Detailed Arterial Anatomy and Its Anastomoses of the Sphenoid Ridge and Olfactory Groove Meningiomas with Special Reference to the Recurrent Branches from the Ophthalmic Artery.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Detailed arterial anatomy of the sphenoid ridge and olfactory groove meningiomas is complicated due to the fine angioarchitecture and anastomoses between each feeder. Herein, we present details of the arterial anatomy and the relationships of feeders in these lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study included 20 patients admitted to our department between April 2015 and March 2020. Conditions of subjects consisted of 16 sphenoid ridge meningiomas and 4 olfactory groove meningiomas. We mainly analyzed arterial anatomy using 3D rotational angiography and slab MIP images of these lesions. We also analyzed the anastomoses of each feeder. RESULTS: We found that 19 (95%), 15 (75%), and 15 (75%) lesions had feeders from the ophthalmic, internal carotid, and external carotid arteries, respectively. As feeders from the ophthalmic artery, recurrent meningeal arteries were involved in 18 lesions (90%). Fifteen lesions (75%) had anastomoses between each feeder. CONCLUSIONS: Most of the meningiomas in the sphenoid ridge and olfactory groove had feeders from the ophthalmic and internal carotid arteries. There were various anastomoses between each feeder. This is the first report to demonstrate the detailed arterial anatomy and frequency of recurrent branches from the ophthalmic artery and their anastomoses using detailed imaging techniques.

Outcome of maintenance systemic chemotherapy with drug-free interval for metastatic urothelial carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: Aiming to achieve long-term disease control, maintenance systemic chemotherapy (MSC) with a 1-3-month drug-free interval is continued in selected patients. We report our experience of MSC for metastatic urothelial carcinoma (UC). METHODS: Of 228 metastatic UC patients treated with systemic chemotherapy, 40 (17.5%, 40/228) had continuously undergone MSC. Data on the regimen, cycle number, and reason for the discontinuation of MSC were also collected. We analyzed OS from the initiation of MSC until death or the last follow-up, using the log-rank test to assess the significance of differences. RESULTS: The median number of cycles of chemotherapy was 6, and the responses were CR in 6, PR in 20, SD in 13, and PD in 1 before MSC. Gemcitabine plus CDDP or carboplatin was mainly performed as MSC (70%, 28/40). MSC was repeated quarterly in 30 (75%, 30/40), every two months in 8 (20%, 8/40), and with other intervals in 2 (5%, 2/40). Overall, a median of 3.5 cycles (range: 1-29) of MSC was performed. The reason for the discontinuation of MSC was PD in 24 (60%, 24/40), favorable disease control in 9 (22.5%, 9/40), and myelosuppression in 3 (7.5%, 3/40), and for other reasons in 2 (5%, 2/40). MSC was ongoing in 2 (5%, 2/40). The median OS was 27 months from the initiation of MSC. PS0 (P = 0.0169), the absence of lung metastasis (P = 0.0387), and resection of the primary site (P = 0.0495) were associated with long-term survival after MSC. CONCLUSIONS: In selected patients, long-term systemic chemotherapy could be performed with a drug-free interval. Our maintenance strategy with cytotoxic drugs may become one of the treatment options for long-term disease control.

Inhibition of malic enzyme 1 disrupts cellular metabolism and leads to vulnerability in cancer cells in glucose-restricted conditions.

Malic enzyme 1 (ME1) regulates one of the main pathways that provide nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH), which is essential for cancer cell growth through maintenance of redox balance and biosynthesis processes in the cytoplasm. In this study, we found that ME1 inhibition disrupted metabolism in cancer cells and inhibited cancer cell growth by inducing senescence or apoptosis. In glucose-restricted culture conditions, cancer cells increased ME1 expression, and tracer experiments with labelled glutamine revealed that the flux of ME1-derived pyruvate to citrate was enhanced. In addition, cancer cells showed higher sensitivity to ME1 depletion in glucose-restricted conditions compared to normal culture conditions. These results suggest that in a low-glucose environment, where glycolysis and the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) is attenuated, cancer cells become dependent on ME1 for the supply of NADPH and pyruvate. Our data demonstrate that ME1 is a promising target for cancer treatment, and a strategy using ME1 inhibitors combined with inhibition of glycolysis, PPP or redox balance regulators may provide an effective therapeutic option.

