Children with unilateral aural atresia

The effects of FM system fitted into the normal hearing ear (NHE) or a cartilage conduction hearing aid (CCHA) fitted into the affected ear (AE) on the speech recognition ability in noise were examined in children with unilateral congenital aural atresia (UCAA). In children with bilateral normal hearing (BNH), speech recognition score (SRS) was significantly decreased in the noisy environment of -5 dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), compared with those in quiet. In children with UCAA, SRS was significantly decreased in noisy environments of 0 and -5 dB SNR, compared with those in quiet. In noisy environments of 0 and -5 dB SNR, SRS in children with UCAA was significantly decreased, compared those in children with BNH. In the noisy environment of -5 dB SNR, SRS in UCAA children aided by FM system fitted into NHE was significantly better than those in unaided children in the same group. In the noisy environment of 0 dB SNR, SRS in UCAA children aided by CCHA into AE tended to be higher than those in unaided children in the same group. FM system and CCHA can be recommended as an audiological management for the improvement of speech recognition in children with UCHL in classrooms

A Difficult Differential Diagnosis of Acute Cholecystitis in a Patient With Steroid-induced Diabetes

An impairment of gallbladder motility due to autonomic neuropathy may cause cholestasis and result in gallbladder stone formation. Diabetes is one of risk factors for acute cholecystitis. Diabetes and steroid use are associated with the susceptibility to bacterial infections, we are apt to diagnose steroid-induced diabetic patients manifesting symptoms of cholecystitis as having acute bacterial infective cholecystitis. Here, we report a very rare steroid-induced diabetic patient complicated with gallbladder torsion-induced necrotizing cholecystitis due to a floating gallbladder

Tumor Shrinkage in Response to Vitamin K2 in Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Multiple Lung Metastases: A Case Report

Introduction: Advanced or metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) can be lethal because of the limited therapeutic approach such as sorafenib. Recently, Vitamin K2 (VK2) has been increasingly recognized to have anti-cancer effects for HCC in vitro and vivo. However, the direct anti-cancer effect of VK2 to HCC has not been established yet in human.Presentation of Case: We presented here a 88-year-HCC patient displayed a tumor shrinkage in response to VK2 in multiple lung metastases, indicating the possibility of VK2 as an anti-cancer agent in human. Menatetrenone, a VK2 analogue, was introduced for multiple lung metastases as a palliative treatment, and thereafter multiple lung metastases, except one lung lesion, displayed tumor shrinkage and disappeared within five months after VK2 intake. The residual one lesion continued to grow up during the intake of VK2, suggesting that the residual tumor was insensitive to VK2 represented by tumor heterogeneity. Consequently, after a radiation therapy for the residual lesion, the elevated tumor markers of all were finally decreased into normal levels, and he is still alive for 18 months after VK2 intake without elevated tumor marker levels and toxic adverse effects.Conclusion:VK2 may be a therapeutic option for advanced and metastatic HCCs without any toxic adverse

Standard(-like) Model from an SO(12) Grand Unified Theory in six-dimensions with S2S_2 extra-space

We analyze a gauge-Higgs unification model which is based on a gauge theory defined on a six-dimensional spacetime with an $S^2$ extra-space. We impose a symmetry condition for a gauge field and non-trivial boundary conditions of the $S^2$. We provide the scheme for constructing a four-dimensional theory from the six-dimensional gauge theory under these conditions. We then construct a concrete model based on an SO(12) gauge theory with fermions which lie in a 32 representation of SO(12), under the scheme. This model leads to a Standard-Model(-like) gauge theory which has gauge symmetry SU(3) $\times$ SU(2)$_L$ $\times$ U(1)$_Y$($\times$ U(1)$^2$) and one generation of SM fermions, in four-dimensions. The Higgs sector of the model is also analyzed, and it is shown that the electroweak symmetry breaking and the prediction of W-boson and Higgs-boson masses are obtained.Comment: 18 page

