Stroke severity and prognosis in patients on the brink of end-stage chronic kidney disease: K-PLUS registry.

Background And Purpose: The association between chronic kidney disease (CKD) grade and stroke severity or prognosis is still controversial. We investigated the relationship between CKD stage and stroke severity on admission and its influence on prognosis.

Methods: Using a regional stroke registry, the clinical characteristics of acute ischemic stroke patients were investigated in each CKD stage (G1-G5).

Auto Immune Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein Astrocytopathy Coexistent with Positivity for Anti-NH-terminal of α-enolase Antibodies: A Case Report.

A 46-year-old woman presented with acute disturbance of consciousness, ataxia, and urinary retention. Although Hashimoto's encephalopathy was initially suspected due to the detection of serum anti-NH-terminal α-enolase (NAE) antibodies, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-astrocytopathy was also considered probable due to urinary retention. An additional examination revealed positive results for both anti-GFAP and anti-NAE antibodies.

Plasma cell-free DNA methylation profile before afatinib treatment is associated with progression-free and overall survival of patients with epidermal growth factor receptor gene mutation-positive non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: The present study aimed to clarify the clinical significance of the cell-free DNA (cfDNA) methylation profile of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) showing the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene mutation.

Methods: In 103 patients, genome-wide DNA methylation analysis using Infinium Methylation EPIC array was performed using samples of pre-tyrosine kinase inhibitor afatinib-treatment plasma cfDNA (n = 101) and post-afatinib cfDNA (n = 84).

Results: Principal component analysis indicated that the cfDNA methylation profile was altered after afatinib treatment.

Effect of intravenous alteplase before endovascular therapy for atherothrombotic stroke-related large vessel occlusion: subanalysis of the RESCUE AT-LVO registry.

Background: Whether intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) should be administered prior to endovascular therapy (EVT) in patients with atherothrombotic stroke-related large vessel occlusion (AT-LVO) remains unclear. This study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of IVT administered before EVT in this patient population.

Methods: We analysed the data from a multicentre registry of patients who underwent EVT for AT-LVO.

Pathological characteristics of inflammatory bowel diseases.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an inflammatory disorder in which intestinal homeostasis is disrupted for some reason. Among them, ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) are frequently referred to as IBD in the narrow sense, characterized by relapse episodes and remission periods. The differential diagnosis of IBD involves a broad spectrum of inflammatory or infectious diseases that mimic UC and/or CD, as well as others that may complicate existing IBD.

Utilization of Heavily T2-Weighted Imaging and Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced 3T Magnetic Resonance Angiography for Diagnosing Spinal Extradural Arteriovenous Fistula: A Case Report.

Spinal arteriovenous fistula (SAVF), including spinal dural arteriovenous fistula and spinal extradural arteriovenous fistula (SEAVF), is a rare spinal vascular disorder characterized by abnormal intradural and extradural arteriovenous shunting, often resulting in progressive motor, sensory, and autonomic dysfunction. Due to its nonspecific presentation and overlapping imaging findings with other spinal diseases, SAVF is frequently misdiagnosed, delaying appropriate treatment and increasing the risk of neurological deterioration. Here, we present a case in which heavily T2-weighted imaging and dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography at 3T were valuable for the diagnosis of SEAVF.

Wafer-scale mapping of carrier density and mobility with terahertz time-domain ellipsometry.

Terahertz (THz) measurements are increasingly valued for nondestructive testing of materials in power devices and other applications. Hence, there is a growing demand for highly accurate characterization methods in the THz range. Here we demonstrate the application of THz time-domain ellipsometry (THz-TDE) to large-scale, quantitative mapping of semiconductor wafers.

Observation of THz surface waves escaping from metal gratings through a dielectric substrate.

Extensive research has been conducted on generating THz waves using Smith-Purcell radiation, yet a portion of the electron bunch's interaction energy with the gratings is confined to the metal gratings' surface, leading to a low THz radiation power. This paper experimentally demonstrates that metal gratings with a dielectric substrate can emit the resonant modes in surface waves when excited by relativistic femtosecond electron bunches. The observed spectra of the resonant THz waves align well with the theoretical estimations derived from the configuration's dispersion relation and 3D simulations.

Mechanistic Investigations of Chiral Lithium Binaphtholate Catalysis for Asymmetric Aldol-Tishchenko Reaction of α-Fluoroarylketones.

In this study, we analyzed the asymmetric aldol-Tishchenko reaction of α-fluoroarylketones with aldehydes in the presence of chiral lithium binaphtholate, which was readily prepared from a chiral BINOL derivative and lithium -butoxide. This tandem reaction afforded enantiomerically enriched 2-fluoro-1,3-diols with three contiguous stereogenic centers in high yield and with high diastereo- and enantioselectivities. Moreover, mechanistic investigations of the lithium binaphtholate-catalyzed enantioselective aldol-Tishchenko reaction were performed based on the kinetic isotope effect and computational analyses.

Spin switching in SmErFeO triggered by terahertz magnetic-field pulses.

Driving spin systems to states far from equilibrium is indispensable in investigations of functional nonlinearities of antiferromagnets for spintronics. So far, it has been shown that electric-field pulses in the spectral region from the visible to the terahertz range can be used to induce ultrafast switching between different spin states. Here we demonstrate that a multicycle terahertz magnetic-field pulse can be used to induce non-thermal spin switching in antiferromagnets.

Percutaneous Cerebral Angioplasty for Refractory Middle Cerebral Artery Stenosis Due to Varicella-Zoster Virus-Related Vasculopathy: A Case Report.

An 81-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with left hemiplegia after treatment for herpes zoster of the first branch of the right trigeminal nerve. CSF examination revealed an elevated varicella-zoster virus (VZV) antibody index. Brain MRI showed cerebral infarction in the right middle cerebral artery (MCA) territory and vessel wall thickening and enhancing effects at the ipsilateral MCA.

