Brain Abscess as a Rare Complication of Primary Extranodal Nasal-type Natural Killer/T-cell Lymphoma

We present the case of a 58-year-old Japanese woman with a natural killer T (NK/T)-cell lymphoma complicated by brain abscess. NK/T-cell lymphomas represent a rare type of lymphoma derived from either activated NK cells or, rarely, cytotoxic T cells. They are aggressive Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated lymphomas that involve mainly the nasal cavity. Brain abscess associated with primary extranodal nasal-type NK/T-cell lymphoma is extremely uncommon: to our knowledge, this is the first reported case of this lymphoma with brain abscess as the initial clinical manifestation. Endoscopic surgery was performed for definitive diagnosis under intraoperative navigation system. Chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy was performed and was effective: 72 months later the tumor has not recurred. Recommendations of endoscopic management for diagnosis and treatment of this rare neoplasm are discussed

雲南省ダイ族社会における自然崇拝と仏教― 「寨心崇拝」と「穀霊信仰」の変容―

Nature worship was a basic worship of the Dai people (傣族)in Yunnan Province, China. But after that day　they accepted a Theravata Buddhism　worship. At that period while they keep continuing a Nature worship which Buddha had denied, at the same time they transformed a traditional worship of Village heart (寨心) into Pagoda worship, and changed a Goddess of the spirit of grain into Man God of the spirit of grain and accepted a Buddhism Culture which differ in traditional culture. This essay explain and give a concrete example for you to understand Dai people culture and it has also in common with the Japanese culture such as in Syncretistic fusion of Shintoism and Buddhism which widely research

稲魂文化 -モンスーン稲作地帯の稲魂文化-

This paper deals with the belief in the spirit of rice grain of the Dais and the Hanis in the Yunnan province of China. Even today, people worship sacred trees and believe in the spirit of rice grain in monsoon paddy field areas. It is believed that this spirit is a goddess and women embody it. The three aspects of the culture of this spirit are the worship of trees,the belief in the spirit of rice grain, and the feminine principle. This paper discusses the relationship between these three elements. The feature common to all three is the living power (the link between, and the continuity of, lives). I believe that our society today should respect the culture of the spirit of rice grain

Differential expression of topoisomerase IIα protein in salivary gland carcinomas: histogenetic and prognostic implications

BACKGROUND: Salivary gland carcinomas are relatively uncommon heterogeneous malignancies characterized by locoregional invasion and distant metastasis. Topoisomerase IIα (topoIIα), located at chromosome 17q21-22, is considered a major mediator of cell proliferation and DNA replication. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the expression of topoIIα in various types of salivary gland tumors and its biological significance. METHODS: The protein expression of topoIIα was evaluated immunohistochemically in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue from 54 salivary gland carcinomas and 20 benign tumors (10 pleomorphic adenomas and 10 Warthin's tumors). The primary salivary gland carcinoma specimens consisted of 17 adenoid cystic carcinomas, 7 adenocarcinomas not otherwise specified, 7 mucoepidermoid carcinomas, 6 salivary duct carcinomas, 3 acinic cell carcinomas, 3 carcinomas ex pleomorphic adenomas, 3 epithelial-myoepithelial carcinomas, 2 carcinosarcomas, 2 lymphoepithelial carcinomas, 2 myoepithelial carcinomas, 1 oncocytic carcinoma, and 1 squamous cell carcinoma. The associations between clinicopathological factors and outcome were analyzed. RESULTS: Of the 54 primary salivary gland carcinomas, 38 (70%) showed positive expression (≥10%) of topoIIα protein, and 16 carcinomas (30%) and all benign tumors were negative (p < 0.001). Expression of topoIIα was more frequently observed in salivary duct carcinoma, carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma, adenocarcinoma, and adenoid cystic carcinoma, solid type, and it was associated with advanced stage and shortened survival. CONCLUSION: The results of the present study suggest that topoIIα expression is associated with histologically aggressive subtypes and shortened survival. Furthermore, it may provide useful prognostic information and suggests the potential efficacy of topoIIα-targeting therapy in patients with salivary gland carcinoma

Relationship between subjective effort and kinematics/kinetics in the 50 m sprint

Purpose. This study investigated the relationship between subjective effort (SE) and kinematics/kinetics throughout an entire 50 m sprint. Methods. Fifteen male sprinters performed the 50 m sprint at 3 different levels of SE (100 %SE; maximal-effort, 90 %SE and 80 %SE, sub-maximal efforts). Kinematic and kinetic data were obtained with a digital high speed camera and 50 ground reaction force (GRF) plates placed every 1 m in the running lane. Variables recorded were sprint time, running speed, step frequency, step length, aerial time, contact time, GRF, and ground reaction impulse (GRI). Results & Discussion. Sprint times decreased with increases in SE. However, some subjects ran their fastest 50m at a sub-maximal SE. Thus, the optimal combination of step length & frequency necessary for obtaining maximum speed does not necessarily occur at maximal SE. Indeed, while step frequency significantly increased with an increase in SE, step length was usually the longest at a sub-maximal SE. The vertical GRI in the first half of the ground contact period was significantly greater at sub-maximal SEs. Vertical GRIs and horizontal GRIs in the second half of the ground contact period did not significantly differ among different SEs. Our results suggest that those runners who increase SF too much at maximal SE do so at the cost of decreasing step length (SL). Thus, applying a large force against the ground in the first half of the ground contact period would be effective for improving step length

