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[Display omitted] The spread of malarial parasites resistant to first-line treatments such as artemisinin combination therapies is a global health concern. Differentiation-inducing factor 1 (DIF-1) is a chlorinated alkylphenone (1-(3,5-dichloro-2,6-dihydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl) hexan-1-one) originally found in the cellular slime mould Dictyostelium discoideum. We previously showed that some derivatives of DIF-1, particularly DIF-1(+2) (1-(3,5-dichloro-2,6-dihydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl) octan-1-one), exert potent antimalarial activities. In this study, we synthesised DIF-1(+3) (1-(3,5-dichloro-2,6-dihydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl) nonan-1-one). We then evaluated the effects of DIF-1(+3) in vitro on Plasmodium falciparum and in vivo over 7 days (50–100 mg/kg/day) in a mouse model of Plasmodium berghei. DIF-1(+3) exhibited a half-maximal inhibitory concentration of approximately 20–30 % of DIF-1(+2) in three laboratory strains with a selectivity index > 263, including in strains resistant to chloroquine and artemisinin. Parasite growth and multiplication were almost completely suppressed by treatment with 100 mg/kg DIF-1(+3). The survival time of infected mice was significantly increased (P = 0.006) with no apparent adverse effects. In summary, addition of an acyl group to DIF-1(+2) to prepare DIF-1(+3) substantially enhanced antimalarial activity, even in drug-resistant malaria, indicating the potential of applying DIF-1(+3) for malaria treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • H 2 storage tank using H 2 gas as the heat- and mass-transfer medium was validated. • A double-tube reactor with a thermal insulation structure was developed. • The energy efficiency for hydrogen desorption was quantitatively determined. • The energy loss was due to the reactor's sensible heat and thermal radiation. • Simulation showed the energy efficiency can be improved by scaling up the system. We experimentally studied hydrogen desorption from MgH 2 by supplying heat via a hot gas flow. Porous sheets of MgH 2 held in a sponge-like carbon nanotube (CNT) matrix were developed and placed in a coaxial double-tube reactor. Ar gas was heated using a cylindrical heater and then flowed alongside the MgH 2 -CNT sheets, thereby increasing the temperature of the sheets and enabling the desorption of hydrogen into the gas flow. The total energy efficiency was approximately 6.2% when 64% of hydrogen in MgH 2 was desorbed. A numerical simulation was conducted for the heat transfer and hydrogen desorption, and the obtained results were consistent with the experimental results. According to the simulation, the low energy efficiency was attributed to the small heat capacity ratio of MgH 2 to the reactor (0.082) and considerable radiative heat loss (53%). The simulation was used to predict energy efficiency improvements, and the efficiency was considered to increase to 12% upon increasing the heat capacity ratio from 0.082 to 1.4, and further to 21% upon doubling the Ar flow rate, which enhanced the convective heat transfer from the heater to MgH 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most previous studies clarify the interference effect between only two or three buildings, and very few assess the effect of a high-rise building within an urban block on its surrounding buildings. Accordingly, in this study, wind tunnel experiments were conducted on low-rise urban blocks having a high-rise building, and the wind pressure acting on the low-rise buildings was measured. For low-rise buildings located downwind of a high-rise building, an extremely low negative peak pressure was observed at the windward end of the roof at wind directions of approximately 30°. Further, a large-eddy simulation was applied to the flow field within an urban block, where extremely low negative pressure was observed. The strong negative pressure was generated because the detached flow at the windward corner of the high-rise building blew downward and struck the low-rise building located on the leeward side, and the flow became detached at the windward corner of the roof. The findings of this study indicate the importance of considering the wind-related damage to low-rise buildings caused by strong winds generated by high-rise buildings under extremely strong wind conditions. • Wind pressure on the low-rise buildings around a high-rise building was measured. • Negative pressure acting on the building roof behind a high-rise building was low. • Its negative peak value was extremely low at a wind direction of around 30°. • Wind flow that generated the strong negative pressure was analyzed by LES. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A lower critical solution temperature (LCST) type poly(ionic liquid) gel that can adsorb and desorb 44 times its own weight of water has been fabricated. • The phase transition temperature was controlled by copolymerizing IL monomers with different alkyl chain lengths. • A poly(ionic liquid) gel composited with polydopamine, which is both a photothermal conversion material and an adsorbent, was fabricated. • The polydopamine-poly(ionic liquid) complex maintained the performance of the original polyionic liquid gel. • Utilizing natural sunlight, this composite material was used to a decontaminate organic dye from water with high efficiency and purified water was produced. Demand for purified water is increasing as the population grows. Water purification systems combining thermoresponsive materials and adsorbents that can be used in areas without electricity or other energy infrastructure have begun to be reported. The thermoresponsive hydrogel used in this system must be able to adsorb and desorb a large amount of water, react drastically to temperature, and have a phase transition temperature that can be easily changed depending on the environment in which it is used. In this study, thermoresponsive ionic liquid-derived polyelectrolyte gels (poly(IL) gels) were prepared as lower critical solution temperature (LCST)-type thermoresponsive materials. As a result, poly(IL) gel, which exhibits drastic swelling/shrinking and reversible adsorption/desorption of a large amount of water (44 times the amount of water to its own weight), was successfully fabricated. The phase transition temperature can be controlled between 20 °C and 35 °C by copolymerizing ILs with different structures. Then, polydopamine (PDA), which can serve as a photothermal conversion material as well as an adsorbent for contaminants, was polymerized on the surface of the poly(IL) gel. In addition to its role as an adsorbent, PDA can also serve as a photothermal conversion material. First, a poly(IL)-based material with PDA is swollen in contaminated water. Subsequent irradiation with sunlight induces an LCST-type phase transition behavior by converting light energy into heat. Finally, the contaminants remain adsorbed, and only the water is discharged from the material to obtain purified water. Using this material, we were able to show that organic dyes are removed from aqueous solutions with high efficiency using sunlight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This study is a retrospective multicenter chart review conducted for reirradiation for gynecologic cancer using HDR brachytherapy. • Reirradiation with HDR brachytherapy for recurrent gynecologic cancer is effective, especially in cases with a long interval before reirradiation. • A higher cumulative EQD2 (α/β = 3) was significantly associated with severe complications. The aim of the study is to examine the present status of reirradiation with high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy for recurrent gynecologic cancer in Japan and to determine the role of this therapy in clinical practice. A retrospective multicenter chart review was performed for reirradiation for gynecologic cancer using HDR brachytherapy. Each center provided information on patient characteristics, treatment outcomes, and complications. The study included 165 patients treated at 9 facilities from 2000 to 2018. The analysis of outcomes included 142 patients treated with curative intent. The median follow-up time for survivors was 30 months (range 1–130 months). The 3-year overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and local control (LC) rates were 53 % (95 %CI: 42–63 %), 44 % (35–53 %), and 61 % (50–70 %) for cervical cancer; 100 % (NA), 64 % (30–85 %), and 70 % (32–89 %) for endometrial cancer; and 54 % (13–83 %), 38 % (6–72 %), and 43 % (6–78 %) for vulvar and vaginal cancer, respectively. In multivariate analysis, interval to reirradiation (<1 year) was a significant risk factor for OS, PFS and LC; Gross Tumor Volume (≥25 cm3) was a significant risk factor for OS. Toxicities were analyzed in all enrolled patients (n = 165). Grade ≥ 3 late toxicities occurred in 49 patients (30 %). A higher cumulative EQD2 (α/β = 3) was significantly associated with severe complications. Reirradiation with HDR brachytherapy for recurrent gynecologic cancer is effective, especially in cases with a long interval before reirradiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CUDA toolkits are widely used to develop applications running on NVIDIA GPUs. They include compilers and are frequently updated to integrate state-of-the-art compilation techniques. Hence, many HPC users believe that the latest CUDA toolkit will improve application performance; however, considering results from CPU compilers, there are cases where this is not true. In this paper, we thoroughly evaluate the impact of CUDA toolkit version on the performance, power consumption, and energy consumption of GPU applications with four GPU architectures. Our results show that though the latest CUDA toolkit obtains the best performance, power consumption, and energy consumption for many applications in most cases, but we found a few exceptions. For such applications, we conducted an in-depth analysis using the SASS to identify why older CUDA toolkit achieve performance improvement. Our analysis showed that the factors that caused them are by three phenomena: aggressive loop unrolling, inefficient instruction scheduling, and the impact of host compilers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

