Some Remarks on Finite Element Mesh Modeling of Crack-Tip Area

The aim of this paper is to present some remarks on the arrangement of finte element mesh modeling of the area adjacent to the crack-tip which locates in two-dimensional area. Since the stress distribution near crack-tip is singular, the arrangement of mesh pattern and the selection of mesh type in the crack area govern the accuracy of the solution. This paper gives some informations on the arrangement of finite elements in the area which are obtained through numerous number of numerical experiments. And the effectivity of Zooming Technique for stress analysis is clarified through the experiments

Effects of Paroxetine and Milnacipran on Pain Disorder

The outcomes of treatment for pain disorder are generally disappointing: symptoms are poorly controlled, they are seldom managed by experts, and they are often long standing. The aim of the present study was to compare the therapeutic effectiveness of paroxetine and milnacipran for outpatients with pain disorder. The study was performed on 43 consecutive outpatients with pain disorder diagnosed according to DSM-IV-TR criteria. Patients were treated with either antidepressant for 8 weeks. Pain was self-assessed using the Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ), the total Pain Rating Index (t-PRI), Present Pain Intensity (PPI), and visual analogue scale (VAS). In addition, pain was evaluated objectively using Pain Vision (a machine devised by NIPRO for semiquantitative measurements). Possible depressive symptoms were rated on the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAM-D) and the Zung Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS). Although VAS scores decreased significantly over the course of the 8-week trial in both the paroxetine- and milnacipran-treated groups (from 6.6 ± 2.3 to 4.8 ± 3.0 [P = 0.01] and from 7.5 ± 2.4 to 5.4 ± 3.3 [P = 0.03], respectively), the t-PRI decreased only in the paroxetine group (from 13.9 ± 10.1 to 7.6 ± 7.5; P = 0.01). The Pain Vision indicated a tendency for decreased pain in both groups, with no significant differences between them. There were no significant changes in the SDS in either group, but the HAM-D decreased significantly in the milnacipran-treated group (from 7.8 ± 4.0 to 6.7 ± 3.9; P = 0.04). The results of the present study suggest that both paroxetine (a selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor) and milnacipran (a selective serotonin-noradrenaline re-uptake inhibitor) may decrease pain in individuals with pain disorder

Difficulties in ensuring review quality performed by committees under the Act on the Safety of Regenerative Medicine in Japan

自由診療で行われる再生医療の審査に関する課題を調査 今後の制度改正に期待. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2023-02-28.Questionable practices identified by an examination of therapeutic plan reviews performed by certified committees under the Act on the Safety of Regenerative Medicine. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2023-02-28.We outlined five studies regarding the quality of the review by committees based on the Act on the Safety of Regenerative Medicine. The findings raise serious concerns about the independence, integrity, and quality of reviews of therapeutic plans by these committees with inappropriately close relationships to medical institutions and companies

Strangulation Caused by a Small Bowel Epiploic Appendage: Report of a Case

While many recent cases of colonic epiploic appendage causing acute abdomen have been reported, such appendages of the small bowel are extremely rare. We present a 59-year-old woman in whom a small bowel epiploic appendage caused volvulus. She presented with abdominal pain and vomiting in the absence of previous abdominal operations. A diagnosis of small bowel obstruction from strangulation was made. Laparotomy disclosed bloody peritoneal fluid and a closed loop of strangulated small intestine. An adherent band composed of an epiploic appendage and intestine had completely encircled a loop of jejunum, leading to obstruction. This band was released, and approximately 80 cm of gangrenous bowel was resected. Four epiploic appendages 5–6 cm in length were attached to the ileum at the mesenteric border, beginning at a point 70 cm proximal to the terminal ileum

Effects of mindfulness-based interventions on biomarkers in healthy and cancer populations: a systematic review

