Testing mosses exposed in bags as biointerceptors of airborne radiocaesium after the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Station accident.

Eight years after the Fukushima nuclear accident, mosses exposed in bags were used to investigate their ability to accumulate radiocaesium and therefore to act as biointerceptors of 134Cs and 137Cs in the evacuated area of the Fukushima territory. Bags were filled with 3 widely studied moss species (Sphagnum palustre, Hypnum cupressiforme, and Hypnum plumaeforme) and exposed for 3, 6 or 9 weeks at 5 former residential sites within the Fukushima area and, for comparison, at three background sites located 700 km away. The radiocaesium activity concentrations found in moss bags were evaluated as function of exposure time, site conditions and moss species. In the Fukushima area, the moss bags accumulated 137Cs at all exposure sites and in all exposure periods, with S. palustre having the highest 137Cs accumulation ability. The 137Cs activity concentrations (from 28 to 4700 Bq kg-1) measured in moss bags increased with the exposure time and were consistent with the decontamination status of each exposure site, highlighting the big potential of moss bags to discriminate among exposure sites. Time dependency of 137Cs activity concentrations measured in mosses allowed the calculation of location-specific and species-specific factors, which can be used to predict radiocaesium accumulation trends in future biomonitoring surveys performed in the same area with the same experimental design. Autoradiography and electron microscopy analyses of the moss surfaces revealed a prevalence of soil-derived particulate form of radiocaesium, suggesting the use of moss bags as warning sensors of resuspended particles potentially harmful for local residents.

Burden on university hospitals of handling portable data for imaging (PDI) media.

BACKGROUND: Portable Data for Imaging (PDI) is regularly used as a guideline for sharing medical imaging data between hospitals and other medical institutions. When a patient is referred to another location, the patient almost always brings PDI media on a CD or DVD. However, problems often occur when trying to view images on PDI discs inserted into computer terminals, and it is more efficient to view images on the hospitals' own picture archiving and communication system (PACS). On the request of doctors, it has become a routine practice to import PDI data to the PACS of the referred hospital. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to analyze the increase in PDI image importing and investigate methods for reducing the burden caused by importing images. METHODS: We compiled representative data on image importing over time and analyzed the test modalities, number of images, volume of data, and referring hospital or medical clinic from which the data originated. RESULTS: The amount of PDI images imported to the PACS has risen despite no large increase in the number of patients. Currently, images imported from PDI media make up 22.8% of the total number of images stored in the PACS. The images come from a diverse array of hospitals (184 hospitals) and 82% are essential for medical care. The total annual expenditure associated with PDI data management is estimated to be 98,300 USD. CONCLUSION: The spreading use of the PDI guideline has led to a dramatic increase in data image sharing in the field of healthcare. While this has great benefits for patients and doctors, it is also associated with a greater cost and an overall burden for hospitals. These results indicate the need for a system to enable many hospitals and clinics to participate in image sharing at a cheaper cost.

Risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma in hepatitis C patients with normal alanine aminotransferase treated with pegylated interferon and ribavirin.

Pegylated interferon (Peg-IFN) plus ribavirin combination therapy is effective in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and normal alanine aminotransferase levels (NALT). However, it remains unclear whether the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) incidence is actually reduced in virological responders. In this study, HCC incidence was examined for 809 patients with NALT (ALT ≤ 40 IU/mL) treated with Peg-IFN alpha-2b and ribavirin for a mean observation period of 36.2 ± 16.5 months. The risk factors for HCC incidence were analysed by Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards model. On multivariate analysis among NALT patients, the risk of HCC incidence was significantly reduced in patients with sustained virological response (SVR) or relapse compared with those showing nonresponse (NR) (SVR vs NR, hazard ratio (HR): 0.16, P = 0.009, relapse vs NR, HR: 0.11, P = 0.037). Other risk factors were older age (≥65 years vs <60 years, HR: 6.0, P = 0.032, 60-64 vs <60 years, HR: 3.2, P = 0.212) and male gender (HR: 3.9, P = 0.031). Among 176 patients with PNALT (ALT ≤ 30 IU/mL), only one patient developed HCC and no significant risk factors associated with HCC development were found. In conclusion, antiviral therapy for NALT patients with HCV infection can lower the HCC incidence in responders, particularly for aged and male patients. The indication of antiviral therapy for PNALT (ALT ≤ 30 IU/mL) patients should be carefully determined.

