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We determined the clinical utility of the direct Coombs’ test in the absence of hemolytic anemia as an indicator of disease activity and therapeutic response in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). SLE patients without hemolytic anemia who visited our hospital from January 2016 to November 2016 were retrospectively evaluated with a direct Coombs’ test. Clinical features, including SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI), treatment and laboratory findings were analyzed. For patients with lupus nephritis, we additionally evaluated the cumulative complete renal response rate over one year after induction therapy. Among 182 patients evaluated, 10 (5.8%) patients had a positive direct Coombs’ test in the absence of hemolytic anemia. They had a higher SLEDAI (p < 0.01), higher circulating immune complex levels (p = 0.01), higher anti-DNA titers (p < 0.01) and a lower complete renal response rate (p = 0.03) compared with those who were negative. Multivariate analysis indicated that SLEDAI was an independent factor correlated with the direct Coombs’ test without hemolytic anemia (odds ratio 2.4, 95% confidence interval 1.66–4.98, p < 0.01). A positive direct Coombs’ test in the absence of hemolytic anemia may therefore represent a useful biomarker for assessing disease activity and therapeutic response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on a bilateral comparison of millimeter-wave attenuation in WR-15 waveguide band between the National Metrology Institute of Japan (NMIJ) and the National Metrology Centre, A∗STAR (NMC). Different types of attenuation measurement systems were independently developed at both laboratories. The systems are based on a stabilized single-channel intermediate frequency (IF) substitution method at NMIJ, and a dual-channel audio frequency substitution method at NMC. A comparison was carried out at 50 GHz and 54 GHz using a programmable step attenuator fitted with precision coaxial to waveguide adaptors as a traveling standard. Good agreement of the measurement results between both laboratories was verified in the attenuation range up to 60 dB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechano-sensitive channels of plants may sense increases in tension induced by mechanical stimuli, such as touch, wind and turgor pressure, and a gravitational stimulus. Recent studies have identified plant homologues of the bacterial mechano-sensitive channel MscS, which is gated by membrane tension and reduces intracellular osmolality by releasing small osmolytes from bacterial cells. However, the physiological roles of these homologues have not yet been clearly elucidated, and only two of them have been shown to be involved in the protection of osmotically stressed plastids in Arabidopsis thaliana. We identified another group of candidates for mechano-sensitive channels in Arabidopsis, named MCA1 and MCA2, whose homologues are exclusively found in plant genomes. MCA1 and MCA2 are composed of 421 and 416 amino acid residues, respectively, share 73% homology in their amino acid sequences, and are not homologous to any known ion channels or transporters. Our structural study revealed that the N-terminal region (one to 173 amino acids) of both proteins was necessary and sufficient for Ca2+ influx activity. Interestingly, this region had one putative transmembrane segment containing an Asp residue whose substitution mutation abolished this activity. Our physiological study suggested that MCA1 expressed at the root tip was required for sensing the hardness of the agar medium or soil. In addition, MCA1 and MCA2 were shown to be responsible for hypo-osmotic shock-induced increases in [Ca2+]cyt. Thus, both proteins appear to be involved in the process of sensing mechanical stresses. We discussed the possible role of both proteins in sensing mechanical and gravitational stimuli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neutron-scattering studies of (Bi1/2Na1/2)TiO3 (BNT) have been performed to elucidate the microscopic mechanism of the broad maximum in the temperature dependence of the dielectric constant at Tm ~ 600 K and the reduction in the piezoelectric properties above the depolarization temperature, 460 ~ 480 K. We observed diffuse scattering near the T point below 700 K, which competes with the superlattice peak at the M point of the tetragonal phase but coexists with the superlattice peak at the R point of the rhombohedral phase. The diffuse scattering shows an anisotropic Q shape extending along the (100) direction transverse to the scattering vector Q, which is explained by atomic shifts bridging the tetragonal and rhombohedral structures. We propose that the broad maximum in the dielectric constant is associated with a diffusive first-order transition between the competing tetragonal and rhombohedral phases. In addition, we found that the diffuse scattering is reduced for single crystals grown under high oxygen pressure, which suggests an analogy with the central peak in hydrogen-reduced SrTiO3. Inelastic neutron scattering near the Γ point reveals a heavily overdamped soft mode similar