An mHealth App for the Non-contact Measurement of Pulmonary Function Using the Smartphone's Built-in Depth Sensor.

The use of smartphones in clinical practice is referred to as mobile health (mHealth). This has attracted great interest in both academia and industry because of its potential to augment healthcare. In this study, we developed an mHealth app for the non-contact measurement of chest-wall movements using the iPhone ' s built-in depth sensor, thereby enabling a pulmonary self-monitoring function for personal use.

An intraoperative small distractor for non-open reduction and intramedullary fixation of pediatric displaced diaphyseal forearm fractures.

This report describes technical tools for the treatment of pediatric displaced and unstable diaphyseal forearm fractures, which are difficult to treat by manual closed reduction. During intramedullary fixation with Kirchner wires, we propose our original small distractor as an intraoperative distraction apparatus without open reduction. This apparatus is made using parts of the Ilizarov external fixator.

Ulnar Parametacarpal Flap for Small Finger Avulsion Injury.

In difficult cases of replantation following small finger avulsion injury, in which amputation occurs at the proximal interphalangeal joint, the ulnar parametacarpal island flap, rotated 180° (propeller flap), can be used as an alternative method for covering a skin defect of the proximal phalanx. This flap can prevent metacarpophalangeal joint dysfunction and additional finger shortening. We propose the use of an ulnar parametacarpal flap for this purpose and report the outcomes of two successful cases treated with this method and followed up for 12 months.

TAS-119, a novel selective Aurora A and TRK inhibitor, exhibits antitumor efficacy in preclinical models with deregulated activation of the Myc, β-Catenin, and TRK pathways.

Aurora kinase A, a mitotic kinase that is overexpressed in various cancers, is a promising cancer drug target. Here, we performed preclinical characterization of TAS-119, a novel, orally active, and highly selective inhibitor of Aurora A. TAS-119 showed strong inhibitory effect against Aurora A, with an IC value of 1.

Results of iliac stenting and aortofemoral grafting for iliac artery occlusions.

Objective: To compare long-term results of percutaneous iliac artery stenting (PCIS) with aortobifemoral (ABF) grafting for patients with symptomatic iliac artery occlusions.

Methods: A retrospective review of 229 patients (January 2000 to December 2011) with symptomatic iliac artery occlusions was performed. In 100 patients, 103 PCIS procedures were performed, and 101 patients underwent ABF grafting.

Treatment outcome of high-dose image-guided intensity-modulated radiotherapy using intra-prostate fiducial markers for localized prostate cancer at a single institute in Japan.

Background: Several studies have confirmed the advantages of delivering high doses of external beam radiotherapy to achieve optimal tumor-control outcomes in patients with localized prostate cancer. We evaluated the medium-term treatment outcome after high-dose, image-guided intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) using intra-prostate fiducial markers for clinically localized prostate cancer.

Methods: In total, 141 patients with localized prostate cancer treated with image-guided IMRT (76 Gy in 13 patients and 80 Gy in 128 patients) between 2003 and 2008 were enrolled in this study.

[Effect of oral administration of β-D-glucan from Aureobasidium pullulans ADK-34 on Candida and MRSA infections in immunosuppressed mice].

Unlabelled: We examined the effect of the oral administration of β-D-glucan derived from Aureobasidium pullulans ADK-34 (AP-FBG) on Candida albicans or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection in immunosuppressed mice. Mice pretreated with cyclophosphamide (CY) were intraperitoneally administered AP-FBG for 4 days and then infected with 6×10(4) C. albicans cells.

Toll-like receptor 9 signaling is critical for early experimental deep vein thrombosis resolution.

Objective: Toll-like receptors (TLR) bridge innate immunity and host responses, including inflammation. Sterile inflammation such as a venous thrombus (Vt) may involve TLR signaling, including TLR9.

Methods And Results: TLR9 signaling on thrombus resolution was investigated using a mouse model of stasis Vt.

Vein wall remodeling after deep vein thrombosis: differential effects of low molecular weight heparin and doxycycline.

Background: Venous thrombus resolution sets up an early intense inflammatory reaction, from which vein wall damage results. Tissue response to injury includes matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activation and extracellular matrix protein turnover. This study sought to determine the effect of exogenous MMP inhibition and its potential attenuation of early vein wall injury.

Isoxazolopyridone derivatives as allosteric metabotropic glutamate receptor 7 antagonists.

This Letter describes the synthesis and evaluation of mGluR7 antagonists in the isoxazolopyridone series. In the course of modification in this class, novel solid support synthesis of the isoxazolopyridone scaffold was developed. Subsequent chemical modification led to the identification of several potent derivatives with improved physicochemical properties compared to a hit compound 1.

Discovery and structure-activity relationships of a novel class of quinazoline glucokinase activators.

We describe design, syntheses and structure-activity relationships of a novel class of 4,6-disubstituted quinazoline glucokinase activators. Prototype quinazoline leads (4 and 5) were designed based on the X-ray analyses of the previous 2-aminobenzamide lead classes. Modifications of the quinazoline leads led to the identification of a potent GK activator (21d).

Imidazopyridine derivatives as potent and selective Polo-like kinase (PLK) inhibitors.

