A New Breast Density Assessment Method Using Portable Document Format.

Purpose: Breast density assessment is an essential component of risk-stratified and supplemental breast cancer screenings for the future generation. International collaborative research and cooperation are required to determine global trends and differences in mammographic breast density. Due to the cost and energy associated with the use of film or digital mammograms, international breast density assessment studies tend to be challenging.

Evaluation of a Chemiluminescent Enzyme Immunoassay for the Detection of Prostaglandin E-Major Urinary Metabolite (PGE-MUM).

Background: We developed a fully automated quantitative immunoassay for the detection of prostaglandin E-major urinary metabolite (PGE-MUM). In this study, we evaluated the analytical performance of this assay.

Methods: Sensitivity, within-run reproducibility, correlation with radioimmunoassay (RIA), cross-reactivity, dilution linearity, spike recovery performance, analyte stability, and effects of coexisting substances were evaluated.

Preliminary study of standardized semiquantitative method for ultrasonographic breast composition assessment.

Purpose: To develop a classification tree via semiquantitative analysis for ultrasonographic breast composition assessment using routine breast ultrasonography examination images.

Methods: This study retrospectively enrolled 100 consecutive normal women who underwent screening mammography and supplemental ultrasonography. Based on sonographic breast composition, the patients' breasts were classified as nondense or dense, which were correlated with mammographic breast composition.

Association of Chemotherapy Response Score with Multidrug Resistance 1 and CA125 ELIMination Rate Constant K in Patients with Advanced Ovarian Cancer Treated with Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy.

Aim: The relationship between chemotherapy response score (CRS), a widely used response predictor of neoadjuvant chemotherapy-interval debulking surgery (NAC-IDS), and multidrug resistance 1 (MDR1) and CA125 ELIMination rate constant K (KELIM), is undetermined. We evaluated CRS in advanced ovarian cancer patients undergoing NAC and looked for associations between CRS and MDR1 and CA125 KELIM. Our aim was to predict the therapeutic effect of NAC before interval debulking surgery (IDS) by examining its association with CRS.

N-Myc Downstream Regulated Gene-1 May Play an Important Role in the Prognosis of Ovarian Cancer, in Its Association with Beta-Catenin.

NDRG1 is a nickel- and calcium-inducible gene that plays important roles in the primary growth of malignant tumors, as well as in invasion and metastasis. This study investigated the associations of NDRG1 expression with cell adhesion and other clinicopathological factors in ovarian cancer. The clinical records of 123 women who underwent surgery for ovarian cancer in our institute were reviewed retrospectively.

Domestication of azuki bean and soybean in Japan: From the insight of archeological and molecular evidence.

Domestication of azuki bean and soybean has enabled them to acquire non-dormant seeds, non-shattering pods, and larger seed size. Seed remains of the Jomon period recently discovered at archeological sites in the Central Highlands of Japan (6,000-4,000 BP) suggest that the use of azuki bean and soybean and their increase in seed size began earlier in Japan than in China and Korea; molecular phylogenetic studies indicate that azuki bean and soybean originated in Japan. Recent identification of domestication genes indicate that the domestication traits of azuki bean and soybean were established by different mechanisms.

Phase II study of gemcitabine, cisplatin, and bevacizumab for first recurrent and refractory ovarian clear cell carcinoma Kansai Clinical Oncology Group-G1601.

Patients with advanced ovarian clear cell carcinoma (CCC) have a poor prognosis in the absence of an effective standard treatment. Combination therapy with gemcitabine, cisplatin, and bevacizumab (GPBev) is promising for ovarian CCC. Thus, we conducted a multi-institutional, phase II trial in Japan to examine the efficacy and safety of GPBev for CCC.

Water and lipid content of breast tissue measured by six-wavelength time-domain diffuse optical spectroscopy.

Significance: The water and lipid content of normal breast tissue showed mammary gland characteristics with less influence from the chest wall using six-wavelength time-domain diffuse optical spectroscopy (TD-DOS) in a reflectance geometry.

Aim: To determine the depth sensitivity of a six-wavelength TD-DOS system and evaluate whether the optical parameters in normal breast tissue can distinguish dense breasts from non-dense breasts.

Approach: Measurements were performed in normal breast tissue of 37 breast cancer patients.

Comparisons between artificial intelligence computer-aided detection synthesized mammograms and digital mammograms when used alone and in combination with tomosynthesis images in a virtual screening setting.

Purpose: To compare the reader performance of artificial intelligence computer-aided detection synthesized mammograms (AI CAD SM) with that of digital mammograms (DM) when used alone or in combination with digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) images.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective multireader (n = 4) study compared the reader performances in 388 cases (84 cancer, 83 benign, and 221 normal or benign cases). The overall accuracy of the breast-based assessment was determined by four radiologists using two sequential reading modes: DM followed by DM + DBT; and AI CAD SM followed by AI CAD SM + DBT.

Artificial intelligence computer-aided detection enhances synthesized mammograms: comparison with original digital mammograms alone and in combination with tomosynthesis images in an experimental setting.

Background: It remains unclear whether original full-field digital mammograms (DMs) can be replaced with synthesized mammograms in both screening and diagnostic settings. To compare reader performance of artificial intelligence computer-aided detection synthesized mammograms (AI CAD SMs) with that of DM alone or in combination with digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) images in an experimental setting.

