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Geocell reinforcements are proposed as a thrust countermeasure for shallowly buried pipeline bends and tees. The proposed method is easy to construct and has shorter construction time than the use of conventional concrete blocks since it does not require curing. Lateral loading tests were conducted on plates reproducing pipe bends or tees to verify their effectiveness while understanding deformation mechanisms. In addition to changing the plate width and geocell pocket size, additional experiments were conducted with different geocell reinforcement dimensions, geocell tensile stiffnesses and tensile properties of the seams. An equation for predicting the force–displacement relationship was developed as part of the proposed design method. The experimental results showed that the sides of the reinforced ground were not fully integrated when the width of the geocell reinforcement was large relative to the plate width. It was also found that the maximum force hardly decreased, although the displacement increased slightly due to the reduction of the tensile stiffness of the geocells and the tensile force at the geocell seams. Moreover, a hyperbolic approximation of the force–displacement relationship of the geocell reinforcement was developed and the calculated values agreed well with the experimental values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tatsunori Shimoi,1 Akihiko Shimomura,1 Tadahiko Shien,2 Yukari Uemura,3 Hiroaki Kato,4 Masahiro Kitada,5 Tatsuya Toyama,6 Tomohiko Aihara,7 Hirofumi Mukai8 1Department of Breast and Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan; 2Department of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Okayama University Hospital, Okayama, Japan; 3Division of Biostatistics, Clinical Research Support Center, Tokyo University Hospital, Tokyo, Japan; 4Department of Thoracic Surgery, Teine Keijinkai Hospital, Sapporo, Japan; 5Department of Surgery, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Japan; 6Department of Oncology, Immunology and Surgery, Nagoya City University, Graduate School of Medical Science, Nagoya, Japan; 7Department of Breast Surgery, Keimeikai-Aihara Hospital, Osaka, Japan; 8Department of Breast and Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Chiba, Japan Background: This is a randomized, multicenter, open-label, Phase II study designed to evaluate the efficacy of everolimus added to continuous aromatase inhibitor (AI) administration in patients who had maintained stable disease or a better response for at least 5 months.Patients and methods: Patients will be randomized to everolimus and standard therapy groups (1:1 ratio). In the everolimus group, patients will receive everolimus in addition to the AI agent. The standard therapy group will continue AI alone treatment. The primary endpoint is progression-free survival. Target accrual is 130 patients with a two-sided type I error rate of 10% and 80% power to detect 35% risk reduction.Conclusion: The Chloe trial will provide important information about the efficacy and safety of adding everolimus to AI in patients with estrogen receptor-positive and human epidermal growth factor 2-negative metastatic breast cancer. Keywords: hormone receptor-positive, breast cancer, aromatase inhibitor, everolimus

Munehiro Kitada,1,2 Yoshio Ogura,2 Daisuke Koya1,2 1Division of Anticipatory Molecular Food Science and Technology, Medical Research Institute, 2Department of Diabetology and Endocrinology, Kanazawa Medical University, Uchinada, Ishikawa, Japan Abstract: Diabetic nephropathy is the most common cause of end-stage renal disease. Therefore, novel therapies for the suppression of diabetic nephropathy must be developed. Rodent models are useful for elucidating the pathogenesis of diseases and testing novel therapies, and many type 1 and type 2 diabetic rodent models have been established for the study of diabetes and diabetic complications. Streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic animals are widely used as a model of type 1 diabetes. Akita diabetic mice that have an Ins2+/C96Y mutation and OVE26 mice that overexpress calmodulin in pancreatic β-cells serve as a genetic model of type 1 diabetes. In addition, db/db mice, KK-Ay mice, Zucker diabetic fatty rats, Wistar fatty rats, Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty rats and Goto-Kakizaki rats serve as rodent models of type 2 diabetes. An animal model of diabetic nephropathy should exhibit progressive albuminuria and a decrease in renal function, as well as the characteristic histological changes in the glomeruli and the tubulointerstitial lesions that are observed in cases of human diabetic nephropathy. A rodent model that strongly exhibits all these features of human diabetic nephropathy has not yet been developed. However, the currently available rodent models of diabetes can be useful in the study of diabetic nephropathy by increasing our understanding of the features of each diabetic rodent model. Furthermore, the genetic background and strain of each mouse model result in differences in susceptibility to diabetic nephropathy with albuminuria and the development of glomerular and tubulointerstitial lesions. Therefore, the validation of an animal model reproducing human diabetic nephropathy will significantly facilitate our understanding of the underlying genetic mechanisms that contribute to the development of diabetic nephropathy. In this review, we focus on rodent models of diabetes and discuss the utility and limitations of these models for the study of diabetic nephropathy. Keywords: diabetic nephropathy, rodent model, albuminuria, mesangial matrix expansion, tubulointerstitial fibrosis

