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A 71-year-old woman was referred to our clinic with a 2-month history of pain and exudate from her right first toe. Physical examination revealed a subungual nodule that elevated the nail plate and produced distal onycholysis. We performed onychectomy and removed the nodule. A histopathological specimen from the nodule showed hyperkeratosis and acanthosis in the epidermis, papillomatosis and dilated vessels in the superficial dermis, and aggregation of eccrine glands in the mid-dermis. Based on these findings, a diagnosis of eccrine angiomatous hamartoma (EAH) was made. EAH is a rare cutaneous hamartoma that is histologically characterized by proliferation of eccrine glands and vascular components. To our knowledge, EAH occurring in the subungual region has not been reported. The pathogenesis of acquired EAH has not been completely elucidated, but several cases have been reported to be caused by external stimuli. Although the subungual area generally has no sweat glands, our case suggests that a traumatic stimulus can induce EAH anywhere including regions where sweat glands are normally not found., (©2023 Tottori University Medical Press.)

Background: The Memory Support Intervention was developed in response to evidence showing that: (1) patient memory for treatment is poor, (2) poor memory for treatment is associated with poorer adherence and poorer outcome, (3) the impact of memory impairment can be minimized by the use of memory support strategies and (4) improved memory for treatment improves outcome. The aim of this study protocol is to conduct a confirmatory efficacy trial to test whether the Memory Support Intervention improves illness course and functional outcomes. As a "platform" for the next step in investigating this approach, we focus on major depressive disorder (MDD) and cognitive therapy (CT)., Method/design: Adults with MDD (n = 178, including 20% for potential attrition) will be randomly allocated to CT + Memory Support or CT-as-usual and will be assessed at baseline, post treatment and at 6 and 12 months' follow-up (6FU and 12FU). We will compare the effects of CT + Memory Support vs. CT-as-usual to determine if the new intervention improves the course of illness and reduces functional impairment (aim 1). We will determine if patient memory for treatment mediates the relationship between treatment condition and outcome (aim 2). We will evaluate if previously reported poor treatment response subgroups moderate target engagement (aim 3)., Discussion: The Memory Support Intervention has been developed to be "transdiagnostic" (relevant to a broad range of mental disorders) and "pantreatment" (relevant to a broad range of types of treatment). This study protocol describes a "next step" in the treatment development process by testing the Memory Support Intervention for major depressive disorder (MDD) and cognitive therapy (CT). If the results are promising, future directions will test the applicability to other kinds of interventions and disorders and in other settings., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, ID: NCT01790919 . Registered on 6 October 2016.

A fungal biosensor plate was applied to assessment of the harmfulness of air polluted by formaldehyde. Alternariaalternata, Eurotiumherbariorum and Aspergilluspenicillioides were used as fungal species. Fungal mycelium length and optical transparency of the biosensor plate were employed as indices of the fungal growth. Formaldehyde in air was detected on the basis of growth inhibition, reflected by suppression of the growth indices. Dynamic range of the measurement was 700-4000 microg m(-3) or broader. Eurotiumherbariorum and Aspergilluspenicillioides were the most suitable fungal species to formaldehyde sensing based on the mycelium length and that based on the transparency, respectively.

The supramolecular architecture of the extracellular matrix and the disposition of its specific accessory molecules give rise to variable heterotopic signaling cues for single cells. Here we have described the successful occlusion of human fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) into the cubic inclusion bodies (FGF-2 polyhedra) of the Bombyx mori cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus (BmCPV). The polyhedra are proteinous cubic crystals of several microns in size that are insoluble in the extracellular milieu. Purified FGF-2 polyhedra were found to stimulate proliferation and phosphorylation of p44/p42 mitogen-activated protein kinase in cultured fibroblasts. Moreover, cellular responses were blocked by a synthetic inhibitor of the FGF signaling pathway, SU5402, suggesting that FGF-2 polyhedra indeed act through FGF receptors. Furthermore, FGF-2 polyhedra retained potent growth stimulatory properties even after desiccation. We have demonstrated that BmCPV polyhedra microcrystals that occlude extracellular signaling proteins are a novel and versatile tool that can be employed to analyze cellular behavior at the single cell level.