D- chiro -inositol and scyllo -inositol are known for their health-promoting properties and promising as ingredients for functional foods. Strains of Bacillus subtilis and Corynebacterium glutamicum were created by metabolic engineering capable of inexpensive production of these two rare inositols from myo -inositol, which is the most common inositol in nature. In addition, further modifications have enabled the synthesis of the two rare inositols from the much-cheaper carbon sources, glucose or sucrose. [Display omitted] ● scyllo- Inositol and D- chiro -inositol are known for their health-promoting effects. ● Inexpensive mass production of these inositols is awaited. ● Bacillus subtilis and Corynebacterium glutamicum are chosen as the production hosts. ● Their inositol metabolism was manipulated to produce these inositols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Different discharge rates have different flow patterns. • Asymmetric local flow is generated by fast and slow flow regions becoming distinct. • The region where particles are preferentially discharged changes randomly over time. • Flow pattern depends only on the discharge rate, not on the particle properties. Hoppers are used in many industrial processes, and it is important to understand the local flow behavior in the container. In this study, discrete element method simulations were used to analyze the effect of discharge rate from the container on the flow pattern. The Hamaker constant, friction angle, and particle density were varied to change the discharge rate. As the discharge rate increased, fast and slow flow regions became distinct, and spatially asymmetric local flow was observed. The difference in average particle velocity between the region near the container wall and the center region of the container decreased at a large discharge rate. However, the particles in each region did not flow at a constant velocity, and instead, fast-flowing preferentially discharged regions appeared randomly in the center region of the container and the region near the container wall, and switched frequently among these regions. In addition, the results suggested that the same guidelines could be used to control flow behavior to improve the discharge rate, without considering the differences in particle properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atomic Pd x Au y (1 ≤ x + y ≤ 4) clusters are decorated on polyaniline to be used as the catalytic electrode in electrochemical sensors. The current responses in the oxidation of 1-propanol are used to reveal the catalytic activity. Effects of the size, decoration sequence, and composition of the atomic metal clusters decorated on the PANI on the catalytic activity are evaluated. Regarding the size, an odd-even size effect is observed in the atomic pure metal clusters, which the even-numbered pure metal clusters show a higher catalytic activity than the odd-numbered pure metal clusters. For the decoration sequence, the catalytic activity is high when the same metal is decorated in the first two cycles of the cyclic atomic electrodeposition process. For the composition effect, the atomic metal clusters show a high catalytic activity in the oxidation, in the region of second oxidation peak, when there are more Au in the atomic metal clusters. [Display omitted] • Atomic Pd x Au y (1 < x + y < 4) clusters are decorated on PANI toward 1-propanol oxidation. • Atomic pure Pd and Au clusters both show the odd-even effect. • Effects of the decoration sequence and composition are studied. • Decorating the same metal in the first 2 cycles result a better catalytic activity. • Clusters of more Pd show a low catalytic activity in the second oxidation peak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Inter-assay discordance in PD-L1 evaluation on tumor cells is often seen. • This inter-assay discrepancy differed by driver-oncogenes in the frequency. • Pembrolizumab efficacy is lower in NSCLCs with the discrepancy than those without. • Increase of aberrant CD274 splice variants is associated with the discrepancy. Programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression is a predictive biomarker for the efficacy of anti-programmed cell death receptor-1/PD-L1 antibodies in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Although several assays have been approved for evaluating PD-L1 expression status, inter-assay discordance has been observed between some assays. The clinical significance of these discrepancies is still unclear. We retrospectively reviewed treatment-naïve NSCLC patients whose PD-L1 expression was evaluated using both 22C3 and SP142 assays. Among those, efficacy analysis was performed for patients with PD-L1 tumor proportion score (TPS) ≥ 50 % (22C3), who had received first-line pembrolizumab monotherapy. Additionally, transcriptome analysis was conducted in the available tumors with TPS ≥ 50 % to investigate the distinct immune profiles that accompany inter-assay discordance. In total, 611 patients were eligible. Among 198 patients with TPS ≥ 50 %, 91 (46 %) had tumor cell score ≤ 1 (SP142, i.e., inter-assay discrepancy). In the 52 patients who received first-line pembrolizumab monotherapy, treatment efficacy was significantly lower in patients with the discrepancy than that in those without (objective response rate: 18 % vs. 83 %, p < 0.001; median progression-free survival [months]: 3.2 vs. 8.3, p < 0.001). Transcriptome analysis revealed significantly more CD274 splice variants with aberrant 3′-terminal sequences in tumors with the inter-assay discrepancy than in those without. The inter-assay discrepancy in the PD-L1 status of tumor cells between the 22C3 and SP142 assays, reflecting an imbalance in the CD274 splice variants, could be a biomarker for primary resistance against pembrolizumab monotherapy in high PD-L1-expressing NSCLCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • π-Stacked n -mers of diradicaloids are investigated as potential systems of n -ladder graphs. • Relationships between the local and entire diradical characters are derived. • High diradical characters can be realized by tuning the stacking distance of n -mers. In this study, we theoretically investigated open-shell electronic structures of face-to-face π-stacked n -mers of diradicaloids with through-bond/through-space (TB/TS) hybrid conjugation structure of n -ladder graphs. Based on the Hückel theory and the valence bond (VB) picture of diradical character (y), we considered y for the local TB and TS interactions, y TB and y TS , and derived sets of conditions between y TB and y TS when y of the entire system, y (n), takes the maximum for a given n. The approximate relations between y TB , y TS , and y (n) help predict the open-shell electronic structures of face-to-face π-stacked n -mers of realistic diradicaloids with different y TB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we report on the relationship between the fiber length of flocked electrodes and the motion artifacts (MAs) that occur in electrocardiogram (ECG) measurements. During ECG measurements, fluctuations in the ECG baseline are observed when slippage occurs at the skin-to-flocked electrode interface. We evaluated the friction behavior and MAs characteristics of four types of flocked electrode with various fiber lengths (0.3 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.7 mm, and 1.2 mm). As a result, it was confirmed that the longer fiber lengths for the flocked electrodes provided more stable contact with the skin phantom. The correlation coefficients between the ECG waveform without MA and the ECG waveform using each fiber length (0.3 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.7 mm, 1.2 mm) were 0.58, 0.58, 0.81, and 0.91. Since the correlation coefficient close to 1 means less MA, it was shown that the longer fiber length, the higher the MA reduction effect. We also conducted an ECG measurement experiment using an ECG measurement chest band. When the flocked electrode