Metal doped polyaniline as neuromorphic circuit elements for in-materia computing.

Polyaniline-based atomic switches are material building blocks whose nanoscale structure and resultant neuromorphic character provide a new physical substrate for the development next-generation, nanoarchitectonic-enabled computing systems. Metal ion-doped devices consisting of a Ag/metal ion doped polyaniline/Pt sandwich structure were fabricated using an in situ wet process. The devices exhibited repeatable resistive switching between high (ON) and low (OFF) conductance states in both Ag+ and Cu2+ ion-doped devices. The threshold voltage for switching was>0.8 V and average ON/OFF conductance ratios (30 cycles for 3 samples) were 13 and 16 for Ag+ and Cu2+ devices, respectively. The ON state duration was determined by the decay to an OFF state after pulsed voltages of differing amplitude and frequency. The switching behaviour is analagous to short-term (STM) and long-term (LTM) memories of biological synapses. Memristive behaviour and evidence of quantized conductance were also observed and interpreted in terms of metal filament formation bridging the metal doped polymer layer. The successful realization of these properties within physical material systems indicate polyaniline frameworks as suitable neuromorphic substrates for in materia computing.

No significant association between stable iodine intake and thyroid dysfunction in children after the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster: an observational study.

PURPOSE: Stable iodine prophylaxis helps prevent childhood thyroid cancer in nuclear emergencies; however, there is limited information on its effect on thyroid function. This study aimed to examine thyroid function and autoimmunity among children and adolescents that took stable iodine after the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster. METHODS: For this observational study, data were obtained from children and adolescents that underwent thyroid cancer screening at Hirata Central Hospital from April 2012 to March 2018. Participant characteristics, including possible hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism, were compared between the prophylaxis and no-prophylaxis groups. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to assess for possible hypothyroidism, autoantibodies positive, and hyperthyroidism. RESULTS: A total of 1,225 participants with stable iodine prophylaxis and 3,946 without prophylaxis were enrolled. Of those participants, blood samples were available for 144 and 1,201 participants in the prophylaxis and no-prophylaxis groups, respectively. There were 17 (11.8%) and 146 cases (12.2%) of possible hypothyroidism or autoantibodies positive cases in the prophylaxis and no-prophylaxis groups, respectively, and there were no cases and 3 cases (0.2%) of possible hyperthyroidism in those two groups, respectively. Multivariable analysis for possible hypothyroidism revealed no association between stable iodine intake and possible hypothyroidism or autoantibodies positive [odds ratio 0.716 (95% confidence interval 0.399-1.284)] (p = 0.262). We did not perform multivariable analysis for hyperthyroidism due to the limited number of cases. CONCLUSION: Significant adverse effects of stable iodine intake on thyroid function were not observed among children and adolescents 7 years after the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster.

Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli harbouring sul and mcr-1 genes isolates from fish gut contents in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam.

This study investigated the existence of sulfonamides and colistin resistance genes among extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli recovered from fish gut in Vietnam and evaluated the susceptibility patterns of the ESBL-producing E. coli to relevant antimicrobials. A total of 88 ESBL-producing E. coli isolates were analysed for the presence of the ESBLs, sul (1, 2, 3) and mcr (1-3) genes by PCR. Antimicrobial resistance phenotypes of isolates were determined by disc diffusion. Results showed that: (i) A high prevalence of 94·3% of sulfonamide resistance was observed in 88 isolates. Moreover, the existence of 2·3% of ESBL-producing E. coli harbouring mcr-1 gene were detected; (ii) The phylogenetic types A and B1 were most frequent, and the blaCTX-M group1 and blaTEM genes encoding ESBL were detected in 47·7% of the isolates; (iii) ESBL-producing E. coli harbouring mcr-1 gene exhibited resistance to 11 antibiotics. The existence of mcr-1 and sul1,2,3 genes and the extremely high level of multiple drug resistance in all ESBL-producing E. coli isolates obtained from sampled fish in Vietnam is a major concern. Therefore, it is imperative to monitor ESBL-producing E. coli in the river waters of Vietnam.