A study of lesions induced in Seriola dumerili infected naturally with Streptococcus dysgalactiae.

An outbreak of disease in Seriola dumerili occurred from August to October in 2007 and 2008. The fish developed lesions of the caudal peduncle, pectoral and/or dorsal fin and the heart. The lesions were characterized by moderate to severe infarction with areas of microabscessation and multifocal granulomatous inflammation associated with the presence of Streptococcus dysgalactiae antigen. This is the first report to describe the immunohistology of the lesions induced in S. dumerili following natural infection with S. dysgalactiae.

Circadian rest-activity rhythm for maintenance of body shape.

A recently developed wearable device has gained attention in the area of self-discipline for the prevention of lifestyle-related diseases. The present study aimed to clarify the relationship between circadian rhythm and body shape change using actigraphy. Using a body shape vector, we classified 24 women in their 40s and 50s into 3 groups with different body shape changes. A circadian rhythm experiment was conducted on weekdays for 1 week with 24 healthy women. Amounts of activity of the non-dominant wrist and trunk, subjective evaluation of sleep quality, and subjective state of activity were surveyed. In order to maintain a constant body shape throughout life, a less sedentary lifestyle with more trunk movement during the day, getting adequate sleep at night, and having a varied sleep-wake cycle may be important factors.

Lesions induced in Seriola dumerili following exposure to Streptococcus dysgalactiae by oral treatment or immersion.

Seriola dumerili were infected experimentally with Streptococcus dysgalactiae by oral dosing or immersion. There was moderate mortality after immersion in water containing defined numbers of bacteria, regardless of the dose, whereas the effect on the oral challenge groups depended on the dose of bacteria administered. The characteristic lesions were microabscesses and/or pyogranulomatous inflammation of the caudal peduncle, pectoral and/or dorsal fin, heart and olfactory region. S. dysgalactiae antigen was found within necrotic foci at these sites. There was no difference in distribution of S. dysgalactiae antigen in fish that were exposed by oral or immersion challenge. There was no difference in antigen distribution when fish that died were compared with those that survived and were killed. Immersion exposure is therefore a more effective natural route of infection than oral challenge.

Factors affecting efficacy in patients with genotype 2 chronic hepatitis C treated by pegylated interferon alpha-2b and ribavirin: reducing drug doses has no impact on rapid and sustained virological responses.

Reducing the dose of drug affects treatment efficacy in pegylated interferon (Peg-IFN) and ribavirin combination therapy for patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of drug exposure, as well as the baseline factors and the virological response on the treatment efficacy for genotype 2 patients. Two-hundred and fifty patients with genotype 2 HCV who were to undergo combination therapy for 24 weeks were included in the study, and 213 completed the treatment. Significantly more patients who achieved a rapid virological response (RVR), defined as HCV RNA negativity at week 4, achieved a sustained virological response (SVR) (92%, 122/133) compared with patients who failed to achieve RVR (48%, 38/80) (P < 0.0001). Multivariate logistic-regression analysis showed that only platelet counts [odds ratio (OR), 1.68; confidence interval (CI), 1.002-1.139] and RVR (OR, 11.251; CI, 5.184-24.419) were independently associated with SVR, with no correlation being found for the mean dose of Peg-IFN and ribavirin for RVR and SVR. Furthermore, in the stratification analysis of the timing of viral clearance, neither mean dose of Peg-IFN (P = 0.795) nor ribavirin (P = 0.649) affected SVR in each group. Among the patients with RVR, the lowest dose group of Peg-IFN (0.77 +/- 0.10 microg/kg/week) and ribavirin (6.9 +/- 0.90 mg/kg/day) showed 100% and 94% of SVR. Hence, RVR served as an important treatment predictor, and drug exposure had no impact on both SVR and RVR in combination therapy for genotype 2 patients.

[Ascending aortic aneurysm and aortic valve regurgitation long after operative repair of coarctation of the aorta: report of a case].

