The usefulness of machine-learning-based evaluation of clinical and pretreatment 18F-FDG-PET/CT radiomic features for predicting prognosis in patients with laryngeal cancer

OBJECTIVE

To examine whether machine learning (ML) analyses involving clinical and 18F-FDG-PET-based radiomic features are helpful in predicting prognosis in patients with laryngeal cancer.

METHODS

This retrospective study included 49 patients with laryngeal cancer who underwent18F-FDG-PET/CT before treatment, and these patients were divided into the training (n = 34) and testing (n = 15) cohorts.Seven clinical (age, sex, tumor size, T stage, N stage, Union for International Cancer Control stage, and treatment) and 40 18F-FDG-PET-based radiomic features were used to predict disease progression and survival. Six ML algorithms (random forest, neural network, k-nearest neighbors, naïve Bayes, logistic regression, and support vector machine) were used for predicting disease progression. Two ML algorithms (cox proportional hazard and random survival forest [RSF] model) considering for time-to-event outcomes were used to assess progression-free survival (PFS), and prediction performance was assessed by the concordance index (C-index).

RESULTS

Tumor size, T stage, N stage, GLZLM_ZLNU, and GLCM_Entropy were the five most important features for predicting disease progression.In both cohorts, the naïve Bayes model constructed by these five features was the best performing classifier (training: AUC = 0.805; testing: AUC = 0.842). The RSF model using the five features (tumor size, GLZLM_ZLNU, GLCM_Entropy, GLRLM_LRHGE and GLRLM_SRHGE) exhibited the highest performance in predicting PFS (training: C-index = 0.840; testing: C-index = 0.808).

CONCLUSION

ML analyses involving clinical and 18F-FDG-PET-based radiomic features may help predict disease progression and survival in patients with laryngeal cancer.

ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE

ML approach using clinical and 18F-FDG-PET-based radiomic features has the potential to predict prognosis of laryngeal cancer.

Comparison of clinical outcomes of osimertinib and first-generation EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in TKI-untreated EGFR-mutated non-small-cell lung cancer with leptomeningeal metastases

BACKGROUND

Leptomeningeal metastases (LM) are devastating complications of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutated non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Although osimertinib, a third-generation EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), has better penetration into the central nervous system than first-generation EGFR-TKIs, data on the distinct activity of EGFR-TKIs in untreated advanced EGFR-mutated NSCLC with LM are lacking.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed patients treated with EGFR-TKIs for TKI-untreated common EGFR-mutated NSCLC with LM between July 2002 and July 2021 at the National Cancer Center Hospital. The patients were divided into two groups: patients treated with osimertinib (Osi group) and those treated with gefitinib or erlotinib [first-generation (1G)-TKI group].

RESULTS

Of the 967 patients, 71 were eligible, including 29 in the Osi group and 42 in the 1G-TKI group. The median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in the Osi group were better than those in the 1G-TKI group (PFS: 16.9 months versus 8.6 months, P = 0.007, and OS: 26.6 months versus 20.0 months, P = 0.158). The LM-overall response rate (ORR) and LM-PFS were significantly better in the Osi group than in the 1G-TKI group (LM-ORR: 62.5% versus 25.7%, P = 0.007; LM-PFS: 23.4 months versus 12.1 months, P = 0.021). In the subgroup analysis of EGFR mutation status, LM-PFS for patients with exon 19 deletion was significantly longer in the Osi group than in the 1G-TKI group (32.7 months versus 13.4 months, P = 0.013), whereas those with L858R mutation in exon 21 did not differ between the two groups. In the multivariate analysis, osimertinib and exon 19 deletion were significant factors for better LM-PFS and OS.

CONCLUSION

Osimertinib can be more effective for untreated common EGFR-mutated NSCLC patients with LM, especially those with exon 19 deletion, compared to first-generation TKIs.

A large-scale targeted proteomics of plasma extracellular vesicles shows utility for prognosis prediction subtyping in colorectal cancer

PURPOSE

The pathogenesis of cancers depends on the molecular background of each individual patient. Therefore, verifying as many biomarkers as possible and clarifying their relationships with each disease status would be very valuable. We performed a large-scale targeted proteomics analysis of plasma extracellular vesicles (EVs) that may affect tumor progression and/or therapeutic resistance.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

Plasma EVs from 59 were collected patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) and 59 healthy controls (HC) in cohort 1, and 150 patients with CRC in cohort 2 for the large-scale targeted proteomics analysis of 457 proteins as candidate CRC markers. The Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon test and random forest model were applied in cohort 1 to select promising markers. Consensus clustering was applied to classify patients with CRC in cohort 2. The Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression analysis were performed to identify potential molecular factors contributing to the overall survival (OS) of patients.

