Effects of Model-Based Iterative Reconstruction in Low-Dose Paranasal Computed Tomography: A Comparison with Filtered Back Projection and Hybrid Iterative Reconstruction

Iterative reconstruction (IR) improves image quality compared with filtered back projection (FBP). This study investigated the usefulness of model-based IR (forward-projected model-based iterative reconstruction solution [FIRST]) in comparison with FBP and hybrid IR (adaptive iterative dose reduction three-dimensional processing [AIDR 3D]) in low-dose paranasal CT. Twenty-four patients with paranasal sinusitis who underwent standard-dose CT (120 kV) and low-dose CT (100 kV) scanning before and after medical treatment were enrolled. Standard-dose CT scans were reconstructed with FBP (FBP120), and low-dose CT scans with FBP (FBP100), AIDR 3D, and FIRST. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) in three anatomical structures and effective doses were compared using Mann–Whitney U test. Two radiologists independently evaluated the visibility of 16 anatomical structures, overall image quality, and artifacts. Effective doses in lowdose CT were significantly reduced compared with those in standard-dose CT (0.24 vs 0.43 mSv, p<0.001). FIRST achieved significantly higher SNR (p<0.01, respectively) and CNR (p<0.001, respectively) of evaluated structures and significant improvement in overall image quality (p<0.001), artifacts (p<0.001), and visibility related to muscles (p<0.05) compared to FBP120, FBP100, and AIDR 3D. FIRST allowed radiation-dose reduction, while maintaining objective and subjective image quality in low-dose paranasal CT

Transdisciplinary Joint Seminar Studies: Conflits et Interprétations

This report details the research activity carried out from 2009 to date under the Transdisciplinary Joint Seminar Studies of the universities of Aoyama Gakuin, Franche-Comté and Tsukuba. Through study sessions and conferences as well as individual research papers, the issue of conflict and interpretation is addressed across the specific fields of study from the three distinct considerations of circulation, representation and language. 要旨本報告は2009年から現在まで「青山学院大学・フランシュコンテ大学・筑波大学異分野共同セミナー」において行われた研究活動をまとめたものである。分科会、講演、ならびに個々の論文において論じられた「循環」「表象」「言語」の考察を通じて、「衝突」と「解釈」をめぐる諸問題が検証される

幼小連携のカリキュラムについての一考察 : 小学1年生の「体育」「音楽」の授業観察を通して

本研究では、入学まもない小学1年生の「体育」「音楽」の授業観察や担任による子どもの行動への気づきを通して、子どもたちの「とまどい」や「つまずき」はどのようなものがあるのかを明らかにし、学びの芽生えの軸における一貫したカリキュラムについて検討するものである。 授業観察の結果や、担任による子どもの行動への気づきから、様々な子どもの「とまどい」や「つまずき」があることが明らかになったが、教師はすでに適切な取り組みをしていた。しかしながら、それらの子どもたちの「つまずき」は 1学期が終わっても、そのまま継続しているものもあるため、子どもにとって高すぎる「段差」であるのか、それとも、時間が経てば乗り越えられるのかどうかは明らかではない。 今後も授業観察を通して、子どもたちがその「段差」を乗り越えていけるのかどうか、さらには、幼児期の体育・音楽などの楽しい遊びが小学校の教科における知的好奇心として学習に組み替えられるにはどのような課題があるのかについて検討していきたいと考えている。The purpose of this study is to investigate what puzzlement or stumbling the 1st graders of elementary school would feel. Then, we will discuss the consistent curriculum focusing on the encouragement of children\u27s learning. From the results of class observations and the class teachers\u27 notice on their 1st graders\u27 behaviors, it was revealed that the children felt various puzzlement or stumbling, although the teachers had already taken proper actions for it. However, since some of the children\u27s problems (or "barriers") continue after the 1st term, it remained uncertain whether the problems were too hard for the children to overcome or solvable with the passage of time. In the future, we will continue to explore if the children will be able to overcome the problems by observing their classes in the next term

Post-intervention Status in Patients With Refractory Myasthenia Gravis Treated With Eculizumab During REGAIN and Its Open-Label Extension

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether eculizumab helps patients with anti-acetylcholine receptor-positive (AChR+) refractory generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) achieve the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America (MGFA) post-intervention status of minimal manifestations (MM), we assessed patients' status throughout REGAIN (Safety and Efficacy of Eculizumab in AChR+ Refractory Generalized Myasthenia Gravis) and its open-label extension. METHODS: Patients who completed the REGAIN randomized controlled trial and continued into the open-label extension were included in this tertiary endpoint analysis. Patients were assessed for the MGFA post-intervention status of improved, unchanged, worse, MM, and pharmacologic remission at defined time points during REGAIN and through week 130 of the open-label study. RESULTS: A total of 117 patients completed REGAIN and continued into the open-label study (eculizumab/eculizumab: 56; placebo/eculizumab: 61). At week 26 of REGAIN, more eculizumab-treated patients than placebo-treated patients achieved a status of improved (60.7% vs 41.7%) or MM (25.0% vs 13.3%; common OR: 2.3; 95% CI: 1.1-4.5). After 130 weeks of eculizumab treatment, 88.0% of patients achieved improved status and 57.3% of patients achieved MM status. The safety profile of eculizumab was consistent with its known profile and no new safety signals were detected. CONCLUSION: Eculizumab led to rapid and sustained achievement of MM in patients with AChR+ refractory gMG. These findings support the use of eculizumab in this previously difficult-to-treat patient population. CLINICALTRIALSGOV IDENTIFIER: REGAIN, NCT01997229; REGAIN open-label extension, NCT02301624. CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE: This study provides Class II evidence that, after 26 weeks of eculizumab treatment, 25.0% of adults with AChR+ refractory gMG achieved MM, compared with 13.3% who received placebo

