Production method of millimeter-wave absorber with 3D-printed mold.

We established a production method of a millimeter-wave absorber by using a 3D-printed mold. The mold has a periodic pyramid shape, and an absorptive material is filled into the mold. This shape reduces the surface reflection. The 3D-printed mold is made from a transparent material in the millimeter-wave range. Therefore, unmolding is not necessary. A significant benefit of this production method is easy prototyping with various shapes and various absorptive materials. We produced a test model and used a two-component epoxy encapsulant as the absorptive material. The test model achieved a low reflectance: ∼1% at 100 GHz. The absorber is sometimes maintained at a low temperature condition for cases in which superconducting detectors are used. Therefore, cryogenic performance is required in terms of a mechanical strength for the thermal cycles, an adhesive strength, and a sufficient thermal conductivity. We confirmed the test-model strength by immersing the model into a liquid-nitrogen bath.

Complications of laser conization versus loop electrosurgical excision procedure in pre- and postmenopausal patients.

Purpose ofinvestigation: The aim of this retrospective study was to compare the results and complications of laser conization and loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP), performed for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) or microinvasive carcinoma, between postmenopausal and premenopausal patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study recruited a total of 551 patients. In the laser group (n = 405), there were 361 (89.1%) premenopausal and 44 (10.9%) postmenopausal women. In the LEEP group (n = 146), there were 129 (88.4%) premenopausal and 17 (11.6%) postmenopausal women. The factors investigated in both groups were the length of the tissue cone removed and the presence of positive endocervical cone margins, residual disease, and cervical stenosis. RESULTS: In the laser group, the length of the tissue cone was significantly longer in postmenopausal patients (17.9 ±3.9 mm vs. 15.7 ± 3.6mm; p = 0.002). The rate of positive endocervical margins was significantly higher in premenopausal patients (9.1% vs. 0%; p = 0.037). The rate of cervical stenosis was significantly higher in postmenopausal patients (59.1% vs. 8.3%; p < 0.0001). In the LEEP group, there were no differences in the length of the tissue cone (premenopausal, 11.7 ± 1.9 mm vs. postmenopausal, 11.4 ± 2.7 mm; p = 0.12), the rate of positive endocervical margins (24.0% vs. 17.6%), or the rate of residual disease (13.2% vs. 17.6%). The rate of cervical stenosis was significantly higher in postmenopausal patients (23.5% vs. 4.1%; p = 0.002); however this rate was significantly lower than that seen in the laser group. CONCLUSION: In postmenopausal patients, the rates of positive endocervical cone margins and of residual disease were higher in the LEEP group; however, the rate of cervical stenosis was higher in the laser group. Physicians should be aware of the characteristics of the devices used for cervical conization in postmenopausal women with CIN.

Preliminary study for the assessment of physical activity using a triaxial accelerometer with a gyro sensor on the upper limbs of subjects with paraplegia driving a wheelchair on a treadmill.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine whether, on the basis of the relationship between sensors attached on the upper limbs and energy expenditure (EE) at the time of wheelchair propulsion, there are differences in the measurement of EE depending on the sensor attachment site and whether addition of the angular velocity information to the acceleration value is advantageous. We also aimed to clarify the variables used to estimate EE as well as the estimated error. SETTING: Laboratory of the National Hospital Organization Murayama Medical Center, Japan. METHODS: Six male subjects with spinal cord injuries participated in the study. Each wore sensors at the wrist and the middle upper arm on both sides while driving a wheelchair on a treadmill at three levels: very, very light; very light; and fairly light. Triaxial acceleration, triaxial angular velocity and EE were measured during driving. We analyzed the correlation between EE and acceleration, angular velocity and synthesized values of acceleration and angular velocity at each location using regression, multiple regression and Bland-Altman analyses. RESULTS: The determination coefficients between EE and the acceleration, angular velocity and synthesized values of acceleration and angular velocity varied from 0.68 to 0.87 at each location. The mean difference between the measured and estimated EE varied from 0.0028 (s.d., 0.0027) kcal min(-1) kg(-1) on the right upper arm. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that combining the synthesized values of angular velocity and acceleration of the motion sensors on the upper limbs might reflect EE during a wheelchair driving activity on a treadmill.