RESULTS

In the analysis of cohort 1, 99 proteins were associated with CRC. The analysis of cohort 2 revealed two clusters showing significant differences in OS (p = 0.017). Twelve proteins, including alpha-1-acid glycoprotein 1 (ORM1), were suggested to be associated with the identified CRC subtypes, and ORM1 was shown to significantly contribute to OS, suggesting that ORM1 might be one of the factors closely related to the OS.

CONCLUSIONS

The study identified two novel subtypes of CRC, which exhibit differences in OS, as well as important biomarker proteins that are closely related to the identified subtypes. Liquid biopsy assessment with targeted proteomics analysis was proposed to be crucial for predicting the CRC prognosis.

Capillary microsampling-based single-cell metabolomics by mass spectrometry and its applications in medicine and drug discovery

Characterization of cellular metabolic states is a technical challenge in biomedicine. Cellular heterogeneity caused by inherent diversity in expression of metabolic enzymes or due to sensitivity of metabolic reactions to perturbations, necessitates single cell analysis of metabolism. Heterogeneity is typically seen in cancer and thus, single-cell metabolomics is expectedly useful in studying cancer progression, metastasis, and variations in cancer drug response. However, low sample volumes and analyte concentrations limit detection of critically important metabolites. Capillary microsampling-based mass spectrometry approaches are emerging as a promising solution for achieving single-cell omics. Herein, we focus on the recent advances in capillary microsampling-based mass spectrometry techniques for single-cell metabolomics. We discuss recent technical developments and applications to cancer medicine and drug discovery.

Cell-Free Synthesis of Human Endothelin Receptors and Its Application to Ribosome Display

Engineering G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) for improved stability or altered function is of great interest, as GPCRs consist of the largest protein family, are involved in many important signaling pathways, and thus, are one of the major drug targets. Here, we report the development of a high-throughput screening method for GPCRs using a reconstituted in vitro transcription-translation (IVTT) system. Human endothelin receptor type-B (ETBR), a class A GPCR that binds endothelin-1 (ET-1), a 21-residue peptide hormone, was synthesized in the presence of nanodisc (ND) composed of a phospholipid, 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-(1'-rac-glycerol) (POPG). The ET-1 binding of ETBR was significantly reduced or was undetectable when other phospholipids were used for ND preparation. However, when functional ETBR purified from Sf9 cells was reconstituted into NDs, ET-1 binding was observed with two different phospholipids tested, including POPG. These results suggest that POPG likely supports the folding of ETBR into its functional form in the IVTT system. Using the same conditions as ETBR, whose three-dimensional structure has been solved, human endothelin receptor type-A (ETAR), whose three-dimensional structure remains unsolved, was also synthesized in its functional form. By adding POPG-ND to the IVTT system, both ETAR and ETBR were successfully subjected to ribosome display, a method of in vitro directed evolution that facilitates the screening of up to 10¹² mutants. Finally, using a mock library, we showed that ribosome display can be applied for gene screening of ETBR, suggesting that high-throughput screening and directed evolution of GPCRs is possible in vitro.

In vitro reconstitution of the Escherichia coli 70S ribosome with a full set of recombinant ribosomal proteins

Many studies of the reconstitution of the Escherichia coli small ribosomal subunit from its individual molecular parts have been reported, but contrastingly, similar studies of the large ribosomal subunit have not been well performed to date. Here, we describe protocols for preparing the 33 ribosomal proteins of the E. coli 50S subunit and demonstrate successful reconstitution of a functionally active 50S particle that can perform protein synthesis in vitro. We also successfully reconstituted both ribosomal subunits (30S and 50S) and 70S ribosomes using a full set of recombinant ribosomal proteins by integrating our developed method with the previously developed fully recombinant-based integrated synthesis, assembly and translation. The approach described here makes a major contribution to the field of ribosome engineering and could be fundamental to the future studies of ribosome assembly processes.