We report a case of surgical treatment for ascending aortic aneurysm and aortic valve regurgitation (AR) 24 years after operative repair of coarctation of the aorta (CoA). The patient was a 32-year-old man who had undergone operative repair of CoA and patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) ligation when 8 years old, and was followed since then. However, since 14 years after the operation, dilation of his ascending aorta and AR was observed. Then the AR deteriorated and the ascending aorta dilated, and at 24 years after operation he had symptoms of heart failure. So we performed ascending aorta replacement and aortic root replacement (reimplantation). Despite primary success of the operative repair of CoA, however. 9% of patients develop aortic aneurysms long after the operation. Therefore, long-term follow-up is needed after repair of coarctation of the aorta.

Ribavirin dose reduction raises relapse rate dose-dependently in genotype 1 patients with hepatitis C responding to pegylated interferon alpha-2b plus ribavirin.

The impact of ribavirin exposure on virologic relapse remains controversial in combination therapy with pegylated interferon (Peg-IFN) and ribavirin for patients with chronic hepatitis C (CH-C) genotype 1. The present study was conducted to investigate this. Nine hundred and eighty-four patients with CH-C genotype 1 were enrolled. The drug exposure of each medication was calculated by averaging the dose actually taken. For the 472 patients who were HCV RNA negative at week 24 and week 48, multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the degree of fibrosis (P = 0.002), the timing of HCV RNA negativiation (P < 0.001) and the mean doses of ribavirin (P < 0.001) were significantly associated with relapse, but those of Peg-IFN were not. Stepwise reduction of the ribavirin dose was associated with a stepwise increase in relapse rate from 11% to 60%. For patients with complete early virologic response (c-EVR) defined as HCV RNA negativity at week 12, only 4% relapse was found in patients given > or = 12 mg/kg/day of ribavirin and ribavirin exposure affected the relapse even after treatment week 12, while Peg-IFN could be reduced to 0.6 microg/kg/week after week 12 without the increase of relapse rate. Ribavirin showed dose-dependent correlation with the relapse. Maintaining as high a ribavirin dose as possible (> or = 12 mg/kg/day) during the full treatment period can lead to suppression of the relapse in HCV genotype 1 patients responding to Peg-IFN alpha-2b plus ribavirin, especially in c-EVR patients.

Pegylated interferon alpha-2b (Peg-IFN alpha-2b) affects early virologic response dose-dependently in patients with chronic hepatitis C genotype 1 during treatment with Peg-IFN alpha-2b plus ribavirin.

Chronic hepatitis C (CH-C) genotype 1 patients who achieved early virologic response have a high probability of sustained virologic response (SVR) following pegylated interferon (Peg-IFN) plus ribavirin therapy. This study was conducted to evaluate how reducing drug doses affects complete early virologic response (c-EVR) defined as hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA negativity at week 12. Nine hundred eighty-four patients with CH-C genotype 1 were enrolled. Drug doses were evaluated independently on a body weight base from doses actually taken. From multivariate analysis, the mean dose of Peg-IFN alpha-2b during the first 12 weeks was the independent factor for c-EVR (P = 0.02), not ribavirin. The c-EVR rate was 55% in patients receiving > or = 1.2 microg/kg/week of Peg-IFN, and declined to 38% at 0.9-1.2 microg/kg/week, and 22% in patients given <0.9 microg/kg/week (P < 0.0001). Even with stratified analysis according to ribavirin dose, the dose-dependent effect of Peg-IFN on c-EVR was observed, and similar c-EVR rates were obtained if the dose categories of Peg-IFN were the same. Furthermore, the mean dose of Peg-IFN during the first 12 weeks affected HCV RNA negativity at week 24 (P < 0.0001) and SVR (P < 0.0001) in a dose-dependent manner. Our results suggest that Peg-IFN was dose-dependently correlated with c-EVR, independently of ribavirin dose. Thus, maintaining the Peg-IFN dose as high as possible during the first 12 weeks can yield HCV RNA negativity and higher c-EVR rates, leading to better SVR rates in patients with CH-C genotype 1.

[Aortic valve repair and patch closure for unruptured aneurysm of non-coronary sinus of valsalva with aortic regurgitation].

The patient was a 53-year-old woman who complained of chest pain. Echocardiography and angiography revealed mild aortic regurgitation (AR) with an eccentric jet and an unruptured aneurysm of the non-coronary sinus of Valsalva which protruded into the left atrium. Operative findings showed that tethering due to elongation of the circumference of the aortic wall at the level of the non-coronary sinus commissures caused AR. Then patch closure and partial sino-tubular (ST) junction plication were carried out. Postoperative echocardiography showed decrease of AR and complete repair of the aneurysm of Valsalva sinus.

