Standardization of radiation therapy quality control system through mutual quality control based on failure mode and effects analysis.

The advancement of irradiation technology has increased the demand for quality control of radiation therapy equipment. Consequently, the number of quality control items and required personnel have also increased. However, differences in the proportion of qualified personnel to irradiation techniques have caused bias in quality control systems among institutions.

Combining aortic arch dissection stent implantation and root surgery for aortic dissection type A.

Background: Acute aortic dissection type A (AADA) is associated with high perioperative morbidity and mortality. A novel non-covered hybrid prosthesis (AMDS, CryoLife, Kennesaw, USA) can be easily implanted to stabilize the true lumen. However, the role of AMDS for patients requiring additional aortic root surgery has not been described.

N-acetylglucosamine-bearing polymers mimicking O-GlcNAc-modified proteins elicit anti-fibrotic activities in myofibroblasts and activated stellate cells.

O-linked β-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc)-modified proteins are post-translationally modified with GlcNAc conjugated to serine and threonine residues. This modification is associated with various physiological functions such as serine and threonine phosphorylation and Notch signaling. Here, we demonstrated that O-GlcNAc-modified proteins leaked from dead cells and GlcNAc-bearing polymers mimicking the multivalent GlcNAc moiety of these proteins induced anti-fibrotic activities, such as the suppression of α-smooth muscle actin and collagen and the induction of matrix metalloprotease 1 in myofibroblasts.