Usefulness of deep learning-based noise reduction for 1.5 T MRI brain images.

AIM: To evaluate 1.5 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain images with denoising procedures using deep learning-based reconstruction (dDLR) relative to the original 1.5 and 3 T images. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eleven volunteers underwent MRI at 3 and 1.5 T. Two-dimensional fast spin-echo T2-weighted imaging (T2WI), fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) imaging and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) sequences were performed. The dDLR method was applied to the 1.5 T data (dDLR-1.5 T), then the image quality of the dDLR-1.5 T data relative to the original 1.5 T and 3 T data was qualitatively and quantitatively assessed based on the structure similarity (SSIM) index; the signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) of the grey matter (GM) and white matter (WM); and the contrast-to-noise ratios (CNRs) between the GM and WM (CNRgm-wm) and between the striatum (ST) and WM (CNRst-wm). RESULTS: The perceived image quality, and SNRs and CNRs were significantly higher for the dDLR-1.5 T images versus the 1.5 T images for all sequences and almost comparable or even superior to those of the 3 T images. For DWI, the SNRs and CNRst-wm were significantly higher for the dDLR-1.5 T images versus the 3 T images. CONCLUSION: The dDLR technique improved the image quality of 1.5 T brain MRI images. With respect to qualitative and quantitative measurements, the denoised 1.5 T brain images were almost equivalent or even superior to the 3 T brain images.

Monolayer of silica nanospheres assembled onto ITO-coated glass substrates by spin-coating.

In this work, we synthesized colloidal silica nanospheres with an average size of 400 nm through the modified Stöber method and successfully fabricated an ordered close-packed silica nanosphere monolayer onto ITO-coated glass substrates using a three-step spin-coating method. ITO films showed resistivity comparable to that of commercial ITO and the silica nanosphere monolayer-coated ITO/glass substrate exhibited good optical transmittance in the visible (550 nm) and near-infrared (900 nm) regions of 62% and 82%, respectively. The results suggest that this monolayer can be used in optoelectronic devices to enhance efficiency in photovoltaic cells.

Body odour aldehyde reduction by acetic acid bacterial extract including enzymes: alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase.

OBJECTIVE: The major causes of unpleasant human body odour are aldehydes produced by axillary-resident bacteria. There are many methods of body odour prevention; however, they all carry risks of destroying indigenous dermal bacteria that are necessary for the maintenance of the normal physical function of the skin. Furthermore, some methods cannot directly reduce the concentrations of substances that cause body odour. Therefore, a novel method of reducing body odour more safely and effectively is required. We focused on acetic acid bacterial enzymes, which can convert aldehydes into carboxylic acids, and investigated their effect on aldehydes and body odour. METHODS: Subjects with strong body odour were recruited using screening questionnaires. Acetic acid bacterial extract including enzymes was applied to subjects' skin, and their effects were evaluated by trained panellists and by quantitative aldehyde analysis using thermal detector gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. RESULTS: Acetic acid bacterial extract including enzymes decreased the ratio of dilution to threshold and the concentration of body odour-producing aldehydes dropped by up to 98.7%. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that simply applying acetic acid bacterial enzymes on the skin can reduce the concentration of aldehydes that cause unpleasant body odour by directly converting them into carboxylic acids. Therefore, acetic acid bacterial enzymes can potentially be developed into new products that do not destroy indigenous bacteria and yet can effectively reduce unpleasant body odour.

A fatal case of severe methemoglobinemia presumably due to chlorate ingestion.

A fatal case due to severe methemoglobinemia is presented. A male in his forties was found unconscious in his house and, despite intensive care, death was confirmed approximately 11 hours later. Toxicological analysis using ion chromatography revealed the presence of chlorate in the stomach contents. However, chlorate was not detected in the blood, and no other drugs or ethanol were detected in the blood either. We concluded that the cause of death was presumably due to chlorate poisoning, based on the results of the autopsy and the toxicological examination.

Exposure to hardly soluble indium compounds in ITO production and recycling plants is a new risk for interstitial lung damage.

