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Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM) enables direct determination of atomic arrangements in materials and devices. However, materials such as battery components are weak for electron beam irradiation, and low electron doses are required to prevent beam-induced damages. Noise removal is thus essential for precise structural analysis of electron-beam-sensitive materials at atomic resolution. Total square variation (TSV) regularization is an algorithm that exhibits high noise removal performance. However, the use of the TSV regularization term leads to significant image blurring and intensity reduction. To address these problems, we here propose a new approach adopting L2 norm regularization based on higher-order total variation. An atomic-resolution STEM image can be approximated as a set of smooth curves represented by quadratic functions. Since the third-degree derivative of any quadratic function is 0, total third-degree variation (TTDV) is suitable for a regularization term. The application of TTDV for denoising the atomic-resolution STEM image of CaF2 observed along the [001] zone axis is shown, where we can clearly see the Ca and F atomic columns without compromising image quality., (© The Author(s) 2025. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Japanese Society of Microscopy. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site–for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Aims: There were no previous studies comparing aspirin versus P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy following short dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after complex percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)., Methods and Results: We conducted a prespecified subgroup analysis based on complex PCI in the 1-year results of the STOPDAPT-3 trial, which randomly compared 1-month DAPT followed by aspirin monotherapy (aspirin group) to 1-month prasugrel monotherapy followed by clopidogrel monotherapy (clopidogrel group). The main analysis in the present study was the 30-day landmark analysis. The co-primary endpoints were cardiovascular events (a composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, definite stent thrombosis, or stroke) and major bleeding (Bleeding Academic Research Consortium 3 or 5). In the 30-day landmark analysis (N = 5833), there were 1415 patients (24.3%) who underwent complex PCI. There was a significant interaction between complex PCI and the effect of aspirin group relative to clopidogrel group for cardiovascular events (complex PCI: 3.3% versus 5.2%, non-complex PCI, 4.3% versus 3.6%, interaction P = 0.04) and net adverse clinical events (complex PCI: 4.8% versus 7.2%, non-complex PCI: 5.3% versus 4.4%, interaction P = 0.02), but not for bleeding events (complex PCI: 2.1% versus 2.7%, non-complex PCI: 1.7% versus 1.4%, interaction P = 0.35)., Conclusions: There was a significant interaction between complex PCI and the effect of aspirin monotherapy relative to clopidogrel monotherapy beyond 1 month and up to 1 year for cardiovascular events due to numerically lower risk of aspirin monotherapy in patients with complex PCI, while the effect of aspirin monotherapy relative to clopidogrel monotherapy was not different for bleeding regardless of complex PCI. Clinical trial registration: ShorT and OPtimal duration of Dual AntiPlatelet Therapy after everolimus-eluting cobalt-chromium stent-3 [STOPDAPT-3]; NCT04609111., (© The Author(s) 2025. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.)

We estimated the seroprevalence of anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (anti-SARS-CoV-2) immunoglobulin G (IgG) in different island groups in Okinawa. A cross-sectional serosurvey was conducted over three periods between July 2020 and February 2021. A total of 2,683 serum samples were collected from six referral medical centers, each covering a separate region in Okinawa. In the main island, the seroprevalence was 0.0% (0/392; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.0- 0.9%), 0.6% (8/1,448, 0.2-1.1%), and 1.4% (8/582, 0.6-2.7%) during the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd serosurvey, respectively. In remote islands, the seroprevalence was 0.0% (0/144; 95% CI, 0.0-2.5%) and 1.6% (2/123, 0.2-5.8%) during the 2nd and 3rd survey, respectively. The case detection ratio was 2.7 (95% CI, 1.3-5.3) in the main island and 2.8 (0.7-11.1) in remote islands during the 3rd survey. The case detection ratio was the highest in individuals aged 20-29 years (8.3; 95% CI, 3.3-21.4) in the main island and in those aged 50-59 years (14.1; 2.1-92.7) in remote islands, suggesting underreporting of clinical cases by the surveillance system in these subgroups. A serosurvey conducted during an emerging infectious disease epidemic can be useful for validating the reliability of the surveillance system by providing case detection ratio.

