Detectability of Colon Polyp Using Computed Virtual Chromoendoscopy with Flexible Spectral Imaging Color Enhancement

The aim of this pilot study was to assess the feasibility of using computed virtual chromoendoscopy with the flexible spectral imaging color enhancement (FICE) for colon neoplasia screening. A modified back-to-back colonoscopy using FICE and white light in the right-sided colon was conducted prospectively for the consecutive patients attending for the postoperative (sigmoidectomy or anterior resection) follow-up colonoscopy. Histopathology of detected lesions was confirmed by evaluation of endoscopic resection or biopsy specimens. One-hundred and two patients were enrolled, and 100 patients (61 males and mean age 63 years) were finally analyzed. The total number of polyps detected by FICE and white light colonoscopy was 65 and 45, respectively. The miss rate for all polyps with FICE (24%) was significantly less than that with white light (46%) (P = 0.03). Colonoscopy using FICE could beneficially enhance the detection of neoplastic lesions in the right-sided colon compared to white light colonoscopy

Tenomodulin expression in the periodontal ligament enhances cellular adhesion.

Tenomodulin (Tnmd) is a type II transmembrane protein characteristically expressed in dense connective tissues such as tendons and ligaments. Its expression in the periodontal ligament (PDL) has also been demonstrated, though the timing and function remain unclear. We investigated the expression of Tnmd during murine tooth eruption and explored its biological functions in vitro. Tnmd expression was related to the time of eruption when occlusal force was transferred to the teeth and surrounding tissues. Tnmd overexpression enhanced cell adhesion in NIH3T3 and human PDL cells. In addition, Tnmd-knockout fibroblasts showed decreased cell adhesion. In the extracellular portions of Tnmd, the BRICHOS domain or CS region was found to be responsible for Tnmd-mediated enhancement of cell adhesion. These results suggest that Tnmd acts on the maturation or maintenance of the PDL by positively regulating cell adhesion via its BRICHOS domain

IL-15-High-Responder Developing NK Cells Bearing Ly49 Receptors in IL-15(-/-) Mice

信州大学博士（医学）・学位論文・平成24年3月31日授与（甲第910号）・好沢克Originally published in The Journal of Immunology. Yoshizawa, K; Nakajima, S; Notake, T; Miyagawa, SI; Hida, S; Taki, S. 2011. IL-15-High-Responder Developing NK Cells Bearing Ly49 Receptors in IL-15(-/-) Mice . J. Immunol. Vol.187(10): pp5162-pp5169. Copyright (C) 2011 The American Association of Immunologists, Inc.In mice lacking IL-15, NK cell development is arrested at immature stages, providing an opportunity to investigate the earliest developing NK cells that would respond to IL-15. We show in this study that immature NK cells were present in the spleen as well as bone marrow (BM) and contained IL-15-high-responder cells. Thus, mature NK cells were generated more efficiently from IL-15(-/-) than from control donor cells in radiation BM chimeras, and the rate of IL-15-induced cell division in vitro was higher in NK cells in the spleen and BM from IL-5(-/-) mice than in those from wild-type mice. Phenotypically, NK cells developed in IL-15(-/-) mice up to the minor but discrete CD11b(-)CD27(+)DX5(hi)CD51(dull)CD127(dull)CD122(hi) stage, which contained the majority of Ly49G2(+) and D+ NK cells both in the spleen and BM. Even among wild-type splenic NK cells, IL-15-induced proliferation was most prominent in CD11b(-)DX5(hi) cells. Notably, IL-15-mediated preferential expansion (but not conversion from Ly49(-) cells) of Ly49(+) NK cells was observed in vitro only for NK cells in the spleen. These observations indicated the uneven distribution of NK cells of different developing stages with variable IL-15 responsiveness in these lymphoid organs. Immature NK cells in the spleen may contribute, as auxiliaries to those in BM, to the mature NK cell compartment through IL-15-driven extramarrow expansion under steady-state or inflammatory conditions. The Journal of Immunology, 2011, 187: 5162-5169.ArticleJOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY. 187(10):5162-5169 (2011)journal articl

Strongly Blueshifted Phenomena Observed with {\it Hinode}/EIS in the 2006 December 13 Solar Flare

We present a detailed examination of strongly blueshifted emission lines observed with the EUV Imaging Spectrometer on board the {\it Hinode} satellite. We found two kinds of blueshifted phenomenon associated with the X3.4 flare that occurred on 2006 December 13. One was related to a plasmoid ejection seen in soft X-rays. It was very bright in all the lines used for the observations. The other was associated with the faint arc-shaped ejection seen in soft X-rays. The soft X-ray ejection is thought to be an MHD fast-mode shock wave. This is therefore the first spectroscopic observation of an MHD fast-mode shock wave associated with a flare.Comment: 18 pages, 1 table, 6 figures. ApJ, accepte

