Prognostic value of left atrial reverse remodelling in patients hospitalized with acute decompensated heart failure.

Aims: Left atrial (LA) volume index (LAVI) in chronic heart failure (HF) predicts cardiovascular outcomes. However, the association between LAVI reduction during acute decompensated HF (ADHF) and its prognostic potential is limited. We hypothesized that LA reverse remodelling (LARR) after ADHF therapy would be associated with better clinical outcomes.

WT1 Trio Peptide-Based Cancer Vaccine for Rare Cancers Expressing Shared Target WT1.

No standard treatment has been established for most rare cancers. Here, we report a clinical trial of a biweekly WT1 tri-peptide-based vaccine for recurrent or advanced rare cancers. Due to the insufficient number of patients available for a traditional clinical trial, the trial was designed for rare cancers expressing shared target molecule WT1.

Comparison of the mechanical properties and mechanical damages to tendon tissue in three suspensory fixation techniques.

Background: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is the most common traumatic injury to the knee joint. Suspensory fixation has become popular in ACL reconstruction because of its high primary stability, less invasiveness, and surgical convenience. There are two common types of suspensory fixation devices: those with fixed-length and those with adjustable-length loops.

Comparison between gradient and spin-echo (GRASE) and compressed sensing sequences for single breath-hold three-dimensional magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography in patients with T hyperintense bile.

Purpose: To compare image quality and the detectability of gallstones in patients with T hyperintense bile between single breath-hold three-dimensional (3D) magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) with gradient and spin-echo (GRASE) and with compressed sensing (CS).

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated patients who underwent MRCP using GRASE and CS and had hyperintense bile on T-weighted fat-suppressed images. The relative duct-to-periductal contrast ratios (RCs) of each bile duct segment were calculated.

Corticotropin releasing hormone receptor 2 antagonist, RQ-00490721, for the prevention of pressure overload-induced cardiac dysfunction.

Background: G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) regulate the pathological and physiological functions of the heart. GPCR antagonists are widely used in the treatment of chronic heart failure. Despite therapeutic advances in the treatments for cardiovascular diseases, heart failure is a major clinical health problem, with significant mortality and morbidity.

The effects of massage velocity on heart rate and heart rate variability in healthy infants: A randomized crossover study.

Background: Infant massage, in which mothers stroke their infant's skin slowly and gently, can cause pleasant sensations in the infant that can be affected by the velocity of massage. However, the massage velocity at which infants feel the most pleasant sensations remains unclear.

Objective: To investigate the effects of massage velocity on heart rate (HR) and HR variability (HRV) in healthy infants.

Analysis of sweating by optical coherence tomography in patients with palmoplantar hyperhidrosis.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a high-resolution tomographic imaging technique that uses optical interference. OCT has enabled the non-invasive three-dimensional analysis of individual acrosyringia in the stratum corneum in human skin. However, no report on the measurement of sweating by OCT using clinical data from humans has been published to date.

Dynamic analysis of mental sweating of the sweat glands and peripheral vessels by optical coherence tomography.

The sweat gland and peripheral vessels underneath skin are a typical minute organ governed by the sympathetic nerve, and have important physiology functions to control of body temperature and maintenance. In this paper, we demonstrated the dynamic analysis of the mental sweating of the eccrine sweat glands and the dynamics of the small artery of human finger by optical coherence tomography (OCT). In the experiment of mental sweating, not only time variation of the amount of excess sweat can be evaluated simultaneously a few tens of sweat glands eccrine sweat glands but also the dynamics of peripheral vessels of a human finger were analyzed.

Claudin-3 Loss Causes Leakage of Sweat from the Sweat Gland to Contribute to the Pathogenesis of Atopic Dermatitis.

The transfer of sweat to the skin surface without leakage is important for the homeostatic regulation of skin and is impaired in atopic dermatitis. Although the precise composition of the leakage barrier remains obscure, there is a large contribution from claudins, the major components of tight junctions. In humans, claudin-1, -3, and -15 are expressed on sweat ducts, and claudin-3 and -10 are expressed on secretory coils.

Application to skin physiology using optical coherence tomography.

The sweat glands and peripheral vessels beneath the skin surface act as minute organs governed by the skin sympathetic nerves and have important physiological functions for body temperature control and nutrition support along with maintenance of a peripheral organization. Dynamics of the mental sweating of sweat glands and the peripheral vessels reflect the activity of a sympathetic nerve. The purpose of this paper is to study the dynamic observation and analysis of sweat glands and a peripheral vessels by optical coherence tomography (OCT).

Dynamic analysis of mental sweating of eccrine sweat gland of human fingertip by time-sequential piled-up en face optical coherence tomography images.

In this paper, we demonstrate dynamic analysis of mental sweating for sound stimulus of a few tens of eccrine sweat glands by the time-sequential piled-up en face optical coherence tomography (OCT) images with the frame spacing of 3.3 sec. In the experiment, the amount of excess sweat can be evaluated simultaneously for a few tens of sweat glands by piling up of all the en face OCT images.

Nondestructive observation of teeth post core-space using optical coherence tomography: comparison with microcomputed tomography and live images.

No previous reports have observed inside the root canal using both optical coherence tomography (OCT) and x-ray microcomputed tomography (μCT) for the same sample. The purpose of this study was to clarify both OCT and μCT image properties from observations of the same root canal after resin core build-up treatment. As OCT allows real-time observation of samples, gap formation may be able to be shown in real time.

Identification of a novel 2-pyridyl-benzensulfonamide derivative, RQ-00203078, as a selective and orally active TRPM8 antagonist.

