Wearable Ion Sensors for the Detection of Sweat Ions Fabricated by Heat-Transfer Printing.

Wearable ion sensors for the real-time monitoring of sweat biomarkers have recently attracted increasing research attention. Here, we fabricated a novel chloride ion sensor for real-time sweat monitoring. The printed sensor was heat-transferred onto nonwoven cloth, allowing for easy attachment to various types of clothing, including simple garments. Additionally, the cloth prevents contact between the skin and the sensor and acts as a flow path. The change in the electromotive force of the chloride ion sensor was -59.5 mTV/log CCl-. In addition, the sensor showed a good linear relationship with the concentration range of chloride ions in human sweat. Moreover, the sensor displayed a Nernst response, confirming no changes in the film composition due to heat transfer. Finally, the fabricated ion sensors were applied to the skin of a human volunteer subjected to an exercise test. In addition, a wireless transmitter was combined with the sensor to wirelessly monitor ions in sweat. The sensors showed significant responses to both sweat perspiration and exercise intensity. Thus, our research demonstrates the potential of using wearable ion sensors for the real-time monitoring of sweat biomarkers, which could significantly impact the development of personalized healthcare.

Targeted transvenous embolization of a dural arteriovenous fistula at the jugular tubercle venous complex.

Background: Dural arteriovenous fistulas (dAVFs) occurring near the hypoglossal canal are rare. Detailed evaluation of vascular structures can identify shunt pouches at the jugular tubercle venous complex (JTVC) in the bone near the hypoglossal canal. Although the JTVC has several venous connections, including the hypoglossal canal, there have been no reports of transvenous embolization (TVE) of a dAVF at the JTVC using an approach route other than the hypoglossal canal. This report describes the first case of complete occlusion with targeted TVE using an alternative approach route in a 70-year-old woman presenting with tinnitus diagnosed with dAVF at the JTVC. Case Description: The patient had no history of head trauma or other preexisting conditions. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed no abnormal findings in the brain parenchyma. Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) revealed a dAVF near the ACC. The shunt pouch was located in the JTVC, near the left hypoglossal canal, with feeders from the bilateral ascending pharyngeal arteries and occipital arteries, left meningohypophyseal trunk, and odontoid arch of the left vertebral artery. TVE was performed near the shunt pouch. Localized packing of the shunt point was achieved. The patient's tinnitus improved. Postoperative MRI showed disappearance of the shunt without any complications. No recurrence was observed on MRA 6 months after treatment. Conclusion: Our results suggest targeted TVE is an effective treatment for dAVFs at the JTVC.

Fruit body formation and intra-species DNA polymorphism in Japanese Wolfiporia cocos strains.

Poria, the dried sclerotium of Wolfiporia cocos, is a medicinal mushroom that is widely used in traditional Japanese medicine. The fruit body of W. cocos is rarely found in the natural environment in Japan, therefore an optimized technique for fruit body formation is essential for producing new strains through crossbreeding and for biological research. Here, we developed a cultivation technique for fruit body formation of W. cocos using three strains collected from different areas of Japan. When mycelia were cultured on sawdust-based medium after liquid medium culture, all strains successfully formed fruit bodies as a brown honeycomb-like structure. Furthermore, we analyzed single nucleotide polymorphisms of the three strains using the STE3-like pheromone receptor protein gene, STE3.2, and found a genetic marker for discriminating one strain from the others. The results are expected to promote extensive studies on crossbreeding and domestic production of W. cocos.

Safety profile of the SQ house dust mite sublingual immunotherapy-tablet in Japanese adult patients with house dust mite-induced allergic asthma: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase I study.

Objective: The SQ house dust mite (HDM) sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT)-tablet has demonstrated effective treatment of HDM-induced allergic asthma in patients 18 years or older in European trials. This study investigated its safety and immunology profile in Japanese adult patients with mild-to-moderate HDM-induced allergic asthma. Methods: In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 48 Japanese patients were randomly assigned to a daily treatment of SQ HDM SLIT-tablet or placebo (3:1) for 14 d with or without an up-dosing regimen. Active groups comprised 5000, 10,000 or 20,000 Japanese Allergy Unit (JAU) for 14 d, and the up-dosing group comprised 5,000 JAU in day 1-3, 10,000 JAU in day 4-7 and 20,000 JAU in day 8-14. Results: No marked differences were observed in the incidence rate of adverse events (AEs) and their severity among active groups. The five most common investigational medicinal product (IMP)-related AEs were local events at the application site observed within 30 min after the intake of the SQ HDM SLIT-tablet. Although most events recovered within 1 h, mouth edema indicated a different profile of duration with more than 25% of the events lasting for more than 1 h. Conclusions: The SQ HDM SLIT-tablet of up to 20,000 JAU was well tolerated, and safety profile was acceptable for Japanese subjects with HDM-induced allergic asthma.

