Long-term follow-up of production of IgM and IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 among patients with COVID-19

The patients diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019 （COVID-19） produce IgM and IgG antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 （SARS-CoV-2）. However, the frequency and duration of antibody production still need to be fully understood. In the present study, we investigated the duration of antibody production after SARS-CoV-2 infection. The patients diagnosed with COVID-19 were monitored over twelve months for the production of SARS-CoV-2 IgM and IgG antibodies, and the characteristics of these patients were examined. Forty-five patients diagnosed with COVID-19 were enrolled, and thirty-four patients were followed up until they tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 IgM and IgG antibodies or up to twelve months after the date of a negative SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction （PCR） result. The positivity rates of SARS-CoV-2 IgM and IgG antibodies were 27.3％ and 68.2％ when SARS-CoV-2 PCR was negative, 20.6％ and 70.6％ after one month, 8.8％ and 52.9％ after three months, and 0.0％ and 14.7％ after six months, respectively. Moreover, we compared patients with milder conditions who did not require oxygen administration with those with severe conditions which required oxygen administration. The positivity rate of SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies was significantly higher in patients with severe conditions than in those with milder conditions on the date of a negative SARS-CoV-2 PCR result and after one month and three months, but not after six months. Patients with more severe COVID-19 produced more SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies. Moreover, it is suggested that the duration of IgG antibody production is independent of COVID-19 severity

Throughput Analysis for Wireless Full-Duplex Multi-Hop Networks with RTS/CTS-Based MAC

Medium access control (MAC) protocol operations for in-band full duplex multi-hop networks play an important role in efficient data relaying and throughput enhancement. Knowledge of the relationship between essential operations in MAC protocol for full duplex MAC (FD MAC) networks and network performance is important and useful in terms of the protocol and network design. FD MAC protocols often require exchanging control frames, e.g., request to send/clear to send (RTS/CTS). However, the conventional model cannot analyze the performance of wireless multi-hop networks with RTS/CTS-based FD MAC. Thus, this paper proposes a throughput analysis model for wireless multi-hop networks with RTS/CTS-based FD MAC. The proposed model includes novel “airtime expressions”, which allows us to handle RTS/CTS operations under FD MAC. The proposed model provides the end-to-end throughput of multi-hop networks with RTS/CTS-based FD MAC for any number of hops and any payload size. The validity of the analytical expressions is confirmed through comparisons with simulation results

Throughput Analysis for Wireless Full-Duplex Multi-Hop Networks with RTS/CTS-Based MAC

Medium access control (MAC) protocol operations for in-band full duplex multi-hop networks play an important role in efficient data relaying and throughput enhancement. Knowledge of the relationship between essential operations in MAC protocol for full duplex MAC (FD MAC) networks and network performance is important and useful in terms of the protocol and network design. FD MAC protocols often require exchanging control frames, e.g., request to send/clear to send (RTS/CTS). However, the conventional model cannot analyze the performance of wireless multi-hop networks with RTS/CTS-based FD MAC. Thus, this paper proposes a throughput analysis model for wireless multi-hop networks with RTS/CTS-based FD MAC. The proposed model includes novel “airtime expressions”, which allows us to handle RTS/CTS operations under FD MAC. The proposed model provides the end-to-end throughput of multi-hop networks with RTS/CTS-based FD MAC for any number of hops and any payload size. The validity of the analytical expressions is confirmed through comparisons with simulation results

A case of posterior quadrant disconnection for post-subdural empyema epilepsy -focal cortical dysplasia might be the underlying cause of refractory epilepsy-

Introduction: Intracranial subdural empyema (ISDE) can cause drug-resistant epilepsy. We attempted to cure post-ISDE refractory epilepsy by operative surgery and assessed the neuropathological findings. Patient and method: A 23-year-old right-handed man with refractory epilepsy had ISDE on the right temporal and occipital areas at 14 years old. He underwent ISDE drainage operation at the time. A week after the infection, he developed epileptic seizure, which consisted of epigastric sensation, followed by loss of awareness with gelastic seizure. This type of seizure occurred around five times a day. He underwent right posterior disconnection and the temporal lobe was submitted to histopathological examination. Result: The patient has remained seizure-free for more than 3 months. Histopathological diagnosis showed focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) type IB. Conclusion: We cured post-ISDE refractory epilepsy by posterior quadrant disconnection. Epileptogenicity of FCD might be triggered by ISDE. Keywords: Subdural empyema, Focal cortical dysplasia, Posterior quadrant disconnection, Refractory epileps

Appropriate Method of Administering Vasopressors for Maternal Hypotension Associated with Combined Spinal Epidural Anesthesia in Elective Cesarean Section: Impact on Postnatal Respiratory Support for Newborns