with the 1.2-mm-long fibers was used, the ECG signal was measured successfully with only small MAs from body movements caused by respiration. [Display omitted] • Electrostatic flocking produces ECG measurement electrodes of various lengths. • A correlation between flocked electrode fiber length and motion artifacts is shown. • An ECG measurement chest band using flocked electrodes is developed. • Flocked electrodes with 1.2-mm- chest band s provide ECGs with low motion artifacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Menopausal hormone therapy may lessen the severity of COVID-19. • The use of menopausal hormone therapy was associated with a marginally lower risk of COVID-19 mortality in inpatients. • The use of menopausal hormone therapy was also associated with a significantly reduced risk of prolonged hospital stay. Whether menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) lessens the severity of COVID-19 among women is unclear. Leveraging a U.S. national COVID-19 cohort and a cross-sectional analysis, we found MHT use was marginally associated with a lower risk of mortality (odds ratio [OR] 0.73, 95 % CI 0.53–1.01) and significantly associated with a lower risk of prolonged hospital stay (0.7, 0.49–0.99) among inpatient women. When stratifying by MHT type, estrogen-only and estrogen-plus-progestin therapies had a more prominent protective effect than progestin-only therapy, although this difference did not achieve statistical significance. Women with COVID-19 can continue to use MHT. Clinical trials are needed to evaluate MHT's therapeutic effect on COVID-19, especially in terms of severity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toxic shock-like syndrome (TSLS) is a life-threatening hyperinflammatory complication caused by Streptococcus species infections. We reported the first case of TSLS caused by primary bacteremia of Streptococcus agalactiae during chemotherapy for multiple myeloma. A 74-year-old woman, who received combination chemotherapy of elotuzumab, pomalidomide, and dexamethasone for treatment-refractory multiple myeloma, was transported to our hospital under comatose and septic shock. Her blood culture detected Streptococcus agalactiae , and considering the progressive multiorgan failure, she was diagnosed with TSLS. Empiric antibiotic treatment with meropenem and respiratory and circulatory support were quickly initiated, resulting in an almost complete recovery of organ functions. It should be noted that with the advances of chemotherapy, the risk of infection is becoming more diverse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly dense bulk zeolite X with translucency was successfully fabricated by hydrothermal hot-pressing of zeolite powder at 150 °C. Densification was achieved by addition of a small amount of distilled water or a 1 mol/L NaOH solution. Enhanced sodium ion conduction was observed for the densified bulk ceramic bodies. The ion conductivities obtained were beyond 0.001 S/cm, and are comparable to those of practical solid electrolytes applied in electrochemical devices such as batteries and chemical sensors. • Dense bulk of zeolite X was prepared by the hydrothermal hot-pressing (HHP). • High ionic conductivities beyond 0.001 S/cm were observed for dense HHP sample. • Sodium ion conduction was highly enhanced by densification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural disasters can impair the cognitive function of older victims. However, it is unknown whether such natural disasters affect drug treatment for dementia. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the 2018 Japan Floods, the second largest water-related disaster in Japan, on the prescriptions of antidementia drugs (ADD) for older people (≥65 years of age). Retrospective cohort study. Prescription data in Hiroshima, Okayama, and Ehime prefectures for 1 year before and after the disaster were extracted from the National Database of Health Insurance Claims. From the database, we selected 1,710,119 people age 65 years or over as the study participants. In logistic regression models, sex- and age-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of victims for new ADD prescriptions were calculated. Trends for the ORs before and after the disaster were evaluated using difference-in-difference models. Whether or not there was an increase in the trend for ADD prescriptions (daily dose or number of drug types) was also evaluated among continuous ADD users. Among 1,710,119 participants, 15,994 (0.9%) were recorded as a disaster-victims, and 112,289 (6.6%) were prescribed ADD. Among original nonusers, after the disaster, victims were more likely to start using ADD than nonvictims who had not been affected [adjusted OR = 1.33 (95% CI 1.16–1.52)]. Among continuous users, an increasing trend for ADD prescriptions was more often observed for victims than nonvictims [1.61 (1.13–2.31)]. This effect was robust even after the predisaster trend of ADD use was taken into consideration. The disaster increased the number of users of antidementia medications. The findings suggest the need for evidence-based recommendations to address cognitive impairment among disaster victims, which is lacking in current clinical and disaster guidelines worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Context: Adjacent segment disease (ASD) is a potential complication following lumbar spinal fusion.Purpose: This study aimed to demonstrate the demographic, clinical, and operative risk factors associated with ASD development following lumbar fusion.Study Design/setting: Systematic review and meta-analysis.Patient Sample: We identified 35 studies that reported risk factors for ASD, with a total number of 7,374 patients who had lumbar spine fusion.Outcome Measures: We investigated the demographic, clinical, and operative risk factors for ASD after lumbar fusion.Methods: A literature search was done using PubMed, Embase, Medline, Scopus, and the Cochrane library databases from inception to December 2019. The methodological index for non-randomized studies (MINORS) criteria was used to assess the methodological quality of the included studies. A meta-analysis was done to calculate the odds ratio (OR) with the 95% confidence interval (CI) for dichotomous data and mean difference (MD) with 95% CI for continuous data.Results: Thirty-five studies were included in the qualitative analysis, and 22 studies were included in the meta-analyses. The mean quality score based on the MINORS criteria was 12.4±1.9 (range, 8-16) points. Significant risk factors included higher preoperative body mass index (BMI) (mean difference [MD]=1.97 kg/m2; 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.49-2.45; p<.001), floating fusion (Odds ratio [OR]=1.78; 95% CI=1.32-2.41; p<.001), superior facet joint violation (OR=10.43; 95% CI=6.4-17.01; p<.001), and decompression outside fusion construct (OR=1.72; 95% CI=1.25-2.37; p<.001).Conclusions: The overall level of evidence was low to very low. Higher preoperative BMI, floating fusion, superior facet joint violation, and decompression outside fusion construct are significant risk factors of development of ASD following lumbar fusion surgeries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Concave deformities and gustatory sweating are the most common complications that cause substantial patient dissatisfaction after parotidectomy. Various surgical methods to prevent these complications have been described. However, effective techniques have not been established, especially in patients with medium- to large-sized parotidectomy defects. We evaluated the utility of infrahyoid myofascial flap reconstruction of parotidectomy defects for the prevention of these complications.Methods: We conducted a retrospective case series study in patients with a benign or malignant parotid tumor measuring over 4 cm who underwent immediate pedicle infrahyoid myofascial flap reconstruction after total or subtotal parotidectomy or total resection of either the superficial or deep parotid gland at our hospital. Subjective analyses of facial symmetry, postoperative concave deformities of the anterior neck, gustatory sweating, voice disorders, odynophagia, neck scarring in the parotid and anterior neck areas, sensory disorders, pain, and neck stiffness were performed using patient interview data. Objective evaluations of facial symmetry were made by the first or second author. Both analyses were performed after a follow-up of more than six months. Additionally, patient demographic data, clinicopathological factors, parotidectomy and skin incision types, flap survival, and postoperative complications were evaluated.Results: We included eight patients (male, n=5; mean age, 69.3 years [range, 37-93 years]). Procedures included total or subtotal parotidectomy (n=4), superficial lobe parotidectomy (n=2), and deep lobe parotidectomy with partial superficial lobe parotidectomy (n=2). Infrahyoid myofascial flaps reached the cranial tip of the parotid defect without tension, and their volume sufficiently filled the parotidectomy defect in all patients. There were no local signs of insufficient blood flow within the transferred flaps. Objective