Prognostic Implications of Non-Invasive Vascular Function Tests in High-Risk Atherosclerosis Patients.

Background: The aim of this study was to assess the role of clinically available vascular function tests as predictors of cardiovascular events and decline in kidney function.

Methods and results: One hundred and fourteen patients who had at least 2 cardiovascular risk factors were recruited for vascular function assessment including ankle-brachial blood pressure index (ABI), brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) and flow-mediated vasodilatation (%FMD). During a median period of 51 months, 35 patients reached the primary endpoint (29 cardiovascular events and 6 cardiac deaths), and 30 patients reached the secondary endpoint (decline in kidney function: defined as a 5% per year decline of estimated glomerular filtration rate).

Tracing Plant Defense Responses in Roots upon MAMP/DAMP Treatment.

This chapter describes how to apply microbe-associated molecular pattern (MAMP) or damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP) solutions to Arabidopsis roots to trace defense responses in the root. Plants sense the presence of microbes via the perception of MAMPs or DAMPs by surface-localized pattern recognition receptors. The mechanisms governing plant root immunity are poorly characterized compared with those underlying plant immunity in the leaf, despite the fact that plant roots constantly interact with countless microbes living in soils that carry potential MAMPs and could stimulate the production of plant-derived DAMPs during colonization.

Plant Inoculation with the Fungal Leaf Pathogen Colletotrichum higginsianum.

After Colletotrichum storage methods in Chapter 23 , we describe here experimental methods for the inoculation of Colletotrichum higginsianum (C.h.) on Arabidopsis leaves.

Methods for Long-Term Stable Storage of Colletotrichum Species.

In this chapter we describe methods for long-term preservation of ascomycete genus Colletotrichum species. Colletotrichum species employ a hemibiotrophic infection strategy and cause clear anthracnose diseases on various host plants including the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Their infection proceeds in a highly synchronized manner, which is helpful for the dissection of the fungus-plant interactions at the molecular level.

Intrinsic elastography and its dependence on arterial flow volume.

We propose a new estimation method of tissues stiffness from deformation induced by arterial pulsation. The new method was named Intrinsic Elastography (IE). Under two assumptions that the deformation induced by pulsation propagates throughout the body, and the propagation velocity (PV) is closely related to the mechanical properties of tissues, the IE can evaluate the tissue stiffness based on the PV.

Macrophage with gold nanorod visualized by optical-resolution and acoustic-resolution photoacoustic microscopes.

Macrophages play a key role in inflammation and they are frequently observed in vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque. In the present study, macrophages phagocytosing gold nanorod (AuNR) were observed by optical-resolution (OR) and acoustic-resolution (AR) photoacoustic microscope (PAM). The OR-PAM consisted of diode laser optically focused to 60 micron and planar ultrasonic transducer with the central frequency of 8 MHz placed under the object.

Danger peptide receptor signaling in plants ensures basal immunity upon pathogen-induced depletion of BAK1.

Pathogens infect a host by suppressing defense responses induced upon recognition of microbe-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs). Despite this suppression, MAMP receptors mediate basal resistance to limit host susceptibility, via a process that is poorly understood. The Arabidopsis leucine-rich repeat (LRR) receptor kinase BAK1 associates and functions with different cell surface LRR receptors for a wide range of ligands, including MAMPs.

Alkali treatment stabilizes fluctuations of urine AQP2 values measured by ELISA.

Background: Aquaporin-2 (AQP2) in urine is now measured in many water-balance disorders and regarded as a useful biomarker for diagnosis and prognosis. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method has been developed for measurement of large numbers of clinical samples. However, fluctuations in the measured values were sometimes observed depending on storage conditions.

A novel biodegradable external mesh stent improved long-term patency of vein grafts by inhibiting intimal-medial hyperplasia in an experimental canine model.

Objectives: Increased hemodynamic stress on vein grafts used in the arterial system is associated with vein graft disease. We determined whether a novel biodegradable external mesh stent could inhibit medial-intimal hyperplasia by suppressing hemodynamic stress on vein grafts and improve long-term patency.

Methods: Twenty-four beagles underwent bilateral femoral interposition grafting using reversed femoral veins.

Development of an ultrasound microscope combined with optical microscope for multiparametric characterization of a single cell.

Biomechanics of the cell has been gathering much attention because it affects the pathological status in atherosclerosis and cancer. In the present study, an ultrasound microscope system combined with optical microscope for characterization of a single cell with multiple ultrasound parameters was developed. The central frequency of the transducer was 375 MHz and the scan area was 80 × 80 μm with up to 200 × 200 sampling points.

Pulmonary embolism due to right atrial free-floating thrombus during echocardiographic examination: a case of a pulmonary saddle thrombus.

A 69-year-old female with polymyositis was referred to our hospital with a chief complaint of dyspnea. Transthoracic echocardiography showed right ventricular overloading. In addition to two-dimensional echocardiography, observation of the abnormal free-floating string-like mass by three-dimensional echocardiography provided superior visualization of the features of the mass which protruded into the right ventricle across the tricuspid valve during diastole.

