Survey of imaging dose in HDR brachytherapy

Institutional imaging protocols for the verification of brachytherapy applicator placements were investigated in a survey study of domestic radiotherapy institutions. The survey form designed by a free on-line survey system was distributed via the mailing-list system of the Japanese Society for Radiation Oncology. Survey data of 75 institutions between August 2019 and October 2019 were collected. The imaging modalities used were dependent on resources available to the institutions. The displacement of a brachytherapy applicator results in significant dosimetric impact. It is essential to verify applicator placements using imaging modalities before treatment. Various imaging modalities used in institutions included a computed tomography (CT) scanner, an angiography X-ray system, a multi-purpose X-ray system and a radiotherapy simulator. The median total exposure time in overall treatment sessions was ≤75 s for gynecological and prostate cancers. Some institutions used fluoroscopy to monitor the brachytherapy source movement. Institutional countermeasures for reducing unwanted imaging dose included minimizing the image area, changing the imaging orientation, reducing the imaging frequency and optimizing the imaging conditions. It is worth noting that half of the institutions did not confirm imaging dose regularly. This study reported on the usage of imaging modalities for brachytherapy in Japan. More caution should be applied with interstitial brachytherapy with many catheters that can lead to potentially substantial increments in imaging doses for monitoring the actual brachytherapy source using fluoroscopy. It is necessary to share imaging techniques, standardize imaging protocols and quality assurance/quality control among institutions, and imaging dose guidelines for optimization of imaging doses delivered in radiotherapy should be developed

Granisetron plus aprepitant versus granisetron in preventing nausea and vomiting during CHOP or R-CHOP regimen in malignant lymphoma: a retrospective study.

Background:Cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisolone (CHOP) regimen includes a high dose of prednisolone (100 mg/body), which exhibits an anticancer and antiemetic effect. However, its optimal use for antiemetic therapy has not been established yet. We assessed the efficacy of granisetron plus aprepitant versus granisetron for CHOP or rituximab-CHOP (R-CHOP) regimen-induced nausea and vomiting in malignant lymphoma.Methods:This retrospective and observational clinical study included patients who received CHOP or R-CHOP regimen as initiating chemotherapy between July 2010 and March 2016 (N = 39). Patients were assigned to an aprepitant [aprepitant (125 mg on day 1, 80 mg on days 2-3) plus granisetron (3 mg); n = 15] or control regimen group [granisetron (3 mg); n = 24]. Complete response (CR), defined as no vomiting and no use of rescue therapy during overall phase (0-120 h), was the primary endpoint. Secondary endpoints included the time to first vomiting and using rescue medication and complete protection (CP) defined as no vomiting and no retching and/or no nausea and no rescue therapy. The patient records were investigated, and data were retrospectively analyzed.Results:CR rate CP rates did not significantly differ between the groups during the observation period (80.0% versus 83.3%, p = 1.000; and 80.0% versus 79.2%, p = 1.000, respectively). Additionally, the time to first vomiting and using rescue medication in did not significantly differ between the groups (p = 0.909).Conclusions:This study suggests that granisetron alone could be one treatment option in the management of CINV in patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma receiving CHOP or R-CHOP regimen

北海道礼文華峠におけるブナ分布北限域孤立個体群の立地と植生

筆者らはブナの分布北限域における最前線孤立個体群を太平洋から水平距離で2.5km内陸に位置する豊浦町礼文華峠の岩峰上及びその周辺で発見した．これはブナの天然分布個体群の中でも太平洋側における最北限の個体群であると考えられた。付近のアメダスのデータによれば，年平均気温7.3 ℃，年降水量1,198 mm，最大積雪深85cmであった．現地の暖かさの指数WIは52.5℃・月と推定された．ブナの分布，植生と立地の状況を明らかにするために現地調査を行った結果，以下の知見を得た．（1）岩峰上に生育する胸高以上のブナは約1.7 haの範囲（標高196 ～ 275 m）に39本生育し，胸高直径階分布は緩やかなL字型を示し，10 cm以下の個体が最多であった．（2） 岩峰のブナは主にミズナラ，ホオノキ，シラカンバと混生し，競合する針葉樹は記録されなかった．（3） 植物群落の種構成は日本海側に成立するブナ林に類似していた．（4） 土壌pHはやや酸性で5.4 ～ 5.5であり，無機態窒素は全国のブナ林の値と大きな違いはなかった．以上の知見から，礼文華峠の岩峰上のブナ個体群は，その生育に適した気候条件に加え，本州の岩峰などでしばしば優占する針葉樹類が不在であるなどの条件が重なって成立したと考えられた

Multiple Translocation of the AVR-Pita Effector Gene among Chromosomes of the Rice Blast Fungus Magnaporthe oryzae and Related Species

Magnaporthe oryzae is the causal agent of rice blast disease, a devastating problem worldwide. This fungus has caused breakdown of resistance conferred by newly developed commercial cultivars. To address how the rice blast fungus adapts itself to new resistance genes so quickly, we examined chromosomal locations of AVR-Pita, a subtelomeric gene family corresponding to the Pita resistance gene, in various isolates of M. oryzae (including wheat and millet pathogens) and its related species. We found that AVR-Pita (AVR-Pita1 and AVR-Pita2) is highly variable in its genome location, occurring in chromosomes 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and supernumerary chromosomes, particularly in rice-infecting isolates. When expressed in M. oryzae, most of the AVR-Pita homologs could elicit Pita-mediated resistance, even those from non-rice isolates. AVR-Pita was flanked by a retrotransposon, which presumably contributed to its multiple translocation across the genome. On the other hand, family member AVR-Pita3, which lacks avirulence activity, was stably located on chromosome 7 in a vast majority of isolates. These results suggest that the diversification in genome location of AVR-Pita in the rice isolates is a consequence of recognition by Pita in rice. We propose a model that the multiple translocation of AVR-Pita may be associated with its frequent loss and recovery mediated by its transfer among individuals in asexual populations. This model implies that the high mobility of AVR-Pita is a key mechanism accounting for the rapid adaptation toward Pita. Dynamic adaptation of some fungal plant pathogens may be achieved by deletion and recovery of avirulence genes using a population as a unit of adaptation