Intrapulmonary lymph nodes: thin-section CT findings, pathological findings, and CT differential diagnosis from pulmonary metastatic nodules.

We compared the thin-section CT findings of 11 intrapulmonary lymph nodes with pathological findings and evaluated the possibility of CT scan differential diagnosis from pulmonary metastatic nodules. First, we retrospectively reviewed CT scan and pathological findings of intrapulmonary lymph nodes. The median size of these nodules was 6.2 mm. The nodules appeared round (n=3) or angular (n=8) in shape with a sharp border, and they were found below the level of the carina. The median distance from the nearest pleural surface was 4.6 mm, and 3 of the 11 nodules were attached to the pleura. On thin-section CT scan, linear densities extending from the intrapulmonary lymph nodes were frequently visualized, and were pathologically proven to be ectatic lymphoid channels. We then compared the thin-section CT findings of 8 metastatic nodules less than 1 cm in diameter with those of the 11 intrapulmonary lymph nodes. The median size of these nodules was 6.8 mm, and the median distance from the nearest pleural surface was 16 mm. All nodules appeared round in shape. None of the nodules had linear densities extending from the nodules. The linear densities on thin-section CT scan may be the most useful characteristic of intrapulmonary lymph nodes, when differential diagnosis from metastatic nodules is necessary.</p

Persistent activation of Nrf2 through p62 in hepatocellular carcinoma cells

Impaired autophagy stabilizes p62 and promotes tumorigenesis through activation of the Nrf2 transcription factor

Effects of cognitive factors on social anxiousness among undergraduate students

This study examined the relationship between cognitive factors and social anxiousness. Preliminary survey was administrated to 104 undergraduates to construct the responsibility scale. Twelve items were selected on the basis of item-total correlation analyses, and reliability and validity of the scale were examined. The main survey was conducted to 159 undergraduates using the responsibility scale to find out the correlation between social anxiousness and cognitive variables such as public self-consciousness, social self-efficacy and responsibility. The results show that social anxiousness score was positively correlated with public self-consciousness score, negatively correlated with social self-efficacy score, and partly negatively correlated with responsibility score. Moreover, significant interaction between social self-efficacy and responsibility was found for social anxiousness score. However, contrary to the prediction, the results did not show the positive correlation between responsibility and social anxiousness

慢性関節リウマチ患者におけるWHO／QOLとその関連要因

慢性関節リウマチ患者58名を対象に世界保健機構開発のQOL調査票（WHO／QOL-26）を用いて，QOLとその関連要因について検討し，以下の結果を得た．　（1）今回の対象者の属性は，日本における慢性関節リウマチ患者のそれに類似するものであった．　（2）WHO／QOL-26はその下位次元の一つである社会関係と関連を示さなかった．　（3）WHO／QOL-26と有意に関連を示したのは，身体機能，痛み，手術経験の有無，同居者の有無の4要因であった．　以上より，社会関係は他の下位次元との交互作用を介してWHO／QOL-26に関連していると考えられる．また，身体面で痛みの軽減・寛解によって機能改善を図ること，及び生活面で同居者への気兼ねからむしろ同居者無しの方がQOLを高めることが示唆された．Rheumatoid arthritis has total or partial influence on the life situation of patients. A variety of outcome measures are used in evaluating disease activity, therapeutic efficacy, and the quality of life (QOL) in rheumatoid arthritis studies. This study was designed to explore QOL in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in Japan. Fifty-eight rheumatoid arthritis patients (9 male and 49 female, mean age 57.2±14.1) participated as subjects in this study and were interviewed using the World Health Organization\u27s QOL assessment instrument (WHO/QOL-26) by a single interviewer. In addition, simultaneous surveys were made using the Modified Health Assessment Questionnaire (MHAQ) for functional disability, the Visual Analogue Scale for pain (VAS), assessment of patients\u27 understanding of rheumatic disease, and appropriate questionnaires concerning social activities, social support, suffering in life, and demographic characteristics (i.e., age, sex, duration from onset, marital status, presence of other person(s)in household, other illness, having undergone arthritis-related operation(s), holding of physically disabled person\u27s certificate, having hobby(ies), engaged in occupation). Social relationship was the only dimension found not to be correlated with the WHO/QOL-26. Predictors of the overall WHO/QOL-26 were studied by means of multiple regression analysis, with 17 explanatory variables. The factors that had a direct impact on WHO/QOL-26 were MHAQ, VAS, presence of other person(s) in household, and having undergone arthritis-related operation(s). These four factors explained 29.3% of the total variance in WHO/QOL-26 scores. It was suggested by the results that the QOL in rheumatoid arthritis patients is affected especially by pain and by the presence of other person(s) in the household

Sleeping Beauty Transposon-Based Phenotypic Analysis of Mice: Lack of Arpc3 Results in Defective Trophoblast Outgrowth

The Sleeping Beauty (SB) transposon system has generated many transposon-insertional mutant mouse lines, some of which have resulted in embryonic lethality when bred to homozygosity. Here we report one such insertion mapped to the mouse actin-related protein complex subunit 3 gene (Arpc3). Arpc3 is a component of the Arp2/3 complex, which plays a major role in actin nucleation with Y-shaped branching from the mother actin filament in response to migration signaling. Arpc3 transposon-inserted mutants developed only to the blastocyst stage. In vitro blastocyst culture of Arpc3 mutants exhibited severe spreading impairment of trophoblasts. This phenotype was also observed in compound heterozygotes generated using conventional gene-targeted and transposon-inserted alleles. Arpc3-deficient mutants were shown to lack actin-rich structures in the spreading trophoblast. Electron microscopic analysis demonstrated the lack of mesh-like structures at the cell periphery, suggesting a role of Arpc3 in Y-shaped branching formation. These data indicate the importance of Arpc3 in the Arp2/3 complex for trophoblast outgrowth and suggest that Arpc3 may be indispensable for implantation