重力異常データのカラムインバージョンから見積もったモホ不連続面の形状

We present an inversion method, called "column inversion", to retrieve two-dimensional variation of the depth to the Moho discontinuity from Bouguer gravity anomaly data, assuming that a density jump between the lower crust and upper mantle is regionally invariant. The inversion method is applied to reveal the apatial undulation of the Moho discontinuity in the Chugoku and Shikoku districts, southwest Japan. The result shows that the Moho is deep in the land area and shallow in the sea area. The Moho is anomalously deep in the west regions of Shikoku and Chugoku districts, where the prominent negative gravity anomaly is observed. The two-dimensional variation of the Moho depth is quite similar to that determined by inversion of the first P-arrival time data. The column inversion of the Bouguer gravity anomaly data is proved to be useful for determining the fine structure of the Moho discontinuity undulation

Total port-access lobectomy via a subcostal trans-diaphragmatic approach for lung cancer

Video-assisted thoracic surgery has been recognized as an acceptable technique for the treatment of early-stage lung cancer, with the potential advantage of lower postoperative pain than that experienced after open thoracotomy. However, the procedure cannot completely alleviate postoperative pain and paraesthesia and causes some degree of intercostal nerve damage. To minimize postoperative pain in video-assisted thoracic surgery, several new approaches have recently been reported. We describe the case of a 51-year old woman who successfully underwent total port-access, video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy for Stage IA lung cancer via the subcostal trans-diaphragmatic approach. Our Results demonstrate the feasibility and safety of this procedure, which offers the advantages of minimizing intercostal nerve damage and facilitating better handling of staplers. © 2012 The Author

A suitable stereoisomer of vibrioferrin probes for iron uptake of Vibrio parahaemolyticus

Suitable Stereostructures of vibrioferrin probes for iron uptake of Vibrio parahaemolyticus was revealed. Stereoisomers of dansyl labeled vibrioferrin at the 2′′-position were synthesized and their uptake activities were evaluated. Vibrio parahaemolyticus take in both isomers at the 2′′-position. In addition to Vibrio parahaemolyticus, several bacteria have also taken up the (R)-isomer

Usefulness of fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography in management strategy for thymic epithelial tumors

Background: This study investigated the usefulness of fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) during the treatment of thymic epithelial tumors in combination with Ki-67 evaluation based on surgical cases in our department. Methods: Between November 2003 and May 2011, 39 patients with thymic epithelial tumor underwent preoperative FDG-PET. The maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of each category within Masaoka stage, World Health Organization classification, tumor diameter, myasthenia gravis, and Ki-67 label index were compared. To examine risk factors for relapse, SUVmax, age, sex, and surgical radicality were investigated in addition to those items. Results: The mean SUVmax was 4.5 (range, 1.2 to 14.6) and was significantly higher for Masaoka stage IV than for I and II (all p < 0.008) and for World Health Organization classified thymic cancer compared with all other types (all p < 0.0001). Mean SUVmax revealed significantly higher values for large tumors than for small tumors (p = 0.02). Mean SUVmax was significantly higher for high Ki-67-positive samples (p = 0.0004), indicating a strong correlation between SUVmax and the Ki-67 label index (ρ = 0.77, p = 0.0001). SUVmax accurately reflected therapeutic efficacy in patients with induction therapy. Univariate analysis revealed Masaoka stages III and IV and pathologically incomplete resection as risk factors for relapse. On multivariate analysis, independent risk factors for relapse comprised only Masaoka stages III and IV. Conclusions: FDG-PET SUVmax does reflect proliferation and invasiveness of thymic epithelial tumors and can provide an index for diagnosis and treatment, although it is not a risk factor for relapse. FDG-PET is also useful for evaluating induction therapy efficacy and detecting relapse. © 2013 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

Needlescopic video-assisted wedge resection combined with the subcostal trans-diaphragmatic approach for undetermined peripheral pulmonary nodules

