How do social networks, perception of social isolation, and loneliness affect depressive symptoms among Japanese adults?

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to elucidate the complex relationship among social isolation, loneliness, and perception of social isolation and its influence on depressive symptoms by evaluating a hypothetical model. This understanding is essential for the formulation of effective intervention strategies. METHODS: We conducted an online survey on Japanese adults (N = 3,315) and used the six-item Lubben Social Network Scale to assess the size of their social networks. We employed a single question to gauge their perception of social isolation. Loneliness was assessed using the three-item UCLA Loneliness Scale, and depressive symptoms were examined using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Structural equation modeling was employed to test the hypothesized model. RESULTS: The final model demonstrated satisfactory fit with data (χ2 (1) = 3.73; not significant; RMSEA = 0.03; CFI = 1.00; TLI = 1.00). The size of social network demonstrated a weak negative path to loneliness and depressive symptoms (ß = -.13 to -.04). Notably, a strong positive association existed between perception of social isolation and loneliness (ß = .66) and depressive symptoms (ß = .27). Additionally, a significant positive relationship was found between loneliness and depressive symptoms (ß = .40). Mediation analysis indicated that perception of social isolation and loneliness significantly intensified the relationships between social networks and depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate that interventions of psychological approaches, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, are effective in reducing the perception of social isolation and loneliness, which may lead to the prevention of depressive symptoms. Future longitudinal studies are expected to refine and strengthen the proposed model.

Magnetic resonance imaging-based radiomics analysis of the differential diagnosis of ovarian clear cell carcinoma and endometrioid carcinoma: a retrospective study.

PURPOSE: To retrospectively evaluate the diagnostic potential of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based features and radiomics analysis (RA)-based features for discriminating ovarian clear cell carcinoma (CCC) from endometrioid carcinoma (EC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-five patients with 40 ECs and 42 patients with 43 CCCs who underwent pretherapeutic MRI examinations between 2011 and 2022 were enrolled. MRI-based features of the two groups were compared. RA-based features were extracted from the whole tumor volume on T2-weighted images (T2WI), contrast-enhanced T1-weighted images (cT1WI), and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression with tenfold cross-validation method was performed to select features. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to construct the discriminating models. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analyses were performed to predict CCC. RESULTS: Four features with the highest absolute value of the LASSO algorithm were selected for the MRI-based, RA-based, and combined models: the ADC value, absence of thickening of the uterine endometrium, absence of peritoneal dissemination, and growth pattern of the solid component for the MRI-based model; Gray-Level Run Length Matrix (GLRLM) Long Run Low Gray-Level Emphasis (LRLGLE) on T2WI, spherical disproportion and Gray-Level Size Zone Matrix (GLSZM), Large Zone High Gray-Level Emphasis (LZHGE) on cT1WI, and GLSZM Normalized Gray-Level Nonuniformity (NGLN) on ADC map for the RA-based model; and the ADC value, spherical disproportion and GLSZM_LZHGE on cT1WI, and GLSZM_NGLN on ADC map for the combined model. Area under the ROC curves of those models were 0.895, 0.910, and 0.956. The diagnostic performance of the combined model was significantly superior (p = 0.02) to that of the MRI-based model. No significant differences were observed between the combined and RA-based models. CONCLUSION: Conventional MRI-based analysis can effectively distinguish CCC from EC. The combination of RA-based features with MRI-based features may assist in differentiating between the two diseases.

Anionic Sublattices in Halide Solid Electrolytes: A Case Study with the High-Pressure Phase of Li3ScCl6.

The Li3MX6 compounds (M=Sc, Y, In; X=Cl, Br) are known as promising ionic conductors due to their compatibility with typical metal oxide cathode materials. In this study, we have successfully synthesized γ-Li3ScCl6 using high pressure for the first time in this family. Structural analysis revealed that the high-pressure polymorph crystallizes in the polar and chiral space group P63mc with hexagonal close-packing (hcp) of anions, unlike the ambient-pressure α-Li3ScCl6 and its spinel analog with cubic closed packing (ccp) of anions. Investigation of the known Li3MX6 family further revealed that the cation/anion radius ratio, rM/rX, is the factor that determines which anion sublattice is formed and that in γ-Li3ScCl6, the difference in compressibility between Sc and Cl exceeds the ccp rM/rX threshold under pressure, enabling the ccp-to-hcp conversion. Electrochemical tests of γ-Li3ScCl6 demonstrate improved electrochemical reduction stability. These findings open up new avenues and design principles for lithium solid electrolytes, enabling routes for materials exploration and tuning electrochemical stability without compositional changes or the use of coatings.

