Association between chronic pain with presarcopenia and central sensitization in Japanese community-dwelling older adults: A cross-sectional study

Older people with chronic pain are at higher risk of developing sarcopenia. Central sensitization (CS) has been implicated in chronic pain among community-dwelling older adults. However, a relationship between CS and chronic pain with sarcopenia has not been established. This cross-sectional study aimed to clarify the relationship between chronic pain with sarcopenia or presarcopenia and CS among community-dwelling older adults. We assessed chronic pain and sarcopenia in 104 older adults participating in community health checks. We defined sarcopenia using the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS) consensus recommendations based on the following outcomes: low muscle mass, low muscle strength, and slow gait speed. Pain-related assessments included pain intensity, the Pain Catastrophizing Scale, the CS Inventory-9, the pressure pain threshold, the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia-11, and the EuroQol 5-dimension 5-level (EQ5D-5L). Chronic pain was defined by related symptoms within the month prior to the health check that had continued for ≥ 3 months and corresponded to a numerical rating scale score of ≥ 1 at the site of maximum pain. The prevalence of chronic pain was 43.3%. In addition, the prevalence of chronic pain with sarcopenia or presarcopenia was 29.8%. A logistic regression analysis revealed that the pressure pain threshold (odds ratio: 0.82, 95% CI: 0.95–1.02) and the EQ5D-5L (odds ratio: 0.58, 95% CI: 0.36–0.76) were significantly associated with the presence of chronic pain with sarcopenia or presarcopenia. Chronic pain with sarcopenia or presarcopenia was affected by central sensitization. Therefore, CS should be evaluated in the elderly.     

Label‐free multiphoton excitation imaging as a promising diagnostic tool for breast cancer

Histopathological diagnosis is the ultimate method of attaining the final diagnosis; however, the observation range is limited to the two‐dimensional plane, and it requires thin slicing of the tissue, which limits diagnostic information. To seek solutions for these problems, we proposed a novel imaging‐based histopathological examination. We used the multiphoton excitation microscopy (MPM) technique to establish a method for visualizing unfixed/unstained human breast tissues. Under near‐infrared ray excitation, fresh human breast tissues emitted fluorescent signals with three major peaks, which enabled visualizing the breast tissue morphology without any fixation or dye staining. Our study using human breast tissue samples from 32 patients indicated that experienced pathologists can estimate normal or cancerous lesions using only these MPM images with a kappa coefficient of 1.0. Moreover, we developed an image classification algorithm with artificial intelligence that enabled us to automatically define cancer cells in small areas with a high sensitivity of ≥0.942. Taken together, label‐free MPM imaging is a promising method for the real‐time automatic diagnosis of breast cancer.     

Molecular diversity of TEX101, a marker glycoprotein for germ cells monitored with monoclonal antibodies: variety of the molecular characteristics according to subcellular localization within the mouse testis

TEX101 was characterized as a unique germ cell marker molecule using the specific monoclonal antibody (mAb), TES101. Although this mAb has strong affinity/specificity for TEX101, TES101 mAb loses its reactivity under reducing conditions. In this study, we have generated new mAbs against TEX101 to compensate for the shortcomings of the TES101 mAb using different approaches. First, we immunized mice with the antigen on a baculovirus expression system and isolated new anti-TEX101 mAbs, 6002 and 6035. Second, we raised the mAb Ts4 from spleen cells of an immunologically naive old mouse. Western blot analysis revealed that the new mAbs possess immunoreactivity under reducing/non-reducing conditions. Immunopositive staining of the mAbs against Bouin-fixed sections was observed in spermatocytes, spermatids and testicular spermatozoa, but not in other cells, similar to paraformaldehyde (PFA)-fixed frozen sections stained with TES101 as previously reported. However, whereas the mAbs 6002/6035 mainly showed immunoreactivity only in spermatocytes in PFA-fixed frozen sections, the reactivity of the mAbs to spermatids and testicular spermatozoa was clearly recovered when the PFA-fixed sections were autoclaved or treated with SDS. Peptide mapping and deglycosylation analysis indicated that the epitopes for TES101, 6002 and 6035 are located within TEX101(25-94), whereas Ts4 recognized N-linked carbohydrate moieties on TEX101 in Triton X-100-soluble mouse testicular extracts but not in the extracellular or water-soluble fractions. These results suggest strongly that the molecular association or structure of N-linked carbohydrate moieties of TEX101 varies according to its subcellular localization within the seminiferous tubules. These new mAbs will be valuable tools for further analysis of TEX101, including its function(s).     