Hearing impairment and cognitive function among a community-dwelling population in Japan

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Hearing impairment is a prevalent and chronic condition in older people. This study investigated the relationship between cognitive function and hearing impairment in a Japanese population.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A pure-tone average (0.5-2.0 kHz) was used to evaluate hearing impairment in 846 participants of the Iwaki Health Promotion Project who were aged at least 50 years old (310 men and 536 women). We also administered the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Center for Epidemiologic Studies for Depression (CES-D) scale, Starkstein's apathy scale (AS) and the Short Form Health Survey Version 2 (SF-36v2). A multiple linear regression analysis assessed the association between hearing impairment and mental correlates.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The overall prevalence of hearing impairment in this study population was 37.7%. The participants with hearing impairment were older and less educated compared to those with no hearing problems. We observed significant differences in the MMSE and AS scores between the mild/moderate to severe groups versus the non-impaired group. After adjusting for age, gender and amount of education, hearing impairment was significantly associated with MMSE and AS scores, but not with CES-D scores. Hearing impairment was significantly related to the social functioning (SF) and role emotional (RE) scores of the SF-36v2.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Hearing impairment is common among older people and is associated with cognitive impairment, apathy and a poor health-related quality of life. Screening for and correcting hearing impairments might improve the quality of life and functional status of older patients.</p

Case Report Carbon Ion Beam Radiotherapy for Sinonasal Malignant Tumors Invading Skull Base

Objective. To evaluate the treatment outcome and prognostic factors in patients with sinonasal malignant tumors invading skull base. Study Design and Setting. A retrospective clinical study at the Yamagata University School of Medicine. Subjects and Methods. Three patients with sinonasal malignant tumors invading skull base were presented in present study. All patients were treated with carbon ion beam radiotherapy. The prescribed dose to the center of the clinical target volume was 64.0 GyE/16 fractions over 4 weeks at 4.0 GyE/fraction per day. Results. All patients completed carbon ion beam radiotherapy without an interval. The mean observation period was 39.6 months (range: 11-54 months). There were no local or regional recurrences in all cases; however, one patient had a metastasis in distant organs. Regarding the complications, visual loss was observed in one eye of one patient whose optic nerve was entirely involved by the tumor and field of carbon ion beam radiotherapy. Radiation induced brain injury was observed in two patients; however, these patients do not complain about neurological abnormality and had no treatment for radiation induced brain necrosis. Conclusions. Carbon ion beam radiotherapy for sinonasal malignant tumors invading the skull base showed therapeutic effectiveness

G-proteins coupled to phosphoinositide hydrolysis in the cochlear and vestibular sensory epithelia of the rat are insensitive to cholera and pertussis toxins

In the cochlear (CSE) and vestibular sensory epithelia (VSE), phosphoinositides are hydrolyzed in response to stimulation of phospholipase C (PLC) by cholinergic muscarinic and purinergic P2y agonists. Such receptor-mediated activation of PLC is expected to be coupled through guanine nucleotide-binding proteins (G-proteins). Although several classes of G-proteins have been identified in the inner ear, nothing is known about the type of G-proteins associated with the phosphoinositide second messenger system in CSE and VSE. Phosphoinositide hydrolysis was determined by the release of radiolabeled inositol phosphates (InsPs). Ten mM NaF plus 10 [mu]M AlCl3 increased basal InsPs accumulation 2-fold in both CSE and VSE of the rat. Release of InsPs was also enhanced by guanosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) (GTP-[gamma]-S) in saponin-permeabilized tissues. Furthermore, release of InsPs stimulated by both carbamylcholine (CCh) and adenosine 5'-O-[3-thiotriphosphate](ATP-[gamma]-S) was significantly inhibited by 100 [mu]M guanosine 5'-O-[2-thiodiphosphate](GDP-[beta]-S). These results strongly suggest the involvement of G-proteins in the receptor-PLC coupling in CSE and VSE. ADP-ribosylation in membrane fractions of CSE and VSE in the presence of cholera toxin (CTX) or pertussis toxin (PTX) indicated the existence of Gs- and Gi-type G-proteins. However, neither CTX nor PTX affected basal or agonist-stimulated release of InsPs. These observations suggest that muscarinic and P2y purinergic receptors are coupled to PLC via CTX- and PTX-insensitive G-proteins in CSE and VSE.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/31661/1/0000595.pd