A new family of anti-perovskite oxyhydrides with tetrahedral GaO4 polyanions.

New solid compounds A3-xGaO4H1-y (A = Sr, Ba; x ∼0.15, y ∼0.3), which are the first oxyhydrides containing gallium ions, have been synthesized by high-pressure synthesis. Powder X-ray and neutron diffraction experiments revealed that the series adopts an anti-perovskite structure consisting of hydride-anion-centered HA6 octahedra with tetrahedral GaO4 polyanions, wherein the A- and H-sites show partial defect. Formation energy calculations from the raw materials support that stoichiometric Ba3GaO4H is thermodynamically stable with a wide band gap. Annealing the A = Ba powder under flowing Ar and O2 gas suggests topochemical H- desorption and O2-/H- exchange reactions, respectively.

Exercise preserves physical fitness during aging through AMPK and mitochondrial dynamics.

Exercise is a nonpharmacological intervention that improves health during aging and a valuable tool in the diagnostics of aging-related diseases. In muscle, exercise transiently alters mitochondrial functionality and metabolism. Mitochondrial fission and fusion are critical effectors of mitochondrial plasticity, which allows a fine-tuned regulation of organelle connectiveness, size, and function. Here we have investigated the role of mitochondrial dynamics during exercise in the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans. We show that in body-wall muscle, a single exercise session induces a cycle of mitochondrial fragmentation followed by fusion after a recovery period, and that daily exercise sessions delay the mitochondrial fragmentation and physical fitness decline that occur with aging. Maintenance of proper mitochondrial dynamics is essential for physical fitness, its enhancement by exercise training, and exercise-induced remodeling of the proteome. Surprisingly, among the long-lived genotypes we analyzed (isp-1,nuo-6, daf-2, eat-2, and CA-AAK-2), constitutive activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) uniquely preserves physical fitness during aging, a benefit that is abolished by impairment of mitochondrial fission or fusion. AMPK is also required for physical fitness to be enhanced by exercise, with our findings together suggesting that exercise may enhance muscle function through AMPK regulation of mitochondrial dynamics. Our results indicate that mitochondrial connectivity and the mitochondrial dynamics cycle are essential for maintaining physical fitness and exercise responsiveness during aging and suggest that AMPK activation may recapitulate some exercise benefits. Targeting mechanisms to optimize mitochondrial fission and fusion, as well as AMPK activation, may represent promising strategies for promoting muscle function during aging.

Facilitating ab initio configurational sampling of multicomponent solids using an on-lattice neural network model and active learning.

We propose a scheme for ab initio configurational sampling in multicomponent crystalline solids using Behler-Parinello type neural network potentials (NNPs) in an unconventional way: the NNPs are trained to predict the energies of relaxed structures from the perfect lattice with configurational disorder instead of the usual way of training to predict energies as functions of continuous atom coordinates. An active learning scheme is employed to obtain a training set containing configurations of thermodynamic relevance. This enables bypassing of the structural relaxation procedure that is necessary when applying conventional NNP approaches to the lattice configuration problem. The idea is demonstrated on the calculation of the temperature dependence of the degree of A/B site inversion in three spinel oxides, MgAl2O4, ZnAl2O4, and MgGa2O4. The present scheme may serve as an alternative to cluster expansion for "difficult" systems, e.g., complex bulk or interface systems with many components and sublattices that are relevant to many technological applications today.

Anti programmed death-ligand 1 antibody-related cholangitis without bile duct dilation or stenosis.

Cholangitis has been reported as an immune-related adverse event, although it rarely occurs. Here we report a case of cholangitis due to atezolizumab in a 77-year-old woman who had been treated with atezolizumab and nab-paclitaxel for breast cancer and lung metastasis. On the seventh cycle, she presented with fever and epigastric pain, and computed tomography and endoscopic ultrasound showed slight wall thickening of the common bile duct, and transpapillary bile duct biopsy was performed. Pathologically, CD8+ T cells predominant infiltration was detected in the subepithelium of the bile duct, resulting in the diagnosis of atezolizumab-related cholangitis. The patient's symptoms were resolved immediately after discontinuing atezolizumab. Hepatobiliary enzymes returned to normal 21 days after onset, and bile duct wall thickening disappeared. Cholangitis should be included as the differential diagnosis of liver dysfunction in patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Lone-Pair-Induced Intra- and Interlayer Polarizations in Sillén-Aurivillius Layered Perovskite Bi4NbO8Br.

