Detectability of the diagonal direction in the assessment of medical images using a high-brightness liquid crystal display monitor.

Liquid crystal display (LCD) monitors show a homogenous quadratic pattern in the number of pixels, size, and dimensions. However, their modulation transfer function (MTF) has a non-isotropic effect in the vertical, horizontal, and diagonal directions on the screen from the shape and pattern of arrangement of pixels. Moreover, the MTF of the human eye differs in spatial frequency response directivity among individuals.

Transcatheter Arterial Embolization for Renal Angiomyolipoma Using a Micro-balloon Catheter and a Mixture of Ethanol and Lipiodol.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) for renal angiomyolipoma (AML) using a micro-balloon catheter and a mixture of ethanol and lipiodol.

Materials And Methods: Twelve consecutive patients with 15 AMLs, 9 females and 3 males, with a median age of 44 years (range, 11-81), underwent this procedure between 2011 and 2016. In all procedures, a micro-balloon catheter was advanced to the feeding artery of the AML and TAE was performed with a mixture of ethanol and lipiodol under balloon inflation.

Isolation of cyanobacterial mutants exhibiting growth defects under microoxic conditions by transposon tagging mutagenesis of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803.

Cyanobacteria are photosynthetic prokaryotes that perform oxygenic photosynthesis by extracting electrons from water, with the generation of oxygen as a byproduct. Cyanobacteria use oxygen not only for respiration to produce energy in the dark but also for biosynthesis of various metabolites, such as heme and chlorophyll. Oxygen levels dynamically fluctuate in the field environments, from hyperoxic at daytime to almost anaerobic at night.

Usefulness of CT-guided hookwire marking before video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for small pulmonary lesions.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the technical and clinical efficacy and safety of CT-guided hookwire marking before video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for small pulmonary lesions.

Materials And Methods: This procedure was performed on 161 lesions in 154 patients (75 men and 79 women; median age, 62 years; age range 23-89 years). Medical records and images were reviewed, and the technical success rate, surgical success rate and complications were evaluated.

Genome-wide screen for Escherichia coli genes involved in repressing cell-to-cell transfer of non-conjugative plasmids.

Acquiring new genetic traits by lateral gene transfer is a bacterial strategy for environment adaptation. We previously showed that Escherichia coli could laterally transmit non-conjugative plasmids in co-cultures containing strains with and without the plasmid. In this study, using the Keio collection, a comprehensive library of E.