Cervical percutaneous interferential current stimulation improves citric acid cough tests in patients with Parkinson's disease on medication.

Aspiration pneumonia is the leading cause of death in patients with Parkinson's disease. The incidence of silent aspiration is high in such patients owing to decreased pharyngeal and laryngeal sensation; thus, interventions for this condition may help prevent pneumonia. In this single-arm, open-label study, we used a cervical percutaneous interferential current stimulation device to activate pharyngeal and laryngeal sensory nerves. We evaluated its effectiveness in patients with Hoehn-Yahr stages 2-4 Parkinson's disease. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients with a normal cough reflex after consuming 1% citric acid at the end of the intervention compared with baseline measurements. In total, 25 patients received neck percutaneous interferential current stimulation for 20 min twice weekly for 8 weeks. Afterward, the proportion of patients with a normal cough reflex after 1% citric acid consumption increased significantly (p = 0.001), whereas other indicators, such as tongue pressure, peak expiratory flow, and penetration or aspiration during videofluoroscopic examination, remained unchanged. A longer duration of illness, higher Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale total scores, and higher levodopa equivalent daily doses were significantly associated with improved cough test outcomes. Hence, cervical percutaneous interferential current stimulation significantly improved cough reflexes and may improve silent aspiration. Trial Registration: Japan Registry of Clinical Trials, jRCTs062220013, first registered 09/05/2022.

Analysis of the suprahyoid muscles during tongue elevation: High-density surface electromyography as a novel tool for swallowing-related muscle assessment.

BACKGROUND: High-density surface electromyography (HD-sEMG) has enabled non-invasive analysis of motor unit (MU) activity and recruitment, but its application to swallowing-related muscles is limited. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate the utility of HD-sEMG for quantitatively evaluating the MU recruitment characteristics of the suprahyoid muscles during tongue elevation. METHODS: We measured the sEMG activity of the suprahyoid muscles of healthy participants during tongue elevation using HD-sEMG. Maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) was measured, followed by data collection during sustained and ramp-up tasks to capture suprahyoid muscle activity. Changes in the temporal/spatial MU recruitment patterns within individual suprahyoid muscles were analysed. RESULTS: This study enrolled 16 healthy young adults (mean age: 27.8 ± 5.3 years; eight males and eight females). Increasing muscle force corresponded to a decrease in modified entropy and correlation coefficient and an increase in the coefficient of variation. No significant differences were observed between male and female participants. CONCLUSION: The results of this study, consistent with those observed in other muscles, such as the vastus lateralis muscle, suggest that HD-sEMG is a valuable and reliable tool for quantitatively evaluating MU recruitment in the suprahyoid muscles. This measurement technique holds promise for novel assessments of swallowing function.

Association between motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease and swallowing disorders.

BACKGROUND: Parkinson's disease (PD) presents with motor symptoms that hinder physical activity. This study aimed to thoroughly investigate swallowing dysfunction in patients with PD using videofluoroscopy (VF) and the Movement Disorder Society (MDS)-Unified PD Rating Scale (UPDRS) sub-scores. METHODS: This study was part of an intervention project to evaluate the effectiveness of cervical percutaneous interferential current stimulation in patients with Hoehn and Yahr stages 2-4 PD. Baseline data, including swallowing-related indicators such as VF, were obtained and compared to the MDS-UPDRS sub-scores including rigidity, tremor, postural instability/gait difficulty, and limb scores. RESULTS: Twenty-seven patients were included in this study. In the VF analysis, laryngeal penetration/aspiration, oral cavity residue, epiglottic vallecular residue, and pharyngeal residue were observed with remarkable frequency. The multivariate analysis revealed that the mean rigidity score of UPDRS was an independent and significantly correlated factor with laryngeal penetration/aspiration during the ingestion of 10 mL of water (odds ratio 1.294, 95% confidence interval 1.035-1.617; p = 0.024). CONCLUSION: This study revealed a correlation between muscle rigidity and laryngeal penetration or aspiration risk. The detailed comparative analysis of various individual PD symptoms and swallowing disorders was substantial, which enabled early detection of the risk of swallowing disorder and the implementation of appropriate measures. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: jRCTs062220013.

Pharmacokinetics of GS-441524, the active metabolite of remdesivir, in patients receiving continuous renal replacement therapy: A case series.

