice to Ni, a mixture containing non-toxic concentrations of NiCl2 and an RM [either methyl methacrylate (MMA) or 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA)] was injected intraperitoneally or into ear-pinnae intradermally. Ten days later, a mixture containing various concentrations of NiCl2 and/or an RM was intradermally injected into ear-pinnae, and ear-swelling was measured. In adoptive transfer experiments, spleen cells from sensitized mice were transferred intravenously into non-sensitized recipients, and 24 h later NiCl2 was challenged to ear-pinnae. Whether injected intraperitoneally or intradermally, RM plus NiCl2 mixtures were effective in sensitizing mice to Ni. AD-inducing Ni concentrations were greatly reduced in the presence of MMA or HEMA (at the sensitization step from 10 mM to 5 or 50 µM, respectively, and at the elicitation step from 10 µM to 10 or 100 nM, respectively). These effects of RMs were weaker in IL-1-knockout mice and in macrophage-depleted mice. Cell-transfer experiments in IL-1-knockout mice indicated that both the sensitization and elicitation steps depended on IL-1. Challenge with an RM alone did not induce allergic ear-swelling in mice given the same RM + NiCl2 10 days before the challenge. These results suggest that RMs act as adjuvants, not as antigens, to promote Ni-AD by reducing the AD-inducing concentration of Ni, and that IL-1 and macrophages are critically important for the adjuvant effects. We speculate that what were previously thought of as “RM-ACD” might include ACD caused by antigens other than RMs that have undergone promotion by the adjuvant effects of RMs. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper, we propose an interactive technique for constructing a 3D scene via sparse user inputs. We represent a 3D scene in the form of a Layered Depth Image (LDI) which is composed of a foreground layer and a background layer, and each layer has a corresponding texture and depth map. Given user-specified sparse depth inputs, depth maps are computed based on superpixels using interpolation with geodesic-distance weighting and an optimization framework. This computation is done immediately, which allows the user to edit the LDI interactively. Additionally, our technique automatically estimates depth and texture in occluded regions using the depth discontinuity. In our interface, the user paints strokes on the 3D model directly. The drawn strokes serve as 3D handles with which the user can pull out or push the 3D surface easily and intuitively with real-time feedback. We show our technique enables efficient modeling of LDI that produce sufficient 3D effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]