Self-sustaining oscillation of two axonemal microtubules based on a stochastic bonding model between microtubules and dynein.

The motility of cilia and flagella plays important physiological roles, and there has been a great deal of research on the mechanisms underlying the motility of molecular motors. Although recent molecular structural analyses have revealed the components of the ciliary axoneme, the mechanisms involved in the regulation of dynein activity are still unknown, and how multiple dyneins coordinate their movements remains unclear. In particular, the mode of binding for axonemal dynein has not been elucidated. In this study, we constructed a thermodynamic stochastic model of microtubule-dynein coupling and reproduced the experiments of Aoyama and Kamiya on the minimal component of axonemal microtubule-dynein. We then identified the binding mode of axonemal dynein and clarified the relationship between dynein activity distribution and axonemal movement. Based on our numerical results, the slip-bond mechanism agrees quantitatively with the experimental results in terms of amplitude, frequency, and propagation velocity, implying that axial microtubule-dynein coupling may follow a slip-bond mechanism. Moreover, the frequency and propagation velocity decayed in proportion to the fourth power of microtubule length, and the critical load of the trigger for the oscillation agreed well with Euler's critical load.

Multicenter prospective trial of total gastrectomy versus proximal gastrectomy for upper third cT1 gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: The appropriate surgical procedure for patients with upper third early gastric cancer is controversial. We compared total gastrectomy (TG) with proximal gastrectomy (PG) in this patient population. METHODS: A multicenter, non-randomized trial was conducted, with patients treated with PG or TG. We compared short- and long-term outcomes between these procedures. RESULTS: Between 2009 and 2014, we enrolled 254 patients from 22 institutions; data from 252 were included in the analysis. These 252 patients were assigned to either the PG (n = 159) or TG (n = 93) group. Percentage of body weight loss (%BWL) at 1 year after surgery, i.e., the primary endpoint, in the PG group was significantly less than that of the TG group (- 12.8% versus - 16.9%; p = 0.0001). For short-term outcomes, operation time was significantly shorter for PG than TG (252 min versus 303 min; p < 0.0001), but there were no group-dependent differences in blood loss and postoperative complications. For long-term outcomes, incidence of reflux esophagitis in the PG group was significantly higher than that of the TG group (14.5% versus 5.4%; p = 0.02), while there were no differences in the incidence of anastomotic stenosis between the two (5.7% versus 5.4%; p = 0.92). Overall patient survival rates were similar between the two groups (3-year survival rates: 96% versus 92% in the PG and TG groups, respectively; p = 0.49). CONCLUSIONS: Patients who underwent PG were better able to control weight loss without worsening the prognosis, relative to those in the TG group. Optimization of a reconstruction method to reduce reflux in PG patients will be important.

Intracellular Localization of Mycoplasma bovis in the Bronchiolar Epithelium of Experimentally Infected Calves.

Lung tissues from calves infected experimentally with Mycoplasma bovis were examined by immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy. All inoculated calves had dark red areas of consolidation affecting both left and right lungs, which were characterized microscopically by subacute purulent bronchiolitis with hyperplasia of the surrounding lymphoid tissue. Immunohistochemically, M. bovis antigen was detected on the surface and inside the cytoplasm of bronchiolar epithelial cells in the pneumonic foci. The antigen was also found in the cytoplasm of phagocytes at the margin of bronchiolar exudates. Electron microscopically, numerous organisms were demonstrated in the immunohistochemically-positive sites. These findings suggest that M. bovis organisms adhere to the bronchiolar epithelium and at least some of them invade the epithelium.

Understanding the asymmetry between advancing and receding microscopic contact angles.

By means of molecular dynamics simulation, the advancing and receding microscopic contact angles were analyzed for a shear flow of two mono-atomic fluids confined between parallel non-polar solid walls. We defined the microscopic dynamic contact angle based on the coarse-grained microscopic density distribution of the fluids (the instantaneous interface method [Willard and Chandler, J. Phys. Chem. B, 2010, 114, 1954-1958]) near the moving contact line. We have found that the asymmetric change of fluid density near the wall with respect to the moving contact line results in a different dependence between the advancing and receding contact angles on the contact line velocity in a system where the two fluids across the interface have unequal wettability to the solid wall. This difference between the advancing and receding contact angles leads to different flow resistance caused by the advancing and receding contact lines, which should have impact on the industrial applications of the fine fluid transportation with contact lines.

