The clinical application of the arcuate fasciculus for stroke patients with aphasia: a diffusion tensor tractography study.

Little is known about the clinical usefulness of diffusion tensor tractography (DTT) for the arcuate fasciculus (AF) in stroke patients with aphasia. Using DTT, we attempted to investigate the clinical usefulness of the AF in patients with aphasia. Five stroke patients and 7 age- and sex-matched normal subjects were recruited for this study.

Cortical reorganization of hand motor function to face somatotopy in a patient with brain injury: a functional MRI study.

We report on a patient with a meningioma whose hand motor function appeared to be reorganized mainly into the face somatotopy of the primary motor cortex (M1) following meningioma removal, using functional RMI (fMRI). A 76-year-old right-handed woman showed leukomalactic lesions in the left fronto-parietal lobes and subcortical white matter, including the upper portion of the precentral knob after meningioma removal. She recovered motor function to the point that she was able to extend the affected fingers against gravity at 6 weeks and extend the affected fingers against resistance at 12 weeks.

Recovery of the corticospinal tract after injury by transtentorial herniation: a case report.

Little is known about recovery of the corticospinal tract (CST) after injury by transtentorial herniation (TH). We present with a patient who showed recovery of the CST after injury by TH, using diffusion tensor tractography (DTT) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). A 69-year-old female underwent craniotomy and drainage of an intracerebral hemorrhage in the left corona radiata and basal ganglia.

Rhythmic interaction between Period1 mRNA and hnRNP Q leads to circadian time-dependent translation.

The mouse PERIOD1 (mPER1) protein, along with other clock proteins, plays a crucial role in the maintenance of circadian rhythms. mPER1 also provides an important link between the circadian system and the cell cycle system. Here we show that the circadian expression of mPER1 is regulated by rhythmic translational control of mPer1 mRNA together with transcriptional modulation.

The anatomical characteristics of superior longitudinal fasciculus I in human brain: Diffusion tensor tractography study.

The superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) I is known to be involved in regulation of higher aspects of motor function. Using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), we attempted to identify the SLF I and to investigate the anatomical characteristics of the SLF I in the human brain. We recruited 30 healthy subjects for this study.

Classification of cause of motor weakness in traumatic brain injury using diffusion tensor imaging.

Background: Many studies have attempted to elucidate the causes of motor weakness in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Most of these studies have focused on the specific cause of motor weakness. However, little is known about the classification and elucidation of the causes of motor weakness in consecutive patients with TBI.

Injury of fornix in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage.

Objectives: Many diffusion tensor tractography (DTT) studies have reported on fornix injury in various diseases. However, there has been no DTT study on fornix injury by intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). We attempted to investigate fornix body injury in patients with ICH, using DTT.

Parasitic helminth cystatin inhibits DSS-induced intestinal inflammation via IL-10(+)F4/80(+) macrophage recruitment.

Many immune down-regulatory molecules have been isolated from parasites, including cystatin (cystain protease inhibitor). In a previous study, we isolated and characterized Type I cystatin (CsStefin-1) of the liver fluke, Clonorchis sinensis. To investigate whether the CsStefin-1 might be a new host immune modulator, we induced intestinal inflammation in mice by dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) and treated them with recombinant CsStefin-1 (rCsStefin-1).

Feasibility of whole-body MRI for detecting metastatic myxoid liposarcoma: a case series.

No feasible method currently exists to evaluate systemic metastasis in patients with myxoid liposarcoma. The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility of performing whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to detect metastatic myxoid liposarcoma. From June 2008 to May 2010, all patients who were newly diagnosed with myxoid liposarcomas at our institution underwent whole-body MRI along with other conventional imaging methods.

Characteristics of the aberrant pyramidal tract in comparison with the pyramidal tract in the human brain.

Background: The aberrant pyramidal tract (APT) refers to the collateral pathway of the pyramidal tract (PT) through the medial lemniscus in the midbrain and pons. Using diffusion tensor tractography (DTT), we investigated the characteristics of the APT in comparison with the PT in the normal human brain.

Results: In thirty-four (18.

Identification of the anterior corticospinal tract in the human brain using diffusion tensor imaging.

The corticospinal tract (CST) is generally classified into the crossed lateral CST and the uncrossed anterior CST. No diffusion tensor imaging study for identification of the anterior CST in the human brain has been conducted. Using diffusion tensor imaging, we attempted to identify the anterior CST and investigate the characteristics of the anterior CST in the normal human brain.

Predictability of motor outcome according to the time of diffusion tensor imaging in patients with cerebral infarct.

Introduction: Predictability of diffusion tensor imaging tractography (DTT) for motor outcome can differ according to the time of DTT. We attempted to compare the predictability for motor outcome according to the time of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) by analyzing the corticospinal tract (CST) integrity on DTT in patients with corona radiata (CR) infarct.

Methods: Seventy-one consecutive hemiparetic patients with CR infarct were recruited.

