Impact of Tweeting Summaries by the Japanese Circulation Society Official Account on Article Viewership　- Pilot Trial.

BACKGROUND: The impact of promotional tweets from the official journal account (forCirculation JournalandCirculation Reports) on article viewership has not been thoroughly evaluated.Methods and Results:We retrospectively collected journal viewership data forCirculation JournalandCirculation Reportsfrom March 2021 to August 2021. We compared viewership between articles with (n=15) and without (n=250) tweets. After 1 : 4 propensity score matching (15 tweeted articles and 60 non-tweeted matched controls), journal viewership metrics within 7 days of the tweeting date (and the hypothetical tweeting date), was larger in tweeted articles than non-tweeted articles (median [interquartile range] Abstract page views 89 [60-104] vs. 18 [8-41]). CONCLUSIONS: This pilot study suggests a positive relationship between journal-posted promotional tweets and article viewership.

Amyloid Formation of α-Synuclein Based on the Solubility- and Supersaturation-Dependent Mechanism.

Amyloid fibrils are formed by denatured proteins when the supersaturation of denatured proteins is broken by agitation, such as ultrasonication, or by seeding, although the detailed mechanism of how solubility and supersaturation regulate amyloid formation remains unclear. To further understand the mechanism of amyloid formation, we examined α-synuclein (α-syn) amyloid formation at varying concentrations of SDS, LPA, heparin, or NaCl at pH 7.5. Amyloid fibrils were formed below or around the critical micelle concentrations (CMCs) of SDS (2.75 mM) and LPA (0.24 mM), although no fibrils were formed above the CMCs. On the other hand, amyloid fibrils were formed with 0.01-2.5 mg/mL of heparin and 0.5-1.0 M NaCl, and amyloid formation was gradually suppressed at higher concentrations of heparin and NaCl. To reproduce these concentration-dependent effects of additives, we constructed two models: (i) the ligand-binding-dependent solubility-modulation model and (ii) the cosolute-dependent direct solubility-modulation model, both of which were used by Tanford and colleagues to analyze the additive-dependent conformational transitions of proteins. The solubility of α-syn was assumed to vary depending on the concentration of additives either by the decreased solubility of the additive-α-syn complex (model i) or by the direct regulation of α-syn solubility (model ii). Both models well reproduced additive-dependent bell-shaped profiles of acceleration and inhibition observed for SDS and LPA. As for heparin and NaCl, participation of amorphous aggregates at high concentrations of additives was suggested. The models confirmed that solubility and supersaturation play major roles in driving amyloid formation in vitro, furthering our understanding of the pathogenesis of amyloidosis in vivo.

Ultrasonication-dependent formation and degradation of α-synuclein amyloid fibrils.

Ultrasonication can be used to break the supersaturation of α-synuclein, a protein associated with Parkinson's disease, at pH7.4 above the critical concentration of fibrillation, thereby inducing the formation of amyloid fibrils. We speculated that ultrasonication could also be used to depolymerize preformed fibrils below the critical concentration. However, extensive ultrasonic irradiation transformed preformed fibrils into amorphous aggregates even above the critical concentration. Exposing preformed fibrils to the hydrophobic air-water interface of cavitation bubbles may have destabilized the fibrils and stabilized amorphous aggregates. Upon extensive ultrasonic irradiation, the accompanying decomposition of chemical structures was suggested when monitored by analytical ultracentrifugation. Amorphous aggregates produced by extensive ultrasonication showed higher cytotoxicity, suggesting that, although ultrasonication might be a useful approach for inactivating amyloid fibrils, potential cytotoxicity of amorphous aggregates should be considered.

Increased Blood Viscosity in Ischemic Stroke Patients with Small Artery Occlusion Measured by an Electromagnetic Spinning Sphere Viscometer.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: High blood viscosity causes blood stagnation and subsequent pathological thrombotic events, resulting in the development of ischemic stroke. We hypothesize that the contribution of blood viscosity may differ among ischemic stroke subtypes based on specific pathological conditions. We tried to verify this hypothesis by measuring blood viscosity in acute ischemic stroke patients using a newly developed electromagnetic spinning sphere (EMS) viscometer. METHODS: Measurements in acute ischemic stroke patients were performed 4 times during admission and data were compared with those obtained from 100 healthy outpatient volunteers. RESULTS: We enrolled 92 patients (cardioembolism: 25, large artery atherosclerosis: 42, and small artery occlusion [SAO]: 25) in this study. Comparisons of blood viscosity between the ischemic stroke subgroups and control group revealed that blood viscosity at the date of admission was significantly higher in the SAO group (5.37 ± 1.11 mPa⋅s) than in the control group (4.66 ± .72 mPa⋅s) (P < .01). Among all subtype groups showing a reduction in blood viscosity after 2 weeks, the SAO group showed the highest and most significant reduction, indicating that SAO patients had the most concentrated blood at the onset. CONCLUSIONS: Blood viscosity was significantly increased in the SAO group at the date of admission, which indicated the contribution of dehydration to the onset of ischemic stroke. The importance of dehydration needs to be emphasized more in the pathogenesis of SAO. The clinical application of the EMS viscometer is promising for understanding and differentiating the pathogenesis of ischemic stroke.

[Clinical evaluation of the risk factors for liver abscess after TACE or RFA].

