[National Survey on Procedure Dose of Endovascular Treatment for Lower Extremity Artery Disease].

Purpose: The objective of this study is to elucidate the current status of procedural radiation doses for endovascular treatment (EVT) of lower extremity artery disease (LEAD) in Japan and to validate the diagnostic reference level (DRL) quantity.

Methods: Survey requests were mailed to 493 facilities across Japan. The study targeted cases of EVT for LEAD performed between April 1, 2020, and March 31, 2022, with a maximum of 10 cases collected per facility.

Optimal design for wavelength conversion with a configuration of walk-off compensation in free space in the nanosecond pulsed regime.

On the basis of standard wavelength conversion by the use of angular phase matching of nonlinear optical crystals arranged in free space, applicable to a wide range of wavelengths and laser intensities, we both numerically and experimentally present an optimal design for achieving near-full energy conversion while maintaining good TEM mode property of fundamental laser radiation in the nanosecond regime.

Investigation for Factors Affecting Body Perception Disturbance in Patients with Low Back Pain by Mechanism-Based Classification of Pain: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Central sensitization is a pathophysiological cause of chronic low back pain and is linked with psychosocial factors. The association between central sensitization (CS) and body perception disturbance is currently unclear, and no prior studies have investigated this relationship in patients with acute or subacute low back pain. The objective of this study was to investigate potential factors that influence body perception disturbance using a mechanistic classification of low back pain.

Digital zoom is a useful, simple, and cost-effective method of reducing radiation exposure in percutaneous coronary intervention.

Reducing radiation exposure is a very important issue in interventional cardiology techniques such as percutaneous coronary intervention. Although novel techniques to reduce radiation exposure are valuable, we should also reconsider older techniques. Digital zoom has been available in Japan from 2005.

[Application of brain diffusion-weighted imaging performed using readout segmentation of long variable echo trains].

We report the preliminary use of the readout segmentation of long variable echo trains(RESOLVE)sequence, a novel magnetic resonance(MR)scanning technique based on a readout segmented echo planar imaging(EPI)strategy. RESOLVE enables high-resolution diffusion-weighted imaging(DWI)by minimizing susceptibility distortions and T2* blurring. The software for this sequence was provided by Siemens AG, Germany.

Core temperatures during major abdominal surgery in patients warmed with new circulating-water garment, forced-air warming, or carbon-fiber resistive-heating system.

Purpose: It has been reported that recently developed circulating-water garments transfer more heat than a forced-air warming system. The authors evaluated the hypothesis that circulating-water leg wraps combined with a water mattress better maintain intraoperative core temperature ≥36°C than either forced-air warming or carbon-fiber resistive heating during major abdominal surgery.

Methods: Thirty-six patients undergoing open abdominal surgery were randomly assigned to warming with: (1) circulating-water leg wraps combined with a full-length circulating-water mattress set at 42°C, (2) a lower-body forced-air cover set on high (≈43°C), and (3) a carbon-fiber resistive-heating cover set at 42°C.

Interleukin-6-producing dermoid cyst associated with multicentric Castleman's disease.

Dysregulated overproduction of interleukin-6 (IL-6) from activated B cells in affected lymph nodes has been implicated in the pathogenesis of multicentric Castleman's disease (MCD), a rare lymphoproliferative disorder accompanied by systemic manifestations. We here report the case of a 32-year-old female presenting with MCD associated with a dermoid cyst in the pelvic cavity. The co-occurrence of MCD and dermoid cyst has not been reported before.

[Construction of a system for proper TS-1 application].

TS-1 is an oral anti-tumor drug, which contains 5-chloro-2, 4-dihydroxypyridine (CDHP), a compound mainly excreted in urine. Since the CDHP concentration is increased among patients with impaired renal function, the frequency of side effects of TS-1 increases in such patients. Therefore, we constructed a computer-aided system that enables prompt monitoring of creatinine clearance (Ccr) calculated from the serum creatinine levels of patients prescribed TS-1 at the time pharmacists prepare the medicine.

Significance of urinary glucaric acid measurement and its application to paclitaxel therapy.

Individual variations in P-450 activity affect the in vivo pharmacokinetics as well as the efficacy and side effect of drugs. It is proposed that urinary glucaric acid (GA) level may indirectly represent P-450 activity and may therefore be an indicator of P- 450 activity in the clinical setting. However, no standard method has been developed so far.

Individual differences in rate-limiting reactions during metabolism of irinotecan hydrochloride.

Unlabelled: Irinotecan hydrochloride (CPT-11) is converted to SN-38 by carboxylesterase, SN-38 is conjugated by UDP-glucuronosyl- transferase (UGT) to SN-38G. Individual differences in enzyme activity influence the efficacy of this anticancer agent and the adverse reactions it induces. In this study, individual differences in the metabolism of this drug were determined by calculating its c 1 on version (CPT-11 to SN-38) and conjugation ratios (SN-38 to SN-38G) from blood concentrations of CPT-11, SN-38, and SN-38G at immediately and 60 min after a 90-min intravenous infusion of CPT-11.