to those reported in lead-based relaxors, the "waterfall" feature. Moreover, a damped soft transverse acoustic mode is observed for the (100) direction as the anisotropic diffuse scattering, indicating phase instabilities with the same origin as that of the diffuse scattering. The recovery of the soft mode is observed near the depolarization temperature, which coincides with the disappearance of the superlattice peak at the M point. These results indicate that the depolarization and the waterfall feature originate in the dynamic nature of ferroelectric clusters in the coexisting tetragonal/rhombohedral phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To clone, sequence and characterize the genetic organization of urease genes within urease-positive thermophilic Campylobacter (UPTC). Methods and Results: An approx. 5·1-kbp region encoding a urease gene operon was identified, when recombinant plasmid DNAs from a genomic DNA library of a Japanese isolate (CF89-12) of UPTC were analysed. Conclusions: Six closely spaced and putative open reading frames (ORFs) for ureA, ureB, ureE, ureF, ureG and ureH were detected. ATG codons initiated each ORF of the UPTC urease operon except for ureB and ureH, which commenced with the most probable TTG codon. Overlaps were detected between ureA and ureB and also between ureB and ureE. Probable ribosome-binding sites and a putative ρ-independent transcriptional termination region were identified. Two putative promoter structures, consisting of consensus sequences at the −35 like and −10 regions were also identified. Significance and Impact of the Study: Construction of a neighbour-joining tree based on the nucleotide sequence data of urease genes indicated that UPTC formed a cluster with some Helicobacter organisms separate from the other urease-producing bacteria, suggesting a commonly shared ancestry between UPTC and Helicobacter urease genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seasonal changes in resource investment into individual offspring are well documented, but no attention has been paid to the allocation of the invested resource among the body parts of the offspring. In the present study, seasonal changes in the absolute and relative sizes in a spiderling of the wolf spider Pardosa pseudoannulata Boes. et Str. are investigated, and the relationship between spiderling body size and the ability to moult during a food shortage is clarified. Spiderlings that emerge in November have a significantly larger cephalothorax and abdomen than those that emerge in June. In addition, the abdomen–cephalothorax size ratio is significantly greater in November than in June offspring. Under limited food availability conditions, only 40% of spiderlings moult. Nymphs that do moult have a significantly larger cephalothorax, abdomen and abdomen–cephalothorax size ratio than nymphs that do not moult. Thus, both the quantity of resources invested in the cephalothorax and abdomen of a spiderling and the proportional allocation of resources between the two body parts change seasonally in Pa. pseudoannulata; alteration of the resource allocation occurs in late autumn. Larger spiderlings of Pa. pseudoannulata that emerge in late autumn would be able to develop into advanced instars even during food shortage, and therefore may have better overwintering survival rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We developed a CAD/MCNP interface program prototype to easily perform Monte Carlo fusion nuclear design calculation with high accuracy using detailed calculation geometry. Usually, there is only CAD data on the solid region. However, CAD void region data must be input to MCNP. Our newly developed CAD/MCNP interface program creates the void region data automatically. The void region data is created by subtracting the solid region data using Boolean operations. The program has also the function of uniformly dividing the overall data into small cubes to simplify the void region data. It has been applied to create 3D CAD data in the ITER benchmark model. It was demonstrated that data of the void region in the ITER model were successfully created using our program. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The design of the ITER machine was presented in 2001 . A nuclear analysis was performed at this time, using fairly detailed models and the best assessed nuclear data and codes that were available. As the construction phase of ITER is approaching, the design of the main components has been optimized/finalized and several minor design changes/optimizations have been made, some with the object to mitigate critical radiation shielding problems. These have required refined calculations to confirm that the nuclear design requirements are met. This paper reviews some of the most recent neutronic work with emphasis on critical nuclear responses in the TF coil inboard legs and vacuum vessel related to design modifications made to the blanket modules and vacuum vessel. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Dynamical chiral-symmetry breaking (DCSB) in QCD is investigated in the Schwinger-Dyson (SD) formalism based on lattice QCD data. From the quenched lattice data for the quark propagator in the Landau gauge, we extract the SD integral kernel function, the product of the quark-gluon vertex and the polarization factor in the gluon propagator, in an Ansatz-independent manner. We find that the SD kernel function exhibits the characteristic behavior of nonperturbative physics, such as infrared vanishing and strong enhancement at the intermediate-energy region aroundp~ 0.6GeV. The infrared and intermediate energy region (0.4GeV