A novel series of 2-pyridyl-benzensulfonamide derivatives have been identified as selective and orally active TRPM8 antagonists via high throughput screening (HTS). Exploration of the structure-activity relationships of compound 1 has led to the identification of RQ-00203078 (compound 36) as a highly selective, potent and orally available TRPM8 antagonist. RQ-00203078 demonstrated excellent in vivo activity in a dose dependent manner with an ED50 value of 0.

Nondestructive observation of teeth post core space using optical coherence tomography: a pilot study.

Coronal tooth lesions, such as caries, enamel cracking, and composite resin restoration cavities, have been observed by optical coherence tomography (OCT). This pilot study was performed to verify whether OCT could reveal details of root canals filled with resin core build-up. A dual-cure, one-step, self-etch adhesive system-bonding agent (Clearfil Bond SE ONE, Kuraray Noritake Dental) and dual-cure resin composite core material (Clearfil DC Core Automix ONE, Kuraray Noritake Dental) were used according to the manufacturer's instructions in root canals.

Dynamic analysis of histamine-mediated attenuation of acetylcholine-induced sweating via GSK3β activation.

Sweating has been associated with the exacerbation of atopic dermatitis (AD) in diverse ways. Acetylcholine (ACh)-mediated sweating is known to be attenuated in AD, but its cause remains obscure. To address this issue, the impact of histamine on ACh-induced sweating was evaluated.

Ganglioneuroblastoma arising within a retroperitoneal mature cystic teratoma.

We discuss an extremely rare case of ganglioneuroblastoma arising within a retroperitoneal mature cystic teratoma. Radiological examinations showed a cystic tumor sandwiched between the pancreas and left kidney. Surgery was scheduled because the tumor seemed to have originated from the pancreas.

Metachronous pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma discovered in early stage during follow-up of breast cancer: report of a case.

We present an extremely rare case of early-stage acinar cell carcinoma of the pancreas. A 49-year-old woman, who had undergone radical surgery for breast cancer 3 years earlier, was suspected to have a rib metastasis during follow-up. She also had a family history of cancer.

Dynamic analysis for mental sweating of a group of eccrine sweat glands on a human fingertip by optical coherence tomography.

Background: An important function of skin physiology is mental sweating, where sweating is accelerated via the sympathetic nerve by mental or physical stress externally applied to a volunteer.

Aim: Activity of the sympathetic nerve (ASN) is evaluated by quantitative measurement of mental sweating.

Material And Methods: Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is highly potential for in vivo observation of human sweating dynamics which affects ASN.

Dynamic analysis of internal and external mental sweating by optical coherence tomography.

Mental sweating is human sweating that is accelerated via the sympathetic nerve by application of mental or physical stress. In the neurosciences, there is keen interest in this type of sweating, because the amount of sweat in response to a stress applied to a volunteer directly reflects activity of the sympathetic nerve. It is therefore of particular value that optical coherence tomography (OCT) can provide clear in vivo imaging of the spiral lumen of an eccrin sweat gland in the epidermis with a spatial resolution around 10 mum.

Synthesis and structure-activity relationships of oxamyl dipeptide caspase inhibitors developed for the treatment of liver disease.

The P4 region of a series of oxamyl dipeptide caspase inhibitors was optimized by the combination of anti-apoptotic activity in the Jurkat/Fas (JFas) cellular assay and membrane permeability in the PAMPA assay. Two highly potent anti-apoptotic agents with moderate membrane permeability, 29 and 36, showed strong in vivo efficacy in a murine model of alpha-Fas-induced liver injury.

Simultaneous measurement of the phase and group indices and the thickness of transparent plates by low-coherence interferometry.

We propose and demonstrate a novel technique for simultaneous measurement of the phase index, n(p) , the group index, n(g) , and the thickness, t , of transparent plates by use of a low-coherence interferometer. The output light from a superluminescent diode is focused upon the front plane of a transparent plate that is used as the sample. The sample stage is subsequently moved until the light is focused upon the rear plane of the plate.

Palladium-catalyzed stereospecific synthesis of 2,6-disubstituted tetrahydropyrans: 1,3-chirality transfer by an intramolecular oxypalladation reaction.

PdCl2(CH3CN)2 (10 mol %) catalyzed reactions of non-3-ene-2,8-diols 1 and 2 gave 2,6-disubstituted tetrahydropyrans 3 and 4 in excellent yields with high diastereoselectivities (>20:1). Intramolecular cyclizations of the hydroxy nucleophile to the chiral allylic alcohol take place efficiently under mild conditions. A new stereogenic center is generated on the tetrahydropyran ring by 1,3-chirality transfer from the chiral allylic alcohol via a syn-SN2' type process.

The effect of central and peripheral field stimulation on the rise time and gain of human optokinetic nystagmus.

We wished to examine the spatial (gain) and temporal (rise time) properties of human optokinetic nystagmus (OKN) as a function of stimulus velocity and field location. Stimuli were either M-scaled random dots or vertical stripes that moved at velocities between 20-80 deg s(-1). Three field conditions were examined: full field; a 20 deg central field; and a 12.

Localization of monocular stimuli in different depth planes.

We examined the phenomenon in which two physically aligned monocular stimuli appear to be non-collinear when each of them is located in binocular regions that are at different depth planes. Using monocular bars embedded in binocular random-dot areas that are at different depths, we manipulated properties of the binocular areas and examined their effect on the perceived direction and depth of the monocular stimuli. Results showed that (1) the relative visual direction and perceived depth of the monocular bars depended on the binocular disparity and the dot density of the binocular areas, and (2) the visual direction, but not the depth, depended on the width of the binocular regions.