Space Charge Distribution of Surface Discharge in SF₆ Gas

Surface space-charge distributions produced by streamers in SF₆ are investigated using the probe method with a high speed temporal resolution. Probes which also act the role of a plane electrode, are used for measuring the space-charge field. The fields are measured oscilloscopically and converted into space-charge densities by a numerical calculation. This inverstigation has revealed the charge distribution before the disturbance caused by the well known “back-discharge”. This method is also applied for surface discharges in air, and its results are compared with that obtained in SF₆

The Animal Model of Spinal Cord Injury as an Experimental Pain Model

Pain, which remains largely unsolved, is one of the most crucial problems for spinal cord injury patients. Due to sensory problems, as well as motor dysfunctions, spinal cord injury research has proven to be complex and difficult. Furthermore, many types of pain are associated with spinal cord injury, such as neuropathic, visceral, and musculoskeletal pain. Many animal models of spinal cord injury exist to emulate clinical situations, which could help to determine common mechanisms of pathology. However, results can be easily misunderstood and falsely interpreted. Therefore, it is important to fully understand the symptoms of human spinal cord injury, as well as the various spinal cord injury models and the possible pathologies. The present paper summarizes results from animal models of spinal cord injury, as well as the most effective use of these models

Potential application of measuring serum infliximab levels in rheumatoid arthritis management: A retrospective study based on KURAMA cohort data

Infliximab (IFX) therapy has considerably improved the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, some patients still do not respond adequately to IFX therapy, or the efficacy of the treatment diminishes over time. Although previous studies have reported a relationship between serum IFX levels and therapeutic efficacy, the potential applications of IFX therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) in clinical practice remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential applications of IFX TDM by analyzing a Japanese cohort database. Data were collected retrospectively from the Kyoto University Rheumatoid Arthritis Management Alliance cohort between January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2018. Serum IFX levels were measured using a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometer. Out of the 311 RA patients that used IFX, 41 were eligible for the analysis. Serum IFX levels were significantly higher in responders than in non-responders. An optimal cut-off value was determined to be 0.32 μg/mL based on a receiver operating characteristic curve. At the IFX measurement point, a better therapeutic response was observed in the high IFX group (n = 32) than in the low IFX group (n = 9). Conversely, at the maximum effect point, when DAS28-ESR was the lowest between IFX introduction and measurement points, there were no differences in responder proportions between the low and high IFX groups. IFX primary ineffectiveness could be avoided with appropriate dose escalation without blood concentration measurement in clinical practice. In conclusion, IFX TDM could facilitate the identification of secondary non-responders and in turn, proper IFX use

Classification and characterisation of brain network changes in chronic back pain: A multicenter study [version 2; referees: 3 approved]

Background. Chronic pain is a common, often disabling condition thought to involve a combination of peripheral and central neurobiological factors. However, the extent and nature of changes in the brain is poorly understood. Methods. We investigated brain network architecture using resting-state fMRI data in chronic back pain patients in the UK and Japan (41 patients, 56 controls), as well as open data from USA. We applied machine learning and deep learning (conditional variational autoencoder architecture) methods to explore classification of patients/controls based on network connectivity. We then studied the network topology of the data, and developed a multislice modularity method to look for consensus evidence of modular reorganisation in chronic back pain. Results. Machine learning and deep learning allowed reliable classification of patients in a third, independent open data set with an accuracy of 63%, with 68% in cross validation of all data. We identified robust evidence of network hub disruption in chronic pain, most consistently with respect to clustering coefficient and betweenness centrality. We found a consensus pattern of modular reorganisation involving extensive, bilateral regions of sensorimotor cortex, and characterised primarily by negative reorganisation - a tendency for sensorimotor cortex nodes to be less inclined to form pairwise modular links with other brain nodes. Furthermore, these regions were found to display increased connectivity with the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex, a region known to be involved in endogenous pain control. In contrast, intraparietal sulcus displayed a propensity towards positive modular reorganisation, suggesting that it might have a role in forming modules associated with the chronic pain state. Conclusion. The results provide evidence of consistent and characteristic brain network changes in chronic pain, characterised primarily by extensive reorganisation of the network architecture of the sensorimotor cortex

SOCS1 is essential for regulatory T cell functions by preventing loss of Foxp3 expression as well as IFN-γ and IL-17A production

SOCS1 is required to restrict IFN-γ and IL-17 expression and maintain Foxp3 expression in and function of regulatory T cells

A novel role for bone marrow-derived cells to recover damaged keratinocytes from radiation-induced injury.

Exposure to moderate doses of ionizing radiation (IR), which is sufficient for causing skin injury, can occur during radiation therapy as well as in radiation accidents. Radiation-induced skin injury occasionally recovers, although its underlying mechanism remains unclear. Moderate-dose IR is frequently utilized for bone marrow transplantation in mice; therefore, this mouse model can help understand the mechanism. We had previously reported that bone marrow-derived cells (BMDCs) migrate to the epidermis-dermis junction in response to IR, although their role remains unknown. Here, we investigated the role of BMDCs in radiation-induced skin injury in BMT mice and observed that BMDCs contributed to skin recovery after IR-induced barrier dysfunction. One of the important mechanisms involved the action of CCL17 secreted by BMDCs on irradiated basal cells, leading to accelerated proliferation and recovery of apoptosis caused by IR. Our findings suggest that BMDCs are key players in IR-induced skin injury recovery