This chapter describes a brief overview of present advances and challenges in PET methodology from the engineering side. Topics are as follows: (1) advances in hardware design and sophisticated software development for registering PET and anatomical images, (2) higher spatial resolution approaching sub-millimeters, (3) improved temporal resolution, (4) repeat assessment of physiologic functions, (5) corrections for partial volume effect (PVE), and (6) motion correction capability. These features provide potentials of using PET in new application fields. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase appears to be one of the key regulators of cell proliferation and differentiation. Very little, however, has been revealed as to how MAP kinase is involved in leukemogenesis. We have studied the activation of the MAP kinase pathway in 100 human primary leukemia cells including 73 acute myelogenous leukemias (AMLs). Forty acute leukemia samples (40% of the total), including 37 AML samples (51% of AML), showed activation of MAP kinase as revealed by the mobility shift of the phosphorylated form of the protein and by in vitro kinase assay. This activation was correlated with MAP kinase kinase activity in these cells. In contrast, none of 14 chronic myelogenous leukemia samples showed the activation of MAP kinase. These results suggest that the MAP kinase pathway is constitutively activated in a subset of primary acute leukemias, and thus indicate the possible role of the constitutively activated MAP kinase in leukemogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to determine whether there is a correlation between aperitif and gastric emptying. Ten healthy male volunteers participated in this randomized, two-way crossover study. Under two conditions (after drinking an aperitif versus not), the (13)C breath test was performed for 4 h with a liquid meal (200 kcal/200 ml) containing 100 mg (13)C acetate. We used 50 ml of umeshu as the aperitif. This is a traditional Japanese plum liqueur, and contains 7 ml alcohol (14%). In the aperitif group, T(1/2), T(lag), and T(peak) were significantly delayed [T(1/2) (132: 113-174) versus (112: 92-134) (P = 0.0069); T(lag) (80: 63-94) versus (55: 47-85) (P = 0.0069); and T(peak) (81: 62-96) versus (54: 34-84) (P = 0.0069), (median: range, aperitif versus control, min)]. Gastric emptying was significantly delayed in the aperitif group as compared with the control group. This study revealed that even a small amount of alcohol such as an aperitif may contribute to delayed gastric emptying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: A transscaphoid and transtriquetral perilunate fracture dislocation is fairly rare among the known cases of perilunate fracture dislocations, and the details of the initial treatment and outcome of this injury have never been reported. Materials and Methods: A 21-year-old, right-handed man presented with fractures at the proximal third of the scaphoid and at the mid-body of the triquetrum with an associated dorsal perilunate dislocation after a fall onto his outstretched hand. Under general anesthesia, closed reduction was attempted with 3 kg of traction applied by means of finger traps. After anatomical reduction was achieved, percutaneous fixation was applied to both the triquetrum and scaphoid using cannulated screws. A short arm thumb spica splint was applied for 2 weeks, and part-time splinting was continued for an additional 3 weeks. The patient subsequently underwent 3 months of intensive range-of-motion and muscle-strengthening exercises. Results: At the final follow-up examination 68 months after the initial operation, the arc of motion of the right wrist, 150 degrees (extension plus flexion arc), and grip strength, 41 kg, were 94% and 103% of the values for the unaffected wrist, respectively. Radiographs showed a bony union of the scaphoid and triquetrum, and no sign of avascular necrosis in the proximal scaphoid fragment, as well as other carpi. No midcarpal or radiocarpal degenerative arthritis was observed, and the normal carpal bone relationships were still maintained, with a scapholunate angle of 48 degrees and a scapholunate gap of 2 mm. Conclusion: We recommend closed reduction and percutaneous screw fixation of the scaphoid, as well as the triquetrum in this case, to minimize the interruption of the blood supply to the carpus and also to obtain rigid fixation during the procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Review: [54 refs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An abstract of the article "Morphogenesis in the Asexual Embryo of Platydorina caudata (Chlorophyceae)," by H. Iida, I. Nishii and I. Inouye, is presented.

