Posture Support Chair and Wheelchair for the Severely Mentally and Physically Disabled Person whose Spine inclines to the Right : A Case Study Approach

在宅生活を続けてきた重度の重複障害を伴った在宅障害者で右側偏倚の著明な症例に対し,車いす及び座位保持椅子の作製を行った.実際に,家庭訪問し,実生活上での問題解決法として作製した車いすでの体幹サポートバー,車いす・座位保持椅子での背当て張り調整及び座位保持椅子での幅広肘当ては食事動作の改善に効果があり,肘当てのトライウォールを利用した仮合わせや既成品である高齢者用モジュール型木製椅子の試行期間の設定は有効であった.今後継続的なフォローアップにより,障害の変化に対応した生活上の取り組みが重要であると考えた.We made a wheelchair and posture support chair for a severely mentally and physically disabled person who had severe inclination of the spine to the right while sitting in a wheelchair at home. The trunk support bar of the wheelchair, the adjustable back and wide armrests of the posture support chair prevent the spine from inclining to the right and improve the user\u27s position for eating. A combination of the trial modular wooden chair for elderly persons and the "Tri-wall" arm support was effective in adjusting the wheelchair to the required position. The progress made in developing this wheelchair highlighted the importance of cooperation between general hospitals and rehabilitation facilities

Suppressive effects of 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC)-polymer on the adherence of Candida species and MRSA to acrylic denture resin

Objectives: The effects of 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC)-polymer on the adherence of microorganisms such as non-Candida albicans Candida (NCAC) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), frequently detected in oral infections in immunocompromised and/or elderly people, to denture resin material, are still unclear. Here, we report the effects of MPC-polymer on the adherence of C. albicans, NCAC, and MRSA to acrylic denture resin. Methods: Sixteen strains of C. albicans, seven strains of C. glabrata, two strains of C. tropicalis, one strain of C. parapsilosis, and six strains of MRSA were used. We cultured the fungal/bacterial strains and examined the cell growth and adherence of fungi/bacteria to mucin-coated acrylic denture resin plates (ADRP) with or without MPC-polymer coating, by scanning electron microscopy. The cell surface hydrophobicity of the fungal/bacterial strains was measured by the adsorption to hydrocarbons. Results: MPC-polymer did not affect the growth of all strains of Candida species and MRSA, but significantly suppressed adherence to ADRP in most strains of C. albicans and all strains of NCAC and MRSA. A significant positive correlation was found between cell hydrophobicity and the reduction rates of microbial adherence to ADRP treated with 5% of MPC-polymer. Conclusions: MPC-polymer treatment for acrylic resin material suppresses the adherence of C. albicans, NCAC and MRSA via their hydrophilicity interaction. Clinical significance: The application of MPC-polymer for denture hygiene is potent to prevent oral candidiasis, denture stomatitis and opportunistic infection, caused by Candida species and MRSA, via suppressing the adherence of those fungus/bacteria

Radiotherapy for esophageal cancer

Purpose To assess the treatment results of definitive radiotherapy for esophageal cancer at Tokushima University Hospital and clarify the prognostic factors. Methods Seventy consecutive patients with esophageal cancer who underwent definitive radiotherapy between May 2004 and March 2012 were included in the present study. Local control rate, overall survival rate, and radiation morbidity were examined and univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to investigate prognostic factors. Results The 5-yearoverall survival rates of stages I, II, III, and IVA were 81%, 71%, 0%, and 9%, respectively. Performance status, clinical stage, and neoadjuvant chemotherapy were significant prognostic factors. A past history of interstitial pneumonia was associated with severe radiation-induced lung injury. Conclusions Patients who underwent definitive chemoradiotherapy for esophageal cancer in stage I/II showed good prognosis. However, treatment results of the patients in stage III/IV were not satisfactory, and those who could not undergo surgery after neoadjuvant chemotherapy had the worst prognosis

Detectability of colorectal neoplasia with fluorine-18-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography and computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT)

The purpose of this study was to analyze the detectability of colorectal neoplasia with fluorine-18-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT). Data for a total of 492 patients who had undergone both PET/CT and colonoscopy were analyzed. After the findings of PET/CT and colonoscopy were determined independently, the results were compared in each of the six colonic sites examined in all patients. The efficacy of PET/CT was determined using colonoscopic examination as the gold standard. In all, 270 colorectal lesions 5 mm or more in size, including 70 pathologically confirmed malignant lesions, were found in 172 patients by colonoscopy. The sensitivity and specificity of PET/CT for detecting any of the colorectal lesions were 36 and 98%, respectively. For detecting lesions 11 mm or larger, the sensitivity was increased to 85%, with the specificity remaining consistent (97%). Moreover, the sensitivity for tumors 21 mm or larger was 96% (48/50). Tumors with malignant or high-grade pathology were likely to be positive with PET/CT. A size of 10 mm or smaller [odds ratio (OR) 44.14, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 11.44-221.67] and flat morphology (OR 7.78, 95% CI 1.79-36.25) were significant factors that were associated with false-negative cases on PET/CT. The sensitivity of PET/CT for detecting colorectal lesions is acceptable, showing size- and pathology-dependence, suggesting, for the most part, that clinically relevant lesions are detectable with PET/CT. However, when considering PET/CT for screening purposes caution must be exercised because there are cases of false-negative results