Versatile and multiplexed mass spectrometry-based absolute quantification with cell-free-synthesized internal standard peptides

Preparation of stable isotope-labeled internal standard peptides is crucial for mass spectrometry (MS)-based targeted proteomics. Herein, we developed versatile and multiplexed absolute protein quantification method using MS. A previously developed method based on the cell-free peptide synthesis system, termed MS-based quantification by isotope-labeled cell-free products (MS-QBiC), was improved for multiple peptide synthesis in one-pot reaction. We pluralized the quantification tags used for the quantification of synthesized peptides and thus, made it possible to use cell-free synthesized isotope-labeled peptides as mixtures for the absolute quantification. The improved multiplexed MS-QBiC method was proved to be applied to clarify ribosomal proteins stoichiometry in the ribosomal subunit, one of the largest cellular complexes. The study demonstrates that the developed method enables the preparation of several dozens and even several hundreds of internal standard peptides within a few days for quantification of multiple proteins with only a single-run of MS analysis. SIGNIFICANCE: The developed method can be applied for the preparation of internal standard peptides without limiting the number of peptides to be synthesized, which may result in more practical screening of quantitatively reliable peptides, one of the fundamental steps in the reliable absolute quantification using MS. Furthermore, the method is highly versatile for proteome analysis of any organisms or species without any cDNA or SIL peptide libraries. The quantification can be finished in a few days including design and preparation of appropriate SIL peptides using small-scale batch cell-free reactions, which has a potential to be a part of the standard methodology in a field of quantitative proteomics.

Antisense Oligonucleotide Modified with Disulfide Units Induces Efficient Exon Skipping in mdx Myotubes through Enhanced Membrane Permeability and Nucleus Internalization

We have found that antisense oligonucleotides and siRNA molecules modified with repeat structures of disulfide units can be directly introduced into the cytoplasm and exhibit a suppressive effect on gene expression. In this study, we analyzed the mechanism of cellular uptake of these membrane-permeable oligonucleotides (MPONs). Time-course analysis by confocal microscopy showed that the uptake of MPONs from the plasma membrane to the cytoplasm reached 50 % of the total uptake in about 5 min. In addition, analysis of the plasma membrane proteins to which MPONs bind, identified several proteins, including voltage-dependent anion channel. Next, we analyzed the behavior of MPONs in the cell and found them to be abundant in the nucleus as early as 24 h after addition with the amount increasing further after 48 and 72 h. The amount of MPONs was 2.5-fold higher than that of unmodified oligonucleotides in the nucleus after 72 h. We also designed antisense oligonucleotides and evaluated the effect of MPONs on mRNA exon skipping using DMD model cells; MPONs caused exon skipping with 69 % efficiency after 72 h, which was three times higher than the rate of the control. In summary, the high capacity for intracytoplasmic and nuclear translocation of MPONs is expected to be useful for therapeutic strategies targeting exon skipping.

Loss of apical suction assessed by noninvasive pressure differences and twist in acute heart failure: a novel method using vector flow mapping

Background

Early diastolic intraventricular pressure difference (IVPD) reflects left ventricular (LV) apical suction, and IVPD is closely related to cardiac function, especially LV twist. Vector Flow Mapping (VFM) allows visualization of regional pressure distribution and noninvasive quantification of IVPD. The purpose of the present study was to investigate if and how IVPDs are related to LV twist in a model of acute heart failure (HF).

Methods

In 15 open-chest dogs, HF was induced by intracoronary injection of microspheres. The HF model was classified into two groups based on the LV end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) (group1: LVEDP<18 mmHg (n=10), group2: LVEDP≥18 mmHg (n=8)).

Color Doppler images from apical long-axis views were acquired at baseline and during HF. From these images, pressure differences (ΔP) were calculated along the LV inflow tract throughout the cardiac cycle. For the purpose of this study, the differences between apex and base during isovolumic relaxation time (ΔPIRT) and rapid early inflow period (ΔPE) were used for analyses. Furthermore, apical and basal short axis high frame rate 2D images were acquired, and peak rotation and peak twist were analyzed.

Results

LVEDP was 7±9, 14±2, 21±3 mmHg for baseline, group1 HF, and group2 HF, respectively. Pressure differences (both ΔPIRT and ΔPE) were visibly changed by the increase of LVEDP (Figure), and the magnitude of ΔPIRT, ΔPE and peak twist decreased significantly with the severity of heart failure. There were significant relationships between pressure differences (ΔPIRT and ΔPE) and dP/dtmin, tau, EF and peak twist (Table). In multivariate analyses, tau and peak twist were independent predictors for ΔPIRT and peak twist was independent predictor for ΔPE.

