Spatially Uniform and Quantitative Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering under Modal Ultrastrong Coupling Beyond Nanostructure Homogeneity Limits

We developed a substrate that enables highly sensitive and spatially uniform surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). This substrate comprises densely packed gold nanoparticles (d-AuNPs)/titanium dioxide/Au film (d-ATA). The d-ATA substrate demonstrates modal ultrastrong coupling between localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs) of AuNPs and Fabry–Pérot nanocavities. d-ATA exhibits a significant enhancement of the near-field intensity, resulting in a 78-fold increase in the SERS signal for crystal violet (CV) compared to that of d-AuNP/TiO2 substrates. Importantly, high sensitivity and a spatially uniform signal intensity can be obtained without precise control of the shape and arrangement of the nanoscale AuNPs, enabling quantitative SERS measurements. Additionally, SERS measurements of rhodamine 6G (R6G) on this substrate under ultralow adsorption conditions (0.6 R6G molecules/AuNP) show a spatial variation in the signal intensity within 3%. These findings suggest that the SERS signal under modal ultrastrong coupling originates from multiple plasmonic particles with quantum coherence

Oral findings in Noonan syndrome : Report of a case

Oral findings in a case of Noonan syndrome in an 8-year-old Japanese male are reported. Examination of the patient revealed a narrow, higharched palate and an anterior open bite. Cephalometric measurements showed a wide gonial angle, a large mandibular plane angle, a large Y-axis and long facial height. It is suggested that the patient had a skeletal open-bite malocclusion, which included an abnormal swallowing habit

Enhancing effects of salicylate on tonic and phasic block of Na+ channels by class 1 antiarrhythmic agents in the ventricular myocytes and the guinea pig papillary muscle

AbstractObjective: To study the interaction between salicylate and class 1 antiarrhythmic agents. Methods: The effects of salicylate on class 1 antiarrhythmic agent-induced tonic and phasic block of the Na+ current (INa) of ventricular myocytes and the upstroke velocity of the action potential (Vmax) of papillary muscles were examined by both the patch clamp technique and conventional microelectrode techniques. Results: Salicylate enhanced quinidine-induced tonic and phasic block of INa at a holding potential of −100 mV but not at a holding potential of −140 mV; this enhancement was accompanied by a shift of the h∞ curve in the presence of quinidine in a further hyperpolarized direction, although salicylate alone did not affect INa. Salicylate enhanced the tonic and phasic block of Vmax induced by quinidine, aprindine and disopyramide but had little effect on that induced by procainamide or mexiletine; the enhancing effects were related to the liposolubility of the drugs. Conclusions: Salicylate enhanced tonic and phasic block of Na+ channels induced by class 1 highly liposoluble antiarrhythmic agents. Based on the modulated receptor hypothesis, it is probable that this enhancement was mediated by an increase in the affinity of Na+ channel blockers with high lipid solubility to the inactivated state channels

A Small Bowel Ulcer due to Clopidogrel with Cytomegalovirus Enteritis Diagnosed by Capsule and Double-Balloon Endoscopy

We report the first case of small bowel ulcers due to clopidogrel in a 74-year-old man. He presented with diarrhea and melena after having been taking low-dose aspirin (LDA) and clopidogrel. There was no evidence of bleeding in the stomach, duodenum, or colon. Capsule endoscopy showed multiple ulcers and erosions in the small intestine. Double-balloon endoscopy revealed multiple ulcers throughout the ileum. Examination of the biopsy specimen showed cytomegalovirus infection. His LDA was discontinued and he was prescribed ganciclovir. However, the small bowel ulcers were aggravated. Therefore, clopidogrel was discontinued. The small bowel ulcers subsequently healed completely, forming scars

Preoperative Biliary Drainage in Cases of Borderline Resectable Pancreatic Cancer Treated with Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy and Surgery

Objective. To elucidate the optimum preoperative biliary drainage method for patients with pancreatic cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). Material and Methods. From January 2010 through December 2014, 20 patients with borderline resectable pancreatic cancer underwent preoperative biliary drainage and NAC with a plastic or metallic stent and received NAC at Hiroshima University Hospital. We retrospectively analyzed delayed NAC and complication rates due to biliary drainage, effect of stent type on perioperative factors, and hospitalization costs from diagnosis to surgery. Results. There were 11 cases of preoperative biliary drainage with plastic stents and nine metallic stents. The median age was 64.5 years; delayed NAC occurred in 9 cases with plastic stent and 1 case with metallic stent (p=0.01). The complication rates due to biliary drainage were 0% (0/9) with metallic stents and 72.7% (8/11) with plastic stents (p=0.01). Cumulative rates of complications determined with the Kaplan-Meier method on day 90 were 60% with plastic stents and 0% with metallic stents (log-rank test, p=0.012). There were no significant differences between group in perioperative factors or hospitalization costs from diagnosis to surgery. Conclusions. Metallic stent implantation may be effective for preoperative biliary drainage for pancreatic cancer treated with NAC

Effect of exercise and/or educational interventions on physical activity and pain in patients with hip/knee osteoarthritis: A systematic review with meta-analysis