Nodal cilia-driven flow: Development of a computational model of the nodal cilia axoneme.

Cilia-driven nodal flow is important in the determination of left-right asymmetry in the body. Several theoretical and computational models have been proposed to explain the mechanics of ciliary motion, although the full mechanism remains unknown. Here, we developed a three-dimensional nodal cilia axoneme model using a finite element-boundary element coupling method, and investigated the mechanics of nodal ciliary motion. We found that the rotational orbit was strongly dependent on the dynein activation frequency. We also investigated flow field generated by the ciliary rotation, and the flow strength decayed as r-3 at the far field from the cilium. Our numerical results also suggest that experimentally observed tilt angle θ=2π/9 is sufficiently large to make a leftward flow. These findings are helpful in better understanding ciliary motion and nodal flow.

FDG-PET predicts treatment efficacy and surgical outcome of pre-operative chemoradiation therapy for resectable and borderline resectable pancreatic cancer.

BACKGROUND: The efficacy of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NACRT) for resectable and borderline resectable pancreatic cancer is important for predicting outcomes after radical surgery, but few clinical indicators predict outcome before resection. This study examined the utility of FDG-PET in predicting the efficacy of NACRT and outcome after radical surgery. METHODS: Eighty-three pancreatic cancer patients who underwent FDG-PET before and after NACRT and had positive standard uptake values (SUVs) before NACRT were enrolled in this study. Peri-operative clinical factors, including FDG-PET findings, were examined to predict the efficacy of NACRT and outcome after surgery. RESULTS: Evans grade I, IIA, IIB, III, and IV was determined in 11, 31, 27, 11, and 3 patients, respectively. The maximum SUVs after NACRT (post SUV-max) and tumor size were significantly decreased compared to pretreatment values (p < 0.001 and p = 0.007, respectively). The post SUV-max and regression index were significantly related to grade III/IV (p = 0.04 and p < 0.001, respectively), but only the regression index predicted NACRT efficacy (p = 0.002). The AUC of the regression index for the detection of grade III/IV was 0.822, and 13 of 14 grade III/IV patients were picked up using 50% as the threshold (p < 0.001). Patients with a regression index >50% had a significantly better prognosis after radical resection than patients with <50% (p = 0.032). Regression index as well as pathological lymph node status and resectability status were independent prognostic factors in multivariate analysis (exp 2.086, p = 0.043). CONCLUSION: The regression index is potentially a good indicator of the efficacy of NACRT and outcome after radical resection for pancreatic cancer.

High flux circularly polarized gamma beam factory: coupling a Fabry-Perot optical cavity with an electron storage ring.

We report and discuss high-flux generation of circularly polarized γ-rays by means of Compton scattering. The γ-ray beam results from the collision of an external-cavity-enhanced infrared laser beam and a low emittance relativistic electron beam. By operating a non-planar bow-tie high-finesse optical Fabry-Perot cavity coupled to a storage ring, we have recorded a flux of up to (3.5 ± 0.3) × 108 photons per second with a mean measured energy of 24 MeV. The γ-ray flux has been sustained for several hours. In particular, we were able to measure a record value of up to 400 γ-rays per collision in a full bandwidth. Moreover, the impact of Compton scattering on the electron beam dynamics could be observed resulting in a reduction of the electron beam lifetime correlated to the laser power stored in the Fabry-Perot cavity. We demonstrate that the electron beam lifetime provides an independent and consistent determination of the γ-ray flux. Furthermore, a reduction of the γ-ray flux due to intrabeam scattering has clearly been identified. These results, obtained on an accelerator test facility, warrant potential scaling and revealed both expected and yet unobserved effects. They set the baseline for further scaling of the future Compton sources under development around the world.

Demonstration of the stabilization technique for nonplanar optical resonant cavities utilizing polarization.

Based on our previously developed scheme to stabilize nonplanar optical resonant cavities utilizing polarization caused by a geometric phase in electromagnetic waves traveling along a twisted path, we report an application of the technique for a cavity installed in the Accelerator Test Facility, a 1.3-GeV electron beam accelerator at KEK, in which photons are generated by laser-Compton scattering. We successfully achieved a power enhancement of 1200 with 1.4% fluctuation, which means that the optical path length of the cavity has been controlled with a precision of 14 pm under an accelerator environment. In addition, polarization switching utilizing a geometric phase of the nonplanar cavity was demonstrated.

