Using indocyanine green angiography to achieve complete engraftment of pectoralis major myocutaneous flaps.

Although the pectoralis major myocutaneous (PMMC) flap is among the useful reconstructive materials following oral cancer ablation, this flap has an unstable blood circulation that could result in partial necrosis of the skin paddle. This report describes the usefulness of indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) to achieve complete engraftment of the PMMC flap. Five patients with oral cancer underwent reconstruction with a PMMC flap after cancer ablation. During the skin paddle design and flap elevation, the blood supply to the flap was assessed by ICGA. Areas of the skin paddle that showed no ICG fluorescence were excised. Consequently, prior to transfer to the recipient site, the blood supply to all flaps was confirmed with indocyanine green visible at the edge of the skin paddle, and complete engraftment was achieved without partial necrosis. Based on the results observed, ICGA would make a useful contribution to complete engraftment of the PMMC flap.

The assessment of surgical and non-surgical treatment of stage II medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw.

BACKGROUND: Non-surgical treatment has generally been recommended for stage II medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) in preference to surgery. However, non-surgical treatment is not empirically effective. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether surgical or non-surgical treatment leads to better outcomes for stage II MRONJ. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this retrospective study, surgery was performed in a total of 28 patients while 24 patients underwent non-surgical treatment. The outcomes of both treatment approaches after 6 months were evaluated and statistically compared. In addition, risk factors for surgical and non-surgical treatments were assessed for each. RESULTS: Surgical treatment in 25 patients (89.3%) resulted in success, with failure in 3 patients (10.7%). Non-surgical treatment was successful for 8 patients (33.3%) and failed in 16 patients (66.7%). There was therefore a significant difference between surgical and non-surgical treatment outcomes (P<0.01). Regarding risk factors, in non-surgical treatment primary diseases, medications, and drug holiday had a significant effect on outcomes (P<0.01). Risk factors for surgical treatment could not be clarified. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical treatment is more effective than non-surgical treatment for stage II MRONJ, and drug holiday, primary disease, and medication constitute risk factors in non-surgical treatment.

Targeting the hsp70 gene delays mammary tumor initiation and inhibits tumor cell metastasis.

Elevated levels of the inducible heat-shock protein 70 (Hsp72) have been implicated in mammary tumorigenesis in histological investigations of human breast cancer. We therefore examined the role of Hsp72 in mice, using animals in which the hsp70 gene was inactivated. We used a spontaneous tumor system with mice expressing the polyomavirus middle T (PyMT) oncogene under control of the mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) long-terminal repeat (MMT mice). These mice developed spontaneous, metastatic mammary cancer. We then showed Hsp72 to be upregulated in a fraction of mammary cancer initiating cells (CIC) within the MMT tumor cell population. These cells were characterized by elevated surface levels of stem cell markers CD44 and Sca1 and by rapid metastasis. Inactivation of the hsp70 gene delayed the initiation of mammary tumors. This delay in tumor initiation imposed by loss of hsp70 was correlated with a decreased pool of CIC. Interestingly, hsp70 knockout significantly reduced invasion and metastasis by mammary tumor cells and implicated its product Hsp72 in cell migration and formation of secondary neoplasms. Impaired tumorigenesis and metastasis in hsp70-knockout MMT mice was associated with downregulation of the met gene and reduced activition of the oncogenic c-Met protein. These experiments therefore showed Hsp72 to be involved in the growth and progression of mammary carcinoma and highlighted this protein as a potential target for anticancer drug development.

A case of trichilemmal carcinoma with distant metastases in a kidney transplantation patient.

Transplant recipients receiving immunosuppressants are at a high risk of cancer, especially skin cancer. Trichilemmal carcinoma is comparatively rare compared with other skin cancers. We report here a first case of trichilemmal carcinoma arising in a kidney transplant recipient. A 63-year-old man who had undergone a living donor renal transplantation at the age of 50 years presented with a 15 × 10 mm lesion on his forehead. The pathological diagnosis after resection was trichilemmal carcinoma. Distant metastases involving the lymph nodes, lung, and liver occurred, and the patient died. Given that trichilemmal carcinoma generally has an indolent clinical course and a low metastatic potential, the present case of trichilemmal carcinoma with an aggressive course resulting in distant metastases is rare.

