ジョクソウ ニ タイスル ラップ リョウホウ ノ ココロミ : ポリエンカビニリデンセイ ショクヒン ホウソウヨウ フィルム オ モチイタ ジョクソウ チリョウ

A food wrap film was used as a part of therapeutic materials for 34 decubitus ulcers in 29 patients, 15 males and 14 females, who were hospitalized in our departments from June 2000 to May 2001. Basic diseases of the patients consisted of 10 cerebrovascular diseases, 4 cephalic injury sequelae, 3 spinal diseases, 3 femur fractures, and 9 other diseases. Treatment of the decubitus ulcers was done everyday mostly according to Toriyabe’s method. Firstly, the bedsore was rinsed with physiological saline without applying pressure. Then, the ulcer including surrounding skin was covered with plastic food wrap (polyvinylidene chloride food wrapping film). Edge of the film was fixed to the skin with non-woven fabric tape. The results were evaluated by measuring two-dimensional sizes of the ulcers every two to four weeks. Reduction rate of the ulcer was calculated following formula : ((1-present size (maximal diameter×perpendicular size)/original size (maximal diameter×perpendicular size)×100)) (%) in 19 lesions followed more than one month. An average reduction rate was 43.7% at 3 months and 87.9% at 7 months after starting the food wrap film therapy. Moreover, 3 lesions got complete healing during the observation period. We strongly recommend the food wrap film therapy for the treatment of decubitus ulcers because it is simple to handle and extremely inexpensive, as well as effective

Ways of improving three-dimensional CT angiography images of cervical and cerebral vascular lesions

We evaluated various ways of improving the image clarity of three-dimensional CT angiography (3D-CTA) for the diagnosis of cervical and cerebral vascular disease in sixty-seven patients (36 males and 31 females). The mean age was 61.4 years, with a rang of 17 to 89 years. The patients were examined with a helical CT scanner (TCT-X vision GX) after intravenous bolus injection of 90 ml nonionic contrast medium (300 mgI/ml) at the rate of 3ml/sec. Intracranial and cervical 3D-CTA were performed 60 and 12 times, respectively. Our findings were as follows : 1. Reduction of the pre-scanning delay time from 18 to 10 sec after the injection of the contrast medium eliminates much of the cavernous sinus from the image and makes it easier to distinguish the intracavernous internal carotid artery in intracranial 3D-CTA. In cervical 3D-CTA, reduction of the pre-scanning delay time from 15 to 9 sec delays imaging of the jugular vein and makes it easy to distinguish the bifurcation of the common carotid artery. 2. A subtraction image on 3D-CTA is useful for detecting of vascular lesions adjacent to bone, such as lesions on the internal carotid artery. 3. By producing a stereo picture, a closer three-dimensional relationship between the vascular lesion and the vessel circumference organization can be recognized. 4. Vascular lesions can be clearly visualized from inside the artery using a 3D-CT endoscopic image. We were able to obtain a great deal of detailed information from 3D-CTA images with these modifications and we believe they enhance diagnostic accuracy of the technique

Crystal structure of stable protein CutA1 from psychrotrophic bacterium Shewanella sp. SIB1

The crystal structure of CutA1 from the psychrotrophic bacterium Shewanella sp. SIB1 in a trimeric form was determined at 2.7 Å resolution. This is the first crystal structure of a psychrotrophic CutA1

Anthropometrics estimates renal function

In recumbent elderly patients, creatinine clearance (eCCr) estimated by the Cockcroft-Gault (CG) equation may not necessarily reflect renal function. We aimed to develop a novel formula to revise the CG equation using anthropometric measurements in bedridden elderly patients and evaluate its clinical utility. The subjects included 77 bedridden Japanese patients aged ≥ 65, hospitalized at Naruto Yamakami Hospital. The actual CCr (mCCr) value was measured using the 24-hour urine collection method. Anthropometric data, such as skeletal muscle mass, body fat mass (BFM), and triceps skinfold thickness (TSF), were collected. We established a novel formula to estimate CCr(BFM) or CCr(TSF) by correcting the eCCr(Enz + 0.2) value with BFM or TSF. The stage of classification of renal dysfunctions in patients with eGFR(BFM) or eGFR(TSF) was equivalent to the GFR(control) based on the mCCr. Notably, the novel equation for eCCr based on TSF (eCCr(TSF)), dubbed the “Naruto” formula, can be useful to evaluate renal function in bedridden elderly patients without expensive equipment or additional costs. In this study, mCCr was considered to be the true renal function of the patient, but whether and to what extent mCCr correlates with inulin clearance is unknown