Sillén-Aurivillius layered perovskite oxyhalides Bi4MO8X (M = Nb, Ta; X = Cl, Br) are of great interest because of their potential as lead-free ferroelectrics in addition to their function as visible-light-responsive photocatalysts. In this work, we revisited the crystal structure of Bi4NbO8Br (space group: P21cn), revealing that the intralayer polarization is not based on the reported NbO6 octahedral tilting but is derived from the stereochemically active Bi3+ lone pair electrons (LPEs) and the octahedral off-centering of Nb5+ cations. The revised structure (space group: Ic) has additional interlayer polarizations (calculated: 0.6 µC/cm2), in agreement with recent experiments on Bi4NbO8Br. The occurrence of polarization due to stereochemically active LPEs and Nb-site off-centering is similar to Aurivillius-type ferroelectrics (e.g., Bi2WO6), with comparable spontaneous polarizations in the in-plane direction (calculated: 43.5 µC/cm2). This, together with the out-of-plane polarization, indicates that Sillén-Aurivillius compounds have great potential as ferroelectric materials.

S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine extends lifespan through methionine restriction effects.

Methionine restriction (MetR) can extend lifespan and delay the onset of aging-associated pathologies in most model organisms. Previously, we showed that supplementation with the metabolite S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine (SAH) extends lifespan and activates the energy sensor AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. However, the mechanism involved and whether SAH can extend metazoan lifespan have remained unknown. Here, we show that SAH supplementation reduces Met levels and recapitulates many physiological and molecular effects of MetR. In yeast, SAH supplementation leads to inhibition of the target of rapamycin complex 1 (TORC1) and activation of autophagy. Furthermore, in Caenorhabditis elegans SAH treatment extends lifespan by activating AMPK and providing benefits of MetR. Therefore, we propose that SAH can be used as an intervention to lower intracellular Met and confer benefits of MetR.

A longitudinal comparison of college student mental health under the COVID-19 self-restraint policy in Japan.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in substantial mental health problems. In addition to the fear of infection, prevention policies that result in isolation such as lockdowns or, in Japan, "self-restraint," are associated with psychological symptoms. University students are vulnerable to emotional disorders because of the psychological challenges associated with the transition to adulthood. Therefore, we investigated changes in the mental health of university students before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: We used data from depression screening conducted by the University of Tsukuba, Japan, during student health examinations. Students completed the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and an open-ended question on stress self-coping. RESULTS: In 2020, 9.6% of students were depressed, approximately twice as many as in previous years. The paired samples Wilcoxon test showed that PHQ-9 scores were significantly higher in 2020 than in 2019; the largest effect size was for sleep difficulties. Analysis of the open-ended responses for stress coping strategies showed that physical activity and online communication were most frequently used. LIMITATIONS: The 2020 survey was web-based, whereas the surveys in previous years were completed in person. Only approximately one-sixth of participants answered the open-ended question. CONCLUSIONS: The percentage of students with mental health problems has doubled, and more attention to student mental health is needed. However, many students seem to be using appropriate coping measures. Education about best practices and raising awareness about establishing and maintaining sleep-wake rhythms may be useful.

Association between depressive state and behavioral changes induced by the state of emergency for Coronavirus disease 2019: Evidence from university students in Japan.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) has caused numerous problems worldwide since 2020. The pandemic and subsequent quarantine policies have resulted in numerous psychological problems among students. The quarantine policy forced students to change their behavior and refrain from going out. To date, the relationship between behavioral and psychological changes following the implementation of the quarantine policy has not been investigated. We conducted a web-based survey to investigate the change in time spent out of the house between before and after the implementation of the quarantine policy and how this related to changes in depression. We collected data from 12,088 students, which included the Patients Health Questionnaire-9, frequency of going out, and demographics. We divided subjects into three categories based on the frequency of going out before and after the policy was put in place. Results showed that students who frequently went out before the pandemic and strictly followed the government policy were significantly more depressed than those who did not frequently go out. In contrast, students who had always been reluctant to go out did not have a tendency for depression to worsen. Our findings indicate that behavioral modification leads to depression in those who previously had active social lives.

A case of bile duct diverticulum with repeated acute cholangitis due to diverticular stone fall.

