Development of pericardial fat count images using a combination of three different deep-learning models

Rationale and Objectives: Pericardial fat (PF), the thoracic visceral fat surrounding the heart, promotes the development of coronary artery disease by inducing inflammation of the coronary arteries. For evaluating PF, this study aimed to generate pericardial fat count images (PFCIs) from chest radiographs (CXRs) using a dedicated deep-learning model. Materials and Methods: The data of 269 consecutive patients who underwent coronary computed tomography (CT) were reviewed. Patients with metal implants, pleural effusion, history of thoracic surgery, or that of malignancy were excluded. Thus, the data of 191 patients were used. PFCIs were generated from the projection of three-dimensional CT images, where fat accumulation was represented by a high pixel value. Three different deep-learning models, including CycleGAN, were combined in the proposed method to generate PFCIs from CXRs. A single CycleGAN-based model was used to generate PFCIs from CXRs for comparison with the proposed method. To evaluate the image quality of the generated PFCIs, structural similarity index measure (SSIM), mean squared error (MSE), and mean absolute error (MAE) of (i) the PFCI generated using the proposed method and (ii) the PFCI generated using the single model were compared. Results: The mean SSIM, MSE, and MAE were as follows: 0.856, 0.0128, and 0.0357, respectively, for the proposed model; and 0.762, 0.0198, and 0.0504, respectively, for the single CycleGAN-based model. Conclusion: PFCIs generated from CXRs with the proposed model showed better performance than those with the single model. PFCI evaluation without CT may be possible with the proposed method

Effects of drug discontinuation after short-term daily alendronate administration on osteoblasts and osteocytes in mice

In order to determine whether osteoclastic bone resorption is restarted after withdrawn of bisphosphonates, we conducted histological examinations on murine osteoclasts, osteoblasts and osteocytes after discontinuation of a daily regimen of alendronate (ALN) with a dosage of 1 mg/kg/day for 10 days. After drug discontinuation, metaphyseal trabecular number and bone volume remained unaltered for the first 4 days. Osteoclast number did not increase, while the number of apoptotic osteoclasts was elevated. On the other hand, tissue non-specific alkaline phosphatase-immunoreactive area was markedly reduced after ALN discontinuation. In addition, osteocytes showed an atrophic profile with empty lacunar areas during and after ALN treatment. Interestingly, as early as 36 h after a single ALN injection, osteocytes show signs of atrophy despite the presence of active osteoblasts. Structured illumination microscopy system showed shortening of osteocytic cytoplasmic processes after drug cessation, suggesting a possible morphological and functional disconnection between osteocytes and osteoblasts. Taken together, it appears that osteoclastic bone resorption is not resumed after ALN discontinuation; also, osteoblasts and osteocytes hardly seem to recover once they are inactivated and atrophied by ALN. In summary, it seems that one must pay more attention to the responses of osteoblasts and osteocytes, rather focusing on the resuming of osteoclastic bone resorption after the ALN discontinuation

Flare hypercalcemia after letrozole in a patient with liver metastasis from breast cancer: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Tamoxifen may occasionally precipitate serious and potentially life-threatening hypercalcemia. However, to date, this has not been documented with aromatase inhibitors.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>A 65-year-old Japanese woman with liver metastasis from breast cancer was admitted to our hospital with vomiting, anorexia, fatigue, arthralgia, muscle pain and dehydration. She had started a course of letrozole five weeks earlier. Our patient's calcium level was 11.6 mg/dL. She was rehydrated and elcatonin was administered. Our patient's parathyroid hormone and parathyroid hormone-related protein levels were not increased and a bone scintigram revealed no evidence of skeletal metastasis. After our patient's serum calcium level returned to within the normal range, letrozole was restarted at one-half of the previous dose (1.25 mg). There were no episodes of hypercalcemia. However, 84 days after restarting letrozole, our patient again complained of arthralgia and treatment was changed to toremifene. During these periods, repeated ultrasonograms revealed no progression of liver metastasis.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report of flare hypercalcemia after treatment with letrozole in a patient with metastatic breast cancer.</p

