Numerical Study on a Focus-Control Method Using Breast Model With Intentionally Assigned High-Absorbing Layer Near Skin for High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound Treatment.

To prevent undesirable skin burns that occur in high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) treatment, we numerically study focus-control methods, such as phase compensation (PC) and amplitude adaptation (AA). We intentionally assign a high-absorbing layer (HAL) near the part of the skin, where heat generation and tissue ablation are observed, because of high energy loss in the interface between water and breast skin. Results show that PC improves the effectiveness of focusing by enhancing the focal peak and reducing the focal deviation; however, PC does not suppress skin burn.

Numerical study on sector-vortex phased irradiation method using annular array transducer in High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound treatment.

Sector-vortex phased irradiation from annular array transducer was numerically studied with breast model constructed from MRI data of real patient. Phase compensation (PC) based on time reversal pre-computation was applied in order to handle phase delay caused by heterogeneity of breast tissues, and results showed great effectiveness on single-focus case, insignificant effectiveness on multi-focus cases with 4 and 8 phase-sectors, but ineffectiveness on multi-focus case with 12 phase-sectors, where enormous undesired outer ablation occurred. For single-focus case, phase compensation not only produced real focus very close to targeted site (0.

Effects of breast structure on high-intensity focused ultrasound focal error.

Background: The development of imaging technologies and breast cancer screening allowed early detection of breast cancers. High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is a non-invasive cancer treatment, but the success of HIFU ablation was depending on the system type, imaging technique, ablation protocol, and patient selection. Therefore, we aimed to determine the relationship between breast tissue structure and focal error during breast cancer HIFU treatment.

Acute compartment syndrome as the initial manifestation of chronic-phase chronic myeloid leukemia: a case report and review of the literature.

Background: Acute compartment syndrome is an orthopedic emergency requiring urgent fasciotomy to prevent irreversible damage. In hematological malignancies, acute compartment syndrome caused by severe soft tissue bleeding is extremely rare. We present a patient with chronic-phase chronic myeloid leukemia who had acute compartment syndrome caused by severe soft tissue bleeding in her right forearm.

Increment of serum C-peptide measured by glucagon test closely correlates with human relative beta-cell area.

Pancreatic beta-cell mass contributes to glucose tolerance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationships between human beta-cell mass and various clinical parameters, including insulin secretory capacity. The study included 32 Japanese patients who underwent pancreatectomy and were naive to oral hypoglycemic agents and insulin.

Choroidal thickness changes after diabetes type 2 and blood pressure control in a hospitalized situation.

Purpose: To investigate the effect of acute diabetic control on choroidal thickness in patients with Type 2 diabetes.

Methods: Seventeen eyes of 17 patients with Type 2 diabetes were included in this prospective observational study. The patients with Type 2 diabetes who were scheduled to undergo a program of intensive diabetic control underwent prototype high-penetration optical coherence tomography before and 2 weeks after the start of treatment.

Usefulness of the insulin tolerance test in patients with type 2 diabetes receiving insulin therapy.

Aims/introduction: To establish the validity of the plasma glucose disappearance rate (KITT), derived from an insulin-tolerance test (ITT), for evaluating the insulin sensitivity of patients with type 2 diabetes after insulin therapy.

Materials And Methods: In the first arm of the study, 19 patients with poorly controlled diabetes were treated with insulin and underwent an ITT and a euglycemic clamp test (clamp-IR). The relationship between the insulin resistance index, as assessed by both the clamp-IR and KITT tests, was examined.

Weight reduction is associated with improvement of glycemic control in Japanese men, whose hemoglobin A1C is 5.6-6.4%, with visceral fat accumulation, but not without visceral fat accumulation.

Aims/introduction: The aim of the present study was to determine whether weight reduction is associated with improvement of glycemic control in non-obese and obese subjects with or without visceral fat accumulation, whose hemoglobin A1c (A1C) is 5.6-6.4%.

Low gene expression levels of activating receptors of natural killer cells (NKG2E and CD94) in patients with fulminant type 1 diabetes.

Fulminant type 1 diabetes is an independent subtype of type 1 diabetes characterized by extremely rapid onset and absence of islet-related autoantibodies. However, detailed pathophysiology of this subtype is poorly understood. In this study, a comprehensive approach was applied to understand the pathogenesis of fulminant type 1 diabetes.

Temperature distributions measurement of high intensity focused ultrasound using a thin-film thermocouple array and estimation of thermal error caused by viscous heating.

To improve the throughput of high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) treatment, we have considered a focus switching method at two points. For this method, it is necessary to evaluate the thermal distribution under exposure to ultrasound. The thermal distribution was measured using a prototype thin-film thermocouple array, which has the advantage of minimizing the influence of the thermocouple on the acoustic and temperature fields.

Microbubble behavior in an ultrasound field for high intensity focused ultrasound therapy enhancement.

The enhancement of heating due to inertial cavitation has been focused to reduce the long treatment time of conventional high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) therapy. The influences of the physical properties of surrounding tissues, initial void fraction, and spatial distribution of bubbles on microbubble-enhanced HIFU are examined. A bubble dynamics equation based on the Keller-Miksis equation is employed in consideration of the elasticity of surrounding tissue.

Vascular complications and changes in body mass index in Japanese type 2 diabetic patients with abdominal obesity.

Background: Although many Asian type 2 diabetic patients have been considered to be not obese and have low capacity of insulin secretion, the proportion of obese patients with visceral fat accumulation has increased in recent years. We found previously considerable number of Japanese non-obese subjects (body mass index (BMI) < 25 kg/m²) with visceral fat accumulation and multiple cardiovascular risk factors. The aim of the study was to investigate the difference in clinical features of type 2 diabetic patients with and without visceral fat accumulation, focusing on vascular complications and changes in BMI.