Current maritime transportation and shipping is characterized by rapid technological developments effecting the basic concepts of operating ships and even changing traditional paradigms of controlling ships. The e-Navigation concept of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) specifically aims at more comprehensive and reliable support of the human operators on-board and ashore. However, autonomous unmanned ships remote controlled or even autonomously navigating are expected to come soon. In this paper, selected operational aspects of maritime traffic merging conventional and unmanned remote controlled ships in coastal areas are discussed. Furthermore, some preliminary results of experimental simulation studies into a future scenario of maritime traffic are presented and preliminary conclusions in respect to job profiling and training requirements are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesenchymal glioma stem cells (MES-GSCs) are a major subtype of GSCs that reside within glioma tissues and contribute to metastasis, therapy resistance, and glioma recurrence. However, the precise molecular mechanisms governing MES-GSC functions remain elusive. Our findings revealed that expression levels of miR-505-5p/-3p are elevated in MES-GSCs compared with those in proneural (PN)-GSCs, glioma cell lines, and normal brain tissue and that miR-505-5p/-3p expression levels are decreased in differentiated MES-GSCs. We assumed that miR-505-5p/-3p would play distinctive roles in MES-GSCs and performed loss-of-function experiments targeting miR-505-5p/-3p. Knockdown of miR-505-5p/-3p increased proliferation and promoted differentiation in MES-GSCs while suppressing invasion, temozolomide resistance, and enhancing apoptosis in MES-GSCs. Mechanistically, miR-505-5p/-3p directly targets the 3' UTR of AUF1, leading to its repression in MES-GSCs. Notably, AUF1 expression levels were significantly lower in MES-GSCs compared with those in PN-GSCs, glioma cell lines, and normal brain tissues. Co-inhibition of AUF1 expression with miR-505-5p/-3p knockdown ameliorated the observed cellular phenotypes caused by miR-505-5p/-3p knockdown in MES-GSCs. These results suggest that miR-505-5p/-3p exerts MES-GSC-specific roles in regulating proliferation, differentiation, invasion, apoptosis, and temozolomide resistance by repressing AUF1 expression., (© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Demonstrating drug efficacy in slowing kidney disease progression requires large clinical trials when targeting participants with an early stage of chronic kidney disease (CKD). In this randomized, parallel-group, open-labeled trial (CANPIONE study), we assessed the effect of the sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor canagliflozin using the individual's change in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) slope before (pre-intervention slope) and during treatment (chronic slope). We randomly assigned (1:1) participants with type 2 diabetes, urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) of 50 to under 300 mg/g, and an eGFR of at least 45 ml/min/1.73m 2 to receive canagliflozin or guideline-recommended treatment except for SGLT2 inhibitors (control). The first and second primary outcomes were the geometric mean percentage change from baseline in UACR and the change in eGFR slope, respectively. Of 98 randomized participants, 96 received at least one study treatment. The least-squares mean change from baseline in log-transformed geometric mean UACR was significantly greater in the canagliflozin group than the control group (between group-difference, -30.8% (95% confidence interval -42.6 to -16.8). The between-group difference (canagliflozin group - control group) of change in eGFR slope (chronic - pre-intervention) was 4.4 (1.6 to 7.3) ml/min/1.73 m 2 per year, which was more pronounced in participants with faster eGFR decline. In summary, canagliflozin reduced albuminuria and the participant-specific natural course of eGFR decline in participants with type 2 diabetes and microalbuminuria. Thus, the CANPIONE study suggests that the within-individual change in eGFR slope may be a novel approach to determine the kidney protective potential of new therapies in early stages of CKD., (Copyright © 2024 International Society of