Extended follow-up of recurrent glioblastoma patients treated with boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT): Long-term survival from a Phase II trial (JG002) using Cyclotron Neutron Source and Boronophenylalanine.

Purpose: The Phase II clinical trial (JG002) investigating accelerator-based boron neutron capture therapy (AB-BNCT) using a cyclotron-based epithermal neutron source for recurrent malignant gliomas has since concluded. The trial demonstrated favorable survival outcomes during the 1-year evaluation period defined in the protocol for patients with recurrent glioblastoma, a population with notoriously poor prognosis. Follow-up was originally limited to up to two years.

Diode-pumped Sm:YLF laser at 605 nm and 648 nm.

We report on diode-pumped Sm:YLF lasers at 605 nm and 648 nm. Using a 3-W pump laser diode at 401 nm, we obtained 263 mW and 548 mW of total extracted powers at 605 nm and 648 nm, corresponding to slope efficiencies versus absorbed pump power of 11% and 22%, respectively.

Spectroscopy and efficient OPSL-pumped laser operation of Er:BaF crystal at 2.8 µm.

We present growth, spectroscopy and efficient laser operation of the cubic fluoride crystal Er:BaF at 2.8 µm. An Er(3.

Highly efficient continuous-wave Tm:YLF cascade laser operating at telecommunication wavelengths.

Tm-doped YLF crystals with different doping concentrations are grown and investigated for their suitability for continuous-wave laser operation on the H→F transition around 1.5 µm. Our spectroscopic investigations reveal the emission, absorption, and gain cross sections as well as the concentration-dependent lifetime of the relevant energy levels.

Continuous-wave and Q-switched Tb:YLF lasers at 587 nm.

We report what we believe to be the highest continuous-wave (CW) output power from a Tb:YLF (Tb:LiYF) laser at 587 nm, reaching up to 1 W, and the first actively Q-switched operation in the orange spectral region with output energy of 0.5 mJ in 100 ns pulses at 500 Hz. This represents progress toward a next-generation ozone differential absorption lidar (DIAL) laser source.

544-nm Tb-doped LiYF laser pumped by 488-nm InGaN laser diodes and high peak power operation with cavity-dumped -switching.

We report a 544-nm -doped (Tb:YLF) laser pumped by two ∼488- , 2-W InGaN laser diodes in continuous-wave (CW) and cavity-dumped -switch operations. We obtained a CW output power of 482 mW with a slope efficiency of 43%. Cavity-dumped -switching generated 6-ns pulses with a pulse energy of 40 µJ at a repetition frequency of 100 Hz, resulting in the highest peak power of 6.

Quality assurance validation of remote neutron spectrometer for boron neutron capture therapy.

Background: The neutron beam in a boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) irradiation field comprises a range of energies with different relative biological effectiveness. The neutron energy spectrum can change over time due to variations in the neutron source. Current methods for measuring the neutron energy spectrum are impractical and have significant limitations, such as being time-consuming and posing radiation exposure risks; therefore, neutron energy spectrum measurement has not been incorporated into routine BNCT quality assurance (QA) procedures.

Ion-Pairing Assemblies of Polarized Charged Porphyrin.

A porphyrin Au complex comprising 5,10-penatafluorophenyl units was synthesized as a dipolar π-electronic cation. The π-electronic cation was combined with anions, including a bulky borate anion and planar π-electronic anions. The dipolar π-electronic cation formed crystal-state ion-pairing assemblies based on antiparallel stacking structures, which were stabilized by interionic dipole-dipole interactions.

Probiotic-derived glucose oxidase exerts therapeutic efficacy against pediatric B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Recent advances in therapy have significantly improved long-term survival in pediatric B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). However, relapse still occurs in 15-20 % of cases, and post-relapse survival rates remain suboptimal at 30-60 %. Therefore, novel therapeutic strategies effective against both primary and relapsed B-ALL are needed.

