Nutritional Status and Competitive Ability in Wheelechair Basketball Players

本研究では、障害者スポーツの中でも最も人気が高く、競技人口の多い競技のうちの１つである車椅子バスケットボール選手を対象にアンケート調査を実施し、競技力向上の手がかりと食生活に関する調査を行い、障害者スポーツ選手のサポート・食生活のあり方について検討することを目的とした。その結果、1)車椅子バスケットボール実施者、競技水準が上がるにつれて年齢は下がっている傾向がみられた、2)車椅子バスケットボール実施理由を「競技志向」、「健康志向」、「きっかけづくり」と3因子に分類したとき「競技志向」と競技水準には有意な相関がみられた、3)「栄養・食生活に関するサポート」と競技水準とについて有意な相関がみられ、競技水準の高いものが栄養・食生活に関する意識が高い傾向がみられた

Protein Transduction Method for Cerebrovascular Disorders

Many studies have shown that a motif of 11 consecutive arginines (11R) is one of the most effective protein transduction domains (PTD) for introducing proteins into the cell membrane. By conjugating this &#34;11R&#34;, all sorts of proteins can effectively and harmlessly be transferred into any kind of cell. We therefore examined the transduction efficiency of 11R in cerebral arteries and obtained results showing that 11R fused enhanced green fluorescent protein (11R-EGFP) immediately and effectively penetrated all layers of the rat basilar artery (BA), especially the tunica media. This method provides a revolutionary approach to cerebral arteries and ours is the first study to demonstrate the successful transductionof a PTD fused protein into the cerebral arteries. In this review, we present an outline of our studies and other key studies related to cerebral vasospasm and 11R, problems to be overcome, and predictions regarding future use of the 11R protein transduction method for cerebral vasospasm (CV).</p

Counterfactual Explanation of Brain Activity Classifiers Using Image-To-Image Transfer by Generative Adversarial Network

Deep neural networks (DNNs) can accurately decode task-related information from brain activations. However, because of the non-linearity of DNNs, it is generally difficult to explain how and why they assign certain behavioral tasks to given brain activations, either correctly or incorrectly. One of the promising approaches for explaining such a black-box system is counterfactual explanation. In this framework, the behavior of a black-box system is explained by comparing real data and realistic synthetic data that are specifically generated such that the black-box system outputs an unreal outcome. The explanation of the system's decision can be explained by directly comparing the real and synthetic data. Recently, by taking advantage of advances in DNN-based image-to-image translation, several studies successfully applied counterfactual explanation to image domains. In principle, the same approach could be used in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data. Because fMRI datasets often contain multiple classes (e.g., multiple behavioral tasks), the image-to-image transformation applicable to counterfactual explanation needs to learn mapping among multiple classes simultaneously. Recently, a new generative neural network (StarGAN) that enables image-to-image transformation among multiple classes has been developed. By adapting StarGAN with some modifications, here, we introduce a novel generative DNN (counterfactual activation generator, CAG) that can provide counterfactual explanations for DNN-based classifiers of brain activations. Importantly, CAG can simultaneously handle image transformation among all the seven classes in a publicly available fMRI dataset. Thus, CAG could provide a counterfactual explanation of DNN-based multiclass classifiers of brain activations. Furthermore, iterative applications of CAG were able to enhance and extract subtle spatial brain activity patterns that affected the classifier's decisions. Together, these results demonstrate that the counterfactual explanation based on image-to-image transformation would be a promising approach to understand and extend the current application of DNNs in fMRI analyses

Comet 9P/Tempel 1: Interpretation with the Deep Impact Results

According to our common understandings, the original surface of a short-period comet nucleus has been lost by sublimation processes during its close approaches to the Sun. Sublimation results in the formation of a dust mantle on the retreated surface and in chemical differentiation of ices over tens or hundreds of meters below the mantle. In the course of NASA's Deep Impact mission, optical and infrared imaging observations of the ejecta plume were conducted by several researchers, but their interpretations of the data came as a big surprise: (1) The nucleus of comet 9P/Tempel 1 is free of a dust mantle, but maintains its pristine crust of submicron-sized carbonaceous grains; (2) Primordial materials are accessible already at a depth of several tens of cm with abundant silicate grains of submicrometer sizes. In this study, we demonstrate that a standard model of cometary nuclei explains well available observational data: (1) A dust mantle with a thickness of ~1-2 m builds up on the surface, where compact aggregates larger than tens of micrometers dominate; (2) Large fluffy aggregates are embedded in chemically differentiated layers as well as in the deepest part of the nucleus with primordial materials. We conclude that the Deep Impact results do not need any peculiar view of a comet nucleus.Comment: 11 pages, 1 figure, 1 table. ApJ letters, 673, L199-20

胸部特異的肋骨形成における組織間相互作用とその分子機構

研究期間:平成14-17年度 ; 研究種目: 基盤研究B ; 課題番号:14370006原著には既発表論文の別刷を含む

Evidence on percutaneous radiofrequency and microwave ablation for liver metastases over the last decade

Purpose　This review aimed to summarize the treatment outcomes of percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and microwave ablation (MWA) for metastatic liver tumors based on the findings of published studies over the last decade. Materials and methods　Literature describing the survival outcomes of ablation therapy for liver metastases was explored using the PubMed database on April 26, 2022, and articles published in 2012 or later were selected. The included studies met the following criteria: (i) English literature, (ii) original clinical studies, and (iii) literature describing overall survival (OS) of thermal ablation for metastatic liver tumors. All case reports and cohort studies with fewer than 20 patients and those that evaluated ablation for palliative purposes were excluded. Results　RFA was the most commonly used method for ablation, while MWA was used in several recent studies. RFA and MWA for liver metastases from various primary tumors have been reported; however, majority of the studies focused on colorectal cancer. The local control rate by RFA and MWA varied widely among the studies, ranging approximately 50–90%. Five-year survival rates of 20–60% have been reported following ablation for colorectal liver metastases by a number of studies, and several reports of 10-year survival rates were also noted. Conclusion　Comparative studies of local therapies for colorectal liver metastases demonstrated that RFA provides comparable survival outcomes to surgical metastasectomy and stereotactic body radiation therapy

Omental Abscess after Laparoscopic Proximal Gastrectomy Successfully Treated with Percutaneous Drainage

We report the case details of a 65-year-old Japanese man with an omental abscess that was discovered 43 days after he underwent a laparoscopic proximal gastrectomy for gastric cancer. His chief complaint was mild abdominal pain that had persisted for several days. The abscess was diagnosed as a rare postoperative complication. We hesitated to perform a reoperation given the invasiveness of general anesthesia and surgery, plus the possibility of postoperative adhesions and because the patient’s general condition was stable and he had only mild abdominal pain. Percutaneous drainage using a 10.2-F catheter was performed with the patient under conscious sedation and computed tomography–fluoroscopy guidance, with no complications. After the procedure, the size of the abscess cavity was remarkably reduced, and 23 days later the catheter was withdrawn