Pseudoaneurysm at M3 of the middle cerebral artery: Morphological changes on serial radiological examinations.

A 20-year-old man presented with consciousness disturbance and hemiparesis, and computed tomography demonstrated subarachnoid and intracerebral hemorrhage. Angiography on admission demonstrated a slight irregularity of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) branch. Angiography on the 12th day showed a suspicious lesion at M3 of the left MCA. Angiography performed 24 days after the onset disclosed an aneurysm at M3. The aneurysm was trapped and resected after superficial temporal artery-MCA bypass. Pathological examinations revealed that this distal aneurysm was a pseudoaneurysm without vascular components in its dome. Although a lesion that may cause subarachnoid or intracerebral hemorrhage was not detected on the initial angiography, repeated examinations revealed the atypical vascular lesion in distal MCA.

Spindle cell oncocytoma of the adenohypophysis with marked hypervascularity. Case report.

A 68-year-old male presented with a very rare case of spindle cell oncocytoma (SCO), a recently identified very rare neoplasm of the anterior pituitary, manifesting as panhypopituitarism and visual field defect. The pituitary tumor with suprasellar extension was only partially resected via transsphenoidal surgery because of the tumor consistency and bleeding. Histological diagnosis was consistent with schwannoma. The tumor regrew and angiography revealed hypervascularity, so a transcranial approach was employed for the re-operation which only achieved partial resection because of intraoperative extensive bleeding. The tumor cells showed similar histological and immunohistochemical profiles to the previous specimen, but electron microscopy demonstrated that cytoplasm abundantly filled with mitochondria. The final diagnosis of SCO was established and the patient received postoperative conventional radiation therapy of 50 Gy. Only 15 cases of SCO have been reported, and the diagnosis was mistaken in many cases as schwannoma, oncocytic pituitary adenoma, or craniopharyngioma, and multiple surgeries followed by radiation therapy were required.

Embolization of a wide-necked basilar bifurcation aneurysm by double-balloon remodeling using HyperForm compliant balloon catheters.

We report a patient with a wide-necked basilar bifurcation aneurysm that was difficult to address by standard coil embolization because the left and right posterior cerebral artery (PCA) branched from the base of the aneurysm. To preserve both PCAs, the aneurysm was endovascularly embolized using a double-balloon remodeling technique and HyperForm compliant balloon catheters (MicroTherapeutics, Irvine, CA, USA). The aneurysmal neck was not tightly embolized to avoid coil protrusion into the parent arteries. The present technique is an important adjunct to the embolization of wide-necked basilar bifurcation aneurysms.

Endovascular treatment for traumatic ear bleeding associated with acute epidural hematoma.

A 44-year-old woman presented with intractable ear bleeding after head trauma. Computed tomography showed a longitudinal petrosal bone fracture and a mastoid air cell hematoma with a small acute epidural hematoma. Conservative therapy for more than 12 hours failed to stop the bleeding, so we planned endovascular treatment rather than open surgery. Angiography of the external carotid artery demonstrated continuous extravasation of contrast material from the middle meningeal artery near the fracture line in the temporal bone. Intravascular embolization was performed using polyvinyl alcohol particles and gelatin sponge pieces, resulting in immediate successful hemostasis. Endovascular management should be considered for the treatment of intractable traumatic ear bleeding.

[A case of atretic cephalocele].

We report a case of atreric cephalocele. A 13-year-old boy who was developmentally normal was admitted to our hospital, complaining of scalp mass located at the midparietal region. He was noticed to have had it since his birth. Physical examination revealed 2.5 x 2.5cm, round, skin-covered midline subscalp mass with a hairless top. Bone 3D-CT showed bone defect at the base of the mass. MRI and MR venography showed the embryonic positioning of the straight sinus. He was treated with surgical excision of the mass, and fibrous tract extending intracranially at the base of the lesion was identified. Pathologic examination showed it to be meningocele.

Subarachnoid hemorrhage associated with von Willebrand's disease--case report.

A 59-year-old woman with type IIA von Willebrand's disease (VWD) presented with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Computed tomography showed SAH in the right sylvian fissure and intracranial hemorrhage in the right temporal lobe. Angiography demonstrated an aneurysm at the bifurcation of the right middle cerebral artery. Neck clipping was performed on the 3rd day after the onset with intra- and postoperative administration of factor VIII/von Willebrand factor concentrate. No excessive bleeding occurred. Patients with prolonged bleeding time should be screened for VWD before surgery. This is a rare case of VWD presenting with SAH secondary to ruptured intracranial aneurysm. The clinical characteristics and the management of SAH in a patient with VWD are discussed.