20 research outputs found
Valence and Na content dependences of superconductivity in NaxCoO2.yH2O
Various samples of sodium cobalt oxyhydrate with relatively large amounts of
Na ions were synthesized by a modified soft-chemical process in which a
NaOH aqueous solution was added in the final step of the procedure. From these
samples, a superconducting phase diagram was determined for a section of a
cobalt valence of +3.48, which was compared with a previously obtained
one of +3.40. The superconductivity was significantly affected by the
isovalent exchanger of Na and HO, rather than by variation of
Co valence, suggesting the presence of multiple kinds of Fermi surface.
Furthermore, the high-field magnetic susceptibility measurements for one sample
up to 30 T indicated an upper critical field much higher than the Pauli limit
supporting the validity of the spin-triplet pairing mechanism.Comment: 4 figures and 1 tabl
Prognostic value of pretreatment FDG PET/CT in uterine cervical cancer according to two major histologic types: squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma
Objective(s): The aim of this study was to assess the prognostic value of pretreatment Positron emission tomography / computed tomography using 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG-PET/CT) in cervical cancer according to two major histologic types.Methods: Eighty-three squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) patients and 35 adenocarcinoma (AC) patients who underwent pretreatment FDG-PET/CT were retrospectively analyzed. Maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), mean standardized uptake value (SUVmean), metabolic tumor volume (MTV), and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) of the primary tumor were calculated. Kaplan-Meier analyses were used to compare correlations between each PET parameter and overall survival (OS). The prognostic values of imaging and clinical parameters were assessed using uni- and multivariable Cox proportional hazard models.Results: SUVmax, SUVmean, and TLG were significantly higher in SCC than in AC (p<0.01 each). No significant difference in MTV was seen between the two groups (p=0.10). As for Kaplan-Meier analyses, in SCC, patients with SUVmax, SUVmean, MTV, and TLG exceeding cutoff values tended to show worse OS than patients with lower values (p=0.07, p=0.27, p<0.01, and p=0.01, respectively, for OS). On the other hand, in AC, patients with MTV and TLG exceeding cutoff values showed significantly worse PFS and OS (p<0.01 each for OS), while SUVmax and SUVmean were unrelated to OS (p=0.91 and p=0.83, respectively for OS). As for multivariable analyses, in SCC, TLG was identified as an independent prognostic factor for OS (p=0.01). In AC, MTV was identified as an independent prognostic factor for OS (p=0.02).Conclusion: Our preliminary data suggest that FDG-PET/CT would be useful for predicting prognosis in cervical cancer, although the clinical significance of quantitative values may differ according to histopathological type
A Novel Series of Thermally and Electrically Stable Hole-transporters End-capped by [1]Benzothieno[3,2- b
Clinical Predictors of Right Ventricular Myocardial Fibrosis in Patients With Repaired Tetralogy of Fallot
The administration of high-mobility group box 1 fragment prevents deterioration of cardiac performance by enhancement of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell homing in the delta-sarcoglycan-deficient hamster.
ObjectivesWe hypothesized that systemic administration of high-mobility group box 1 fragment attenuates the progression of myocardial fibrosis and cardiac dysfunction in a hamster model of dilated cardiomyopathy by recruiting bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells thus causing enhancement of a self-regeneration system.MethodsTwenty-week-old J2N-k hamsters, which are δ-sarcoglycan-deficient, were treated with systemic injection of high-mobility group box 1 fragment (HMGB1, n = 15) or phosphate buffered saline (control, n = 11). Echocardiography for left ventricular function, cardiac histology, and molecular biology were analyzed. The life-prolonging effect was assessed separately using the HMGB1 and control groups, in addition to a monthly HMGB1 group which received monthly systemic injections of high-mobility group box 1 fragment, 3 times (HMGB1, n = 11, control, n = 9, monthly HMGB1, n = 9).ResultsThe HMGB1 group showed improved left ventricular ejection fraction, reduced myocardial fibrosis, and increased capillary density. The number of platelet-derived growth factor receptor-alpha and CD106 positive mesenchymal stem cells detected in the myocardium was significantly increased, and intra-myocardial expression of tumor necrosis factor α stimulating gene 6, hepatic growth factor, and vascular endothelial growth factor were significantly upregulated after high-mobility group box 1 fragment administration. Improved survival was observed in the monthly HMGB1 group compared with the control group.ConclusionsSystemic high-mobility group box 1 fragment administration attenuates the progression of left ventricular remodeling in a hamster model of dilated cardiomyopathy by enhanced homing of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells into damaged myocardium, suggesting that high-mobility group box 1 fragment could be a new treatment for dilated cardiomyopathy