Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery using mobile computed tomography: New method for locating of small lung nodules

BACKGROUND: The O-arm is an intraoperative imaging device that can provide computed tomography images. Surgery for small lung tumors was performed based on intraoperative computed tomography images obtained using the O-arm. This study evaluated the usefulness of the O-arm in thoracic surgery. METHODS: From July 2013 to November 2013, 10 patients with small lung nodules or ground glass nodules underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery using the O-arm. A needle was placed on the visceral pleura near the nodules. After the lung was re-expanded, intraoperative computed tomography was performed using the O-arm. Then, the positional relationship between the needle marking and the tumor was recognized based on the intraoperative computed tomography images, and lung resection was performed. RESULTS: In 9 patients, the tumor could be seen on intraoperative computed tomography images using the O-arm. In 1 patient with a ground glass nodule, the lesion could not be seen, but its location could be inferred by comparison between preoperative and intraoperative computed tomography images. In only 1 patient with a ground glass nodule, a pathological complete resection was not performed. There were no complications related to the use of the O-arm. CONCLUSIONS: The O-arm may be an additional tool to facilitate intraoperative localization and surgical resection of non-palpable lung lesions

Effective colloidal processing for densification before SPS

In conventional dry processing, fine particles tend to agglomerate spontaneously due to Van der Waals attractive forces. Since the agglomeration of particles forms large residual pores in green bodies, elevated temperatures are necessary for densification. Colloidal processing is a very effective technique for controlling the pore size distribution in green compacts before sintering. The green compacts having small residual pores with a narrow size distribution is expected to enhance the densification at low sintering temperature during SPS. We already reported that colloidal processing for controlling the packing structure in green compact is effective for densification in SPS in the case of SiC. A commercially available SiC (6H) powder with the average particle size of 0.55 mm was used as the starting materials. When using the dry processing for consolidation, the density of the sample sintered by SPS in a vacuum atmosphere at 1950°C was 92% of the theoretical value. Aqueous suspensions with dispersed particles were prepared by adjusting pH and consolidated by slip casting to prepare the dense green compacts. The relative density of SiC prepared by SPS was increased with increasing temperature and reached more than 97% at 1950°C as shown in Fig. 1. In this presentation, this processing was applied to fabrication of transparent alumina. Commercially available Al2O3 powder with the average particle size of 0.4 mm was used as the starting materials. Suspensions with 30 vol% solid were consolidated by slip casting. The green compacts before sintering were further densified by cold isostatic pressing at 392 MPa for 10 min and calcined at 500°C for 1 h in air in order to burn off the dispersant. Final sintering was carried out at 1150°C under a uniaxial pressure of 100 MPa using an SPS. After rapid heating to 600°C, the temperature was raised from 600°C to 1150°C using a heating rate of 5°C/min. After holding samples at the sintering temperature for 10 min and then subsequently annealing them at 1000°C for 10 min, we obtained a sintered disk with a diameter of 25 mm and a thickness of 2 mm. Fig. 2(a) shows the photograph of the sample from the green compact prepared by slip casting, Fig2(b) is the sample densified by SPS from the as-received powder directly. The transparency of the sample prepared by slip casting is clearer than that of the sample by SPS from the as-received powder directly. Please click Additional Files below to see the full abstract

Hepatocelluar nodules in liver cirrhosis: hemodynamic evaluation (angiography-assisted CT) with special reference to multi-step hepatocarcinogenesis

To understand the hemodynamics of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is important for the precise imaging diagnosis and treatment, because there is an intense correlation between their hemodynamics and pathophysiology. Angiogenesis such as sinusoidal capillarization and unpaired arteries shows gradual increase during multi-step hepatocarcinogenesis from high-grade dysplastic nodule to classic hypervascular HCC. In accordance with this angiogenesis, the intranodular portal supply is decreased, whereas the intranodular arterial supply is first decreased during the early stage of hepatocarcinogenesis and then increased in parallel with increasing grade of malignancy of the nodules. On the other hand, the main drainage vessels of hepatocellular nodules change from hepatic veins to hepatic sinusoids and then to portal veins during multi-step hepatocarcinogenesis, mainly due to disappearance of the hepatic veins from the nodules. Therefore, in early HCC, no perinodular corona enhancement is seen on portal to equilibrium phase CT, but it is definite in hypervascular classical HCC. Corona enhancement is thicker in encapsulated HCC and thin in HCC without pseudocapsule. To understand these hemodynamic changes during multi-step hepatocarcinogenesis is important, especially for early diagnosis and treatment of HCCs

Targeted expression of stepfunction opsins in transgenic rats for optogenetic studies

Abstract Rats are excellent animal models for experimental neuroscience. However, the application of optogenetics in rats has been hindered because of the limited number of established transgenic rat strains. To accomplish cell-type specific targeting of an optimized optogenetic molecular tool, we generated ROSA26/CAG-floxed STOP-ChRFR(C167A)-Venus BAC rats that conditionally express the step-function mutant channelrhodopsin ChRFR(C167A) under the control of extrinsic Cre recombinase. In primary cultured cortical neurons derived from this reporter rat, only Cre-positive cells expressing ChRFR(C167A) became bi-stable, that is, their excitability was enhanced by blue light and returned to the baseline by yellow~red light. In bigenic pups carrying the Phox2B-Cre driver, ChRFR(C167A) was specifically expressed in the rostral parafacial respiratory group (pFRG) in the medulla, where endogenous Phox2b immunoreactivity was detected. These neurons were sensitive to blue light with an increase in the firing frequency. Thus, this transgenic rat actuator/reporter system should facilitate optogenetic studies involving the effective in vivo manipulation of the activities of specific cell fractions using light of minimal intensity

MDCT findings of extrapancreatic nerve plexus invasion by pancreas head carcinoma: correlation with en bloc pathological specimens and diagnostic accuracy

金沢大学医薬保健研究域Objective: To elucidate the multi-detector row computed tomography (MDCT) findings of extrapancreatic nerve plexus (PLX) invasion by pancreas head carcinoma (PhC) by "point-by-point" correlation with en bloc pathological specimens and to assess their diagnostic accuracy. Methods: Each pathological section of PhC and adjusted double oblique multiplanar reconstruction MDCT images were correlated in 554 sections from 37 patients. The diagnostic accuracy of the MDCT patterns derived was assessed by blind reading. Results: PLX invasion with fibrosis showed mass or strand shape (85.6%) or coarse reticula (13.3%). The CT findings were divided into fine reticular and linear, coarse reticular, mass and strand, and nodular patterns. PLX invasion was revealed pathologically in 92% of the regions of investigation showing the mass and strand pattern and 63% of the coarse reticular pattern (all continuous with PhC), and they were highly suggestive of PLX invasion by PhC on MDCT images (p < 0.001). Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and positive and negative predictive values of these MDCT findings in the diagnosis of PLX invasion were 100% (25/25), 83.3% (10/12), 94.6% (35/37), 92.6% (25/27) and 100% (10/10), respectively. Conclusion: The mass and strand pattern and the coarse reticular pattern continuous with PhC on MDCT images were highly suggestive of PLX invasion by PhC. © 2010 European Society of Radiology

Physiological Markers of Motor Improvement Following Five-month Sprint Training in Young Boys

The 11th International Symposium on Adaptive Motion of Animals and Machines. Kobe University, Japan. 2023-06-06/09. Adaptive Motion of Animals and Machines Organizing Committee.Poster Session P4