Sub-solid nodule detectability in seven observers of seventy-nine clinical cases: comparison between ultra-low-dose chest digital tomosynthesis with iterative reconstruction and chest radiography by receiver-operating characteristics analysis.

PURPOSE: To compare sub-solid nodules detectability (SSND) between ultra-low-dose chest digital tomosynthesis (ULD-CDT) with/without iterative reconstruction (IR) and chest radiography (CR) by using low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) as the standard of reference (SOR). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Institutional Review Board approved this study and written informed consent was obtained. In a single visit, 79 subjects underwent ULD-CDT at 120 kV and 10 mA, CR and LDCT (effective dose: 0.171, 0.117 and 3.52 mSv, respectively). Sixty-three coronal images were reconstructed using CDT with/without IR. SOR as to SSN presence was determined based on LDCT images. Seven radiologists recorded SSN presence and locations by continuously-distributed rating. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to compare SSND of ULD-CDT with/without IR and CR, in total and subgroups classified by nodular longest diameter (LD) (> or < 9 mm) and mean CT attenuation value (CTAV) (> or < -600 Hounsfield of Unit (HU)). Detection sensitivity (DS) was compared among 4 groups classified by combination of the identical thresholds: nodular LD (9 mm) and mean CTAV (-600 HU) in each of ULD-CDT with/without IR and CR with Friedman and Wilcoxon signed rank test. RESULTS: SSND for total 105 SSNs as well as larger SSNs with nodular LD of 9 mm or more at ULD-CDT with IR was higher than either that at ULD-CDT without IR or CR, as the areas under the ROC curve were 0.66 ± 0.02, 0.59 ± 0.01 and 0.52 ± 0.01, respectively (p < 0.05). DS at ULD-CDT with IR was 69.5 ± 10.8% in groups with larger (LD > 9 mm) and more-attenuated (>-600 HU) SSNs, and higher than in the other 3 groups (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: ULD-CDT with IR demonstrated better SSND than that without IR or CR, with increased DS for larger and more-attenuated SSNs compared with the remaining ones.

Predictive detection areas for identifying additional MRI-detected breast lesions on second-look ultrasonography.

PURPOSE: Identifying an additional MRI-detected breast lesion on second-look ultrasonography (US) is technically challenging because of lesion displacement with the patient's position change. The aim of this study is to help identify MRI-detected lesions on second-look US by developing a probing area, called "the predictive detection area" (PDA), and by assessing the PDA. METHODS: We measured the nipple-to-lesion distances (NLDs) for 16 breast lesions on prone- and supine-position MRI sets and calculated the difference and angle between the two NLD vectors, representing the lesion displacement. The minimum and maximum differences and angles were chosen to form the PDA. Another 22 breast lesions, detected in the prone MRI, were identified on US by probing the PDA to evaluate the probability of existence. RESULTS: The width between the minimum and maximum differences in two NLDs and the angle to form the PDA for the upper-inner, upper-outer, and lower-outer quadrants were 23.0 mm and 95.0°, 29.0 mm and 41.0°, and 18.0 mm and 17.0°, respectively. The respective probabilities of existence were 100, 80, and 100%. CONCLUSIONS: The PDA had a high probability of existence and was acceptably accurate; therefore, the PDA in a second-look US has the potential to help operators to quickly identify additional MRI-detected lesions.

Isolation of lactic acid bacteria exhibiting high scavenging activity for environmental hydrogen peroxide from fermented foods and its two scavenging enzymes for hydrogen peroxide.

To obtain lactic acid bacteria that scavenge environmental hydrogen peroxide, we developed a specialized enrichment medium and successfully isolated Pediococcus pentosaceus Be1 strain from a fermented food. This strain showed vigorous environmental hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity over a wide range of hydrogen peroxide concentrations. High Mn-catalase and NADH peroxidase activities were found in the cell-free extract of the P. pentosaceus Be1 strain, and these two hydrogen peroxide scavenging enzymes were purified from the cell-free extract of the strain. Mn-catalase has been purified from several microorganisms by several researchers, and the NADH peroxidase was first purified from the original strain in this report. After cloning the genes of the Mn-catalase and the NADH peroxidase, the deduced amino acid sequences were compared with those of known related enzymes.

Dexamethasone and BCAA Failed to Modulate Muscle Mass and mTOR Signaling in GH-Deficient Rats.

Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) and IGF-I, the secretion of which is stimulated by growth hormone (GH), prevent muscle atrophy. mTOR plays a pivotal role in the protective actions of BCAA and IGF-1. The pathway by which BCAA activates mTOR is different from that of IGF-1, which suggests that BCAA and GH work independently. We tried to examine whether BCAA exerts a protective effect against dexamethasone (Dex)-induced muscle atrophy independently of GH using GH-deficient spontaneous dwarf rats (SDRs). Unexpectedly, Dex did not induce muscle atrophy assessed by the measurement of cross-sectional area (CSA) of the muscle fibers and did not increase atrogin-1, MuRF1 and REDD1 expressions, which are activated during protein degradation. Glucocorticoid (GR) mRNA levels were higher in SDRs compared to GH-treated SDRs, indicating that the low expression of GR is not the reason of the defect of Dex's action in SDRs. BCAA did not stimulate the phosphorylation of p70S6K or 4E-BP1, which stimulate protein synthesis. BCAA did not decrease the mRNA level of atrogin-1 or MuRF1. These findings suggested that Dex failed to modulate muscle mass and that BCAA was unable to activate mTOR in SDRs because these phosphorylations of p70S6K and 4E-BP1 and the reductions of these mRNAs are regulated by mTOR. In contrast, after GH supplementation, these responses to Dex were normalized and muscle fiber CSA was decreased by Dex. BCAA prevented the Dex-induced decrease in CSA. BCAA increased the phosphorylation of p70S6K and decreased the Dex-induced elevations of atrogin-1 and Bnip3 mRNAs. However, the amount of mTORC1 components including mTOR was not decreased in the SDRs compared to the normal rats. These findings suggest that GH increases mTORC1 activity but not its content to recover the action of BCAA in SDRs and that GH is required for actions of Dex and BCAA in muscles.

Effect of chronic kidney disease on individual and population medical expenditures in the Japanese population.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), and may also lead to an increase in medical expenditures. The effect of CKD on individual and population medical expenditures was examined in a Japanese cohort study. The participants included 4026 Japanese National Health Insurance beneficiaries aged 40-74 years living in one city, who had no history of major CVD. They were classified into three categories according to their glomerular filtration rate (GFR) at the baseline survey, and their total medical expenditures were followed-up for 3 years. The arithmetic and geometric means of the cumulative medical expenditures were calculated for each category. The geometric mean was also expressed after adjusting for several confounding factors using analysis of covariance. The CKD-related medical expenditures attributable to the participants with mild (60 < or = GFR < 90) or moderate (30 < or = GFR < 60) kidney dysfunction were compared with those of participants with normal (GFR > or = 90) kidney function. There was a negative correlation between the GFR category and the arithmetic and geometric means of personal medical expenditures (adjusted geometric mean: GFR > or = 90, 167,879 yen; 60 < or = GFR < 90, 210,660 yen; and 30 < or = GFR < 60, 330,050 yen). The CKD-related medical expenditures accounted for 11.5 and 6.5% of the total medical expenditures for the participants with mild and moderate kidney dysfunction, respectively. The prevention of mild CKD is very important for containing medical expenditures. Appropriate strategies, such as regular creatinine measurement, are needed for early detection of CKD.