Application of strain to orbital-spin-coupled system MnV2O4 at cryogenic temperatures within a transmission electron microscope.

The impact of mechanical stress on the morphology of crystallographic and magnetic domains in shape-controlled specimens of an orbital-spin-coupled system, MnV2O4, was examined by cryogenic Lorentz microscopy. Because of the difference in thermal expansion coefficients of MnV2O4 and the supporting Mo mesh, compression on the order of 0.01% was applied to the thin-foil specimens near the structural/magnetic phase transformation temperatures. The extent of compression was comparable to the lattice striction associated with the cubic-to-tetragonal phase transformation in MnV2O4 The applied strain thus clearly influenced the morphology of crystallographic domains (i.e. twinning configuration in the tetragonal phase) produced during cooling. The magnetic domain structure was entirely dependent on the configuration of twinning in the tetragonal phase. The observations in this study provided useful information for understanding the relationship between the crystallographic domains and the magnetic domains in MnV2O4.

A field survey of the partially edentate elderly: Investigation of factors related to the usage rate of removable partial dentures.

Although the shortened dental arch (SDA) concept has been known to all over the world, acceptance of the SDA concept as an oral health standard can be questionable from the patients' point of view, even if it is biologically reasonable. Furthermore, because the health insurance system covers removable partial dentures (RPDs) for all citizens in Japan, SDA patients seem to prefer to receive prosthetic treatment to replace the missing teeth. However, there were few field surveys to investigate the usage rate of RPDs in Japan. The purpose of this study was to determine the usage rate of RPDs in older Japanese subjects and to investigate the factors related to the usage of RPDs. Partially edentate participants (n = 390) were included in this study. Oral examinations were conducted to record several indices. The Cochran-Armitage trend test was used to evaluate the relationship between the number of missing teeth and the usage rate of RPDs. Chi-squared tests and logistic regression analysis were conducted to evaluate the factors related to the usage rate of RPDs. Usage of RPDs had a significantly positive association with the number of missing distal extension teeth and bilaterally missing teeth. The usage rate of RPDs increased as the number of missing distal extension teeth increased (P for trend < 0·001). The conclusion of this study was that participants with missing distal extension teeth had higher usage rates of RPDs than other participants, and the usage rate increased as the number of missing distal extension teeth increased.

Hybrid plasmonic-photonic modes in diffractive arrays of nanoparticles coupled to light-emitting optical waveguides.

We study the hybridized plasmonic-photonic modes supported by two-dimensional arrays of metallic nanoparticles coupled to light-emitting optical waveguides. Localized surface plasmon polaritons in the metallic nanoparticles can couple to guided modes in the underlying waveguide, forming quasi-guided hybrid modes, or to diffracted orders in the plane of the array, forming surface lattice resonances. We consider three kinds of samples: one sustains quasi-guided modes only, another sustains surface lattice resonances only, and a third sample sustains both modes. This third sample constitutes the first demonstration of simultaneous coupling of localized surface plasmons to guided modes and diffracted orders. The dispersive properties of the modes in the samples are investigated through light extinction and emission spectroscopy. We elucidate the conditions that lead to the coexistence of surface lattice resonances and quasi-guided hybrid modes, and assess their potential for enhancing the luminescence of emitters embedded in the coupled waveguide. We find the largest increase in emission intensity for the surface lattice resonances, reaching up to a factor of 20.

