A Case of Fisher Syndrome Complicated by Maxillary Sinus Cysts

Fisher syndrome (FS) is an autoimmune peripheral neuropathy that occurs in 1 person per 2 million population. The present report is of a patient with FS who presented with diplopia and discomfort of the right cheek and in whom differentiation from maxillary sinus cysts was necessary. The patient was a 43-year-old man with a history of radical surgery of the right maxillary sinus, so we suspected that his symptoms were due to postoperative maxillary sinus cysts. Although computed tomography demonstrated right maxillary sinus cysts, these cysts were not likely to be the cause of the patient\u27s diplopia. Close neurological examination revealed external ophthalmoplegia, cerebellar ataxia, and the absence of a deep tendon reflex; on this basis, a diagnosis of FS was made. Diplopia is caused by various disorders and FS should be taken into consideration when making a differential diagnosis

Association between head-and-neck cancers and active and passive cigarette smoking

Although there have been many reports on the toxicity of tobacco smoke, fewer studies have reported the relationship between the smoke and carcinogenesis of head-and-neck cancers. It is assumed that direct stimulations due to to-bacco smoke, such as chemical and mechanical stimulations, strongly influence the epithelium of the nasal cavity, paranasal sinuses, pharynx, and larynx. We investigated the influence of ac-tive and passive cigarette smoking on head-and-neck cancers. The subjects were 283 head-and-neck cancer patients examined at the otolaryn-gology department of Showa University North-ern Yokohama Hospital in a 9-year and 2-mont

Application of GETFLOWS Coupled with Chemical Reactions to Arsenic Removal through Ferrihydrite Coprecipitation in an Artificial Wetland of a Japanese Closed Mine

Passive systems that utilize a natural power such as a pond, plant, or microorganisms, is expected to be a cost-effective method for acid mine drainage (AMD) treatment. The Ningyo-toge mine, a non-operational uranium mine located in Okayama Prefecture, Japan, generates AMD containing arsenic and iron. To quantitatively study arsenic and iron ion removal in an artificial wetland and pond, chemical reactions were modeled and incorporated into the GETFLOWS (general-purpose terrestrial fluid-flow simulator) software. The chemical reaction models consisted of arsenite and ferrous oxidation equations and arsenic adsorption on ferrihydrite. The X-ray diffraction analysis of sediment samples showed ferrihydrite patterns. These results were consistent with the model for arsenite/ferrous oxidation and arsenic adsorption on ferrihydrite. Geofluid simulation was conducted to simulate mass transfer with the utilized topographic model, inlet flow rate, precipitation, and evaporation. The measured arsenic and iron ions concentrations in solution samples from the wetland and pond, fitted well with the model. This indicated that the main removal mechanism was the oxidation of arsenite/ferrous ions and that arsenic was removed by adsorption rather than dilution

Effects of preoperative cinacalcet hydrochloride treatment on the operative course of parathyroidectomy and pathological changes in resected parathyroid glands

Abstract Background Secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) is associated with higher cardiovascular risk and mortality in patients undergoing dialysis. Cinacalcet hydrochloride (CH), which has been clinically available in Japan since 2008, could effectively reduce parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels even in patients with severe SHPT. However, parathyroidectomy (PTx) is performed in patients with severe SHPT refractory to CH. This study investigated the effects of preoperative CH treatment on the operative course and pathological findings of resected parathyroid glands (PTGs) in patients undergoing PTx. Methods We retrospectively analyzed 194 PTx cases for SHPT in long-term hemodialysis patients at Showa University Northern Yokohama Hospital from April 2002 to March 2014. Results A total of 45 patients were administered CH before PTx (CH group), and 149 patients never received CH (non-CH group). No significant difference was seen in intact PTH levels, the number of resected PTGs, or operative time between the two groups. However, the total volume of all PTGs and the volume of the largest PTG were significantly lower in the CH than in the non-CH group. Patients with PTG adhesion to surrounding tissues were significantly more prevalent in the CH than in the non-CH group. In addition, cystic changes or hemorrhagic necrosis in the resected PTGs was observed more frequently in the CH group than in the non-CH group. Conclusions The results of the present study suggest that preoperative CH treatment might introduce pathological changes in resected PTGs in PTx for severe SHPT, but it does not affect the operative time

Additional file 1: Table S1. of Effects of preoperative cinacalcet hydrochloride treatment on the operative course of parathyroidectomy and pathological changes in resected parathyroid glands

Characteristics of patients with or without adhesion lesions in resected PTGs. (PPTX 54 kb

Ground-based instruments of the PWING project to investigate dynamics of the inner magnetosphere at subauroral latitudes as a part of the ERG-ground coordinated observation network

Abstract The plasmas (electrons and ions) in the inner magnetosphere have wide energy ranges from electron volts to mega-electron volts (MeV). These plasmas rotate around the Earth longitudinally due to the gradient and curvature of the geomagnetic field and by the co-rotation motion with timescales from several tens of hours to less than 10 min. They interact with plasma waves at frequencies of mHz to kHz mainly in the equatorial plane of the magnetosphere, obtain energies up to MeV, and are lost into the ionosphere. In order to provide the global distribution and quantitative evaluation of the dynamical variation of these plasmas and waves in the inner magnetosphere, the PWING project (study of dynamical variation of particles and waves in the inner magnetosphere using ground-based network observations, http://www.isee.nagoya-u.ac.jp/dimr/PWING/) has been carried out since April 2016. This paper describes the stations and instrumentation of the PWING project. We operate all-sky airglow/aurora imagers, 64-Hz sampling induction magnetometers, 40-kHz sampling loop antennas, and 64-Hz sampling riometers at eight stations at subauroral latitudes (~ 60° geomagnetic latitude) in the northern hemisphere, as well as 100-Hz sampling EMCCD cameras at three stations. These stations are distributed longitudinally in Canada, Iceland, Finland, Russia, and Alaska to obtain the longitudinal distribution of plasmas and waves in the inner magnetosphere. This PWING longitudinal network has been developed as a part of the ERG (Arase)-ground coordinated observation network. The ERG (Arase) satellite was launched on December 20, 2016, and has been in full operation since March 2017. We will combine these ground network observations with the ERG (Arase) satellite and global modeling studies. These comprehensive datasets will contribute to the investigation of dynamical variation of particles and waves in the inner magnetosphere, which is one of the most important research topics in recent space physics, and the outcome of our research will improve safe and secure use of geospace around the Earth

Achievements of KEKB

The machine commissioning of KEKB started in December 1998 and its operation was terminated at the end of June 2010 to upgrade KEKB to SuperKEKB. In this paper, we summarize the history of KEKB and show the achievements made there