Shape matters: Near-field fluid mechanics dominate the collective motions of ellipsoidal squirmers.

Microswimmers show a variety of collective motions. Despite extensive study, questions remain regarding the role of near-field fluid mechanics in collective motion. In this paper, we describe precisely the Stokes flow around hydrodynamically interacting ellipsoidal squirmers in a monolayer suspension. The results showed that various collective motions, such as ordering, aggregation, and whirls, are dominated by the swimming mode and the aspect ratio. The collective motions are mainly induced by near-field fluid mechanics, despite Stokes flow propagation over a long range. These results emphasize the importance of particle shape in collective motion.

Clinical significance of plasma fibrinogen level as a predictive marker for postoperative recurrence of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in patients receiving neoadjuvant treatment.

Among multidisciplinary therapies developed for advanced esophageal cancer, neoadjuvant chemotherapy and chemoradiotherapy have been established as standard treatments. To deliver cautious follow up and intense treatment for high-risk patients, a simple and instructive biomarker for the postoperative recurrence needs to be identified. Fibrinogen, a common component of hemostasis, has been suggested to not only play an important role in cancer metastasis, but also correlate with tumor recurrence. We aim to clarify the validity of plasma fibrinogen as a marker for predicting the postoperative recurrence of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients who received neoadjuvant treatment. We reviewed 72 consecutive patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy, followed by esophagectomy at the Keio University Hospital from 2001 to 2010. Of them, we retrospectively examined 68 patients who underwent plasma fibrinogen examination before and after neoadjuvant treatment and underwent transthoracic radical esophagectomy. We investigated patient characteristics, clinicopathological factors, neoadjuvant treatment effects, postoperative course, and plasma fibrinogen levels. We investigated pretreatment and preoperative (postneoadjuvant treatment) plasma fibrinogen levels, as well as changes in fibrinogen levels before and after neoadjuvant treatment. Patients with preoperative hyperfibrinogenemia (>350 mg/dL) and patients with increased plasma fibrinogen levels during neoadjuvant treatment showed significantly shorter postoperative disease-free survival (DFS) (P = 0.002 and P = 0.037, respectively). Moreover, we classified these patients into three classes on the basis of their preoperative fibrinogen levels and changes in fibrinogen levels during neoadjuvant treatment. Patients who had both high preoperative plasma fibrinogen and increased fibrinogen levels showed significantly shorter DFS than others. In contrast, patients who had normal preoperative plasma fibrinogen and decreased fibrinogen levels showed significantly longer DFS. Based on this fibrinogen classification, we could differentiate between significantly favorable and poor prognosis patients group. Overall, this classification (hazard ratio = 1.812, P = 0.013) and the response to neoadjuvant treatment (hazard ratio = 0.350, P = 0.007) were found to be significant determining factors for postoperative DFS. With the validity of preoperative plasma fibrinogen levels and changes in fibrinogen levels during neoadjuvant treatment, the plasma fibrinogen level was found to be a possible biomarker for postoperative recurrence in advanced esophageal cancer patients who received neoadjuvant treatment. Moreover, plasma fibrinogen classification could be a simple and valuable predictive marker for postoperative follow up.

ADAM12-cleaved ephrin-A1 contributes to lung metastasis.

Eph receptor tyrosine kinases and their ephrin ligands have been implicated in neuronal development and neovascularization. Overexpression of ephrin-A1 has been implicated in tumor progression and poor prognosis. However, the mechanisms are not clear. Here, we report a role of the Eph/ephrin system in a cell adhesion mechanism. Clustered erythropoietin-producing hepatocellular receptor A1 (EphA1)/ephrin-A1 complexes on the plasma membrane did not undergo endocytosis, and the cell remained adherent to one another. The cell-cell contacts were maintained in an Eph tyrosine kinase activity-independent manner even in the absence of E-cadherin. EphA1 and ephrin-A1 co-localized in pulmonary endothelial cells, and regulated vascular permeability and metastasis in the lungs. We identified ADAM12 (A disintegrin and metalloproteinase 12) as an EphA1-binding partner by yeast two-hybrid screening and found that ADAM12 enhanced ephrin-A1 cleavage in response to transforming growth factor-ß1 in primary tumors. Released soluble ephrin-A1 in the serum deteriorated the EphA1/ephrin-A1-mediated cell adhesion in the lungs in an endocrine manner, causing lung hyperpermeability that facilitated tumor cell entry into the lungs. Depletion of soluble ephrin-A1 by its neutralizing antibody significantly inhibited lung metastasis.