Conclusion

VFM analysis is feasible to noninvasively assess the IVPDs in acute heart failure. The IVPDs are closely related to the twisting motion of the LV, and reflect loss of apical suction during severe HF.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: None. VFM images of pressure differencesCorrelations of pressure differences

NF-kB decoy oligodeoxynucleotide preserves disc height in a rabbit anular-puncture model and reduces pain induction in a rat xenograft-radiculopathy model

While it is known that the degenerated intervertebral disc (IVD) is one of the primary reasons for low-back pain and subsequent need for medical care, there are currently no established effective methods for direct treatment. Nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) is a transcription factor that regulates various genes' expression, among which are inflammatory cytokines, in many tissues including the IVD. NF-κB decoy is an oligodeoxynucleotide containing the NF-κB binding site that entraps NF-κB subunits, resulting in suppression of NF-κB activity. In the present preclinical study, NF-κB decoy was injected into degenerated IVDs using the rabbit anular-puncture model. In terms of distribution, NF-κB decoy persisted in the IVDs up to at least 4 weeks after injection. The remaining amount of NF-κB decoy indicated that it fit a double-exponential-decay equation. Investigation of puncture-caused degeneration of IVDs showed that NF-κB decoy injection recovered, dose-dependently, the reduced disc height that was associated with reparative cell cloning and morphological changes, as assessed through histology. Gene expression, by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), showed that NF-κB decoy attenuated inflammatory gene expression, such as that of interleukin-1 and tumor necrosis factor-α, in rabbit degenerated IVDs. NF-κB decoy also reduced the pain response as seen using the "pain sensor" nude rat xenograft-radiculopathy model. This is the first report demonstrating that NF-κB decoy suppresses the inflammatory response in degenerated IVDs and restores IVD disc height loss. Therefore, the intradiscal injection of NF-κB decoy may have the potential as an effective therapeutic strategy for discogenic pain associated with degenerated IVDs.

Observation of Nonlinear Spin-Charge Conversion in the Thin Film of Nominally Centrosymmetric Dirac Semimetal SrIrO_{3} at Room Temperature

Spin-charge conversion via spin-orbit interaction is one of the core concepts in the current spintronics research. The efficiency of the interconversion between charge and spin current is estimated based on Berry curvature of Bloch wave function in the linear-response regime. Beyond the linear regime, nonlinear spin-charge conversion in the higher-order electric field terms has recently been demonstrated in noncentrosymmetric materials with nontrivial spin texture in the momentum space. Here, we report the observation of the nonlinear charge-spin conversion in a nominally centrosymmetric oxide material SrIrO_{3} by breaking inversion symmetry at the interface. A large second-order magnetoelectric coefficient is observed at room temperature because of the antisymmetric spin-orbit interaction at the interface of Dirac semimetallic bands, which is subject to the symmetry constraint of the substrates. Our study suggests that nonlinear spin-charge conversion can be induced in many materials with strong spin-orbit interaction at the interface by breaking the local inversion symmetry to give rise to spin splitting in otherwise spin degenerate systems.

A novel orexin antagonist from a natural plant was discovered using zebrafish behavioural analysis

OBJECTIVE

Phenotypic screening is one of the most practical approaches to the identification of mediators of behaviour, since it is difficult to model brain function in vitro, at a cellular level. We used a zebrafish (Danio rerio) behavioural assay to discover novel, natural, neuroactive compounds.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A zebrafish behavioural assay was performed for seven natural compounds, obtained from plants. The behavioural profiles were compared to those of known psychoactive drugs. We characterised a natural compound exhibiting a behaviour profile similar to that of suvorexant, using in silico, in vitro and microarray expression analysis.

RESULTS

The behavioural analysis performed in this study classified central nervous system drugs according to their mechanism. Zebrafish treated with a natural compound, 8b-(4'-Hydroxytigloyloxy) costunolide (8b), showed behaviour profiles similar to those of zebrafish treated with suvorexant, a known orexin antagonist. This behavioural assay was validated using in silico and in vitro assays, which revealed that the new compound was a dual orexin receptor antagonist. In addition, transcriptome analysis suggested that 8b might regulate the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) related pathway.