In this study, we explore the potential of the difluoro(trifluoromethoxy)methyl group, CF 2 -O-CF 3 , an underexplored but promising structural analog of the trifluoromethoxy group (OCF 3 ). This moiety offers unique electronic properties and enhanced chemical stability due to its multiple C-F bonds, along with the added advantage of C-O bond cleavage, making it an attractive option in fluorine chemistry. We have succeeded in synthesizing difluoro(trifluoromethoxy)methyl compounds via radical amino- and hydroxy-trifluoromethoxylations of β,β-difluorostyrenes. Control experiments, including radical clock experiments, support a free radical mechanism. The synthetic utility of the resulting difluoro(trifluoromethoxy)methyl compounds is also demonstrated through transformations into bioactive analogs, such as pyrrole derivatives, fendiline analogs, and carpropamid analogs, highlighting their potential in drug development., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Chemical leukoderma is a disorder induced by chemicals such as rhododendrol and monobenzone. These compounds possess a p -substituted phenol moiety and undergo oxidation into highly reactive and toxic o -quinone metabolites by tyrosinase. This metabolic activation plays a critical role in the development of leukoderma through the production of damage to melanocytes and immunological responses. This study aimed to develop a simple method for assessing the metabolic activation of leukoderma-inducing phenols without analyzing the metabolite. Although B16BL6 melanoma cells showed insufficient sensitivity to the cytotoxicity assay, the siRNA-mediated knockdown of the transcription factor NRF2 (NFE2L2) repressed the expression of cytoprotective factors, thereby augmenting the cytotoxicity of all six leukoderma-inducing phenols tested in a tyrosinase-dependent manner, indicating enhanced sensitivity to o -quinone metabolites. Additionally, the knockdown of the NRF2-target Slc7a11 elevated the cytotoxicity of three out of the six compounds, indicating the involvement of cystine transport in cellular protection. In contrast, the knockdown or inhibition of the NRF2-target Nqo1 had minimal effects. The same response was induced upon Nrf2 and Slc7a11 knockdown in B16-4A5 cells, albeit with low sensitivity owing to low tyrosinase expression. We conclude that the analysis of tyrosinase-dependent cytotoxicity in Nrf2 -depleted B16BL6 cells may serve as a useful strategy for evaluating the metabolic activation of chemicals.

Allergic diseases and ulcerative colitis (UC) share pathophysiological similarities. This study aimed to investigate the unclear association between allergic diseases and mucosal healing (MH), an important factor in the prognosis of UC. We studied 289 Japanese patients with UC. Information on allergic diseases (bronchial asthma, atopic dermatitis, pollen allergy, food allergy, and drug allergy), as diagnosed by physicians, was collected through self-reported questionnaires. The definition of MH was Mayo Endoscopic Score 0. The association between each allergic disease and its multimorbidity with MH was evaluated using multivariate logistic regression analyses. Pollen allergy was the most common allergic condition (36.3%). Pollen allergy and food allergy were independently associated with MH (pollen allergy adjusted OR: 1.82 [95% CI: 1.01-3.26]; food allergy adjusted OR: 3.47 [95% CI: 1.26-9.68]). The rates of MH for 0 and 3 or more allergic diseases were 24.6% and 4.2%, respectively. After adjustment for confounders, 3 or more allergic diseases were independently associated with MH (adjusted OR: 8.13 [95% CI: 2.17-34.04], p for trend = 0.020). This study demonstrates a significant positive association between specific allergic diseases (pollen and food allergies) and MH in UC patients, with a stronger association in cases of allergic multimorbidity., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Conflict of interest: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this article., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

OHCA (out-of-hospital cardiac arrest) patients have improved neurological outcomes with public-access automated external defibrillator (PAD) use. However, the benefit of epinephrine administration after PAD use remains controversial. The purpose of the study was to investigate the impact of epinephrine administration on neurological outcomes in OHCA patients after PAD use. This study assessed 2,059,417 patients from the All-Japan Utstein Registry between 2005 and 2021. Patients were categorized into two groups: shockable and non-shockable rhythms on emergency medical service (EMS) arrival. Propensity score matching was used to adjust for various confounders and to analyze the impact of epinephrine administration on one-month favorable neurological outcomes. Criteria for bystander PAD was met by 11,629 (0.56%) of the enrolled patients. The mean age was 70 years with 71.9% male. Among them, 38.6% had shockable rhythms and 61.4% had non-shockable rhythms. After the matching, epinephrine administration negatively affected one-month favorable neurological outcome in patients with both shockable (14.7% vs. 41.1%, OR = 0.24, 95% CI = 0.19-0.31) and non-shockable rhythms (3.6% vs. 10.8%, OR = 0.31, 95% CI = 0.23-0.42). These findings suggest that epinephrine administration did not improve neurological outcomes in patients with OHCA after PAD use, providing insights to optimize EMS protocols for OHCA., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

