Publications by authors named "Fumie Higuchi"

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of patient transfer slide boards with automatic couch height positioning compensation (AHC) on image quality and radiation dose during computed tomography (CT) examinations.

Methods: The chest phantom for Kyoto Kagaku (Kyoto) Type PBU-SS 2 was performed helical scan using a Canon Medical Systems (Tochigi) 80-row CT Aquilion Prime SP/i Edition. Scan parameters were tube voltage: 120 kV, tube current: min 50 mA max 500 mA with AHC for noise index: 15, slice thickness: 5.

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The purpose of this study was to investigate the risk of overexposure associated with automatic tube current modulation (ATCM) and automatic couch height positioning compensation mechanism (AHC) in computed tomography (CT) systems, particularly in scenarios involving a gap between the subject and the couch. Results revealed that when AHC was enabled, CT dose index volume (CTDI) increased by approximately 10% at 2.5 cm, 20% at 5.

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Expression and function of megalin, an endocytic receptor in proximal tubule cells (PTCs), are reduced in diabetic nephropathy, involved in the development of proteinuria/albuminuria. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is chronically increased in diabetic sera, by the mechanism called metabolic endotoxemia. We investigated low-level LPS-mediated signaling that regulates megalin expression in immortalized rat PTCs (IRPTCs).

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