Discovery of Diffuse Radio Source in Abell 1060

Non-thermal components in the intra-cluster medium (ICM) such as turbulence, magnetic field, and cosmic rays imprint the past and current energetic activities of jets from active galactic neuclie (AGN) of member galaxies as well as disturbance caused by galaxy cluster mergers. Meter- and centimeter-radio observations of synchrotron radiation allow us to diagnose the nonthermal component. Here we report on our discovery of an unidentified diffuse radio source, named the Flying Fox, near the center of the Abell 1060 field. The Flying Fox has an elongated ring-like structure and a central bar shape, but there is no obvious host galaxy. The average spectral index of the Flying Fox is -1.4, which is steeper than those for radio sources seen at meter wavelength. We discussed the possibilities of radio lobes, phoenixes, radio halos and relics, and Odd Radio Circle (ORC). In conclusion, the Flying Fox is not clearly explained by known radio sources.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, Submitted to PASJ as Lette

Effects of continual intermittent administration of parathyroid hormone on implant stability in the presence of osteoporosis: an in vivo study using resonance frequency analysis in a rabbit model

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of continual intermittent administration of parathyroid hormone (PTH) on implant stability in the presence of osteoporosis, using rabbit models. Material and Methods: Fifteen female New Zealand white rabbits underwent ovariectomy and were administered glucocorticoids to induce osteoporosis, following which they were divided into three groups. The first group received intermittent subcutaneous PTH for 4 weeks until implant placement (PTH1), while the second and third groups received PTH (PTH2) and saline (control), respectively, for 4 weeks before and after implant placement. After intermittent administration of PTH or saline, titanium implants were inserted into the left femoral epiphyses of all animals, and the implant stability quotient (ISQ) was measured immediately after placement to assess the primary stability and at 2 and 4 weeks after implant placement to assess osseointegration. At 4 weeks after implant placement, histological and histomorphometric evaluations were conducted and the bone area around the implant socket was measured as a ratio of the total bone area to the total tissue area. Results: Regarding primary stability, the ISQ values for the PTH1 and PTH2 groups were significantly higher than those for the control group (

Investigation of Effective Modification Treatments for Titanium Membranes

Titanium membranes are used for guided bone regeneration in implant therapy. However, as a bioinert material, titanium does not have the ability to accelerate bone formation. Various titanium surface treatments to confer bioactivity have been demonstrated; however, there are concerns about the influence of chemical treatments for thin titanium membranes. This study investigated the influence of surface modifications on the structure of titanium membranes. Titanium membranes of 20 μm thickness were treated with acid or alkali solutions, and we evaluated their surface structure, wettability, thickness, and mechanical strength compared to non-treated membranes. Alkali-treated titanium membranes displayed the formation of nanoscale pore structures on their surfaces, enhanced hydrophilicity, and almost same thickness compared with acid-treated membranes. Furthermore, the tensile strength of alkali-treated membranes was comparable to non-treated membranes. These results suggest that alkali treatment is an appropriate surface modification method for titanium membranes

Osseointegration aspects of placed implant in bone reconstruction with newly developed block-type interconnected porous calcium hydroxyapatite

Artificial bone has been employed to reconstruct bone defects. However, only few reports on implant placement after block bone grafting exist. Objectives The purpose of this study was to evaluate the osseointegration of dental implant in bone reconstructions with interconnected porous calcium hydroxyapatite (IP-CHA). Material and Methods The IP-CHA cylinders (D; 4.3 mm, H; 10.0 mm) were placed into bone sockets in each side of the femurs of four male dogs. The IP-CHA on the right side was a 24-week sample. Twelve weeks after placement, a titanium implant was placed into a socket that was prepared in half of the placed IP-CHA cylinder on the right side. On the left side, another IP-CHA cylinder was placed as a 12-week sample. After another 12 weeks, the samples were harvested, and the bone regeneration and bone-implant contact (BIC) ratios were measured. Results New bone formation area was superior in the 24-week IP-CHA compared with the 12-week IP-CHA. BIC was not significantly different between IP-CHA and the parent sites. Osseointegration was detected around the implant in IP-CHA-reconstructed bone. Conclusion Our preliminary results suggest that IP-CHA may be a suitable bone graft material for reconstructing bones that require implant placement

Ataxia and peripheral nerve hypomyelination in ADAM22-deficient mice

BACKGROUND: ADAM22 is a member of the ADAM gene family, but the fact that it is expressed only in the nervous systems makes it unique. ADAM22's sequence similarity to other ADAMs suggests it to be an integrin binder and thus to have a role in cell-cell or cell-matrix interactions. To elucidate the physiological functions of ADAM22, we employed gene targeting to generate ADAM22 knockout mice. RESULTS: ADAM22-deficient mice were produced in a good accordance with the Mendelian ratio and appeared normal at birth. After one week, severe ataxia was observed, and all homozygotes died before weaning, probably due to convulsions. No major histological abnormalities were detected in the cerebral cortex or cerebellum of the homozygous mutants; however, marked hypomyelination of the peripheral nerves was observed. CONCLUSION: The results of our study demonstrate that ADAM22 is closely involved in the correct functioning of the nervous system. Further analysis of ADAM22 will provide clues to understanding the mechanisms of human diseases such as epileptic seizures and peripheral neuropathy

