Validity evaluation of a rat model of monoiodoacetate-induced osteoarthritis with clinically effective drugs.

Background: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is the most common type of joint disease in elderly people and is characterized by pain and dysfunction. Although the monoiodoacetate (MIA)-induced model is widely used as a rodent KOA model, it is important to acknowledge the inherent limitations of this model, as the MIA model develops complex pathological phases on a daily basis. An accurate understanding of this model and the selection of an appropriate time point according to the target for drug candidates can lead to the development of clinically effective drugs.

Zinc deficiency impairs axonal regeneration and functional recovery after spinal cord injury by modulating macrophage polarization via NF-κB pathway.

Background: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating disease that results in permanent paralysis. Currently, there is no effective treatment for SCI, and it is important to identify factors that can provide therapeutic intervention during the course of the disease. Zinc, an essential trace element, has attracted attention as a regulator of inflammatory responses.

Reduced Neuroinflammation Via Astrocytes and Neutrophils Promotes Regeneration After Spinal Cord Injury in Neonatal Mice.

Neonatal spinal cord injury (SCI) shows better functional outcomes than adult SCI. Although the regenerative capability in the neonatal spinal cord may have cues in the treatment of adult SCI, the mechanism underlying neonatal spinal cord regeneration after SCI is unclear. We previously reported age-dependent variation in the pathogenesis of inflammation after SCI.

Computed tomography findings of intersigmoid hernia.

Purpose: To evaluate the computed tomography findings of intersigmoid hernias.

Material And Methods: Between April 2010 and March 2018, 7 patients who were surgically diagnosed with intersigmoid hernia in 3 institutions were enrolled in this study. Two radiologists evaluated imaging findings for the herniated small bowel, the distance between the occlusion point and bifurcation of the left common iliac artery, and the anatomic relationship with adjacent organs.

Expanded roles of lactate-sensing LldR in transcription regulation of the K-12 genome: lactate utilisation and acid resistance.

LldR is a lactate-responsive transcription factor (TF) that transcriptionally regulates the operon consisting of lactate permease and lactate dehydrogenase. The operon facilitates the utilisation of lactic acid in bacteria. However, the role of LldR in whole genomic transcriptional regulation, and the mechanism involved in adaptation to lactate remains unclear.

Genomic SELEX Reveals Pervasive Role of the Flagella Master Regulator FlhDC in Carbon Metabolism.

Flagella are vital bacterial organs that allow microorganisms to move to favorable environments. However, their construction and operation consume a large amount of energy. The master regulator FlhDC mediates all flagellum-forming genes in through a transcriptional regulatory cascade, the details of which remain elusive.

Glial scar survives until the chronic phase by recruiting scar-forming astrocytes after spinal cord injury.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) causes reactive astrogliosis, the sequential phenotypic change of astrocytes in which naïve astrocytes (NAs) transform into reactive astrocytes (RAs) and subsequently become scar-forming astrocytes (SAs), resulting in glial scar formation around the lesion site and thereby limiting axonal regeneration and motor/sensory functional recovery. Inhibiting the transformation of RAs into SAs in the acute phase attenuates the reactive astrogliosis and promotes regeneration. However, whether or not SAs once formed can revert to RAs or SAs is unclear.

Computed tomography tractography of anterior abdominal stab wounds.

CT tractography is a simple and useful examination. a non-ionic contrast agent was compression-injected into the stab wound and CT tractography was performed.

Zinc chelator treatment in crush syndrome model mice attenuates ischemia-reperfusion-induced muscle injury due to suppressing of neutrophil infiltration.

In crush syndrome, massive muscle breakdown resulting from ischemia-reperfusion muscle injury can be a life-threatening condition that requires urgent treatment. Blood reperfusion into the ischemic muscle triggers an immediate inflammatory response, and neutrophils are the first to infiltrate and exacerbate the muscle damage. Since free zinc ion play a critical role in the immune system and the function of neutrophils is impaired by zinc depletion, we hypothesized that the administration of a zinc chelator would be effective for suppressing the inflammatory reaction at the site of ischemia-reperfusion injury and for improving of the pathology of crush syndrome.

Irradiation Methods for Accurate Dose Delivery to Postoperative Keloid Scars With Minimal Normal Tissue Exposure Using TomoTherapy: A Phantom Study.

Background/aim: We aimed to clarify the TomoTherapy irradiation method for accurate dose delivery to the postoperative ear keloid with minimal exposure.

Materials And Methods: An electron beam of Elekta synergy and static and helical photon beams of TomoTherapy were delivered to the auricle and lobe of an anthropomorphic phantom compensated using a soft rubber bolus. The doses to the ear surface and the eyeballs and thyroid were measured using radiochromic film and glass dosimeters, respectively.

Development of a radiopaque tiltmeter to improve reproducibility for Fowler's position on chest radiography.

Introduction: We have developed a novel radiopaque tiltmeter (ROT) that can indicate patient tilt during a radiography examination and display it on X-ray images. This study evaluated the effect of variation of patient tilt on the reproducibility of Fowler's position for chest radiography and the accuracy of the ROT.