Influence of hypertension on pH of saliva in older adults.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension and/or antihypertensive medication reportedly induce dry mouth; however, an immediate relationship between salivary flow and hypertension has not been elucidated. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the present study was to examine the association of hypertension and antihypertensive medication with salivary flow rate and pH in older adults. SUBJECTS: Subjects were independently living volunteers aged 60-78 years taking no medication (n = 138) or only antihypertensive medication (n = 27). Unstimulated saliva and stimulated saliva by the mastication method were collected, and salivary pH was measured. Hypertension was defined as systolic blood pressure of ≥ 140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure of ≥ 90 mmHg. RESULTS: There was no significant correlation between either hypertension or intake of antihypertensive medication and unstimulated or stimulated salivary flow rate. However, multiple regression analysis showed that hypertension was significantly associated with pH of unstimulated saliva after controlling for other variables (ß = -0.270, P = 0.003). CONCLUSION: Hypertension regardless of antihypertensive medication was related to a lower pH of unstimulated saliva. Blood pressure might be a required consideration for maintenance of oral health in older individuals.

Light-emitting waveguide-plasmon polaritons.

We demonstrate the generation of light in an optical waveguide strongly coupled to a periodic array of metallic nanoantennas. This coupling gives rise to hybrid waveguide-plasmon polaritons (WPPs), which undergo a transmutation from plasmon to waveguide mode and vice versa as the eigenfrequency detuning of the bare states transits through zero. Near zero detuning, the structure is nearly transparent in the far-field but sustains strong local field enhancements inside the waveguide. Consequently, light-emitting WPPs are strongly enhanced at energies and in-plane momenta for which WPPs minimize light extinction. We elucidate the unusual properties of these polaritons through a classical model of coupled harmonic oscillators.

Reproducibility of 24-hour dietary recall for vitamin intakes by middle-aged Japanese men and women.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the reproducibility of 24-hour dietary recall for estimating dietary vitamin intakes by middle-aged Japanese men and women. METHODS AND RESULTS: The subjects were 132 men and 130 women aged 40-69 years, selected from participants in cardiovascular risk surveys conducted in 4 communities. The reproducibility of the 24-hour dietary recall was tested by comparing nutrient and food intake for two recalls conducted on the same season 1 year apart, designated as recalls 1 and 2. Differences in mean values between two recalls were tested using analysis of variance, and Spearman rank correlation coefficients for the two recalls were calculated for nutrient and food intakes. Mean values of energy and vitamins for both sexes were generally similar for the two recalls. The reproducibility of recall by men was high for vitamin B2, folate, pantothenic acid, and vitamin C and by women for vitamin B2, moderate by men for vitamins A, E, K, B1, B6 and niacin, and by women for vitamins A, E, K, B1, B6 and niacin, folate, pantothenic acid and vitamin C, and low by both men and women for vitamins D and B12. The reproducibility during 1985-1999 was generally lower than that of 1973-1984, but that for folate, pantothenic acid and vitamin C remained to be moderate in 1984-1999. CONCLUSIONS: Although the reproducibility of 24-hour dietary recall varies among vitamins, moderate and sustained reproducibility was observed for folate, vitamin C and pantothenic acid.

Pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis: CT and pathologic findings in 10 patients.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: To evaluate CT findings of pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis and correlate the CT with the pathologic findings. METHODS: The study included 10 patients with pathologically proven microlithiasis. Two independent observers evaluated the presence, extent and distribution of the CT findings. CT findings were compared with those at autopsy in two patients and with transbronchial biopsy in eight patients. RESULTS: All patients had a myriad of calcified nodules measuring approximately 1 mm in diameter. Close apposition of the nodules resulted in areas of ground-glass attenuation and consolidation, which were the predominant abnormality on CT in all 10 patients, involving 41% +/- 16.3 (mean +/- SD) and 30% +/- 4.8 of the lung parenchyma, respectively. Calcifications were also seen along interlobular septa, bronchovascular bundles and pleura. Other findings included interlobular septal thickening, thickening of bronchovascular bundles, nodules, and subpleural cysts. There was a solid agreement between the observers for the presence (kappa value; 0.77) and extent (Spearman rank correlation; r = 0.81 to 1.0 p < 0.01) of abnormalities. Autopsy specimens demonstrated microliths in alveolar airspaces and along interlobular septa, bronchovascular bundles and pleura. Subpleural small cysts were shown to represent dilated alveolar ducts. CONCLUSION: Pulmonary microlithiasis is characterised by the presence of numerous small, calcified nodules, calcifications along interlobular septa, bronchovascular bundles and pleura, ground-glass opacities, consolidation, and subpleural cysts. The cysts represent dilated alveolar ducts.