A 34-year-old man presented to the emergency department with a chief complaint of epigastric pain. Endoscopic ultrasound detected a 5 mm stone in the common bile duct. After endoscopic sphincterotomy, the black stones and debris were removed with balloon catheter. Abdominal ultrasonography detected no gallbladder stones; hence, the patient was followed up. However, 3 months later, the patient again developed acute cholangitis caused by common bile duct stones and underwent endoscopic stone removal. Cholangiography under balloon occlusion revealed a left hepatic duct diverticulum with an internal defect. Intraductal ultrasonography showed a hyperechoic lesion with acoustic shadow in the diverticulum, suggesting a stone or debris. Therefore, the patient was considered to have had repeated acute cholangitis because of the presence of falling diverticular stones. The patient underwent left hemihepatectomy plus segmentectomy 1 and cholecystectomy. Histopathologically, it was a true diverticulum without internal epithelial atypia. Many debris were seen in the diverticulum. Gallbladder stones were not observed. Eventually, the patient was discharged from the hospital with no postoperative complications and no recurrence of cholangitis after 20 months.

SS-A52 antigen expression in thymic carcinoma accompanied with Sjögren syndrome: A case report.

RATIONALE: The relationship between thymic tumors and Sjögren syndrome (SjS) is unknown, and surgical resection has not been optimized. Especially, thymic carcinoma with autoimmune disease is rare. Analysis of SS-A52, germinal centers, plasma cells, and Foxp3+ Treg in thymic carcinoma has never been reported, and their pathological roles in causing SjS have not been studied. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 78-year-old man presented with sputum production and xerostomia while asleep. Chest computed tomography showed a homogeneous and hypodense mass in the anterosuperior mediastinum. Serum levels of the antinuclear antibody, antibody to SS-A, and antibody to SS-B were positive. DIAGNOSES: Thymic carcinoma (squamous cell carcinoma) and SjS. INTERVENTIONS: Video-assisted thoracoscopic resection of the mediastinal tumor and postoperative radiation therapy was performed. OUTCOMES: The histological diagnosis was thymic squamous cell carcinoma. Histologically, the squamous carcinomatous cells were arranged in nests and cords in the fibrohyaline stroma with capsular invasion. In the stroma, dense lymphoid tissues containing large reactive germinal centers and many plasma cells were also noted. In the involuted thymus, CD20-positive mature lymphocytes infiltrated, and germinal centers were noted. Double immunohistochemical staining revealed that SS-A52 antigen was positive in both the carcinoma component and CD20-positive mature B cells. Postoperatively, the xerostomia persisted, and serum SS-A and SS-B remained positive. No evidence of carcinoma recurrence with chest computed tomography scan was observed at 18-months follow-up. LESSONS: In the surgical treatment of thymic tumors with SjS, extended thymectomy might be worth considering to stop the progressive destruction of the targets of SjS-specific autoantibodies. However, the postoperative symptoms may not dramatically improve because the target organs might have changed irreversibly, and memory B cells might persist. This is the first report that demonstrated the SS-A52 antigen presentation in a thymic tumor to the best of our knowledge.

Confirming validity of The Fear of COVID-19 Scale in Japanese with a nationwide large-scale sample.

Assessing fear and anxiety regarding COVID-19 viral infection is essential for investigating mental health during this epidemic. We have developed and validated a Japanese-language version of The Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) based on a large, nationwide residential sample (n = 6,750) recruited through news and social media responding to an online version of the questionnaire. Data was collected from August 4-25, 2020. Results correlated with K6, GAD-7 and IES-R psychological scales, and T-tests and analysis of variance identified associated factors. All indices indicated the two-factor model emotional fear reactions and symptomatic expressions of fear a better fit for our data than a single-factor model in Confirmatory Factor Analysis (χ2 = 164.16, p<0.001, CFI 0.991, TLI = 0.985, RMSEA = 0.043). Socio-demographic factors identified as disaster vulnerabilities such as female sex, sexual minority, elderly, unemployment, and present psychiatric history associated with higher scores. However, respondent or family member experience of infection risk, or work/school interference from confinement, had greatest impact. Results suggest necessity of mental health support during this pandemic similar to other disasters.

High Virus Removal by Self-Organized Nanostructured 2D Liquid-Crystalline Smectic Membranes for Water Treatment.

To obtain high quality of drinking water free from biocontaminants is especially important issue. A new strategy employing smectic liquid-crystalline ionic membranes exhibiting 2D structures of layered nanochannels for water treatment is proposed for efficient virus removal and sufficient water flux. The smectic A (SmA) liquid-crystalline membranes obtained by in situ polymerization of an ionic mesogenic monomer are examined for removal of three distinct viruses with small size: Qß bacteriophage, MS2 bacteriophage, and Aichi virus. The semi-bilayer structure of the SmA significantly obstructs the virus penetration with an average log reduction value of 7.3 log10 or the equivalent of reducing 18 million viruses down to 1. Furthermore, the layered nanochannels of the SmA liquid crystal allow efficient water permeation compared to other types of liquid-crystalline membrane consisting of nanopores.

