Perceiving pitch accent in the absence of F0

BLS 38: General Session and Thematic Session on Language Contac

Radiologic Findings of IgG4-Related Disease

Autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP), characterized by an autoimmune phenomenon of prominent lymphocytes, IgG4-bearing plasma cell infiltration and storiform fibrosis, has been widely reported as a specific type of chronic pancreatitis. Typical image findings of this disease are reported as diffuse pancreatic swelling and a capsule-like rim on CT or MRI. However, AIP presents with a variable morphology, such as focal, segmental and multifocal swellings. Because imaging findings for AIP can look like those of pancreatic cancer, AIP has often been treated with unnecessary surgical resection. In addition, AIP is complicated by the involvement of various other organs besides the pancreas that show lymphoplasmacytic infiltration and fibrosis. These are frequently misdiagnosed as inherent lesions of corresponding organs. Furthermore, these extra-pancreatic lesions show systemic distribution and share common features of IgG4- bearing plasma cell infiltration as well as favorable responses to corticosteroid, indicating the presence of systemic condition, IgG4-related diseases. AIP is now recognized as an IgG4-related disease. Detailed evaluations of imaging findings of CT, MRI and Gallium-67 (Ga-67) scintigraphy for the involvement of these various organs are useful for a correct diagnosis of this systemic disease.ArticleCurrent Immunology Reviews. 7(2):186-203 (2011)journal articl

Radiologic Findings of IgG4-Related Disease

Autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP), characterized by an autoimmune phenomenon of prominent lymphocytes, IgG4-bearing plasma cell infiltration and storiform fibrosis, has been widely reported as a specific type of chronic pancreatitis. Typical image findings of this disease are reported as diffuse pancreatic swelling and a capsule-like rim on CT or MRI. However, AIP presents with a variable morphology, such as focal, segmental and multifocal swellings. Because imaging findings for AIP can look like those of pancreatic cancer, AIP has often been treated with unnecessary surgical resection. In addition, AIP is complicated by the involvement of various other organs besides the pancreas that show lymphoplasmacytic infiltration and fibrosis. These are frequently misdiagnosed as inherent lesions of corresponding organs. Furthermore, these extra-pancreatic lesions show systemic distribution and share common features of IgG4- bearing plasma cell infiltration as well as favorable responses to corticosteroid, indicating the presence of systemic condition, IgG4-related diseases. AIP is now recognized as an IgG4-related disease. Detailed evaluations of imaging findings of CT, MRI and Gallium-67 (Ga-67) scintigraphy for the involvement of these various organs are useful for a correct diagnosis of this systemic disease.ArticleCurrent Immunology Reviews. 7(2):186-203 (2011)journal articl

Characteristic findings in images of extra-pancreatic lesions associated with autoimmune pancreatitis

Purpose: Autoimmune pancreatitis is a unique form of chronic pancreatitis characterized by a variety of extra-pancreatic involvements which are frequently misdiagnosed as lesions of corresponding organs. The purpose of this study was to clarify the diagnostic imaging features of extra-pancreatic lesions associated with autoimmune pancreatitis. Materials and methods: We retrospectively analyzed diagnostic images of 90 patients with autoimmune pancreatitis who underwent computer-assisted tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and/or gallium-67 scintigraphy before steroid therapy was initiated. Results: AIP was frequently (92.2%) accompanied by a variety of extra-pancreatic lesions, including swelling of lachrymal and salivary gland lesions (47.5%), lung hilar lymphadenopathy (78.3%), a variety of lung lesions (51.2%), wall thickening of bile ducts (77.8%), peri-pancreatic or para-aortic lymphadenopathy (56.0%), retroperitoneal fibrosis (19.8%), a variety of renal lesions (14.4%), and mass lesions of the ligamentum teres (2.2%). Characteristic findings in CT and MRI included lymphadenopathies of the hilar, peri-pancreatic, and para-aortic regions; wall thickening of the bile duct; and soft tissue masses in the kidney, ureters, aorta, paravertebral region, ligamentum teres, and orbit. Conclusions: Recognition of the diagnostic features in the images of various involved organs will assist in the diagnosis of autoimmune pancreatitis and in differential diagnoses between autoimmune pancreatitis-associated extra-pancreatic lesions and lesions due to other pathologies.ArticleEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF RADIOLOGY. 76(2):228-238 (2010)journal articl

Bubble burst as jamming phase transition

Recently research on bubble and its burst attract much interest of researchers in various field such as economics and physics. Economists have been regarding bubble as a disorder in prices. However, this research strategy has overlooked an importance of the volume of transactions. In this paper, we have proposed a bubble burst model by focusing the transactions incorporating a traffic model that represents spontaneous traffic jam. We find that the phenomenon of bubble burst shares many similar properties with traffic jam formation by comparing data taken from US housing market. Our result suggests that the transaction could be a driving force of bursting phenomenon.Comment: 9 pages,12 figure

A case of well-differentiated cholangiolocellular carcinoma visualized with contrast-enhanced ultrasonography using Sonazo