OBJECTIVES: To identify the effects of indium on the lung and to assess exposure-effect and exposure-response relations between indium exposure and effects on the lungs. METHODS: Ninety three male indium exposed and 93 male non-exposed workers from four ITO manufacturing or ITO recycling plants were analysed in a cross-sectional study. Indium in serum (In-S) was determined as a biological exposure index. Geometric means (GSD) of In-S were 8.25 ng/ml (4.55) in the exposed workers and 0.25 (2.64) in the non-exposed workers. The maximum concentration of In-S was 116.9 ng/ml. A questionnaire for respiratory symptoms and job histories, spirometry, high-resolution computerised tomography (HRCT) of the chest, serum KL-6, serum SP-A, serum SP-D and serum CRP were measured as the effect indices. RESULTS: Spirometry, subjective symptoms and the prevalence of interstitial or emphysematous changes on lung HRCT showed no differences between exposed and non-exposed workers. Geometric means (GSD) of KL-6, SP-D and SP-A in the exposed workers were 495.4 U/ml (2.26), 85.2 ng/ml (2.02) and 39.6 ng/ml (1.57), and were significantly higher than those in the non-exposed workers. The prevalence (%) of the exposed and non-exposed workers exceeding the reference values were also significantly higher in KL-6 (41.9 vs 2.2), SP-D (39.8 vs 7.5), and SP-A (43.0 vs 24.7). Very sharp exposure-effect and exposure-response relations were discovered between In-S and KL-6 and between In-S and SP-D when the exposed workers were classified into seven groups by In-S. CONCLUSIONS: The study outcomes with regard to the basis of serum immunochemistry biomarkers and HRCT indicate that exposure to hardly soluble indium compound dust may represent a risk for interstitial lung damage.

Unilateral adrenalectomy improves insulin resistance and polycystic ovaries in a middle-aged woman with virilizing adrenocortical adenoma complicated with Cushing's syndrome.

A benign virilizing adrenal adenoma is rare among adrenal neoplasms in middle-aged women. A 39-yr-old Japanese woman who presented with hirsutism, obesity, diabetes mellitus and hypertension was admitted. Plasma concentrations of testosterone and DHEAS were high. While the basal level of plasma ACTH was suppressed, serum cortisol level was high and its circadian rhythm was absent. Serum cortisol level was not suppressed with the low- and high-dose overnight dexamethasone suppression test. Abdominal computed tomography showed a left adrenal tumor, and an adrenocortical scintigraphy revealed uptake of the tracer on the left side. Polycystic ovaries were also found and bone mineral density revealed osteoporosis. Histopathological features of resected adrenal tumor were consistent with those of adrenocortical adenoma. Immunoreactivity of all the steroidogenic enzymes was apparent in the tumor cells and particularly dehydroepiandrosterone sulfotransferase (DHEA-ST) immunoreactivity was markedly expressed. Cortical atrophy and reduced expression of DHEA-ST were detected in the cortex of the adjacent non-neoplastic adrenal gland. Plasma testosterone, DHEAS and cortisol levels returned to normal after surgery, concomitantly with the disappearance of polycystic ovaries. This is a very rare case of virilizing adrenocortical adenoma complicated with Cushing's syndrome (CS).

Link of a new type of apoptosis-inducing gene ASY/Nogo-B to human cancer.

Although apoptosis plays an essential role in the embryogenesis and homeostasis of multicellular organisms, this mechanism has not yet been fully clarified. We isolated a novel human apoptosis-inducing gene, ASY, which encodes an endoplasmic reticulum-targeting protein without any known apoptosis-related motifs. This gene is identical to the Nogo-B, a splice variant of the Nogo-A which has recently been shown to be an inhibitor of neuronal regeneration in the central nervous system. Ectopic expression of the ASY gene led to extensive apoptosis, particularly in cancer cells. Furthermore, transcription of the ASY gene was suppressed in small cell lung cancer. These results suggest that a new type of apoptosis-inducing gene, namely, ASY, may be involved in the development of certain types of cancer.

Further studies on the blue and near ultraviolet reversible photoreaction with an intracellular particulate fraction of the fungus, Alternaria tomato.

