Single-donor islet transplantation and long-term insulin independence in select patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Background: Islet transplantation is a recognized treatment option for select patients with type I diabetes mellitus. However, islet infusions from multiple donors are often required to achieve insulin independence. Ideally, insulin independence would be achieved routinely with only a single donor.

Human islet mass, morphology, and survival after cryopreservation using the Edmonton protocol.

The aim of this study was to assess recovery, cell death, and cell composition of post-thaw cultured human islets. Cryopreserved islets were provided by the Clinical Islet Transplant Program, Edmonton, Canada. Islets were processed using media prepared in accordance with Pre-Edmonton and Edmonton protocols.

Neurosurgical simulation by interactive computer graphics on iPad.

Purpose: Presurgical simulation before complicated neurosurgery is a state-of-the-art technique, and its usefulness has recently become well known. However, simulation requires complex image processing, which hinders its widespread application. We explored handling the results of interactive computer graphics on the iPad tablet, which can easily be controlled anywhere.

Monitoring of body water composition by the simultaneous use of bioelectrical impedance analysis and Crit-Line(®) during hemodialysis.

Background: Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is a non-invasive method to estimate total body water (TBW) and extracellular water (ECW) volume. Crit-Line(®) (CL), on the other hand, assesses intravascular water (IVW) volume. We evaluate continuous changes in body water composition during hemodialysis (HD) with concurrent use of BIA and CL.

Quality of Air-Transported Human Islets for Single Islet Cell Preparations.

In new generation medical therapies for type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM), cell-based approaches using pancreatic islets have attracted significant attention worldwide. In particular, dispersed islet cells obtained from isolated pancreatic islets have been a valuable source in the cell biology and tissue engineering fields. Our experimental approach to the development of new islet-based DM therapies consisted of creating a monolithic islet cell sheet format using dispersed islet cells.

Ptosis as partial oculomotor nerve palsy due to compression by infundibular dilatation of posterior communicating artery, visualized with three-dimensional computer graphics: case report.

Oculomotor nerve palsy (ONP) due to internal carotid-posterior communicating artery (PcomA) aneurysm generally manifests as partial nerve palsy including pupillary dysfunction. In contrast, infundibular dilatation (ID) of the PcomA has no pathogenic significance, and mechanical compression of the cranial nerve is extremely rare. We describe a 60-year-old woman who presented with progressive ptosis due to mechanical compression of the oculomotor nerve by an ID of the PcomA.

Computational fluid dynamic simulation of a giant basilar tip aneurysm with eventual rupture after Hunterian ligation.

Background: Hunterian ligation is performed to reduce and to change the flow of an aneurysm; it is a surgical option for a complex aneurysm that cannot be managed by either clipping or coiling. However, it may be associated with adverse effects. This study was carried out to analyze how Hunterian ligation changed the flow dynamics of a particular cerebral aneurysm.

Optimal setting of image bounding box can improve registration accuracy of diffusion tensor tractography.

Purpose: When we register diffusion tensor tractography (DTT) to anatomical images such as fast imaging employing steady-state acquisition (FIESTA), we register the B0 image to FIESTA. Precise registration of the DTT B0 image to FIESTA is possible with non-rigid registration compared to rigid registration, although the non-rigid methods lack convenience. We report the effect of image data bounding box settings on registration accuracy using a normalized mutual information (NMI) method METHODS: MRI scans of 10 patients were used in this study.

Autologous islet transplantation after total pancreatectomy for renal cell carcinoma metastases.

Pancreatic metastases from renal cell carcinoma (RCC) may have a chronic and highly indolent course, and may be resected for cure after considerable delay following treatment of the primary tumor, in contrast to other more common pancreatic tumors. Surgical resection is the treatment of choice, which may lead to postpancreatectomy diabetes mellitus in the case of extensive resection. We present a 70-year-old patient with multifocal pancreatic metastases from RCC causing obstructive jaundice.

Clinical islet isolation outcomes with a highly purified neutral protease for pancreas dissociation.

Background: Pancreas dissociation is a critical initial component of the islet isolation procedure and introduces high variability based on factors including the enzyme type, specificity and potency. Product refinement and alterations to the application strategies have improved isolation outcomes over time; however, islet utilization from donor organs remains low. In this study we evaluate a low endotoxin-high activity grade neutral protease in clinical islet isolation.