Author Posting.This is the author's version of the work.It is posted here by permission of The Japan Society of Hepatology for personal use，not for redistribution.The definitive version was published in Hepatology Research, Voume39, Issue 2, pages 207-212. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1872-034X.2008.00446.xWe here report the first case of cholangiolocellular carcinoma (CoCC) visualized with contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) using a second-generation contrast agent, Sonazoid. A 76-year-old man was admitted to our hospital for evaluation of a hepatic tumor. The tumor was described as having hyper-enhancement in the early phase and persistent enhancement in the late phase by contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), as well as hypervascularity by angiography. CEUS assessment of the nodule showed diffuse and homogeneous enhancement in the pure arterial phase, which became progressively hypoechoic relative to the adjacent liver parenchyma during the portal vein and late phases (mixed vascular phase), and showed a contrast defect with an unclear border in the Kupffer phase. Histologically we diagnosed this hepatic tumor as CoCC. In light of the above findings and the rarity of CoCC, it is helpful to incorporate the results of several imagings, such as CT, MRI, angiography and CEUS with a second-generation contrast agent when clinically diagnosing CoCC.ArticleHEPATOLOGY RESEARCH. 39(2):207-212 (2009)journal articl

Host-feeding patterns of Culex tritaeniorhynchus and Anopheles sinensis (Diptera: Culicidae) in a ricefield agroecosystem.

金沢大学理工研究域　自然システム学系水田発生性蚊類成虫の吸血選択を調べるために, 佐賀県西有田町で1996及び1997年の5月から9月に成虫採集を行った。ドライアイス付加ライトトラップと吸虫管により合計31,804頭のコガタアカイエカとシナハマダラカ雌成虫を採集した。調査したすべての牛舎と豚舎ではライトトラップ採集により多数の成虫が捕獲されたが(牛舎7,933,豚6,441,鶏舎5,267), 鶏舎では吸血蚊がほとんど採集されなかった。コガタアカイエカとシナハマダラカの吸血率は, 牛舎と豚舎ではそれぞれ62%(N=7,113), 74%(N=7,261)であったが, 鶏舎では5%以下(N=5,267)であった。ELISAによる吸血源同定の結果, 両種とも鶏よりも牛と豚を選択していることが示された。また, 牛舎と隣接した鶏舎から採集された吸血蚊も90%以上(N=143)が牛を吸血していた。鶏よりも豚と牛から吸血する傾向は採集場所(棚田周辺か平野部), 採集方法(ライトトラップか吸虫管)を問わず観察された。 Adults of rice-field mosquitoes were collected between May and September of 1996 and 1997 in Nishi Arita, Saga Prefecture, Japan, to determine their feeding pattern in an area where animals were available in large numbers. In total, 31,804 female Culex tritaeniorhynchus and Anopheles sinensis were collected from animal sheds using dry ice-baited light traps and mouth aspiration. Light traps in all the animal sheds captured large numbers of mosquitoes (cowsheds 7,933,pigsties 6,441 and chicken sheds 5,267 mosquitoes), although few fed upon the chickens. Overall, 62% (N=7,113) of fed Cx. triaeniorhynchus and 74% (N=7,261) of An. sinensis were caught by light traps at the cowsheds and pigsties compared to less than 5% (N=5,267) at the chickens sheds. The type of animal in the shed was the most important factor determining the feeding rates. Blood-meal identification by direct ELISA indicated that both Cx. tritaeniorhynchus and An. sinensis preferred cows and pigs to chickens. Over 90% (N=143) of the fed mosquitoes collected from one chicken shed had fed upon cows in an adjoining cowshed. The tendency to feed upon cows and pigs more than on chickens was observed both in the hillside (terraced) and lowland ricefields. This trend is shown in the results obtained by both the aspirator and light trap collection methods

Radiation exposure and circulatory disease risk: Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bomb survivor data, 1950-2003

Objective To investigate the degree to which ionising radiation confers risk of mortality from heart disease and stroke

A Novel iRFP-Incorporated in vivo Murine Atherosclerosis Imaging System

By using near-infrared fluorescent protein (iRFP)-expressing hematopoietic cells, we established a novel, quantitative, in vivo, noninvasive atherosclerosis imaging system. This murine atherosclerosis imaging approach targets macrophages expressing iRFP in plaques. Low-density lipoprotein receptor-deficient (LDLR−/−) mice transplanted with beta-actin promoter-derived iRFP transgenic (TG) mouse bone marrow (BM) cells (iRFP → LDLR−/−) were used. Atherosclerosis was induced by a nonfluorescent 1.25% cholesterol diet (HCD). Atherosclerosis was compared among the three differently induced mouse groups. iRFP → LDLR−/− mice fed a normal diet (ND) and LDLR−/− mice transplanted with wild-type (WT) BM cells were used as controls. The in vivo imaging system (IVIS) detected an enhanced iRFP signal in the thoracic aorta of HCD-fed iRFP → LDLR−/− mice, whereas iRFP signals were not observed in the control mice. Time-course imaging showed a gradual increase in the signal area, which was correlated with atherosclerotic plaque progression. Oil red O (ORO) staining of aortas and histological analysis of plaques confirmed that the detected signal was strictly emitted from plaque-positive areas of the aorta. Our new murine atherosclerosis imaging system can noninvasively image atherosclerotic plaques in the aorta and generate longitudinal data, validating the ability of the system to monitor lesion progression