Mechanical clot damage from cavitation during sonothrombolysis.

Recent studies have shown that high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) accelerates thrombolysis for ischemic stroke. Although the mechanisms are not fully understood, cavitation is thought to play an important role. The goal of this paper is to investigate the potential for cavitation to cause mechanical damage to a blood clot.

Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors are effective in Japanese type 2 diabetic patients with sustained endogenous insulin-secreting capacity, a higher body mass index and insulin resistance.

Aims/introduction: Recently, dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors have become available in Japan. It has not yet been clarified what clinical parameters could discriminate DPP-4 inhibitor-effective patients from DPP-4 inhibitor-ineffective patients.

Materials And Methods: We reviewed 33 consecutive patients with type 2 diabetes admitted to Osaka University Hospital for glycemic control.

Early postprandial glucagon surge affects postprandial glucose levels in obese and non-obese patients with type 2 diabetes.

Postprandial glucagon secretion was shown to be dysregulated in patients with type 2 diabetes. However, the differences in secretory patterns between obese and non-obese patients and their physiological effects on plasma glucose levels are not fully understood. This study population consisted of 21 (10 obese and 11 non-obese) consecutive patients with type 2 diabetes admitted for glycemic control.

Homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance for evaluating insulin sensitivity in patients with type 2 diabetes on insulin therapy.

Homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) is a simple and useful method for evaluating insulin sensitivity. But it is difficult to apply to type2 diabetes patients treated with insulin. We have devised a method for measuring HOMA-IR and investigated the validity of HOMA-IR for evaluating insulin sensitivity in patients with type 2 diabetes on insulin therapy.

A pilot investigation of visceral fat adiposity and gene expression profile in peripheral blood cells.

Evidence suggests that visceral fat accumulation plays a central role in the development of metabolic syndrome. Excess visceral fat causes local chronic low-grade inflammation and dysregulation of adipocytokines, which contribute in the pathogenesis of the metabolic syndrome. These changes may affect the gene expression in peripheral blood cells.

Successful treatment of reactive hypoglycemia secondary to late dumping syndrome using miglitol.

We herein describe a 59-year-old woman who had undergone a total gastrectomy for gastric carcinoma and suffered from postprandial hypoglycemia characterized by a loss of consciousness and spasms. She was diagnosed with reactive hypoglycemia and treated with nutrition therapy, but the frequency and severity of the hypoglycemic episodes did not decrease. She was subsequently treated successfully with miglitol, an alpha-glucosidase inhibitor (α-GI) taken twice a day; other α-GIs (acarbose and voglibose) were not effective.

Efficacy of liraglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analogue, on body weight, eating behavior, and glycemic control, in Japanese obese type 2 diabetes.

Background: We recently reported that short-term treatment with liraglutide (20.0 ± 6.4 days) reduced body weight and improved some scales of eating behavior in Japanese type 2 diabetes inpatients.

Liraglutide is effective in type 2 diabetic patients with sustained endogenous insulin-secreting capacity.

Unlabelled: Aims/Introduction:  Recently, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists of liraglutide have become available in Japan. It has not yet been clarified what clinical parameters could discriminate liraglutide-effective patients from liraglutide-ineffective patients.

Materials And Methods:   We reviewed 23 consecutive patients with type 2 diabetes admitted to Osaka University Hospital for glycemic control.

Insulin-secretion capacity in normal glucose tolerance, impaired glucose tolerance, and diabetes in obese and non-obese Japanese patients.

Unlabelled: Aims/Introduction:  Pronounced reduction of insulin secretion in response to a rise in glucose level has been reported in Japanese patients compared with Caucasian patients, but the mean body mass index (BMI) is also lower in Japanese patients. As BMI is a determinant of insulin secretion, we examined insulin-secretion capacity in obese and non-obese Japanese patients.

Materials And Methods:   Using the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), we estimated the insulin-secreting capacity in obese (BMI ≥ 25) and non-obese (BMI < 25) Japanese patients, including 1848 patients with normal glucose tolerance (NGT), 321 patients with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and 69 diabetes (DM) patients.

Preoperative insulin secretion ability and pancreatic parenchymal thickness as useful parameters for predicting postoperative insulin secretion in patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy.

Periampullary malignant neoplasms have been increasing in Japan, mainly in response to an increase in the incidences of pancreatic cancer, and glucose intolerance due to deterioration of insulin secretion is an important problem. We investigated preoperative parameters to predict postoperative insulin secretion and the need for insulin therapy in patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). Thirty-six patients with malignant neoplasms of periampullary lesions were enrolled.

Short-term effects of liraglutide on visceral fat adiposity, appetite, and food preference: a pilot study of obese Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes.

Background: To examine the effects of liraglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analogue, on visceral fat adiposity, appetite, food preference, and biomarkers of cardiovascular system in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes.

Methods: The study subjects were 20 inpatients with type 2 diabetes treated with liraglutide [age; 61.2 ± 14.

Right-sided acute suppurative thyroiditis caused by infectious endocarditis.

Acute suppurative thyroiditis is a rare disorder that is mostly found in the left lobe of the thyroid gland of children due to congenital patency of the pyriform sinus fistula. Here, we report a 61-year-old man with acute right-sided suppurative thyroiditis without pyriform sinus fistula. He also showed infectious hip arthritis, spondylitis and Roth's spots.