Correlation between frontal lobe oxy-hemoglobin and severity of depression assessed using near-infrared spectroscopy

AbstractIntroductionThe search for objective biomarkers of psychiatric disorders has a long history. Despite this, no universally accepted instruments or methods to detect biomarkers have been developed. One potential exception is near-infrared spectroscopy, although interpreting the measures of blood flow recorded with this technique remains controversial. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between recorded blood flow and depression severity assessed using the Hamilton depression scale in patients with various psychiatric disorders.MethodsEnrolled patients (n=43) had DSM-IV diagnoses of major depressive disorder (n=25), bipolar disorder I (n=5), schizophrenia (n=3), dysthymic disorder (n=3), psychotic disorder (n=3), panic disorder (n=2), and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (n=2). The verbal fluency task was administered during blood flow recording from the frontal and temporal lobes.ResultsWe found that severity of depression was negatively correlated with the integral value of blood flow in the frontal lobe, irrespective of psychiatric diagnosis (F=5.94, p=0.02).DiscussionOur results support blood flow in the frontal lobe as a potential biomarker of depression severity across various psychiatric disorders.LimitationLimited sample size, no replication in the second set

チョウ カイテン イジョウショウ オ トモナッタ オウコウ ケッチョウガン ニ タイシテ フククウキョウ ホジョカ ケッチョウ セツジョジュツ オ シコウ シタ 1レイ

A ６４-year-old woman with complaint of intermittent abdominal pain for one year was admitted to our hospital. She had been diagnosed as transverse colon cancer by barium enema and colonoscopy at the former hospital. Abdominal enhanced CT showed that the duodenal third portion was not detected at the back of superior mesenteric vessel. She underwent laparoscopic surgery based on a diagnosis of transverse colon cancer with intestinal malrotation. We could perform laparoscopic-assisted transverse colectomy using abdominal enhanced CT which was effective for not only preoprerative diagnosis of accompany of intestinal malrotation but also anatomical anomalies of vessels. The right sided colon which was not fixed to the retroperitoneum in cases with intestinal malrotation could be pulled out easily from the small incision wound. We also considered that colectomy and dissection of its lymph nodes to these cases could be safety performed using by laparoscopy and through small laparotomy

Upgrading of shielding for rare decay search in CANDLES

In the CANDLES experiment aiming to search for the very rare neutrino-less double beta decays (0νββ) using 48Ca, we introduced a new shielding system for high energy γ-rays from neutron captures in massive materials near the detector, in addition to the background reduction for 232Th decays in the 0νββ target of CaF2 crystals. The method of background reduction and the performance of newly installed shielding system are described

Transmission of Specific Genotype Streptomycin Resistant Strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area in Japan

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>From 2003 through to 2004, an outbreak of tuberculosis was identified at a university campus in Yokohama City, located in the southern part of the Tokyo Metropolitan Area (TMA). All <it>Mycobacterium tuberculosis </it>(<it>M. tuberculosis</it>) strains detected with regards to this outbreak turned out to be Streptomycin resistant with matched patterns of 14 IS<it>6110 </it>bands of Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP). The <it>M. tuberculosis </it>bacilli, which had the matched IS<it>6110 </it>band patterns with resistance to Streptomycin to those of bacilli isolated in the outbreak, were also concurrently detected through either the population-based or the hospital-based DNA fingerprinting surveillance of <it>M. tuberculosis </it>either in Shinjuku City or in Kawasaki City respectively.</p> <p>The aim of the present study is to describe the spread of the specific genotype strains of <it>M. tuberculosis </it>in the TMA as observed in the above incident, and to identify the possible transmission routes of the strains among people living in urban settings in Japan.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We applied Variable Numbers of Tandem Repeats (VNTR) analysis to all <it>M. tuberculosis </it>isolates which were resistant to Streptomycin with a matched IS<it>6110</it>-RFLP band pattern (M-strains). They were isolated either from cases related to the tuberculosis outbreak that happened at a university, or through DNA fingerprinting surveillance of <it>M. tuberculosis </it>both in Shinjuku City and in Kawasaki City. For VNTR analysis, 12MIRU loci, 4ETR loci, seven loci by Supply, four loci by Murase (QUB15, Mtub24, VNTR2372, VNTR3336) were selected.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Out of a total of 664 isolates collected during the study period, 46 isolates (6.9%) were identified as M-strains. There was a tendency that there was a higher proportion of those patients whose isolates belonged to M4-substrains, with four copies of tandem repeat at the ETR-C locus, to have visited some of the internet-cafés in the TMA than those whose isolates belonged to M5-substrains, with five copies at the ETR-C locus, although statistically not significant (38.1% vs. 10.0%, Exact p = 0.150).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Although firm conclusions could not be reached through the present study, it suggested that we have to take into consideration that tuberculosis can be transmitted in congregated facilities like internet cafés where tuberculosis high-risk people and general people share common spaces.</p

Overexpression of Chitinase 3-Like 1/YKL-40 in Lung-Specific IL-18-Transgenic Mice, Smokers and COPD