CONCLUSIONS

We conclude that zebrafish phenotypic screening, combined with in silico assays and gene expression profiling, is a useful strategy to discover and characterize novel therapeutic compounds, including natural products.

Lactulose ingestion causes an increase in the abundance of gut-resident bifidobacteria in Japanese women: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial

The genus Bifidobacterium comprises various bacterial species, and the complement of species within the human intestinal tract differs from individual to individual. The balance of these bifidobacterial species remains poorly understood, although it is known that the abundance of bifidobacteria increases following the ingestion of prebiotics. We previously conducted a randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover study of 2 g/day lactulose ingestion for 2 weeks in 60 Japanese women. To study the effect of lactulose ingestion on each bifidobacterial species, here, we measured the abundance of each of the principal bifidobacterial species. After lactulose ingestion, the log cell counts of the Bifidobacterium adolescentis group (8.97±0.08 vs 9.39±0.08, P=0.0019), Bifidobacterium catenulatum group (9.45±0.10 vs 9.65±0.10, P=0.0032) and Bifidobacterium longum group (9.01±0.07 vs 9.29±0.07, P=0.0012) were significantly higher than in the placebo ingestion control group. However, the log cell counts were similar for Bifidobacterium breve (8.12±0.12 vs 8.33±0.12, P=0.20), Bifidobacterium bifidum (9.08±0.12 vs 9.42±0.14, P=0.095) and Bifidobacterium animalis subspecies lactis (8.65±0.53 vs 8.46±0.46, P=0.77). Cluster analysis of the log cell count data at the bifidobacterial species level revealed three distinct clusters, but the combinations and ratios of the constituent bifidobacteria were not affected by lactulose ingestion. Furthermore, principal coordinate analysis of the intestinal microbiota in the lactulose and placebo ingestion groups using Illumina MiSeq showed no significant differences in the intestinal microbiota as a whole. These results suggest that 2 g/day lactulose ingestion for 2 weeks significantly increases the abundance of intestinal bifidobacteria, but does not affect the intestinal microbiota as a whole.

Reconstituted cell-free protein synthesis using in vitro transcribed tRNAs

Entire reconstitution of tRNAs for active protein production in a cell-free system brings flexibility into the genetic code engineering. It can also contribute to the field of cell-free synthetic biology, which aims to construct self-replicable artificial cells. Herein, we developed a system equipped only with in vitro transcribed tRNA (iVTtRNA) based on a reconstituted cell-free protein synthesis (PURE) system. The developed system, consisting of 21 iVTtRNAs without nucleotide modifications, is able to synthesize active proteins according to the redesigned genetic code. Manipulation of iVTtRNA composition in the system enabled genetic code rewriting. Introduction of modified nucleotides into specific iVTtRNAs demonstrated to be effective for both protein yield and decoding fidelity, where the production yield of DHFR reached about 40% of the reaction with native tRNA at 30°C. The developed system will prove useful for studying decoding processes, and may be employed in genetic code and protein engineering applications.

Keita Hibi et al. develop a system to reconstitute cell-free protein synthesis using only in vitro transcribed tRNA (iVTtRNAs). They use 21 iVTtRNAs with and without nucleotide modifications to successfully synthesize functional proteins with about 40% production yield. Their system will be useful to study gene and protein engineering.

In vitro reconstitution of functional small ribosomal subunit assembly for comprehensive analysis of ribosomal elements in E. coli

In vitro reconstitution is a powerful tool for investigating ribosome functions and biogenesis, as well as discovering new ribosomal features. In this study, we integrated all of the processes required for Escherichia coli small ribosomal subunit assembly. In our method, termed fully Recombinant-based integrated Synthesis, Assembly, and Translation (R-iSAT), assembly and evaluation of the small ribosomal subunits are coupled with ribosomal RNA (rRNA) synthesis in a reconstituted cell-free protein synthesis system. By changing the components of R-iSAT, including recombinant ribosomal protein composition, we coupled ribosomal assembly with ribosomal protein synthesis, enabling functional synthesis of ribosomal proteins and subsequent subunit assembly. In addition, we assembled and evaluated subunits with mutations in both rRNA and ribosomal proteins. The study demonstrated that our scheme provides new ways to comprehensively analyze any elements of the small ribosomal subunit, with the goal of improving our understanding of ribosomal biogenesis, function, and engineering.

