Development of fast patient position verification software using 2D-3D image registration and its clinical experience.

To improve treatment workflow, we developed a graphic processing unit (GPU)-based patient positional verification software application and integrated it into carbon-ion scanning beam treatment. Here, we evaluated the basic performance of the software. The algorithm provides 2D/3D registration matching using CT and orthogonal X-ray flat panel detector (FPD) images.

Toddaculin, Isolated from of Toddalia asiatica (L.) Lam., Inhibited Osteoclastogenesis in RAW 264 Cells and Enhanced Osteoblastogenesis in MC3T3-E1 Cells.

Osteoporosis with bone loss is widely recognized as a major health problem. Bone homeostasis is maintained by balancing bone formation and bone resorption. The imbalance caused by increased bone resorption over bone formation can lead to various bone-related diseases such as osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis.

A global database of lake surface temperatures collected by in situ and satellite methods from 1985-2009.

Global environmental change has influenced lake surface temperatures, a key driver of ecosystem structure and function. Recent studies have suggested significant warming of water temperatures in individual lakes across many different regions around the world. However, the spatial and temporal coherence associated with the magnitude of these trends remains unclear.

Safety and efficacy of sustained release of basic fibroblast growth factor using gelatin hydrogel in patients with critical limb ischemia.

As a form of therapeutic angiogenesis, we sought to investigate the safety and efficacy of a sustained-release system of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) using biodegradable gelatin hydrogel in patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI). We conducted a phase I-IIa study that analyzed 10 CLI patients following a 200-μg intramuscular injection of bFGF-incorporated gelatin hydrogel microspheres into the ischemic limb. Primary endpoints were safety and transcutaneous oxygen pressure (TcO2) at 4 and 24 weeks after treatment.

Four-dimensional layer-stacking carbon-ion beam dose distribution by use of a lung numeric phantom.

To extend layer-stacking irradiation to accommodate intrafractional organ motion, we evaluated the carbon-ion layer-stacking dose distribution using a numeric lung phantom. We designed several types of range compensators. The planning target volume was calculated from the respective respiratory phases for consideration of intrafractional beam range variation.

Impact of treatment planning with deformable image registration on dose distribution for carbon-ion beam lung treatment using a fixed irradiation port and rotating couch.

Objective: When using a fixed irradiation port, treatment couch rotation is necessary to increase beam angle selection. We evaluated dose variations associated with positional morphological changes to organs.

Methods: We retrospectively chose the data sets of ten patients with lung cancer who underwent respiratory-gated CT at three different couch rotation angles (0°, 20° and -20°).

[Two cases of Paragonimiasis westermani in a Chinese family diagnosed with the Ouchterlony double diffusion method].

We report two cases of Paragonimus westermani infection in a Chinese family in Japan. A 41-year-old husband and his 40-year-old wife were infected with P. westermani after consuming a homemade Chinese traditional "Drunken Crab.

Effect of lidocaine on swine lingual and pulmonary arteries.

Purpose: Lidocaine has a biphasic action on smooth muscle of peripheral blood vessels, with vasoconstriction at low concentrations and vasodilation at higher concentrations. Many in vivo studies have demonstrated the effects of lidocaine on aortic or coronary arteries in several animals, but there are few reports about the effect on peripheral vessels. This study was designed to investigate the direct effects of lidocaine on peripheral vessels, namely swine lingual and pulmonary arterial rings.

Whole-genome analysis of herbicide-tolerant mutant rice generated by Agrobacterium-mediated gene targeting.

Gene targeting (GT) is a technique used to modify endogenous genes in target genomes precisely via homologous recombination (HR). Although GT plants are produced using genetic transformation techniques, if the difference between the endogenous and the modified gene is limited to point mutations, GT crops can be considered equivalent to non-genetically modified mutant crops generated by conventional mutagenesis techniques. However, it is difficult to guarantee the non-incorporation of DNA fragments from Agrobacterium in GT plants created by Agrobacterium-mediated GT despite screening with conventional Southern blot and/or PCR techniques.

