32 research outputs found
Four new type I restriction enzymes identified in Escherichia coli clinical isolates
Using a plasmid transformation method and the RM search computer program, four type I restriction enzymes with new recognition sites and two isoschizomers (EcoBI and Eco377I) were identified in a collection of clinical Escherichia coli isolates. These new enzymes were designated Eco394I, Eco826I, Eco851I and Eco912I. Their recognition sequences were determined to be GAC(5N)RTAAY, GCA(6N)CTGA, GTCA(6N)TGAY and CAC(5N)TGGC, respectively. A methylation sensitivity assay, using various synthetic oligonucleotides, was used to identify the adenines that prevent cleavage when methylated (underlined). These results suggest that type I enzymes are abundant in E.coli and many other bacteria, as has been inferred from bacterial genome sequencing projects
18FDG-PET at 1-Month Intervals Is a Better Predictive Marker for GISTs That Are Difficult to Be Diagnosed Histopathologically: A Case Report
Imatinib mesylate is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor of c-KIT and PDGFRA. Imatinib mesylate is an effective drug that can be used as a first-choice agent for treatment of GISTs. Prior to treatment, molecular diagnosis of c-KIT or PDGFRA is necessary; however, in some types of GISTs, it is impossible to obtain a sufficient amount of specimen for diagnosis. An inoperable or marginally resectable GIST in a 79-year-old female was difficult to be diagnosed at a molecular pathological level, and hence, exploratory treatment was initiated using imatinib combined with 18FDG-PET evaluation at 1-month intervals. PET imaging indicated a positive response, and so we continued imatinib treatment in an NAC setting for 4 months. As a result, curative resection of the entire tumor was successfully performed with organ preservation and minimally invasive surgery.
18FDG-PET evaluation at 1-month intervals is beneficial for GISTs that are difficult to be diagnosed histopathologically
99mTc-GSA scintigraphy for assessing the functional volume ratio of the future liver remnant in the routine practice of liver resection
BackgroundThe significance of incorporating regional functional heterogeneity assessment by liver scintigraphy into the calculation of the future liver remnant has been reported. However, liver scintigraphy entails additional costs and radiation exposure. Nevertheless, studies describing when liver scintigraphy demonstrates an actual benefit over computed tomography liver volumetry are lacking. Thus, we evaluated the degree of agreement between future liver remnant % values calculated by technetium 99mTc diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid-galactosyl human serum albumin scintigraphy (galactosyl human serum albumin–based future liver remnant %) and those by computed tomography volumetry and investigated the practical impact of performing regional functional heterogeneity assessment.MethodsThe Bland–Altman method was used to retrospectively analyze the agreement between computed tomography– and galactosyl human serum albumin–based future liver remnant % measurements in 84 patients.ResultsIn ordinary patients with a computed tomography–based future liver remnant % greater than 50%, there was a good agreement between both measurements. However, in cases with a computed tomography–based future liver remnant % less than 40%, galactosyl human serum albumin–based measurements were significantly smaller than computed tomography–based values, with 88% of these patients exhibiting a galactosyl human serum albumin–based future liver remnant % less than 30%. After portal vein embolization, galactosyl human serum albumin–based measurements were primarily greater than or in agreement with computed tomography–based values, even in cases with a computed tomography–based future liver remnant % less than 40%.ConclusionAdding 99mTc diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid-galactosyl human serum albumin scintigraphy to computed tomography liver volumetry is advised when deciding on hepatectomy in patients with a computed tomography–based future liver remnant % less than 50%. If the computed tomography–based future liver remnant % is smaller than 40%, it is strongly recommended to check future liver remnant % by 99mTc diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid-galactosyl human serum albumin scintigraphy. In other cases, computed tomography–based future liver remnant % calculation alone can be regarded as the gold standard of safe hepatectomy
Coincidence analysis to search for inspiraling compact binaries using TAMA300 and LISM data
Japanese laser interferometric gravitational wave detectors, TAMA300 and
LISM, performed a coincident observation during 2001. We perform a coincidence
analysis to search for inspiraling compact binaries. The length of data used
for the coincidence analysis is 275 hours when both TAMA300 and LISM detectors
are operated simultaneously. TAMA300 and LISM data are analyzed by matched
filtering, and candidates for gravitational wave events are obtained. If there
is a true gravitational wave signal, it should appear in both data of detectors
with consistent waveforms characterized by masses of stars, amplitude of the
signal, the coalescence time and so on. We introduce a set of coincidence
conditions of the parameters, and search for coincident events. This procedure
reduces the number of fake events considerably, by a factor
compared with the number of fake events in single detector analysis. We find
that the number of events after imposing the coincidence conditions is
consistent with the number of accidental coincidences produced purely by noise.
We thus find no evidence of gravitational wave signals. We obtain an upper
limit of 0.046 /hours (CL ) to the Galactic event rate within 1kpc from
the Earth. The method used in this paper can be applied straightforwardly to
the case of coincidence observations with more than two detectors with
arbitrary arm directions.Comment: 28 pages, 17 figures, Replaced with the version to be published in
Physical Review
Results of the search for inspiraling compact star binaries from TAMA300's observation in 2000-2004
We analyze the data of TAMA300 detector to search for gravitational waves
from inspiraling compact star binaries with masses of the component stars in
the range 1-3Msolar. In this analysis, 2705 hours of data, taken during the
years 2000-2004, are used for the event search. We combine the results of
different observation runs, and obtained a single upper limit on the rate of
the coalescence of compact binaries in our Galaxy of 20 per year at a 90%
confidence level. In this upper limit, the effect of various systematic errors
such like the uncertainty of the background estimation and the calibration of
the detector's sensitivity are included.Comment: 8 pages, 4 Postscript figures, uses revtex4.sty The author list was
correcte
Observation results by the TAMA300 detector on gravitational wave bursts from stellar-core collapses
We present data-analysis schemes and results of observations with the TAMA300
gravitational-wave detector, targeting burst signals from stellar-core collapse
events. In analyses for burst gravitational waves, the detection and
fake-reduction schemes are different from well-investigated ones for a
chirp-wave analysis, because precise waveform templates are not available. We
used an excess-power filter for the extraction of gravitational-wave
candidates, and developed two methods for the reduction of fake events caused
by non-stationary noises of the detector. These analysis schemes were applied
to real data from the TAMA300 interferometric gravitational wave detector. As a
result, fake events were reduced by a factor of about 1000 in the best cases.
The resultant event candidates were interpreted from an astronomical viewpoint.
We set an upper limit of 2.2x10^3 events/sec on the burst gravitational-wave
event rate in our Galaxy with a confidence level of 90%. This work sets a
milestone and prospects on the search for burst gravitational waves, by
establishing an analysis scheme for the observation data from an
interferometric gravitational wave detector