Shimojo et al. demonstrate the use of individually purified ribosomal proteins added into iSAT (integrated ribosomal synthesis, assembly, and translation) system to enable assembly of functional 30S subunits. They further show that while some 30S r-proteins must be full synthesized before transcription, others may be co-transcriptionally produced, to enable the assembly of 30S particles.

P2477Assessment of intraventricular flow dynamics in acute heart failure studied by Vector Flow Mapping

Background

Although left ventricular (LV) flow dynamics should be closely related to LV morphology and function, little is known about how heart failure (HF) changes it. Pathline Analysis (PA), a recently developed software based on Vector Flow Mapping (VFM, Hitachi), enables us to trace the virtual blood particles entering to the LV in diastole and being ejected in systole. We investigated the change of flow dynamics in HF induced in dogs using PA.

Methods

In 15 open-chest dogs, HF was induced by intracoronary injection of microspheres. Color Doppler images of apical long-axis view were acquired using Prosound F75 (Hitachi) before and after HF and were analyzed by PA. We calculated the ratio of the numbers of entering particles in diastole and ejected particles in systole (ejection rate) and the distance reached by the particles in diastole corrected by the LV long-axis diameter (propagation distance). Apical and basal short axis images were acquired using GE Vivid E9 and were analyzed for peak rotation and peak twist.

Results

After inducing HF, LV end-diastolic pressure increased from 6±2 to 15±5 mmHg (p<0.001) and ejection fraction (EF), apical peak rotation and peak twist decreased significantly (EF; 58±5 to 36±8%, apical peak rotation; 14±5 to 3±2 degree, peak twist; 19±5 to 6±3 degree, p<0.05, respectively). PA showed most of the entering particles to the LV were ejected in the following systole at the control stage, but in HF, a significant part of the entering particles were not ejected and remained in the LV (Figure). Ejection rate decreased from 50±11 to 26±11% (p<0.001) and the propagation distance decreased from 85±9 to 66±13% (p<0.001) after inducing HF. There were significant relationships between indices obtained by PA and EF and peak twist (Table).

Conclusion

A significant part of inflow is not ejected directly to the outflow in the next systole and remains in the LV in HF, suggesting inefficient flow dynamics.

P1470Myocardial dysfunction index: a novel myocardial strain parameter for diagnosing myocardial ischemia

Background and purpose

Peak systolic strain (ε-sys) derived from speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) is a useful parameter for assessing regional contractile dysfunction during acute ischemia. However, low ε-sys does not always indicate myocardial ischemia because of its relatively large variation in segmental normal ranges and intervendor differences. Therefore, comparison of strain before and after an ischemic event and demonstration of a decrease in ε-sys should be necessary to confirm myocardial ischemia, which is not always possible in clinical situations. It is well known that early systolic lengthening (ESL) and post-systolic shortening (PSS) occur during acute ischemia. We hypothesized that ESL and PSS would correlate with the decrease in ε-sys and integrated analysis of ESL and PSS could be useful to diagnose the presence of myocardial ischemia.

Methods

2D short-axis or 3D full-volume images were acquired by Artida at baseline, during flow-limiting stenosis (mean 50±20% flow reduction), and during complete occlusion of the left circumflex coronary artery in 22 dogs (2D-STE = 12, 3D-STE = 10).Circumferential strain was analyzed in the center of risk area, and the absolute value of peak systolic strain (ε-sys), post-systolic strain index (PSI) as a parameter of PSS, and early systolic strain index (ESI) as a parameter of ESL were measured. A new parameter, myocardial dysfunction index (MDI), which was calculated as follows: (ESL amplitude + PSS amplitude)/maximal strain amplitude during the cardiac cycle, was also calculated. The difference in ε-sys between at baseline and during ischemia (Δε-sys) was measured and the diagnostic accuracy for estimating Δε-sys < −3% was assessed by the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis.

Results

During ischemia, ε-sys decreased from 19±3 to 12±6% and MDI increased from 2±4 to 27±30%. MDI was significantly correlated with Δε-sys (2D-STE: r=−0.80, 3D-STE: r=−0.83, p<0.01, respectively) (Figure). The area under the curve (AUC) of MDI for estimating Δε-sys < −3% tended to be larger than those of ESI and PSI (MDI: 0.9, ESI: 0.73, PSI: 0.85).

