Utilizing Activated Carbon Nanopores for Electrochemical Oxidation of Perylene to Redox-Active 3,10-Perylenedione: Application in Electrochemical Capacitor Electrodes.

We demonstrate that nanopores of activated carbon (AC) function as nanoreactors that oxidize perylene (PER) to a redox-active organic compound, 3,10-perylenedione (PERD), without any metal catalysts or organic solvents. PER is first adsorbed on AC in the gas phase, and the PER-adsorbed AC is subjected to electrochemical oxidation in aqueous H2SO4 as the electrolyte. Because gas-phase adsorption is solvent-free, PER is completely adsorbed on AC as long as the amount of PER does not exceed the saturated adsorption capacity of the AC, which enables accurate control of the amount adsorbed. PER is electrochemically oxidized to PERD in the nanopores of AC at above 0.7 V vs Ag/AgCl. The hybridized PERD undergoes a rapid reversible two-electron redox reaction in the nanopores owing to the large contact interface between the conductive carbon pore surfaces and PERD. The resulting AC/PERD hybrids serve as electrodes for electrochemical capacitors, utilizing the rapid redox reaction of PERD. The hybridization method is advantageous for quantitatively optimizing electrochemical capacitor performance by adjusting the amount of adsorbed PER. Moreover, because PERD hybridization in the AC nanopores does not expand the electrode volume, the volumetric capacitance increases with increasing hybridized PERD content. In three-electrode cell measurements, the volumetric capacitance at 0.05 A g-1 reaches 299 F cm-3, and 61% of this capacitance is retained at 10 A g-1 when 5 mmol of PER is used per gram of AC. Meanwhile, pristine AC delivers 117 F cm-3 at 0.05 A g-1 with a capacitance retention of 46% at 10 A g-1. Two-electrode cell measurements reveal that self-discharge is significantly suppressed by the hybridized PERD when AC/PERD hybrids and AC are used as cathodes and anodes, respectively, compared to that of a symmetrical AC cell. Moreover, PERD does not undergo cross-diffusion in the asymmetrical cells during self-discharge tests for 24 h.

Safety and Clinical Effects of a Muse Cell-Based Product in Patients With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Results of a Phase 2 Clinical Trial.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is characterized by progressive loss of motor neurons. Multilineage-differentiating stress-enduring (Muse) cells are unique endogenous stem cells that show therapeutic effects on motor function in ALS mouse models. We conducted a single-center open phase II clinical trial to evaluate the safety and clinical effects of repeated intravenous injections of an allogenic Muse cell-based product, CL2020, in patients with ALS. Five patients with ALS received CL2020 intravenously once a month for a total of six doses. The primary endpoints were safety and tolerability, and the secondary endpoint was the rate of change in the Revised Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale (ALSFRS-R) score. In addition, serum tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), cerebrospinal fluid chitotriosidase-1 (CHIT-1), and neurofilament light chain (NfL) levels were evaluated. The CL2020 treatment was highly tolerated without serious side effects. The ALSFRS-R score change trended upward at 12 months post-CL2020 treatment compared with that at 3 months pre-administration, but the difference was not statistically significant. Among five patients diagnosed with ALS, three exhibited a decrease in the rate of ALSFRS-R score change, one demonstrated an increase, and another showed no change. In addition, the patients' serum IL-6 and TNF-α levels and cerebrospinal fluid CHIT-1 and NfL levels increased for up to 6 months post-treatment; however, their serum S1P levels continuously decreased over 12 months. These findings indicate a favorable safety profile of CL2020 therapy. In the near future, a double-blind study of a larger number of ALS patients should be conducted to confirm the efficacy of ALS treatment with CL2020.

A Case of Drug-Resistant Myoclonus Improved by Only Slight Adjustment to the Hemodialysis Setting.