Remdesivir plays a key role in the treatment of coronavirus disease in 2019 (COVID-19). Haemodialysis is sometimes required for hospitalised patients with COVID-19, and patients undergoing haemodialysis are at an increased risk of severe COVID-19. In the present study, we report the serum concentrations of GS-441524, the active metabolite of remdesivir, in four patients undergoing continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). Patient 1, a male aged 70s, received a loading dose of 200 mg remdesivir on day 1, followed by 100 mg remdesivir from day 2, according to the package insert as in non-haemodialysis patients. The mean trough serum concentration of GS-441524 was 783.5 ng/mL, which was approximately 7-fold higher than the mean for patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≥ 60 mL/min. Patients 2-4 received a loading dose of 200 mg remdesivir on day 1, followed by 100 mg once every 2 days from day 2. The mean trough serum concentrations of GS-441524 were 302.2 ng/mL, 585.8 ng/mL and 677.3 ng/mL, respectively. These were 3 to 6-fold higher than the mean for patients with eGFR ≥60 mL/min. The target doses for patients 1, 2, 3, and 4 receiving CRRT were 13.6 mL/kg/h, 6.0-12.5 mL/kg/h, 20.1 mL/kg/h, and 15.1 mL/kg/h, respectively, using a polysulphone membrane. The package insert dose of remdesivir is an overdose for CRRT patients with a target dose of 10-20 mL/kg/h. In low-intensity CRRT, as in Japan, it may be necessary to extend the interval between the doses of remdesivir.

Swallowing Exercise Evaluated Using High-Density Surface Electromyography in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer: Supplementary Analysis of an Exploratory Phase II Trial.

Background and Objectives: Muscle strength evaluation using high-density surface electromyography (HD-sEMG) was recently developed for the detailed analysis of the motor unit (MU). Detection of the spatial distribution of sEMG can detect changes in MU recruitment patterns resulting from muscle-strengthening exercises. We conducted a prospective study in 2022 to evaluate the safety and feasibility of transcutaneous electrical sensory stimulation (TESS) therapy using an interferential current device (IFCD) in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) undergoing chemoradiotherapy (CRT), and reported the safety and feasibility of TESS. We evaluated the efficacy of swallowing exercises in patients with HNSCC undergoing CRT and determined the significance of sEMG in evaluating swallowing function. Materials and Methods: In this supplementary study, the patients performed muscle-strengthening exercises five days a week. The association of the effects of the exercises with body mass index, skeletal muscle mass index, HD-sEMG, tongue muscle strength, and tongue pressure were evaluated. Results: We found significant correlations between the rate of weight loss and skeletal muscle mass index reduction and the rate of change in the recruitment of the MU of the suprahyoid muscle group measured using HD-sEMG. Conclusions: We believe that nutritional supplementation is necessary in addition to muscle strengthening during CRT.

Detailed findings of videofluoroscopic examination among patients with Parkinson's disease on the effect of cervical percutaneous interferential current stimulation.

Introduction: Parkinson's disease (PD) leads to various types of swallowing disorders. We investigated the effect of cervical percutaneous interferential current stimulation on dysphagia. By conducting detailed qualitative and quantitative analysis of videofluoroscopic examination, we aimed to understand dysphagia in patients with PD and investigate its effects on swallowing function. Methods: Patients received cervical percutaneous interferential current stimulation for 20 min twice a week for 8 weeks. In this exploratory study, we evaluated aspiration/laryngeal penetration, oral cavity residue, vallecular residue, and pharyngeal residue. In addition, we performed temporal analysis. Results: Twenty-five patients were completely evaluated. At baseline, the proportions of laryngeal penetration/aspiration, oral cavity residue, epiglottic vallecula residue, and pharyngeal residue were 40.0, 88.0, 72.0, 60.0, and 16.0%, respectively. Conversely, pharyngeal transit time, laryngeal elevation delay time, pharyngeal delay time, and swallowing reflex delay were nearly within the normal ranges. Cervical percutaneous interferential current sensory stimulation improved only oral cavity residue at the end of the intervention, from 88.0 to 56.0%. Discussion: Patients with PD demonstrated remarkably high frequencies of residues in the oral and pharyngeal regions. The usefulness of cervical interferential current stimulation was partially demonstrated for oral cavity residue. Considering that PD exhibits diverse symptoms, further accumulation of cases and knowledge is warranted. Trial registration: jRCTs062220013.

