Diagnostic performance of quantitative Ga-SPECT/CT for patients with lower-limb osteomyelitis.

Background: Patients with lower-limb osteomyelitis (LLOM) may experience major adverse events, such as lower-leg amputations or death; therefore, early diagnosis and risk stratification are essential to improve outcomes. Ga-scintigraphy is commonly used for diagnosing inflammatory diseases. Although the diagnostic performance of planar and SPECT imaging for localized lesions is limited, SPECT/CT, which simultaneously acquires functional and anatomical definition, has resulted in significant improvements to diagnostic confidence.

Chemical ligation of epoxide-containing fusicoccins and peptide fragments guided by 14-3-3 protein.

The template effect of 14-3-3 protein on the chemical ligation of fusicoccin derivatives containing an epoxide group and the pentapeptide QSYDC was investigated. HPLC analysis of the epoxide-opening reaction demonstrated that 14-3-3ζ protein improves the yield of the conjugate product compared to the protein-free control.

The effect of combination therapy with an L/N-Type Ca(2+) channel blocker, cilnidipine, and an angiotensin II receptor blocker on the blood pressure and heart rate in Japanese hypertensive patients: an observational study conducted in Japan.

Recently, the use of combination therapy with a calcium channel blocker (CCB) and an angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) has been rapidly increasing. Although this combination therapy is accepted as a standard treatment hypertension, there have been few large-scale, multicenter studies examining its safety and efficacy. The present study was designed to investigate the safety and efficacy of adding cilnidipine, a dual L/N-type CCB, to the regimen of patients whose blood pressure had been poorly controlled (systolic blood pressure [SBP] >140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure [DBP] >90 mmHg) by antihypertensive monotherapy with an ARB.

Study of nateglinide in Japan: long-term treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes.

Nateglinide is an oral antidiabetic medication that acts through rapid, short-term stimulation of insulin production. This study undertook to identify the nature of any adverse effects of nateglinide and to assess its clinical efficacy in long-term use in clinical practice. Patients (n=1014) were recruited from centers in Japan and were followed over a 15-month treatment period.

Postmarketing study of nateglinide in Japan: treatment of medication-naïve patients with type 2 diabetes.

Nateglinide is an oral antidiabetic medication (OAD) that acts through rapid, short-term stimulation of insulin production. This study was conducted to identify the nature of any adverse effects associated with nateglinide and to evaluate its clinical efficacy in patients with type 2 diabetes, with particular attention to hypoglycemia. Patients with type 2 diabetes who were OAD naïve (n=547), whose fasting blood glucose levels were 150 mg/dL or lower, and who had start-ed to take nateglinide alone were recruited from 139 centers in Japan with a 12-week observation period.

Postmarketing surveillance study of nateglinide in Japan.

Nateglinide is an oral antidiabetic medication that acts through rapid, short-term stimulation of insulin production. This study was undertaken to identify the incidence and nature of adverse effects of nateglinide and to assess its efficacy in clinical practice. Patients (n = 3254) were recruited from 606 centers in Japan with a 12-week observation period.

[Examination of susceptibility artifact in three-dimensional gadolinium-enhanced chest MR angiography].

Signal loss that is sometimes found in the subclavian artery during chest MR angiography is thought to be caused by the susceptibility effect of highly concentrated contrast medium. In our research project, we examined the conditions under which signal loss occurs. We made vessel phantoms (artery phantom, vein phantom) that contained different concentrations of Gd-DTPA water solutions, and placed them in a 0.