Texture analysis of low-flow vascular malformations in the oral and maxillofacial region : venous malformation vs. lymphatic malformation

Purpose: It is challenging for radiologists to distinguish between venous malformations (VMs) and lymphatic malformations (LMs) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Thus, this study aimed to differentiate VMs from LMs using non-contrast-enhanced MRI texture analysis. Material and methods: This retrospective case-control study included 12 LM patients (6 men and 6 women; mean age 43.58, range 7-85 years) and 29 VM patients (7 men and 22 women; mean age 53.10, range 19-76 years) who underwent MRI for suspected vascular malformations. LM and VM patients were identified by histopathological examination of tissues excised during surgery. The texture features of VM and LM were analysed using the open-access software MaZda version 3.3. Seventeen texture features were selected using the Fisher and probability of error and average correlation coefficient methods in MaZda from 279 original parameters calculated for VM and LM. Results: Among 17 selected texture features, the patients with LM and VM revealed significant differences in 1 histogram feature, 8 grey-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) features, and 1 grey-level run-length matrix feature. At the cut-off values of the histogram feature [skewness ≤ –0.131], and the GLCM features [S(0, 2) correlation ≥ 0.667, S(0, 3) correlation ≥ 0.451, S(0, 4) correlation ≥ 0.276, S(0, 5) correlation ≥ 0.389, S(1, 1) correlation ≥ 0.739, S(2, 2) correlation ≥ 0.446, S(2, –2) correlation ≥ 0.299, S(3, –3) correlation ≥ 0.091] had area under the curves of 0.724, 0.764, 0.773, 0.747, 0.733, 0.759, 0.730, 0.744 and 0.727, respectively. Conclusions: Non-contrast-enhanced MRI texture analysis allows us to differentiate between LMs and VMs

Reorganization of Corticospinal Projections after Prominent Recovery of Finger Dexterity from Partial Spinal Cord Injury in Macaque Monkeys

We investigated morphologic changes in the corticospinal tract (CST) to understand the mechanism underlying recovery of hand function after lesion of the CST at the C4/C5 border in seven macaque monkeys. All monkeys exhibited prominent recovery of precision grip success ratio within a few months. The trajectories and terminals of CST from the contralesional (n = 4) and ipsilesional (n = 3) hand area of primary motor cortex (M1) were investigated at 5–29 months after the injury using an anterograde neural tracer, biotinylated dextran amine (BDA). Reorganization of the CST was assessed by counting the number of BDA-labeled axons and bouton-like swellings in the gray and white matters. Rostral to the lesion (at C3), the number of axon collaterals of the descending axons from both contralesional and ipsilesional M1 entering the ipsilesional and contralesional gray matter, respectively, were increased. Caudal to the lesion (at C8), axons originating from the contralesional M1, descending in the preserved gray matter around the lesion, and terminating in ipsilesional Laminae VI/VII and IX were observed. In addition, axons and terminals from the ipsilesional M1 increased in the ipsilesional Lamina IX after recrossing the midline, which were not observed in intact monkeys. Conversely, axons originating from the ipsilesional M1 and directed toward the contralesional Lamina VII decreased. These results suggest that multiple reorganizations of the corticospinal projections to spinal segments both rostral and caudal to the lesion originating from bilateral M1 underlie a prominent recovery in long-term after spinal cord injury

[1.1]meta-Stilbenophanes as calixarene analogs: preparation, crystal structure, and cis-trans photoisomerization

Abstract-Three isomers of [1.1]meta-stilbenophane were synthesized by the McMurry reaction of diarylmethane dialdehyde and their crystal structures and photochemical properties were investigated. X-ray crystallographic analyses of these isomers revealed that they were assigned to a trans-trans (t-t) form with a 1,3-alternate conformation, a cis-trans (c-t) form with a distorted-cone conformation, and a cis-cis (c-c) form with a 1,2-alternate conformation. A 1 H NMR study indicated that a t-t isomer could be completely transformed into a 35:65 mixture of c-t and c-c isomers by photoirradiation at 254 nm

Distributed Driving System For The Excavation Unit Of A Lunar Earthwarm-Type “Leavo” Excavation Robot

The authors have developed a small excavation robot called the “LEAVO” for lunar exploration, and they have confirmed its usefulness as an excavation robot. They then attempted to add a curved excavation function in order for the LEAVO to increase its exploration field. To achieve this goal, it was necessary for the LEAVO’s excavation unit to transmit the motor output torque to the excavation head without any losses. In this paper, therefore, the authors proposed a new driving system called the “distributed driving system,” which reduced the transmission losses by distributing the actuators and arranging them in the frontal part of the robot. Moreover, the authors developed the prototype of this system and measured its output torque as an operational check

The geomorphology, color, and thermal properties of Ryugu: Implications for parent-body processes