Presurgical planning of feeder resection with realistic three-dimensional virtual operation field in patient with cerebellopontine angle meningioma.

Background: To devascularize meningiomas, the precise location of tumor attachment must be known. However, when a cerebellopontine angle (CPA) meningioma is in contact with many surrounding structures, it can be difficult to distinguish the most vascularized attachment (MVA) from other contact surfaces.

Objective: To validate the usefulness of a virtual operation field (VOF) of a CPA meningioma by high-spatial-resolution three-dimensional computer graphics (hs-3DCG).

[Optimization of medical care provided to the patients suffering respiratory chlamydiosis].

The objective of the present study was to elaborate the complex of measures intended to optimize medical care for the patients suffering respiratory chlamydiosis. The adequate organizational measures concerning the prophylactic and therapeutic treatment of inflammatory pathology of the upper respiratory tract associated with Chlamydia infection have not been proposed up to the present time and need to be urgently developed. The importance of this issue has been confirmed in a study involving 245 subjects that demonstrated the imperfection of the structure of the currently operating system of outpatient and hospital-based service provided to the patients with respiratory chlamydiosis.

Efficacy of schedule-dependent metronomic S-1 chemotherapy in human oral squamous cell carcinoma cells.

Metronomic chemotherapy is based on administration of anticancer agents at low-doses at close regular intervals with no prolonged breaks, and aims to inhibit vascular endothelial cells as well as tumor cells. Recently, it was suggested that metronomic chemotherapy exerts anti-angiogenic effects by inducing thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) and early growth response-1 (EGR-1), and antitumor effects by suppressing cancer stem cells. S-1 is a novel orally administered anticancer drug that is a combination of tegafur, 5-chloro-2, 4-dihydroxypyridine and oteracil potassium for maintaining efficacious concentrations of 5-FU and reducing the serious gastrointestinal toxicity associated with 5-FU.

Distinct and opposing roles for the phosphatidylinositol 3-OH kinase catalytic subunits p110α and p110β in the regulation of insulin secretion from rodent and human beta cells.

Aims/hypothesis: Phosphatidylinositol 3-OH kinases (PI3Ks) regulate beta cell mass, gene transcription, and function, although the contribution of the specific isoforms is unknown. As reduced type 1A PI3K signalling is thought to contribute to impaired insulin secretion, we investigated the role of the type 1A PI3K catalytic subunits α and β (p110α and -β) in insulin granule recruitment and exocytosis in rodent and human islets.

Methods: The p110α and p110β subunits were inhibited pharmacologically or by small hairpin (sh)RNA-mediated knockdown, and were directly infused or overexpressed in mouse and human islets, beta cells and INS-1 832/13 cells.

Functional plasticity of the human infant β-cell exocytotic phenotype.

Our understanding of adult human β-cells is advancing, but we know little about the function and plasticity of β-cells from infants. We therefore characterized islets and single islet cells from human infants after isolation and culture. Although islet morphology in pancreas biopsies was similar to that in adults, infant islets after isolation and 24-48 hours of culture had less insulin staining, content, and secretion.

Microbial contamination of clinical islet transplant preparations is associated with very low risk of infection.

Background: Several published studies have analyzed microbial contamination rates of islet products, ranging from 0% to 16%. However, few studies make reference to potential clinical consequences for transplant recipients and possible impact on islet survival.

Materials And Methods: The current study defines rates of microbiological contamination of islet products under current good manufacturing practice conditions in 164 patients receiving 343 transplants at a single institution.

Three-dimensional angioarchitecture of spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas, with special reference to the intradural retrograde venous drainage system.

Object: There have been significant advances in understanding the angioarchitecture of spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs). However, the major intradural retrograde venous drainage system has not been investigated in detail, including the most proximal sites of intradural radiculomedullary veins as they connect to the dura mater, which are the final targets of interruption in both microsurgical and endovascular treatments.

Methods: Between April 1984 and March 2011, 27 patients with 28 AVFs were treated for spinal dural AVFs at the authors' university hospital.