Usefulness of a new anthropomorphic phantom simulating the chest and abdomen regions in PET tests.

Objective: To investigate the clinical utility of a new anthropomorphic phantom that reproduces the chest and abdomen better than the conventional National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) body phantom, count rates and image quality of PET images obtained from patients were evaluated.

Methods: Anthropomorphic phantoms were used to include radioactivity in the lung, liver, kidney, and background regions. Two NEMA body phantoms were used for chest and abdominal assessments.

[A Comparative Study of the Compressed SENSE Accelerated Fat-suppressed 3D-turbo Spin Echo Sequence Method and Conventional Fat-suppressed 3D-TSE Method for Lingual Neurovascular Bundle Visualization].

Purpose: This study aimed to compare the compressed SENSE (C-SENSE) accelerated fat-suppressed 3D-turbo spin echo (TSE) method and the conventional SENSE accelerated fat-suppressed 3D-TSE method to examine the usefulness of C-SENSE technology in reducing imaging time.

Methods: Fat-suppressed 3D-TSE using either C-SENSE or SENSE technology was utilized to capture consecutive preoperative images of 34 patients with tongue cancer. SNR, CNR, and visual evaluation were then used to compare both types of technology.

Algorithm development for low level radioxenon 2D spectra analysis: A first case of study using spectral unmixing for a β-γ detector.

In the scope of the verification regime of the Comprehensive nuclear Test Ban Treaty, the CEA/DAM is developing new β-γ measurement systems. In order to improve the analysis methods at low statistics, a new multiplicative spectral unmixing algorithm for full-spectrum analysis was tested on a particular setup for different types of mixtures. The reconstructed activities for simulated spectra and the characteristic limits found with this algorithm are compared to the classic ROI analysis method.

A new simpler image quality index based on body size for FDG-PET/CT.

Noise equivalent count density (NEC density ) is often used to evaluate the image quality of whole-body fluorodeoxyglucose tomography tests. However, this index is calculated using the patient volume, which is difficult to obtain at every facility. In this study, we proposed new image quality indices that can be evaluated at all facilities.

Natural infection with () supports (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) as a potential vector of leishmaniasis and characterization of a sp. isolated from the midges.

The prevalence of autochthonous leishmaniasis in Thailand is increasing but the natural vectors that are responsible for transmission remain unknown. Experimental infections in spp. () and () , the major causative pathogens in Thailand, have demonstrated that biting midges can act as competent vectors.

Amphotericin B resistance correlates with increased fitness and in () .

Amphotericin B (AmpB) deoxycholate is the available first-line drug used to treat visceral leishmaniasis caused by () , however, some cases of AmpB treatment failure have been reported in Thailand. Resistance to drugs is known to affect parasite fitness with a potential impact on parasite transmission but still little is known about the effect of resistance to drugs on . Here we aimed to gain insight into the fitness changes occurring after treatment failure or -induced resistance to AmpB.

17α-ethinylestradiol modulates endothelial function in ovariectomized rat carotid arteries.

17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2), a derivative of 17β-estradiol (E2), is a potent estrogenic substance that is used as the estrogenic component of oral contraceptives (OCPs). However, women who take OCPs have an increased risk of cardiovascular events. Since few studies have examined EE2 endothelial effects, we explored the effects of EE2 on endothelial function in ovariectomized and isoflavone-free rats.

Stimulation of metacyclogenesis in () for mass production of metacyclic promastigotes.

() is a human pathogen causing leishmaniasis and studies on the properties of metacyclic promastigotes, the parasite's infective stage, are required for a better understanding of its transmission and infection. However, information on cultivation for mass production of metacyclic promastigotes and factors that stimulate their metacyclogenesis is limited. Therefore, the objective of this study was to develop a suitable methodology for generating promastigote cultures containing a high proportion and number of metacyclic promastigotes.

Significance of eggshell morphology as an additional tool to distinguish species of sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae).