[Aortoesophageal fistula due to thoracic aortic aneurysm; report of a case].

We report a 74-year-old man with aortoesophageal fistula due to aotic aneurysm. He underwent 2 stage operations. At the 1st operation the graft replacement of thoracic aorta and esophagectomy were performed. Inflammatory reactions improved with systemic administration of antibiotics and continuous irrigation of the thoracic cavity. On the 21st postoperative day, the esophagus was reconstructed by gastrointestinal interposition technique via ante-thoracic route. On the 58th post operative day he was discharged.

A study of the lesions induced in Seriola dumerili by intradermal or intraperitoneal injection of Streptococcus dysgalactiae.

Fish of the species Seriola dumerili were infected experimentally with the pathogen Streptococcus dysgalactiae. Intradermal (ID) injection of S. dysgalactiae resulted in moderate mortality regardless of the dose of bacteria injected, whereas intraperitoneal (IP) injection caused greatest mortality in the group of fish receiving the highest dose of bacteria (10(9) colony forming units/ml). On necropsy examination of affected fish, the most striking change was microabscessation and/or granulomatous inflammation of the heart, caudal peduncle, pectoral and/or dorsal fin and olfactory region. The lesions in the atrial myocardium and arterial cone consisted of severe arterial thrombosis, granulomatous valvular endocarditis and epicarditis. S. dysgalactiae was cultured from these lesions and S. dysgalactiae antigen was demonstrated by immunohistochemistry within these tissues. The mortality in these fish is therefore considered to reflect bacterial septicaemia and systemic granulomatous inflammatory disease.

Bony tunnel formation in the middle meningeal groove: an anatomic study for safer pterional craniotomy.

OBJECTIVE: When the bone flap is removed in a pterional craniotomy, the middle meningeal artery (MMA) should be gently dissected to minimize blood loss. However, when the MMA pierces a bony tunnel in the middle meningeal groove it is easily damaged upon bone flap elevation. We have performed an anatomic study of this tunnel to render pterional craniotomy safer. METHODS: We examined 78 sides from 39 adult skulls for the presence and length of the tunnel, the distance between the lateral border of the superior orbital fissure and the proximal part of the tunnel, and examined the relationship between the MMA piercing the tunnel to a surface landmark, i.e., the junction of the sphenoparietal, sphenosquamosal, and squamosal sutures. RESULTS: We found 59 tunnels on 78 sides (75.6%); 2 were at the branching of the MMA on one side. The tunnels were located on the temporal side of the lesser wing of the sphenoid bone. The length of the tunnel and the distance from the superior orbital fissure were 3-23 mm (mean: 12.2 mm) and 11-33 mm (mean: 18.9 mm), respectively. Most tunnels (86.4%) were bilateral; in 67.8% of the specimens the MMA piercing the tunnel was just beneath the surface landmark. CONCLUSION: As we found a high incidence of bony tunnel formation in the middle meningeal groove, actual findings can be different from the accepted nomenclature. If a tunnel exists, the MMA is easily damaged upon cracking of the lesser wing during bone flap elevation. Recognition of this anatomy may render pterional craniotomy safer.

[Angiographic findings of right gastroepiploic artery grafts in early and late phases].

Five hundred and eighty-nine patients underwent isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) using the right gastroepiploic artery (GEA) in our institute from 1993 to 2004. Early and late results were reviewed retrospectively. Early results: Patients were divided into 2 groups according to target vessel stenosis (group A: degree of stenosis 75% , n=98, 82 men and 16 women, mean age 61.4+/-8.0. Group B: degree of stenosis more than 90%, n=491, 409 men and 82 women, mean age 62.3+/-8.8). Mortality is 0% in group A and 1.0% in group B. Coronary angiography (CAG) revealed patent grafts without stenosis or string sign were 49% in group A and 96% in group B. Forty % of grafts in group A showed string sign. Neither free flow nor harvesting fashion affected the occurrence of string sign. Late results: Twenty-five patients in group A and 53 patients in group B underwent CAG in the late phase (mean interval from CABG to CAG was 4.7+/-2.0 years). Eight grafts were patent but 14 grafts showed string sign in group A. Among the 53 grafts in group B, 49 were patent without stenosis or string sign in the early phase. Forty-seven of them remained patent in the late phase. In conclusion, GEA can achieve good results when target vessels have severe stenosis.