Periventricular white matter injury by primary intraventricular hemorrhage: a diffusion tensor imaging study.

Objectives: Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) in adult stroke patients is known to be an independent risk factor for poor functional outcome. Using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), we attempted to investigate the effect of IVH on the white matter.

Methods: We recruited 10 consecutive patients with IVH and 18 age- and sex-matched control subjects.

Evaluation of clinical and magnetic resonance imaging results after treatment with casting and bracing for the acutely injured posterior cruciate ligament.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) outcomes of nonoperative management of acute, isolated posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injuries.

Methods: From February 2001 to January 2008, 49 consecutive patients with acute (<4 weeks), isolated PCL injuries underwent nonoperative treatment with cast immobilization and PCL braces. Of these patients, 38 who satisfied our inclusion criteria and could be followed up for a minimum of 24 months (median, 51 months) were enrolled in our study.

Injuries of the cingulum and fornix after rupture of an anterior communicating artery aneurysm: a diffusion tensor tractography study.

Background: After rupture of an anterior communicating artery (ACoA) aneurysm, the anterior cingulum and the fornix can be vulnerable to injury. However, very little is known about this topic.

Objective: To investigate injuries of the cingulum and fornix in patients with an ACoA aneurysm rupture with diffusion tensor tractography.

Wafer-scale broadband antireflective silicon fabricated by metal-assisted chemical etching using spin-coating Ag ink.

We report broadband antireflective disordered subwavelength structures (d-SWSs), which were fabricated on 4-inch silicon wafers by spin-coating Ag ink and metal-assisted chemical etching. The antireflection properties of the d-SWSs depend on its dimensions and heights, which were changed by the sintering temperature of the spin-coated Ag ink and etching time. The fabricated d-SWSs drastically reduced surface reflection over a wide range of wavelengths and incident angles, providing good surface uniformity.

The rubrospinal tract in the human brain: diffusion tensor imaging study.

The rubrospinal tract (RST) is an extrapyramidal motor pathway in the human brain. In this study, using diffusion tensor tractography (DTT), we attempted to identify the RST in the normal human brain. Twenty-one healthy volunteers were recruited for this study.

Evaluation of Salivary Gland Dysfunction Using Salivary Gland Scintigraphy in Sjögren's Syndrome Patients and in Thyroid Cancer Patients after Radioactive Iodine Therapy.

Purpose: Salivary gland scintigraphy (SGS) provides an objective means of diagnosing salivary gland dysfunction in Sjögren's syndrome (SS) patients and in thyroid cancer patients after radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy. In the present study, SGS was performed in SS patients and in thyroid cancer patients post-RAI, and scintigraphic parameters were compared.

Methods: Twenty-eight SS patients (males:females = 1:27, age 53.

Diffusion tensor imaging findings in neurologically asymptomatic patients with end stage renal disease.

Various neurological problems of the brain are known to occur in patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD). However, little is known about diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) findings in patients with ESRD. Using DTI, we attempted to investigate DTI findings in patients with ESRD who showed no specific lesions on conventional brain MRI.

Prognostic factors for motor outcome in patients with compressed corticospinal tract by intracerebral hematoma.

Little is known about prognostic factors associated with motor outcome when the corticospinal tract (CST) was compressed by hematoma. Using diffusion tensor tractography (DTT), we attempted to investigate prognostic factors for motor outcome in patients whose affected CST was compressed by hematoma. The study included 51 consecutive severe hemiparetic patients with a hematoma involving the corona radiata and basal ganglia.

The effect of a stretching device on hand spasticity in chronic hemiparetic stroke patients.

We attempted to evaluate the effect of a stretching device for treatment of hand spasticity in chronic stroke patients. We recruited 21 chronic hemiplegic stroke patients with severe finger flexor spasticity and randomly assigned them to the intervention group (10 patients) and control group (11 patients). The stretching device consisted of a resting hand splint, finger stretcher, and frame.

Magnetic compression anastomosis is useful in biliary anastomotic strictures after living donor liver transplantation.

Background: An anastomotic biliary stricture is a complication of living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) performed using duct-to-duct anastomosis. Despite advances in treating this complication, there is no one established treatment protocol.

Objective: To investigate the safety, effectiveness, and mid-term outcome of magnetic compression anastomosis (MCA) for treating biliary obstruction after LDLT when the obstruction cannot be resolved by using percutaneous or peroral methods.

Generation of a cell culture-adapted hepatitis C virus with longer half life at physiological temperature.

Background: We previously reported infectious HCV clones that contain the convenient reporters, green fluorescent protein (GFP) and Renilla luciferase (Rluc), in the NS5a-coding sequence. Although these viruses were useful in monitoring viral proliferation and screening of anti-HCV drugs, the infectivity and yield of the viruses were low.

Methodology/principal Findings: In order to obtain a highly efficient HCV cultivation system, we transfected Huh7.