Role of micropores within minerals in retardation of mass transfer by matrix diffusion and sorption in granitic rock.

Understanding the mass transfer characteristics of matrix diffusion and sorption is important in the safety assessment of geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste in crystalline rock (granite) by contributing to radionuclide retardation through mass transfer within the rock body. We present a comparative discussion of the effective diffusion coefficient (), porosity, and petrological data for rock samples collected from the Toki Granite in central Japan, to evaluate the role of micropores within minerals in retardation by matrix diffusion and sorption in granitic rocks. was derived from the through-diffusion experiments using uranine, barium, strontium, and chloride ions as tracers.

Usefulness of Clinical Frailty Scale for Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment of Older Heart Failure Patients.

Comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) is a multidisciplinary diagnostic process to identify the physical, psychological, and social functions of patients with frailty. The Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) might aid in effectively identifying older patients with heart failure (HF) and frailty who would then reap maximum benefits from the CGA. A single-centre prospective cohort study that enrolled consecutive hospitalised patients (age ≥75 years) with HF was conducted.

Severe Macular Ischemia Is Associated with a Poor Visual Prognosis and Serious Complications in Eyes with Central Retinal Vein Occlusion.

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the factors influencing post-treatment visual acuity (VA) in patients with central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) with macular edema (ME).

Methods: The subjects of this study were patients who visited our clinic from May 2013 to July 2019 and who could be followed up with for at least 12 months. Cases with hemi CRVO were excluded from this study.

Effects of Modified Haptics on Surgical Outcomes and Rotational Stability of Toric Intraocular Lens Implantation.

Purpose: To assess the rotational stability of a new toric intraocular lens (IOL), TECNIS toric II (toric II), which is a modified version of the TECNIS toric IOL (toric I) with frosted haptics (Johnson & Johnson).

Methods: A total of 101 eyes of 101 patients who had been treated with phacoemulsification and toric IOL implantation were included. Before and 1 day, 1 week, and 1 month after surgery, uncorrected (UDVA) and corrected (CDVA) distance visual acuity were measured.

Pulmonary Tumor Thrombotic Microangiopathy Caused by Recurrent Gastric Cancer 26 Years After Total Gastrectomy.

Pulmonary tumor thrombotic microangiopathy (PTTM) is a rare cancer-related complication that induces pulmonary hypertension (PH). PTTM can be caused by recurrent cancer, with 12 years being the longest reported interval from primary cancer to the development of PTTM. We herein report a 74-year-old woman who presented with dyspnea due to PH.

Integrated backscatter-intravascular ultrasound and modification of plaque during excimer laser coronary angioplasty.

This study aims to test the hypothesis that the effect of excimer laser coronary angioplasty (ELCA) not only vaporizes thrombi and their underlying coronary plaque, it also changes their quality. We performed a series of cross-sectional analyses in 52 lesions in 51 patients before and after ELCA with integrated backscatter-intravascular ultrasound (IB-IVUS). The constituent parts of the plaque can be assessed by IB-IVUS (i.

Genesis and development processes of fractures in granite: Petrographic indicators of hydrothermal alteration.

Biotites occur with varying degrees of alteration within a granite. This study analyzes the relationships among alteration indicators, areal microvoid fractions in chloritized biotite, and macroscopic fracture frequencies in the Toki granite, central Japan, to establish the genesis and development processes of fractures in granite. Appropriate characterizations for the frequency distribution of macroscopic fractures in granite can assist in understanding potential hydrogeological applications, which contributes to safety evaluations for geological disposal and storage.

Erythrocyte Binding Like Protein Interacts With Basigin, an Erythrocyte Surface Protein.

Erythrocyte recognition and invasion is critical for the intra-erythrocytic development of spp. parasites. The multistep invasion process involves specific interactions between parasite ligands and erythrocyte receptors.

K-Ar geochronology for hydrothermal K-feldspar within plagioclase in a granitic pluton: constraints on timing and thermal condition for hydrothermal alteration.

This study presents the K-Ar geochronology for hydrothermal K-feldspar in plagioclase alteration, including methodology and application to the Toki granite, in central Japan. Borehole samples from the Toki granite were collected and mechanically and chemically processed to separate plagioclase from the rock and remove bulk impurities. The sample fraction of cleaned plagioclase powder was further processed to a smaller size fraction, allowing separation of the altered K-feldspar from the plagioclase host.

Rotational stability of modified toric intraocular lens.

We evaluated the rotational stability of a new toric intraocular lens (IOL), HOYA XY-1 toric IOL that is an improved version of HOYA 355 toric IOL, with longer overall length (13.0 mm vs. 12.

AUTOLOGOUS POSTERIOR CAPSULE FLAP TRANSPLANTATION IN THE MANAGEMENT OF REFRACTORY MACULAR HOLE IN A PSEUDOPHAKIC EYE.

Purpose: To report a case of refractory macular hole (MH) in pseudophakic eye treated with autologous posterior capsule flaps transplantation.

Methods: Case report.

Results: A 48-year-old man visited our hospital with visual loss in the right eye because of unclosed MH.

Analysis of the distribution of microfractures and micropores within granitic rock using simultaneous polarization-fluorescence microscopy.

The analysis of the distribution of microfractures and micropores is important to accurately characterise mass transfer within a rock body. In this paper, a new 'simultaneous polarization-fluorescence microscopy' method is presented, which can be used to analyse the distribution of microscopic voids, including microfractures and micropores, in granitic rock. In this method, thin sections prepared with fluorescent dye are analysed under a polarizing microscope equipped with a fluorescent reflected light source.

