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Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) released from neutrophils are related to cancer progression. However, the relationship between the therapeutic effects of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) such as anti-PD-1 and anti-PD-L1 antibodies and plasma NET concentration in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is poorly understood. In this study, concentrations of citrullinated histone H3 (CitH3), a surrogate marker of NETs, in plasma before/after treatment were examined in patients with advanced or recurrent NSCLC undergoing ICI treatment (n = 185). The clinical significances of NET levels before/after treatment and posttreatment changes were statistically evaluated. As a result, multivariate Cox analysis showed that high NET levels before treatment were statistically significant predictors of unfavorable overall survival (OS; p < 0.001, HR 1.702, 95% CI 1.356–2.137) and progression-free survival (PFS; p < 0.001, HR 1.566, 95% CI 1.323–1.855). The Kaplan-Meier curves showed significant separation between the high- and low-NET groups in OS (p = 0.002) and PFS (p < 0.001). Additionally, high NET levels after treatment were also significantly associated with worse OS (p < 0.001) and PFS (p < 0.001) by multivariate Cox analysis. Notably, the pretreatment NET levels were significantly correlated with the plasma levels of NET-related inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-6 and IL-8, and with NET-related gene expression and immune-suppressive profile in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Our findings suggest that NETs released from activated neutrophils might reduce the clinical efficacy of ICIs in patients with NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We can perceive the continuity of an object or event by integrating spatially/temporally discrete sensory inputs. The mechanism underlying this perception of continuity has intrigued many researchers and has been well documented in both the visual and auditory modalities. The present study shows for the first time to our knowledge that an illusion of continuity also occurs with vibrotactile stimulation. We found that when the brief temporal gaps inserted into a vibrotactile target were filled with vibrotactile noise, the target vibration was perceived to continue through the noise if the target vibration was sufficiently weak relative to the noise. It is important that the illusory continuity of the vibration cannot be distinguished from the physically continuous vibration. These results therefore suggest that the continuity illusion is common to multiple sensory modalities and that it reflects a fundamental principle of perception. (Contains 1 footnote and 2 figures.)

We can perceive the continuity of an object or event by integrating spatially/temporally discrete sensory inputs. The mechanism underlying this perception of continuity has intrigued many researchers and has been well documented in both the visual and auditory modalities. The present study shows for the first time to our knowledge that an illusion of continuity also occurs with vibrotactile stimulation. We found that when the brief temporal gaps inserted into a vibrotactile target were filled with vibrotactile noise, the target vibration was perceived to continue through the noise if the target vibration was sufficiently weak relative to the noise. It is important that the illusory continuity of the vibration cannot be distinguished from the physically continuous vibration. These results therefore suggest that the continuity illusion is common to multiple sensory modalities and that it reflects a fundamental principle of perception. Keywords: continuity illusion, perceptual completion, vibrotactile sensation DOI: 10.1037/a0016891

After liver transplantation in HCV-infected patients, the virus load inevitably exceeds pre-transplantation levels. This phenomenon reflects suppression of the host-effector immune responses that control HCV replication by the immunosuppressive drugs used to prevent rejection of the transplanted liver. Here, we describe an adoptive immunotherapy approach, using lymphocytes extracted from liver allograft perfusate (termed herein liver allograft--derived lymphocytes), which includes an abundance of NK/NKT cells that mounted an anti-HCV response in HCV-infected liver transplantation recipients, despite the immunosuppressive environment. This therapy involved intravenously injecting patients 3 days after liver transplantation with liver allograft--derived lymphocytes treated with IL-2 and the CD3-specific mAb OKT3. During the first month after liver transplantation, the HCV RNA titers in the sera of recipients who received immunotherapy were markedly lower than those in the sera of recipients who did not receive immunotherapy. We further explored these observations in human hepatocyte--chimeric mice, in which mouse hepatocytes were replaced by human hepatocytes. These mice unfailingly developed HCV infections after inoculation with HCV-infected human serum. However, injection of human liver--derived lymphocytes treated with IL-2/OKT3 completely prevented HCV infection. Furthermore, an in vitro study using genomic HCV replicon--containing hepatic cells revealed that IFN-γ--secreting cells played a pivotal role in such anti-HCV responses. Thus, our study presents what we believe to be a novel paradigm for the inhibition of HCV replication in HCV-infected liver transplantation recipients., Introduction Liver failure and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) due to chronic hepatitis C infection are the most common indications for liver transplantation (LT), and the incidences of both have been projected [...]

Abstract: We investigate metal oxides as thermoelectric (TE) materials and further as an additive for a certain purpose, i.e. from the view point of both theory, electronic structures, and experiment. The materials are ZnAlO, Fe2O3, and Sr2FeMoO6 (double perovskite). The oxides, Er2O3 and TiO2 are the additives to ZnAlO and Fe2O3, respectively. ZnO has a large electrical resistivity, but the Al impurity level lies in an energy gap and becomes more semiconductive. We expect to reduce thermal conductivity by adding TiO2 to Fe2O3. Lower electrical resistivity of 4×10−5 Ωm was obtained by Er-addition to ZnAlO. TiO2 addition to Fe2O3 reduced thermal conductivity by 4Wm−1 K−1 which was a half as compared with non-additive. Sr2FeMoO6 was also calculated to find electronic structures depending on the state of spin to show the energy gap of 2.57eV for spin-up and metallic structure for spin-down. Experimentally, electrical resistivity of 2×10−4 Ωm was maintained up to 600K, then increased like a metal. This material has a very small Seebeck coefficient less than 20μVK−1 which is not good for TE materials. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We previously created the Alb-DsRed2 transgenic (Tg) rat that specifically expresses the red fluorescent protein, DsRed2, in the liver. Herein, we demonstrate that the DsRed2 expression is sexually dimorphic and exhibits a male-specific pattern. The profiling of sexual dimorphism in DsRed2 expression during pre-pubertal development was investigated using an in vivo fluorescent imaging analysis. The DsRed2 expression decreased gradually in both sexes until 28days after birth. While DsRed2 expression was not persistent in the female liver, the male hepatic expression increased again at 35days. Sexual dimorphic DsRed2 expression did not change in gonadectomized male and female Tg-rats. However, female hepatic DsRed2 was induced 72h after the hypophysectomy. Hepatocytes isolated from the female Tg-rats also revealed DsRed2 induction by 96h in culture. These results suggest that the pituitary hormone suppresses the female hepatic DsRed2 expression causing the sexual dimorphism of DsRed2 expression. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Aim: The purpose of this study is to examine factors associated with increased suicide deaths during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Japan using primary data from postmortem examinations., Methods: We explored factors associated with suicides that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic (February 2020 to December 2021) using data from 115 postmortem examinations of suicides that occurred in one city in the Kanto region between January 2017 and December 2021., Results: Multivariate analysis using graphical modelling and logistic regression analysis showed that both female sex (adjusted odds ratio: 3.732; 95% confidence interval: 1.044-13.345) and multiple mental disorders (adjusted odds ratio: 7.344; 95% confidence interval: 1.316-40.987) were significantly associated with suicide during the COVID-19 pandemic among the young age group (39 years or under)., Conclusion: The study results suggest that in addition to the factor of female sex previously identified, morbidity due to multiple mental disorders may be associated with the increased suicides in Japan during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, this study presented the new methodological possibility of analyzing background factors of suicide using postmortem examination data. In preparation for similar emergencies in the future, it is necessary to establish a system that provides care for multiple mental disorders and a continuous suicide-monitoring system that combines methods such as psychological autopsies with other methods., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2024 The Author(s). Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences Reports published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology.)