Cerebral cortex activity during supramaximal exhaustive exercise.

AIM: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of fatigue resulting from supramaximal dynamic exercise on cerebral cortex activity. METHODS: Five healthy male subjects (age 24.6+/-0.4 years, body weight 62.9+/-1.1 kg, height 175.3+/-1.2 cm, and maximal O2 uptake per body mass 48.4+/-1.3 ml/kg/min) participated in this study. All subjects performed at 120% of maximal oxygen uptake (VO2peak) on a cycle ergometer until reaching a state of volitional fatigue. Cerebral oxygenation was measured by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) throughout the supramaximal constant exhaustive exercise. RESULTS: The mean exercise duration of the subjects was 147.2+/-3.4 s. The peak value of blood lactate concentration within 3-10 min after the exercise test was 14.4+/-0.1 mmol/l. Cerebral oxygenation (8.8+/-1.8 micromol/l) was increased significantly during the first minutes of exercise compared with the pre-exercise value (p<0.05) and cerebral oxygenation decreased with the passage of time during exercise. Cerebral oxygenation at the end of exercise decreased significantly compared with the resting value (-29.9+/-3.4 micromol/l, p<0.05). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that the exhaustive exercise induces the decrease of cerebral function and that the fatigue resulting from dynamic exercise decreases the cerebral cortex activity.

Dual adrenergic control of in vivo choline levels in the mouse major salivary glands.

1. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate that the adrenergic nervous system regulates the in vivo choline levels in the mouse major salivary glands. 2. Methoxamine (alpha1-adrenoceptor agonist, 2.5-20 mg kg-1, s.c.) elevated choline levels dose-dependently and the effect of methoxamine (10 mg kg-1) was completely inhibited by the alpha-adrenoceptor antagonist phentolamine (5 mg kg-1, i.p.) but not by the beta-adrenoceptor antagonist propranolol (3 mg kg-1, i.p.). 3. In contrast, isoprenaline (beta-adrenoceptor agonist 0.25-20 mg kg-1, s.c.) lowered choline levels and the effect of isoprenaline (2 mg kg-1) was inhibited by propranolol, but not by phentolamine. 4 Noradrenaline (1-4 mg kg-1, s.c.) manifested both the alpha- and beta-adrenergic actions depending on its dose. Noradrenaline at 1-2 mg kg-1, lowered choline levels and the effect of noradrenaline (1 mg kg-1) was inhibited by propranolol, but not by phentolamine. On the other hand, noradrenaline (4 mg kg-1) elevated choline levels and the effect was blocked by phentolamine, but not by propranolol. 5. Tyramine (5-80 mg kg-1, s.c.) elicited the release of noradrenaline from sympathetic nerve terminals and induced essentially the same effects on the choline levels as noradrenaline. Tyramine (10 mg kg-1) lowered choline levels and the effect was inhibited by propranolol, but not by phentolamine. However, tyramine (80 mg kg-1) elevated choline levels and the effect was inhibited by phentolamine, but not by propranolol. 6. These results suggest that choline levels in the salivary glands may be under separate alpha- and beta-adrenergic control and suggest a possibility that the neurotransmitter noradrenaline released for sympathetic nerve terminals can manage the dual control of choline levels in some autonomic organs in a characteristic dose-dependent manner.

Ru(3)(CO)(12)-catalyzed coupling reaction of sp(3) C-H bonds adjacent to a nitrogen atom in alkylamines with alkenes.

Catalytic reactions which involve the cleavage of an sp(3) C-H bond adjacent to a nitrogen atom in N-2-pyridynyl alkylamines are described. The use of Ru(3)(CO)(12) as the catalyst results in the addition of the sp(3) C-H bond across the alkene bond to give the coupling products. A variety of alkenes, including terminal, internal, and cyclic alkenes, can be used for the coupling reaction. The presence of directing groups, such as pyridine, pyrimidine, and an oxazoline ring, on the nitrogen of the amine is critical for a successful reaction. This result indicates the importance of the coordination of the nitrogen atom to the ruthenium catalyst. In addition, the nature of the substituents on the pyridine ring has a significant effect on the efficiency of the reaction. Thus, the substitution of an electron-withdrawing group on the pyridine ring as well as a substitution adjacent to the sp(2) nitrogen in the pyridine ring dramatically retards the reaction. Cyclic amines are more reactive than acyclic ones. The choice of solvent is also very important. Of the solvents examined, 2-propanol is the solvent of choice.