Evaluating the Need for and Effect of Percutaneous Transluminal Angioplasty on Arteriovenous Fistulas by Using Total Recirculation Rate per Dialysis Session (“Clearance Gap”)

The functioning of an arteriovenous fistula (AVF) used for vascular access during hemodialysis has been assessed mainly by dilution methods. Although these techniques indicate the immediate recirculation rate, the results obtained may not correlate with Kt/V. In contrast, the clearance gap (CL-Gap) method provides the total recirculation rate per dialysis session and correlates well with Kt/V. We assessed the correlation between Kt/V and CL-Gap as well as the change in radial artery (RA) blood flow speed in the fistula before percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) in 45 patients undergoing continuous hemodialysis. The dialysis dose during the determination of CL-Gap was 1.2 to 1.4 Kt/V. Patients with a 10% elevation or more than a 10% relative increase in CL-Gap underwent PTA (n＝45), and the values obtained for Kt/V and CL-Gap before PTA were compared with those obtained immediately afterward. The mean RA blood flow speed improved significantly (from 52.9 to 97.5cm/sec) after PTA, as did Kt/V (1.07 to 1.30) and CL-Gap (14.1% to －0.2%). A significant correlation between these differences was apparent (r＝－0.436 and p＝0.003). These findings suggest that calculating CL-Gap may be useful for determining when PTA is required and for assessing the effectiveness of PTA, toward obtaining better dialysis

Molecular targeting of cell-permeable peptide inhibits pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cell proliferation

Background: Chromosome 16 open reading frame 74 (C16orf74) is highly expressed in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and is involved in cancer cell proliferation and invasion through binding to calcineurin (CN). Therefore, C16orf74 is a good target for the development of a PDAC treatment. A cell-permeable dominant-negative (DN) peptide that can inhibit the C16orf74/CN interaction was designed to examine whether this peptide can inhibit PDAC cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo. Method: TheDN-C16orf74 peptide, which corresponds to the portion of C16orf74 that interacts with CN, was synthesized, and we assessed its anti-tumor activity in proliferation assays with human PDAC cells and the underlying molecular signaling pathway. Using an orthotopic xenograft model of PDAC, we treated mice intraperitoneally with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), control peptide, or DN-C16orf74 and analyzed the tumor-suppressive effects. Result: DN-C16orf74 inhibited the binding of C16orf74 to CN in an immunoprecipitation assay. DN-C16orf74 suppressed PDAC cell proliferation, and the level of suppression depended on the expression levels of C16orf74 in vitro. DN-C16orf74 also exhibited anti-tumor effects in orthotopic xenograft model. Furthermore, the tumor-suppressive effect was associated with inhibition of the phosphorylation of Akt and mTOR. Conclusion: The cell-permeable peptide DN-C16orf74 has a strong anti-tumor effect against PDAC in vitro and in vivo

Delphi Method Consensus-Based Identification of Primary Trauma Care Skills Required for General Surgeons in Japan

Purpose General surgeons at regional hospitals should have the primary trauma care skills necessary to treat critically ill trauma patients to withstand transfer. This study was conducted to identify a consensus on primary trauma care skills for general surgeons. Methods An initial list of acute care surgical skills was compiled, and revised by six trauma experts (acute care surgeons); 33 skills were nominated for inclusion in the Delphi consensus survey. Participants (councilors of the Japanese Society for Acute Care Surgery) were presented with the list of 33 trauma care skills and were asked (using web-based software) to rate how strongly they agreed or disagreed (using a 5-point Likert scale) with the necessity of each skill for a general surgeon. The reliability of consensus was predefined as Cronbach’s α ≥ 0.8, and trauma care skills were considered as primarily required when rated 4 (agree) or 5 (strongly agree) by ≥ 80% participants. Results There were 117 trauma care specialists contacted to participate in the Delphi consensus survey panel. In the 1st round, 85 specialists participated (response rate: 72.6%). In the 2nd round, 66 specialists participated (response rate: 77.6%). Consensus was achieved after two rounds, reliability using Cronbach’s α was 0.94, and 34 items were identified as primary trauma care skills needed by general surgeons. Conclusion A consensus-based list of trauma care skills required by general surgeons was developed. This list can facilitate the development of a new trauma training course which has been optimized for general surgeons