Swallowing sound index analysis using electronic stethoscope and artificial intelligence for patients with Parkinson's disease.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Several noninvasive tools assess swallowing disorders, including electronic stethoscope artificial intelligence (AI) analysis for remote diagnosis, with the potential for telemedicine. This study investigated the swallowing sound index in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). METHODS: This single-arm, open-label trial assessed the impact of cervical percutaneous interferential current stimulation on swallowing in patients with PD classified as Hoehn-Yahr stages 2-4. Stimulation was conducted for 8 weeks. Baseline data were used to examine the link between the swallowing sound index and indicators such as videofluoroscopy (VF). Furthermore, we examined changes in the swallowing sound index after the intervention. RESULTS: Twenty-five patients were included. The swallowing sound index in patients with PD was higher than that in those with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis but considerably lower than that in healthy controls. The number of patients with normal EAT-10 scores positively correlated with the swallowing sound index, whereas elevated C-reactive protein levels were negatively correlated with the swallowing sound index. However, the index displayed no correlation with other indicators, including the VF results. Despite the intervention, the index remained unchanged throughout the study. CONCLUSION: In patients with PD, a decrease in the swallowing sound index suggests a potential association between swallowing disorders and the risk of aspiration pneumonia. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: jRCTs062220013.

Impact of neck percutaneous interferential current sensory stimulation on swallowing function in patients with Parkinson's disease: A single-arm, open-label study protocol.

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) can lead to swallowing dysfunction, resulting in aspiration pneumonia. Among the types of swallowing disorders, a characteristic and serious problem associated with PD is silent aspiration due to pharyngeal and laryngeal hypoesthesia. Methods: This single-arm, open-label study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of percutaneous neck interferential current sensory stimulation in enhancing swallowing function in patients with PD. The efficacy and safety of percutaneous neck interferential current sensory stimulation will be investigated for patients diagnosed with PD, based on the Movement Disorder Society criteria, of Hoehn-Yahr stages 2-4. The patients will receive neck percutaneous interferential current sensory stimulation for 20 min twice a week for 8 weeks using a Gentle Stim® (FoodCare Co., Ltd., Kanagawa, Japan) device. Once the intervention is initiated, evaluations will be performed every 4 weeks for a 16-week period. The primary endpoint to be assessed is the proportion of patients with normal cough with 1% citric acid at the end of the intervention (8 weeks after intervention initiation) compared with that at the beginning. This clinical trial will examine the usefulness of percutaneous neck interferential current sensory stimulation in patients with PD. In addition, this study will use novel instruments, such as multichannel surface electromyography and electronic stethoscope, to evaluate swallowing function. Discussion: This novel evaluation can provide insights into dysphagia in patients with PD and the usefulness of percutaneous neck interferential current stimulation. This exploratory study is limited by its single-arm, open-label design and small size. Trial registration number: jRCTs062220013; pre-results.

A case of facial nerve palsy caused by severe head injury treated by translabyrinthine approach.

Background: Several treatments for traumatic facial paralysis have been reported, but the role of surgery is still controversial. Case Description: A 57-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with head trauma due to a fall injury. A total body computed tomography (CT) scan showed a left frontal acute epidural hematoma associated with a left optic canal and petrous bone fractures with the disappearance of the light reflex. Hematoma removal and optic nerve decompression were performed immediately. The initial treatment was successful with complete recovery of consciousness and vision. The facial nerve paralysis (House and Brackmann scale grade 6) did not improve after medical therapy, and thus, surgical reconstruction was performed 3 months after the injury. The left hearing was lost entirely, and the facial nerve was surgically exposed from the internal auditory canal to the stylomastoid foramen through the translabyrinthine approach. The facial nerve's fracture line and damaged portion were recognized intraoperatively near the geniculate ganglion. The facial nerve was reconstructed using a greater auricular nerve graft. Functional recovery was observed at the 6-months follow-up (House and Brackmann grade 4), with significant recovery in the orbicularis oris muscle. Conclusion: Interventions tend to be delayed, but it is possible to select a treatment method of the translabyrinthine approach.

A case of anterior choroidal artery occlusion test under MEP monitoring for a recurrent internal carotid artery-anterior choroidal artery bifurcation aneurysm clipping.