Clinical Significance of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Expression and Microvessel Density in Invasive Cervical Cancer.

To determine whether vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression and microvessel density are predictive of prognosis in cases of invasive cervical cancer, correlations among VEGF expression, microvessel density, and clinicopathological parameters were identified. VEGF expression was evaluated in 50 cervical cancer samples by immunohistochemical staining. Microvessel density was assessed by immunostaining for CD31-positive endothelial cells in the most vascularized areas of tumors.

Relationships of job demand, job control, and social support on intention to leave and depressive symptoms in Japanese nurses.

This study aims to elucidate the relationships among the factors of the demand-control-support model (DCS) on the intention to leave a hospital job and depressive symptoms. Participants included 1,063 nurses. Job demand, job control, and support from supervisors were found to be significantly related to both the intention to leave and depressive symptoms.

Numerical analysis of acoustic impedance microscope utilizing acoustic lens transducer to examine cultured cells.

A new technique is proposed for non-contact quantitative cell observation using focused ultrasonic waves. This technique interprets acoustic reflection intensity into the characteristic acoustic impedance of the biological cell. The cells are cultured on a plastic film substrate.

A case of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors.

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs) are an uncommon malignancy arising from the neuroendocrine cells of pancreas. Most cases of pNETs present with metastatic disease, but there are few reports in the literature describing pNETs metastasis to the lung and mediastinal lymph nodes [1]. Moreover, although a multimodal treatment including surgical resection and chemotherapy is acceptable for management of pNETs, advanced pNETs still remain a difficult therapeutic challenge [2, 3].

[Effects of prenatal yoga: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials].

Objectives: While several studies on the preventive and therapeutic effects of prenatal yoga (maternity yoga) have been reported in recent years, there has been no systematic review on the effects of prenatal yoga based on randomized controlled trials (RCT). The purpose of this study, therefore, was to systematically review the literature to clarify the effects of prenatal yoga in RCT focusing on the contents of the intervention, the intervention means, and the frequency of practice.

Methods: The literature search was performed using the electronic database, PubMed.

Late Gadolinium Enhancement on Cardiac MRI Correlates with QT Dynamicity Represented by QT/RR Relationship in Patients with Ventricular Arrhythmias.

Background: The distribution of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) on the cardiac MRI (CMR) indicates myocardial fibrosis and provides information of possible reentry substrates. QT dynamicity reflecting repolarization abnormalities has gained attention as a potential prognostic predictive factor.

Objective: To clarify the correlation between the LGE distribution on CMR and QT dynamicity represented by the QT/RR relationship.

Preventing effects of joint contracture by high molecular weight hyaluronan injections in a rat immobilized knee model.

Purpose: To elucidate preventive effects of high molecular weight hyaluronan (HMWHA) on the joint capsule of immobilized knees in rats.

Materials And Methods: Unilateral knee joints of rats were immobilized with an internal fixator. Either 50 μl of HMWHA (Im-HA group) or 50 μl of saline (control group) was administered intra-articularly once a week after surgery.

The relationship between repolarization parameters and serum electrolyte levels in patients with J wave syndromes.

Background: Intravenous administration of magnesium (Mg(2+)) is effective for polymorphic ventricular tachycardia via homogenization of transmural ventricular repolarization. Mg(2+) likely plays some role in the heterogeneity of repolarization in J wave syndromes.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between the repolarization parameters and serum Mg(2+), potassium (K(+)), and calcium (Ca(2+)) levels in J wave syndromes.

Late gadolinium enhancement of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging indicates abnormalities of time-domain T-wave alternans in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with ventricular tachycardia.

Background: The presence of myocardial scar detected by late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) on cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging has been described as a good independent predictor of mortality in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Time-domain T-wave alternans (TWA) is also a potential predictor of cardiac mortality in patients with left ventricular dysfunction.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to elucidate the relationship between LGE distribution and TWA in patients with HCM.

Numerical analysis of ultrasound propagation and reflection intensity for biological acoustic impedance microscope.

This paper proposes a new method for microscopic acoustic imaging that utilizes the cross sectional acoustic impedance of biological soft tissues. In the system, a focused acoustic beam with a wide band frequency of 30-100 MHz is transmitted across a plastic substrate on the rear side of which a soft tissue object is placed. By scanning the focal point along the surface, a 2-D reflection intensity profile is obtained.

Efficacy of chemotherapy after first-line gefitinib therapy in EGFR mutation-positive advanced non-small cell lung cancer-data from a randomized Phase III study comparing gefitinib with carboplatin plus paclitaxel (NEJ002).

Objective: Epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors are effective as first-line therapy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients harboring epidermal growth factor receptor mutations. However, it is unknown whether second-line platinum-based chemotherapy after epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy could lead to better outcomes. We evaluated the efficacy of second-line platinum-based chemotherapy after gefitinib for advanced non-small cell lung cancers harboring epidermal growth factor receptor mutations (the NEJ002 study).