Fractional anisotropy--threshold dependence in tract-based diffusion tensor analysis: evaluation of the uncinate fasciculus in Alzheimer disease.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Tract-based analysis can be used to investigate required tracts extracted from other fiber tracts. However, the fractional anisotropy (FA) threshold influences tractography analysis. The current study evaluated the influence of the FA threshold in measuring diffusion tensor parameters for tract-based analysis of the uncinate fasciculus in subjects with Alzheimer disease (AD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Subjects included 30 patients with AD and 10 healthy controls. We acquired tractographies of the uncinate fasciculus by using different FA thresholds. We measured mean FA and the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) along the uncinate fasciculus for different FA thresholds and evaluated the correlation between diffusion tensor parameters (FA, ADC) and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores. RESULTS: The uncinate fasciculus showed lower mean FA and higher mean ADC values in cases with more severe AD. A higher FA threshold led to a lower mean ADC value and a higher mean FA value along the uncinate fasciculus, whereas the relative order of measured values according to the severity of AD was not influenced by the FA threshold. An FA threshold of 0.2 showed higher correlation between mean ADC values and MMSE scores. FA thresholds of 0.15 and 0.20 showed higher correlation between mean FA values and MMSE scores. CONCLUSIONS: Appropriate selection of the FA threshold leads to higher correlation between diffusion tensor parameters and the severity of AD. For tract-based analysis of degenerative diseases such as AD, appropriate selection of the FA threshold for tractography is important.

Manganese mimics the action of 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium ion, a dopaminergic neurotoxin, in rat striatal tissue slices.

Manganese and 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) are known to induce neurological pathologies similar to that of parkinsonism. Previous studies performed in rat striatal slices have shown that MPTP and related compounds inhibit tyrosine hydroxylation, a rate-limiting step of dopamine biosynthesis. Here, we reported that manganese inhibited tyrosine hydroxylation in rat striatal slices. In addition, manganese caused increase in the levels of lactate indicating that aerobic glycolysis was inhibited in striatal slices. This inhibition was unique to manganese since other divalent cations, such as magnesium and zinc, did not increase lactate concentrations. These results suggest that the mechanisms by which manganese produces dysfunction of the nervous system are similar to those of MPTP.

Macrophage colony-stimulating factor is expressed in neuron and microglia after focal brain injury.

In a previous study, we have demonstrated that damaged neurons within a boundary area around necrosis fall into delayed neuronal death owing to the cytotoxic effect of microglial nitric oxide (NO), and these neurons are finally eliminated by activated microglia. In this process, microglia are activated to release NO, increase in number, and accumulate toward the damaged area. In this study, we investigated the expression of macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF, also called colony stimulating factor-1; CSF-1) and other cytokines, which are reported to relate to activation, proliferation, or migration of microglia. The mRNA of M-CSF arose biphasically from 30 min to 1 hr and from 6 to 72 hr after the injury, as demonstrated by semiquantitative RT-PCR. However, another cytokine of granulocyte-macrophage CSF (GM-CSF) or interleukin-3 (IL-3), which causes proliferation of microglia in vitro, was not detected. From immunohistochemical studies, positive staining of M-CSF was observed mainly in neuron-specific enolase (NSE)-positive cells from 1 to 12 hr after the injury, and after that M-CSF became positive in Griffonia simplicifolia isolectin-B4 (GSA-I-B4)-positive cells from 24 to 72 hr in the boundary area around necrosis. These results suggest that neurons around the damaged area express M-CSF in the early phase after injury, which may initially activate microglia, and these activated microglia also express M-CSF later, causing further proliferation or migration of microglia themselves to eliminate damaged neurons or necrotic brain tissue.

The 5'-untranslated region of the mouse glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor gene regulates expression at both the transcriptional and translational levels.