OBJECTIVE: Despite limited epidemiologic evidence, concern has been raised that breastfeeding and its duration may increase the risk of early childhood caries. The objective of this study was to assess the potential association of breastfeeding and other factors with the risk for early childhood caries among young children in the United States. METHODS: Data about oral health, infant feeding, and other child and family characteristics among children 2 to 5 years of age (N = 1576) were extracted from the 1999-2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The association of breastfeeding and its duration, as well as other factors that previous research has found associated with early childhood caries, was examined in bivariate analyses and by multivariable logistic and Poisson regression analyses. RESULTS: After adjusting for potential confounders significant in bivariate analyses, breastfeeding and its duration were not associated with the risk for early childhood caries. Independent associations with increased risk for early childhood caries were older child age, poverty, being Mexican American, a dental visit within the last year, and maternal prenatal smoking. Poverty and being Mexican American also were independently associated with severe early childhood caries, whereas characteristics that were independently associated with greater decayed and filled surfaces on primary teeth surfaces were poverty, a dental visit within the last year, 5 years of age, and maternal smoking. CONCLUSIONS: These data provide no evidence to suggest that breastfeeding or its duration are independent risk factors for early childhood caries, severe early childhood caries, or decayed and filled surfaces on primary teeth. In contrast, they identify poverty, Mexican American ethnic status, and maternal smoking as independent risk factors for early childhood caries, which highlights the need to target poor and Mexican American children and those whose mothers smoke for early preventive dental visits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Atmospheric deposition is an important removal process of aerosol particles and gases from the atmosphere. To elucidate the relative contributions of wet and dry processes and in-cloud and below-cloud scavenging based on deposition amounts in winter at Mt. Tateyama, central Japan, we obtained daily samples (December, 2006–March, 2007) of size-segregated aerosol particles and precipitation at Senjyugahara (SJ; 475 m a.s.l.) and vertical samples of spring snow cover at Murododaira (MR, 2450 m a.s.l., 13 km distance from SJ) on the western flank of Mt. Tateyama. The NH4 + and nssSO4 2− in aerosols were mostly found in the fine fraction (<2 μm), although Na+, NO3 −, and nssCa2+ were mainly detected in the coarse fraction (>2 μm). Average ionic concentrations (μg g−1) in precipitation at SJ were higher about 3.8 for Na+ and nssCa2+, 3.4 for NO3 −, 3.7 for NH4 +, 2.5 for nssSO4 2− than those at MR, whereas cumulative precipitation amounts at SJ and MR were, respectively, 84 and 175 cm of water equivalent. Wet and dry deposition amounts during the study period were estimated for sites using size-segregated aerosol data, winter averages of HNO3, NH3, and SO2 concentrations, and dry deposition velocities. Particle-dry deposition comprised about 3% (Na+) to 11% (NH4 +) of the total deposition at MR. The maximum amounts of gas dry deposition were estimated, respectively, as 4, 13, and 3% of the total deposition at MR for NH4 +, NO3 −, and nssSO4 2−. The relative contributions of below-cloud scavenging (BCS) between MR and SJ were estimated as considering the wet only deposition amount at MR. Higher contributions of BCS were obtained for Na+ (56%) and nssCa2+ (45%), whereas BCSs for NH4 +, NO3 −, and nssSO4 2− were lower than 28%. Ionic constituents existing predominantly in the coarse fraction showed a large contribution of BCS. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A letter to the editor on the high incidence of acute myelocytic leukemia in adult patients in Japan is presented.

Summary:Disease-free survival in Philadelphia chromosome-positive ALL (Ph+ALL) is very poor, and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) is currently considered the only procedure with curative potential. To identify factors affecting transplant outcome, we analyzed the data from 197 Ph+ALL patients aged 16 years or older who had undergone allo-HSCT. The 5-year survival rates were 34% for patients in first complete remission (CR), 21% for those in second or subsequent CR, and 9% for those with active disease (P<0.0001). Multivariate analysis showed four pre-transplant factors as significantly associated with better survival: younger age, CR at the time of transplantation, conditioning with total body irradiation, and HLA-identical sibling donor (P<0.0001, P<0.0001, P=0.0301, P=0.0412, respectively). Severe acute GVHD increased the risk of treatment-related mortality (TRM) without diminishing the risk of relapse, whereas chronic GVHD reduced the risk of relapse without increasing the risk of TRM. Thus, patients who developed extensive chronic GVHD had better survivals (P=0.0217), and those who developed grade III–IV acute GVHD had worse survivals (P=0.0023) than did the others.Bone Marrow Transplantation (2005) 36, 867–872. doi:10.1038/sj.bmt.1705148; published online 22 August 2005 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Penta-quark (5Q) baryons are studied using anisotropic lattice QCD for high-precision measurement of temporal correlators. A non-NK-type interpolating field is employed to study the 5Q states with and . In channel, the lowest-lying state is found at , which is too massive to be identified as the . In channel, the lowest-lying state is found at . To distinguish a compact 5Q resonance state from an NK scattering state, a new method with “hybrid boundary condition (HBC)” is proposed. As a result of the HBC analysis, the observed state in the negative-parity channel turns out to be an NK scattering state. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Oxygen-15 can be roduced using a relatively small cyclotron emitting a deuteron beam with the approximate energy of 3 MeV. However, the neutron emission from the cyclotron itself requires a large scale of shield, causing the total size of the system difficult to be placed at clinical department. We have evaluated a novel idea to reduce the neutron roduction from the cyclotron to a negligible level, and examined if it is applicable to a clinical environment. Systematic physics experiments were carried out using a Tandem Van de Graaff accelerator to validate the feasibility of our approach, in which the neutron production was assessed for realistic energy ranges of deuteron. It was shown that neutron production was reduced dramatically by a factor of 10 to the fourth using our approach, whilst enough amount of oxygen-15 was roduced. This study suggested that a small oxygen-15 generator is possible which could be laced next to existing clinical PET cameras. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

There are few molecular biologic determinants that are prognostic for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Hence, we examined whether cellular levels of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27Kip1 in acute myeloid leukemia could be used to predict clinical outcome in AML. Using immunoblot analysis, levels of p27 were assessed in blast cells from 72 AML patients who were registered and treated by the identical chemotherapy protocol. AML cases were classified into three groups on the basis of the percentage of the expression level of p27 compared to a control cell line. AML cases exhibiting p27 expression at low, moderate, and high levels were 43, 9, and 20 cases, respectively. No significant differences in the rates of complete remission (CR) were observed among the three groups. Although the level of p27 expression was not correlated with any other possible prognostic markers, such as age, white blood cell count, chromosome abnormalities, and FAB subclasses, patients with high p27 expression had a significantly increased disease-free survival (DFS) (78% vs 19%, P = 0.004). We further examined the expression of cyclin E at the protein level in all 72 AML cases. We observed a statistically significant correlation between a high cyclin E level and a high p27 level (P < 0.005). However, we failed to find any correlation between the rates of CR or DFS and cyclin E expression. The present study reveals that levels of p27 expression can be one of the useful prognostic molecular markers for AML. Leukemia (2000) 14, 28-33. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reports on a case of a patient with sinus thrombosis probably resulting from a dural arteriovenous fistula (DAVF) development in the superior sagittal sinus. Symptoms exhibited by the patient; Characteristics of DAVF; Recommended treatment methods.

We report Lee-Yang zeros behavior at finite temperature and density. The quark number densities, 〈 n 〉 , are calculated at the pure imaginary chemical potential i μ q I , where no sign problem occurs. Then, the canonical partition functions, Z C (n , T , V) , up to some maximal values of n are estimated through fitting theoretically motivated functions to 〈 n 〉 , which are used to compute the Lee-Yang zeros. We study the temperature dependence of the distributions of the Lee-Yang zeros around the pseudo-critical temperature region T / T c = 0.84 - 1.35. In the distributions of the Lee-Yang zeros, we observe the Roberge-Weiss phase transition at T / T c ≥ 1.20. We discuss the dependence of the behaviors of Lee-Yang zeros on the maximal value of n , so that we can estimate a reliable infinite volume limit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Backgrounds Chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction ( CIPO) is an intractable rare digestive disease manifesting persistent small bowel distension without any mechanical cause. Intestinal decompression is a key treatment, but conventional method including a trans-nasal small intestinal tube is invasive and painful. Therefore, a less invasive and tolerable new decompression method is urgently desired. We conducted a pilot study and assessed the efficacy and safety of percutaneous endoscopic gastro-jejunostomy ( PEG-J) decompression therapy in CIPO patients. Methods Seven definitive CIPO patients (2 males and 5 females) were enrolled. All patients received PEG-J decompression therapy. The number of days with any abdominal symptoms in a month ( NODASIM), body mass index ( BMI), serum albumin level (Alb), and small intestinal volume before and after PEG-J were compared in all patients. Results Percutaneous endoscopic gastro-jejunostomy was well tolerated and oral intake improved in all patients. NODASIM