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Mn3[Fe(CN)6]2 (MnHCF) selectively adsorbs methanol from water with a distribution coefficient of 11 mL g−1, which is 3–11 times that of activated carbons and zeolites. MnHCF exhibits an adsorption capacity of 0.36 mmol g−1 and can adsorb 1000 mg MeOH per L in aqueous solution, demonstrating its effectiveness for treating methanol-contaminated wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cutaneous dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is a fibrohistiocytic tumor characterized by a high risk of local recurrence but a low risk of metastasis. Wide local excision (WLE) has been an important treatment option, but its clinical outcomes and safety have not been thoroughly evaluated in previous reports. The aim of this study was to determine appropriate surgical margins (deep and lateral) and prognostic factors associated with recurrence‐free survival (RFS) of DFSP. A database collected by two dermatology departments in Japan was retrospectively reviewed to identify 116 patients with DFSP who underwent complete resection with WLE between 1994 and 2021. Sixty‐one men (53%) and 55 women (47%) were included in our cohort. The primary sites of DFSP were as follows: 11 head and neck (9%); seven face (7%); 12 upper extremities (10%); 20 lower extremities (17%); and 66 trunk (57%). There were 103 cases (89%) of primary DFSP and 13 cases (11%) of recurrent DFSP. Total 10‐year RFS was 96.6%. There were significant differences in RFS by tumor size (median size: 3 cm), disease status (primary versus recurrent DFSP), and fibrosarcomatous change (positive versus negative) (all p < 0.05). Two patients (1.7%) with buccal or head lesions had positive deep margins. In all cases, the lateral margin was negative at the postoperative evaluation. Tumor size, disease status, and fibrosarcomatous change are important risk factors for recurrence. Both face and head–neck lesions were more likely to have positive deep margins than other anatomic areas in DFSP. Although this study was limited by its retrospective design, a narrow 2‐cm lateral margin is especially considered for low‐risk patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most clinical trials investigating targeted therapies for patients harboring BRAF V600 mutations have included mostly White patients, and data for Asian patients are scarce. Although there are several retrospective studies in Japanese patients, they have investigated only the dabrafenib + trametinib regimen, and have had a short follow‐up period. We conducted a single‐center retrospective study to update previous studies and compare the outcomes with those in White patients. We analyzed 89 patients who received dabrafenib + trametinib or encorafenib + binimetinib, including 11 who received both treatment regimens. The overall response rate was 79.8%, with complete response in 25 patients (28.1%) and partial response in 45 patients (51.7%). The median progression‐free survival was 13.7 months, and the median overall survival was 32.9 months. The 3‐year progression‐free and overall survival rates were 31.8% and 47.9%, respectively. Although the two regimens showed no significant differences in efficacy, their safety profiles differed, as reported in clinical trials. Therefore, the most frequent adverse event associated with the dabrafenib + trametinib regimen was pyrexia (61.3%) and that of encorafenib + binimetinib was blurred vision (32.0%). Switching directly to another targeted therapy after progressive disease showed no clinical response; however, rechallenge followed by immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy showed a certain response. As a prognostic factor, performance status was associated with progression‐free survival, and performance status, serum lactate dehydrogenase level, and dose interruption were associated with overall survival in the multivariate analysis. Real‐world data on targeted therapy for patients with melanoma in Japan suggest that both dabrafenib + trametinib and encorafenib + binimetinib show similar efficacy and safety in Asian and White patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some Cu-based oxychalcogenides demonstrate robust p-type conductivity, though achieving effective n-type doping in such materials remains a persistent challenge. Among oxychalcogenides, La2SnO2S3 has been proposed as a candidate for an n-type semiconductor because of its dispersive conduction band primarily derived from the Sn-5s states. The experimentally observed n-type conductivity of La2SnO2S3 is, however, limited to a low value, and the underlying atomistic and electronic origins of this behavior remain unresolved. Our systematic first-principles calculations of its point defects using the Heyd–Scuseria–Ernzerhof hybrid functional indicate that the major source of carrier electrons in undoped La2SnO2S3 is unintentionally incorporated H impurities rather than native defects. Moreover, the electrophilic behavior of La2SnO2S3 is unveiled as a pivotal limiting factor for its n-type doping, where carrier electrons are readily trapped around Sn sites in the presence of S vacancies and interstitial H impurities, and even without these defects through self-trapping. This carrier-trapping mechanism is as significant as the electron compensation by Sn vacancies as major acceptor-type native defects. Our synthesis and characterization of polycrystalline La2SnO2S3 confirm its moderate n-type conductivity and the presence of H impurities with a sizable concentration, both of which are in line with the theoretically predicted mechanism. These results clarify crucial limiting factors of n-type conductivity in La2SnO2S3 and provide a fundamental guideline for the design of related n-type oxychalcogenides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tsunamis resulting from earthquakes can cause extensive damage, including infrastructure destruction, injuries, and fatalities. To address these risks, numerous tsunami evacuation simulations have been conducted to assess evacuation strategies and identify issues, particularly in Japan, where the Nankai Trough earthquake is anticipated, affecting underground malls in urban areas. Our previous research primarily focused on evacuating from underground to the surface, neglecting surface evacuation. Therefore, this study extended the previous study to include horizontal evacuation following the exit from the underground mall to ground level. It also considered the impact of pedestrian road crossings as interactions with vehicular traffic within the simulation to enhance realism and verify the evacuation risk. The study also explores scenarios where evacuation guide stairs are unavailable, comparing