Morphological characteristics of eggshells are important in sand fly ootaxonomy. In this study, eggshells from Phlebotomus stantoni Newstead, Sergentomyia khawi (Raynal), and Grassomyia indica (Theodor) sand flies collected in Chiang Mai province, Thailand were examined and characterized using light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Then, eggshell morphology of these three species was described for the first time.

3,5,7,3',4'-Pentamethoxyflavone Enhances the Barrier Function through Transcriptional Regulation of the Tight Junction in Human Intestinal Caco-2 Cells.

The intestinal tight junction (TJ) barrier plays a pivotal role in the regulation of intestinal homeostasis. This study investigated the effects of 3,5,7,3',4'-pentamethoxyflavone (PMF), a major polymethoxyflavone found in black ginger, on TJ barrier regulation using intestinal Caco-2 cells. PMF treatment enhanced the TJ barrier integrity in Caco-2 cells, indicated by increased transepithelial electrical resistance (control, 1261 ± 36 Ω·cm; 100 μM PMF, 1383 ± 55 Ω·cm at 48 h, < 0.

Placenta accrete after a frozen-thawed embryo transfer in a systemic lupus erythematosus patient treated with hydroxychloroquine.

Placenta accreta (PA) is a life-threatening disorder associated with decidual maldevelopment and a thin endometrium. Few cases of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) pregnancy complicated by PA have been reported, and the background pathophysiology remains elusive. Here, we report a case of PA in SLE pregnancy treated with hydroxychloroquine.

Protein expression in female salivary glands of pyrethroid-susceptible and resistant strains of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.

Background: A group of insecticides called pyrethroids has been used extensively worldwide and development of pyrethroid resistance within mosquito populations, especially in Aedes aegypti, has rapidly spread through populations. In this study, SDS-PAGE, 2-DE coupled with NanoLC-MS, and bioinformatics were used to analyze the female salivary gland proteins of pyrethroid-susceptible (PMD) and pyrethroid-resistant (PMD-R and UPK-R) strains of Ae. aegypti mosquitoes for the first time.

[Essential thrombocythemia accompanied by adrenal infarction].

A 64-year-old man presented to the emergency department with sudden-onset upper abdominal pain and pain in the left chest area. His platelet count was 121.7×10/µl.

Successful engraftment after cord blood transplantation from an HLA-homozygous donor (homo-to-hetero cord blood transplantation) in a primary myelofibrosis patient with broad HLA antibodies.

Background: Donor-specific human leukocyte antigen (HLA) antibodies are a significant risk factor for graft failure in cord blood transplantation (CBT). Although there are several treatments to decrease HLA antibodies, such as platelet transfusion, plasma exchange, rituximab, and bortezomib, their effectiveness has not been established.

Study Design And Methods: We herein report the case of a primary myelofibrosis (PMF) patient with broad HLA antibodies who underwent CBT from an HLA-homozygous donor in which the alleles were matched only in the host-versus-graft direction (homo-to-hetero CBT).

Substantial Improvement in a Nerve Conduction Study of Lymphoma-associated Demyelinating Neuropathy Treated by Intravenous Immunoglobulin and Chemotherapy.

A 64-year-old woman with lymphoma-associated demyelinating neuropathy was treated by 6 cycles of R-CHOP with intravenous immunoglobulin in the first 2 cycles. We noted substantial improvement in the findings of a nerve conduction study (NCS) after the first cycle, followed by more protracted improvement during the second to sixth cycles. The improvement of the neurological symptoms paralleled the findings of the NCS.

Astaxanthin Restrains Nitrative-Oxidative Peroxidation in Mitochondrial-Mimetic Liposomes: A Pre-Apoptosis Model.

Astaxanthin (ASTA) is a ketocarotenoid found in many marine organisms and that affords many benefits to human health. ASTA is particularly effective against radical-mediated lipid peroxidation, and recent findings hypothesize a "mitochondrial-targeted" action of ASTA in cells. Therefore, we examined the protective effects of ASTA against lipid peroxidation in zwitterionic phosphatidylcholine liposomes (PCLs) and anionic phosphatidylcholine: phosphatidylglycerol liposomes (PCPGLs), at different pHs (6.