and subjective assessments were made after a mean duration of 1.2 years (range, 0.6-1.8). Postoperatively, no patient subjectively reported facial asymmetry. Objectively, facial symmetry was "good" in four patients and "fair" in four patients. No distinctly visible concave deformity in the parotid or anterior neck area occurred in any patient. Gustatory sweating occurred in one patient; this individual had the largest parotidectomy defect. Only one patient experienced donor site morbidity (mild anterior neck stiffness) related to infrahyoid myofascial flap elevation.Conclusion: Although complete prevention of gustatory sweating was unsuccessful, infrahyoid myofascial flap reconstruction of medium- to large-sized parotidectomy defects led to postoperative facial symmetry with minimal donor site morbidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A real-world comparative study between nivolumab and pembrolizumab was conducted. • Propensity score matching was used to adjust confounding factors. • Nivolumab did not differ from pembrolizumab in efficacy and safety. • Both nivolumab and pembrolizumab are valid options for platinum-refractory PD-L1-positive NSCLC patients. Nivolumab and pembrolizumab have been the standard of care in patients with previously treated advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of nivolumab and pembrolizumab. We retrospectively reviewed data of advanced NSCLC patients with PD-L1 (Programmed death-ligand 1) [clone:22C3] positive tumors (Tumor proportion score [TPS] ≥ 1%) who had been treated with nivolumab or pembrolizumab as second- or subsequent line from 2015 to 2021. Propensity score matching was performed to reduce potential selection bias. We analyzed the clinical outcomes including objective response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and immune-related adverse events (irAEs). Among a total of 202 eligible patients, 72 pairs of patients from each group were identified after propensity score matching. There were no significant differences in ORR, PFS, and OS between the two agents (nivolumab vs. pembrolizumab: ORR, 23.6% vs. 20.8%, median PFS, 3.7 months vs. 4.6 months, hazard ratio [HR] 1.02; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.71 to 1.46; p = 0.92, and median OS, 27.4 months vs. 19.6 months, HR 0.78; 95% CI, 0.51 to 1.20; p = 0.24). Additionally, PFS was similar between the treatments in the PD-L1 TPS ≥ 50% subgroup (median PFS, 3.7 months vs. 4.6 months, HR 0.94; 95% CI, 0.56 to 1.59; p = 0.82) and PD-L1 TPS 1–49% subgroup (median PFS, 3.7 months vs.4.6 months, HR 1.13; 95% CI, 0.69 to 1.85; p = 0.61). There was also no significant difference in the frequency of grade ≥ 3 irAEs (9.7% vs. 11.1%; p = 1.0). There is no significant difference in the efficacy and safety between nivolumab and pembrolizumab in advanced NSCLC patients with PD-L1-positive tumors in the subsequent line setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• CD163+ TAMs are independent predictors of tumor spread through air spaces. • High CD25+/CD163+ immune infiltration predicts worse recurrence-free probability. • Multivariate analysis showed that CD25+/CD163+ is an independent prognostic factor. • High CD25+/CD163+ is associated with several clinical features. Lung cancer can spread in numerous ways, including spread through air spaces (STAS). A high number of CD68+ tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), which creates a favorable microenvironment for tumor progression, is an independent predictor of increased STAS rate and is used as a pan-macrophage marker, whereas CD163 is used as an M2 macrophage marker. A high number of CD25+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) is associated with the frequency of STAS. This study investigated the influence of M2 macrophages and CD25+ TILs on STAS and postoperative recurrence in patients with stage I lung adenocarcinoma who underwent curative resection. We analyzed data from 485 patients with stage 0–I lung adenocarcinoma who underwent resection between 1999 and 2016. Tissue microarrays were constructed, and immunohistochemical analysis was performed for CD3, CD4, CD8, CD45RO, CD25, CD20, CD68, and CD163. Three tumor areas with the highest density of immune cells were photographed, and the immune cells were quantified. Associations between variables were analyzed using chi-square tests and Mann–Whitney U tests. Recurrence-free probability (RFP) was analyzed using log-rank tests and Cox proportional hazards models. CD163+ TAMs were identified as an independent predictor of a higher rate of STAS (P < 0.001). Analysis of biologically relevant immune cell combinations revealed that patients with high CD25+ TILs and high CD163+ TAMs had a significantly lower RFP (5-year RFP, 74%) than those with other combinations of CD25 and CD163 (5-year RFP, 90%; P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that high CD25+/high CD163+ immune cell infiltration was an independent predictor of RFP. We demonstrated that a higher density of M2 macrophages is an independent predictor of a higher STAS incidence. A high CD25+/high CD163+ immune cell infiltration ratio is a significant prognostic factor for stage 0–I lung adenocarcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While there is an increased focus on promoting eco-friendly cities, biologically important but dangerous wildlife creatures encroach into cities, which can cause human-wildlife conflicts. We examine how the encroachment of wildlife affects humans' decisions to exterminate wildlife, the spatial patterns of conflicts, and the size of cities. We develop a theoretical model where animals optimize their food intake by spreading out in response to heterogeneous feeding grounds in cities, and humans choose their housing location and exterminate wildlife in response to the presence of wildlife. We characterize a Nash equilibrium of land competition in every location and then prove the existence and uniqueness of the spatial equilibrium. We solve the optimal and the equilibrium and obtain properties with respect to human population density, the densities of wildlife species, the level of countermeasures against wildlife, and human-wildlife conflicts at each location; the numbers of species; and the size of cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Autophagy is a cellular process that degrades a cell's own cytoplasmic components for energy provision and to maintain a proper intracellular environment. Left ventricular reverse remodeling (LVRR) promises a better prognosis for patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM).Objectives: The authors tested the hypothesis that autophagy is involved in LVRR and has prognostic value in the human failing heart.Methods: Using left ventricular endomyocardial biopsy specimens from 42 patients with DCM (21 LVRR-positive and 21 LVRR-negative) and 7 patients with normal cardiac function (control), the authors performed immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescent labeling of LC3 and cathepsin D and electron microscopic observation in addition to general morphometry under light microscopy.Results: The clinical characteristics of LVRR-positive patients were similar to those of the LVRR-negative patients, except for pulmonary artery pressure and left atrial dimension. Morphometry under light microscopy did not differ among specimens from DCM patients, regardless of their LVRR status. Electron microscopy revealed that autophagic vacuoles (autophagosomes and autolysosomes) and lysosomes were abundant within cardiomyocytes from DCM patients. Moreover, cardiomyocytes from LVRR-positive patients contained significantly more autophagic vacuoles with higher autolysosome ratios and cathepsin D expression levels than cardiomyocytes from LVRR-negative patients. Logistic regression analysis adjusted for age showed that increases in autophagic vacuole number and cathepsin D expression were predictive of LVRR. DCM patients who achieved LVRR experienced fewer cardiovascular events during the follow-up period.Conclusions: The authors show that autophagy is a useful marker predictive of LVRR in DCM patients. This provides novel pathologic insight into a strategy for treating the failing DCM heart. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of MHT on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk among women with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes (PreDM or T2DM) is unclear. We examined the association between ever or early use MHT and CVD risk in postmenopausal women with PreDM or T2DM, and the potential modifying effect of race. 2,917 postmenopausal women with PreDM or T2DM were pooled from 3 prospective CVD cohorts (the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities, the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, and the Jackson Heart Study). Ever (yes vs no) or early use of MHT (MHT initiated ≤5 vs > 5 years since menopause), and their associations with ischemic stroke, coronary heart disease (CHD), and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) were assessed using Cox proportional hazards models. During a median follow-up of 15 years, 264 stroke, 484 CHD, and 659 ASCVD events were observed. In fully adjusted models, ever use of MHT was associated with reduced risk of stroke (hazard ratio 0.86, 95% CI 0.76–0.98), CHD (0.85, 0.74–0.98), and ASCVD (0.83, 0.73–0.95) in white women with PreDM or T2DM. Early use of MHT was associated with reduced risk of stroke (0.82, 0.72–0.95), CHD (0.85, 0.74–0.98), and ASCVD (0.82, 0.70–0.96) in the white group. No risk reduction with ever or early use of MHT was found for black women with PreDM or T2DM. MHT is associated with statistically reduced CVD risk among white but not black women with PreDM or DM. Race is an effect modifier in the association between MHT use and CVD. [Display omitted] • The effect of menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) on cardiovascular disease (CVD) in women with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is unclear. • Pooled analysis showed ever or early use of MHT was associated with reduced CVD risk in women with pre-diabetes or T2DM. • Race may be an effect modifier to this association with the result evident in White women with pre-diabetes or T2DM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemoradiotherapy (CRT) followed by durvalumab treatment improved prognosis in unresectable locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC). This study aimed to evaluate whether the status of the immune-related tumour microenvironment (TME) at baseline associates with the efficacy. This retrospective study evaluated immune-related TME factors, including programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) (clone: 22C3) expression on tumour cells and the density of CD8-positive tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) at pre-CRT in patients with unresectable LA-NSCLC treated with CRT only (CRT alone group) and those treated with CRT followed by durvalumab (Durva group). A total of 551 patients were included (N = 113 in the Durva group). Progression-free survival (PFS) in the Durva group was significantly greater than that in the CRT alone group (not reached [NR] vs 12.9 months; p = 0.002). In the CRT alone group, neither PD-L1 expression nor TIL status affected PFS; in contrast, in the Durva group, high density of CD8-positive TILs (TIL High ≥100/mm2) and PD-L1-positive expression (tumour proportion score ≥1%; PD-L1+) was significantly associated with longer PFS (TIL: NR vs 9.5 months; p = 0.002; and PD-L1: NR vs 7.7 months; p = 0.003). On the other hand, in patients with epidermal growth factor receptor mutations or anaplastic lymphoma kinase rearrangements, there was no significant difference in PFS between the groups (Durva vs CRT alone: 9.9 months vs 14.0 months; p = 0.77). PD-L1+ and TIL High at baseline could be predictive markers of the efficacy of CRT followed by durvalumab. • In unresectable locally advanced-non-small-cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC), it is unclear what patients can benefit from durvalumab. • The progression-free survival (PFS) of chemoradiation (CRT) alone did not differ as per PD-L1 expression and tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) status. • PD-L1 expression and TIL status predicted longer PFS of CRT followed by durvalumab. • PD-L1 expression was significantly associated with TIL status in LA-NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Responder-status to probiotics and prebiotics vary among individuals. • Niche-based processes can predict probiotic colonization success in the microbiota. • Response to prebiotics is predictable by key enzyme gene abundance in the microbiota. • Interventions for the gut microbiota require both ecological and genetic perspectives. Bifidobacteria are widely used as a probiotic for their health-promoting effects. To promote their growth, bifidogenic prebiotics, including human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), have been added to supplements and infant formula. However, the efficacy of both probiotic and prebiotic interventions is often debated, as clinical responses vary significantly by case. Here, we review clinical studies that aimed to proliferate human-residential Bifidobacterium (HRB) strains in the gut, and we highlight the difference between responders and non-responders to such interventions through an ecological, niche-based perspective and an examination of the prevalence of genes responsible for prebiotic assimilation in HRB genomes. We discuss the criteria necessary to better evaluate the efficacy of probiotic and prebiotic interventions and the recent therapeutic potential shown by synbiotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding Li-ion transport at the solid | solid interface is crucial to improving the performance of all-solid-state Li-ion batteries. Electrochemical four-electrode cells have been widely used for electrochemical measurements of ion transports at liquid | liquid and solid | liquid interfaces. However, there is no report of the application to the Li-ion transport at the solid | solid interface, and the electrochemistry of Li-ion transport at the solid | solid interface has not been understood well. In this study, we develop an all-solid-state electrochemical four-electrode cell and investigate the Li-ion transports at the interfaces between two sulfide solid electrolytes. The Li-ion transport resistances at the solid | solid interfaces are successfully evaluated by AC impedance measurement. The activation energy of the Li-ion transports at the solid | solid interfaces is similar to that of the Li-ion transports in the solid electrolytes with lower ionic conductivities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Homeostasis is a self-regulatory process, wherein an organism maintains a specific internal physiological state. Homeostatic reinforcement learning (RL) is a framework recently proposed in computational neuroscience to explain animal behavior. Homeostatic RL organizes the behaviors of autonomous embodied agents according to the demands of the internal dynamics of their bodies, coupled with the external environment. Thus, it provides a basis for real-world autonomous agents, such as robots, to continually acquire and learn integrated behaviors for survival. However, prior studies have generally explored problems pertaining to limited size, as the agent must handle observations of such coupled dynamics. To overcome this restriction, we developed an advanced method to realize scaled-up homeostatic RL using deep RL. Furthermore, several rewards for homeostasis have been proposed in the literature. We identified that the reward definition that uses the difference in drive function yields the best results. We created two benchmark environments for homeostasis and performed a behavioral analysis. The analysis showed that the trained agents in each environment changed their behavior based on their internal physiological states. Finally, we extended our method to address vision using deep convolutional neural networks. The analysis of a trained agent revealed that it has visual saliency rooted in the survival environment and internal representations resulting from multimodal input. • We conducted a direct optimization of the simulated embodied agent for homeostasis. • Agents obtained motor control for behavioral homeostasis in various environments. • Interoception-dependent foraging emerged in an environment with multiple nutrients. • Behavioral regulation of the body temperature emerged in a thermoregulation environment. • The method can be scaled to an environment with high-dimensional vision inputs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal switching by applying magnetic field is one of the key technologies in thermal management in electronic devices. In low-temperature devices, superconductors can be used as a magneto-thermal-switching (MTS) materials due to the large change in carrier thermal conductivity by the superconducting transition. In this study, we measured the temperature (T) and magnetic field (H) dependences of thermal conductivity (κ) of Sn, Ta and V to enrich knowledge on MTS of type-Ⅰ and type-Ⅱ superconductors. From the data analyses, we found different trends of κ - H curves in type-Ⅰ and type-Ⅱ superconductors. The normalized κ - H curves of type-Ⅰ superconductors showed the similar behavior, which is solely governed by H c. However, the κ - H curves of type-Ⅱ superconductors were affected by the H c1 and H c2 , and its behavior greatly depends on the materials. In addition, we investigated the elemental composition of Sn and Ta to explore the origin of weak hysteresis in the κ - H curves and revealed the importance of impurity on the hysteresis of κ - H curves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: High-risk percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction has been proven to induce reverse LV remodeling. However, the impact of high-risk PCI focusing on rotational atherectomy (RA) in patients with severe LV systolic dysfunction has not been completely addressed.Methods: Among 4339 consecutive patients who underwent PCI, 178 patients with 192 lesions were treated with RA. The reduced ejection fraction (EF) group (LVEF ≤35%) included 