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness of exercise and/or educational intervention on physical activity and pain in patients with hip/knee osteoarthritis (OA) using systematic review and meta-analysis.Methods: We searched randomized controlled trials that investigated physical activity and pain and compared exercise and/or educational intervention with usual care in patients with hip/knee OA in MEDLINE (PubMed), ProQuest, Scopus, and the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro), including all those published by April 30, 2022 and written in English. Studies that newly applied analgesics after onset of the intervention were excluded. The revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials was used to assess the methodological qualities. The random-effects model was used for meta-analysis with standard mean differences using RevMan version 5.4. The body of evidence for each study was synthesized using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach.Results: Twenty studies including 2,350 patients were included (7 exercise studies, 8 educational intervention studies and 5 combination studies). The meta-analysis demonstrated that there is very low evidence that combination therapy of exercise and educational intervention improve the physical activity level at the endpoint (4 articles; SMD 0.33, 95% CI 0.04 to 0.51, P = 0.03). Low evidence was observed for combination therapy reducing pain (4 articles; SMD -0.15, 95% CI -0.29 to -0.02, P = 0.03).Discussion: The current evidence indicated that combination therapy of exercise and educational intervention leads to improved physical activity and pain reduction in hip/knee OA patients, but the risk of bias in each study, especially in allocation concealment, downgraded the evidence level. These findings support the use of a combination therapy of exercise and educational intervention to promote physical activity levels in patients with hip/knee OA.Trail registration: There was no financial support for this research. The protocol was registered at the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (registration code: CRD42020205804)

Chloroquine potentiates the anti-cancer effect of 5-fluorouracil on colon cancer cells

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Chloroquine (CQ), the worldwide used anti-malarial drug, has recently being focused as a potential anti-cancer agent as well as a chemosensitizer when used in combination with anti-cancer drugs. It has been shown to inhibit cell growth and/or to induce cell death in various types of cancer. 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is the chemotherapeutic agent of first choice in colorectal cancer, but in most cases, resistance to 5-FU develops through various mechanisms. Here, we focused on the combination of CQ as a mechanism to potentiate the inhibitory effect of 5-FU on human colon cancer cells.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>HT-29 cells were treated with CQ and/or 5-FU, and their proliferative ability, apoptosis and autophagy induction effects, and the affection of the cell cycle were evaluated. The proliferative ability of HT-29 was analyzed by the MTS assay. Apoptosis was quantified by flow-cytometry after double-staining of the cells with AnnexinV/PI. The cell cycle was evaluated by flow-cytometry after staining of cells with PI. Autophagy was quantified by flow-cytometry and Western blot analysis. Finally, to evaluate the fate of the cells treated with CQ and/or 5-FU, the colony formation assay was performed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>5-FU inhibited the proliferative activity of HT-29 cells, which was mostly dependent on the arrest of the cells to the G0/G1-phase but also partially on apoptosis induction, and the effect was potentiated by CQ pre-treatment. The potentiation of the inhibitory effect of 5-FU by CQ was dependent on the increase of p21^Cip1and p27^Kip1and the decrease of CDK2. Since CQ is reported to inhibit autophagy, the catabolic process necessary for cell survival under conditions of cell starvation or stress, which is induced by cancer cells as a protective mechanism against chemotherapeutic agents, we also analyzed the induction of autophagy in HT-29. HT-29 induced autophagy in response to 5-FU, and CQ inhibited this induction, a possible mechanism of the potentiation of the anti-cancer effect of 5-FU.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our findings suggest that the combination therapy with CQ should be a novel therapeutic modality to improve efficacy of 5-FU-based chemotherapy, possibly by inhibiting autophagy-dependent resistance to chemotherapy.</p

An Integrated High-density Linkage Map of Soybean with RFLP, SSR, STS, and AFLP Markers Using A Single F2 Population

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] is the most important leguminous crop in the world due to its high contents of high-quality protein and oil for human and animal consumption as well as for industrial uses. An accurate and saturated genetic linkage map of soybean is an essential tool for studies on modern soybean genomics. In order to update the linkage map of a F2 population derived from a cross between Misuzudaizu and Moshidou Gong 503 and to make it more informative and useful to the soybean genome research community, a total of 318 AFLP, 121 SSR, 108 RFLP, and 126 STS markers were newly developed and integrated into the framework of the previously described linkage map. The updated genetic map is composed of 509 RFLP, 318 SSR, 318 AFLP, 97 AFLP-derived STS, 29 BAC-end or EST-derived STS, 1 RAPD, and five morphological markers, covering a map distance of 3080 cM (Kosambi function) in 20 linkage groups (LGs). To our knowledge, this is presently the densest linkage map developed from a single F2 population in soybean. The average intermarker distance was reduced to 2.41 from 5.78 cM in the earlier version of the linkage map. Most SSR and RFLP markers were relatively evenly distributed among different LGs in contrast to the moderately clustered AFLP markers. The number of gaps of more than 25 cM was reduced to 6 from 19 in the earlier version of the linkage map. The coverage of the linkage map was extended since 17 markers were mapped beyond the distal ends of the previous linkage map. In particular, 17 markers were tagged in a 5.7 cM interval between CE47M5a and Satt100 on LG C2, where several important QTLs were clustered. This newly updated soybean linkage map will enable to streamline positional cloning of agronomically important trait locus genes, and promote the development of physical maps, genome sequencing, and other genomic research activities