Correction to: Common findings of blaCTX-M-55-encoding 104-139 kbp plasmids harbored by extended-spectrum ß-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli in pork meat, wholesale market workers, and patients with urinary tract infection in Vietnam.

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake. The legends of Tables 2 and 3, Fig. 1 are incorrect. The corrected legends are given below.

Impacts of skipping breakfast and late dinner on the incidence of being overweight: a 3-year retrospective cohort study of men aged 20-49 years.

BACKGROUND: Most studies on the dietary habits and overweight status of men aged 20-49 years have been cross-sectional, with longitudinal studies being scarce. One-quarter of Japanese men aged 20-49 years skip breakfast or have dinner within 2 h of bedtime (late dinner); therefore, the effects of these eating habits on men's increasing body weight need to be determined. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using health check-up data provided from several health insurance societies in Japan. Participants comprised 45 524 men employees aged 20-49 years who were followed up for 3 years. The primary outcome investigated was body mass index (BMI) ≥25 kg m-2 . We conducted a multivariable logistic regression analysis and calculated the odds ratios for skipping breakfast and late dinner, as well as baseline age, body mass index, smoking status, eating speed, snack-eating status, alcohol drinking frequency, physical activity, sleep habits, and the interaction between skipping breakfast and late dinner. RESULTS: Of the participants, 17 706 (38.8%) skipped breakfast and 25 987 (57.1%) had a late dinner. At the 3-year follow-up, 5093 (11.2%) had a BMI ≥25 kg m-2 . The odds ratios of men skipping breakfast and having a late dinner were 1.18 (95% confidence interval = 1.04-1.33) and 0.92 (95% confidence interval = 0.84-1.01), respectively. The interaction between these factors was nonsignificant. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that skipping breakfast among men aged 20-49 years was one predictor of being overweight; however, having dinner within 2 h of bedtime was not a predictor.

Validation of claims data to identify death among aged persons utilizing enrollment data from health insurance unions.

The identification of death is critical for epidemiological research. Despite recent developments in health insurance claims databases, the quality of death information in claims is not guaranteed because health insurance claims are collected primarily for reimbursement. We aimed to examine the usefulness and limitations of death information in claims data and to examine methods for improving the quality of death information for aged persons.We used health insurance claims data and enrollment data (as the gold standard) from September 2012 through August 2015 for nondependent persons aged 65-74 years enrolled in Japanese workplace health insurance. Overall, 3,710,538 insured persons were registered in the database during the study period. We analyzed 45,441 eligible persons. Inpatient and outpatient deaths were identified from the discharge/disease status in the claims, with sensitivities of 94.3% and 47.4%, specificities of 98.5% and 99.9%, and PPVs of 96.3% and 95.7%, respectively, using enrollment data as the gold standard. For outpatients, death defined as a combination of disease status and charge data for terminal care still indicated low sensitivity (54.7%).The validity of death information in inpatient claims was high, suggesting its potential usefulness for identifying death. However, given the low sensitivity for outpatient deaths, the use of death information obtained solely from records in outpatient claims is not recommended.

Pathogenicity of memory Th2 cells is linked to stage of allergic rhinitis.