We previously cloned mouse glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) cDNA and genomic DNA and found that the mouse gene contains a 1086-bp 5'-untranslated region (5'-UTR). We investigated the contributions of the 5'-UTR to promoter activity and found one positive regulatory region and two negative regulatory regions in the 5'-UTR. In the present study, using gel retardation assays and mutation analyses, two novel cis-elements that interact with nuclear extracts from mouse astrocytes were identified. The first cis-element (nucleotides (nt) +70 to +81) enhances promoter activity, whereas the second cis-element (nt +239 to +247) attenuates promoter activity in a position- and orientation-dependent manner. Suppression of gene expression by a third region (nt +509 to +580) occurs at the translational level. The ATG sequence (nt +547 to +549) has the potential to initiate translation and to attenuate the efficiency of translation for the GDNF precursor coding region. Furthermore, we identified an alternative promoter in the 5'-UTR that is driven by an Sp1 element, circumventing the translational suppression. Taken together, the 5'-UTR of mouse GDNF contains two novel cis-elements, a short upstream open reading frame and an alternative promoter that influences gene expression at both the transcriptional and translational levels.

Growth inhibitory effects of diallyl disulfide on human breast cancer cell lines.

Diallyl disulfide (DADS) is an oil-soluble organosulfur compound found in garlic. The effect of synthetic DADS on the growth of estrogen receptor (ER)-positive (KPL-1 and MCF-7) and -negative (MDA-MB-231 and MKL-F) human breast cancer cell lines was examined. In an in vitro MTT assay, regardless of ER status, DADS at an IC(50) of 1.8-18.1 microM after 72 h incubation caused inhibition of growth in all four cell lines examined. Growth inhibition was due to apoptosis as seen by the appearance of a sub G1 fraction. In MDA-MB-231 cells, the apoptosis cascade comprised up-regulation of Bax protein (142%), down-regulation of Bcl-X(L) protein (38%) and activation of caspase-3 (438%) compared with controls. In an in vivo assay by orthotopic (right thoracic mammary fat pad) transplantation of KPL-1 cells in female nude mice, intraperitoneal injection of 1 or 2 mg DADS three times a week from the day of tumor cell inoculation until the end of the experiment (after 35 days) caused growth retardation and 43% reductions in primary tumor weight, respectively, compared with DADS-untreated mice without apparent side effects. Cell proliferation as evaluated by proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)-labeling in transplanted tumor of DADS-untreated mice was 59.6%, and 1 and 2 mg DADS-treated mice was 44.6 and 44.5%, respectively. In MDA-MB-231 cells, DADS antagonized the effect of linoleic acid (LA), a potent breast cancer cell stimulator (at DADS = 1.8 microM and LA > or = 6.5x10(2) microM concentration), and synergized the effect of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), a potent breast cancer cell suppressor (at DADS >3 x 10(-3) microM and EPA > 6.3 x 10(-1) microM concentration). Thus, DADS could be a promising anticancer agent for both hormone-dependent and -independent breast cancers, and may harmonize with polyunsaturated fatty acids known as modulators of breast cancer cell growth.

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome type IV with a unique point mutation in COL3A1 and familial phenotype of myocardial infarction without organic coronary stenosis.

We report on a 43-year-old male patient with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) type IV with acute myocardial infarction (MI) without organic coronary stenosis. The disease was complicated with pneumothorax, subcutaneous and mediastinal emphysema, and splenic artery rupture. Three of the patient's family members suffered sudden cardiac death or MI. A diagnosis of EDS type IV was confirmed by decreased production of type III collagen by 86%. Mutation analysis revealed a point mutation in the COL3A1 gene that substituted glycine for aspartate at amino acid position 877. This mutation had not been reported as pathogenic for EDS type IV. These findings suggest close linkage between the mutation and the phenotype with familial MI.

Increased serum concentrations of advanced glycation end products: a marker of coronary artery disease activity in type 2 diabetic patients.

