Diagnostic Performance of Positron Emission Tomography for the Presurgical Evaluation of Patients with Non-lesional Intractable Partial Epilepsy : Comparison among 18F-FDG, 11C-Flumazenil, and 11C-Flumazenil Binding Potential Imaging Using Statistical Imaging Analysis

To compare the diagnostic performance of 18F-FDG PET, 11C-FMZ PET, and 11C-FMZ BP imaging for the evaluation of patients with intractable partial epilepsy whose MRI findings are normal by using statistical imaging analysis. Ten patients underwent comprehensive presurgical evaluation, including PET studies, to assess the epileptic foci. The extent of cortical resection was based on the results of intracranial video-electroencephalography (IVEEG) monitoring and brain mapping under stimulation. The images of 10 patients and 30 controls were spatially normalized to templates generated in-house by non-rigid registration and the standardized images of the patients and controls were statistically compared. Epileptic focus candidates were visualized on a color map of axial images of each template and the focus site was identified in candidates for lobar location. In patients with Engel I postoperative seizure outcomes we assessed the sensitivity and specificity of the imaging methods for lobar focus localization. We also compared the concordance scores of patients with Engel I and Engel II-IV postoperative seizures. The sensitivity and specificity for lobar focus localization on 18F-FDG PET scans was 90.0% and 84.8%, respectively; it was 30.0% and 81.4% for 11C-FMZ PET, 40.0% and 66.7% for 11C-FMZ BP images, and 100.0% and 51.4% for 18F-FDG PET/11C-FMZ PET/11C-FMZ BP images. In one patient the epileptic focus not detected on 18F-FDG PET scans was shown on 11C-FMZ BP images. In patients with Engel I post-treatment seizures the concordance scores were significantly higher for 18F-FDG PET than 11C-FMZ PET and 11C-FMZ BP images (p < 0.05). With respect to sensitivity and specificity, 18F-FDG PET was superior to 11C-FMZ PET and 11C-FMZ BP imaging. However, in some patients with normal MRI results, 11C-FMZ BP studies may complement 18F-FDG PET findings in efforts to identify the epileptogenic lobar regions

Insights into Land Plant Evolution Garnered from the Marchantia polymorpha Genome.

The evolution of land flora transformed the terrestrial environment. Land plants evolved from an ancestral charophycean alga from which they inherited developmental, biochemical, and cell biological attributes. Additional biochemical and physiological adaptations to land, and a life cycle with an alternation between multicellular haploid and diploid generations that facilitated efficient dispersal of desiccation tolerant spores, evolved in the ancestral land plant. We analyzed the genome of the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha, a member of a basal land plant lineage. Relative to charophycean algae, land plant genomes are characterized by genes encoding novel biochemical pathways, new phytohormone signaling pathways (notably auxin), expanded repertoires of signaling pathways, and increased diversity in some transcription factor families. Compared with other sequenced land plants, M. polymorpha exhibits low genetic redundancy in most regulatory pathways, with this portion of its genome resembling that predicted for the ancestral land plant. PAPERCLIP

Renal Rehabilitation—Its Theory and Clinical Application to Patients Undergoing Daily Dialysis Therapy

An aging population and the prevalence of lifestyle-related ailments have led to a worldwide increase in the rate of chronic kidney disease requiring renal replacement therapy. The mean age of people requiring dialysis has been rising, and Japanese patients are aging more rapidly than those in the United States and Europe. Compared to people with normal kidney function, those undergoing hemodialysis are at increased risk of sarcopenia or frailty and serious health problems that limit access to kidney transplantation and lead to adverse health outcomes such as functional dependence, hospitalization, and death in patients on dialysis treatment. The Japanese Society of Renal Rehabilitation, established in 2011, published a clinical practice guideline for renal rehabilitation in 2019. Although the concept has become widely known among kidney health providers in recent years, efforts have still not focused on routine clinical care for patients with chronic kidney disease. In this review, the theory and clinical application of renal rehabilitation for patients undergoing daily hemodialysis were investigated

Simplified discriminant parameters for sarcopenia among patients undergoing haemodialysis

Abstract Background Patients with end‐stage renal disease (ESRD) are at an increased risk of developing sarcopenia, which can lead to various adverse health outcomes. Although the diagnosis of sarcopenia is essential for clinical management, it is not feasible in routine clinical practice for populations undergoing haemodialysis because it is time‐consuming and resources are limited. Serum creatinine levels in patients with ESRD have been gaining attention as a screening parameter for sarcopenia because serum creatinine is a routinely measured byproduct of skeletal muscle metabolism. This study aimed to evaluate the discriminative ability of the creatinine‐derived index for sarcopenia in patients undergoing haemodialysis. Methods We diagnosed sarcopenia according to the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS) 2 criteria in 356 clinically stable outpatients with ESRD enrolled from three dialysis facilities. We adopted the modified creatinine index as a simplified discriminant parameter for sarcopenia in addition to the calf circumference, SARC‐F score, and combination of both (i.e. SARC‐CalF score), which are recommended by the AWGS. Receiver operating characteristic analysis and logistic regression analysis were conducted to evaluate the discriminative ability of the modified creatinine index for sarcopenia. Results Of the study participants, 142 (39.9%) were diagnosed with sarcopenia. The areas under the curve of the modified creatinine index against sarcopenia in the male and female participants were 0.77 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.71 to 0.83) and 0.77 (95% CI: 0.69 to 0.85), respectively. All simplified discriminant parameters were significantly associated with sarcopenia, even after adjusting for patient characteristics and centre. In the comparison of the odds ratios for sarcopenia for 1‐standard deviation change in the simplified discriminant parameters, the odds ratio of the modified creatinine index was 1.92 (95% CI: 1.15 to 3.19), which was lower than that of the calf circumference (odds ratio: 6.58, 95% CI: 3.32 to 13.0) and similar to that of the SARC‐F (odds ratio: 1.57, 95% CI: 1.14 to 2.16) and SARC‐CalF scores (odds ratio: 2.36, 95% CI: 1.60 to 3.47). Conclusions This study revealed a strong association between the creatinine‐derived index and sarcopenia in patients undergoing haemodialysis. The modified creatinine index was equal or superior to those of SARC‐F and SARC‐CalF score in discriminability for sarcopenia. However, the ability of the calf circumference to discriminate sarcopenia is extremely high, and further study is needed to determine whether it can be used to detect deterioration of muscle mass and function over time

A Unique Solution-Processable n‑Type Semiconductor Material Design for High-Performance Organic Field-Effect Transistors

There have been only a limited number of reports on solution-processed n-channel organic thin-film transistor (OTFT) devices with high levels of electrical performance because the material design process for n-type organic semiconductors is relatively difficult compared with p-type semiconductors, and further chemical modification of the functional groups is required. As a result, the development of soluble n-type organic semiconductors with high carrier mobilities has remained a challenge. Our work addresses this by introducing a novel molecular design to realize soluble n-type organic semiconductors with high electron mobilities through the simple substitution of trifluoromethyl or trifluoromethoxy groups at the meta positions to support sufficient solubility, creating suitable LUMO energy levels and high crystallinity. These newly designed benzobis­(thiadiazole) (BBT)-based molecules showed electron mobilities as high as 0.61 cm² V^–1 s^–1 in solution-processed OTFT devices. As a practical application in printed electronics, we demonstrated an organic complementary inverter circuit with OTFT devices using the developed soluble organic semiconductors. Because of their high solubility level and superior electrical properties compared with common para-substituted derivatives, the utilization of meta substituents is a new strategy for the design of soluble organic semiconductors in the field of OTFT device fabrication