ニュウサンキン コウボ ニヨリ ハッコウ ジュクセイ サセタ ショクブツ ハッコウ エキス ノ ユウコウ セイ ニ カンスル ケンキュウ

植物性食品を中心とした食生活は、生活習慣病の予防や治療に効果があるとされている。乳酸菌や酵母により発酵熟成させた植物発酵エキスは、多種多様な植物性原料を用いて、発酵と糖蔵という伝統的な食品保存技術を応用した発酵食品である。本研究では、植物発酵エキスの有効性(栄養的特性や保健機能)に関する研究を行った。植物発酵エキスには、58.5%の炭水化物、3.7%のタンパク質、1.3%の脂質をはじめ、18種類のタンパク質構成アミノ酸や種々のビタミン類、食物繊維、ファイトケミカル(ポリフェノール、テルペノイド等)が含まれていた。さらに、植物発酵エキスは抗酸化作用、血圧上昇抑制作用、抗菌作用、抗アレルギー作用、抗炎症作用、チロシナーゼ阻害作用を有していることを「in vitro 試験」により明らかにした。A plant-based diet is thought to be better for the prevention and treatment of lifestyle-related diseases. A plant-based extract fermented by lactic acid bacteria and yeast (PELY) was made from various plant materials and was fermented product applying to traditional food-preservation technique, that is, fermentation and sugaring. In this study, the characterization and physiological function of PELY were examined.PELY contained 58.8% carbohydrate, 3.7% protein, and 1.3% lipid. It contained 18 kinds of amino acids and vitamin A, B1, B2, B6, B12, E, K, niacin, pantothenic acid, and folic acid. It also did a lot of dietary fiber and phytochemicals (polyphenol, terpenoid, i.e.).Moreover, PELY had several physiological functions such as antioxidant, antihypertensive, antibacterial, anti-allergy, anti-inflammatory and anti-tyrosinase activities in vitro

Development of fast-response PPAC with strip-readout for heavy-ion beams

A strip-readout parallel-plate avalanche counter (SR-PPAC) has been developed aiming at the high detection efficiency and good position resolution in high-intensity heavy-ion measurements. The performance was evaluated using 115 MeV/u $^{132}$Xe, 300 MeV/u $^{132}$Sn, and 300 MeV/u $^{48}$Ca beams. A detection efficiency beyond 99% for these beams is achieved even at an incident beam intensity of 0.7 billion particles per second. The best position resolution achieved is 235 um (FWHM).Comment: 16 pages, 18 figures, 2 table

IL-15 inhibits pre-B cell proliferation by selectively expanding Mac-1+B220+ NK cells

ArticleBIOCHEMICAL AND BIOPHYSICAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS. 369(4): 1139-1143 (2008)journal articl

Intensive endoscopic resection for downstaging of polyp burden in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis (J-FAPP Study III) : a multicenter prospective interventional study

Background Total colectomy is the standard treatment for familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). Recently, an increasing number of young patients with FAP have requested the postponement of surgery or have refused to undergo surgery. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of intensive endoscopic removal for downstaging of polyp burden (IDP) in FAP. Method A single-arm intervention study was conducted at 22 facilities. Participants were patients with FAP, aged ≥ 16 years, who had not undergone colectomy or who had undergone colectomy but had ≥ 10 cm of large intestine remaining. For IDP, colorectal polyps of ≥ 10 mm were removed, followed by polyps of ≥ 5 mm. The primary end point was the presence/absence of colectomy during a 5-year intervention period. Results 222 patients were eligible, of whom 166 had not undergone colectomy, 46 had undergone subtotal colectomy with ileorectal anastomosis, and 10 had undergone partial resection of the large intestine. During the intervention period, five patients (2.3 %, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 0.74 %–5.18 %) underwent colectomy, and three patients died. Completion of the 5-year intervention period without colectomy was confirmed in 150 /166 patients who had not undergone colectomy (90.4 %, 95 %CI 84.8 %–94.4 %) and in 47 /56 patients who had previously undergone colectomy (83.9 %, 95 %CI 71.7 %–92.4 %). Conclusion IDP in patients with mild-to-moderate FAP could have the potential to be a useful means of preventing colorectal cancer without implementing colectomy. However, if the IDP protocol was proposed during a much longer term, it may not preclude the possibility that a large proportion of colectomies may still need to be performed

Solar System Exploration Sciences by EQUULEUS on SLS EM-1 and Science Instruments Development Status

EQUULEUS is a spacecraft to explore the cislunar region including the Earth-Moon Lagrange point L2 (EML2) and will be launched by NASA’s SLS EM-1 rocket. Although the size of EQUULEUS is only 6U, the spacecraft carries three different science instruments. By using these instruments, the spacecraft will demonstrate three missions for solar system exploration science during and after the flight to EML2; imaging of the plasmasphere around the earth, observation of space dust flux in the cislunar region, and observation of lunar impact flashes at the far side of the moon. The developments and verifications of the flight models of these science instruments were completed by the end of 2018, and we started flight model integration and testing. This paper introduces the details of the scientific objectives, design results and development statuses of the instruments. In addition, results of the integration and pre-flight tests are also described