Antimicrobial second skin using copper nanomesh

The functional support and advancement of our body while preserving inherent naturalness is one of the ultimate goals of bioengineering. Skin protection against infectious pathogens is an application that requires common and long-term wear without discomfort or distortion of the skin functions. However, no antimicrobial method has been introduced to prevent cross-infection while preserving intrinsic skin conditions. Here, we propose an antimicrobial skin protection platform copper nanomesh, which prevents cross-infectionmorphology, temperature change rate, and skin humidity. Copper nanomesh exhibited an inactivation rate of 99.99% for Escherichia coli bacteria and influenza virus A within 1 and 10 min, respectively. The thin and porous nanomesh allows for conformal coating on the fingertips, without significant interference with the rate of skin temperature change and humidity. Efficient cross-infection prevention and thermal transfer of copper nanomesh were demonstrated using direct on-hand experiments.

The functional support and advancement of our body while preserving the inherent naturalness is one of the ultimate goals of bioengineering (1–4). A functional layer is placed on the skin to complement the intrinsic biological and interactive functions (5, 6) and to add functions that do not yet exist (7–9). During use, the second skin layer should completely exploit its function and underlay skin functions without deforming the skin or interfering with the skin’s external interaction. Materials and structures need to be conformal and mechanically similar to the skin to minimize the distortion of natural sensations and movements. In addition, the air and heat transfer on the skin must be unimpeded to obtain a natural and comfortable wear fit (10).Body protection that requires common and long-term wear is an application in which both functionality and naturalness are important. As the outermost layer connecting our body to the environment, the skin is exposed to physical damage, hazardous chemicals, and infectious pathogens (11, 12). Therefore, we add a protective layer on the skin that blocks or filters out external contaminants. This entails the isolation and accumulation of biochemical compounds, which can lead to self-contamination and the subsequent cross-contamination/infection by interacting with other objects. In contrast to chemical contamination, which is not self-reproductive, the biological contamination of infectious microbes, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is a considerable issue to be addressed.By containing an antimicrobial material on the surface of the skin protective layer, cross-infection can be prevented in the long term. Unlike temporary rinsing or disinfection, the use of antibacterial or antiviral substances such as chemical or natural disinfectants and metal nanomaterials inhibits the growth of microorganisms on the surface (13–17). These materials are embedded in a complete covering polymer layer, such as gloves (18, 19), to isolate and protect both the inner and outer surfaces from the infection. To add breathability to the textile especially for the mask (13, 20, 21), many antibacterial fibers have been developed based on these materials. Moreover, various skin-attachable platforms with antimicrobial properties have been developed for convenient usage in daily lives. Antimicrobial nanofibers with conformal attachment to the skin have been developed for drug delivery, wound healing (22, 23), and electrophysiology (24, 25). In addition, stretchable and antibacterial hydrogels have been developed to allow more natural skin movement in wound-healing applications (26–28).However, there has been no practical skin protective solution to prevent cross-infection while preserving intrinsic skin conditions such as surface morphology, thermal transfer, and skin humidity. The thickening of the additional skin layer frequently results in a significant modification of the surface morphology, heat transfer, and the corresponding sensation. Thin layers have limited performance in terms of antimicrobial duration and speed. The skin coverage of polymer or hydrogel film blocks the transfer of air, moisture, and heat. In addition, the antimicrobial performance is focused on the skin side rather than the external side that affects cross-infection. Voids owing to the stiffness of the film or fiber and morphological differences compared to the skin further limit conformality, heat transfer, and water/air permeability (29).Here, we propose an antimicrobial skin protection platform copper nanomesh, which prevents cross-infection while minimizing modification of intrinsic skin properties such as interfacial morphology, temperature change rate, and skin humidity. The thin thickness and porous structure of the nanomesh allow conformal attachment to the fingertips, regardless of the mechanical and structural variations of the fingerprints, nails, and interfaces. To impart antimicrobial properties, copper, one of the most well-known antimicrobial (nano)materials (30–33), was coated with maintaining the nanomesh structure (copper nanomesh, from here onward). The measured inactivation rates of copper nanomesh against Escherichia coli bacteria and influenza virus A (H1N1) were 99.99% within 1 min and 10 min, respectively. It was found that the nanomesh structure contributed to the acceleration of bacterial inactivation compared to the copper film. Furthermore, it exhibited high biocompatibility with the skin cells and stable antibacterial performance even after long-term use (more than 6 h), including water immersion (more than 1 h).In addition, we investigated the naturalness of the copper nanomesh compared to that of the copper film and conventional gloves. As confirmed using the artificial skin and fingerprint recognition, the proposed copper nanomesh exhibited a higher conformability compared to that of the copper film. The copper nanomesh showed a high hydrophobicity to block external contaminants in solution while having high gas permeability and maintaining the skin humidity in a safe range. Additionally, the insertion of copper nanomesh did not affect the temperature change rate, which is important to maintain the sensation and comfort fit of the skin. Finally, the copper nanomesh was compared to the glove by wearing on our hands and interacting with various real-life objects. Using the proposed copper nanomesh, we successfully achieved an effective prevention of cross-infection and less-hindered thermal recognition of objects.     