Nephrology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: This study aimed to determine whether the 21-Gene Breast Recurrence Score® assay from primary breast tissue predicts the prognosis of patients with hormone receptor-positive and human epidermal growth factor 2-negative advanced breast cancers (ABCs) treated with fulvestrant monotherapy (Group A) and the addition of palbociclib combined with fulvestrant (Group B), which included those who had progression in Group A from the Japan Breast Cancer Research Group-M07 (FUTURE trial)., Methods: Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were compared using the log-rank test and Cox regression analysis based on original recurrence score (RS) categories (Low: 0-17, Intermediate: 18-30, High: 31-100) by treatment groups (A and B) and types of ABCs (recurrence and de novo stage IV)., Results: In total, 102 patients [Low: n = 44 (43.1%), Intermediate: n = 38 (37.5%), High: n = 20 (19.6%)] in Group A, and 45 in Group B, who had progression in Group A were analyzed. The median follow-up time was 23.8 months for Group A and 8.9 months for Group B. Multivariate analysis in Group A showed that low-risk [hazard ratio (HR) 0.15, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.04-0.53, P = 0.003] and intermediate-risk (HR 0.22, 95% CI 0.06-0.78) with de novo stage IV breast cancer were significantly associated with better prognosis compared to high-risk. However, no significant difference was observed among patients with recurrence. No prognostic significance was observed in Group B., Conclusion: We found a distinct prognostic value of the 21-Gene Breast Recurrence Score® assay by the types of ABCs and a poor prognostic value of the high RS for patients with de novo stage IV BC treated with fulvestrant monotherapy. Further validations of these findings are required., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

The TP53 signature is considered a predictor of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) response and prognostic factor in breast cancer. The objective of this study was to confirm TP53 signature can predict pathological complete response (pCR) and prognosis in cohorts of breast cancer patients who received NAC in prospective studies. Development cohorts (retrospective [n = 37] and prospective [n = 216] cohorts) and validation cohorts (NAC administered prospective study cohorts [n = 407] and retrospective perioperative chemotherapy (PC)-naïve, hormone receptor (HrR)-positive cohort [PC-naïve_HrR+ cohort] [n = 322]) were used. TP53 signature diagnosis kit was developed using the development cohorts. TP53 signature predictability for pCR and the relationship between recurrence-free survival (RFS), overall survival (OS), and the TP53 signature were analyzed. The pCR rate of the mutant (mt) signature group was significantly higher than that of the wild-type (wt) signature group (odds ratio, 5.599; 95 % confidence interval = 1.876-16.705; P = 0.0008). The comparison of the RFS and OS between the HrR+ and HER2- subgroup of the NAC cohort and of the PC-naïve_HrR+ cohort indicated that the RFS and OS benefit of NAC was greater in the mt signature group than in the wt signature group. From post hoc analyses, the RFS and OS benefit from adding capecitabine to FEC+T as NAC might be observed only in the mt signature group. The TP53 signature can predict the pCR after NAC, and the RFS and OS benefit from NAC may be greater in the mt signature group than in the wt signature group., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: ST reports honoraria from Ono, Chugai, Yakult Honsha, Taiho, Asahi Kasei Pharma, Eisai, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Eli Lilly; Prof. NM reports grants from Chugai, Eli Lilly, Astra Zeneca, Pfizer, Daiichi-Sankyo, MSD, Eisai, Novartis, Sanofi, Kyowa-Kirin, Nippon-Kayaku, Ono and Gilead Science, and honoraria from Chugai, Pfizer, Astra Zeneca, Eli Lilly and Daiichi-Sankyo, and Representative of a board of directors of JBCRG and Board of Directors of JBCS; MK reports honoraria from Pfizer, Daiichi-Sankyo, Astra Zeneca, Eli Lilly, Taiho, Kyowa-Kirin and Chugai; HI reports grants from Chugai, Daiichi-Sankyo and Astra Zeneca, and consulting fee from Daiichi-Sankyo, Chugai, Astra Zeneca, Eli Lilly, MSD, Pfizer and Gilead Science, and honoraria from Daiichi-Sankyo, Chugai, Astra Zeneca, Eli Lilly, MSD, Pfizer, Taiho and Kyowa-Kirin; TI reports honoraria from Pfizer, Kyowa-Kirin, Chugai, Daiichi-Sankyo, Astra Zeneca and Eli Lilly; TU reports grant from Eli Lilly, and honoraria from Chugai, Eisai, Astra Zeneca and Novartis; SO reports honoraria from Chugai, MSD, Nippon-Kayaku and Eli Lilly; HY reports grants from Eli Lilly and Eiken Kagaku; ET reports honoraria from Daiichi-Sankyo, Eli Lilly and Astra Zeneca; KA reports grants from Chugai, Eisai and Takeda, and consulting fee from Taiho, and honoraria from Chugai, Eisai, Astra Zeneca, Taiho, Novartis, Daiichi-Sankyo, Mochida, Ono, Pfizer, Eli Lilly, Terumo and Becton Dickinson; TT reports grants from Eli