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether the concentrations of serum advanced glycation end products (AGE) in diabetic patients with obstructive coronary artery disease differ from those in type 2 diabetic patients without obstructive coronary artery disease. DESIGN: Serum AGE concentrations were measured in type 2 diabetic patients and in non-diabetic patients, both with and without obstructive coronary artery disease, and the relation between these values and coronary disease severity was evaluated. RESULTS: Mean (SD) serum AGE concentrations were higher (p < 0.0125) in type 2 diabetic patients with obstructive coronary artery disease (5.5 (2.5) mU/ml, n = 30) than in patients without obstructive coronary artery disease (2.8 (0. 5) mU/ml, n = 12), and higher than in non-diabetic patients with (3. 4 (1.0) mU/ml, n = 28) and without (3.2 (0.4) mU/ml, n = 13) obstructive coronary artery disease. Serum AGE was associated with the degree of coronary arteriosclerosis in type 2 diabetic patients with obstructive coronary artery disease (single vessel: n = 13, 3.4 (0.9) mU/m; two vessel: n = 6, 5.7 (1.6) mU/m; three vessel: n = 11, 7.2 (2.5) mU/ml). Serum AGE was positively correlated with serum mean four year HbA(1C) (r = 0.46, p < 0.01), but not with recent serum HbA(1C) (r = 0.24). The four groups did not differ in the other coronary risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: Serum AGE concentrations may be associated with long term poor glycaemic control and reflect the severity of coronary arteriosclerosis in type 2 diabetic patients.

Up-regulation of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) following traumatic spinal cord injury.

We investigated the temporal and spatial expression patterns of the GDNF gene after subjecting rats to an acute contusion injury of the spinal cord using the weight drop technique. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) revealed that GDNF transcription in the spinal cord began to increase within 30 min after injury and peaked within 3 h. Immunohistochemical analysis showed GDNF immunoreactivity to be present mainly in microglia and macrophages 1 day after injury, but not in neurons or astrocytes. This immediate upregulation of GDNF gene expression may be a component of an inflammatory process and probably exerts a protective effect on neurons following spinal cord injury (SCI).

Improved growth and viability of lactobacilli in the presence of Bacillus subtilis (natto), catalase, or subtilisin.

In an effort to demonstrate the potential usefulness of Bacillus subtilis (natto) as a probiotic, we examined the effect of this organism on the growth of three strains of lactobacilli co-cultured aerobically in vitro. Addition of B. subtilis (natto) to the culture medium resulted in an increase in the number of viable cells of all lactobacilli tested. Since B. subtilis (natto) can produce catalase, which has been reported to exhibit a similar growth-promoting effect on lactobacilli, we also examined the effect of bovine catalase on the growth of Lactobacillus reuteri JCM 1112 and L. acidophilus JCM 1132. Both catalase and B. subtilis (natto) enhanced the growth of L. reuteri JCM 1112, whereas B. subtilis (natto) but not catalase enhanced the growth of L. acidophilus JCM 1132. In a medium containing 0.1 mM hydrogen peroxide, its toxic effect on L. reuteri JCM 1112 was abolished by catalase or B. subtilis (natto). In addition, a serine protease from B. licheniformis, subtilisin, improved the growth and viability of L. reuteri JCM 1112 and L. acidophilus JCM 1132 in the absence of hydrogen peroxide. These results indicate that B. subtilis (natto) enhances the growth and (or) viability of lactobacilli, possibly through production of catalase and subtilisin.

Novel alternative promoters of mouse glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor gene.

We previously isolated cDNA and genomic DNA of the mouse glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) gene and found that the gene consists of three exons. Recently, it was suggested that an alternative promoter exists within intron 1 of the human GDNF gene, but this has not been confirmed. Novel cDNA clones of the mouse GDNF gene were isolated by 5'-rapid amplification of cDNA ends from postnatal day-14 striatum. A novel exon, containing 351 nucleotides, exists between exon 1 and exon 3 (referred to as exon 2 in our previous report). Luciferase reporter assay showed that a core promoter for the novel exon 2 requires its 5'-untranslated region. Primer extension analysis and reverse transcription-PCR identified another novel transcript that starts 39 bp upstream of exon 3, and the core promoter activity exists within a region containing putative Sp1 sites. Although the core promoters for the novel exons are different from those previously identified, transcripts derived from each promoter coincidentally increased with interleukin-1beta or tumor necrosis factor-alpha stimulation. Gel retardation assays suggested that the NF-kappaB binding site in intron 1 would be involved in the cytokine response of the mouse GDNF gene.