25 patients, the mid-range EF group (LVEF 36-50%) included 44 patients, and the preserved EF group (LVEF >50%) included 109 patients. The primary outcome was a composite of cardiac death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, target-vessel revascularization, and ischemic stroke.Results: The cumulative 1-year incidence of the primary outcome was similar among the three groups (reduced EF, 29%; mid-range EF, 25%; preserved EF, 26%; p = 0.95). After adjusting for confounding factors, the incidence of the primary outcome in the reduced EF group (hazard ratio [HR], 1.07; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.43-2.37; p = 0.87) and the mid-range EF group (HR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.47-1.94; p = 0.97) was similar to that in the preserved EF group. LVEF was significantly improved in the reduced EF and mid-range EF groups compared with the preserved EF group (absolute change in LVEF: 13.6 ± 11.3%, 9.0 ± 10.1%, and -0.7 ± 7.8%, respectively; p < 0.0001).Conclusions: Reduced EF was not associated with increase in the primary outcome in patients undergoing RA. This seemed to result from the improved LV function after PCI.Summary For Annotated Table Of Contents: This single center analysis study investigated 1-year composite outcome of cardiac death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, target-vessel revascularization, and ischemic stroke in patients with severe LV systolic dysfunction undergoing RA compared with that in patients with preserved LV function. The cumulative 1-year incidence of the composite outcome was similar among the three groups (reduced EF, 29%; mid-range EF, 25%; preserved EF, 26%; p = 0.95). LVEF was significantly improved in the reduced EF and mid-range EF groups compared with the preserved EF group (absolute change in LVEF: 13.6 ± 11.3%, 9.0 ± 10.1%, and -0.7 ± 7.8%, respectively; p < 0.0001). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A crystal plasticity model for aluminum alloy sheets is proposed. • The proposed model considers the hardening and softening of slip resistance. • The proposed model accurately predicts the Bauschinger and cross effects. The Bauschinger effect, which refers to softening after strain reversal, significantly affects the springback simulation of stamped sheet metals. Therefore, a constitutive model that can describe this effect is required to perform accurate springback simulations. This study developed a crystal plasticity model that accurately reproduces the Bauschinger and cross effects of aluminum alloy sheets. The model is based on saturation-type equations representing the evolution of slip resistances. In addition to incorporating the work hardening of slip resistance, softening after strain reversal is incorporated. Furthermore, in the model, latent hardening increases when the slip system is inactive, whereas its evolution is suppressed when the system is activated. This formulation facilitates the reproduction of the enhanced re-yield stress followed by a reduced work-hardening rate for orthogonal loading. The simulated stress–strain curves are compared with the experimental results for an A5052-O sheet. It is shown that the proposed model accurately reproduces the reverse and orthogonal loading behaviors of the A5052-O sheet. Furthermore, the influence of the formulation of slip resistance on the predicted R value in the uniaxial tension is examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) is a high-rate bioreactor which is preferred over other configurations due to its potential to completely decouple solid retention time from hydraulic retention time. However, limited information is available on the bioreactor behavior under stressed environment, particularly during the startup period. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of ammonium (NH 4 +) and organic loading rate (OLR) on the digestion performance and microbial population of submerged AnMBR. The findings revealed that high NH 4 + was positively correlated with high methane concentration while high OLR increased methane production. The microbial analysis showed that both bacteria and archaea were influenced by the change of NH 4 + and OLR. Particularly, at high OLR, Bacteroidetes were shown to be more sensitive to high NH 4 + than Firmicutes , and Chloroflexi tolerated NH 4 + even up to 2.5 g/L. Moreover, NH 4 + was possibly the first driving factor in the change of methane production pathways from acetoclastic methanogenesis to hydrogenotrophic and methylotrophic methanogenesis. Membrane biofouling was also caused mainly by bacterial community (Firmicutes and Chloroflexi), while the contribution of archaeal community was minimal (Methanosaetaceae). [Display omitted] • The performance and change of microbial population in submerged AnMBR were investigated. • High NH 4 + improved biogas quality while high OLR increased methane production potential. • Bacteroidetes were shown to be more sensitive to high NH 4 + than Firmicutes and Chloroflexi. • NH 4 + was the driving factor in the change of methanogenesis pathways in submerged AnMBR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fitness for service code of the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers (JSME) provides a fracture evaluation methodology based on linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) for boiling water reactor (BWR) internal components irradiated to a neutron fluence of 3.0 × 1024 n/m2 or more. On the other hand, it is known that austenitic stainless steel maintains its ductility and toughness even after neutron irradiation up to the fluence expected for BWR internal components. Accordingly, it is preferable to apply the ductile fracture evaluation methodology for BWR internal components. The present study examined the applicability of damage mechanics analysis based on the Gurson‒Tvergaard‒Needleman (GTN) model for irradiated stainless steel. The changes of mechanical properties of the material due to neutron irradiation were simulated by cold working. As a result, in terms of material strength properties the applicability of the GTN model was confirmed for irradiated stainless steel using the simulated material for neutron fluence up to about 1.5 × 1025 n/m2. • Damage mechanics analysis based on the Gurson‒Tvergaard‒Needleman (GTN) model for irradiated stainless steel was investigated. • Changes of mechanical properties of the material due to neutron irradiation were simulated by cold working. • Fracture tests and analyses were performed with plate specimens. • Applicability of GTN model was examined by comparing the maximum loads and fracture behaviors between the tests and analyses. • Applicability of the GTN model was confirmed for irradiated stainless steel using the simulated material for neutron fluence up to about 1.5 × 1025 n/m2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We developed a hybrid cooling system by using liquid helium, mechanical cryocoolers. • We verified that the Dewar can provide a thermal interface of less than 1.2 K. • The lifetime of the liquid helium in orbit was determined to be over 3 years in the nominal case. The X-ray imaging and spectroscopy mission (XRISM) is an X-ray astronomy satellite developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to explore the evolution of the universe and its physical phenomena as the replacement for ASTRO-H. One of the primary scientific instruments of the XRISM is the Resolve, which utilizes an X-ray microcalorimeter array. This detector array is required to be cooled down to 50 mK using a complex cryogenic system with a multistage adiabatic demagnetization refrigerator (ADR) developed by NASA and a cryogenic system developed by Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd. (SHI). The cryogenic system is required to cool the heat sink of the ADR to a temperature below 1.5 K in orbit for at least 3 years. To meet the specific requirements, we developed a hybrid cryogenic system consisting of a liquid helium tank, a 4K Joule–Thomson cooler, and two two-stage Stirling coolers. As a result, the specific requirements were verified by ground tests. This paper describes the design, including the major changes from ASTRO-H, fabrication, and results of the ground tests of the helium Dewar of the Resolve instrument. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • β-cyclodextrin exhibited weaker impact on the ESPT reaction in DMSO than in DMF. • The rate constants of the ESPT reaction derived from the fluorescence lifetime were compared in three solvents. • The reverse ESPT reaction rate constant is independent of the energy level of tautomer in DMSO. • A new structure of complex including DMSO is proposed. • The electron-donating property of DMSO may affect the ESPT reaction. In an excited-state intermolecular proton transfer (ESPT) reaction, a molecule, in which a hydrogen bond donating site is generated through the increased acidity in the excited state, undergoes intermolecular proton transfer to give a tautomer species adiabatically. In this study, we investigated the interactions between two urea derivatives in which a phenyl-urea group is bound with a pyrene ring (m - and p -CF 3 -1PUP) and tetrabutylammonium acetate in different solvents. Furthermore, we introduced β -cyclodextrin (β -CD) to investigate the solvent effects on the ESPT reaction. Absorption and fluorescence spectra and fluorescence decay curves were measured for m - and p -CF 3 -1PUP in the absence or presence of acetate anions and β -CD. In the presence of acetate anions, the reverse ESPT rate constants of both m - and p -CF 3 -1PUP, derived from the fluorescence lifetimes, depended on the solvent. In addition, the tautomer fluorescence of m -CF 3 -1PUP showed significant solvent dependence on the spectral intensity despite the same concentration of β -CD. From the varying behavior of urea– β -CD system observed in different solvents, we propose a new structure of the complex formed in DMSO in the presence of acetate anions. Finally, we found that DMSO promotes the reverse ESPT reaction through hydrogen bonding with the tautomer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we propose a mechanical model for Polyamide 6 (PA6) having different crystalline structures. Our latest experimental study on the tensile tests of PAs obtained from different thermal histories clarified that the mechanical properties of PAs significantly changed even for those with similar degrees of crystallinity (Yoshida et al., Polymer, Vol. 282 (2023), 126190). Wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) diffractograms of the PA6s prepared in this study were measured to evaluate the microscopic crystalline structures. Broad distributions were observed around the peaks in the quenched PA6, and the sharpness of the peaks increased with temperature during the annealing and isothermal heating processes. The parameter representing the perfection of the crystalline phase was quantified by distinguishing the distribution patterns of the crystalline and amorphous phases around all peaks in the WAXS patterns. The constitutive model based on the transient network viscoelastic-viscoplastic theory was extended to represent the mechanical behavior of PA6. In the proposed method, the initial properties of the molecular chain networks in the crystalline and amorphous phases are described as a function of the crystal perfection index, and the second yield is modeled to occur when the remaining stress transmitter density reaches its critical value. Two-dimensional finite element method (FEM) simulations of the tensile tests were performed using the proposed constitutive model. The FEM simulation results revealed that the proposed model could represent increases in the slope prior to the first yielding, the magnitude of the first yielding stress, and the strain where the second yielding occurs with increasing crystal perfection index, even for PAs with similar crystallinities. The development of the strain rate distribution during the tensile tests accompanying the onset and propagation of necking predicted by the FEM simulation agreed reasonably well with the experimental results. However, a nonlocal expression of the plastic strain should be investigated to accurately predict the strain field independent of the mesh division of the FEM model. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the functions of progesterone in the myometrium are well-established, the nongenomic effects of progesterone in pregnant myometrial contractions are still unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate changes in the nongenomic effects of progesterone during pregnancy. Myometrial strips were obtained from non-pregnant, pregnant, and postpartum rats, and the nongenomic effects of progesterone in the myometrium during pregnancy were examined. Additionally, the influence of actinomycin D and cycloheximide and the effects of Org OD-02-0 (a specific membrane progesterone receptor (mPR) agonist) in the myometrium were investigated. Moreover, DNA microarray and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) were performed to identify genes involved in progesterone-induced effects in the myometrium. Progesterone did not cause rhythmic contractions in non-pregnant myometrium but induced rhythmic contractions in pregnant myometrium, with the effects peaking at 20 d + 8 h of pregnancy. However, myometrial contractions decreased after delivery and were restored to non-pregnant levels at 7 d postpartum. Additionally, progesterone stably inhibited high KCl-induced myometrial contractions during pregnancy. Moreover, the nongenomic effects of progesterone were unaffected by actinomycin D or cycloheximide, and Org OD-02-0 effectively mimicked these effects. DNA microarray analysis and qRT-PCR revealed a significant increase in mPRβ gene expression during pregnancy. However, mPRα, mPRγ, mPRδ, and mPRε expression levels remained unchanged. The stimulatory nongenomic effect of progesterone, which was inducible and mPRβ-dependent during pregnancy, may be involved in parturition. The inhibitory effect, which was constitutive and depended on other mPRs, may be involved in pregnancy maintenance. • mPRβ gene expression increased significantly during pregnancy. • This is the first report suggesting the role of mPRβ in myometrial contractions. • The stimulatory nongenomic effect of progesterone was inducible and mPRβ-dependent. • The inhibitory effect was constitutive and depended on other mPRs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The novel hydrophobic surface modification of hydrogel structure, referred to as organohydrogel, was firstly achieved through the utilization of poly(N -vinylamide)s hydrogels, taking advantage of the property of polycation precursor. Following the shrinkage of poly(N -acetamide- co - N -vinylformamide), only the surface moiety was subjected to hydrolysis. Subsequently, a radical initiator was chemically tethered to the amino groups on the hydrogel surface to facilitate atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of hydrophobic monomer, phenylethylacrylate. Hydrophobic layer characteristics were differentiated by varying hydrolysis time (x t) and ATRP time (y t), resulting in the creation of hydrophobic surface-modified gel (HSMgel). All HSMgels resulted in stable swelling ratio (S.R.) regardless of y t. The contact angle of water droplets increased gradually with both increasing x t and y t , from 17.6° to 91.9°, while maintaining a relatively constant S.R. The drying process of hydrophobic surface-modified HSMgels was accelerated, while that of precursor hydrophilic gels was delayed. These unique properties stemmed from the chemical structure of poly(N -vinylamide)s, which led to the formation of a chemically bound hydrophobic layer within the hydrogels. [Display omitted] • Surface modification of poly (N -vinylamide) hydrogels. • Hydrophobic modification on hydrogel. • ATRP approach enable to control hydrophobic layer on hydrogels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previously reported inelastic x-ray scattering spectra of a typical van der Waals molecular liquid CCl 4 were reanalyzed using a generalized Langevin formalism with a memory function including a thermal and two viscoelastic relaxation processes and simple sparse modeling. The obtained excitations of longitudinal acoustic phonons show a largely positive deviation from the hydrodynamic value by about 57%, much larger than about 37% by the previously reported damped harmonic oscillator result. Such large values of fast sounds in molecular liquids larger than 15-20% of typical liquid metals are interpreted as extra energy losses for terahertz phonons by molecules' vibrational and rotational motions. The rates of the fast and slow viscoelastic relaxations in the memory function at low Q indicate large values, about 0.5 and 2 ps, which correspond to the vibrational and rotational motions of CCl 4 molecules, respectively. These values are larger than those of the typical polar molecular liquid acetone, which may reflect the heavier atomic mass of CCl 4. The Q dependences of the viscoelastic relaxation rates are discussed in terms of the lifetime and propagating length of the terahertz phonon oscillations. The microscopic kinematic longitudinal viscosity was obtained from the viscoelastic relaxation magnitudes and times, rapidly decreasing with Q from a macroscopic value at Q → 0. • Generalized Langevin formalism was applied to inelastic x-ray scattering spectra of liquid CCl 4. • A large deviation from hydrodynamic prediction was found in the phonon dispersion relation. • Fast sound in terahertz oscillations originates from viscoelastic damping by vibrational and rotational molecular motions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unstructured biological macromolecules have attracted attention as protein aggregation inhibitors in living cells. Some are characterized by their free structural configuration, highly charged, and water-soluble. However, the importance of these properties in inhibiting protein aggregation remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the effect of charged poly (amino acids), which mimic these properties, on aggregation of l -lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and compared their effects to