A SIMPLE CATHETERIZATION FROM THE EAR VEIN INTO THE JUGULAR VEIN FOR SEQUENTIAL BLOOD SAMPLING FROM UNRESTRAINED PIGS

A simple catheterization from the ear vein into the jugular vein or anterior vena cava was tried for sequential blood sampling from unrestrained pigs for clinical research on stress. Insertion of the catheter was made from the middle or lateral auricular vein by using a trocar-cannula type needle in standing position with restraint of the snout. Vinyl tubes of various sizes were used as the catheter. The free end of the catheter was plugged and fastened at several site of the auricle, neck and back. Sequential blood samplings were made with an injector adapted to an extension tube. Smooth blood sampling was possible without any restraint in standing position for 3 days in pigs weighing 90 kg

HATCHLING TRANSPORT OF LOGGERHEAD TURTLES IN THE NORTH PACIFIC

Southeast Asia Sea Turtle Associative ResearchBangkok, Thailand, 16-19 December 2002Using an advection and diffusion model for particle tracking in three dimensions, the hatchling transport process of loggerhead, Caretta caretta and green turtles, Chelonia mydas in the North Pacific was investigated. Loggerhead hatchlings were transported eastward to northeastward by the Kuroshio from their nest, Yakushima Island, and were transported 2770 km on average over 60 days (46 km/d). These indicate that the Kuroshio enables loggerhead hatchings and juveniles to spread out without them using up their energy. In addition, transported by the Kuroshio provides them with a significantly lower mean ambient water temperature (20.7±4.1℃) than that around the nest (24.0±0.5℃). In contrast, green turtle hatchlings were transported northwestward from their nest, the Ogasarawa islands, and their mean location after 60 days was no more than 323 km away from their nest. The mean ambient water temperature during transport showed little difference from that around the nesting islands (24.5℃). These suggest that their thermal condition relatively stable in their early life in comparison with loggerhead turtles

EFFECTS OF BEACH USE AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITION ON EMERGENCE SUCESS OF LOGGERHEAD TURTLES (CARETTA CARETTA) IN YAKUSHIMA ISLAND, JAPAN

Southeast Asia Sea Turtle Associative ResearchBangkok, Thailand, 16-19 December 2002Emergence success of loggerhead turtles in Inakahama beach is decreasing and this phenomenon seems to be related to human beach use. To clarify this relationship, locations and numbers of loggerhead turtle's nests and beach users were recorded at each area. Some nests were excavated and development of embryos was checked. Pressure, temperature, and humidity in the nests were also measured (40cm under the surface) at each examination area. In Inakahama Beach, mean rate of emergence success was lower than the areas which are frequently used by visitors. In this area, visitors stomping on the nests cause the decrease of emergence success of the turtles. Visitors stomping on the nests cause overheating in the nests, resulting in retarding of hatchling emergence from their nests

NEAT1–SOD2 Axis Confers Sorafenib and Lenvatinib Resistance by Activating AKT in Liver Cancer Cell Lines

This study investigated the effects of a long noncoding RNA, nuclear paraspeckle assembly transcript 1 (NEAT1) variant 1 (NEAT1v1) on drug resistance in liver cancer cell lines. NEAT1 knockdown activated mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways, including MAPK kinase (MEK)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), but suppressed AKT. Moreover, NEAT1 knockdown sensitized liver cancer cells to sorafenib and lenvatinib, both clinically used for treating hepatocellular carcinoma, whereas it conferred resistance to an AKT-targeted drug, capivasertib. NEAT1v1 overexpression suppressed MEK/ERK and activated AKT, resulting in resistance to sorafenib and lenvatinib and sensitization to capivasertib. Superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) knockdown reverted the effects of NEAT1v1 overexpression on the sensitivity to the molecular-targeted drugs. Although NEAT1 or SOD2 knockdown enhanced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, concomitant with the suppression of AKT, taurodeoxycholate, an ER stress suppressor, did not restore AKT activity. Although further in vivo and clinical studies are needed, these results suggested that NEAT1v1 switches the growth modality of liver cancer cell lines from MEK/ERK-dependent to AKT-dependent mode via SOD2 and regulates sensitivity to the molecular-targeted drugs independent of ER stress