Further studies have been made on the blue and near ultraviolet-reversible photoreaction in a cell-free system of the fungus Alternaria tomato, prepared by two-layer sucrose density gradient centrifugation. A light-minus-dark difference spectrum of the supernatant fraction showed a dip in the near ultraviolet region, mainly at 280 nm, when irradiated with near ultraviolet light which could not be reversed by following the initial irradiation with blue light. The difference spectrum of the dialyzed particulate fraction, located in the 68% sucrose band, showed a peak absorbance in the blue region, mainly at 400 nm, when irradiated with near ultraviolet light, and also could not be reversed by blue light. When the particulate fraction plus the supernatant fraction was irradiated with near ultraviolet light, the increment rate of peak absorbance in the blue region increased compared to that of the particulate fraction lacking the supernatant, and both peak absorbance in the blue region and the dip in the near ultraviolet region were reversed by irradiation with blue light following the application of near ultraviolet light. Thus, it was concluded that two photoresponsive systems are involved in blue and near ultraviolet reversible photoreaction on an intracellular particulate fraction.

Human haptoglobin binds to human myoglobin.

Human myoglobin, obtained from human heart, was purified to homogeneity by salt precipitation, crystallization and ion-exchange chromatography. Trace contamination by haemoglobin, if any, was removed by repeated adsorption on an immunoadsorbent of anti-haemoglobin antibodies. The interaction between human haptoglobin and human myoglobin was investigated by a solid-phase radioimmunoassay. Myoglobin adsorbents bound 125I-labelled haptoglobin in a specific manner. Linear Scatchard plots of the data indicate that human myoglobin has only one binding site for haptoglobin in terms of the binding affinity (Ka = 8.5 X 10(6) M-1). These results suggest that haptoglobin not only binds haemoglobin but also binds human myoglobin, although with an affinity that is much lower than that of haemoglobin. The physiological significance of this interaction is discussed.

Cationic porphyrins bearing diazolium rings: synthesis and their interaction with calf thymus DNA.

Two novel cationic porphyrins bearing five-membered rings at the meso-positions, meso-tetrakis(1,3-dimethylimidazolium-2-yl)porphyrin (H2TDMImP) and meso-tetrakis(1,2-dimethylpyrazolium-4-yl)porphyrin (H2TDMPzP), have been synthesized. These two compounds interact with calf thymus DNA (CTDNA) in different binding modes from that of mesotetrakis(N-methylpyridinium-4-yl)porphyrin (H2TMPyP). H2TDMImP outside binds to the minor groove of CTDNA while H2TDMPzP intercalates into CTDNA. These two novel cationic porphyrins strongly bind to CTDNA even at high ionic strength and the binding constant of H2TDMPzP to CTDNA is comparable to that of H2TMPyP. The binding of H2TDMImP to CTDNA is enthalpically driven. The favorable free energy changes in binding of H2TDMPzP to CTDNA come from the large negative enthalpy changes accompanied by small positive entropy changes.

Effects of dietary treatment on serum insulin and proinsulin response in newly diagnosed NIDDM.

Serum proinsulin is disproportionately elevated both in the basal state and after an oral glucose load in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). However, there is no detailed information about the effect of glycemic control on this abnormality. We investigated the effect of glycemic control by dietary treatment on serum proinsulin level in the basal state and in response to an oral glucose load. Ten NIDDM patients (7 men and 3 women), aged 19-60 yr, with mean (+/- SD) body mass index of 28 +/- 6 kg/m2 (range 21-42 kg/m2) and normal renal and liver function were studied. Before and after dietary therapy (25-30 kcal/kg ideal body wt), 100-g oral glucose tolerance tests were performed. Proinsulin was measured with our proinsulin-specific antiserum, which recognizes the connecting site of the B-chain of insulin and C-peptide. After dietary treatment, fasting plasma glucose decreased from 197 +/- 35 to 113 +/- 18 mg/dl (P less than .001). Both serum insulin and proinsulin decreased (insulin from 15 +/- 8 to 10 +/- 4 microU/ml, P less than .02; proinsulin from 31 +/- 18 to 13 +/- 5 pM, P less than .02), and the molar ratio of proinsulin to insulin also tended to decrease (from 0.321 +/- 0.08 to 0.24 +/- 0.10, P less than .10). Insulin response to oral glucose increased after dietary treatment, whereas proinsulin response did not change, resulting in a significant decrease in the molar ratio of the area under the curve of proinsulin to insulin after glucose load (from 0.28 +/- 0.12 to 0.13 +/- 0.07, P less than .001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Reduced urinary insulin clearance in patient with abnormal insulinemia.