Figure 1

Conclusions

The novel parameter, MDI was correlated with the decrease in ε-sys during acute ischemia. Integrated analysis of ESL and PSS may be useful for diagnosing the presence of myocardial ischemia.

Prebiotic effect of two grams of lactulose in healthy Japanese women: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial

Sixty healthy Japanese women with a defaecation frequency of 2-4 times/week participated in this randomised, double-blind crossover trial. Participants received 2 g/day lactulose for 2 weeks and placebo in a random order, separated by a washout period of 3 weeks. Eight participants were excluded who did not satisfy the conditions, and therefore data from 52 were analysed. The primary outcome was defaecation frequency and the secondary outcomes were the number of defaecation days, faecal consistency, faecal volume, and the number and percentage of Bifidobacterium in faeces. The defaecation frequency (times/week) was significantly higher during lactulose (4.28±0.23) than placebo (3.83±0.23) treatment (delta (Δ) 0.45 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.10-0.80], P=0.013). The defaecation days (days/week) was significantly higher during lactulose (3.77±0.17) than placebo (3.47±0.17) treatment (Δ0.30 [95% CI 0.04-0.56], P=0.024). Faecal consistency using the Bristol Stool Scale (/defaecation) was significantly higher during lactulose (3.84±0.10) than placebo (3.68±0.10) treatment (Δ0.16 [95% CI 0.00-0.31], P=0.044). Faecal volume (/week) was significantly higher during lactulose (21.73±3.07) than placebo (17.65±3.07) treatment (Δ4.08 [95% CI 0.57-7.60], P=0.024). The number of Bifidobacterium in faeces (log colony forming units/g faeces) was significantly higher during lactulose (9.53±0.06) than placebo (9.16±0.06) treatment (Δ0.37 [95% CI 0.23-0.49], P<0.0001). The percentage of Bifidobacterium in faeces was also significantly higher during lactulose (25.3±1.4) than placebo (18.2±1.4) treatment (Δ7.1 [95% CI 2.9-11.4], P=0.0014). Finally, straining at defaecation (/defaecation) during lactulose (3.62±0.24) treatment was significantly lower than during placebo (3.97±0.24) treatment (Δ0.35 [95% CI -0.69 – -0.02], P=0.037). No significant difference was observed between lactulose and placebo with regard to flatulence. Severe adverse effects did not occur. Thus, oral ingestion of 2 g/day lactulose had a prebiotic effect, increasing the number and percentage of bifidobacteria in faeces, softening the faeces, and increasing defaecation frequency, but without increasing flatulence.

Recent results from the LHCf and RHICf experiments

The Large Hadron Collider forward and the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider forward experiments measured forward particles produced in high-energy hadron collisions at the LHC and RHIC. Using compact calorimeters neutral particles produced in pseudorapidities η >8.4 and η >6.0 are observed by the respective experiments. Because the collision energies ranging from 0.51 TeV to 13 TeV correspond to the cosmic-ray equivalent energies of 1014 to 1017 eV, the measurements are important to understand the hadronic interaction relevant to extensive air shower measurements. This paper reviews recent results of LHCf and initial performance of RHICf that took data in the 2017 RHIC operation.

Short- and Long-Term Outcomes of Live Donor Renal Allografts From Older and Younger Donors

BACKGROUND

The rising demand for living renal donors has led to the recruitment of older donors. Findings vary, but these grafts appear to survive as long as grafts from standard criteria deceased and expanded criteria deceased donors. We investigated the effects of donor age ≥65 years and the presence or absence of donor antihypertensive therapy on patient condition 1 year after transplantation, and retrospectively examined 1-year (273 patients), 3-year (217 patients), and 5-year (140 patients) patient and graft survival.

METHODS

We divided 273 donor-recipient pairs into Group Y (donor age <65 years, n = 224) and Group O (donor age ≥65 years, n = 49). Group O was subdivided into donors receiving treatment for hypertension (subgroup O-1, n = 16) and those not receiving treatment for hypertension (subgroup O-2, n = 33). We compared results of 1 hour post-transplant biopsies and looked at a small number of 1 year post-transplant biopsies.

RESULTS

Although a significantly larger percentage of recipients from younger donors were undergoing preemptive transplantation, and the incidence of arteriosclerosis was significantly higher in the Group O kidneys, there were no significant differences between the 2 groups in terms of patient or graft survival at 1, 3, or 5 years; serum creatinine levels; or number of episodes of acute rejection. The presence or absence of donor antihypertensive treatment had no effect.