We analyzed the lung mRNA expression profiles of a murine model of COPD developed using a lung-specific IL-18-transgenic mouse. In this transgenic mouse, the expression of 608 genes was found to vary more than 2-fold in comparison with control WT mice, and was clustered into 4 groups. The expression of 140 genes was constitutively increased at all ages, 215 genes increased gradually with aging, 171 genes decreased gradually with aging, and 82 genes decreased temporarily at 9 weeks of age. Interestingly, the levels of mRNA for the chitinase-related genes chitinase 3-like 1 (Chi3l1), Chi3l3, and acidic mammalian chitinase (AMCase) were significantly higher in the lungs of transgenic mice than in control mice. The level of Chi3l1 protein increased significantly with aging in the lungs and sera of IL-18 transgenic, but not WT mice. Previous studies have suggested Chi3l3 and AMCase are IL-13-driven chitinase-like proteins. However, IL-13 gene deletion did not reduce the level of Chi3l1 protein in the lungs of IL-18 transgenic mice. Based on our murine model gene expression data, we analyzed the protein level of YKL-40, the human homolog of Chi3l1, in sera of smokers and COPD patients. Sixteen COPD patients had undergone high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) examination. Emphysema was assessed by using a density mask with a cutoff of −950 Hounsfield units to calculate the low-attenuation area percentage (LAA%). We observed significantly higher serum levels in samples from 28 smokers and 45 COPD patients compared to 30 non-smokers. In COPD patients, there was a significant negative correlation between serum level of YKL-40 and %FEV1. Moreover, there was a significant positive correlation between the serum levels of YKL-40 and LAA% in COPD patients. Thus our results suggest that chitinase-related genes may play an important role in establishing pulmonary inflammation and emphysematous changes in smokers and COPD patients

Pheochromocytoma multisystem crisis treated with emergency surgery: a case report and literature review

Background: Pheochromocytoma is a neuroendocrine tumor that predominantly presents with hypertension, palpitations, and tachycardia due to excessive catecholamine excretion. Although pheochromocytoma multisystem crisis (PMC) is relatively rare, urologists and clinicians should focus on early diagnosis as delay in initiating the appropriate treatment can lead to mortality Case presentation: A 70-year-old man developed ileus after a few days of medication for hypertension. Computed tomography incidentally revealed a left adrenal mass. This finding together with his clinical course was compatible with pheochromocytoma. An α-blocker was administered immediately, and his blood pressure was well controlled. However, his general condition and laboratory data deteriorated rapidly, and the patient was diagnosed with PMC with lethal status. Thus, emergency adrenalectomy was performed without confirmation of catecholamine levels. From the resected specimen, his tumor was judged as pheochromocytoma. On immunohistochemical analysis, the proliferation index evaluated by Ki-67 staining was 9.7 %. This case report was approved by the Human Ethics Review Committee of the Nagasaki University Hospital. Conclusion: The present case of PMC was successfully treated with emergency surgery. The benign pheochromocytoma also presented with high cell proliferation potential, which may be a cause of the extreme aggressiveness of PMC

Construction status and prospects of the Hyper-Kamiokande project

The Hyper-Kamiokande project is a 258-kton Water Cherenkov together with a 1.3-MW high-intensity neutrino beam from the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC). The inner detector with 186-kton fiducial volume is viewed by 20-inch photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) and multi-PMT modules, and thereby provides state-of-the-art of Cherenkov ring reconstruction with thresholds in the range of few MeVs. The project is expected to lead to precision neutrino oscillation studies, especially neutrino CP violation, nucleon decay searches, and low energy neutrino astronomy. In 2020, the project was officially approved and construction of the far detector was started at Kamioka. In 2021, the excavation of the access tunnel and initial mass production of the newly developed 20-inch PMTs was also started. In this paper, we present a basic overview of the project and the latest updates on the construction status of the project, which is expected to commence operation in 2027

Prospects for neutrino astrophysics with Hyper-Kamiokande

Hyper-Kamiokande is a multi-purpose next generation neutrino experiment. The detector is a two-layered cylindrical shape ultra-pure water tank, with its height of 64 m and diameter of 71 m. The inner detector will be surrounded by tens of thousands of twenty-inch photosensors and multi-PMT modules to detect water Cherenkov radiation due to the charged particles and provide our fiducial volume of 188 kt. This detection technique is established by Kamiokande and Super-Kamiokande. As the successor of these experiments, Hyper-K will be located deep underground, 600 m below Mt. Tochibora at Kamioka in Japan to reduce cosmic-ray backgrounds. Besides our physics program with accelerator neutrino, atmospheric neutrino and proton decay, neutrino astrophysics is an important research topic for Hyper-K. With its fruitful physics research programs, Hyper-K will play a critical role in the next neutrino physics frontier. It will also provide important information via astrophysical neutrino measurements, i.e., solar neutrino, supernova burst neutrinos and supernova relic neutrino. Here, we will discuss the physics potential of Hyper-K neutrino astrophysics

New DSDP (Deep Sea Drilling Project) Downhole Temperature Probe Utilizing IC RAM (Memory) Elements

A new device for heat flow measurements in DSDP (Deep Sea Drilling Project) holes has been constructed and used successfully during DSDP Leg 60. The device is a digital self-recording instrument, utilizing CMOS RAM (Complimentary Metal Oxide Semiconductor Random Access Memory). The device, therefore, requires no mechanical parts for recording. This made the instrument particularly suitable for use under severe mechanical handling during DSDP-type operations. A bead type thermistor sensor is attached to the device housed in a pressure case which is lowered in the hole by a wire. The IC memorizing temperature recording system employed in our probe appears to be useful for a variety of data recording purposes.最近わが国も参加している国際深海掘削計画(IPOD)による掘削孔の中で海底地温勾配を求めることは,海洋底地学にとって重要である.従来,米国において用いられてきた方式は故障が多く実用性に乏しいきらいがあるので,全く新しい方式を開発した.この方式ではデータの記録はすべてICメモリによるので,機械的可動部分は一切用いない.このため故障は全くおこらず,DSDP第60次航海(マリアナ)において成功裡に使用された.この装置は以後の航海においてもひきつづき利用され,成果をあげている