Complex anisotropy ratio of third harmonic generation in a semiconductor using a terahertz free electron laser.

The nonlinear susceptibility in the terahertz region is expected to have a non-negligible imaginary part originating from the momentum-dependent scattering time of free carriers, but it has been scarcely reported. By utilizing an intense 4 THz beam from a terahertz free electron laser, we investigated the azimuth angle dependence of the third harmonic generation (THG) from semiconductors. The observed angular anisotropy of THG revealed the contribution of the imaginary part of the nonlinear susceptibility originating from the momentum-scattering time relation in addition to its real part originating from the band nonparabolicity.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Acute Stroke Rehabilitation in Japanese Primary Stroke Centers: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study Using a Web-Based Questionnaire Survey.

Introduction: Acute stroke rehabilitation is crucial for achieving good functional recovery, even during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This study aimed to clarify the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on acute stroke rehabilitation and identify which components in the acute stroke rehabilitation provision system were susceptible to the pandemic.

Methods: A web-based questionnaire survey was conducted in all primary stroke centers (PSCs) in Japan between February 7 and April 21, 2022.

Delayed cerebral complications associated with endovascular catheter coil embolization for pulmonary venous shunts mimicking cerebral inflammatory diseases.

Introduction: Hydrophilic polymer embolism in the brain is a delayed complication of cerebral angiography or endovascular therapy. Herein, we report a rare case of a hydrophilic polymer embolism in the brain due to endovascular catheter coil embolization of pulmonary venous shunts.

Case Report: A 16-year-old female presented with headache, dizziness, nausea, and dysesthesia in the left upper limb.

Near-infrared imaging via upconversion in Er:CaF crystal with dual wavelength excitation.

We propose a system for imaging 1510 nm near-infrared (NIR) wavelength via upconversion (UC) luminescence in an Er-doped CaF crystal. Er ions are excited from the ground to the excited state levels by an 800-nm pre-excitation wavelength, followed by the promotion of these ions to a higher energy level by the NIR excitation wavelength. Relaxation of these excited ions gives rise to 540 nm UC luminescence in the visible region, enabling the detection of the 1510 nm NIR wavelength.

Stent Retriever Angioplasty for Acute Restenosis of the Middle Cerebral Artery: A Case Report.

We present a case of ischemic stroke treated by stent retriever angioplasty for restenosis during mechanical thrombectomy. An 85-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of left hemiplegia and left-sided hemispatial neglect caused by an occlusion at the origin of the right middle cerebral artery. Although mechanical thrombectomy transiently resulted in recanalization of the occluded lesion, restenosis immediately occurred and recurred repeatedly.

Observation of 2D-magnesium-intercalated gallium nitride superlattices.

Since the demonstration of p-type gallium nitride (GaN) through doping with substitutional magnesium (Mg) atoms, rapid and comprehensive developments, such as blue light-emitting diodes, have considerably shaped our modern lives and contributed to a more carbon-neutral society. However, the details of the interplay between GaN and Mg have remained largely unknown. Here we observe that Mg-intercalated GaN superlattices can form spontaneously by annealing a metallic Mg film on GaN at atmospheric pressure.

[Transient neurological deficits in a patient with chronic subdural hematoma].

A 62-year-old, right-handed man was diagnosed with asymptomatic bilateral chronic subdural hematomas and underwent hematoma removal on the left side only. At 1 month after surgery, he was admitted to our hospital because he began to have one or two attacks/day of apraxia of speech and dysesthesia of the right hand with a duration of approximately 5 ‍min. The left hematoma had not re-expanded, but fluid-attenuated inversion resonance imaging showed hyperintense lesions in the sulci adjacent to the hematoma.

Stent-retriever characteristics and strategies associated with recanalization in thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke.

Introduction: Predictive factors for successful reperfusion in mechanical thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke, and especially technical factors, remain controversial. We investigated various techniques for better angiographic outcomes.

Methods: In this retrospective study, acute ischemic stroke patients with large vessel occlusion treated with mechanical thrombectomy with combined technique were included.

Evidence and Recommendations for Acute Stroke Rehabilitation from the Japan Stroke Society: Abridged Secondary Publication of the Japanese-language Version.

Objectives: In Japan, acute stroke rehabilitation has been expanding more steadily than previously with the nationwide establishment of primary stroke centers. However, Japan previously had no established guidelines for the rehabilitation. Consequently, rehabilitation programs and the provision systems for acute stroke varied among the facilities.

Carotid Free-Floating Thrombus Treated With a Combined Technique Using Embotrap III for Distal Protection.

Carotid free-floating thrombus (FFT) is a rare condition in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Recently, endovascular therapy for carotid FFT has been increasingly reported, but the strategy has not yet been established. We report a case of an acute stroke patient with a carotid FFT, who was successfully treated with a combination of the direct aspiration first-pass technique (ADAPT) and the Embotrap III (Cerenovus, Irvine, CA), specifically designed to prevent distal embolization.

Fermentation of coffee fruit with sequential inoculation of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Saccharomyces cerevisiae: effect on sensory attributes and chemical composition of the beans.

This study has innovative aspects related to the use of sequential inoculation technique in the coffee bean fermentation process: the inoculation of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum followed by Saccharomyces cerevisiae, in the fermentation of coffee fruit for the production of specialty natural coffees. The objective was to evaluate the effect of this technique and of the total fermentation time on the sensory attributes of the coffee beverage and on the organic acid profile, bioactive compounds, and fatty acid profile of the beans. The fermentation of coffee fruit with sequential inoculation resulted in greater acidity of the beverage and contributed to increases of up to 2 points in coffee fermented.