BACKGROUND: Allergic rhinitis (AR) consists of three developmental stages that are based on the presence/absence of antigen-specific IgE and symptoms. The pathogenic Th2 (Tpath2) cells constitute a population of Th2 cells with additional potentially pathogenic characteristics. We examined the relationship between Tpath2 cells and the stages of allergic rhinitis by focusing on ST2, which is an IL-33 receptor. METHODS: Patients with Japanese cedar pollen-induced AR (JCP-AR) and healthy volunteers were divided into "nonsensitized," "asymptomatic sensitized (AS)," and "JCP-AR" groups. We analyzed the ST2 expression and the Th2 function of cultured CD4+ T cells. Next, we observed the progress of patients in the AS stage around the time of seasonal pollen dispersal, with the characteristics of Th2 cells. RESULTS: The ST2 expression of T cells was only upregulated in the AR group. The production of IL-4 and IL-13 was found in CD4+ T cells obtained from AS by stimulation with JCP, but reactivity to IL-33 was not observed. Although IL-33 did not induce the elevation of IL-4 production in the JCP-AR group, IL-33 substantially increased the production of IL-5 and IL-13 in comparison with antigen stimulation alone. In newly afflicted patients, the increased expression of ST2 and elevated reactivity to IL-33 was observed, even before the pollen dispersal season. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrated that the pathogenicity of memory Th2 cells is linked to sensitization and the stage of allergic rhinitis. Therefore, Tpath2 cells may provide useful insights into the mechanism of the onset and progression of allergic rhinitis.

Identification of specifically reduced Th2 cell subsets in allergic rhinitis patients after sublingual immunotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Although Th2 cells are well known to play important roles in allergic diseases including allergic rhinitis (AR), the factors that induce and sustain the pathogenesis of AR remain unclear. The recent development of sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) is expected to allow changes to the underlying pathogenesis of AR. However, which Th2 cell subsets are important in house dust mite-induced AR (HDM-AR), the influence of SLIT on the pathogenic Th2 cells, and the association of Th2 cell subsets with SLIT efficacy have not been clarified. METHODS: The cytokine production and frequency of HDM-reactive T-cell subsets in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were evaluated using flow cytometry in 89 HDM-AR patients (placebo [n = 43] and HDM 300 IR [n = 46]) who participated in a placebo-controlled study of SLIT with HDM tablets. All patients provided samples both before treatment as a baseline and at the end of the 52-week study. The PBMCs were stained with CellTrace™ Violet (CTV) before culture with HDM extract, and HDM-reactive T cells were detected as the proliferated cells with diminished CTV. RESULTS: HDM-reactive IL-5+ IL-13+ CD27- CD161+ CD4+ cells and ST2+ CD45RO+ CD4+ cells were observed in the peripheral blood from each patient with HDM-AR; these cells significantly decreased after SLIT in the group treated with active tablets. HDM-reactive ST2+ CD45RO+ CD4+ cells were significantly lower in active-responders. CONCLUSION: Allergen-reactive ST2+ CD45RO+ CD4+ cells or those combined with IL-5+ IL-13+ CD27- CD161+ CD4+ cells may be useful as markers indicating the successful treatment of SLIT. These cells may play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of AR as pathogenic memory Th2 cells.

Peripartum type B aortic dissection in patients with Marfan syndrome who underwent aortic root replacement: a case series study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate pregnancy outcomes, especially the risk of pregnancy-related aortic dissection (AD), in patients with Marfan syndrome (MFS) after prophylactic aortic root replacement (ARR). DESIGN: Retrospective case series study. SETTING: Tertiary perinatal care centre at a university hospital. POPULATION: Pregnant women fulfilling the revised Ghent nosology (2010) criteria for MFS who were managed at our institute. METHODS: The pregnancy outcomes of all patients with MFS managed at our institute between 1982 and September 2016 were reviewed retrospectively based on medical records. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Obstetrical management and complication including the incidence of AD throughout the peripartum period. RESULTS: Among 22 patients (28 pregnancies) who had been managed as potential MFS or related disorders, 14 (17 pregnancies) fulfilled the revised Ghent nosology (2010) criteria for MFS and were enrolled in this study. Five patients (five pregnancies) had received ARR before conception: three (60%) developed type B aortic dissection [AD(B)] during the peripartum period, compared with only one of 10 patients (12 pregnancies) without ARR (P < 0.05, Chi-square test). CONCLUSIONS: Our study results suggest that MFS patients after prophylactic ARR are still at high risk of AD(B) during the peripartum period. Careful pre-pregnancy counselling and multidisciplinary care throughout the peripartum period are essential for the management of MFS, even after surgical repair of an ascending aortic aneurysm. TWEETABLE ABSTRACT: MFS patients after prophylactic ARR are still at high risk of type B aortic dissection during the peripartum period.