Recurrent meningioma treated with boron neutron capture therapy: a feasibility study with dosimetric and clinical correlates.

Background: Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is a targeted radiotherapy modality that has shown promise in the treatment of recurrent gliomas and head and neck cancers. Although meningiomas are generally slow-growing, recent studies have demonstrated favorable uptake of boron-containing compounds, particularly boronophenylalanine (BPA), suggesting a potential role for BNCT in recurrent meningioma.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 13 patients with recurrent meningiomas treated with salvage BNCT at the Tsing Hua Open-Pool Reactor between August 2020 and May 2024.

Neoantigen mRNA vaccines induce progenitor-exhausted T cells that support anti-PD-1 therapy in gastric cancer with peritoneal metastasis.

Background: Gastric cancer with peritoneal metastasis is associated with a poor prognosis. Current treatments, including the first-line therapy of combination chemotherapy with nivolumab for advanced recurrent gastric cancer, have shown limited efficacy against peritoneal dissemination. In this study, we evaluated neoantigen (neoAg)-mRNA lipid nanoparticle (LNP) as a potential agent in combination with anti-PD-1 therapy, focusing on its effects on neoAg-specific CD8 T cell responses and antitumor efficacy in a murine gastric cancer model.

Implementation of a real-time neutron monitor system for use in routine quality assurance of an accelerator-based neutron system for clinical boron neutron capture therapy.

Background: Currently, the metal foil activation method is routinely used to measure the neutron output of an accelerator-based neutron source designed for clinical Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT). Although this method is well established and has been primarily utilized since the nuclear reactor BNCT era, the process is labour-intensive and not well-suited for a busy hospital environment performing routine patient treatment. A replacement neutron detector system that is simple to use and can measure the neutron output in real-time is necessary.

Modulating Immunogenicity and Reactogenicity in mRNA-Lipid Nanoparticle Vaccines through Lipid Component Optimization.

Messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines effectively induce antibody production and T cell responses. However, adverse reactions, such as fatigue and fever, following administration remain a key challenge. To modulate the immunogenicity and reactogenicity of mRNA vaccines, the optimization of lipid nanoparticle (LNP) formulations has been attempted, particularly by screening ionizable lipids.

Post Hoc Analysis of Anxiety and Behavioral Changes in Japanese Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease due to the COVID-19 Pandemic: Relationship Between Municipal Population at the Place of Residence and Anxiety.

Aims: The Japan COVID-19 Survey and the Questionnaire for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (J-DESIRE) identified multiple factors associated with anxiety regarding the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, no regional differences in anxiety were observed. In this post hoc analysis of J-DESIRE, we investigated the relationship between the municipal population size at the place of residence (MPSPR) and anxiety among patients with IBD in Japan during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Direct observation of intra-grain defect formation during local solid-phase epitaxy.

Despite relentless efforts to improve fabrication processes, the achievement of a defect-free polycrystalline film (poly-film) through solid-phase crystallization (SPC) remains challenging, as evidenced by structural analyses. Understanding the dynamics of intermediate processes, including the precursor phenomena, is crucial for developing strategies to suppress defect formation. In this study, we directly observed elementary processes during crystal growth at local interfaces between crystalline Si (c-Si) grains and uncrystallized amorphous Si (a-Si) regions within a Si thin film using in situ high-resolution transmission electron microscopy.

Delayed-onset immune-related colitis more than three years after nivolumab therapy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma: A case report.

Nivolumab, a PD-1 inhibitor, enhances anti-tumor immunity but can cause immune-related adverse events (irAEs). Although irAE-colitis usually occurs within 2-3 months of starting nivolumab, we report a rare case that developed 38 months after treatment initiation. A 75-year-old man with metastatic renal cell carcinoma received multiple lines of molecular targeted therapies before starting nivolumab.

Heat stroke-induced hepatic lipid dysregulation: histological and lipidomic insights.

