Experimentally determined relative biological effectiveness of cyclotron-based epithermal neutrons designed for clinical BNCT: in vitro study.

A neutron beam for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) of deep-seated tumours is designed to maintain a high flux of epithermal neutrons, while keeping the thermal and fast neutron component as low as possible. These neutrons (thermal and fast) have a high relative biological effectiveness in comparison with high energy photon beams used for conventional X-ray radiotherapy. In the past, neutrons for the purpose of BNCT were generated using nuclear reactors.

Education Program for Male Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease to Change Dietary Behavior.

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) need to maintain proper eating behavior in order to maintain muscle mass and prevent weight loss. In this study, we measured the effects of a support program on patient attitude, social influences, and self-efficacy and aimed to positively change their dietary behavior. We recruited male patients from two Japanese outpatient clinics and assigned each to an intervention or a control group.

Bioorganic chemistry of signaling molecules in microbial communication.

Microorganisms produce and secrete a variety of secondary metabolites including fatty acids, polyketides, terpenoids, alkaloids, and peptides. Among them, many molecules act as chemical signals that play important roles in inter-/intra-species microbial communication or the interaction with host organisms. In this review, I focus on our recent reports of the microbial signaling molecules involved in bacterium-fungus, bacterium-plant, and fungus-plant interactions.

Effect of the Management Tool for Daily Life Performance on Patients with Cardiovascular Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objective: Cardiovascular diseases cause psychological symptoms, such as depression and anxiety. Symptoms of depression have a major effect on patients and worsen prognosis as a result of reduced quality of life and decreased levels of physical activity. Because cardiac rehabilitation (CR) has physical, mental, and secondary preventative effects, it is necessary to evaluate the psychological factors of patients and to provide patients with psychological support based on the results.

Anti-plant viral activity of peptaibols, trichorzins HA II, HA V, and HA VI, isolated from HK-61.

Three peptaibols, trichorzins HA II (), HA V (), and HA VI (), were isolated from okara fermented with HK-61 as anti-plant viral agents. Their structures were confirmed by spectroscopic and chemical methods. At micro molar concentrations, the trichorzins inhibited infections by in the cowpea plant .

Second look arthroscopic evaluation of repaired radial/oblique tears of the midbody of the lateral meniscus in stable knees.

Background: Radial/oblique tears of the midbody of the lateral meniscus significantly impair the ability of the meniscus to withstand the tibiofemoral load, requiring meniscal repair. However, healing status after meniscal repair has not been fully elucidated. This study aimed to evaluate arthroscopic findings after inside-out suture repair for isolated radial/oblique tears of the midbody of the lateral meniscus.

Age-related changes in the knee meniscus.

Background: Aging is the most prominent risk factor for the development of osteoarthritis (OA), which affects knees and causes major health burdens. Meniscal dysfunction mostly based on degeneration contributes to the development and progression of knee OA. Meniscal degeneration is caused by various extrinsic factors, such as repetitive trauma or leg malalignment, while meniscal aging is considered as internal changes, such as molecular or cellular changes.

Practical calculation method to estimate the absolute boron concentration in tissues using F-FBPA PET.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to establish a practical method to estimate the absolute boron concentrations in the tissues based on the standardized uptake values (SUVs) after administration of 4-borono-phenylalanine (BPA) using 4-borono-2-F-fluoro-phenylalanine (F-FBPA) PET.

Methods: Rat xenograft models of C6 glioma (n = 7, body weight 241 ± 28.0 g) were used for the study.

In-home occupational therapy for a patient with stage IV lung cancer: changes in quality of life and analysis of causes.

Introduction: We tracked and analyzed the changes in the quality of life (QOL) of a stage 4 lung cancer patient receiving occupational therapy at home.

Case Description: In a longitudinal study consisting of 4 evaluations over 9 months, a 66-year-old female with lung cancer was assessed using the Philadelphia Geriatric Center (PGC) Morale Scale and the 100-Point Satisfaction Scale. The QOL scores over time and factors influencing changes in these scores were analyzed.

Traumatin- and dinortraumatin-containing galactolipids in Arabidopsis: their formation in tissue-disrupted leaves as counterparts of green leaf volatiles.