Evidence-based cancer prevention recommendations for Japanese.

A comprehensive evidence-based cancer prevention recommendation for Japanese was developed. We evaluated the magnitude of the associations of lifestyle factors and infection with cancer through a systematic review of the literature, meta-analysis of published data, and pooled analysis of cohort studies in Japan. Then, we judged the strength of evidence based on the consistency of the associations between exposure and cancer and biological plausibility. Important factors were extracted and summarized as an evidence-based, current cancer prevention recommendation: 'Cancer Prevention Recommendation for Japanese'. The recommendation addresses six important domains related to exposure and cancer, including smoking, alcohol drinking, diet, physical activity, body weight and infection. The next step should focus on the development of effective behavior modification programs and their implementation and dissemination.

Outcomes of fulvestrant therapy among japanese women with advanced breast cancer: a retrospective multicenter cohort study (JBCRG-C06; Safari).

PURPOSE: This retrospective study evaluated the effect of clinical background and treatment line on time to treatment failure (TTF) in advanced/metastatic breast cancer (AMBC) patients receiving F500 in Japan (UMIN 000015168). METHODS: Patients who commenced F500 treatment were registered at 16 sites in Japan. Correlations between baseline clinicopathological factors, treatment line, and TTF were investigated by Kaplan-Meier analysis. TTF data were analyzed using univariate analysis and multivariate analysis with a Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: Data for 1072 patients were available; 1031 patients (96.2%) were evaluable for efficacy. F500 was administered as first-line treatment in 2.0%, second-line in 22.7%, third-line in 26.7%, and ≥fourth-line in 48.6% patients. Median TTF was 5.4 months. Multivariate analysis found that earlier F500 use (first and second vs. third vs. ≥fourth line; hazard ratio (HR) = 0.80, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.74-0.86; P < 0.001), longer period from AMBC diagnosis to F500 use (≥3 vs. <3 years; HR 0.60, 95% CI 0.51-0.70; P < 0.001), and no prior palliative chemotherapy administered for unresectable or metastatic breast cancer (no vs. yes; HR 0.69, 95% CI 0.60-0.80; P < 0.001) were associated with significantly longer TTF. Among 691 patients, where information on histologic/nuclear grade was available, a low grade was also associated with a longer TTF, but this finding was not maintained among patients with recurrent breast cancer (N = 558). Among women with recurrent breast cancer, a longer DFI between a patient's initial breast cancer diagnosis and their recurrence was associated with a longer TTF on F500 therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that treatment period of F500 was longer when used in earlier-line treatment. For patients on F500, TTF was also longer for patients who had not received prior palliative chemotherapy and for those who had a longer period from their AMBC diagnosis to F500 use.

Common findings of bla CTX-M-55-encoding 104-139 kbp plasmids harbored by extended-spectrum ß-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli in pork meat, wholesale market workers, and patients with urinary tract infection in Vietnam.

Extended-spectrum, ß-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli (ESBL-E) harboring the bla CTX-M-55-encoding plasmid (ESBL-E55) has been reported to be associated with urinary tract infection (UTI). The aims of this study were to clarify the prevalence of ESBL-E55 in pork meats and workers from the same wholesale market, as well as patients with UTI from a nearby hospital in Vietnam; we also investigated the plasmids encoding bla CTX-M-55. Sequencing analysis showed that 66.6% of the ESBL-E isolated from pork meats contained bla CTX-M-55, whereas the gene was present in 25.0% of workers and 12.5% of patients with UTI. Plasmid analysis showed that several sizes of plasmid encoded bla CTX-M-55 in ESBL-E55 isolated from pork meats, whereas ESBL-E55 isolated from workers and patients with UTI contained only 104-139 kbp of bla CTX-M-55-encoding plasmids. This indicates that the 104-139 kbp sizes of bla CTX-M-55-encoding plasmids were commonly disseminated in pork meats, wholesale market workers, and patients with UTI.