has significantly decreased (24.3 vs 9.3 days/months) and BMI/Alb have significantly increased (14.9 vs 17.2 kg/m2 and 2.6 vs 3.8 g/dL, respectively), whereas total volume of the small intestine has not significantly reduced (4.05 vs 2.59 L, P=.18). Reflux esophagitis and chemical dermatitis were observed in one case but was successfully treated conservatively. Conclusions & Inferences Percutaneous endoscopic gastro-jejunostomy decompression therapy can contribute greatly to improvement of abdominal symptoms and nutritional status in CIPO patients. Although sufficient attention should be paid to acid reflux symptoms, PEG-J has the potential to be a non-invasive novel decompression therapy for CIPO available at home. However, accumulation of more CIPO patients and long-term observation are needed ( UMIN000017574). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper summarises key themes and discussions from the 4th international workshop dedicated to the advancement of the technical, scientific and clinical applications of combined positron emission tomography (PET)/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems that was held in Tübingen, Germany, from February 23 to 27, 2015. Specifically, we summarise the three days of invited presentations from active researchers in this and associated fields augmented by round table discussions and dialogue boards with specific topics. These include the use of PET/MRI in cardiovascular disease, paediatrics, oncology, neurology and multi-parametric imaging, the latter of which was suggested as a key promoting factor for the wider adoption of integrated PET/MRI. Discussions throughout the workshop and a poll taken on the final day demonstrated that attendees felt more strongly that PET/MRI has further advanced in both technical versatility and acceptance by clinical and research-driven users from the status quo of last year. Still, with only minimal evidence of progress made in exploiting the true complementary nature of the PET and MRI-based information, PET/MRI is still yet to achieve its potential. In that regard, the conclusion of last year's meeting "the real work has just started" still holds true. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have shown that blood flow-restricted low-intensity resistance training (BFR-RT) causes muscle hypertrophy while maintaining arterial function in young adults. We examined the effects of BFR-RT on muscle size and arterial stiffness in older adults. Healthy subjects (ages 61–84 years) were divided into BFR-RT (n = 9) or non-training control (CON; n = 10) groups. The BFR-RT group performed 20% and 30%, respectively, of one repetition maximal (1-RM) knee extension and leg press exercises, 2 days/wk for 12 weeks. The BFR-RT group wore elastic cuffs (120–270 mmHg) on both legs during training. Magnetic resonance imaging-measured muscle cross-sectional area (CSA), 1-RM strength, chair stand (CS) test, and cardio-ankle vascular index testing (CAVI), an index of arterial stiffness, were measured before and 3–5 days after the final training session. Muscle CSA of the quadriceps (8.0%), adductors (6.5%), and gluteus maximus (4.4%), leg extension and leg press 1-RM strength (26.1% and 33.4%), and CS performance (18.3%) improved (P < 0.05) in the BFR-RT group, but not in the CON group. In CAVI testing, there were no changes in both two groups. In conclusion, BFR-RT improves muscle CSA as well as maximal muscle strength, but does not negatively affect arterial stiffness or humeral coagulation factors in older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the effects of blood flow-restricted, low-intensity resistance exercise (termed kaatsu) using an elastic band for resistance on muscle activation. Nine men performed triceps extension and biceps flexion exercises (four sets respectively) using an elastic band for resistance with blood flow restriction ( BFR) or CON (unrestricted blood flow). During a BFR session, subjects wore pressure cuffs inflated to 170-260 mmHg on the proximal region of both arms. Surface electromyography ( EMG) was recorded from the triceps brachii and biceps brachii muscles, and mean integrated EMG (iEMG) was analyzed. Blood lactate concentration was obtained before ( Pre) and immediately after two exercises ( Post). During triceps extension and biceps flexion exercises, muscle activation increased progressively ( P < 0.05) under BFR (46% and 69%, respectively) but not under CON (12% and 23%, respectively). Blood lactate concentration at Post was higher ( P < 0.05) under BFR than under CON (3.6 and 2.1 mmol/L, respectively). Blood lactate concentration at Post was significantly correlated with increased iEMG in both triceps extension ( r = 0.65, P < 0.01) and biceps flexion exercises ( r = 0.52, P < 0.05). We conclude that kaatsu training using elastic bands for resistance enhances muscle activation and may be an effective method to promote muscle hypertrophy in older adults or patients with a low level of activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recipients of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant had a significantly higher risk of developing secondary solid cancers than the general population. Risk of developing oral/pharynx or esophageal cancer continued to increase with time after transplant. Extensive-type chronic graft-versus-host disease and older age were a significant risk factor for developing