Regulated C-C motif ligand 2 (CCL2) in luteal cells contributes to macrophage infiltration into the human corpus luteum during luteolysis

Intense macrophage infiltration is observed during luteolysis in various animals including women; however, we still do not know how macrophage infiltration into the human corpus luteum (CL) during luteolysis is regulated. In this study, we examined the expression, localization and regulation of an important chemokine for the recruitment of monocyte/macrophage lineages, C-C motif ligand 2 (CCL2), in the human CL across the luteal phase and in cultured human luteinized granulosa cells (LGCs), with special reference to the number of infiltrating macrophages and luteal cell function. CCL2 mRNA increased in the non-functional regressing CL during menstruation (P < 0.01), corresponding to an elevated mRNA expression of a macrophage-derived cytokine, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), and an increased number of infiltrating macrophages positively stained with a macrophage marker, CD68. CCL2 protein was immunohistochemically localized to the cytoplasm of granulosa-lutein and theca-lutein cells, and CCL2 mRNA was significantly reduced by hCG both in vivo (P < 0.05) and in vitro (P < 0.01). CCL2 was also down-regulated by luteotrophic prostaglandin (PG) E (P < 0.0001), but up-regulated by luteolytic PGF (P < 0.05) in vitro. Administration of TNF significantly enhanced the CCL2 mRNA expression in cultured LGCs (P < 0.01). A greater abundance of infiltrating macrophages were found around granulosa-lutein cells lacking 3 beta-HSD or PGE synthase (PGES) immunostaining. CCL2 mRNA expression was negatively correlated with both HSD3B1 and PGES, suggesting that locally produced progesterone and PGE suppress macrophage infiltration into the CL. Taken together, the infiltration of macrophages in the human CL is regulated by endocrine and paracrine molecules via regulation of the CCL2 expression in luteal cells.Supplementary data are available at http://molehr.oxfordjournals.org/http://molehr.oxfordjournals.org/lookup/suppl/doi:10.1093/molehr/gav028/-/DC

Changes of tumor and normal structures of the neck during radiation therapy for head and neck cancer requires adaptive strategy

The treatment period over which radiation therapy is administered extends over several weeks. Since tumor shrinkage in response to radiation therapy and weight loss due to radiation-induced mucositis may impact on the dose distribution in both target and organ at risk in patients with head and neck cancer, the anatomical changes of tumor and neck volumes during this period should be taken into consideration. We investigated the anatomical changes that occurred in the target and normal structure of the neck during radiation therapy for pharyngeal cancer, and evaluated the necessity of an adaptive strategy. Ten patients with pharyngeal cancer who underwent radical chemoradiation therapy using 3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy RT (66-70 Gy in 33-35 fractions) between April 2009 and September 2010 were enrolled in the study. Patients underwent CT scans every week during their course of treatment. We analyzed the CT data in the radiation treatment planning system and measured changes of tumor, organ at risk, and neck volume. Gross tumor volume (GTV) was rapidly reduced by 28% of the original volume on average in the first 3 weeks. The right and left submandibular glands volume decreased to 70% and 63% of their initial volumes on average, respectively. The volume of the neck in the radiation fields decreased to 89% of its initial volume on average by the sixth week mainly caused by body weight loss due to acute radiation morbidity. Considerable anatomical change in the radiation filed that will affect dose distribution of the target and organ at risk was observed during radiation therapy for head and neck cancer

Development of a non-destructive depth-selective quantification method for sub-percent carbon contents in steel using negative muon lifetime analysis

鋼鉄の品質管理・日本刀など文化財の非破壊分析も 鋼鉄中のわずかな炭素を素粒子で透視する --ミュオンによる新しい非破壊微量軽元素分析法の開発--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2024-02-09.The amount of C in steel, which is critical in determining its properties, is strongly influenced by steel production technology. We propose a novel method of quantifying the bulk C content in steel non-destructively using muons. This revolutionary method may be used not only in the quality control of steel in production, but also in analyzing precious steel archaeological artifacts. A negatively charged muon forms an atomic system owing to its negative charge, and is finally absorbed into the nucleus or decays to an electron. The lifetimes of muons differ significantly, depending on whether they are trapped by Fe or C atoms, and identifying the elemental content at the muon stoppage position is possible via muon lifetime measurements. The relationship between the muon capture probabilities of C/Fe and the elemental content of C exhibits a good linearity, and the C content in the steel may be quantitatively determined via muon lifetime measurements. Furthermore, by controlling the incident energies of the muons, they may be stopped in each layer of a stacked sample consisting of three types of steel plates with thicknesses of 0.5 mm, and we successfully determined the C contents in the range 0.20–1.03 wt% depth-selectively, without sample destruction