the effectiveness of alternative staircases in the evacuation plan. Results indicate that while using alternative staircases temporarily increases the number of evacuees reaching the surface, road crossings on evacuation routes become significant bottlenecks, leading to surface congestion and delayed evacuations. This raises doubts about the effectiveness of alternative staircases and highlights the need to consider alternative evacuation routes as a secondary plan. Additionally, the study reveals that reduced pedestrian flow at road crossings can significantly impact on evacuation times. Ultimately, this study demonstrated that achieving a short evacuation time from underground malls to the ground level might not always yield the best evacuation plan. It underscored the importance of considering aboveground factors in evacuation planning to ensure safety in the event of a tsunami caused by an earthquake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crowd management at large-scale events and specific facilities is a critical issue from the perspectives of safety and service quality improvement. Traditional methods for crowd management often rely on empirical knowledge, which has limitations in quickly grasping the on-site situation and making decisions on the spot. In this study, we developed a real-time crowd flow prediction and visualization platform incorporating an agent-based crowd simulation and an advanced crowd management system called crowd management platform as a service. In a case study focused on the area around the Tokyo Dome, we demonstrated that capturing pedestrian flow allows for accurate predictions of congestion at the nearest train station up to 10 min in advance. Moreover, the time required to predict the situation 20 min ahead for 3,000 agents was 1 min and 35 s, confirming the feasibility of real-time processing. To enhance the accuracy and reliability of the simulation results, a sensitivity analysis considering errors in pedestrian flow measurement revealed that simple linear models cannot capture the complexity of crowd dynamics adequately. Notably, the agent-based simulation replicated stop-and-go wave patterns observed in actual measurements under specific crowd conditions, confirming the advantage of using agent-based simulations. Finally, we proposed a method that enables facility managers and security personnel to conduct a more comprehensive evaluation. This method integrates their existing experience with the aggregated display of multiple simulation results, which includes consideration of errors in pedestrian flow measurement through a visualization platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since zinc is involved in many aspects of the hematopoietic process, zinc supplementation can reduce erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) in patients undergoing hemodialysis. However, it remains unclear whether hypoxia-inducible factor–prolyl hydroxylase inhibitors (HIF-PHIs) have similar reduction effects. HIF-PHI stabilizes HIF, which promotes hematopoiesis, although HIF-1α levels are downregulated by zinc. This study aimed to investigate the effect of zinc supplementation on the hematopoietic effect of HIF-PHI in patients undergoing hemodialysis. Thirty patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis who underwent periods of treatment with roxadustat or darbepoetin alfa during the past 3 years were retrospectively observed. Participants who underwent periods with and without zinc supplementation were selected, with nine treated with darbepoetin alfa and nine treated with roxadustat. Similarly to the ESA responsiveness index (ERI), the hematopoietic effect of zinc supplementation was determined by the HIF-PHI responsiveness index (HRI), which was calculated by dividing the HIF-PHI dose (mg/week) by the patient's dry weight (kg) and hemoglobin level (g/L). Zinc supplementation significantly increased ERI (p < 0.05), but no significant change was observed (p = 0.931) in HRI. Although zinc supplementation did not significantly affect HRI, adequate zinc supplementation is required to alleviate concerns such as vascular calcification and increased serum copper during the use of HIF-PHI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Skeletal stem cells regulate bone growth and homeostasis by generating diverse cell types, including chondrocytes, osteoblasts and marrow stromal cells. The emerging concept postulates that there exists a distinct type of skeletal stem cell that is closely associated with the growth plate.sup.1-4, which is a type of cartilaginous tissue that has critical roles in bone elongation.sup.5. The resting zone maintains the growth plate by expressing parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP), which interacts with Indian hedgehog (Ihh) that is released from the hypertrophic zone.sup.6-10, and provides a source of other chondrocytes.sup.11. However, the identity of skeletal stem cells and how they are maintained in the growth plate are unknown. Here we show, in a mouse model, that skeletal stem cells are formed among PTHrP-positive chondrocytes within the resting zone of the postnatal growth plate. PTHrP-positive chondrocytes expressed a panel of markers for skeletal stem and progenitor cells, and uniquely possessed the properties of skeletal stem cells in cultured conditions. Cell-lineage analysis revealed that PTHrP-positive chondrocytes in the resting zone continued to form columnar chondrocytes in the long term; these chondrocytes underwent hypertrophy, and became osteoblasts and marrow stromal cells beneath the growth plate. Transit-amplifying chondrocytes in the proliferating zone--which was concertedly maintained by a forward signal from undifferentiated cells (PTHrP) and a reverse signal from hypertrophic cells (Ihh)--provided instructive cues to maintain the cell fates of PTHrP-positive chondrocytes in the resting zone. Our findings unravel a type of somatic stem cell that is initially unipotent and acquires multipotency at the post-mitotic stage, underscoring the malleable nature of the skeletal cell lineage. This system provides a model in which functionally dedicated stem cells and their niches are specified postnatally, and maintained throughout tissue growth by a tight feedback regulation system.In a mouse model, PTHrP-positive chondrocytes in the resting zone of the growth plate constitute a unique stem-cell population, which is initially unipotent and makes columnar chondrocytes that later exhibit multipotency., Author(s): Koji Mizuhashi [sup.1] , Wanida Ono [sup.1] , Yuki Matsushita [sup.1] , Naoko Sakagami [sup.1] , Akira Takahashi [sup.1] , Thomas L. Saunders [sup.2] , Takashi Nagasawa [sup.3] , [...]