monomeric amino acids and folded proteins. LDH was stable and active at a neutral pH (~7) but formed inactive aggregates at acidic pH (< 6). Adding cationic polyelectrolytes of poly- l -lysine and poly- l -arginine suppressed the acid-induced aggregation and inactivation of LDH under acidic pH values. Adding monomeric amino acids and cationic folded proteins also prevented LDH aggregation but with lower efficacy than cationic polyelectrolytes. These results indicate that unstructured polyelectrolytes effectively stabilize unstable enzymes because they interact flexibly and multivalently with them. Our findings provide a simple method for stabilizing enzymes under unstable conditions. • Simple and versatile strategies for enzyme stabilization are required. • Cationic polyelectrolytes prevent aggregation of L-lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). • Cationic polyelectrolytes maintain LDH activity at acidic pH. • Cationic polyelectrolytes are effective at lower concentrations than other additives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By replacing Nb with (Hf+Nb+Ta) in CoCrFeNi 2.1 (Nb) 0.2 high entropy alloy (HEA), which contained hard and brittle hexagonal C14 Laves phase, a novel CoCrFeNi 2.1 (HfNbTa) 0.2 HEA was designed. Heavy cold-rolling complemented by microstructural and nanoindentation studies produced evidence of the surprisingly soft and ductile attributes of the Laves phase in the CoCrFeNi 2.1 (HfNbTa) 0.2 HEA, in striking contrast to the almost universal brittle behavior of the Laves phases. Crystallographic and chemical analyses of the Laves phase in the CoCrFeNi 2.1 (HfNbTa) 0.2 HEA confirmed the cubic C15 structure, realized by the site occupancy preferences of the constituent elements. The unusual deformability of the Laves phase was attributed to the spectacular propensity for nano-twin formation on the {111}<112> system, presumably resulting from its increased compositional complexity. Meanwhile, the results should open a pathway for designing highly deformable Laves phases in HEAs. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sleep consolidation into nighttime is considered the primary goal of sleep development in early infants. However, factors contributing to sleep consolidation into nighttime remain unclear. To clarify the influences of the light environment and nighttime co-sleeping on sleep consolidation into nighttime in early infants. Cross-sectional study. Sleep–wake time and light stimulation were measured in infants for 4 consecutive days using actigraphy. The infants' mothers were asked to complete a sleep events diary and a questionnaire about childcare, including "co-sleeping", defined as when the infant and mother slept on the same surface throughout the night. The data were analyzed with a focus on daytime and nighttime sleep parameters. Daytime light stimulation reduced daytime "active sleep", tended to reduce daytime sleep, and increased daytime waking. Nighttime light stimulation reduced nighttime "quiet sleep" and nighttime sleep and increased nighttime waking. Co-sleeping reduced nighttime waking, and, as a result, nighttime sleep time and sleep efficiency increased. Co-sleeping reduced daytime sleep and tended to increase daytime waking. Consequently, co-sleeping tended to increase the ratio of nighttime sleep to daytime sleep. The present findings suggest that an appropriate light environment promotes daytime waking and nighttime sleep in early infants, but it does not contribute to sleep consolidation into nighttime by itself. On the other hand, co-sleeping may promote sleep consolidation into nighttime. Therefore, further methods for safe co-sleeping need to be established while avoiding risk factors for sudden unexpected death in infancy/sudden infant death syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The study analyzed individual bubble mass transfer and integrated the effect into a bubble plume to investigate the aerosol transportation by pool scrubbing. • The MELCOR model overestimated bubble break-up but showed contrasting trends in decontamination factor analysis. • Using CFD, aerosol mass transfer coefficients of single bubble with various bubble/aerosol diameters were standardized against the Stokes and Eötvös numbers. • The results revealed that MELCOR notably overestimated the interfacial area of bubble plumes, while significantly underestimating the mass transfer coefficients from individual bubbles. The fission product filtration capability of pool scrubbing is an uncertain factor in severe accident risk analysis. Limited discussions on aerosol transportation phenomena exist due to insufficient understanding of aerosol mass transfer from single bubbles and bubble plume behavior. This study aims to investigate aerosol transportation during pool scrubbing by integrating individual bubble mass transfer into the overall bubble plume. Decontamination factor (DF) measurements were conducted for various nozzle submergences, followed by analysis of bubble diameter distributions in the corresponding bubble plume. Findings revealed that the MELCOR model overestimates bubble break-up, contrary to the expected positive impact on DF. To address this discrepancy, a computational fluid dynamics simulation was employed to analyze mass transfer coefficients considering different bubble diameters and aerosol properties. By integrating the mass transfer of single bubbles, the discrepancy in the DF tendencies was attributed to the underestimation of aerosol mass transfer coefficients in individual bubbles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In TOF-PET, the method of timestamp calculation is an important factor that affects coincidence resolving time (CRT). In independent readout detectors, for one-to-one coupled detectors, the first hit (FH) timestamp is the optimal one, while in light-sharing detectors, the optimal timestamp must be calculated from multiple timestamps. The method for the latter performs energy-weighted averaging (EWA) using several photosensors with earlier timestamps, but the light distribution varies depending on the detector structure. Here, we developed an exponentiated energy-weighted averaging (EEWA) method for our previously developed light-sharing detector that limits light spreading. The crosshair light-sharing (CLS) PET detector was developed as a TOF-DOI PET detector. It uses fast LGSO crystals with dimensions of 1.45 × 1.45 × 15 mm3 arranged in a 2D crystal array with three layers of enhanced specular reflectors (ESRs) forming a loop structure within a pair of crystals. The 2D crystal array is optically connected to an 8 × 8 MPPC array. The signals of the MPPC array are individually read out and processed by using TOFPET2 ASICs. To effectively utilize multiple timestamps, the EEWA method introduces a power term to the energy, giving priority to timestamps with higher energy. Additionally, we use Lumirror to increase the light collection efficiency and we compared its performance with the ESRs. In the FH method, the CRTs of the ESR and Lumirror arrays were 250 and 232 ps, respectively. In the EWA method, the CRT deteriorated as the number of MPPCs used was increased compared to the FH method. In the EEWA method, by optimizing the number of MPPCs used and the power factor, the CRT was improved to 226 and 221 ps, respectively. In summary, we developed the EEWA method for timestamp estimation and achieved an improvement of up to 24 ps in CRT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dynamic actin filaments are required for the formation and internalization of endocytic vesicles. Yeast actin cables serve as a track for the translocation of endocytic vesicles to early endosomes, but the molecular mechanisms regulating the interaction between vesicles and the actin cables remain ambiguous. Previous studies have demonstrated that the yeast Eps15-like protein Pan1p plays an important role in this interaction, and that interaction is not completely lost even after deletion of the Pan1p actin-binding domain, suggesting that additional proteins mediate association of the vesicle with the actin cable. Other candidates for mediating the interaction are endocytic coat proteins Sla2p (yeast Hip1R) and Ent1p/2p (yeast epsins), as these proteins can bind to both the plasma membrane and the actin filament. Here, we investigated the degree of redundancy in the actin-binding activities of Pan1p, Sla2p, and Ent1p/2p involved in the internalization and transport of endocytic vesicles. Expression of the nonphosphorylatable form of Pan1p, Pan1-18TA, caused abnormal accumulation of both actin cables and endocytic vesicles, and this accumulation was additively suppressed by deletion of the actin-binding domains of both Pan1p and Ent1p. Interestingly, deletion of the actin-binding domains of Pan1p and Ent1p in cells lacking the ENT2 gene resulted in severely defective internalization of endocytic vesicles and recruitment of actin cables to the site of endocytosis. These results suggest that Pan1p and Ent1p/2p cooperatively regulate the interaction between the endocytic vesicle and the actin cable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]