Expression of endothelin-1 after endothelial denudation of thoracic aortas in experimental hypercholesterolemic rats.

Although endothelin-1 (ET-1) is involved in balloon-induced neointima formation, the role of ET-1 in balloon-induced neointima formation in hypercholesterolemia is unclear. In addition, it remains to be determined whether ET-1 is produced by endothelial cells or vascular smooth muscle cells, or both. We investigated tissue immunoreactive ET-1 levels by immunoblot analysis, localization of ET-1 immunoreactivity by immunohistochemistry, and expression of preproET-1 mRNA by in situ hybridization in balloon-induced neointima formation in experimental hypercholesterolemic rats. Serum total cholesterol levels were significantly higher (p< 0.01) in the 5%cholesterol-diet group (194 +/- 17 mg/dl, n=20) than in the normal-diet group (64 +/- 2 mg/dl, n=20). Before and after endothelial denudation, plasma ET-1 levels and tissue immunoreactive ET-1 levels were significantly higher in cholesterol-diet rats. The expression of preproET-1 mRNA by in situ hybridization was observed in the nuclei of endothelial cells, but not medial smooth muscle cells in normal- or cholesterol diet rats. After endothelial denudation, plasma ET-1 levels and serum total cholesterol levels did not change in either the normal- or the cholesterol-diet rats. Tissue level of ET-1 tended to increase at 3 days after denudation in normal-diet rats (1.0 +/- 0.1 vs 2.6 +/- 0. 2 density ratio, p< 0.05), although endothelial cells had not yet regenerated. The expression of preproET-1 mRNA by in situ hybridization was not observed at 3 days after endothelial denudation in either endothelial or medial smooth muscle cells in normal-diet rats. Four weeks after denudation, regeneration of endothelial cells was almost complete, and an intimal hyperplasia was observed. Tissue ET-1 levels were significantly elevated 4 weeks after endothelial denudation in normal-diet rats (1.0 +/- 0.1 vs 7.6 +/- 0.2 density ratio, p< 0.05). The expression of preproET-1 mRNA by in situ hybridization was observed in the nuclei of regenerated endothelial cells after endothelial denudation, and in smooth muscle cells migrating into the intima, but was not observed in medial smooth muscle cells in normal-diet rats. A similar pattern was observed in cholesterol-diet rats. We concluded that ET-1 was involved in neointima formation and that ET-1 was produced by both endothelial and neointimal smooth muscle cells, but not medial smooth muscle cells after endothelial denudation in experimental hypercholesterolemic rats.

Cu/Zn- and Mn-superoxide dismutases are specifically up-regulated in neurons after focal brain injury.

In previous studies, we have demonstrated that damaged neurons within a boundary area around necrosis fall into delayed cell death due to the cytotoxic effect of microglial nitric oxide (NO), and are finally eliminated by activated microglia. In contrast, neurons in a narrow surrounding region nearby this boundary area remain alive even though they may encounter cytotoxic NO. To investigate the mechanism by which neurons tolerate this oxidative stress, we examined the in vitro and in vivo expression levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) under pathological conditions. Results from our in situ hybridization and immunohistochemical studies showed up-regulation of Cu/Zn-SOD only in neurons outside the boundary area, whereas up-regulation of Mn-SOD was detected in both neurons and glial cells in the same region. In vitro experiments using rat PC12 pheochromocytoma and C6 glioma cell lines showed that induction of both Cu/Zn- and Mn-SOD mRNA could only be detected in PC12 cells after treatment with NO donors, while a slight induction of Mn-SOD mRNA alone could be seen in C6 glioma cells. The mechanism of resistance toward oxidative stress therefore appears to be quite different between neuronal and glial cells. It is assumed that these two types of SOD might play a critical role in protecting neurons from NO cytotoxicity in vivo, and the inability of SOD induction in damaged neurons seems to cause their selective elimination after focal brain injury.

Alpha-human atrial natriuretic peptide, carperitide, reduces infarct size but not arrhythmias after coronary occlusion/reperfusion in dogs.