Green leaf volatiles (GLVs) consisting of six-carbon aldehydes, alcohols, and their esters, are biosynthesized through the action of fatty acid hydroperoxide lyase (HPL), which uses fatty acid hydroperoxides as substrates. GLVs form immediately after disruption of plant leaf tissues by herbivore attacks and mechanical wounding and play a role in defense against attackers that attempt to invade through the wounds. The fates and the physiological significance of the counterparts of the HPL reaction, the 12/10-carbon oxoacids that are formed from 18/16-carbon fatty acid 13-/11-hydroperoxides, respectively, are largely unknown.

Epigenetic modifications of the 35S promoter in cultured gentian cells.

Our previous studies found strict gene silencing associated with CaMV-35S promoter-specific de novo methylation in transgenic gentian plants. To dissect the de novo methylation machinery, especially in association with histone modification, 35S-driven sGFP-expressing and -silenced gentian cultured cell lines that originated from a single transformation event were produced and used for epigenetic analyses. A sGFP-expressing primarily induced cell suspension culture (PS) was hypomethylated in the 35S promoter region, although a low level of de novo methylation at the 35S enhancer region (-148 to -85) was detected.

Soleus H-reflex inhibition during gait initiation in Parkinson's disease.

The soleus H-reflex excitability during gait initiation was investigated in Parkinson's disease. Eleven patients participated in this study. Patients stepped forward as soon as the start signal flashed.

[A study of the factors involved in the onset of senile dementia].

Cohort studies were made regarding 1,300 elderly was born before 1918, who were living in a city of Osaka Prefecture in 1979 and were confirmed not to be demented: the fourth survey made in the 13th year thereafter, 1992, showed the following results: 1. The prevalence of senile dementia of Alzheimer's type (SDAT) increased with age, but that of cerebrovascular dementia (VD) did not. 2.

Modulation of acetylcholine release from the myenteric plexus of guinea-pig ileum by 5-lipoxygenase metabolites of arachidonic acid.

Eicosatetraenoic acid, an inhibitor of 5- and 12-lipoxygenase, and AA861, a selective inhibitor of 5-lipoxygenase, dose dependently inhibited acetylcholine release from the myenteric plexus of guinea-pig ileum induced by electrical field stimulation. Metabolites of arachidonic acid produced by the 5-lipoxygenase pathway, such as 5-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (5-HETE), leukotriene C4, D4 and E4, reversed the inhibitory effect of AA861. Among them, leukotriene D4 was the most potent, having an EC50 value of about 3 nM.

Studies on antitumor effects and mechanism of action of l-hexylcarbamoyl-5-fluorouracil by DNA/BrdU double staining using flow cytometry.

An investigation was carried out to elucidate the mechanism of action of the oral antitumor agent 1-hexylcarbamoyl-5-fluorouracil (HCFU) by determining its effects on the growth and cell cycle of epipharyngeal carcinoma cells (KB cell) by DNA/BrdU double staining using flow cytometry (FCM). As a result, it was found that HCFU stimulates KB cells in the S phase to proliferate for the first 3 days of treatment in a low concentration (8 micrograms/ml) and caused cell accumulation in the later G2M phase. On the other hand, when administered in the concentration (20 micrograms/ml) that produces a 50 per cent cell kill, as determined from the cell growth curve, HCFU appeared to exhibit a cytocidal effect by blocking cells in S and G2M for the first 3 days after exposure.

Essential role of nitric oxide in descending inhibition in the rat proximal colon.

Possible mediators of descending inhibition in the rat proximal colon were studied. Localized distension with a small balloon caused relaxation of the circular muscle on the anal side of the distended region. This relaxation was still observed after the colonic segment had been desensitized to ATP, neurotensin and vasoactive intestinal peptide, so these compounds seem unlikely to mediate descending inhibition.

[Support system for the demented elderly--the viewpoint of community care].

Judging from the features of senile dementia, it is desirable for the demented elderly to receive care at their places to which they are accustomed and to be surrounded by affectionate families, if possible. Year by year, however, sufficient intrafamilial care is becoming more and more difficult because of increasing numbers of nuclear families, women's into society, the deteriorating housing situation and the like. Accordingly, the importance of community care is increasing; an integrated care system with close cooperation of medical facility services and at-home services needs to be established.