Soft x-ray intensity profile measurements of electron cyclotron heated plasmas using semiconductor detector arrays in GAMMA 10 tandem mirror.

Temporally and spatially resolved soft x-ray analyses of electron cyclotron heated plasmas are carried out by using semiconductor detector arrays in the GAMMA 10 tandem mirror. The detector array has 16-channel for the measurements of plasma x-ray profiles so as to make x-ray tomographic reconstructions. The characteristics of the detector array make it possible to obtain spatially resolved plasma electron temperatures down to a few tens eV and investigate various magnetohydrodynamic activities. High power electron cyclotron heating experiment for the central-cell region in GAMMA 10 has been started in order to reduce the electron drag by increasing the electron temperature.

Evaluation of lower-starch diets for lactating Holstein dairy cows.

The objective of this experiment was to measure ruminal and lactational responses of Holstein dairy cows fed diets containing 3 different starch levels: 17.7 (low; LS), 21.0 (medium; MS), or 24.6% (high; HS). Twelve multiparous cows (118 ± 5 d in milk) were assigned randomly to dietary treatment sequence in a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square design with 3-wk periods. All diets were fed as total mixed rations and contained approximately 30.2% corn silage, 18.5% grass silage, and 5.0% chopped alfalfa hay. Dietary starch content was manipulated by increasing dry ground corn inclusion (% of dry matter) from 3.4 (LS) to 10.1 (MS) and 16.9 (HS) and decreasing inclusion of beet pulp and wheat middlings from 6.7 and 13.4 (LS) to 3.4 and 10.1 (MS) or 0 and 6.8 (HS). In vitro 6-h starch digestibility of the diet increased as nonforage sources of fiber replaced corn grain (% of dry matter; 73.6, HS; 77.3, MS; 82.5, LS) resulting in rumen-fermentable starch content by 14.6, 16.2, and 18.1% for the LS, MS, and HS diets, respectively. Diets had similar neutral detergent fiber from forage and particle size distributions. Dry matter intake, solids-corrected milk yield, and efficiency of solids-corrected milk production were unaffected by diet, averaging 26.5 ± 0.8, 40.8 ± 1.6, and 1.54 ± 0.05 kg/d, respectively. Reducing dietary starch did not affect chewing time (815 ± 23 min/d), mean ruminal pH over 24h (6.06 ± 0.12), acetate-to-propionate ratio (2.4 ± 0.3), or microbial N synthesized in the rumen (585 ± 24 g/d). Total tract organic matter digestibility was higher for HS compared with MS and LS diets (69.2, 67.3, and 67.0%, respectively), but crude protein, neutral detergent fiber, and starch digestibilities were unaffected. As dietary starch content decreased, in vitro ruminal starch fermentability increased and, consequently, the range between HS and LS in rumen-fermentable starch (3.5 percentage units) was less than the range in starch content (6.9 percentage units). Under these conditions, dietary starch content had no measurable effect on ruminal fermentation or short-term lactational performance of high-producing Holstein dairy cows.

Potential role of autoantibody in severe neutropenia of a patient with Kawasaki Syndrome.

Neutropenia associated with Kawasaki Syndrome (KS) has been rarely reported, and the detailed mechanisms responsible for this state are not yet elucidated. The aim of this study was to clarify the mechanisms of neutropenia in KS. We examined antibodies to known neutrophil antigens (HNA1a, HNA1b, HNA null, HNA2, HNA3, HNA4 and non-HLA antigen 9a) in a KS patient with neutropenia. We also performed the granulocyte immunofluorescence test (GIFT) using patient or control neutrophils incubated with the patient's serum at serial time points over the patient's clinical course. No specific antibody to known neutrophil antigens was detected. Flow cytometric analysis showed that autoantibodies bound to immature CD13-positive myeloid cells, which resulted in myeloid lineage maturation arrest in the bone marrow. GIFT showed that neutrophil-specific autoantibodies were produced by the patient, and the amount of autoantibody inversely correlated with the patient's neutrophil counts. The presence of an autoantibody to a novel antigen on immature myeloid cells or neutrophils is the likely the cause of severe neutropenia in this patient with KS.