Clinical utility of preoperative evaluation of bronchial arteries by three-dimensional computed tomographic angiography for esophageal cancer surgery.

An identification of bronchial arteries (BAs) is critical in esophageal cancer surgery to avoid tracheobronchial ischemia and unexpected massive bleeding during surgical procedure particularly in thoracoscopic video-assisted esophagectomy. We describe the efficacy of three-dimensional computed tomographic angiography (3D-CTA) of BAs for preoperative evaluation in esophageal cancer surgery. Sixty-four patients with esophageal cancer who preoperatively underwent multidetector computed tomography examination were included in this study. We evaluated the number, origin, and intraoperative preservation rate of BAs, and we compared the number of thoracic paratracheal lymph nodes harvested between two groups comprising patients who either underwent preoperative 3D-CTA of BAs (3D-CTA group) or did not (non-3D-CTA group). The right and left BAs were preoperatively identified in 62 patients (97%) and 55 patients (86%), respectively, using 3D-CTA. In 34 patients (53%), the right BA originated as a common trunk with the right intercostal artery. In 48 patients (75%), the left BA originated from the descending aorta as a single or double branch. Some anomalies such as the right BA originated from the left subclavian artery were observed. In all patients, either the right or the left BA was preserved. The number of harvested lymph nodes in left side of paratrachea was significantly increased in 3D-CTA group, than those in non-3D-CTA group. 3D-CTA clearly revealed BA anatomy, contributing to BA preservation and safe and precise lymphadenectomy in esophageal cancer surgery. 3D-CTA of BAs is useful for preoperative evaluation in esophageal cancer surgery.

Tension of red blood cell membrane in simple shear flow.

When a red blood cell (RBC) is subjected to an external flow, it is deformed by the hydrodynamic forces acting on its membrane. The resulting elastic tensions in the membrane play a key role in mechanotransduction and govern its rupture in the case of hemolysis. In this study, we analyze the motion and deformation of an RBC in a simple shear flow and the resulting elastic tensions on the membrane. The large deformation of the red blood cell is modelled by coupling a finite element method to solve the membrane mechanics and a boundary element method to solve the flows of the internal and external liquids. Depending on the capillary number Ca, ratio of the viscous to elastic forces, we observe three kinds of RBC motion: tumbling at low Ca, swinging at larger Ca, and breathing at the transitions. In the swinging regime, the region of the high principal tensions periodically oscillates, whereas that of the high isotropic tensions is almost unchanged. Due to the strain-hardening property of the membrane, the deformation is limited but the membrane tension increases monotonically with the capillary number. We have quantitatively compared our numerical results with former experimental results. It indicates that a membrane isotropic tension O(10{-6} N/m) is high enough for molecular release from RBCs and that the typical maximum membrane principal tension for haemolysis would be O(10{-4} N/m). These findings are useful to clarify not only the membrane rupture but also the mechanotransduction of RBCs.

Superelastic effect in polycrystalline ferrous alloys.

In superelastic alloys, large deformation can revert to a memorized shape after removing the stress. However, the stress increases with increasing temperature, which limits the practical use over a wide temperature range. Polycrystalline Fe-Mn-Al-Ni shape memory alloys show a small temperature dependence of the superelastic stress because of a small transformation entropy change brought about by a magnetic contribution to the Gibbs energies. For one alloy composition, the superelastic stress varies by 0.53 megapascal/°C over a temperature range from -196 to 240°C.

Comparison between spring network models and continuum constitutive laws: application to the large deformation of a capsule in shear flow.

A capsule is a liquid drop enclosed by a solid, deformable membrane. To analyze the deformation of a capsule accurately, both the fluid mechanics of the internal and external fluids and the solid mechanics of the membrane must be solved precisely. Recently, many researchers have used discrete spring network models to express the membrane mechanics of capsules and biological cells. However, it is unclear whether such modeling is sufficiently accurate to solve for capsule deformation. This study examines the correlations between the mechanical properties of the discrete spring network model and continuum constitutive laws. We first compare uniaxial and isotropic deformations of a two-dimensional (2D) sheet, both analytically and numerically. The 2D sheet is discretized with four kinds of mesh to analyze the effect of the spring network configuration. We derive the relationships between the spring constant and continuum properties, such as the Young modulus, Poisson ratio, area dilation modulus, and shear modulus. It is found that the mechanical properties of spring networks are strongly dependent on the mesh configuration. We then calculate the deformation of a capsule under inflation and in a simple shear flow in the Stokes flow regime, using various membrane models. To achieve high accuracy in the flow calculation, a boundary-element method is used. Comparing the results between the different membrane models, we find that it is hard to express the area incompressibility observed in biological membranes using a simple spring network model.