secondary solid cancers.Background The number of long-term survivors after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) showed steady increase in the past two decades. Second malignancies after HSCT are a devastating late complication. We analyzed the incidence of, risk compared with that in the general population, and risk factors for secondary solid cancers. Patients and methods Patients were 17 545 adult recipients of a first allogeneic stem cell transplantation between 1990 and 2007 in Japan. Risks of developing secondary solid tumors were compared with general population by using standard incidence ratios (SIRs). Results Two-hundred sixty-nine secondary solid cancers were identified. The cumulative incidence was 0.7% [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.6%–0.9%] at 5 years and 1.7% (95% CI, 1.4%–1.9%) at 10 years after transplant. The risk was significantly higher than that in the general population (SIR = 1.8, 95% CI, 1.5–2.0). Risk was higher for oral cancer (SIR = 15.7, 95% CI, 12.1–20.1), esophageal cancer (SIR = 8.5, 95% CI, 6.1–11.5), colon cancer (SIR = 1.9, 95% CI, 1.2–2.7), skin cancer (SIR = 7.2, 95% CI, 3.9–12.4), and brain/nervous system cancer (SIR = 4.1, 95% CI, 1.6–8.4). The risk of developing oral, esophageal, or skin cancer was higher at all times after 1-year post-transplant. Extensive-type chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) was a significant risk factor for the development of all solid tumors (RR = 1.8, P < 0.001), as well as for oral (RR = 2.9, P < 0.001) and esophageal (RR = 5.3, P < 0.001) cancers. Limited-type chronic GVHD was an independent risk factor for skin cancers (RR = 5.8, P = 0.016). Conclusion Recipients of allogeneic HSCT had a significantly higher ∼2-fold risk of developing secondary solid cancers than the general population. Lifelong screening for high-risk organ sites, especially oral or esophageal cancers, is important for recipients with active, or a history of, chronic GVHD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanosensitive ( MS) channels are expressed in a variety of cells. The molecular and biophysical mechanism involved in the regulation of MS channel activities is a central interest in basic biology. MS channels are thought to play crucial roles in gravity sensing in plant cells. To date, two mechanisms have been proposed for MS channel activation. One is that tension development in the lipid bilayer directly activates MS channels. The second mechanism proposes that the cytoskeleton is involved in the channel activation, because MS channel activities are modulated by pharmacological treatments that affect the cytoskeleton. We tested whether tension in the cytoskeleton activates MS channels. Mammalian endothelial cells were microinjected with phalloidin-conjugated beads, which bound to stress fibres, and a traction force to the actin cytoskeleton was applied by dragging the beads with optical tweezers. MS channels were activated when the force was applied, demonstrating that a sub-p N force to the actin filaments activates a single MS channel. Plants may use a similar molecular mechanism in gravity sensing, since the cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration increase induced by changes in the gravity vector was attenuated by potential MS channel inhibitors, and by actin-disrupting drugs. These results support the idea that the tension increase in actin filaments by gravity-dependent sedimentation of amyloplasts activates MS Ca2+-permeable channels, which can be the molecular mechanism of a Ca2+ concentration increase through gravistimulation. We review recent progress in the study of tension sensing by actin filaments and MS channels using advanced biophysical methods, and discuss their possible roles in gravisensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficacy of unrelated transplantation for patients with ALL who lack an HLA-matched sibling remains unclear. We performed a decision analysis to determine the efficacy of myeloablative transplantation from a genetically HLA-A, -B, -DRB1 allele-matched unrelated donor for patients with Ph chromosome-negative ALL aged 21-54 years. The transition probabilities were estimated from the Japan Adult Leukemia Study Group studies (ALL93; n=80, ALL97; n=82), and the Japan Marrow Donor Program database (transplantation in first CR (CR1): n=177). The primary outcome measure was the 10-year survival probability with or without quality of life (QOL) adjustment. Subgroup analyses were performed according to risk stratification based on the WBC count and cytogenetics, and according to age stratification. In all patients, unrelated transplantation in CR1 was shown to be superior in analyses both with and without QOL adjustment (40.8 vs 28.4% and 43.9 vs 29.0%, respectively). A similar tendency was observed in all subgroups. The decision model was sensitive to the probability of leukemia-free survival following chemotherapy and the probability of survival after transplantation in standard-risk and higher-aged patients. Unrelated transplantation in CR1 improves the long-term survival probability in patients who lack an HLA-matched sibling. However, recent improvements in treatment strategies may change this result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background We aimed to clarify the impact of the donor source of allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) on