A 59-year-old female with recurrent Anterior Choroidal Artery (AchA) aneurysm was elected for surgery at our institution through a standard pterional approach. Two thin perforating branches were found to origin from the dome of the aneurysm during operation, and therefore complete aneurysm clipping preserving these branches was not feasible. These perforating branches were temporarily occluded under motor-evoked potential (MEP) monitoring. The MEPs remained stable during 10 min of temporary clipping, and we concluded that these branches could be sacrificed, and therefore neck clipping was performed occluding these tiny AchA perforators. Although postoperative magnetic resonance imaging with diffusion-weighted images showed ischemic signs in left AchA territory after the operation, the patient remained asymptomatic and was discharged home with mRS 0.

"Microcisternal Drainage" Technique for Clipping a Middle Cerebral Artery Aneurysm.

Arachnoid dissection is often challenging because of tight corridors, microvasculature crossing the membranes, and a narrow operative field.1-4 It is often said that "splitting" the sylvian fissure measures the talent of a cerebrovascular neurosurgeon, and there are as many styles of sylvian fissure dissection as neurosurgical schools.4-8 Our principle is to dissect the subarachnoid space sharply and with minimal trauma to neither the microvasculature nor the pia matter.4,7-10 We have developed a technique that allows efficient and safe sharp dissection through the subarachnoid space: the "microcisternal drainage" technique. This technique (Video 1) consists of applying a pledget to a narrow cistern and suctioning the cerebrospinal fluid while maintaining uplifting retraction with the suction shaft. Clear trabeculae are dissected sharply to release microvessels at the convexity of their turns. This technique is especially advantageous when cisterns are narrow (e.g., pia-to-pia) or highly eloquent structures are at risk. The main advantages over conventional cisternal dissection are avoidance of refractive effect, enhanced identification of the microvasculature from the trabeculae, and preservation of pia matter. Using the microcisternal drainage technique, the microvasculature, arachnoid membranes, and pia reveal themselves, and we avoid the cerebrospinal fluid-related refractive effect, therefore maximizing depth perception. We report an example of the "microcisternal drainage" technique to split the sylvian fissure during treatment of an irregular middle cerebral artery bifurcation aneurysm on a 56-year-old woman. The patient tolerated the procedure well, was discharged without neurologic deficits, and resumed normal life with no aneurysm remnant. The patient consented to the procedure and video and photography publication.

Disseminated Cunninghamella bertholletiae mucormycosis with protracted clinical course and formation of a large intra-ventricular mural thrombus.

We report the autopsy findings of a case of disseminated mucormycosis caused by Cunninghamella bertholletiae, a rare pathogenic fungus of the family Mucoraceae. The patient was a 49-year-old woman with B-lymphoblastic leukemia with hyperdiploidy, who died of progressive heart failure 4 months after induction chemotherapy successfully brought about complete remission of the leukemia. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) had been administered along with anti-neoplastic drugs, and her blood neutrophil count was markedly elevated. Autopsy revealed disseminated mycotic thromboembolism and abscess formation in the heart, lung, liver, kidney, and spleen. The most marked feature was a large mural thrombus in the left ventricle containing numerous fungal hyphae. In the myocardium and disseminated foci in visceral organs, giant cell-rich, fibrotic reactions to the mycotic infection were observed. Both the formation of a large intra-ventricular mural thrombus and giant cell reactions are rare findings in mucormycosis. We considered that the recovery and marked increase in neutrophil count induced by chemotherapy and G-CSF administration prolonged the clinical course and pathologically elicited an atypical, giant cell reaction to the mycotic infection. The prolonged clinical course also contributed to the formation of an unusually large intra-ventricular mural thrombus.

Role of magnetic resonance vessel wall imaging in detecting and managing ruptured aneurysms among multiple intracranial aneurysms.

BACKGROUND: Wall enhancement of intracranial saccular aneurysms in high-resolution magnetic resonance vessel wall imaging (MR-VWI) might indicate a ruptured aneurysm. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the diagnostic ability of wall enhancement to detect the ruptured aneurysms among multiple aneurysms. METHODS: Patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and multiple intracranial aneurysms who underwent MR-VWI before craniotomy and clipping were included in the study. Three-dimensional T1-weighted fast spin-echo sequences were obtained before and after gadolinium injection. Aneurysm rupture was estimated based on the subarachnoid clot distribution, aneurysmal contours, and MR-VWI findings. We selectively performed surgical clipping and confirmed the rupture site intraoperatively. RESULTS: Thirteen patients with SAH with 13 ruptured and 17 unruptured aneurysms were treated at out facility. The accuracy rate of rupture site diagnosis using MR-VWI was 69.2% (9/13 cases). Each unruptured aneurysm was equally or more strongly enhanced in the other four cases than the ruptured aneurysms. In three of the four unruptured aneurysms with positive MR-VWI findings, atherosclerosis of the aneurysmal wall was observed during simultaneous or elective clipping surgery. Further, clipping surgery was performed without intraoperative rupture in two cases with the help of MR-VWI findings. CONCLUSION: Correct diagnosis of the rupture site using MR-VWI alone was unreliable due to false positives caused by the wall enhancement of unruptured aneurysms with atherosclerosis. Therefore, ruptured aneurysms should be detected using more information in addition to MR-VWI images. MR-VWI may be advantageous to determine surgical strategies when managing patients with SAH and multiple aneurysms.