Mouth breathing, another risk factor for asthma: the Nagahama Study.

BACKGROUND: Allergic rhinitis, a known risk factor for asthma onset, often accompanies mouth breathing. Mouth breathing may bypass the protective function of the nose and is anecdotally considered to increase asthma morbidity. However, there is no epidemiological evidence that mouth breathing is independently associated with asthma morbidity and sensitization to allergens. In this study, we aimed to clarify the association between mouth breathing and asthma morbidity and allergic/eosinophilic inflammation, while considering the effect of allergic rhinitis. METHODS: This community-based cohort study, the Nagahama Study, contained a self-reporting questionnaire on mouth breathing and medical history, blood tests, and pulmonary function testing. We enrolled 9804 general citizens of Nagahama City in the Shiga Prefecture, Japan. RESULTS: Mouth breathing was reported by 17% of the population and was independently associated with asthma morbidity. The odds ratio for asthma morbidity was 1.85 (95% CI, 1.27-2.62) and 2.20 (95% CI, 1.72-2.80) in subjects with mouth breathing alone and allergic rhinitis alone, which additively increased to 4.09 (95% CI, 3.01-5.52) when mouth breathing and allergic rhinitis coexisted. Mouth breathing in nonasthmatics was a risk for house dust mite sensitization, higher blood eosinophil counts, and lower pulmonary function after adjusting for allergic rhinitis. CONCLUSION: Mouth breathing may increase asthma morbidity, potentially through increased sensitization to inhaled allergens, which highlights the risk of mouth-bypass breathing in the 'one airway, one disease' concept. The risk of mouth breathing should be well recognized in subjects with allergic rhinitis and in the general population.

Faecal lactoferrin is a useful biomarker for mucosal healing in patients with ulcerative colitis during granulocyte and monocyte adsorptive apheresis therapy.

AIM: The study investigated the value of faecal lactoferrin as a follow-up biomarker for mucosal healing of ulcerative colitis during granulocyte and monocyte adsorptive apheresis (GMA) therapy. METHOD: Patients with ulcerative colitis exhibiting a moderate or severe disease activity with a partial Mayo Score (pMS) of over 4 were enrolled in this study. The patients received 10 courses of GMA therapy. The pMS value and faecal lactoferrin level were monitored and compared with the findings of endoscopy until 12 months after the last dose of GMA therapy. RESULTS: Twenty patients (male:female 11:9) were enrolled in this study. Twelve had total colitis, while six had left-sided involvement and two had distal proctitis. Thirteen (65.0%) responded to GMA therapy. The faecal lactoferrin levels were significantly decreased in patients who responded to GMA therapy (P < 0.05), whereas the levels did not change in non-responders. Moreover, the faecal lactoferrin levels correlated with the endoscopic findings (r = 0.792, P < 0.01) and pMS scores (r = 0.529, P < 0.01). The correlation coefficients between the faecal lactoferrin levels and mucosal findings were higher than those observed between the pMS score and mucosal findings. CONCLUSION: The faecal lactoferrin level is a useful biomarker of the mucosal findings in ulcerative colitis. Although endoscopy is the gold standard, the faecal lactoferrin level can be used as a biomarker during GMA therapy in patients with ulcerative colitis.

Internal anomalies in thalidomide embryopathy: results of imaging screening by CT and MRI.

AIM: To examine the prevalence and detailed radiological findings of internal anomalies in thalidomide embryopathy (TE). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Whole-body image screening for internal anomalies using unenhanced whole-body computed tomography (CT) and head magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed in 22 patients (13 women and nine men; mean age, 49 years; range, 47-51 years) with TE. RESULTS: Among the 22 patients with TE, internal anomalies were detected in 19 (86.4%): anomalies of the auditory organ in 10 (45.5%), anomalies of the vascular system in six (27.3%), agenesis of the gallbladder in six (27.3%), hypoplasia or aplasia of the 7th or 8th cranial nerves in five (22.7%), block vertebrae in five (22.7%), fusion of the left lobe and quadrate lobe of the liver in three (9.1%), and others in five (22.7%), respectively. CONCLUSION: In addition to limb defects or hypoplasia, various internal anomalies can be detected at a high incidence in TE using CT and MRI. Understanding these characteristic radiological findings may help radiologists detect a wide range of radiological findings of internal anomalies associated with TE.