Lilly, Chugai, Eisai, Takeda, Kyowa-Kirin, Daiichi-Sankyo and Nippon-Kayaku, and honoraria from Daiichi-Sankyo, Pfizer, Novartis, Astra Zeneca, Chugai and Takeda; YY reports grants from Chugai, Kyowa-Kirin, Eisai, Daiichi-Sankyo, Nippon-Kayaku, Taiho, Takeda, Eli Lilly, Pfizer and Novartis, and honoraria from Astra Zeneca, Chugai, Kyowa-Kirin, Novartis, Eli Lilly, Pfizer, Daiichi-Sankyo, Nippon-Kayaku, Taiho, Eisai, Takeda, MSD, Sysmex and Exact Science, and participation on Advisory Board of Astra Zeneca, Chugai, Novartis, MSD, Eli Lilly, Pfizer and Daiichi-Sankyo, and member of the Board of Directors of JBCS and JBCRG; TY reports grants from Chugai, Taiho, Nippon-Kayaku and Kyowa-Kirin, and honoraria from Chugai, Eisai, Novartis, Taiho, Nippon-Kayaku, Astra Zeneca, Kyowa-Kirin, Pfizer, Eli Lilly and Daiichi-Sankyo; TY reports honoraria from Pfizer, Eli Lilly and Eisai; MT reports grants from Chugai, Takeda, Pfizer, JBCRG assoc., KBCRN assoc., Eisai, Eli Lilly, Daiichi-Sankyo, Astra Zeneca, Astellas, Shimadzu, Yakult, Nippon-Kayaku, AFI technology, Luxonus, Shionogi, GL Science and Sanwa Shurui, and honoraria from Chugai, Takeda, Pfizer, Kyowa-Kirin, Taiho, Eisai, Daiichi-Sankyo, Astra Zeneca, Eli Lilly, MSD, Exact Science, Novartis, Shimadzu, Yakult, Nippon-Kayaku, Devicore Medical Japan and Sysmex, and advisory board of Daiichi-Sankyo, Eli Lilly, BMS, Athenex Oncology, Bertis Terumo and Kansai Medical Net, and a member of the board of directors of JBCRG, KBCRN and OOTR, and chairman of the board of directors of JBCS, and associate editor of British Journal of Cancer, Scientific Reports, Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, Cancer Science, Frontiers in Women's Cancer, Asian Journal of Surgery and Asian Journal of Breast Surgery; TY reports grants from AC Medical, A2 Healthcare, ClinChoice, Japan Tabacco, Japan Media, Medidata Solutions, Ono, Kyowa-Kirin, Tsumura, Daiichi-Sankyo, Otsuka, Eisai, Solasia Pharma, Asahi Intecc, 3H Clinical Trial, Medrio, Nipro, Intellim, Welby, 3H Medi Solution, Baseconnect, Nobori, Puravida Technologies and Hemp Kitchen, and consulting fee from Public Health Research Foundation, EPS, Japan Tabacco, Medidata Solutions, Ono, Kowa, Chugai, Daiichi-Sankyo, Eisai, 3H Clinical Trial, Intellim, Astra Zeneca, Sonire Therapeutics, Seikagaku, Merck, Mebix and Nippon Boehringer Ingelheim, and advisory board of Incyte Bioscience; CI reports grants from Chugai, Asahi Kasei Pharma, Ono, Eli Lilly, Shionogi, Yakult, Otsuka, Sanofi, Merck, Astra Zeneca, Nippon Boehringer Ingelheim, Yansen, MSD, Sonia-Therapy, Taiho, Takeda, Daiichi-Sankyo, Bayer, Nippon-Kayaku, Tsumura, Kyowa-Kirin, Hitachi, Incyte, Ascent, Eisai, PRA Health Science, Novartis and Riken Genesis, and honoraria from Taiho, Merck, Eli Lilly, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Daiichi-Sankyo, Nippon-Kayaku, Nihon-Servier, M3, MSD, Novartis, Astra Zeneca, Ono, Sanofi, Chugai, Terumo, Asahi Kasei Pharma, Pfizer, Bayer, Incyte, Takeda and Kyowa-Kirin. All remaining authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

CD34 is a well-known cell marker of hematopoietic stem/ progenitor cells, endothelial cells, and fibrocytes. In the peripheral nervous system, a certain type of primary sensory neuron C-fiber low threshold mechanoreceptors (C-LTMRs) are reported to express CD34 mRNA. Here, we investigated the distribution of CD34 protein among putative C-LTMRs (pC-LTMR) using pC-LTMR markers such as VGLUT3 and TH in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) and spinal cord. CD34 was frequently observed in DRG neurons double-positive for VGLUT3 and TH and single-positive for VGLUT3 in C8 and L4 levels, however, in C4 and L1 levels most of CD34-positive DRG neurons were demonstrated to be double-positive for VGLUT3 and TH. As for the termination, CD34-positive DRG neurons terminated in the ventral part of inner lamina II (lamina IIiv). At C4 and L1 levels of the dorsal horn, CD34 was observed in the entire region of lamina IIiv, however, in C8 and L4 levels of the dorsal horn CD34 was not detected in the medial part of lamina IIiv, which receives neural inputs from DRG neurons that innervate palm or sole skin. These results indicate that CD34 is expressed in pC-LTMRs and suggest that CD34 may play a role in providing C-LTMRs with a specific sensation by maintaining neural circuits., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Invasive cribriform carcinoma (ICC) is a type of malignant tumor with slow growth and good prognosis. The study was a single center retrospective study. The percentage of ICC among patients diagnosed with breast cancer was 0.3% (8/2454 patients). All patients tested positive for estrogen or progesterone receptors and 12.5% (1/8) patients tested positive for human epidermal growth factor receptor type2 (HER2). The present study suggests that the clinicopathological features of ICC are low-grade hormone receptor-positive luminal type with a good prognosis. However, some patients were HER2-positive and require careful follow-up.