The impact of HIF1α on the Per2 circadian rhythm in renal cancer cell lines.

In mammals, the circadian rhythm central generator consists of interactions among clock genes, including Per1/2/3, Cry1/2, Bmal1, and Clock. Circadian rhythm disruption may lead to increased risk of cancer in humans, and deregulation of clock genes has been implicated in many types of cancers. Among these genes, Per2 is reported to have tumor suppressor properties, but little is known about the correlation between Per2 and HIF, which is the main target of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) therapy.

Cerebral oxygenation measured by near-infrared spectroscopy and jugular vein oxygen saturation during robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy under total intravenous anaesthesia.

Background: The effects of total intravenous anaesthesia (TIVA) on cerebral oxygenation in patients undergoing robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALP) have not been investigated. We examined the changes in jugular venous oxygen saturation (SjvO ) and regional cerebral tissue oxygen saturation (rSO ) during RALP under TIVA. Whether rSO could reflect SjvO was also examined.

Sall4 is essential for mouse primordial germ cell specification by suppressing somatic cell program genes.

The Spalt-like 4 (Sall4) zinc finger protein is a critical transcription factor for pluripotency in embryonic stem cells (ESCs). It is also involved in the formation of a variety of organs, in mice, and humans. We report the essential roles of Sall4 in mouse primordial germ cell (PGC) specification.

[Subcutaneous implantation type central venous port management in patients with malignant tumors effect of different antiseptic agents on central venous port-related infection].

Subcutaneous implantation type central venous ports(CV ports)are used in chemotherapy. Here, we prospectively examined the frequency of CV port-related infections when the disinfectant was changed from 10% povidone iodine to 1% chlorhexidine ethanol or 70% ethanol. The subjects were patients with malignant tumors, who had newly been implanted with CV ports.

Absence of Nceh1 augments 25-hydroxycholesterol-induced ER stress and apoptosis in macrophages.

An excess of cholesterol and/or oxysterols induces apoptosis in macrophages, contributing to the development of advanced atherosclerotic lesions. In foam cells, these sterols are stored in esterified forms, which are hydrolyzed by two enzymes: neutral cholesterol ester hydrolase 1 (Nceh1) and hormone-sensitive lipase (Lipe). A deficiency in either enzyme leads to accelerated growth of atherosclerotic lesions in mice.

[Field survey of the anticancer drug contamination in the preparation environment. Usefulness of the 5-FU monitoring by the coupon method].

For medical professionals involved in cancer chemotherapy, occupational exposure of anticancer agents is considered a health risk. Education about the handling of anticancer drugs and proper use of protective equipment are important for reducing occupational exposure of anticancer drugs. Furthermore, monitoring of the contamination level of anticancer drugs is important for determining the propriety of anti-contamination methods.

A somatotropin-producing pituitary adenoma with an isolated adrenocorticotropin-producing pituitary adenoma in a female patient with acromegaly, subclinical Cushing's disease and a left adrenal tumor.

A 67-year-old female with hypertension and impaired glucose tolerance was admitted to our hospital because of a typical acromegalic appearance, including large, thickened bulky hands and feet, and a large prominent forehead and tongue. She did not have a Cushingoid appearance, such as a moon-face, buffalo hump, purple striae or central obesity. The laboratory data revealed a serum GH level of 4.

Three-layered polyplex micelle as a multifunctional nanocarrier platform for light-induced systemic gene transfer.

Nanocarriers responding to light have great potential for pinpoint therapy, and recent studies have revealed promising in vivo activity. However, light-selective gene transfer still remains challenging in the systemic application. Here we report systemic light-responsive nanocarriers for gene delivery developed through the sequential self-assembly of ABC-type triblock copolymer/DNA/dendrimeric photosensitizer, forming polyplex micelles with three-layered functional nanocompartments.