Methods: We compared the performance of multireader (n = 4) and reading multicase (n = 388), in 84 cancers, 83 biopsy-proven benign lesions, and 221 normal or benign cases with negative results after 1-year follow-up.

Knockout of mlaA increases Escherichia coli virulence in a silkworm infection model.

The mlaA gene encodes a lipoprotein to maintain an outer membrane lipid asymmetry in gram-negative bacteria. Although the role of mlaA in bacterial virulence has been studied in several bacterial species, there are no reports of its role in E. coli virulence.

A Business-to-Business Collaboration System That Promotes Data Utilization While Encrypting Information on the Blockchain.

Ensuring the reliability of data gathering from every connected device is an essential issue for promoting the advancement of the next paradigm shift, i.e., Industry 4.

Enhanced proliferation and differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells in the gravity-controlled environment.

Background: Human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) present a promising cell source with the potential to be used for curing various intractable diseases, and it is expected that the development of regenerative medicine employing cell-based therapy would be significantly accelerated when such methods are established. For that, powerful methods for selective growth and differentiation of hMSCs should be developed.

Methods: We developed an efficient method for hMSC proliferation and differentiation into osteoblasts and adipocytes using gravity-controlled environments.

Effect of Sucrose on Cisplatin-induced Fatigue-like Behavior in Mice: Comparison With Fructose and Glucose.

Background/aim: Fatigue is the most common symptom in patients with cancer undergoing radiation therapy or cancer chemotherapy. However, cancer-related fatigue remains undertreated and poorly understood.

Materials And Methods: Mice were administered a single dose of cisplatin (10 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) or saline (as a control) and then treated with sucrose, fructose, glucose (each at 500 or 5,000 mg/kg, orally), or saline (control) daily for 4 days.

Analysis of postoperative adjuvant therapy in 102 patients with gastric-type mucinous carcinoma of the uterine cervix: A multi-institutional study.

Objective: Gastric-type mucinous carcinoma (GAS) is a novel variant of uterine cervix mucinous carcinoma. GAS is a distinct entity that can be distinguished from typical endocervical adenocarcinoma (UEA). In Japan, postoperative adjuvant therapy for cervical cancer includes not only radiation therapy (RT) or concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) but also chemotherapy in many cases.

Platinum rechallenge treatment using gemcitabine plus carboplatin with or without bevacizumab for platinum-resistant ovarian cancer.

Purpose: Platinum-resistant ovarian cancer (PROC) is usually treated with single-agent chemotherapy. A synergistic effect of gemcitabine and platinum has been reported in PROC. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of gemcitabine and carboplatin with or without bevacizumab (GC ± B) in patients with PROC.

Human papillomavirus genotyping predicts residual/recurrent disease after local treatment for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia better than viral DNA testing.

Aim: Type-specific persistent infection (TSPI) of human papillomavirus (HPV) is reportedly associated with a high risk of residual/recurrent disease after local treatment for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). This study aimed to evaluate whether HPV genotyping is more accurate in detecting residual/recurrent disease than HPV DNA testing and identify which HPV genotype can predict a high risk of residual/recurrent disease.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patient outcomes and results of HPV DNA testing and genotyping at 6-12 months after local treatment for CIN2/3 for 439 women.

Daikenchuto increases blood flow in the superior mesenteric artery in humans: A comparison study between four-dimensional phase-contrast vastly undersampled isotropic projection reconstruction magnetic resonance imaging and Doppler ultrasound.

Respiratory-gated four-dimensional phase-contrast vastly undersampled isotropic projection reconstruction (4D PC-VIPR) is magnetic resonance (MR) imaging technique that enables analysis of vascular morphology and hemodynamics in a single examination using cardiac phase resolved 3D phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging. The present study aimed to assess the usefulness of 4D PC-VIPR for the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) flowmetry before and after flow increase was induced by the herbal medicine Daikenchuto (TJ-100) by comparing it with Doppler ultrasound (DUS) as a current standard. Twenty healthy volunteers were enrolled in this prospective single-arm study.

Fibrous Connection Between Cervical Nerve and Zygapophysial Joint and Implication of the Cervical Spondylotic Radiculopathy: An Anatomic Cadaveric Study.

Study Design: Observational, anatomical, cadaveric study.

Objective: We anatomically investigated the fibrous connection between the cervical nerves and the zygapophysial joint capsules.

Summary Of Background Data: Cervical spondylotic radiculopathy is caused by the compression of the cervical nerves as the static factor and head and neck movements as the dynamic factor.

Congenitally Corrected Transposition of the Great Arteries at Age 88 Years.

Most patients with congenital heart disease are diagnosed shortly after birth; however, some patients are overlooked and diagnosed in adulthood. We present the case of a man in whom congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries (CCTGA) was first diagnosed at the age of 88 years. CCTGA is a rare disease; patients without frequently associated cardiac anomalies are considered to have long life expectancies; however, their prognosis remains unclear.

Subcategorization of atypical glandular cells is useful to identify lesion site.

Background: In the subcategorization of atypical glandular cells (AGCs), origin of cells should be mentioned to estimate lesion sites for diagnosis. However, cases without subcategorization are often encountered due to limited reproducibility. We evaluated whether the subcategorization of AGC based on the Bethesda terminology can estimate lesion sites.