Association of increased reactive oxygen species production with abdominal obesity in type 2 diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: The close relationship between oxidative stress and abdominal obesity is well known, but the association is unclear in diabetic patients. The aim of this study was to confirm that increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production is associated with abdominal obesity in diabetic patients. METHODS: ROS production was assayed in Epstein-Barr virus-transformed immortalized lymphoblasts by means of a cypridina luciferin analogue chemiluminescence method. We divided 96 Japanese male diabetic patients into 2 groups: patients with abdominal obesity according to the accepted Japanese criteria (waist circumference is more than 85 cm) (group AO, n = 36); and patients without abdominal obesity (group N, n = 60). Subjects with body mass index (BMI) in the normal range (21 ≤ BMI < 25 kg/m(2)) were then selected and assigned to 2 subgroups (group AOnormal-BMI [n = 13]; and group Nnormal-BMI [n = 35]); ROS production was compared between these 2 subgroups. RESULTS: Stimulation with arachidonic acid (AA) and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) increased ROS production in lymphoblasts, which was more greatly elevated in lymphoblasts derived from group AO than those from group N. Even in the subjects with normal BMI, AA- and TPA-stimulated ROS production in group AO was significantly higher than that in group N. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that increased ROS production is more closely associated with abdominal obesity than high BMI or insulin resistance in diabetic patients.

Surface adsorption and aggregate formation of cationic gemini surfactant and long-chain alcohol mixtures.

We measured the surface tension of aqueous solutions of octanol-butandiyl-1,4-bis(decyldimethylammonium bromide) using the drop-volume technique at 298.15 K under atmospheric pressure as a function of the total molality and bulk composition. The results of the surface tension measurements, which were analyzed by originally developed thermodynamic equations, suggested that octanol molecules filled the spaces among the hydrophobic chains of gemini surfactants and formed a densely packed monolayer with them in the adsorbed film. The turbidity of aqueous solutions was also measured to construct the concentration-composition diagram with the surface tension data. A transmission electron microscope was used to determine the aggregate morphology in the aqueous solutions. Disc-like micelle and microemulsion regions were found on the diagram prior to the spherical micelle formation; nevertheless, the butandiyl-1,4-bis(decyldimethylammonium bromide) itself formed only spherical (or small ellipsoid) micelles in the concentration range measured. We also studied the relationship between synergism and molecular packing in the aggregates.

Improvement of a dynamic scanning force microscope for highest resolution imaging in ultrahigh vacuum.

We report on a modification of a commercial scanning force microscope (Omicron UHV AFM/STM) operated in noncontact mode (NC-AFM) at room temperature in ultrahigh vacuum yielding a decrease in the spectral noise density from 2757 to 272 fm/Hz. The major part of the noise reduction is achieved by an exchange of the originally installed light emitting diode by a laser diode placed outside the vacuum, where the light is coupled into the ultrahigh vacuum chamber via an optical fiber. The setup is further improved by the use of preamplifiers having a bandpass characteristics tailored to the cantilever resonance frequency. The enhanced signal to noise ratio is demonstrated by a comparison of atomic resolution images on CeO(2)(111) obtained before and after the modification.

An anti-c-Fms antibody inhibits orthodontic tooth movement.