Multilinear Common Component Analysis via Kronecker Product Representation.

We consider the problem of extracting a common structure from multiple tensor data sets. For this purpose, we propose multilinear common component analysis (MCCA) based on Kronecker products of mode-wise covariance matrices. MCCA constructs a common basis represented by linear combinations of the original variables that lose little information of the multiple tensor data sets. We also develop an estimation algorithm for MCCA that guarantees mode-wise global convergence. Numerical studies are conducted to show the effectiveness of MCCA.

Identification of a Novel Copy Number Variation of EYA4 Causing Autosomal Dominant Non-syndromic Hearing Loss.

OBJECTIVE: Eyes absent 4 (EYA4) is the causative gene of autosomal dominant non-syndromic hereditary hearing loss, DFNA10. We aimed to identify a copy number variation of EYA4 in a non-syndromic sensory neural hearing loss pedigree. FAMILY AND CLINICAL EVALUATION: A Japanese family showing late-onset and progressive hearing loss was evaluated. A pattern of autosomal dominant inheritance of hearing loss was recognized in the pedigree. No cardiac disease was observed in any of the individuals. METHODS: Targeted exon sequencing was performed using massively parallel DNA sequencing (MPS) analysis. Scanning of the array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) was completed and the copy number variation (CNV) data from the aCGH analysis was confirmed by matching all CNV calls with MPS analysis. Breakpoint detection was performed by whole-genome sequencing and direct sequencing. Sequencing results were examined, and co-segregation analysis of hearing loss was completed. RESULTS: We identified a novel hemizygous indel that showed CNV in the EYA4 gene from the position 133,457,057 to 133,469,892 on chromosome 6 (build GRCh38/hg38) predicted as p.(Val124_Pro323del), and that was segregated with post-lingual and progressive autosomal dominant sensorineural hearing loss by aCGH analysis. CONCLUSION: Based on the theory of genotype-phenotype correlation with EYA4 mutations in terms of hearing loss and comorbid dilated cardiomyopathy, the region of amino acids 124 to 343 is hypothesized not to be the pathogenic region causing dilated cardiomyopathy. Additionally, the theory of genotype-phenotype correlation about the prevalence of dilated cardiomyopathy is thought to be rejected because of no correlation of deleted amino acid region with the prevalence of dilated cardiomyopathy. These results will help expand the research on both the coordination of cochlear transcriptional regulation and normal cardiac gene regulation via EYA4 transcripts and provide information on the genotype-phenotype correlations of DFNA10 hearing loss.

Reduction of the extra-column band dispersion by a slow transport and splitting of a sample band in isocratic reversed-phase liquid chromatography.

Sample introduction method was studied to reduce the extra-column effect in reversed-phase HPLC. Slow transport of a sample band (SToSB) in the pre-column space followed by the introduction of the band into the column at a near-optimum flow rate resulted in larger plate counts for a 1.0 mmID, 5 cm long column as much as 1.4-1.6 times for solutes with a retention factor (k) of 0.5-1.8 compared to a conventional elution method. Further reduction of the extra-column effect was possible by orthogonally splitting the sample band (SplSB) by flow switching during its slow transport followed by the introduction of the leading part of the band into the column. In this case, increased plate counts of up to 2-3 times for solutes with k of 0.5-1.8 were observed for a 1.0 mmID, 5 cm column. The sample introduction method, SToSB in the injector and the pre-column tube of a few µL, was found to reduce the extra-column band variance by 0.4-0.5 µL2 for an UHPLC system with the extra-column volume (Vextra) of ca. 4.6 µL and the system variance (σextra2) of 1.1 µL2 at flow rate of 100 µL/min, while SToSB and subsequent SplSB were found to be more effective, reducing σextra2 by about 0.8 µL2. With an UHPLC instrument with Vextra of about 10 µL and σextra2 of ca. 3.6 µL2 at flow rate of 300 µL/min, 1.4-2.1 times as many plate counts were observed with SToSB and SplSB compared to the normal elution method for early-eluting solutes with k=0.25-1.7 for a column, 2.1 mmID, 5 cm long. With this UHPLC instrument, SToSB and/or SplSB resulted in the reduction of σextra2 by 1.2-2.2 µL2.