Carperitide, a recombinant form of alpha-hANP, possesses potent diuretic, natriuretic, and vasodilatory activity, and inhibits the renin-aldosterone system and sympathetic nervous activity. However, its beneficial effects on ischemic myocardium have not been studied fully. We examined carperitide's effects on infarct size, hemodynamics, and arrhythmia frequency in anesthetized dogs (n = 20) subjected to a 90-min coronary artery occlusion/6-h reperfusion protocol. Intravenous infusion of carperitide (0.2 microg/kg/min) commenced 15 min after occlusion and continued during occlusion/reperfusion. Ventricular fibrillation developed in two of 10 control versus three of 10 treated dogs (p = NS). Hemodynamics, collateral blood flow to the ischemic wall measured 10 min after occlusion, and extent of area at risk were comparable for the two groups. Infarct size/area at risk was smaller in treated than in control dogs (4.5 +/- 2.1% vs. 27.8 +/- 7.8%, respectively; p < 0.05). During occlusion, carperitide tended to increase collateral blood flow (+39%) and significantly decreased left ventricular systolic pressure (-13%) and end-diastolic pressure (-40%) compared with baseline. In control dogs, collateral blood flow tended to decrease (-8.3%), whereas most hemodynamic parameters did not change significantly with respect to baseline. The number of arrhythmias recorded during occlusion/reperfusion was similar in the two groups. Intravenous administration of carperitide limited infarct size, but did not reduce incidence of ventricular arrhythmias after 90-min coronary occlusion/6-h reperfusion in anesthetized dogs. Although the beneficial effects of carperitide may be attributable to concomitant changes in hemodynamics and collateral blood flow, the precise mechanisms require further investigation.

[Clinical significance of pressure measurement in the infarct-related coronary artery in acute myocardial infarction: evaluation of variables predicting recovery of left ventricular function in the convalescent stage].

Early reperfusion and good antegrade flow are essential in restoring better regional left ventricular function in acute myocardial infarction, but they do not always correlate with the extent of recovery. This study evaluated coronary circulation using the new "pressure wire" technique to measure the direct pressure of the coronary circulation including antegrade and collateral flow before and after reperfusion in patients with acute myocardial infarction, and to clarify the influence of these variables on recovery of left ventricular function in the convalescent stage. Fifty six consecutive patients with first acute myocardial infarction underwent percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty(PTCA) for totally occluded or severely narrowed infarct-related lesion and evaluation of coronary circulation using pressure wire. Left ventriculography was analyzed at 1 month after the onset in 41 patients. Treatment variables including reperfusion time, reperfusion modality, Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction(TIMI) grade after PTCA, and pressure wire variables were compared with parameters of left ventricular function. Reperfusion time was not related to regional wall motion evaluated by the SD chord of left ventriculography in the infarcted zone. Pressure wire measurements showed a correlation between fractional flow reserve measured after PTCA and infarcted regional wall motion(r = 0.558, p < 0.01). Patients with infarct-related lesion in the right coronary artery showed the magnitude of left ventricular regional wall motion was related to fractional collateral flow reserve(maxQc/Qn) during PTCA(r = 0.768, p < 0.05), but no such relationship was observed in patients with infarct-related lesion in the left anterior descending artery. Fractional flow reserve measured after PTCA varied widely in patients with the same TIMI flow grade, so did not vary with it. The pressure wire technique enables assessment of the collateral circulation distal to infarct-related lesion quantitatively before reperfusion in patients with acute myocardial infarction. The fractional flow reserve derived by coronary pressure after reperfusion was significantly related to the recovery of regional wall motion in the infarcted area in the convalescent stage. The fractional flow reserve after reperfusion with PTCA is a better parameter than TIMI flow grade for predicting recovery of regional left ventricular function after myocardial infarction.

Effectiveness of transcoronary chemoembolization for metastatic right ventricular tumor derived from hepatocellular carcinoma.

A right ventricular outflow tract was partially obstructed by a metastatic tumor from a hepatocellular carcinoma. This tumor was treated via chemoembolization of the right coronary artery, which resulted in tumor regression and improvement of the patient's symptoms.