The impact of cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) treatment on the enamel of twelve primary teeth (incisors, canines, and molars) collected from six children was examined in order to evaluate the possibility of using the CAP technique in dental applications. A radio-frequency dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma jet operating at a voltage of 3.25 kV using a mixture of helium and oxygen as the working gas was used for the generation of plasma as part of the electro-technological method for the treatment of biological material.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA 78-year-old man was diagnosed with advanced poorly differentiated gastric adenocarcinoma, presenting with jaundice and diffuse thickening of the extrahepatic bile duct. No obstructive biliary sites or liver masses were observed. The serum concentrations of proteins induced by the absence of vitamin K or antagonist-II were markedly high.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDeterminants regulating sorting of host transmembrane proteins at sites of enveloped virus assembly on the plasma membrane (PM) remain poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate for the first time that PM acidic phospholipid PIP2 regulates such sorting into an enveloped virus, HIV-1. Incorporation of CD43, PSGL-1, and CD44 into HIV-1 particles is known to have profound effects on viral spread; however, the mechanisms promoting their incorporation were unknown.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe clinical impact of soluble molecules in pleural effusion (PE) is unclear in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). In this single-center, retrospective, observational study, we assessed soluble forms of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4), programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1), and PD-1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays; three TGF-β isoforms were measured via multiplex assay in PE of patients with fibrinous pleuritis (FP) or MPM, to assess relationships between the levels of six molecules, clinicopathological characteristics, and efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors. Soluble forms of CTLA-4, PD-L1, PD-1, TGF-β, TGF-β, and TGF-β were variably produced in PE of FP (n = 34) and MPM (n = 79); we found significant relationships between the six molecules and clinicopathological features.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Phase angle (PhA), which is measured using bioelectrical impedance analysis, is an indicator of muscle quality and malnutrition. PhA has been shown to be correlated with sarcopenia and malnutrition; however, studies on patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are limited. In this study, we investigated the correlation between PhA and sarcopenia and malnutrition and determined the cutoff values of PhA for those in patients with COPD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The results of a quantitative analysis of computed tomography (CT) of interstitial lung disease (ILD) using a computer-aided detection (CAD) technique were correlated with the results of pulmonary function tests.
Purpose: To evaluate the correlation between a quantitative analysis of CT of progressive fibrosing interstitial lung disease (PF-ILD) including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and non-IPF, which can manifest progressive pulmonary fibrosis and the vital capacity (VC), and to identify indicators for the assessment of a decreased VC.
Material And Methods: A total of 73 patients (46 patients with IPF and 27 patients with non-IPF) were included in this study.
Maze-solving is a classical mathematical task, and is recently analogously achieved using various eccentric media and devices, such as living tissues, chemotaxis, and memristors. Plasma generated in a labyrinth of narrow channels can also play a role as a route finder to the exit. In this study, we experimentally observe the function of maze-route findings in a plasma system based on a mixed discharge scheme of direct-current (DC) volume mode and alternative-current (AC) surface dielectric-barrier discharge, and computationally generalize this function in a reinforcement-learning model.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: Phase angle (PhA) reflects cell membrane integrity and vitality and is an indicator of sarcopenia. PhA is associated with physical function in patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). To our knowledge, the association between PhA and physical activity (PA) has not been investigated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The increased amount of contrast media in frequency-domain optical coherence tomography (FD-OCT) imaging during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has raised potential concerns regarding impairment of renal function.
Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of heparinized saline flush in FD-OCT-guided PCI and identify clinical factors contributing to optimal image quality.
Methods: We retrospectively collected 100 lesions from 90 consecutive patients, and a total of 200 pullbacks were analyzed for the initial and final evaluation in which saline was used as the flushing medium.
Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) is a novel biomedical tool used for cancer therapy. A device using nitrogen gas (N CAP) produced CAP that induced cell death through the production of reactive nitrogen species and an increase in intracellular calcium. In this study, we investigated the effect of N CAP-irradiation on cell membrane and mitochondrial function in human embryonic kidney cell line 293T.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Quantitative analyses of computed tomography (CT) images using computer-aided detection (CAD) are correlated with visual assessments and pulmonary function test findings and might be useful for predicting the prognosis of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).
Purpose: To evaluate the association between the quantitative analysis of long-term follow-up CT of IPF and the progression and prognosis.
Material And Methods: A total of 48 patients with IPF who received over one year of follow-up CT were included in this study.