An all-solid-state fluoride-ion battery (FIB) is one of the promising candidates for the next-generation battery owing to its high energy density and high safety. For the practical application of FIBs, it is an urgent task to operate FIBs at lower temperatures. However, there are still two major difficulties in conventional conversion-type pure metal cathodes: low F - ion conductivities and poor cycle stabilities. Here, the conversion-type Sn-based intermetallic alloy is proposed as a new cathode that can overcome the above issues. The present CoSn 2 cathode retains the discharge capacity of 229 mAh g -1 after 250 cycles, even at 60 °C. CoSn 2 is decomposed into CoF 2 and SnF 2 nanocrystals in the charging process, and the nanoscale network structure of SnF 2 provides the fast F - ion conduction path throughout the cathode, facilitating the battery operation at lower temperatures. Moreover, the formed CoF 2 and SnF 2 phases are merged into the original CoSn 2 phase in the discharging process, leading to a highly reversible redox reaction and the high cycle stability of CoSn 2 . These findings should pave the way to enhance the performance of all-solid-state FIBs at lower temperatures., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Background: While the impact of climate change on mental health, especially in young people, has been acknowledged, underlying mechanisms of this relation remain elusive. Based on research on active coping, we explored effects of agency on anxiety and coping in an experimental design. We further examined the relation between mental health (i.e., psychopathology, depressiveness, trait anxiety), trait factors (i.e., climate distress, intolerance of uncertainty, trait coping), state anxiety and coping with climate distress. Methods: 244 participants (15-25 years) watched a climate anxiety inducing video, followed by an agency manipulation (high agency vs. low agency vs. control). Trait mental health, intolerance of uncertainty, and climate distress and coping were examined as predictors of state anxiety and coping. Results: State anxiety decreased in the high agency and control conditions, but not in the low agency condition. High agency led to increased meaning-focused coping and low agency to decreased meaning- and problem-focused coping. Trait mental health, problem-focused, and meaning-focused coping strategies each predicted their respective state counterparts. Emotion-focused coping was further predicted by all trait measures. Conclusion: The findings suggest a risk of low agency communication due to the lack of arousal decrease and lack of using functional coping in young people.

Background: The response of carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9 to neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) may contribute to outcomes. This study aimed to investigate the effect of changes in NAT regimens based on CA19-9 level., Methods: This single-center retrospective study included patients with resectable/borderline resectable (R/BR)-PDAC undergoing NAT from 2008 to 2022. A CA19-9 level lower than 150 IU/mL after NAT was the criterion for resection. If the level did not decrease, the chemotherapy regimen was changed to satisfy the criterion. The patient cohort was divided into group A (satisfied criterion without changing chemotherapy), group B (did not receive chemotherapy change, could not satisfy the criterion), group C (received chemotherapy change, satisfied the criterion), and group D (received chemotherapy change, could not satisfy the criterion)., Results: The study cohort included 283 patients. After first-line chemotherapy, 112 (39.6%) patients did not satisfy the criterion (groups B [n = 64], C [n = 32], and D [n = 16]). Of the 283 patients, 48 (17%) received a chemotherapy change (groups C and D). The patients in groups C and D showed significantly better overall survival (OS, 35.9 months) than the group B patients (25.7 months) (P = 0.035). The OS of the group C patients (63.8 months) was similar to the OS of the group A patients (n = 171: 56.3 months; P = 0.430). Multivariate analysis of the patients in groups B, C, and D identified chemotherapy change as an independent prognostic factor for OS and progression-free survival., Conclusion: Changing the chemotherapy targeting the CA19-9 level can improve the outcome of R/BR-PDAC patients with poor biologic response to first-line NAT., Competing Interests: Disclosures: S.S. declared research fundings from Nihon Servier, Amino-up Co. and Boston Scientific. M.S. declared research fundings from Eisai co. N.S. declares Consulting or advisory roles for Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd., and Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd.; Speaker’s bureau from Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd., Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Pfzer Japan Inc., Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd., Eisai Co., Ltd., Yakult Honsha Co., Ltd., Taiho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Nippon Kayaku Co., Ltd., MSD K.K., Merck Biopharma Co., Ltd., Bayer Yakuhin, Ltd., Eli Lilly Japan K.K., and Becton, Dickinson and Company. Research funding from Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd., and MSD K.K. The remaining authors report no conflict of interest. Approval of the Research Protocol: The study was reviewed and approved (No. 2020131) by the Institutional Review Board of Kansai Medical University, Japan. Informed Consent: The records of patients who refused access to their data were excluded from the analysis. Registry and the Registration No. of the Study/Trial: N/A, (© 2024. Society of Surgical Oncology.)