A novel class of imidazopyridine derivatives was designed as PLK1 inhibitors. Extensive SAR studies supported by molecular modeling afforded a highly potent and selective compound 36. Compound 36 demonstrated good antitumor efficacy in xenograft nude rat model.

Clinical correlations between treatment with anticoagulants/antiaggregants and late rectal toxicity after radiotherapy for prostate cancer.

Aim: To assess variables related to grade 2 or higher late rectal toxicity (LRT) in prostate cancer treated with external radiotherapy.

Patients And Methods: A retrospective analysis was carried out of 232 patients with T1-T3 prostate cancer treated with 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) (106 patients) or intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) (126 patients) between June 2000 and May 2007. One hundred and seventy-seven patients received androgen deprivation therapy (ADT); fifty patients used anticoagulants/antiaggregants for vascular disease.

Discovery of novel 3,6-disubstituted 2-pyridinecarboxamide derivatives as GK activators.

A novel class of 3,6-disubstituted 2-pyridinecarboxamide derivatives was designed based on X-ray analysis of the 2-aminobenzamide lead class. Subsequent chemical modification led to the discovery of potent GK activators which eliminate potential toxicity concerns associated with an aniline group of the lead structure. Compound 7 demonstrated glucose lowering effect in a rat OGTT model.

Identification of novel and potent 2-amino benzamide derivatives as allosteric glucokinase activators.

The identification and structure-activity-relationships (SARs) of novel 2-amino benzamide glucokinase activators are described. Compounds in this series were developed to be potent GK activators, and their binding mode to the GK protein was determined by crystal structure analysis. In vivo pharmacokinetic and acute in vivo efficacy studies of compound 18 are also described.

A phase II study on stereotactic body radiotherapy for stage I non-small cell lung cancer.

Background And Purpose: The outcome of stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with conventional radiotherapy is inferior to that of patients treated surgically. We aimed to evaluate the clinical outcome of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) in the treatment of stage I NSCLC.

Materials And Methods: We performed SBRT for 31 stage I NSCLC patients.

In vitro pharmacological characterization of novel isoxazolopyridone derivatives as allosteric metabotropic glutamate receptor 7 antagonists.

Novel isoxazolopyridone derivatives that are metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) 7 antagonists were discovered and pharmacologically characterized. 5-Methyl-3,6-diphenylisoxazolo[4,5-c]pyridin-4(5H)-one (MDIP) was identified by random screening, and 6-(4-methoxyphenyl)-5-methyl-3-pyridin-4-ylisoxazolo[4,5-c]pyridin-4(5H)-one (MMPIP) was produced by chemical modification of MDIP. MDIP and MMPIP inhibited L-(+)-2-amino-4-phosphonobutyric acid (L-AP4)-induced intracellular Ca2+ mobilization in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells coexpressing rat mGluR7 with Galpha(15) (IC50 = 20 and 26 nM).

Discovery of 2-aminothiazole-4-carboxamides, a novel class of muscarinic M(3) selective antagonists, through solution-phase parallel synthesis.

Synthesis and structure-activity relationship of a new class of muscarinic M(3) selective antagonists were described. In the course of searching for a muscarinic M(3) antagonist with a structure distinct from those of the 2-(4,4-difluorocyclopentyl)-2-phenylacetamide derivatives, we identified a thiazole-4-carboxamide derivative (1) as a lead compound in our in-house chemical collection. Since this compound (1) showed relatively low binding affinity (K(i)=140 nM) for M(3) receptors in the human binding assays, we tried to improve its potency and selectivity for M(3) over M(1) and M(2) receptors by derivatization of 1 through a combinatorial approach.

Evaluation of inter- and intrafraction organ motion during intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for localized prostate cancer measured by a newly developed on-board image-guided system.

Purpose: To investigate prostatic organ motion at both setup and intrafraction using an onboard image-guided system. An intrafraction field-based repositioning method also was evaluated.

Materials And Methods: A dual fluoroscopy with amorphous-silicon flat panel (DFFP) system was used for the three-dimensional registration of implanted markers in the prostate of eight organ-confined cancer patients planned for treatment with intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT).

Production of anti-Candida antibodies in mice with gut colonization of Candida albicans.

Background: Production of antibodies that are specific for allergens is an important pathological process in inflammatory allergic diseases. These contain the antibodies against antigens of Candida albicans, one of the normal microbial flora in an intestinal tract. We studied the effects of the prednisolone administration on the production of anti-Candida antibodies in the gastrointestinally C.

Structural basis for allosteric regulation of the monomeric allosteric enzyme human glucokinase.

Glucokinase is a monomeric enzyme that displays a low affinity for glucose and a sigmoidal saturation curve for its substrate, two properties that are important for its playing the role of a glucose sensor in pancreas and liver. The molecular basis for these two properties is not well understood. Herein we report the crystal structures of glucokinase in its active and inactive forms, which demonstrate that global conformational change, including domain reorganization, is induced by glucose binding.

Stability of electron-beam energy monitor for quality assurance of the electron-beam energy from radiotherapy accelerators.

Information on electron energy is important in planning radiation therapy using electrons. The Geske 3405 electron beam energy monitor (Geske monitor, PTW Nuclear Associates, Carle Place, NY, USA) is a device containing nine ionization chambers for checking the energy of the electron beams produced by radiotherapy accelerators. We wondered whether this might increase the likelihood of ionization chamber trouble.