We recently reported a new case of abnormal insulinemia with LeuA3 insulin. Herein, we measured urinary insulin clearance during oral glucose tolerance tests in proband with abnormal insulinemia (44-yr-old female), three affected family members, two unaffected family members, two other hyperinsulinemic patients with obesity, five non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients, and five normal control subjects. Urinary insulin-to-creatinine clearance ratio in the proband and her affected family members was 0.22 X 10(-3) +/- 0.07 (mean +/- SD, n = 4) and was markedly reduced compared with those of other groups: 1.73 X 10(-3) in two unaffected family members, 2.77 X 10(-3) in two other hyperinsulinemic patients with obesity, 2.99 X 10(-3) +/- 1.48 in five non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients, and 2.54 X 10(-3) +/- 0.67 in five normal control subjects. In contrast, urinary C-peptide clearance in these groups was not significantly different from controls. Binding of immunopurified insulins extracted from urine of the patients with abnormal insulinemia to guinea pig kidney membrane was slightly decreased (71% of standard insulin), in contrast with the observation that serum insulin of the proband had much less receptor-binding activity. Reverse-phase HPLC analysis of the immunopurified insulin of the proband revealed that the ratios of normal insulin to abnormal insulin were 8:3 in urine and 1:7 in serum, respectively. These results suggest that excretion of abnormal insulin in urine is much less than that of normal insulin.

Structure of the chromosomal gene for human serum prealbumin.

The human prealbumin gene has been cloned and its complete nucleotide sequence determined. The gene has a size of about 6.9 kb and is composed of four exons and three introns. Two Alu family sequences having opposing polarity were found in introns. In the 5'-flanking region, we found two overlapping sequences which have extensive homology to the glucocorticoid-responsive element. Three sequences identical with the enhancer core sequence were identified in introns and the 3'-flanking region. Unusual tandem repeats of a sequence, TTTTG, were also found in the 5'-flanking region and introns.

Isolation of a novel gene down-regulated by v-src.

We have isolated a novel gene which was expressed in normal rat cells, but completely suppressed in cells transformed by v-src. The molecularly cloned cDNA was about 1.8 kb in size, containing an open reading frame composed of 464 amino acid residues. DNA sequence analysis showed that there was no corresponding gene in the data bases. Besides the suppression of gene expression in the v-src transformed cells, its expression was also strongly suppressed in cells transformed by other oncogenes such as v-abl, v-fps, v-mos, v-sis, v-K-ras, and polyomavirus middle T, but not affected in cells transformed by human papillomavirus type 16 E6E7 and polyomavirus large T. We named the gene drs for a gene down-regulated by v-src.

Evaluation of renal function with 99mTc-MAG3 using semiautomated regions of interest.

UNLABELLED: The need to draw regions of interest (ROIs) manually may reduce the convenience and reliability of estimating renal function from renal scintigraphy. We developed a semiautomated method to define ROIs for renal scintigraphy with 99mTc-mercaptoacetyltriglycine (MAG3) and evaluated the clinical applicability of the method to the estimation of renal function by camera-based methods. METHODS: Dynamic renal scintigraphy with 99mTc-MAG3 was performed on 21 patients. An operator placed a large rectangular ROI over each kidney, a circular ROI within the liver, and a rectangular ROI between the kidneys. Using these ROIs, semiautomated renal ROIs were determined on the basis of the temporal changes in counts, in addition to the absolute counts, and a subrenal background ROI was automatically assigned for each renal ROI. Background-subtracted renograms were generated using these renal and subrenal ROIs, and renogram parameters were derived from the slope of the renogram and the area under the renogram. Clearance was calculated using the renogram parameters and equations determined previously with manual ROIs and correlated with clearance measured by a single-sample method. The relative function of the right kidney determined by the semiautomated method was compared with that determined by the manual method. Data processing was performed independently by another operator to assess interoperator reproducibility. RESULTS: ROIs defined by the semiautomated method were visually judged to be acceptable for clinical use in all patients with a wide range of renal function. Clearance was successfully predicted with the semiautomated ROIs (r = 0.968 using the slope of the renogram; r = 0.934 using the area under the renogram), and relative function calculated with the semiautomated ROIs was almost identical to that calculated with manual ROIs. There was almost complete concordance in absolute and relative function between the two operators. CONCLUSION: The semiautomated method can define ROIs for 99mTc-MAG3 renal scintigraphy with limited operator intervention. Camera-based methods using the semiautomated ROIs allow estimation of renal function with high accuracy and little interoperator variability and are suggested to be suitable for clinical use.