Direct Measurement of Electronic Band Structures at Oxide Grain Boundaries.

Grain boundaries (GBs) modulate the macroscopic properties in polycrystalline materials because they have different atomic and electronic structures from the bulk. Despite the progress on the understanding of GB atomic structures, knowledge of the localized electronic band structures is still lacking. Here, we experimentally characterized the atomic structures and the band gaps of four typical GBs in α-Al2O3 by scanning transmission electron microscopy and valence electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS). It was found that the band gaps of the GBs are narrowed by 0.5-2.1 eV compared with that of 8.8 eV in the bulk. By combing core-loss EELS with first-principles calculations, we elucidated that the band gap reductions directly correlate with the decrease of the coordination numbers of Al and O ions at the GBs. These results provide in-depth understanding between the local atomic and electronic band structures for GBs and demonstrate a novel electronic-structure analysis for crystalline defects.

Left ventricular noncompaction with pulmonary capillary hemangiomatosis-like lesions: case report.

Left ventricular noncompaction (LVNC) is a cardiomyopathy characterized by prominent left ventricular trabeculae and deep intertrabecular recesses. Pulmonary capillary hemangiomatosis (PCH) is a rare disease that causes uncontrollable proliferation of pulmonary capillaries. We experienced a 52-year-old man who was diagnosed with LVNC about 8 years previously who subsequently died of heart failure. The major autopsy findings were enlargement of the heart with prominent trabeculations and deep intertrabecular recesses in the apical and middle regions of the left ventricular wall. The mean ratio of noncompacted to compacted layers was 2.4. In the lung, thickened alveolar walls with numerous pulmonary capillaries were evident, findings very similar to PCH. PCH-like lesions and LVNC may have coexisted coincidentally, and both, or either of them, may have contributed to the development of his pulmonary hypertension.

Systematic analysis of electron energy-loss near-edge structures in Li-ion battery materials.

Electrical conductivity, state of charge and chemical stability of Li-ion battery materials all depend on the electronic states of their component atoms, and tools for measuring these reliably are needed for advanced materials analysis and design. Here we report a systematic investigation of electron energy-loss near-edge structures (ELNES) of Li-K and O-K edges for ten representative Li-ion battery electrodes and solid-state electrolytes obtained by performing transmission electron microscopy with a Wien-filter monochromator-equipped microscope. While the peaks of Li-K edges are positioned at about 62 eV for most of the materials examined, the peak positions of O-K edges vary within a range of about 530 to 540 eV, and the peaks can be categorised into three groups based on their characteristic edge shapes: (i) double peaks, (ii) single sharp peaks, and (iii) single broad peaks. The double peaks of group (i) are attributable to the d0 electronic configuration of their transition metal ions bonded to O atoms. The origin of the different peak shapes of groups (ii) and (iii) is more subtle but insights are gained using density functional theory methods to simulate O-K ELNES edges of group (ii) material LiCoO2 and group (iii) material LiFePO4. Comparison of their densities of states reveals that in LiCoO2 the Co-O hybrid orbitals are separated from Li-O hybrid orbitals, resulting in a sharp peak in the O-K edge, while Fe-O, Li-O and P-O hybrid orbitals in LiFePO4 partially overlap each other and produce a broad peak.

Thymidylate synthase expression in primary colorectal cancer as a predictive marker for the response to 5-fluorouracil- and oxaliplatin-based preoperative chemotherapy for liver metastases.

In patients with colorectal liver metastases (CRLM), predictive markers for response to preoperative chemotherapy are lacking. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the expression of thymidylate synthase (TS) and excision repair cross-complementation group 1 (ERCC1) as predictive markers in CRLM. A total of 24 patients with CRLM were included in this study. Tumor response was evaluated using the tumor regression grade (TRG) and Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) methods. TS and ERCC1 expression in paired CRLM and primary lesions were assessed by immunohistochemistry. We analyzed correlations between i) the response to preoperative chemotherapy evaluated by TRG and RECIST, ii) TS and ERCC1 expression and the response evaluated by TRG and RESICT, and iii) TS and ERCC1 expression in matched pairs of primary tumor and CRLM. The preoperative chemotherapy response evaluated by TRG and RECIST was significantly associated (P=0.0005). The response based on RECIST criteria and TRG was significantly associated with TS expression in the primary tumor (P=0.0272, and P=0.0137, respectively). No correlations were detected between marker expression in the primary tumor and in CRLM for either TS or ERCC1 (P=0.371 and P=1.00, respectively). Our data suggested that TS expression in the primary tumor is a predictive marker of preoperative chemotherapy response in CRLM based on both TRG and RECIST methods.