Objective: Combined small cell lung cancer is the only subtype of small cell lung cancer and is a relatively rare histology. However, its histopathological and molecular biological characteristics are not well understood to date., Methods: There were 512 surgical resections for lung cancer performed in our department from June 1, 2019 to June 1, 2023. Among them, 5 cases( 1.0%) were diagnosed postoperatively as combined small cell lung cancer., Results: The median age was 75 years. Tumor markers showed elevated newron specific enolage (NSE) in all cases measured. Imagingly, all patients had irregular, solid mass shadows on chest computed tomography( CT) scan. Abnormal fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography( FDG-PET) accumulation was also observed. Postoperative histopathological examination revealed that one patient was staged upstaging from the preoperative stage, and four patients were treated with carboplatin and etoposide as adjuvant therapy., Conclusions: Preoperative diagnosis of combined small cell lung cancer is difficult, but it is important to keep this disease in mind in terms of preoperative lymph node evaluation. Postoperative adjuvant therapy should be administered as in small cell carcinoma. However, further case series are needed, as gene mutations and treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors are also attracting attention.

Background: Eribulin prolongs overall survival (OS) of patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative metastatic breast cancer (MBC), particularly in later chemotherapy (ChT) treatment. However, the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and efficacy of first or second-line therapy in eribulin-treated patients remain unknown. Using eribulin in the first- or second-line may demonstrate the non-inferiority of HRQoL compared to S-1, an oral 5-fluorouracil derivative, while maintaining OS., Methods: This randomised, controlled, open-label, phase III trial was conducted at 50 hospitals in Japan. Patients were enrolled from June 2016 and October 2019. Patients with HER2-negative MBC once under or no previous ChT were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive eribulin or S-1. HRQoL was assessed using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 (QLQ-C30) every six weeks until week 24 and every nine weeks until week 42. The primary endpoint was the deterioration defined as more than 10 points worsening of the general health score of QLQ-C30 or death within one year after randomisation. The secondary endpoints included OS. (Trial ID: UMIN000021398)., Findings: Three hundred and two patients were enrolled, with 152 and 148 assigned to the eribulin and S-1 groups, respectively. The questionnaire compliance rate was 85.6%. Risk difference of global health status deterioration through one year was -0.66% (95% CI: -12.47-11.16; non-inferiority P = 0.077) for eribulin compared to S-1 groups. Median time to first deterioration for global health status score was 5.64 (95% CI: 3.51-8.00) and 5.28 months (95% CI: 3.28-7.80) in the eribulin and S-1 groups, respectively. The median OS was 34.7 and 27.8 months, (HR: 0.72, 95% CI: 0.54-0.96; P = 0.026); the median progression-free survival was 7.57 and 6.75 months in the eribulin and S-1 groups, (HR: 0.88, 95% CI: 0.67-1.16; P = 0.35), respectively. No new adverse events occurred., Interpretation: The time of the first clinical deterioration was similar between the two groups and OS significantly increased in eribulin-treated patients., Funding: This study was funded by CSPOR-BC and Eisai CO., Ltd., Competing Interests: KK, TI, KSh, SO, MKi, YT and TA report no coflicts of interest. MT reports honoraria from Astra Zeneca, Daiichi Sankyo, Eisai, Eli Lilly, MSD and Pfizer. YK reports honoraria from Astra Zeneca, Chugai, Daiichi Sankyo, Eisai, Eli Lilly, Pfizer and Taiho. NT reports grant and honoraria from Eisai. TY reports honoraria from Astra Zeneca, Chugai, Eisai, Eli Lilly, Kyowa Kirin, MSD and Pfizer. JW reports grant from Eisai and honoraria from Eisai and Taiho. MKa reports honoraria from Eli Lilly and Pfizer. KW reports honoraria from Astra Zeneca, Chugai, Daiichi Sankyo, Eisai, Eli Lilly, Kyowa Kirin, Novartis, Nippon Kayaku, Pfizer, Shionogi and Taiho. KSa reports honoraria from Eisai and Taiho. HM reports honoraria from Daiichi Sankyo, Taiho and Takeda., (© 2024 The Authors.)