Electrocardiographic and echocardiographic abnormalities in patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy and in their pedigrees.

Electrocardiographic and echocardiographic evaluations in 18 patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) and 29 family members (25 males and 25 females from 7 pedigrees) aged 5 to 64 years (mean +/- 1 SD 30 +/- 16) revealed that 5 of 28 ARVC family members (17%) fulfilled ARVC Task Force criteria. Indexes on late potentials of the signal-averaged electrocardiogram had a significant linear correlation with the age of patients with ARVC and of family members with echocardiographic wall motion abnormality.

Emergence of osteoblast-like cells in a neoplastic human salivary cancer cell line after treatment with 22-oxa-1alpha, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3.

A neoplastic clonal cell line, which was prepared by 5-azacytidine treatment of a neoplastic human salivary intercalated duct cell line, was cultivated in the presence of 22-oxa-1alpha, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 and 3 mM beta-glycerophosphate. Major alterations, such as expression of type I collagen and alkaline phosphatase as well as of human osteopontin and osteonectin, were observed in these cells with a phenotype similar to osteoblasts. In addition, formation of bone nodule was observed in the cultured cells. The tumors produced by transplantation into nude mice of the clonal cells were treated with 22-oxa-1alpha, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 and examined for tumor growth and morphology. Consequently, growth of the treated tumor was significantly suppressed. Moreover, it was found that bone formation was induced in the treated tumor, in which the tumor cells around bone formation expressed human osteopontin and osteonectin mRNA as could be detected by in situ hybridization. The above findings indicate that the emergence of osteoblast-like cells in the human salivary cancer cells occurs in the presence of 22-oxa-1alpha, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 and beta-glycerophosphate.

Effect of polyphenon-60 on the development of renal cell tumors in rats treated with N-ethyl-N hydroxyethylnitrosamine.

Green tea consumed as a beverage in Asia contains polyphenols, which contain about a 15% mixture of catechins. The present paper reports the effect of polyphenon-60 (60% pure catechin) on the development of renal cell neoplasms in Wistar rats pretreated with N-ethyl-N-hydroxyethylnitrosamine (EHEN): 0.1% polyphenon-60 in block diet was given over a period of 30 weeks while EHEN was given in drinking water for 2 weeks. The results appears to show a tendency for green tea catechins (GTC) to decrease the incidence of renal cell tumors greater than 3 mm in diameter in Wistar rats but not tumors that are less than 3 mm in diameter. Polyphenon-60 did not affect EHEN initiation in the kidneys of rats. It is postulated that free radicals induced by EHEN may be suppressed by GTC, resulting in a lowering of the tendency for tumor growth.

Inhibition of pulmonary hypertensive response after antigen challenge.

By adding antigen cells into perfusate circulation, a great increase in pulmonary arterial pressure was observed in isolated perfused lung from rabbits previously immunized with human O-N type erythrocytes. To investigate whether thromboxane A2 is the main mediator in pulmonary vasoconstrictive response, we injected antigen erythrocytes into the reservoir after administration of putative inhibition as follows: indomethacin (5 mg/kg, thromboxane A2 synthetase inhibitor), KT2-962 (.1 mg/kg, thromboxane receptor blocker), and pyrilamine (.1 mumol, H1 blocker). Pulmonary vasoconstrictive response after antigen challenge was significantly blocked by both indomethacin and KT2-962, but not by H1 blocker. Although the H1 blocker, pyrilamine, did not significantly block the pulmonary vasoconstrictive response, it did significantly block the bronchoconstrictive response after antigen challenge; however, the bronchoconstrictive response was not blocked by either indomethacin or KT2-962. We conclude that thromboxane is the main mediator in the pulmonary vasoconstrictive response, and histamine is the main mediator in the bronchoconstrictive response.