CONCLUSIONS

We found that donor age ≥65, with or without antihypertensive treatment, had no effect on graft or patient survival.

Cell-free synthesis of stable isotope-labeled internal standards for targeted quantitative proteomics

High-sensitivity mass spectrometry approaches using selected reaction monitoring (SRM) or multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) methods are powerful tools for targeted quantitative proteomics-based investigation of dynamics in specific biological systems. Both high-sensitivity detection of low-abundance proteins and their quantification using this technique employ stable isotope-labeled peptide internal standards. Currently, there are various ways for preparing standards, including chemical peptide synthesis, cellular protein expression, and cell-free protein or peptide synthesis. Cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) or in vitro translation (IVT) systems in particular provide high-throughput and low-cost preparation methods, and various cell types and reconstituted forms are now commercially available. Herein, we review the use of such systems for precise and reliable protein quantification.

Effective Treatment With Daclatasvir and Asunaprevir in Kidney Transplant Patients Infected With Hepatitis C Virus: A Report of Two Cases

BACKGROUND

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is known to affect long-term patient and graft survivals after kidney transplantation (KT). Recently, combination therapy with the use of 2 oral direct-acting antivirals, daclatasvir (DCV) and asunaprevir (ASV) reportedly showed a high rate of HCV eradication. We report the safety and efficacy of DCV and ASV therapy in 2 KT patients.

METHODS

The safety and viral responses were investigated in a prospective study of KT patients infected with HCV genotype 1. Two patients received 60 mg DCV once daily plus 100 mg ASV twice daily for 24 weeks.

RESULTS

A 69-year-old woman and a 57-year-old man underwent DCV and ASV therapy for 24 weeks. In both cases, the HCV genotype was 1b. Case 1 had undergone KT twice and had received treatment with pegylated interferon and ribavirin. She received DCV and ASV therapy 12 years after the 2nd KT, and had undetectable virus after only 6 weeks of treatment and at 24 weeks after the end of treatment (SVR24). The post-transplantation immunosuppressive therapy at that time comprised tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil, and prednisolone. The other case, after failure of interferon treatment, received DCV and ASV therapy 27 years after his KT and achieved SVR24. His immunosuppressive regimen at that time was mizoribine and prednisolone. DCV and ASV therapy did not affect renal graft function or tacrolimus blood concentrations.

CONCLUSIONS

DCV and ASV therapy had high antiviral effect and a low rate of adverse events in KT patients.

Effects of chronic intracerebroventricular infusion of neurosecretory protein GL on body mass and food and water intake in chicks

Recently, we discovered a novel cDNA encoding the precursor of a small secretory protein, neurosecretory protein GL (NPGL), in the chicken mediobasal hypothalamus. In this study, immunohistochemical analysis revealed that NPGL was produced in the infundibular and medial mammillary nuclei of the mediobasal hypothalamus, with immunoreactive fibers also detected in the hypothalamus and the median eminence. As it is known that these regions are involved in feeding behavior in chicks, we surveyed the effects of chronic intracerebroventricular infusion of NPGL on feeding behavior and body mass for a period of two weeks. NPGL stimulated food and water intake, with a concomitant increase in body mass. However, NPGL did not influence mRNA expression of several hypothalamic ingestion-related neuropeptides. Our data suggest that NPGL may be a novel neuronal regulator involved in growth processes in chicks.

Live Single-Cell Mass Spectrometry (LSC-MS) for Plant Metabolomics

Live single-cell mass spectrometry (LSC-MS) allows for the detection of hundreds to thousands of metabolite peaks acquired from a single plant cell within a few minutes. Plant cells are first observed under a stereomicroscope, a cell of interest is chosen, and then sampled using a metal-coated glass microcapillary for subsequent analysis. A few microliters of ionization solvent is then added to the rear end of the capillary followed by the introduction of the capillary's content directly into the mass spectrometer. High voltage is applied between the capillary and the mass spectrometer inlet to induce nanospray ionization. Metabolite structural confirmation is performed using tandem mass spectrometry analysis (MS/MS) and fragments are matched with MS/MS databases to predict metabolic pathways. This method enables swift and direct molecular detection and identification of specific metabolites from a single plant cell along with their localization within the cell, which will allow for comprehensive understanding of plant metabolomics on a single cell level.