Radiofrequency ablation(RFA)and transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) are widely enforced as a standard combined therapy for liver cancer. Liver abscess occurs occasionally as a complication. This clinical study was conducted to determine risk factors for liver abscess. We investigated the clinical background of 10 cases complicated by liver abscess in 957 cases of patients who underwent TACE or RFA for liver cancer at Minoh City Hospital between April 2002 and March 2012. Risk factors for liver abscess were analyzed statistically in comparison to a control group without liver abscess. Diabetes and a history of biliary tract organic disease were statistically significant independent risk factors determined by multivariate analysis. We consider patients with a history of biliary tract organic disease, or who have a potential biliary tract infection, and diabetes, to be susceptible to infection. A case presenting with diabetes and a history of biliary tract disease is in a high-risk group, so treatment with TACE or RFA for such cases should be considered carefully.

From Optional to Default　- Enhancing Article Viewership Through X (Formerly Twitter) Posting.

Background: The influence of a change to a default X summary posting strategy on article viewership has not been investigated. Methods and Results: We conducted a retrospective analysis of X-posting rates and journal viewership data for both the Circulation Journal and Circulation Reports from April 2022 to September 2023. Following protocol modifications in March 2023, there was a notable increase in the X-posting rate from 12.4% to 61.7%, along with an uptick in median access counts to article pages within 30 days, from 175 to 231.5. Conclusions: Trend analysis of journal viewership after a default X-posting strategy revealed an increase in viewer access.

Relationship between mood change, odour and its physiological effects in humans while inhaling the fragrances of essential oils as well as linalool and its enantiomers.

Humans can detect and discriminate a vast number of odours. The number perceived as distinguishable is estimated to be more than ten thousand. Humans are capable of distinguishing even slight alterations in the structure of an odorous molecule. A pair of enantiomers of an odorant, which possess the same molecular structures except for the chiral position, can trigger profoundly different odour perceptions. How precisely can humans and their olfactory system detect and discriminate such a great variety of odours and such subtle differences in the molecular structures? In a series of studies, we have attempted to examine the relationship between mood change, odour and its physiological effects, by focusing on the possible verbal and non-verbal changes in humans induced by smelling the fragrances of essential oils as well as linalool and its enantiometric isomers. In this article, we provide an overview of our recent verbal and non-verbal studies. We then discuss how our findings may contribute to the assessment of psychophysiological responses of essential oils as well as how our research can contribute to the study of human chemoreception science, by shedding light on the sophistication of the olfactory system in its ability to detect and discriminate odors.

[Two cases of liver abscess caused by Clostridium perfringens after transcatheter arterial chemoembolization].

Case 1 involved a 74-year-old man. After transcatheter arterial chemoembolization( TACE) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), abdominal computed tomography (CT) revealed a gas-containing lesion in the liver. The patient was diagnosed as having a gas-containing liver abscess, necessitating emergency drainage under laparotomy. Blood culture revealed Clostridium perfringens. He was discharged on day 63 after surgery. Case 2 involved a 70-year-old man who was admitted to our hospital for obstructive jaundice caused by HCC. He was treated with TACE after endoscopic retrograde biliary tract drainage (ERBD). On the second day, he was diagnosed as having a ruptured gas-containing liver abscess with massive hemolysis, necessitating emergency drainage under laparotomy. He died the next day after surgery. The clinical course of liver abscess caused by Clostridium perfringens can be fulminant and fatal with massive hemolysis.

Impact of Tweet Content on the Number of Retweets　- "Tweet the Meeting 2022".

Background: Previous research has investigated the effectiveness of the "Tweet the Meeting" campaign, but the relationship between tweet content and the number of retweets has not been fully evaluated. Methods and Results: We analyzed the number of tweets and retweets during the Japanese Circulation Society's 2022 annual meeting. The ambassador group had significantly more session- and symposium-related tweets than the non-ambassador group (P<0.001), associated with the nubmer of retweets. Symposium-related tweets with figures generated more retweets than those without figures (mean [±SD] 3.47±3.31 vs. 2.48±1.94 retweets per tweet, respectively; P=0.001). Conclusions: The study revealed that official meeting-designated Twitter ambassadors disseminate more educational content than non-ambassadors, and generated more retweets.

Dosimetric Comparison of 3D Conformal Radiotherapy (3D-CRT), Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT), and Volumetric-Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT) in Cardiac-Sparing Whole Lung Irradiation.

Introduction Whole lung irradiation (WLI) is used for the treatment of lung metastasis in Wilms tumor and Ewing sarcoma; however, cardiac complications are one of the concerns. We report the dosimetric advantages of WLI using volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) and present a dosimetric comparison of VMAT with anteroposterior-posteroanterior (AP-PA) and static-field intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). Additionally, we evaluated the dosimetric impact of respiratory motion and intra-fractional motion during VMAT treatment. Methods Seven patients were recruited in this study. AP-PA, IMRT, one-isocenter (1-IC) VMAT, and 2-IC VMAT were planned on the maximum inspiration and expiration CT, respectively. The prescribed dose was 15 Gy in 10 fractions. To determine the effects of respiratory motion, the CT series was replaced and the dose was evaluated while maintaining the beam information. To determine the effect of patient motion, perturbed dose calculations were performed using a two-IC VMAT. The perturbation doses were calculated by shifting only the IC of the one side beam by 3 mm or 5 mm in the right-to-left (RL) direction. Results The mean heart dose was 1467.0 cGy, 790.0 cGy, 764.2 cGy, and 738.4 cGy for AP-PA, IMRT, 1-IC VMAT, and 2-IC VMAT, respectively. When the expiration CT plan was recalculated with inspiration CT, Dmax increased approximately by 8%. In the 2-IC VMAT plan, the D50%, D98%, and D2% dose differences were within ±2%, even with a 5 mm IC shift. Conclusion We confirmed a significant dosimetric advantage of VMAT over other techniques. 2-IC VMAT should be considered an effective treatment option during irradiation for large target volumes.