[Patch closure and patch angioplasty for a coronary aneurysm after percutaneous coronary intervention].

The patient was a 67-year-old man who complained of shortness of breath. Coronary angiography showed 90% stenosis in proximal left anterior descending (LAD). He therefore underwent a directional coronary atherectomy (DCA). During the procedure, coronary artery perforation occurred at the origin of the LAD, which caused cardiac tamponade. Surgical pericardial drainage was done. Though bleeding was successfully controlled and his general condition improved, coronary angiography showed a coronary aneurysm at the site of the perforation 2 weeks later. Patch closure of the coronary aneurysm and patch angioplasty of the left main coronary artery were performed. Distal LAD was bypassed with the left internal thoracic artery in case of acute thrombosis. He recovered uneventfully and was discharged 14 days after operation.

[Stabilizing technique of intra-fat coronary artery in off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting].

Suction type stabilizers are popular for off-pump coronary artery bypass. However, arteries running deeply underneath fatty tissue are not stabilized well because the soft tissues act as cushions between the coronary artery and the stabilizer. We propose a simple method to stabilize and visualize intra fat coronary arteries. After dissection of target arteries, 5-0 polypropylene continuous over-and-over sutures are placed on the fat tissues along both sides of the coronary artery. These sutures are pulled laterally, and a suction stabilizer is placed so that the sutures lie under the legs of the stabilizer. Sutures fixed to the stabilizer legs with suction force reduce motion of the target vessel. Visualization of the coronary arteries is also improved because the banks of fat tissue become flat by pulling the sutures laterally.

Thrombotic microangiopathy in patients with phosphatidylserine dependent antiprothrombin antibodies and antiphospholipid syndrome.

Thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) is a rare disorder characterized by microvascular thrombosis. TMA has been reported in patients with antiphospholipid antibodies and/or antiphospholipid syndrome but its pathogenesis is not clarified. We present two patients with TMA associated with IgG phosphatidylserine dependent antiprothrombin antibodies (aPS/PT). CASE 1: A 44-year-old Japanese female with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and positive lupus anticoagulant (LA) was started on ticlopidine after having stroke. Four weeks later she developed TMA. IgG/M/A anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL) were negative, but strong positive IgG aPS/PT were detected. CASE 2: A 32-year-old Russian female with SLE was admitted because of hypertension, renal insufficiency and proteinuria at 14 weeks of pregnancy. She developed TMA after surgical abortion. IgG aPS/PT and LA were strongly positive but IgG/M/A aCL were negative. Neither case had von Willebrand factor cleaving protease (ADAMTS-13), suggesting that TMA in those patients was associated with thrombophilia rather than insufficient ADAMTS-13. Both patients were successfully treated with a series of plasma exchange.

5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine suppresses human renal carcinoma cell growth in a xenograft model via up-regulation of the connexin 32 gene.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The connexin (Cx) 32 gene, a member of the gap junction gene family, acts as a tumour suppressor gene in human renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and is down-regulated by the hypermethylation of CpG islands in a promoter region of the Cx gene. The current study investigated whether the restoration of Cx32 silenced by hypermethylation in RCC by a DNA demethylating agent could be an effective treatment against RCC. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: Using nude mice bearing Caki-1 cells (a human metastatic RCC cell line), the effects of 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-aza-CdR), a DNA demethylase inhibitor, on Cx32 mRNA expression and tumour growth were examined by RT-PCR, and by measuring tumour weight and volume. Cx32 expression in Caki-1 tumours was inhibited by Cx32 short interfering (si) RNA, and the effect of siRNA on 5-aza-CdR-dependent suppression of tumour growth in nude mice was evaluated. KEY RESULTS: 5-aza-CdR treatment inhibited the growth of Caki-1 cells in nude mice by 70% and increased 7-fold the level of Cx32 mRNA. The intratumour injection of Cx32 siRNA almost totally inhibited the expression of Cx32 mRNA and significantly reduced the suppression of tumour growth in 5-aza-CdR-treated nude mice. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: 5-aza-CdR suppressed the growth of Caki-1 tumours in a xenograft model, by restoring Cx32 expression. This finding suggests that treatment with 5-aza-CdR could be a new effective therapy against human metastatic RCC and that Cx32 could be a potential target for the treatment of RCC.