The bacterial pathogen, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), elicits microglial response and induces cytokine secretion that subsequently activates astrocytes. Recent findings have indicated that LPS-induced activation of postnatal glial cells has led to alterations in synapse formation in hippocampal and cortical neurons, thereby resulting in a prolonged increased risk for seizure or depression. Nevertheless, its mechanisms remain to be fully elucidated. Cellular metabolism has recently gained recognition as a critical regulatory mechanism for the activation of peripheral immune cells, as it supplies the requisite energy and metabolite for their activation. In the present study, we report that LPS did not change the expression of reported astrocyte-derived synaptogenic genes in the postnatal hippocampus; however, it induced upregulation of astrocytic complement component regulator Serping1 within the postnatal hippocampus. As a regulatory mechanism, activation of glycogen degradation (glycogenolysis) governs the expression of a subset of inflammatory-responsive genes including Serping1 through reactive oxygen species (ROS)-NF-κB axis. Our study further demonstrated that glycogenolysis is implicated in neurotoxic phenotypes of astrocytes, such as impaired neuronal synaptogenesis or cellular toxicity. These findings suggested that activation of glycogenolysis in postnatal astrocytes is an essential metabolic pathway for inducing responses in inflammatory astrocytes., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Malnutrition is a common problem among hospitalized older patients. Peripheral parenteral nutrition (PN) can improve patient outcomes but can also lead to complications that affect future treatment. Older inpatients, in particular, are expected to be prone to these catheter-related complications. However, the impact of peripheral PN on older inpatients has been rarely investigated. In the current study, the impact of PN on short peripheral catheters (SPCs) was evaluated by comparing signs and symptoms at the time of catheter removal between 22 patients with PN and 27 without. In addition to external clinical assessment, sonographic investigations of the SPC site were performed. The prevalence of external signs and symptoms of complications was similar between the patients (all P > 0.05). However, subcutaneous edema was found by ultrasound in > 80% of patients with PN, compared with 55.6% of those without PN (P = 0.051). Unlike cases without PN, all patients with PN who presented with external signs and symptoms developed subcutaneous edema (P = 0.022). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that administration of PN was independently associated with subcutaneous edema (adjusted odds ratio = 6.88, 95% confidence interval = 1.083-75.486, P = 0.040). For several decades, phlebitis has been the primary focus of complications related to peripheral PN in clinical settings. However, our results imply that peripheral PN causes subcutaneous edema, which can lead to catheter failure in older inpatients. This study contributes to understanding the etiology of catheter failure during peripheral PN in this population.

During breast cancer recurrence, drug therapy is planned based on the biological characteristics of the primary tumor. However, the mechanisms underlying these changes have not yet been clarified. A 59-year-old woman underwent breast cancer surgery 23 years previously and received postoperative hormone therapy for 2 years. She had abdominal distention and ascites effusion and was diagnosed with carcinomatous peritonitis due to luminal-type breast cancer after ascites puncture. She received up to the fourth line of treatment. Subsequently, pleural effusion was observed and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 type breast cancer was diagnosed because of pleurodesis. This case suggests that the cell block diagnostic method based on thoracic and ascites fluid cytology is useful not only for confirming the primary tumor but also for diagnosing the biological characteristics of breast cancer. In the treatment of breast cancer recurrence, it is important to plan the treatment, including aggressive re-biopsy of metastases., Competing Interests: All authors have no competing interests, financial or non-financial., (Published by Oxford University Press and JSCR Publishing Ltd. © The Author(s) 2024.)