Background: Only a small number of articles have investigated the relationship between mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) and biomarkers. The aim of this systematic review was to study the effect of MBIs on specific biomarkers (cytokines, neuropeptides and C-reactive protein (CRP)) in both healthy subjects and cancer patients. Methods: A search was conducted using PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO and the Cochrane library between 1980 and September 2016. Results: A total of 13 studies with 1110 participants were included. In the healthy population, MBIs had no effect on cytokines, but were found to increase the levels of the neuropeptide insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). With respect to neuropeptide Y, despite the absence of post-intervention differences, MBIs may enhance recovery from stress. With regard to CRP, MBIs could be effective in lower Body Mass Index (BMI) individuals. In cancer patients, MBIs seem to have some effect on cytokine levels, although it was not possible to determine which specific cytokines were affected. One possibility is that MBIs might aid recovery of the immune system, increasing the production of interleukin (IL)-4 and decreasing interferon gamma (IFN-gamma). Conclusions: MBIs may be involved in changes from a depressive/carcinogenic profile to a more normalized one. However, given the complexity and different contexts of the immune system, and the fact that this investigation is still in its preliminary stage, additional randomized controlled trials are needed to further establish the impact of MBI programmes on biomarkers in both clinical and non-clinical populations.Instituto de Salud Carlos III of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and CompetitivenessNetwork for Prevention and Health Promotion in primary Care from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III of the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Spain)European Union ERDF fundsAragon Hlth Sci Inst IACS, Zaragoza, SpainShowa Univ, Dept Psychiat, Sch Med, Tokyo, JapanPrimary Care Prevent & Hlth Promot Res Network RE, Barcelona, SpainUniv Zaragoza, Miguel Servet Univ Hosp, Dept Psychiat, Zaragoza, SpainUniv Zaragoza, Fac Social & Human Sci, Dept Psychol & Sociol, Teruel, SpainFed Univ Sao Paulo UNIFESP, Dept Prevent Med, Mente Aberta Brazilian Ctr Mindfulness & Hlth Pro, Sao Paulo, BrazilHosp Israelita Albert Einstein, Sao Paulo, BrazilUniv Zaragoza, Fac Hlth Sci & Sports, Huesca, SpainUniv Balearic Isl, Res Inst Hlth Sci IUNICS, Palma De Mallorca, SpainFed Univ Sao Paulo UNIFESP, Dept Prevent Med, Mente Aberta Brazilian Ctr Mindfulness & Hlth Pro, Sao Paulo, BrazilInstituto de Salud Carlos III of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness: PI13/01637Network for Prevention and Health Promotion in primary Care from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III of the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Spain): RD12/0005Web of Scienc

Phylogenetic Analysis of Newcastle Disease Virus Genotypes Isolated in Japan

We genetically analyzed field isolates of the Newcastle disease (ND) virus isolated in Japan from 1930 to 2001. The coding region of the fusion protein was amplified by reverse transcriptase PCR and directly sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis revealed the presence of viruses belonging to six of the eight known genotypes. It can be concluded from this study that ND outbreaks in Japan have been of multiple etiologies

Theoretical and Experimental Studies on Elementary Reactions in Living Radical Polymerization via Organic Amine Catalysis

The reaction mechanism of living radical polymerization using organic catalysts, a reversible complexation mediated polymerization (RCMP), was studied using both theoretical calculations and experiments. The studied catalysts are tetramethyl­guanidine (TMG), triethyl­amine (TEA), and thiophene. Methyl 2-iodoisobutyrate (MMA-I) was used as the low-molar-mass model of the dormant species (alkyl iodide) of poly­(methyl methacrylate) iodide (PMMA-I). For the reaction of MMA-I with TEA to generate MMA^• and ^•I-TEA radicals (activation process), the Gibbs activation free energy for the inner-sphere electron transfer mechanism was calculated to be 39.7 kcal mol^–1, while the observed one was 25.1 kcal mol^–1. This difference of the energies suggests that the present RCMP proceeds via the outer-sphere electron transfer mechanism, i.e., single-electron transfer (SET) reaction from TEA to MMA-I to generate MMA^• and ^•I-TEA radicals. The mechanism of the deactivation process of MMA^• to generate MMA-I was also theoretically studied. For the studied three catalysts, the theoretical results reasonably elucidated the experimentally observed polymerization behaviors