358 research outputs found
Recent progress in silica aerogel Cherenkov radiator
In this paper, we present recent progress in the development of hydrophobic
silica aerogel as a Cherenkov radiator. In addition to the conventional method,
the recently developed pin-drying method for producing high-refractive-index
aerogels with high transparency was studied in detail. Optical qualities and
large tile handling for crack-free aerogels were investigated. Sufficient
photons were detected from high-performance aerogels in a beam test.Comment: Proceedings of 2nd International Conference on Technology and
Instrumentation in Particle Physics (TIPP 2011), to be published in Physics
Procedia, 8 pages, 7 figure
Sarcoidosis-associated hepatocellular carcinoma
Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous inflammation of unknown etiology, and seems to involve the liver parenchyma in most cases. However, sarcoidosis-associated hepatocellular carcinoma is rare. We report here a case in which a hepatocellular carcinoma occurred within the liver, which was probably involved as a result of systemic sarcoidosis. A 57-year-old Japanese man had been followed up for 2 years because of diabetic nephropathy and sarcoidosis. On admission for pneumonia, imaging studies revealed an unexpected hepatic tumor. Histology revealed a hepatocellular carcinoma accompanied by T-lymphocytic infiltration and marked granulomatous inflammation, which was surrounding some tumor nodules. The background liver parenchyma exhibited a moderate degree of fibrosis with granulomatous inflammation. The patient had no other apparent liver disease such as viral hepatitis, steatohepatitis, or primary biliary cirrhosis. Therefore, in the present case, sarcoidosis may be considered the probable background etiology for hepatocarcinogenesis
Pigs as Models of Preclinical Studies and In Vivo Bioreactors for Generation of Human Organs
Pigs are valuable and essential large animal models for human medical applications, including for stem cell therapy. Moreover, substantial effort has been made to directly engraft genetically engineered pig organs in the human body and to use pigs as in vivo bioreactors for the growth and development of human cells, tissue, or organs. However, engraftment of human cells in pigs has not yet been achieved. Although severe combined immunodeficient pigs have been developed, which can accept human biological materials, these pigs do not have practical value at present owing to difficulty in their care. To overcome these current limitations, we have proposed the generation of operational immunodeficient pig models by simply removing the thymus and spleen, enabling the long-term accommodation of human tissue. In this review, we summarize research progress on xenotransplantation animal models that accept human cells, tissues, or organs
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