Myoclonus, a rare complication in patients with end-stage renal disease, is typically ameliorated through hemodialysis. The present case concerns an 84-year-old male with chronic renal failure undergoing hemodialysis, presenting involuntary movements in his limbs, which gradually worsened from the initiation of hemodialysis without constant elevation of serum blood urea nitrogen and electrolytes levels. Surface electromyography revealed characteristic findings consistent with myoclonus. He was diagnosed with subcortical-nonsegmental myoclonus related to hemodialysis, and the myoclonus was significantly alleviated after slightly increasing the post-dialysis target weight even though drug treatment was ineffective. This case suggests that drug-resistant myoclonus in patients with renal failure may be improved by adjusting hemodialysis settings, even in cases of atypical dialysis disequilibrium syndrome.

Metal-Free Homocoupling of Pyrene inside the Pores of Mesoporous Carbons via Electrochemical Oxidation: Application for Electrochemical Capacitors.

A pyrene dimer (PYD) is synthesized by electrochemical oxidation via homocoupling of pyrene (PY) inside the pores of MgO-templated mesoporous carbons without any metal catalysts or organic solvents. The resulting MgO-C/PYD hybrids can be used as high-performance aqueous electrochemical capacitor electrodes due to the reversible redox property of PYD and large contact area between the hybridized PYD and conductive carbon surfaces, which enable rapid charge transfer at the large contact interface. In our previous study, PY was considered to polymerize through electrochemical oxidation, and activated carbon with the pore sizes of ∼4 nm was used as a porous carbon substrate. In this study, the MgO-templated carbons have the average pore sizes of 5, 10, and 30 nm, and their large mesopore volumes can accommodate a large amount of PYD for enhancing the capacitance. To develop high-performance electrochemical capacitors, the dependence of the capacitance enhancement and the capacitance retention on the amount of PY and the pore sizes of MgO-templated carbons are studied. It is found that mesopores are necessary for fast charging/discharging, but the capacitance retention and capacitance enhancement decrease with increasing the mesopore sizes and the amount of PY due to the decreased utilization ratio of PY.

Prognosis Prediction Using Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and Oligoclonal Bands in Central Nervous System Methotrexate-associated Lymphoproliferative Disorder.

Central nervous system methotrexate-associated lymphoproliferative disorder (CNS-MTX-LPD) is rare, but its spontaneous regression has been observed in some patients after withdrawal of agents. We herein report three cases of primary CNS-MTX-LPD that received oral MTX for rheumatoid arthritis. Epstein-Barr virus and oligoclonal bands (OCBs) were positive, while proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) showed an elevated lipid peak and slightly elevated choline/N-acetylaspartate ratio in common. After MTX withdrawal, brain lesions showed spontaneous regression in all cases. Our patient's 1H-MRS findings and OCBs may reflect a non-monoclonal lymphoproliferative histology as benign-type lesions in CNS-MTX-LPD.

Clinical comorbidities correlated with a response to the cerebrospinal fluid tap test in idiopathic normal-pressure hydrocephalus.

AIMS: The mainstay of treatment for idiopathic normal-pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) is spinal fluid shunting. A tap test (TT) is recommended as an indication of shunting. Patients with iNPH are often elderly and have multiple comorbidities affecting the shunting outcome. We investigated the factors affecting TT in patients with iNPH. METHODS: Seventy-five patients with iNPH were admitted to our department for a TT from April 2010 to May 2021. The patients were divided into a responsive group and an unresponsive group according to the clinical outcomes after TT on the Timed Up and Go Test (TUG), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), or iNPH grading scale. Factors affecting the TT were compared between the responders and nonresponders. RESULTS: There were 38 patients (50.7%) in the TT responder group, and the prevalence of improvement was 82.9% in the TUG, 27.6% in the MMSE, and 76.3% in the iNPH grading scale. There were no significant differences in the vascular risk factors between the two groups. The prevalence of lumbar spondylosis, compression fracture, severe periventricular hyperintensity, deep and subcortical white matter hyperintensity (DSWMH), and old cerebral infarcts was significantly higher among the TT nonresponders. The logistic regression analysis showed that severe DSWMH and lumbar spondylosis were associated with a TT nonresponse (p < 0.001 and p = 0.003, respectively). Shunting was performed in 22 patients, 19 of whom were TT responders. CONCLUSION: Severe DSWMH and lumbar spondylosis were associated with a poor response to the TT in iNPH patients. We should consider risk factors when selecting candidates for shunt surgery.