Background and Objectives: Vasopressors are used for treating maternal hypotension. However, the appropriate administration method and effects on newborns have not been reported. We evaluated maternal blood pressure fluctuation and neonatal findings in patients who received continuous vasopressor administration during elective cesarean sections and those who received bolus vasopressor administration upon onset of hypotension. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the data of 220 patients scheduled for elective cesarean delivery under spinal anesthesia at Mie University Hospital between April 2017 and March 2021. The patients were classified according to the method of vasopressor administration. Maternal information, intraoperative maternal blood pressure fluctuation, and neonatal findings were examined. A multiple regression analysis was performed for the administration of postpartum neonatal respiratory support using maternal background information and other variables related to blood pressure changes as independent variables. Results: The Continuous group and the Bolus group were composed of 98 and 122 patients, respectively. No difference was observed in maternal background information between the groups. Significant changes were noted in several blood pressure parameters between both groups. As for neonatal parameters, newborns of Bolus group patients had lower pO2, 1 min and 5 min Apgar scores, and required more respiratory support than those of Continuous group patients. In the multiple regression analysis, the groups and maternal post-anesthesia diastolic blood pressure variability were considered explanatory variables. Conclusions: Maternal hypotension and the need for neonatal respiratory support associated with anesthesia administration in elective cesarean section may be improved by continuous vasopressor administration upon induction of combined spinal–epidural anesthesia

Permissible Outcomes of Lobe-Specific Lymph Node Dissection for Elevated Carcinoembryonic Antigen in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Background and Objectives: Lobe-specific nodal dissection (L-SND) is currently acceptable for the dissection of early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) but not for cancers of more advanced clinical stages. We aimed to assess the efficacy of L-SND, compared to systemic nodal dissection (SND). Materials and Methods: We retrospectively collected the clinical data of patients with carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) abnormality who underwent complete resection of NSCLC via lobectomy or more in addition to either SND or L-SND at two cancer-specific institutions from January 2006 to December 2017. Results: A total of 799 patients, including 265 patients who underwent SND and 534 patients who underwent L-SND, were included. On multivariate analysis, thoracotomy, more than lobectomy, cN1-2, advanced pathological stage, adjuvant treatment, and EGFR or ALK were strongly associated with SND. No significant differences were found in overall survival, disease-free survival, and overtime survival after propensity adjustment (p = 0.09, p = 0.11, and p = 0.50, respectively). There were no significant differences in local (p = 0.16), regional (p = 0.72), or distant (p = 0.39) tumor recurrence between the two groups. Conclusions: SND did not improve the prognosis of NSCLC patients with CEA abnormality. Complete pulmonary resection via L-SND seems useful for NSCLC patients with CEA abnormality

A Genetic Map for the Only Self-Fertilizing Vertebrate

The mangrove killifish Kryptolebias marmoratus, and its close relative Kryptolebias hermaphroditus, are the only vertebrate species known to reproduce by self-fertilization due to functional ovotestis development. To improve our understanding of their genomes, we constructed a genetic map. First, a single F1 fish was made by artificial fertilization between K. marmoratus and K. hermaphroditus strains. F2 progeny were then obtained by self-fertilization of the F1 fish. We used RAD-seq to query genomic DNAs from the two parental strains, the F1 individual and 49 F2 progeny. Results identified 9904 polymorphic RAD-tags (DNA markers) that mapped to 24 linkage groups, corresponding to the haploid chromosome number of these species. The total length of the map was 1248 cM, indicating that about one recombination occurred for each of the 24 homologous chromosome pairs in each meiosis. Markers were not evenly distributed along the chromosomes: in all chromosomes, many markers (> 8% of the total markers for each chromosome) mapped to chromosome tips. Centromeres suppress recombination, and this uneven distribution is probably due to the species’ acrocentric chromosomes. Mapped marker sequences were compared to genomic sequences of medaka and platyfish, the next most closely related species with sequenced genomes that are anchored to genetic maps. Results showed that each mangrove killifish chromosome corresponds to a single chromosome of both platyfish and medaka, suggesting strong conservation of chromosomes over 100 million years of evolution. Our genetic map provides a framework for the K. marmoratus/K. hermaphroditus genome sequence and an important resource for understanding the biology of hermaphroditism

Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Tumor Model Uncovers the Embryonic Stem Cell Signature as a Key Driver in Atypical Teratoid/Rhabdoid Tumor

ヒトiPS細胞を使った小児脳腫瘍の病態解明 --新しい治療標的を同定--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2019-03-06.Atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor (AT/RT), which harbors SMARCB1 mutation and exhibits a characteristic histology of rhabdoid cells, has a poor prognosis because of the lack of effective treatments. Here, we establish human SMARCB1-deficient pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs). SMARCB1-deficient hPSC-derived neural progenitor-like cells (NPLCs) efficiently give rise to brain tumors when transplanted into the mouse brain. Notably, activation of an embryonic stem cell (ESC)-like signature confers a rhabdoid histology in SMARCB1-deficient NPLC-derived tumors and causes a poor prognosis. Consistently, we find the activation of the ESC-like gene expression signature and an ESC-like DNA methylation landscape in clinical specimens of AT/RT. Finally, we identify candidate genes that maintain the activation of the ESC-like signature and the growth of AT/RT cells. Collectively, SMARCB1-deficient hPSCs offer the human models for AT/RT, which uncover the role of the activated ESC-like signature in the poor prognosis and unique histology of AT/RT