Virus-like insertions with sequence signatures similar to those of endogenous nonretroviral RNA viruses in the human genome.

Understanding the genetics and taxonomy of ancient viruses will give us great insights into not only the origin and evolution of viruses but also how viral infections played roles in our evolution. Endogenous viruses are remnants of ancient viral infections and are thought to retain the genetic characteristics of viruses from ancient times. In this study, we used machine learning of endogenous RNA virus sequence signatures to identify viruses in the human genome that have not been detected or are already extinct. Here, we show that the k-mer occurrence of ancient RNA viral sequences remains similar to that of extant RNA viral sequences and can be differentiated from that of other human genome sequences. Furthermore, using this characteristic, we screened RNA viral insertions in the human reference genome and found virus-like insertions with phylogenetic and evolutionary features indicative of an exogenous origin but lacking homology to previously identified sequences. Our analysis indicates that animal genomes still contain unknown virus-derived sequences and provides a glimpse into the diversity of the ancient virosphere.

Fast enantiomeric separation of amino acids using liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry on a chiral crown ether stationary phase.

Fast enantiomeric separation of amino acids was studied by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) on a chiral crown ether stationary phase. A chiral crown ether bonded silica column (3 mm internal diameter (i.d.), 5 cm long) packed with 3 µm particles was employed instead of a 15 cm column packed with 5 µm particles used in our previous study. In addition, the extra-column variance, becoming more serious for smaller columns, was reduced by replacing 0.127 mm i.d. post-column tubes with shorter, smaller-diameter (0.0635 mm i.d.) tubes. The results demonstrated the benefits of using shorter columns packed with smaller particles and the reduction of the extra-column band broadening for fast enantiomeric separation. Finally, the enantiomeric separation of 18 pairs of proteinogenic amino acids was achieved within 2 min with a resolution (Rs) > 1.5 for each pair using an isocratic mobile phase of acetonitrile/water/trifluoroacetic acid (ACN/W/TFA) = 96/4/0.5, and a flow rate 1.2 mL/min at 30°C. This is the highest throughput method for simultaneous chiral separation of all proteinogenic amino acids except proline to date.

Controlling Bi-Provoked Nanostructure Formation in GaAs/GaAsBi Core-Shell Nanowires.

We control the formation of Bi-induced nanostructures on the growth of GaAs/GaAsBi core-shell nanowires (NWs). Bi serves as not only a constituent but also a surfactant and nanowire growth catalyst. Thus, we paved a way to achieve unexplored III-V nanostructures employing the characteristic supersaturation of catalyst droplets, structural modifications induced by strain, and incorporation into the host GaAs matrix correlated with crystalline defects and orientations. When Ga is deficient during growth, Bi accumulates on the vertex of core GaAs NWs and serves as a nanowire growth catalyst for the branched structures to azimuthal <112>. We find a strong correlation between Bi accumulation and stacking faults. Furthermore, Bi is preferentially incorporated on the GaAs (112)B surface, leading to spatially selective Bi incorporation into a confined area that has a Bi concentration of over 7%. The obtained GaAs/GaAsBi/GaAs heterostructure with an interface defined by the crystalline twin defects in a zinc-blende structure can be potentially applied to a quantum confined structure. Our finding provides a rational design concept for the creation of GaAsBi based nanostructures and the control of Bi incorporation beyond the fundamental limit.

Notoamide O, a structurally unprecedented prenylated indole alkaloid, and notoamides P-R from a marine-derived fungus, Aspergillus sp.

Notoamides O-R were isolated from a marine-derived Aspergillus sp. Notoamide O possesses a novel hemiacetal/hemiaminal ether functionality hitherto unknown among this family of prenylated indole alkaloids. The structure represents an unusual branch point for the oxidative modification of other members in the family of prenylated indole alkaloids in the biogenetic pathway.