A case of Helicobacter pylori infection complicated with gastric cancer, gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma, and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura successfully treated with laparoscopy-assisted total gastrectomy and splenectomy.

Helicobacter pylori infection plays a key role in the pathogenesis of H. pylori-associated diseases, including gastroduodenal and non-gastroduodenal diseases. A 71-year-old man was evaluated for a positive fecal occult blood test by upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, which revealed H. pylori infection, two adenocarcinomas and two gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphomas. Hematological examination revealed low platelet-count, elevated platelet-associated immunoglobulin G and anti-H. pylori immunoglobulin G antibodies. We diagnosed H. pylori infection complicated by simultaneous occurrence of gastric cancer, gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma, and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. These diseases were successfully treated with laparoscopy-assisted total gastrectomy and splenectomy, and there was no evidence of recurrence for about 2 years. This is the first reported case of H. pylori infection complicated by these three diseases and cured with laparoscopic surgery.

Ferrous polycrystalline shape-memory alloy showing huge superelasticity.

Shape-memory alloys, such as Ni-Ti and Cu-Zn-Al, show a large reversible strain of more than several percent due to superelasticity. In particular, the Ni-Ti-based alloy, which exhibits some ductility and excellent superelastic strain, is the only superelastic material available for practical applications at present. We herein describe a ferrous polycrystalline, high-strength, shape-memory alloy exhibiting a superelastic strain of more than 13%, with a tensile strength above 1 gigapascal, which is almost twice the maximum superelastic strain obtained in the Ni-Ti alloys. Furthermore, this ferrous alloy has a very large damping capacity and exhibits a large reversible change in magnetization during loading and unloading. This ferrous shape-memory alloy has great potential as a high-damping and sensor material.

Development of imaging bolometers for magnetic fusion reactors (invited).

Imaging bolometers utilize an infrared (IR) video camera to measure the change in temperature of a thin foil exposed to the plasma radiation, thereby avoiding the risks of conventional resistive bolometers related to electric cabling and vacuum feedthroughs in a reactor environment. A prototype of the IR imaging video bolometer (IRVB) has been installed and operated on the JT-60U tokamak demonstrating its applicability to a reactor environment and its ability to provide two-dimensional measurements of the radiation emissivity in a poloidal cross section. In this paper we review this development and present the first results of an upgraded version of this IRVB on JT-60U. This upgrade utilizes a state-of-the-art IR camera (FLIR/Indigo Phoenix-InSb) (3-5 microm, 256 x 360 pixels, 345 Hz, 11 mK) mounted in a neutron/gamma/magnetic shield behind a 3.6 m IR periscope consisting of CaF(2) optics and an aluminum mirror. The IRVB foil is 7 cm x 9 cm x 5 microm tantalum. A noise equivalent power density of 300 microW/cm(2) is achieved with 40 x 24 channels and a time response of 10 ms or 23 microW/cm(2) for 16 x 12 channels and a time response of 33 ms, which is 30 times better than the previous version of the IRVB on JT-60U.

Proteus syndrome complicated by multiple spinal meningiomas.

Proteus syndrome is a complex and highly variable disorder comprising malformations and overgrowth of multiple tissues. We present a 65-year-old Japanese man who had multiple spinal meningiomas and accompanying neural symptoms. His right leg showed hypertrophy with cerebriform connective-tissue naevus on the sole, and macrodactyly. Chest computed tomography imaging revealed mild cystic and emphysematous lung changes, which were possibly related to Proteus syndrome. Otherwise, he had no particular cutaneous, musculoskeletal or visceral involvements. Because of the rather insignificant clinical features, he had not been accurately diagnosed in the past and yet had survived to this age. In particular, the presence of spinal meningiomas as an exceptional complication was sufficiently confusing to consider that he had neurofibromatosis. Doctors should be familiar with the diverse clinical pictures of this rare syndrome for its correct diagnosis and proper management.