The paddlewheel-type dimetal core ([M 2 ]) is a ubiquitous motif in the nodes in coordination polymers (CPs) and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). However, their preparation has relied on ligand-substitution-labile metal ions owing to challenges associated with crystallization. Consequently, examples featuring ligand-substitution-inert metal ions, such as Ru or Rh, are scarce. This study presents the synthesis of novel reticular imine-linked CPs incorporating the paddlewheel-type diruthenium(II, II) ([Ru 2 II,II ]; 1-Ru) or dirhodium(II, II) ([Rh 2 II,II ]; 1-Rh) subunits. The synthetic approach involved a Schiff base dehydration condensation reaction between p-formylbenzoate-bridged [Ru 2 II,II ] or [Rh 2 II,II ] precursors (i. e., CHO-Ru and CHO-Rh, respectively) and 2,5-dimethyl-1,4-phenylenediamine in a 1 : 2 ratio. The catalytic activities of 1-Ru and 1-Rh for the photochemical reduction of CO 2 in a heterogeneous system depended on the metal site. The 1-Ru system exhibited exceptional selectivity, generating 3.0×10 4  μmol g -1 of CO after 24 h of irradiation, whereas the 1-Rh system generated a lower amount of CO (3.2×10 3  μmol g -1 ). The catalytic activity of 1-Ru ranked with that of all relevant catalytic systems. This study paves the way for the exploration of [Ru 2 II,II ]- or [Rh 2 II,II ]-based polymers with open metal site-dependent functional properties., (© 2024 The Authors. ChemSusChem published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

An esophagobronchial fistula, an abnormal passageway formed between the esophagus and bronchus, can cause severe respiratory symptoms. This fistula is a complication that can occur during chemoradiotherapy for esophageal and lung cancers; however, to our knowledge, no esophagobronchial fistulas during preoperative chemotherapy for lung cancer have been reported. The patient was a 55-year-old man whose chest computed tomography (CT) revealed a mass on the dorsal bronchus and right side of the esophagus. A transesophageal needle biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, and preoperative chemotherapy, which included pembrolizumab, was administered. One week after the first course of chemotherapy, the patient developed a severe cough after drinking water. Chest CT revealed an esophagobronchial fistula, which prompted the discontinuation of the preoperative chemotherapy. Subsequent conservative treatment resulted in no improvement, and the patient was referred to our department. One month thereafter, a two-stage reconstruction of the esophagus was performed via the posterior sternal route. The resected specimen showed no residual tumor in the lungs, and the treatment was determined to result in a complete pathological response. The patient is currently undergoing maintenance therapy with pembrolizumab as a single agent. This is a rare case of esophagobronchial fistula identified during preoperative chemotherapy that included pembrolizumab for lung cancer. In addition to suturing the fistula, filling it with a distal hyoid valve was effective in treating the esophagobronchial fistula., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2024, Yoshino et al.)

Background: Epipericardial fat necrosis (EFN) is a rare disease in which local inflammation and necrosis occur in the adipose tissue surrounding the heart, particularly epicardial fat. Few cases of EFN in which surgical resection was performed have been reported. We report a case of EFN after surgical resection of a right extrapulmonary tumor, in which a malignant disease could not be excluded., Case Presentation: A 75-year-old male patient presented with fever and chest pain. A contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan of the chest revealed a lesion, 53 × 48 mm in size, with mixed fatty density spanning the middle and lower lobes of the right lung. Thoracic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a mass with mixed fat and soft tissue density in the same area; the lesion was contiguous with pericardial fatty tissue. The tumor was diagnosed as a liposarcoma or teratocarcinoma based on imaging results; however, the possibility of lung cancer could not be excluded. Finally, EFN was diagnosed based on the postoperative histopathological examination. The patient underwent surgical resection of the suspected right extrapulmonary tumor. The intraoperative findings revealed a mediastinal mass contiguous with pericardial fat located between the middle and lower lobes. Intraoperative pathological examination of the lesion was performed using a needle biopsy; however, no definitive diagnosis was made. The tumor may have invaded the middle lobe of the right lung, and partial resection of the right lower lobe was performed in addition to resection of the middle lobe of the right lung. The patient was followed up every 3 months without adjuvant therapy. No recurrence was reported at 1 year after surgery., Conclusion: EFN should be considered in the differential diagnosis of an extrapulmonary tumor when continuity with the pericardial space is observed on MRI or other imaging studies. Surgical resection is useful in the diagnosis and treatment of EFNs. Preoperative three-dimensional reconstructive imaging and MRI should be used to identify vascular structures and confirm the continuity of the lesion with the surrounding tissues to ensure safe and rapid tumor removal., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

In embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), the expression of an RNA-binding pluripotency-relevant protein, LIN28, and the absence of its antagonist, the tumor-suppressor microRNA (miRNA) let-7, play a key role in maintaining pluripotency. Muse cells are non-tumorigenic pluripotent-like stem cells residing in the bone marrow, peripheral blood, and organ connective tissues as pluripotent surface marker SSEA-3(+). They express pluripotency genes, differentiate into triploblastic-lineage cells, and self-renew at the single cell level. Muse cells do not express LIN28 but do express let-7 at higher levels than in iPSCs. In Muse cells, we demonstrated that let-7 inhibited the PI3K-AKT pathway, leading to sustainable expression of the key pluripotency regulator KLF4 as well as its downstream genes, POU5F1, SOX2, and NANOG. Let-7 also suppressed proliferation and glycolysis by inhibiting the PI3K-AKT pathway, suggesting its involvement in non-tumorigenicity. Furthermore, the MEK/ERK pathway is not controlled by let-7 and may have a pivotal role in maintaining self-renewal and suppression of senescence. The system found in Muse cells, in which the tumor suppressor let-7, but not LIN28, tunes the expression of pluripotency genes, might be a rational cell system conferring both pluripotency-like properties and a low risk for tumorigenicity., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Background: The addition of pertuzumab to trastuzumab in neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) for anti-human epidermal receptor 2 (HER2) positive breast cancer has shown a significant improvement in the pathologic complete response (pCR) rate. However, the add-on effect of an anthracycline-based regimen (standard-of-care regimen) remains unclear. In this retrospective, observational study, participants received pertuzumab combination therapy as NAC for HER2-positive primary breast cancer., Methods: This study was conducted from January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2022. Patients who had not received at least three courses of pertuzumab owing to adverse events or those who had received preoperative radiotherapy were excluded., Results: The pCR rate was 35.3% (12/34 patients). The pCR group had a significantly higher percentage of histopathologic grade III (1/11 patients, p=0.030) and a significantly higher percentage of hormone receptor-negative patients (7/12 patients, p=0.015) than the non-pCR group. The non-pCR group had a significantly higher incidence of vascular invasion than the pCR group (7/22 patients, p=0.036). Menopausal status, stage, and ki-67 values were not significantly different between the two groups., Conclusions: This study suggests an unlikely add-on effect of an anthracycline-based regimen for NAC in HER2-positive breast cancer. Moreover, our results support that the pCR rate is high in patients with hormone receptor-negative, HER2-positive breast cancer., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2023, Yoshino et al.)

Introduction: To investigate the feasibility of early surgical treatment and perioperative steroid use in patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) complicated by pneumothorax., Methods: We retrospectively examined data, including patient characteristics, laboratory findings, surgical treatment details, postoperative complications, and deaths, of nine patients with ILD complicated by secondary pneumothorax. The patients had been treated at our hospital during the past 10 years., Results: All nine patients were male (median age, 69.0 years). A total of nine patients had a histopathologic diagnosis of ILD after surgery. Of these, five were clinically diagnosed with ILD before surgery. Collagen disease was diagnosed in one case, drug-induced in one case, and idiopathic ILD (IILD) in three cases. All nine patients were diagnosed with postoperative ILD, including one case of collagen disease, one case of drug-induced, three cases of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF)/cryptogenic fibrosing alveolitis, one case of nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP), and three cases of cryptogenic organizing pneumonia (COP). Regarding preoperative clinical characteristics, the performance status (PS) was 0 or 1 in all patients. Overall, three patients received oxygen (0-3 L/min), whereas steroids were administered to five patients. The mean drainage period was 23.5 days, and this was consistent with the time taken from pneumothorax occurrence to surgery. Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) and thoracoscopic-assisted surgery were performed in seven and two patients, respectively. No postoperative recurrence or surgery-related deaths occurred., Conclusions: Early surgery for secondary pneumothorax complicated by ILD may be a viable option for patients in good preoperative condition. For patients who are preoperatively treated with steroids, continued use of steroids should be carefully considered., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2023, Yoshino et al.)

Background and Objectives : Granulomatous mastitis is a benign disease with a clinical presentation similar to that of breast cancer, and is most commonly observed in women of childbearing age. Although it has been suggested that autoimmune diseases are involved in its pathogenesis, no specific treatments have been established. The occurrence of this disease during pregnancy has rarely been reported. We presented the case of a 37-year-old woman who complained of left breast induration at 24 weeks' gestation. Materials and Methods : She was pregnant and manifested a dichorionic, diamniotic placenta. At 24 weeks of gestation, the patient experienced a sensation of hardness in her left breast. Mastitis was suspected, and she was treated with cephem antibiotics. Simultaneously, she was diagnosed with erythema nodosum in the extremities. As her symptoms did not improve, an incisional drainage was performed. Bacterial cultures were obtained at 31 weeks of gestation, and Corynebacterium kroppenstedtii was detected. Results : An elective cesarean section was performed at 37 weeks of gestation, and the baby was delivered safely. After delivery, a needle biopsy was performed, and the patient was diagnosed with granulomatous mastitis. She was completely cured with prednisolone after weaning. In this case, the patient's condition was maintained through incision and drainage, as well as antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic drugs during pregnancy. This approach was chosen, taking into consideration the potential side effects of steroids. Conclusions : This case suggests that incisional drainage and antibiotic therapy, as well as steroids and surgery, may be considered in the treatment of granulomatous mastitis occurring during pregnancy. This may also be true for management during delivery. After delivery, breastfeeding and steroidal therapy proved to be effective in treating the condition.