Didilia sp. infecting Phlebotomus stantoni in Thailand.

Nematode infection in wild caught Phlebotomine sand flies was investigated in Thailand. Light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to detect and morphologically characterize entomopathogenic nematodes that presented in the sand flies. Didilia sp.

Species composition and population dynamics of phlebotomine sand flies in a Leishmania infected area of Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Phlebotomine sand flies are established vectors of leishmaniasis in humans. In Thailand, Leishmania martiniquensis and "Leishmania siamensis" have been described as causative agents of leishmaniasis. In this study, a survey of sand flies in the Leishmania infected area of Hang Dong district, Chiang Mai, Thailand was performed using CDC light traps for eight consecutive months, from January to August 2016.

Salivary Gland Proteome during Adult Development and after Blood Feeding of Female Anopheles dissidens Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae).

Understanding changes in mosquito salivary proteins during the time that sporozoite maturation occurs and after blood feeding may give information regarding the roles of salivary proteins during the malarial transmission. Anopheles dissidens (formerly Anopheles barbirostris species A1) is a potential vector of Plasmodium vivax in Thailand. In this study, analyses of the proteomic profiles of female An.

Biomarker for Spinal Muscular Atrophy: Expression of SMN in Peripheral Blood of SMA Patients and Healthy Controls.

Spinal muscular atrophy is caused by a functional deletion of SMN1 on Chromosome 5, which leads to a progressive loss of motor function in affected patients. SMA patients have at least one copy of a similar gene, SMN2, which produces functional SMN protein, although in reduced quantities. The severity of SMA is variable, partially due to differences in SMN2 copy numbers.

Photochemistry. Chemiexcitation of melanin derivatives induces DNA photoproducts long after UV exposure.

Mutations in sunlight-induced melanoma arise from cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs), DNA photoproducts that are typically created picoseconds after an ultraviolet (UV) photon is absorbed at thymine or cytosine. We found that in melanocytes, CPDs are generated for >3 hours after exposure to UVA, a major component of the radiation in sunlight and in tanning beds. These "dark CPDs" constitute the majority of CPDs and include the cytosine-containing CPDs that initiate UV-signature C→T mutations.

Excited singlet molecular O₂(¹Δg) is generated enzymatically from excited carbonyls in the dark.

In mammalian tissues, ultraweak chemiluminescence arising from biomolecule oxidation has been attributed to the radiative deactivation of singlet molecular oxygen [O2 ((1)Δg)] and electronically excited triplet carbonyl products involving dioxetane intermediates. Herein, we describe evidence of the generation of O2 ((1)Δg) in aqueous solution via energy transfer from excited triplet acetone. This involves thermolysis of 3,3,4,4-tetramethyl-1,2-dioxetane, a chemical source, and horseradish peroxidase-catalyzed oxidation of 2-methylpropanal, as an enzymatic source.

Ferricytochrome (c) directly oxidizes aminoacetone to methylglyoxal, a catabolite accumulated in carbonyl stress.

Age-related diseases are associated with increased production of reactive oxygen and carbonyl species such as methylglyoxal. Aminoacetone, a putative threonine catabolite, is reportedly known to undergo metal-catalyzed oxidation to methylglyoxal, NH4(+) ion, and H2O2 coupled with (i) permeabilization of rat liver mitochondria, and (ii) apoptosis of insulin-producing cells. Oxidation of aminoacetone to methylglyoxal is now shown to be accelerated by ferricytochrome c, a reaction initiated by one-electron reduction of ferricytochrome c by aminoacetone without amino acid modifications.

Low response to a monovalent inactivated unadjuvanted influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 vaccine in pediatricians of a general hospital in Japan.

Immunization of health care personnel (HCP) is critically important to reduce healthcare-associated influenza infections substantially. During 2009-2010, 74% of all HCP at Kitano Hospital, Osaka, Japan, including 94% of pediatricians, received the monovalent unadjuvanted influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 vaccine. We evaluated the vaccine's immunogenicity.