The near-Earth carbonaceous asteroid 162173 Ryugu is thought to have been produced from a parent body that contained water ice and organic molecules. The Hayabusa2 spacecraft has obtained global multi-color images of Ryugu. Geomorphological features present include a circum-equatorial ridge, east/west dichotomy, high boulder abundances across the entire surface, and impact craters. Age estimates from the craters indicate a resurfacing age of ≲ 106 years for the top 1-meter layer. Ryugu is among the darkest known bodies in the Solar System. The high abundance and spectral properties of boulders are consistent with moderately dehydrated materials, analogous to thermally metamorphosed meteorites found on Earth. The general uniformity in color across Ryugu’s surface supports partial dehydration due to internal heating of the asteroid’s parent body.Additional co-authors: N Namiki, S Tanaka, Y Iijima, K Yoshioka, M Hayakawa, Y Cho, M Matsuoka, N Hirata, N Hirata, H Miyamoto, D Domingue, M Hirabayashi, T Nakamura, T Hiroi, T Michikami, P Michel, R-L Ballouz, O S Barnouin, C M Ernst, S E Schröder, H Kikuchi, R Hemmi, G Komatsu, T Fukuhara, M Taguchi, T Arai, H Senshu, H Demura, Y Ogawa, Y Shimaki, T Sekiguchi, T G Müller, T Mizuno, H Noda, K Matsumoto, R Yamada, Y Ishihara, H Ikeda, H Araki, K Yamamoto, S Abe, F Yoshida, A Higuchi, S Sasaki, S Oshigami, S Tsuruta, K Asari, S Tazawa, M Shizugami, J Kimura, T Otsubo, H Yabuta, S Hasegawa, M Ishiguro, S Tachibana, E Palmer, R Gaskell, L Le Corre, R Jaumann, K Otto, N Schmitz, P A Abell, M A Barucci, M E Zolensky, F Vilas, F Thuillet, C Sugimoto, N Takaki, Y Suzuki, H Kamiyoshihara, M Okada, K Nagata, M Fujimoto, M Yoshikawa, Y Yamamoto, K Shirai, R Noguchi, N Ogawa, F Terui, S Kikuchi, T Yamaguchi, Y Oki, Y Takao, H Takeuchi, G Ono, Y Mimasu, K Yoshikawa, T Takahashi, Y Takei, A Fujii, C Hirose, S Nakazawa, S Hosoda, O Mori, T Shimada, S Soldini, T Iwata, M Abe, H Yano, R Tsukizaki, M Ozaki, K Nishiyama, T Saiki, S Watanabe, Y Tsud

Heliocentric Distance Dependence of Zodiacal Light Observed by Hayabusa2#

Zodiacal light (ZL) is sunlight scattered by interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) at optical wavelengths. The spatial distribution of IDPs in the Solar System may hold an important key to understanding the evolution of the Solar System and material transportation within it. The number density of IDPs can be expressed as $n(r) \sim r^{-\alpha}$, and the exponent $\alpha \sim 1.3$ was obtained by previous observations from interplanetary space by Helios 1/2 and Pioneer 10/11 in the 1970s and 1980s. However, no direct measurements of $\alpha$ based on ZL observations from interplanetary space outside Earth's orbit have been performed since then. Here, we introduce initial results for the radial profile of the ZL at optical wavelengths observed over the range 0.76-1.06 au by ONC-T aboard the Hayabusa2# mission in 2021-2022. The ZL brightness we obtained is well reproduced by a model brightness, although there is a small excess of the observed ZL brightness over the model brightness at around 0.9 au. The radial power-law index we obtained is $\alpha = 1.30 \pm 0.08$, which is consistent with previous results based on ZL observations. The dominant source of uncertainty arises from the uncertainty in estimating the diffuse Galactic light (DGL).Comment: 22 pages, 19 figures, 4 tables, accepted for publication by Earth, Planets and Spac

Hayabusa2’s superior solar conjunction mission operations: planning and post-operation results

Abstract In late 2018, the asteroid Ryugu was in the Sun’s shadow during the superior solar conjunction phase. As the Sun-Earth-Ryugu angle decreased to below 3°, the Hayabusa2 spacecraft experienced 21 days of planned blackout in the Earth-probe communication link. This was the first time a spacecraft had experienced solar conjunction while hovering around a minor body. For the safety of the spacecraft, a low energy transfer trajectory named Ayu was designed in the Hill reference frame to increase its altitude from 20 to 110 km. The trajectory was planned with the newly developed optNEAR tool and validated with real time data. This article shows the results of the conjunction operation, from planning to flight data.</jats:p

Acute deterioration of idiopathic portal hypertension requiring living donor liver transplantation: a case report.

Case reports of severe idiopathic portal hypertension (IPH) requiring liver transplantation are very rare. We report the case of a 65-year-old woman who was diagnosed as having IPH. At the age of 60 years, her initial symptom was hematemesis, due to ruptured esophageal varices. Computed tomography of the abdomen showed splenomegaly and a small amount of ascites, without liver cirrhosis. She was diagnosed as having IPH and followed-up as an outpatient. Five years later, she developed symptoms of a common cold and rapidly progressive abdominal distension. She was found to have severe liver atrophy, liver dysfunction, and massive ascites. Living donor liver transplantation was then performed, and her postoperative course was uneventful. Histopathological findings of the explanted liver showed collapse and stenosis of the peripheral portal vein. The areas of liver parenchyma were narrow, while the portal tracts and central veins were approximate one another, leading to a diagnosis of IPH. There was no liver cirrhosis. The natural history of refractory IPH could be observed in this case. Patients with end-stage liver failure due to severe IPH can be treated by liver transplantation