Simultaneous determination of zircon U-Pb age and titanium concentration using LA-ICP-MS: Analysis data and crystallization temperature.

Simultaneous determination of zircon U-Pb age and titanium concentration for a single analysis spot gives both the crystallization age and temperature. In laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) analysis, it is challenging to quantitatively analyse a low level of titanium concentration. Two approaches were employed using a quadrupole mass spectrometer equipped with a collision/reaction cell (CRC).

PfMSA180 is a novel Plasmodium falciparum vaccine antigen that interacts with human erythrocyte integrin associated protein (CD47).

Malaria symptoms and pathology are initiated by invasion of host erythrocytes by Plasmodium merozoites in a complex process that involves interactions between parasite and host erythrocyte proteins. Erythrocyte invasion presents attractive targets for malaria vaccine and drug development. Recently it was observed that antibodies against PfMSA180 (PF3D7_1014100) are associated with protection from symptomatic malaria, suggesting that this protein is a target of naturally acquired protective antibodies.

Pituitary dysfunction after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage in Japanese patients.

To elucidate the pituitary function of Japanese patients after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) and implicative factors related to growth hormone deficiency (GHD) after aSAH. We evaluated basal pituitary hormone levels among 59 consecutive aSAH patients with a modified Rankin Scale (mRS) ⩽4 at 3months after aSAH onset. Patients with low insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) SD score (SDS) or who seemed to develop pituitary dysfunction underwent provocative endocrine testing during a period of 3-36months after SAH onset.

Prediction of Malignant Middle Cerebral Artery Infarction in Elderly Patients.

Background: We evaluated the clinical outcomes of malignant middle cerebral artery (MCA) infarction (MMI) and determined an infarcted brain volume (BV) threshold value for accurate MMI prediction in elderly patients.

Methods: We analyzed 69 consecutive patients (mean, 75.6 ± 11.

A symptomatic spinal extradural arachnoid cyst with lumbar disc herniation.

Spinal epidural arachnoid cyst (EAC) is a rare, usually asymptomatic condition of unknown origin, which typically involves the lower thoracic spine. We report a case of posttraumatic symptomatic EAC with lumbar disc herniation. A 22-year-old man experienced back pain and sciatica after a traffic accident.

Entrapment of the fifth lumbar spinal nerve by advanced osteophytic changes of the lumbosacral zygapophyseal joint: a case report.

A 54-year-old female patient had a 6-year history of backache and left sciatica. Five years earlier, she had undergone surgery in another hospital for left L4-5 disc herniation. Computed tomography revealed the ossified wall that enclosed the left L5 nerve root.

A new guide technique for limited partial hepatectomy using a transhepatic tube.

In order to maintain the adequate tumor margin in partial hepatectomy, we developed a new guide technique using a fine transhepatic tube. For instance, in a case of anterior segment tumor, a fine needle following a tube was inserted into the liver beside the anterior portal pedicle at hepatic hilus, and was put forward to the confluence of right and middle hepatic veins. After the needle was pulled out, both edges of the tube were tugged to the Rex Cantlie line.

Microscopic bilateral decompression through unilateral laminotomy for lumbar canal stenosis in patients undergoing hemodialysis.

Object: Microscopic bilateral decompression through a unilateral laminotomy (MBDUL) is a minimally invasive technique used to treat lumbar canal stenosis (LCS). In the present study, MBDUL was performed to treat LCS in eight patients undergoing hemodialysis.

Methods: Surgical outcomes were evaluated using the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scale (highest possible score 29).

Traumatic brain injury induces biphasic upregulation of ApoE and ApoJ protein in rats.

Apolipoproteins play an important role in cell repair and have been found to increase shortly after traumatic brain injury (TBI). In addition, apolipoproteins reduce amyloid-beta (Abeta) accumulation in models of Alzheimer's disease. Considering that TBI induces progressive neurodegeneration including Abeta accumulation, we explored potential long-term changes in the gene and protein expression of apolipoproteins E and J (ApoE and J) over 6 months after injury.

Src family kinase inhibitor PP1 reduces secondary damage after spinal cord compression in rats.

The synthetic pyrazolopyrimidine, 4-amino-5-(4-methylphenyl)-7-(t-butyl)pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine (PP1) is a novel, potent, and selective inhibitor of Src family tyrosine kinases. Vascular permeability appears to be mediated by vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which requires the activation of downstream Src family kinases to exert its function. This study investigates the effects of PP1 on vascular permeability and inflammatory response in a rat spinal cord compression model.

Src family kinase inhibitor PP1 improves motor function by reducing edema after spinal cord contusion in rats.

Following spinal cord injury vascular permeability increases around the area of injury, which possibly leads to secondary tissue damage. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and Src which exists downstream of VEGF may contribute to edema formation. We here report that the Src family kinase inhibitor PPI could reduce edema and the inflammatory response after spinal cord injury.

Neuronal apolipoprotein E is not synthesized in neuron after focal ischemia in rat brain.

Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) is a major apolipoprotein in the central nervous system (CNS) that plays an important role in Alzheimer's disease. It may also be involved in other CNS disorders including ischemic injury. We investigated the changes of ApoE protein and mRNA expression in the brain with middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) to clarify its origin after focal ischemia in rats.