Minimal Symptom Expression' in Patients With Acetylcholine Receptor Antibody-Positive Refractory Generalized Myasthenia Gravis Treated With Eculizumab

The efficacy and tolerability of eculizumab were assessed in REGAIN, a 26-week, phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody-positive (AChR+) refractory generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG), and its open-label extension

Radiological protection of human subjects and informed consent: Proposal of basic principles for molecular imaging clinical research

World Molecular Imaging Congress 201

Comparison of the grade of compensation for injury between employees and paid healthy volunteers in medical research

Background: In Japan, the framework for compensation for injury of paid health volunteers in medical research are defined in guidelines developed by pharmaceutical companies, therefore, the grade of the compensation seems lower, in some aspects, than that for employees defined by labor legislation.Aims: To compare difference of the grade of compensation between healthy volunteers in medical research and employees and to find whether the difference is justifiable.Methods: Narrative, non-systematic review of literatures through PubMed, google-search, with key words of compensation, injury, healthy volunteer, human subject, medical research, ethics, employee, labor, worker, social insurance; and interview survey with medical practitioners, researchers, research nurses, industrial physicians, and specialists in laws, social insurance, and ethics, both according to a standard to define the nature of workers and by means of free discussion on their experiences and perspective on difference of the grade of compensation for injury between employees and paid healthy volunteers in medical research, in the term between October 2008 and December 2009.Ethical conditions: This research is based on literature review and interviews with specialists and we don\u27t present any specific cases of patients or research subjects, and all the interviewee gave consent that the contents of conversation are to be used anonymously in our research. We keep confidentiality of any persons concerned.Results: We identified 17 important documents to describe the grade of compensation of workers or research subjects; interviewed 21 persons concerning their experiences with compensation to workers and/or research subjects, and how they think about the difference of the grade of compensation between them. From both categories of findings, we found the following difference of the grade of compensation and similarity of natures between workers and research subjects: We found the paradoxical aspects that in view of conventional research ethics that it is prohibited to regard research subjects as laborer working with monetary incentives and because of this reason research subjects are not under legal protection by labor law, therefore the grade of compensation for research related injury of subjects are lower than that of workers. None the less, the nature of research subjects, especially of paid healthy volunteers is identified to be very similar to the nature of workers, which is estimated by means of reference standards to find nature of labor in some specific work. On the other hand, in Sweden, it seems to be regarded the grade of compensation should be same among laborers, research subjects, and patients. Discussion: There is limitation in our study because our literature search and interviews are not sufficiently systematic, and comparison of nature of research subjects and workers using reference standards are also insufficient. However, we find interesting deference between Japan and Sweden from view of national policy and philosophy concerning compensation for injury.Conclusions : It is necessary to make the grade of compensation of research subjects logically same as the grade of workers, without regarding them as "laborer", without jeopardizing ethical standard that we should not regard study subjects as laborer who work with monetary incentive.第3回国際産業看護・第2回アジア産業看護ジョイント学術集

Nursing practice and ethics in clinical researches with molecular imaging

To identify the role of a clinical research nurse (CRN) in ensuring the protection of human subjects and research integrity in clinical research with molecular imaging, which is a new technology to visualize molecular behavior and function in the living body. Narrative, non-systematic review. To ensure protection of human subjects and research integrity in clinical research with molecular imaging, it is important to recognize the role of a CRN not only as personnel caring human subjects as well as assisting investigators to obtain informed consent and to manage obtained data, but also as personnel for planning and managing the whole research, especially the process of manufacturing radiolabeled drugs and controlling the radiation dose received by human subjects. It is important to recognize the role and job-description of a CRN as one of the S-CRCs (special clinical research coordinators), that one recognized as qualified research nurses skilled in a special scientific field. We observed the behavior of researchers and our ordinary practice but we haven\u27t observed any research subjects, and we haven\u27t described any individual behavior of observed researchers, just review process of the practice.Japanese regulations and international ethical codes such as Declaration of Helsinki don\u27t require obtaining consents of observed people in this kind of review, without utilising any individual-identifiable information.A part of our research is funded by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).Ｔhe 1st International Nursing Research Conference of World Academy of Nursing Science（世界看護科学学会 第１回学術集会