Risk factors for postoperative pneumonia in elderly patients with colorectal cancer: a sub-analysis of a large,multicenter, case-control study in Japan

Surgery Today - Postoperative pneumonia affects the length of stay and mortality after surgery in elderly patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). We aimed to determine the risk factors of...     

Is there any benefit of preservation of the spleen in distal pancreatectomy?

For a pancreatic body or tail tumor, distal pancreatectomy with splenectomy (DPS) is a standard operation. Spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy (SPDP) was introduced in order to preserve the organ and thus provide the patient with a better quality of life. Clinical data were compared between 38 Japanese patients with DPS and 9 with SPDP for benign tumors or tumor-like lesions at the body or tail of the pancreas at preoperative, early postoperative (< 3 months after operation), and late postoperative periods (>6 months after operation). The preoperative findings were not different between the two groups except for the significantly higher serum amylase levels in the SPDP group. Operation time, operative blood loss, and length of postoperative hospital stay were not different between the two groups. Pancreatic fistula occurred in 3 (8%) of the 38 patients in the DPS group and in 1 (11%) of the 9 patients in the SPDP group, abdominal abscess in 5 (13%) of the 38 patients in the DPS group and none (0%) in the 9 patients in the SPDP group. At short-term, clinical findings were not different between the two groups except for a significantly greater platelet count in the DPS group than in the SPDP group (46.8 x 10(4)/microl versus 29.6 x 10(4)/microl, P = 0.0081). At long-term after the operation, clinical findings, including the platelet count, were not different between the two groups. Computed tomography revealed a pseudocyst in 9 (53%) of 17 patients examined in the DPS group and in 3 (75%) of 4 patients examined in the SPDP group at short-term after operation. All patients with pseudocysts were asymptomatic. Two asymptomatic patients (one in the DPS group and one in the SPDP group) first developed a pseudocyst at long-term after the operation. The alteration of glucose tolerance was similar between the two groups. Postoperative pancreatic exocrine function (the N-benzol-L-tyrosyl-p-aminobenzoic acid test) was not different between the two groups. These data suggest that SPDP with preservation of the splenic vessels can be satisfactorily performed without elongating operative time and postoperative hospital stay or increasing risk of postoperative complications, with the exception of increased platelet count in the DPS group at short-term after the operation. Thus, SPDP is worth considering as one of the options for the treatment of benign lesions of the body or tail of the pancreas.