Aim: This study aimed to investigate the association between a combination of elevated triglyceride (TG) and reduced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels and target lesion revascularization (TLR) following everolimus-eluting stent (EES) implantation. The adverse impact of clinical, lesion, and procedural characteristics on TLR in patients with elevated TG and reduced HDL-C levels was also assessed.
Methods: We retrospectively collected data on 3,014 lesions from 2,022 consecutive patients, who underwent EES implantation at Koto Memorial Hospital.
Backgrounds: Early gastric cancer (EGC) with mixed-type histology is a significant risk factor for additional surgery after endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). On the other hand, Epstein-Barr virus-associated gastric cancer (EBVaGC) with mixed-type histology is a favorable risk factor with regard to lymph node metastasis.
Methods: We performed EBV detection in 13 ESD-proven lesions in 13 cases of early gastric cancer with mixed-type histology using EBV-encoded small RNA1 in situ hybridization (EBER1 ISH).
Programmed cell death protein-1 (PD1), PD1 ligand 1 (PD-L1), and human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I molecule play pivotal roles in T cell-induced anti-tumor immunity; however, the clinical impact of these parameters in resected malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) cases is unknown. We immunohistochemically evaluated the tumor infiltrated lymphocytes (TILs), PD1/PD-L1 axis, and expression of HLA class I in resected specimens from 58 patients with MPM who underwent extra-pleural pneumonectomy (EPP). Higher infiltration of CD3-TIL, CD8-TIL, and PD1-TIL, loss of HLA class I, and overexpression of PD-L1 by tumor cells (PD-L1 TC) or immune cells (PD-L1 IC) were observed in 34 (58.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) accessory protein, Vpr, arrests the cell cycle of the G2 phase, and this Vpr-mediated G2 arrest is implicated in an efficient HIV-1 spread in monocyte-derived macrophages. Here, we screened new candidates for Vpr-targeting HIV-1 inhibitors by using fission yeast- and mammalian cell-based high-throughput screening. First, fission yeast strains expressing the HIV-1 Vpr protein were generated and then treated for 48 h with 20 μM of a synthetic library, including 140,000 chemical compounds.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: Based on the recent therapeutic trends for gastric cancer (GC), the clinical impact of the diagnosis of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated GC (EBVaGC) appears to be important. We retrospectively analyzed endoscopic and pathologic motifs of GC lesions to narrow the number of candidates for EBV testing.
Methods: We performed EBV tests for 32 upper gastrointestinal lesions of 32 patients in the clinical setting.
Introduction And Importance: Solitary endotracheal papilloma is a rare benign lung tumor. It is classified into the following three histological subtypes: squamous cell papilloma (SP), glandular papilloma (GP), and mixed squamous cell and glandular papilloma (MSGP). MSGP is the rarest among them.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPatients with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), formerly known as Wegener's granulomatosis, sometimes exhibit no clinical features. Here, we describe a case of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-negative GPA presenting with only lung granuloma. A 55-year-old woman with a right upper lung mass underwent lobectomy for suspected lung cancer; however, only granuloma was detected, and the etiology was not identified.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAir leakage after lung resection is a common complication usually caused by direct injury to the lung parenchyma. Herein we illustrate a case of pneumatocele that developed rapidly in the right middle lobe and ruptured 16 days after right upper lobectomy. A 73-year-old man with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease underwent thoracoscopic right upper lobectomy and partial thymectomy for primary lung cancer and thymic nodules, respectively.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHuman immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) modulates the host cell cycle. The HIV-1 accessory protein Vpr arrests the cell cycle at the G2 phase in dividing cells, and the ability of Vpr to induce G2 arrest is well conserved among primate lentiviruses. Additionally, Vpr-mediated G2 arrest likely correlates with enhanced HIV-1 infection in monocyte-derived macrophages.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNascent HIV-1 particles incorporate the viral envelope glycoprotein and multiple host transmembrane proteins during assembly at the plasma membrane. At least some of these host transmembrane proteins on the surface of virions are reported as pro-viral factors that enhance virus attachment to target cells or facilitate trans-infection of CD4 T cells via interactions with non-T cells. In addition to the pro-viral factors, anti-viral transmembrane proteins are incorporated into progeny virions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF60-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with a chief complaint of melena. Lower gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed a type 2 tumor on the anterior wall of the rectum(Rb). He was referred to our department, and he underwent abdominoperineal rectal resection with D3 dissection and right lateral node dissection for Rb, cT2, N0, M0 intestinal cancer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHuman Immunodeficiency Virus type-1 (HIV-1) is the causative agent of AIDS. Its entry step is mediated by the envelope glycoprotein (Env). During the entry process, Env vastly changes its conformation.
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