Background: Reduced mortality from lung cancer by computed tomography (CT) screening facilitates the use of video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) lung wedge resection to obtain a definite diagnosis and to treat tiny nodules. The authors evaluated their initial experience using novel needlescopic VATS wedge resection combined with the subcostal trans-diaphragmatic (SCTD) approach for managing undetermined peripheral pulmonary nodules. Methods: Between 2009 and 2012, 35 patients who had 36 operations underwent needlescopic VATS wedge pulmonary resection with the SCTD approach. Preoperative percutaneous CT-guided marking of the nodule was performed. Two 3-mm miniports were placed in the thorax for the thoracoscopic camera and minigrasper. Just anterior to the 10th rib, a 2-cm subcostal incision was made, and a 12- or 15-mm port was placed trans-diaphragmatically into the chest cavity. Wedge resection of the lung was performed with endostaplers introduced through a subcostal port. Results: The median tumor size was 1.1 cm. Localization of the tumor was widely distributed. The mean operation time was 51 min, and the mean blood loss was 4.2 mL. No patients required conversion to thoracotomy, and one patient required conversion to conventional VATS. Additional thoracic ports were placed in five patients, and the needlescopic incision was extended to 15 mm in one patient. The median duration of chest drainage was 1 day. Additional analgesia was not required for 22 patients and was used for less than 1 day for three patients, less than 2 days for seven patients, and less than 3 days for seven patients. The pathologic diagnosis of the nodules was malignant for 28 patients and benign for 8 patients. On postoperative day 7 or at admission, 34 patients were free of postoperative neuralgia. Conclusions: Needlescopic VATS wedge pulmonary resection combined with the SCTD approach is both safe and feasible and offers the specific advantages of minimal invasiveness and good cosmetic outcomes. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York

Phosphoinositide 3-kinase signaling pathway mediated by p110α regulates invadopodia formation

Inhibition of p110α or of the downstream PI3K signaling pathway components PDK1 and Akt, as well as phosphoinositide sequestration, blocks invadopodia formation in breast cancer cells

The Japanese Clinical Practice Guidelines for Management of Sepsis and Septic Shock 2016 (J-SSCG 2016)

Background and purposeThe Japanese Clinical Practice Guidelines for Management of Sepsis and Septic Shock 2016 (J-SSCG 2016), a Japanese-specific set of clinical practice guidelines for sepsis and septic shock created jointly by the Japanese Society of Intensive Care Medicine and the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine, was first released in February 2017 and published in the Journal of JSICM, [2017; Volume 24 (supplement 2)] https://doi.org/10.3918/jsicm.24S0001 and Journal of Japanese Association for Acute Medicine [2017; Volume 28, (supplement 1)] http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jja2.2017.28.issue-S1/issuetoc.This abridged English edition of the J-SSCG 2016 was produced with permission from the Japanese Association of Acute Medicine and the Japanese Society for Intensive Care Medicine.MethodsMembers of the Japanese Society of Intensive Care Medicine and the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine were selected and organized into 19 committee members and 52 working group members. The guidelines were prepared in accordance with the Medical Information Network Distribution Service (Minds) creation procedures. The Academic Guidelines Promotion Team was organized to oversee and provide academic support to the respective activities allocated to each Guideline Creation Team. To improve quality assurance and workflow transparency, a mutual peer review system was established, and discussions within each team were open to the public. Public comments were collected once after the initial formulation of a clinical question (CQ) and twice during the review of the final draft. Recommendations were determined to have been adopted after obtaining support from a two-thirds (> 66.6%) majority vote of each of the 19 committee members.ResultsA total of 87 CQs were selected among 19 clinical areas, including pediatric topics and several other important areas not covered in the first edition of the Japanese guidelines (J-SSCG 2012). The approval rate obtained through committee voting, in addition to ratings of the strengths of the recommendation, and its supporting evidence were also added to each recommendation statement. We conducted meta-analyses for 29 CQs. Thirty-seven CQs contained recommendations in the form of an expert consensus due to insufficient evidence. No recommendations were provided for five CQs.ConclusionsBased on the evidence gathered, we were able to formulate Japanese-specific clinical practice guidelines that are tailored to the Japanese context in a highly transparent manner. These guidelines can easily be used not only by specialists, but also by non-specialists, general clinicians, nurses, pharmacists, clinical engineers, and other healthcare professionals

Search for dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks in √s = 13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for weakly interacting massive particle dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks is presented. Final states containing third-generation quarks and miss- ing transverse momentum are considered. The analysis uses 36.1 fb−1 of proton–proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at √s = 13 TeV in 2015 and 2016. No significant excess of events above the estimated backgrounds is observed. The results are in- terpreted in the framework of simplified models of spin-0 dark-matter mediators. For colour- neutral spin-0 mediators produced in association with top quarks and decaying into a pair of dark-matter particles, mediator masses below 50 GeV are excluded assuming a dark-matter candidate mass of 1 GeV and unitary couplings. For scalar and pseudoscalar mediators produced in association with bottom quarks, the search sets limits on the production cross- section of 300 times the predicted rate for mediators with masses between 10 and 50 GeV and assuming a dark-matter mass of 1 GeV and unitary coupling. Constraints on colour- charged scalar simplified models are also presented. Assuming a dark-matter particle mass of 35 GeV, mediator particles with mass below 1.1 TeV are excluded for couplings yielding a dark-matter relic density consistent with measurements