Orthodontic force induces osteoclastogenesis in vivo. It has recently been reported that administration of an antibody against the macrophage-colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) receptor c-Fms blocks osteoclastogenesis and bone erosion induced by tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) administration. This study aimed to examine the effect of an anti-c-Fms antibody on mechanical loading-induced osteoclastogenesis and osteolysis in an orthodontic tooth movement model in mice. Using TNF receptor 1- and 2-deficient mice, we showed that orthodontic tooth movement was mediated by TNF-alpha. We injected anti-c-Fms antibody daily into a local site, for 12 days, during mechanical loading. The anti-c-Fms antibody significantly inhibited orthodontic tooth movement, markedly reduced the number of osteoclasts in vivo, and inhibited TNF-alpha-induced osteoclastogenesis in vitro. These findings suggest that M-CSF plays an important role in mechanical loading-induced osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption during orthodontic tooth movement mediated by TNF-alpha.

Microbial changes in patients with acute periodontal abscess after treatment detected by PadoTest.

AIMS: To investigate changes in bacterial counts in subgingival plaque from patients with acute periodontal abscess by IAI-PadoTest. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety-one patients were randomly allocated to either test or control groups. In all the patients, pockets with acute periodontal abscess were irrigated with sterilized physiological saline, and in the test group, 2% minocycline hydrochloride ointment was applied once into the pocket in addition. Subgingival plaque samples were collected by paper point before treatment and 7 days after treatment. The total bacterial count was determined and Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Treponema denticola, and Tannerella forsythia, were detected using IAI-PadoTest, a DNA/RNA probe method. RESULTS: The total bacterial count decreased in both groups, with a significant decrease in the test group. The counts and number of sites positive for P. gingivalis, T. forsythia and T. denticola significantly decreased in the test group after treatment, compared with those in the control group. Pocket depth decreased in the both groups, with a statistically significant decrease in the test group. CONCLUSION: Topical treatment with minocycline in pockets with acute periodontal abscess was effective in reducing the bacterial counts as shown by the microbiological investigation using PadoTest 4.5.

Kinetics of B2- and D0(3)-type ordering and formation of domain structures in Fe-Al alloys.

Time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau (TDGL) formulation has been developed for the ordering processes of B2 and D0(3) types in binary alloy systems. In the formulation, three order parameters are defined in order to describe the state of order. Equivalent variants of B2 and D0(3) structures are distinguished using these order parameters. The mean-field free energy is defined in the form of a Landau-type expansion using the order parameters and a composition parameter. Interface energies due to local variations in the degrees of order and concentration are given with a gradient square approximation. Kinetic equations are derived from the Ginzburg-Landau-type potential in order to describe the time-evolutions of the order parameters and the concentration. Numerical simulations of the kinetic equations have been performed for B2- and D0(3)-type ordering as well as concurrent ordering and phase separation to disordered A2+D0(3). The simulated results provide a good reproduction of the formation processes of B2 and D0(3) ordered domains in an Fe(3)Al alloy.

Attenuated radial augmentation index is associated with successful long-term antihypertensive treatment.

Pulse wave analysis was performed in apparently normal volunteers (n=164) and in essentially hypertensive patients without cardiovascular complications (n=171) using a newly developed non-invasive pulse wave measurement device (HEM-9010AI). Our results suggest that early wave reflections measured by radial augmentation index (AIr) are enhanced in volunteers with systolic blood pressure (SBP) >or= 160 mm Hg compared with the volunteers with their SBP<160 mmHg (98+/-18 vs 88+/-12, P<0.05). Furthermore, AIr is lower in hypertensive patients with long-term antihypertensive treatment than in those with short-term treatment (84+/-10 vs 89+/-13, P<0.01).

Nanoscale lithography with frequency-modulation atomic force microscopy.

A lithographic method to draw nanoscale structures by repetitive depositions of the tip material by field evaporation has been developed based on frequency-modulation atomic force microscopy (FM-AFM). Because of high stiffness of quartz tuning forks, a force sensor in the AFM, unwanted mechanical contact of the AFM tip with the substrate was prevented. Precise control of the tip-substrate gap distance with FM-AFM and a gold tip sharpened with focused ion beam enable us to deposit gold dots as small as approximately 20 nm in size and construct nanoscale patterns.