[Significance of urinary uracil measurement following administration of DPD inhibitory fluoropyrimidine(DIF)products].

Individual differences in 5-FU metabolism are mainly attributed to individual differences in the activity of DPD, an enzyme that can metabolize more than 85% of 5-FU. Because urinary uracil is a reflection of DPD activity, it is measured to predict and prevent the occurrence of side effects caused by pyrimidine-type chemotherapeutic agents. From urinary uracil values measured in 84 gastrointestinal cancer patients, 0-60 mmol/g.

[Study of a relationship between a change in the urinary uracil value after a S-1 long-term administration and the recurrence of stomach cancer].

S-1 has been reported good results in the treatment of stomach cancer. However, a DPD activity change has also been reported as one of the causes for a recurrence though some recurrence cases observing a state of tumor being unchanged continuously for more than 1 year. Therefore the urinary uracil value, which could simply be predicted in the DPD activity at the time of a recurrence after having administered S-1 for a long-term, was measured.

[Determining S-1 dosage at hospitals prioritizing cancer chemotherapy].

Although it is recommended that the standard S-1 dosage should be based on how large the body surface area is, an on-site setting of the appropriate dosage is often lower than the standard one, depending on the individual's condition and considering possible side effects and so, on. Here, we investigated usage conditions for S-1 as a part of field training for expert pharmacists at our hospital that performs total clinical treatments. Decreases in dosage per day for elderly patients were although the standard dosage is generally determined according to the amount of a patient's body surface.

[Equalization of spread of breast cancer chemotherapy regimen at general hospitals--with EC and FEC regimens].

We investigated the differences in safety and management of adverse events of chemotherapy among three hospitals, Sakai Municipal Hospital, Takarazuka Municipal Hospital and National Hospital Organization Osaka-minami Medical Center. The main purpose of this study was to equalize the spread of breast cancer chemotherapy regimen. The following three regimens were evaluated; epirubicin (75 mg/m(2)) /cyclophosphamide (500 mg/m(2)) (EC75), epirubicin (75 mg/m(2)) /cyclophosphamide (500 mg/m(2)) /5-fluorouracil (500 mg/m(2)) (FEC75) and epirubicin (100 mg/m(2)) / cyclophosphamide (500 mg/m(2)) /5-fluorouracil (500 mg/m(2)) (FEC100).

[Improvement of urinary d-glucaric acid assay and its application].

We propose an improved method to measure urinary D-glucaric acid (GA), which might be of value as an indirect index of the activity of cytochrome P450 (CYP). This method was about 20 times more sensitive than existing methods. Beer's law was obeyed in the concentration range 5.

Caenorhabditis elegans opens up new insights into circadian clock mechanisms.

The roundworm, Caenorhabditis elegans, is known to carry homologues of clock genes such as per (=period) and tim (=timeless), which constitute the core of the circadian clock in Drosophila and mammals: lin-42 and tim-1. Analyses using WormBase (C. elegans gene database) have identified with relatively high identity analogous of the clock genes recognized in Drosophila and mammals, with the notable exception of cry (=cryptochrome), which is lacking in C.

[The efficacy of carbon-fiber resistive-heating in prevention of core hypothermia during major abdominal surgery].

Background: Perioperative hypothermia causes numerous severe complications, such as coagulopathy, surgical wound infections, and morbid myocardial outcomes. For prevention of intraoperative hypothermia, an inexpensive, non-disposable carbon fiber resistive warming system has been developed.

Methods: We evaluated the efficacy of resistive-heating, comparing to circulating-water mattress and forced-air warming system.

Resistive-heating and forced-air warming are comparably effective.

Unlabelled: Serious adverse outcomes from perioperative hypothermia are well documented. Consequently, intraoperative warming has become routine. We thus evaluated the efficacy of a novel, nondisposable carbon-fiber resistive-heating system.

Changing site distribution of colorectal cancer in Japan.

Purpose: In North America and other high-risk areas, there has been a proximal shift in the subsite distribution of colorectal cancer. We wanted to determine whether any similar change has occurred in Japan, and where the incidence of this disease has increased sharply.

Methods: Data from the Reports of the Japanese Society for Cancer of the Colon and Rectum were used to analyze the time trend of colorectal cancer in Japan between 1974 and 1994 according to the patients' age at diagnosis and sex, and the site of the tumor within the colon or rectum.

Effects of Lentinus edodes mycelia on dietary-induced atherosclerotic involvement in rabbit aorta.

Lentinus edodes mycelia lowers cholesterol levels and acts as an immunomodulator and tumor-inhibitor in animal models. Lentinus edodes mycelia contains eritadenine (C(9)H(11)O(4)N(5)) and glucans among other biological compounds. However, whether or not Lentinus edodes mycelia is anti-atherogenic remains unknown.