Balanced MR cholangiopancreatography with motion-sensitised driven-equilibrium (MSDE) preparation: feasibility of Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced biliary examination.

AIM: To evaluate the effectiveness of motion-sensitised driven-equilibrium (MSDE)-prepared balanced magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) in a gadolinium ethoxybenzyl diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-EOB-DTPA)-enhanced study compared to conventional T2-weighted MRCP. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifteen patients (seven male and eight female patients) prospectively underwent conventional three-dimensional turbo spin-echo T2-weighted MRCP and MSDE-balanced MRCP using a 1.5 T MRI system after hepatobiliary phase image acquisition. For quantitative evaluation, the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of the common hepatic duct to liver tissue was calculated. For qualitative analysis, two radiologists evaluated the depiction of the biliary system and main pancreatic duct (MPD) using a scoring system. Signal suppression of the portal vein (PV) and hepatic vein (HV) on MSDE-balanced MRCP was also scored. RESULTS: MSDE-balanced MRCP showed significantly higher CNR than T2-weighted MRCP. For all biliary structures, the mean depiction scores of MSDE-balanced MRCP were significantly higher than those of T2-weighted MRCP, whereas the mean depiction score of MPD with MSDE-balanced MRCP was significantly lower than that of T2-weighted MRCP. Signal suppression of the PV and HV was thought to be clinically sufficient. CONCLUSIONS: MSDE-balanced MRCP more clearly depicted biliary structures compared with T2-weighted MRCP in a Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced study. This sequence may be utilised for routine MRCP on Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI.

Novel scoring system and algorithm for classifying chronic rhinosinusitis: the JESREC Study.

BACKGROUND: Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) can be classified into CRS with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) and CRS without nasal polyps (CRSsNP). CRSwNP displays more intense eosinophilic infiltration and the presence of Th2 cytokines. Mucosal eosinophilia is associated with more severe symptoms and often requires multiple surgeries because of recurrence; however, even in eosinophilic CRS (ECRS), clinical course is variable. In this study, we wanted to set objective clinical criteria for the diagnosis of refractory CRS. METHODS: This was a retrospective study conducted by 15 institutions participating in the Japanese Epidemiological Survey of Refractory Eosinophilic Chronic Rhinosinusitis (JESREC). We evaluated patients with CRS treated with endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS), and risk of recurrence was estimated using Cox proportional hazard models. Multiple logistic regression models and receiver operating characteristics curves were constructed to create the diagnostic criterion for ECRS. RESULTS: We analyzed 1716 patients treated with ESS. To diagnose ECRS, the JESREC scoring system assessed unilateral or bilateral disease, the presence of nasal polyps, blood eosinophilia, and dominant shadow of ethmoid sinuses in computed tomography (CT) scans. The cutoff value of the score was 11 points (sensitivity: 83%, specificity: 66%). Blood eosinophilia (>5%), ethmoid sinus disease detected by CT scan, bronchial asthma, aspirin, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs intolerance were associated significantly with recurrence. CONCLUSION: We subdivided CRSwNP in non-ECRS, mild, moderate, and severe ECRS according to our algorithm. This classification was significantly correlated with prognosis. It is notable that this algorithm may give useful information to clinicians in the refractoriness of CRS before ESS or biopsy.

