Prevention of Post-Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography Pancreatitis by Endoscopic Pancreatic Stenting after Insertion of Self-Expandable Metal Stent for Malignant Distal Biliary Stricture

The insertion of a self-expandable metal stent (SEMS) for nonpancreatic cancer is a factor predicting the risk of post-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography pancreatitis (PEP). We evaluated the efficacy of endo-scopic pancreatic stenting (EPS) to prevent PEP after SEMS insertion in patients with malignant distal biliary stricture and without main pancreatic duct (MPD) obstruction. We performed a single-center, retrospective, historically controlled investigation to assess the outcomes of 33 consecutive patients who underwent SEMS insertion. From March 2013 to June 2015, 13 patients did not undergo EPS (Non-EPS group). The other 20 patients underwent EPS (EPS group) between July 2015 and August 2018. The background data demonstrated no significant differences. Except for one patient in the Non-EPS group, all patients underwent biliary sphinc-terotomy. The EPS group’s PEP incidence was significantly lower (n = 1, 5%) than that of the Non-EPS group (n = 4, 31%) (p = 0.04). The median serum amylase and lipase levels after the procedure were significantly lower in the EPS group than in the Non-EPS group (amylase: 104 vs. 262 U/L; p < 0.01, lipase: 102 vs. 666 U/L; p = 0.01). The use of EPS decreased the incidence of PEP after SEMS insertion in individuals with malignant distal biliary stricture and without MPD obstruction

Noninvasive Demonstration of Dual Coronary Artery Fistulas to Main Pulmonary Artery with 64-Slice Multidetector-Computed Tomography: A Case Report

Coronary artery fistulas, including coronary pulmonary fistulas, are usually discovered accidently among the adult population when undergoing invasive coronary angiographies. We report here a 58-year-old woman with dual fistulas originating from the left anterior descending coronary artery and right coronary sinus to the main pulmonary artery, demonstrating noninvasively with multidetector-computed tomography (MDCT) and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE)

Verification of Learning Outcomes in Professional School for Teacher Education of Okayama University: A Follow-up Survey of In-service Student Graduates

　本研究では，岡山大学教職大学院の現職学生修了生及びその勤務先所属長に対して調査を行い，教職大学院での学修の成果が学校教育活動においてどのように活かされているか，また教員としてのどのような資質・能力の伸長につながったのかを検討した。修了生及びその勤務先所属長から得られたWebアンケートへの回答の集計・分析の結果から，大半の修了生が教職大学院での学びを現在の仕事で活用できており，所属長からも高い評価を得ていることが確認された。一方で，修了生は教科の学習評価の観点や方法，新しい教育課題へ対応するための力を伸長する必要性を認識していた。また所属長は，より広い視野に立って学校のあり方や教育実践をとらえ，個別の児童生徒の抱える課題や新たな教育課題に対する全校的な教育支援体制を構築し改善する力を備えた，スクールリーダーとしての成長を期待していた。本研究で得られた示唆を踏まえ，今後は教職大学院の教育課程と授業に係る課題の抽出とその改善を図るとともに，修了生へのフォローアップの機会の提供など，学修成果の質を高める手立てを継続的に検討していく必要がある

High glucose-induced apoptosis in human coronary artery endothelial cells involves up-regulation of death receptors

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>High glucose can induce apoptosis in vascular endothelial cells, which may contribute to the development of vascular complications in diabetes. We evaluated the role of the death receptor pathway of apoptotic signaling in high glucose-induced apoptosis in human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAECs).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>HCAECs were treated with media containing 5.6, 11.1, and 16.7 mM of glucose for 24 h in the presence or absence of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. For detection of apoptosis, DNA fragmentation assay was used. HCAEC expression of death receptors were analyzed by the PCR and flow cytometry methods. Also, using immunohistochemical techniques, coronary expression of death receptors was assessed in streptozotocin-nicotinamide-induced type 2 diabetic mice.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Exposure of HCAECs to high glucose resulted in a significant increase in TNF-R1 and Fas expression, compared with normal glucose. High glucose increased TNF-α production by HCAECs and exogenous TNF-α up-regulated TNF-R1 and Fas expression in HCAECs. High glucose-induced up-regulation of TNF-R1 and Fas expression was undetectable in the presence of TNF-α. Treatment with TNF-R1 neutralizing peptides significantly inhibited high glucose-induced endothelial cell apoptosis. Type 2 diabetic mice displayed appreciable expression of TNF-R1 and Fas in coronary vessels.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In association with increased TNF-α levels, the death receptors, TNF-R1 and Fas, are up-regulated in HCAECs under high glucose conditions, which could in turn play a role in high glucose-induced endothelial cell apoptosis.</p