Methods: We evaluated the reproducibility of Fowler's position based on changes from the first day in the central venous catheter (CVC) tip position and the cardiothoracic ratio (CTR) with and without a digital tiltmeter to verify its efficacy in patients who underwent mobile chest radiography.

A spontaneous thymic carcinosarcoma in a young Sprague Dawley rat.

We encountered a case of spontaneous thymic carcinosarcoma in a young Crl:CD (Sprague Dawley) rat. Grossly, a white multinodular mass replaced the thymus in the thoracic cavity. Histologically, multiple nodules were separated by fibrous stroma, and each nodule included isolated regions that were composed of epithelial or non-epithelial tumor cells.

Association between low preoperative skeletal muscle quality and infectious complications following gastrectomy for gastric cancer.

Purpose: It is known that sarcopenia affects the overall short- and long-term outcomes of patients with gastric cancer (GC); however, the effect of muscle quality on infectious complications after gastrectomy for GC remains unclear. We investigated the associations between the preoperative quantity and quality of skeletal muscle on infectious complications following gastrectomy for GC.

Methods: The subjects of this retrospective study were 353 GC patients who underwent radical gastrectomy between 2009 and 2018.

Microglial inflammation after chronic spinal cord injury is enhanced by reactive astrocytes via the fibronectin/β1 integrin pathway.

Background: After spinal cord injury (SCI), glial scarring is mainly formed around the lesion and inhibits axon regeneration. Recently, we reported that anti-β1 integrin antibody (β1Ab) had a therapeutic effect on astrocytes by preventing the induction of glial scar formation. However, the cellular components within the glial scar are not only astrocytes but also microglia, and whether or not β1Ab treatment has any influence on microglia within the glial scar remains unclear.

[Dosimetric Characteristics of a Real Time Shapeable Tungsten Containing Rubber with Electron Beams].

Purpose: This study investigated the dosimetric characteristics of electron beams shaped with a real-time shapeable tungsten-containing rubber (STR) collimator.

Methods: Circular irradiation fields of 40 mm diameter were shaped using STR or low melting-point alloy (LMA) placed on the electron applicator. The STR heated with approximately 70-degree warm water was molded into the template bottom of the applicator.

Lower complexity of motor primitives ensures robust control of high-speed human locomotion.

Walking and running are mechanically and energetically different locomotion modes. For selecting one or another, speed is a parameter of paramount importance. Yet, both are likely controlled by similar low-dimensional neuronal networks that reflect in patterned muscle activations called muscle synergies.

Erratum: Evolution of π^{0} Suppression in Au+Au Collisions from sqrt[s_{NN}]=39 to 200 GeV [Phys. Rev. Lett. 109, 152301 (2012)].

This corrects the article DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.109.

Reduction of Occupational Exposure Using a Novel Tungsten-Containing Rubber Shield in Interventional Radiology.

This study investigates whether a novel tungsten-containing rubber shield could be used as substitute shielding material in interventional radiology to reduce the occupational exposure of operators to scattered radiation from a patient. The tungsten-containing rubber is a lead-free radiation-shielding material that contains as much as 90% tungsten powder by weight. Air kerma rates of scattered radiation from solid-plate phantoms, simulating a patient, were measured with a semiconductor dosimeter at the height of the operator's eye (1,600 mm from the floor), chest (1,300 mm), waist (1,000 mm), and knee (600 mm) with and without tungsten-containing rubber shielding (1-5 mm thickness).

Estimation of radiation shielding ability in electron therapy and brachytherapy with real time variable shape tungsten rubber.

Purpose: To clarify the physical characteristics of a newly developed real time variable shape rubber containing tungsten (STR) with changes in heat and estimate its shielding abilities against electron beams and γ-rays from Ir.

Methods: Dynamic mechanical analysis for the STR (density = 7.3 g/cm) was conducted at a frequency of 1.

Beam Energy and Centrality Dependence of Direct-Photon Emission from Ultrarelativistic Heavy-Ion Collisions.

The PHENIX collaboration presents first measurements of low-momentum (0.4 View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Tranexamic acid reduces heme cytotoxicity via the TLR4/TNF axis and ameliorates functional recovery after spinal cord injury.

Background: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a catastrophic trauma accompanied by intralesional bleeding and neuroinflammation. Recently, there is increasing interest in tranexamic acid (TXA), an anti-fibrinolytic drug, which can reduce the bleeding volume after physical trauma. However, the efficacy of TXA on the pathology of SCI remains unknown.

Feasibility of a Tungsten Rubber Grid Collimator for Electron Grid Therapy.

Background/aim: Spatially fractionated radiotherapy (grid therapy) can control some bulky tumors which is challenging for conventional radiotherapy. This study aimed to investigate whether a novel tungsten contained rubber (TCR) grid collimator can be employed in electron grid therapy.

Materials And Methods: The TCR grid collimator placed on a solid water phantom, and percentage depth doses (PDDs) and lateral dose profiles were measured for 9 MeV electron beam with Gafchromic EBT3 films.