Long-term histological prognosis and serum fibrosis markers in chronic hepatitis C patients treated with interferon.

BACKGROUND: Interferon (IFN) therapy is effective in 20-40% of patients with chronic hepatitis C, but the relationship between histological changes and the response to interferon is still unclear. We investigated the long-term histological prognosis and the changes of serum fibrosis markers after interferon therapy relation to the response. METHODS AND RESULTS: One hundred and eighteen patients with chronic hepatitis C who received interferon therapy were divided into four groups based on the detection of viremia and the serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level after treatment. A histological examination was performed by using the histological activity index and the criteria of the METAVIR score. Serum fibrosis markers were used to measure the levels of hyaluronic acid and type IV collagen 7s. Responders, whose serum ALT levels became normal after treatment, demonstrated histological improvement. Histological improvement was more rapid in sustained virological responders with hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA seronegativity than in biochemical responders with HCV-RNA seropositivity. Only sustained virological responders exhibited histological cure. In partial responders, whose serum ALT levels decreased to less than twice the upper of normal, and non-responders whose serum ALT levels were not reduced, liver fibrosis was unchanged or showed progression. Serum fibrosis markers increased with progression of the histological stage and varied depending on the response to interferon. CONCLUSION: Normalization of serum ALT levels after interferon therapy led to a histological improvement, and that with viral clearance achieved histological cure. Serum fibrosis markers were useful indicators for long-term according to the response of IFN therapy.

Ynolate chemistry. Reaction of a silylynolate with aziridines leading to gamma-lactams.

A silylynolate, generated via the carbonylation of lithium silyldiazomethane, was reacted with N-tosyl aziridines to produce various five-membered lactams in good yields. The key step of this reaction involves the ring-opening ketenylation of aziridines by the silylynolate. The reaction proceeded in a highly stereoselective manner, and ketenylation took place at the less hindered carbon. When treated with aldehydes prior to protonation, the alpha-silylated lactam enolates gave alpha-vinylidene gamma-lactams. These reactions represent a unique path to the generation of and for controlling the reactivity of a rare class of reactive intermediates, namely, acyllithium derivatives and ynolates.

Influence of TT virus infection on the thrombocytopenia of patients with chronic liver disease.

TT virus (TTV) can replicate not only in the liver but also in hematopoietic cells. To investigate the possible influence of TTV infection on the hematological parameters of patients with chronic liver disease, serum samples from 581 patients with chronic, viral or non-viral liver disease were tested for TTV DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). PCR was performed by two distinct methods using N22 primer pairs (N22 PCR), which detect primarily the four major TTV genotypes (1-4), and using genotype 1-specific primers (Genotype 1-PCR). Thirteen hematological parameters measured in routine laboratory tests were compared among the patients who were positive or negative for TTV infection. The platelet count was significantly lower in the N22 PCR-positive group than in the N22 PCR-negative group among the 189 patients with chronic hepatitis C (CH-C) and among the 40 patients with chronic hepatitis without serological markers of ongoing hepatitis B virus or hepatitis C virus infection (CH-NBNC) (P<0.0001, P<0.005, respectively). Similarly, among the patients with CH-C or CH-NBNC, the platelet count was significantly lower in the TTV genotype 1-positive group than in the TTV genotype 1-negative group (P<0.001, P<0.05, respectively). The reduced platelet count of the TTV DNA-positive group was observed in every fibrotic stage of chronic hepatitis (F0-F3). These results suggest that infection of TTV of certain genotypes including genotype 1 may worsen the thrombocytopenia of patients with CH-C or CH-NBNC, irrespective of the degree of hepatic fibrosis.