Characteristics of Grouped Discharge Waveforms Observed in Long-term Masseter Muscle Electromyographic Recording: A Preliminary Study

We investigated the characteristics of grouped discharge (GD) waveforms obtained from long-term masseter electromyogram (EMG) recording in 6 female temporomandibular disorder (TMD) patients with myofascial pain and 6 healthy females. The EMG measurement was performed from the morning of the experiment day until the subject woke up the next day. We observed a significantly larger number of GD waveforms in the TMD group compared to the control group (p=0.002). Our results indicate that the existence of GD waveforms in masseter EMGs might be a predictor of future TMD with myofascial pain

Mechanomyographic activity in the human lateral pterygoid muscle during mandibular movement

The activity of the lateral pterygoid muscle has been regarded to be related to the pathological condition of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) in the craniomandibular disorders. Because the lateral pterygoid muscle is a deep muscle, a needle electrode is necessary for EMG recordings. The purpose of this study was to establish a non-invasive method for the evaluation of muscle activity of the lateral pterygoid muscle using mechanomyogram (MMG). In three male subjects, surface electromyogram (EMG) in the left masseter muscle, left anterior and posterior belly of the temporal muscle, left anterior belly of the digastric muscle and needle EMG of the inferior head of the lateral pterygoid were recorded during mandibular movement tasks simultaneously with the MMG derived from a condenser microphone in the external ear canal. There were significant positive correlations between the needle EMG signal of the lateral pterygoid muscle and the MMG signal for the tasks of static jaw opened position of 30 mm of interincisal distance (p = 0.000, R(2)=0.725), static jaw opened position of 40 mm of interincisal distance (p = 0.000, R(2) = 0.753), 5 mm protruded mandibular position (p = 0.000, R(2) = 0.653), the most protruded mandibular position (p = 0.000, R(2) = 0803). On the contrary, for the task of maximal clenching, there was no significant correlation between the EMG signal of the lateral pterygoid muscle and the MMG signal. These results suggest that the activity of the lateral pterygoid muscle could be evaluated by the MMG signals recorded in the external ear canal, unless jaw closing major muscles show active contraction

Randomised phase II trial of mFOLFOX6 plus bevacizumab versus mFOLFOX6 plus cetuximab as first-line treatment for colorectal liver metastasis (ATOM trial)

BackgroundChemotherapy with biologics followed by liver surgery improves the resection rate and survival of patients with colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM). However, no prospective study has compared the outcomes of chemotherapy with bevacizumab (BEV) versus cetuximab (CET).MethodsThe ATOM study is the first randomised trial comparing BEV and CET for initially unresectable CRLM. Patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive mFOLFOX6 plus either BEV or CET. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS).ResultsBetween May 2013 and April 2016, 122 patients were enrolled. Median PFS was 11.5 months (95% CI 9.2–13.3 months) in the BEV group and 14.8 months (95% CI 9.7–17.3 months) in the CET group (hazard ratio 0.803; P = 0.33). Patients with a smaller-number but larger-sized metastases did better in the CET group. In the BEV and CET groups, the response rates were 68.4% and 84.7% and the resection rates were 56.1% and 49.2%, respectively.ConclusionAlthough CET achieved a better response rate than BEV for patients with a small number of large liver metastases, both biologics had similar efficacy regarding liver resection and acceptable safety profiles. To achieve optimal PFS, biologics should be selected in accordance with patient conditions.Trial registrationThis trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (number NCT01836653), and UMIN Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN-CTR number UMIN000010209)

Changes in expression levels of ERCC1, DPYD, and VEGFA mRNA after first-line chemotherapy of metastatic colorectal cancer: results of a multicenter study

Our previous study showed that administering oxaliplatin as first-line chemotherapy increased ERCC1 and DPD levels in liver colorectal cancers (CRCs) metastases. Second, whether the anti-VEGF monoclonal antibody bevacizumab alters tumoral VEGFA levels is unknown. We conducted this multicenter observational study to validate our previous findings on ERCC1 and DPD, and clarify the response of VEGFA expression to bavacizumab administration. 346 CRC patients with liver metastases were enrolled at 22 Japanese institutes. Resected liver metastases were available for 175 patients previously treated with oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy (chemotherapy group) and 171 receiving no previous chemotherapy (non-chemotherapy group). ERCC1, DPYD, and VEGFA mRNA levels were measured by real-time RT-PCR. ERCC1 mRNA expression was significantly higher in the chemotherapy group than in the non-chemotherapy group (P = 0.033), and were significantly correlated (Spearman\u27s correlation coefficient = 0.42; P < 0.0001). VEGFA expression level was higher in patients receiving bevacizumab (n = 51) than in those who did not (n = 251) (P = 0.007). This study confirmed that first-line oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy increases ERCC1 and DPYD expression levels, potentially enhancing chemosensitivity to subsequent therapy. We also found that bevacizumab induces VEGFA expression in tumor cells, suggesting a biologic rationale for extending bevacizumab treatment beyond first progression