Synthesis of carbon nanotubes by microwave heating: Influence of diameter of catalytic Ni nanoparticles on diameter of CNTs

We rapidly synthesized multi walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) by calcination of granulated polystyrene with nickel nanoparticles having different average diameter (D-Ni = 10, 20, 50 or 90 nm) under nitrogen gas at a certain temperature and time (700 degrees C, 15 min or 800 degrees C, 10 min), using a domestic microwave oven in order to systematically investigate the influence of the diameter of nickel nanoparticles on the diameter of MWCNTs. The MWCNTs synthesized here were characterized by a transmission electron microscope, a Raman spectrophotometer and a wide angle X-ray diffractometer. We found that for the calcination condition of (800 degrees C, 10 min), a relationship between the outer diameter of the resulted carbon nanotubes (D-CNT) and the diameter of catalytic nickel nanoparticles (D-Ni) can be described as a linear function, D-CNT = 1.01D(Ni) + 14.79 nm with the correlation coefficient R = 0.99, and that for the calcination condition of 700 degrees C, 15 min, D-CNT = 1.12D(Ni) + 7.80 nm with R = 0.95. Thus, we revealed that when the diameter of the catalytic nickel nanoparticles (D-Ni) increases by 1 nm, the outer diameter of the obtained MWCNTs (D-CNT) increases by about 1 nm.ArticleJOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A. 2(8):2773-2780 (2014)journal articl

Cosmological Constraints from calibrated Yonetoku and Amati relation implies Fundamental plane of Gamma-ray bursts

We consider two empirical relations using data only from the prompt emission of Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs), peak energy ($E_p$) - peak luminosity ($L_p$) relation (so called Yonetoku relation) and $E_p$-isotropic energy ($E_{\rm iso}$) relation (so called Amati relation). We first suggest the independence of the two relations although they have been considered similar and dependent. From this viewpoint, we compare constraints on cosmological parameters, $\Omega_m$ and $\Omega_{\Lambda}$, from the Yonetoku and Amati relations calibrated by low-redshift GRBs with $z < 1.8$. We found that they are different in 1-$\sigma$ level, although they are still consistent in 2-$\sigma$ level. This and the fact that both Amati and Yonetoku relations have systematic errors larger than statistical errors suggest the existence of a hidden parameter of GRBs. We introduce the luminosity time $T_L$ defined by $T_L\equiv E_{\rm iso}/L_p$ as a hidden parameter to obtain a generalized Yonetoku relation as $(L_p/{10^{52} \rm{erg s^{-1}}}) = 10^{-3.88\pm0.09}(E_p/{\rm{keV}})^{1.84\pm0.04} (T_L/{\rm{s}})^{-0.34\pm0.04}$. The new relation has much smaller systematic error, 30%, and can be regarded as "Fundamental plane" of GRBs. We show a possible radiation model for this new relation. Finally we apply the new relation for high-redshift GRBs with $1.8 < z < 5.6$ to obtain $(\Omega_m,\Omega_{\Lambda}) = (0.16^{+0.04}_{-0.06},1.20^{+0.03}_{-0.09})$, which is consistent with the concordance cosmological model within 2-$\sigma$ level.Comment: 5 pages, 6 figures, published in JCA

Photoinduced swing of a diarylethene thin broad sword shaped crystal:a study on the detailed mechanism

We report a swinging motion of photochromic thin broad sword shaped crystals upon continuous irradiation with UV light. By contrast in thick crystals, photosalient phenomena were observed. The bending and swinging mechanisms are in fact due to molecular size changes as well as phase transitions. The first slight bending away from the light source is due to photocyclization-induced surface expansion, and the second dramatic bending toward UV incidence is due to single-crystal-to-single-crystal (SCSC) phase transition from the original phase I to phase IIUV. Upon visible light irradiation, the crystal returned to phase I. A similar SCSC phase transition with a similar volume decrease occurred by lowering the temperature (phase IIItemp). For both photoinduced and thermal SCSC phase transitions, the symmetry of the unit cell is lowered; in phase IIUV the twisting angle of disordered phenyl groups is different between two adjacent molecules, while in phase IIItemp, the population of the phenyl rotamer is different between adjacent molecules. In the case of phase IIUV, we found thickness dependent photosalient phenomena. The thin broad sword shaped crystals with a 3 mu m thickness showed no photosalient phenomena, whereas photoinduced SCSC phase transition occurred. In contrast, large crystals of several tens of mu m thickness showed photosalient phenomena on the irradiated surface where SCSC phase transition occurred. The results indicated that the accumulated strain, between isomerized and non-isomerized layers, gave rise to the photosalient phenomenon