Myelopathy mimicking subacute combined degeneration in a Down syndrome patient with methotrexate treatment for B lymphoblastic leukemia: report of an autopsy case.

We report clinicopathological features of a 23-year-old woman with Down syndrome (DS) presenting with subacute myelopathy treated with chemotherapy, including intravenous and intrathecal administration of methotrexate (MTX), and with allogenic bone-marrow transplantation for B lymphoblastic leukemia. Autopsy revealed severe demyelinating vacuolar myelopathy in the posterior and lateral columns of the spinal cord, associated with macrophage infiltration, marked axonal loss and some swollen axons. Pathological changes of posterior and lateral columns were observed from the medulla oblongata to lumbar cord.

Efficacy of combination therapy with sitagliptin and low-dose glimepiride in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes.

Background: We examined the effects of combination therapy with 50 mg/day of sitagliptin and low-dose glimepiride (1 mg/day) in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Methods: Twenty-six patients with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes currently taking high-dose glimepiride (≥ 2 mg/day) were enrolled in the study. The dose of glimepiride was reduced to 1 mg/day and 50 mg/day of sitagliptin was added without changing the doses of any other antihyperglycemic agents.

Effect of microRNA-145 to prevent vein graft disease in rabbits by regulation of smooth muscle cell phenotype.

Objective: Because microRNA-145 (miR-145) is a specific mediator in the regulation of the proliferation and differentiation of smooth muscle cells, we investigated the effect of miR-145 on the intimal hyperplasia in the rabbit model of vein graft disease using electroporation-mediated gene transfer.

Methods: The right jugular vein of male Japanese white rabbits was harvested and transduced with miR-145-encoding plasmids using an electroporator and then interposed in the carotid artery. At 2 or 4 weeks postoperatively, the venous graft was explanted, and the intimal thickness and intima/media area ratio were evaluated.

Defensive effects of human intestinal antimicrobial peptides against infectious diseases caused by Vibrio mimicus and V. vulnificus.

Of human pathogenic Vibrio species, V. mimicus causes gastroenteritis whereas V. vulnificus causes fatal septicemia after consumption of contaminated seafood.

Taste of milk from inflamed breasts of breastfeeding mothers with mastitis evaluated using a taste sensor.

Background: The refusal of infants to suckle from a breast that is inflamed with mastitis suggests that the taste of the milk has changed. However, the taste of milk from a breast with mastitis has never been empirically determined. The present study compares the taste of milk from breastfeeding mothers with or without mastitis and identifies specific changes in the taste of milk from mothers with mastitis.

Hydrothermally synthesized PEGylated calcium phosphate nanoparticles incorporating Gd-DTPA for contrast enhanced MRI diagnosis of solid tumors.

Organic-inorganic hybrid nanoparticles with calcium phosphate (CaP) core and PEGylated shell were developed to incorporate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid gadolinium (III) (Gd-DTPA) for noninvasive diagnosis of solid tumors. A two-step preparation method was applied to elaborate hybrid nanoparticles with a z-average hydrodynamic diameter about 80nm, neutral surface ξ-potential and high colloidal stability in physiological environments by self-assembly of poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(aspartic acid) block copolymer, Gd-DTPA, and CaP in aqueous solution, followed with hydrothermal treatment. Incorporation into the hybrid nanoparticles allowed Gd-DTPA to show significant enhanced retention ratio in blood circulation, leading to high accumulation in tumor positions due to enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect.

Efficacy of disulfiram for the treatment of alcohol dependence assessed with a multicenter randomized controlled trial.

Background: The efficacy of disulfiram in preventing an alcoholic relapse has been controversial. The aim of our study was to assess the efficacy of supervised disulfiram for the treatment of alcohol dependence with a multi-institutional study in Japan.

Methods: In a single-blinded, randomized placebo-controlled study, we recruited 109 patients diagnosed with alcohol dependence under ICD-10 criteria.