Global warming has increased summer temperatures, leading to a rise in heat stroke-related deaths in Japan. Heat stroke disrupts the body's adaptation to high temperatures, often resulting in severe complications, including liver damage and even death. However, despite the increasing incidence, pathological autopsies remain rare, and the histological changes associated with heat stroke are poorly understood.

Difluoroenol phosphinates as difluoroenolate surrogates: synthesis and applications in defluorination and deoxygenative coupling.

We report defluorinative and deoxygenative functionalization reactions of trifluoromethyl ketones mediated by the phospha-Brook rearrangement, offering a streamlined approach to selectively modifying fluorinated compounds. Trifluoromethyl ketones react with phosphine oxides to undergo a phospha-Brook rearrangement followed by β-fluoride elimination, providing difluoromethyl ketones in good yields. By tuning the reaction conditions, we achieved the selective one-pot synthesis of monofluoromethyl ketones and methyl ketones, demonstrating the method's versatility across a range of fluorine-containing derivatives.

SPICA Force Field for Nucleic Acids and Its Application to Lipid Nanoparticles.

Nucleic acid therapies have emerged as promising treatments for various diseases associated with aberrant gene expression. Cationic lipid-nucleic acid complexes (lipoplexes) remain at the forefront of such therapeutic approaches as drug delivery carriers. To facilitate the study of these carriers through coarse-grained molecular dynamics (CG-MD) simulations, we extend our surface property fitting coarse-grained (SPICA) force field to develop a reliable DNA model with enhanced compatibility with lipids.

Hypothermia drives fatty acid transporter 1 upregulation and lipid accumulation in renal tubules: evidence from forensic cases.

Forensic pathology lacks generally accepted markers for hypothermia, relying instead on various physiological responses to low temperatures as postmortem diagnostic indicators. We have demonstrated that fatty acid transporter 1 (FATP1) is upregulated in renal tubules of a mouse hypothermia model, causing lipid accumulation. This study aims to determine if a similar phenomenon occurs in cases of human hypothermia and evaluate its potential as a diagnostic tool.

Structural basis of the hepatitis B virus X protein in complex with DDB1.

A cure for chronic hepatitis B requires eliminating or permanently silencing covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA). A pivotal target of this approach is the hepatitis B virus (HBV) X protein (HBx), which is a key factor that promotes transcription from cccDNA. However, the HBx structure remains unsolved.

Study of Ionizable Lipid Nanoparticles Using the SPICA Force Field.

Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), composed of ionizable amino lipids, phosphatidylcholines (PC) lipids, and cholesterol, have shown promise as delivery vehicles for therapeutic oligonucleotides in various applications, including cancer immunotherapies, cellular reprogramming, genome editing, and viral vaccines (, COVID-19 vaccines). However, the molecular characterization of ionizable amino lipids and their assemblies, such as LNPs, both and , remains in its early stages. In particular, studies on LNPs to understand their nanostructure have been limited due to the need for accurate coarse-grained (CG) models.

Accuracy of cervical pedicle screw placement using a patient-specific template guide system and risk factor analysis for screw perforation: CT-based evaluation of 437 screws.

Purpose: Cervical pedicle screws (CPS) inserted with template-guided systems (TGS) have a low perforation rate. However, only a few case studies have been reported, and the risk factors for perforation remain unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of CPS placement using TGS in a large case series and analyze the risk factors for CPS perforation.

Systemic mRNA Delivery into the Muscle of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Model Mice Using Alpha-Dystroglycan Binding Peptide Modified Lipid Nanoparticles.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a hereditary disease that requires gene or nucleic acid therapy, which involves muscle-targeted delivery of therapeutic material. We previously developed liposomes targeting muscle tissue in DMD model mice (mdx) using an A2G80 peptide, which has an affinity for α-dystroglycan abundantly expressed on the muscle cell membrane. However, these liposomes did not carry gene or nucleic acids.