A retrospective observational study to assess adverse transfusion reactions of patients with and without prior transfusion history.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: This study compares the frequency of adverse transfusion reactions (ATRs) after first transfusions with the frequency of ATRs for subsequent (non-first) transfusions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Five hospitals agreed to systematically collect and share 2 years of data. This was a retrospective observational analysis of data including the number of transfusion episodes and ATRs for red blood cells (RBCs), fresh frozen plasma (FFP) and platelet concentrates (PCs) given to first-time transfusion recipients and to those previously transfused. RESULTS: First transfusion ATRs to RBCs, FFP and PCs were 1.08%, 2.84% and 3.34%, respectively. These are higher than ATR incidences to RBCs (0.69%), FFP (1.91%) and PCs (2.75%) on subsequent transfusions. Specifically, first transfusion incidences of febrile non-haemolytic transfusion reactions (FNHTRs) to RBCs (0.43%) and allergic reactions to FFP (2.51%) were higher than on subsequent transfusions (RBCs: 0.23%, FFP: 1.65%). CONCLUSION: There are risks of ATRs on the first transfusion as well as transfusions of patients with transfusion history.

Fabrication of electron beam deposited tip for atomic-scale atomic force microscopy in liquid.

Recently, possibilities of improving operation speed and force sensitivity in atomic-scale atomic force microscopy (AFM) in liquid using a small cantilever with an electron beam deposited (EBD) tip have been intensively explored. However, the structure and properties of an EBD tip suitable for such an application have not been well-understood and hence its fabrication process has not been established. In this study, we perform atomic-scale AFM measurements with a small cantilever and clarify two major problems: contaminations from a cantilever and tip surface, and insufficient mechanical strength of an EBD tip having a high aspect ratio. To solve these problems, here we propose a fabrication process of an EBD tip, where we attach a 2 µm silica bead at the cantilever end and fabricate a 500-700 nm EBD tip on the bead. The bead height ensures sufficient cantilever-sample distance and enables to suppress long-range interaction between them even with a short EBD tip having high mechanical strength. After the tip fabrication, we coat the whole cantilever and tip surface with Si (30 nm) to prevent the generation of contamination. We perform atomic-scale AFM imaging and hydration force measurements at a mica-water interface using the fabricated tip and demonstrate its applicability to such an atomic-scale application. With a repeated use of the proposed process, we can reuse a small cantilever for atomic-scale measurements for several times. Therefore, the proposed method solves the two major problems and enables the practical use of a small cantilever in atomic-scale studies on various solid-liquid interfacial phenomena.

Activation of invariant natural killer T cells in regional lymph nodes as new antigen-specific immunotherapy via induction of interleukin-21 and interferon-γ.

Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells play important immunoregulatory functions in allergen-induced airway hyperresponsiveness and inflammation. To clarify the role of iNKT cells in allergic rhinitis (AR), we generated bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs), which were pulsed by ovalbumin (OVA) and α-galactosylceramide (OVA/α-GalCer-BMDCs) and administered into the oral submucosa of OVA-sensitized mice before nasal challenge. Nasal symptoms, level of OVA-specific immunoglobulin (IgE), and T helper type 2 (Th2) cytokine production in cervical lymph nodes (CLNs) were significantly ameliorated in wild-type (WT) mice treated with OVA/α-GalCer-BMDCs, but not in WT mice treated with OVA-BMDCs. These anti-allergic effects were not observed in Jα18(-/-) recipients that lack iNKT cells, even after similar treatment with OVA/α-GalCer-BMDCs in an adoptive transfer study with CD4(+) T cells and B cells from OVA-sensitized WT mice. In WT recipients of OVA/α-GalCer-BMDCs, the number of interleukin (IL)-21-producing iNKT cells increased significantly and the Th1/Th2 balance shifted towards the Th1 dominant state. Treatment with anti-IL-21 and anti-interferon (IFN)-γ antibodies abrogated these anti-allergic effects in mice treated with α-GalCer/OVA-BMDCs. These results suggest that activation of iNKT cells in regional lymph nodes induces anti-allergic effects through production of IL-21 or IFN-γ, and that these effects are enhanced by simultaneous stimulation with antigen. Thus, iNKT cells might be a useful target in development of new treatment strategies for AR.