Philadelphia chromosome-negative acute lymphoblastic leukemia [Ph(−) ALL] with focus on cord blood (CB). Patients and methods We retrospectively analyzed data of 1726 patients who underwent myeloablative allo-SCT for adult Ph(−) ALL. The sources of the allo-SCT were related donors (RD; N = 684), unrelated donors (URD; N = 809), and CB (N = 233). Results Overall survival (OS) in patients after CB allo-SCT in first complete remission (CR1) was comparable with that after RD or URD allo-SCT (RD: 65%, URD: 64% and CB: 57% at 4 years, P = 0.11). CB was not a significant risk factor for relapse or non-relapse mortality as well as for OS in multivariate analyses. Similarly, the donor source was not a significant risk factor for OS in subsequent CR or non-CR (RD: 47%, URD: 39% and CB: 48% in subsequent CR, P = 0.33; RD: 15%, URD: 21% and CB: 18% in non-CR, P = 0.20 at 4 years). Conclusion Allo-SCT using CB led to OS similar to those of RD or URD in any disease status. To avoid missing the appropriate timing, CB is a favorable alternative source for adult Ph(−) ALL patients without a suitable RD or URD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two approaches to correcting the partial beam blockage of radar reflectivity in mountainous areas were evaluated using X-band dual polarization radar data from the Hakone mountain region, Kanto, Japan. The comparatively simple digital elevation model (DEM) method calculates the power loss in the received signal based on the geometrical relationship between radar beams and a DEM. The second approach, the modified DEM method, attempts to account for unknown power losses related to ground clutter, hardware calibration errors, etc. Comparison between ground data and reflectivity data corrected by both methods suggests that the DEM method alone was insufficient to correct beam blockage problems but that the modified DEM data were in generally good agreement with the ground data. The authors also estimated 10-min rainfall amounts using reflectivity corrected by the modified DEM method and compared these with data from a network of rain gauges in the mountainous region. In general, the results show good agreement between radar estimates and rain gauge measurements. On the basis of their results, the authors conclude that the modified DEM method offers a suitable solution to the problem of beam blockage in mountainous regions, provided that the beam blockage rate is less than 80%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Allogeneic hematopoietic SCT (allo-HCT) from matched sibling donor (MSD) is recommended for younger patients with intermediate cytogenetic risk AML in first CR (CR1), whereas the role of alternative donor transplants in these patients is unknown. We retrospectively analyzed 605 patients with intermediate-risk AML, who received myeloablative allo-HCT in CR1. The 4-year OS for MSD (n=290) and matched unrelated donor (MUD; n=141) was 65% and 68% (P=0.50), respectively. In multivariate analysis, MUD had a similar risk of overall mortality as MSD (hazard ratio=0.90; 95% confidence interval, 0.62-1.30; P=0.58), whereas older age, female donor/male recipient (FDMR) combination, and requiring more than one course of induction chemotherapy to achieve CR1 were poor prognostic factors for OS. Thus, OS after MUD HCT with sex combinations other than FDMR was significantly higher than that after MSD HCT from female donors to male recipients (4-year OS 72% versus 55%, P=0.04). These results suggest that HCT, not only from MSD, but also from MUD, should be considered in younger patients with intermediate-risk AML in CR1, and that the donor-recipient sex combination is more important than the donor type in donor selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Oral sumatriptan administration has been reported to delay gastric emptying after liquid meals. The aim of this study was to determine whether delayed gastric emptying is caused by enhanced gastric accommodation, impaired antral contractions, or both using ultrasonography. Methods Ten healthy volunteers were enrolled in this randomized two-way crossover study. After overnight fasting, the subjects received the liquid meal 60 min after ingesting a 50 mg sumatriptan tablet with 50 mL of water or 50 mL of water alone (control). The cross-sectional area of the proximal stomach was measured in a supine position after every 100 mL. The frequency and amplitude of the antral contractions were measured in a slightly backward sitting position. The intragastric distribution of the liquid meal was assessed by calculating the proximal stomach/distal stomach ratio (prox/distal ratio). Key Results The cross-sectional area after drinking 100, 200, and 300 mL of the liquid meal (oral sumatriptan vs control) was 34.49 vs 15.11 cm2 ( P = 0.0051), 48.00 vs 30.61 cm2 ( P = 0.0166), and 58.67 vs 47.19 cm2 ( P = 0.0125), respectively. There was no significant difference in the amplitude of contractions, contraction cycle, motility index, and prox/distal ratio (97.15 vs 97.93%, P = 0.0745; 19.42 vs 19.5 s, P = 0.8590; and 887.58 vs 889.22, P = 0.5751; 9.75 vs 8.41, P = 0.8785; respectively). Conclusions & Inferences Oral sumatriptan administration enhanced gastric accommodation after the ingestion of liquid nutrients, but had no significant effect on antral contractions or intragastric distribution in healthy subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]