The Relationship Between Serum Homocysteine Levels and Vertebral Fractures

Serum homocysteine and pentosidine levels have attracted attention as associated markers of bone quality, which affects bone strength. We examined the relationship of serum homocysteine levels with existing vertebral fractures and renal function. We evaluated 279 of 960 osteoporosis outpatients (12 men, 267 women; mean age, 72 years) whose serum homocysteine levels had been measured in our department. Using a glomerular filtration rate (GFR)-based chronic renal failure severity classification system, we divided patients into three groups: G1/G2, G3a/G3b/G4, and G5. We further divided the patients in the G1/G2 and G3a/G3b/G4 groups into two subgroups on the basis of the presence of fractures. Vertebral fractures were significantly more frequent when serum homocysteine levels were high in the G1/G2 group (P = 0.002). Serum homocysteine levels were lower in patients in the G1/G2 group than the G3a/G3b/G4 group despite the presence or absence of vertebral fractures (P < 0.001). Significant differences in serum homocysteine levels were also seen between patients with and without vertebral fractures in both the G1/G2 and G3a/G3b/G4 groups (P = 0.02). There were also significant correlations between GFR and serum homocysteine levels in both the G1/G2 and G3a/G3b/G4 groups (correlation coefficients, −0.43 and −0.65, respectively; P < 0.001). A negative correlation was observed between serum homocysteine levels and GFR in the G1/G2 and G3a/G3b/G4 groups, and we were able to reaffirm that serum homocysteine levels are affected by renal function. In the G1/G2 group, the prevalence of vertebral fractures was significantly higher in patients with high serum homocysteine levels. Even if renal function was poor, serum homocysteine levels were significantly higher in patients with vertebral fractures. Thus, serum homocysteine is a valid marker of bone quality

Observation of microstructure change during freeze-drying by in-situ X-ray Computed Tomography

[EN] X-ray computed tomography technique was used to observe microstructure formation during freeze-drying. A specially designed vacuum freeze-drying stage was equipped at the X-ray CT stage, and the frozen and dried microstructures of dextrin solutions were successfully observed. It was confirmed that the many parts of the pore microstructures formed as a replica of the original ice microstructures, whereas some parts formed as a consequence of the dehydration dependent on the relaxation level of the glassy phases, suggesting that the post-freezing annealing is advantageous for avoiding quality loss that relates to the structural deformation of glassy matters.Nakagawa, K.; Tamiya, S.; Sakamoto, S.; Do, G.; Kono, S.; Ochiai, T. (2018). Observation of microstructure change during freeze-drying by in-situ X-ray Computed Tomography. En IDS 2018. 21st International Drying Symposium Proceedings. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 935-942. https://doi.org/10.4995/IDS2018.2018.7642OCS93594

Glucose Metabolism in Cataractous Lens

Since the sorbitol pathway in the lens of a diabetic rat was discovered, the relation between cataract formation and aldose reductase has been studied. We measured glucose, sorbitol and fructose in the human cataractous lens by the gaschromatography. Additionally, we measured sugar and polyols in bovine, pig and rabbit lens. The ratio of sorbitol/glucose is high in rabbit, pig and bovine lens in order. In the human cataractous lens, glucose is increased in accordance with development of cataract. On the other hand, sorbitol content is high in the diabetic lens and low in the senile cataractous lens. The aldose reductase inhibitor may have beneficial effects in the prevention of diabetic cataract formation, but have not the therapeutic effect in the senile cataract

Formation of an Ultracarbonaceous Antarctic Micrometeorite through Minimum Aqueous Alteration in a Small Porous Icy Body

A comprehensive study of the organic chemistry and mineralogy of an ultracarbonaceous micrometeorite (UCAMM D05IB80) collected from near the Dome Fuji Station, Antarctica, was carried out to understand the genetic relationship among organic materials, silicates, and water. The micrometeorite is composed of a dense aggregate of ∼5 µm-sized hollow ellipsoidal organic material containing submicrometer-sized phases such as glass with embedded metal and sulfides (GEMS) and mineral grains. There is a wide area of organic material (∼15 × 15 μm) in its interior. Low-Ca pyroxene is much more abundant than olivine and shows various Mg/(Mg + Fe) ratios ranging from ∼1.0 to 0.78, which is common to previous works on UCAMMs. By contrast, GEMS grains in this UCAMM have unusual chemical compositions. They are depleted in both Mg and S, which suggests that these elements were leached out from the GEMS grains during very weak aqueous alteration, without the formation of phyllosilicates. The organic materials have two textures—smooth and globular with an irregular outline—and these are composed of imine, nitrile and/or aromatic nitrogen heterocycles, and amide. The ratio of nitrogen to carbon (N/C) in the smooth region of the organics is ∼0.15, which is five times higher than that of insoluble organic macromolecules in types 1 and 2 carbonaceous chondritic meteorites. In addition, the UCAMM organic materials are soluble in epoxy and are thus hydrophilic; this polar nature indicates that they are very primitive. The surface of the material is coated with an inorganic layer, a few nanometers thick, that consists of C, O, Si, S, and Fe. Sulfur is also contained in the interior, implying the presence of organosulfur moieties. There are no isotopic anomalies of D, 13C, or 15N in the organic material. Interstellar photochemistry alone would not be sufficient to explain the N/C ratio of the UCAMM organics; therefore, we suggest that a very small amount of fluid on a comet must have been necessary for the formation of the UCAMM. The GEMS grains depleted in Mg and S in the UCAMM prove a very weak degree of aqueous alteration; weaker than that of carbonaceous chondrites. Short-duration weak alteration probably caused by planetesimal shock locally melted cometary ice grains and released water that dissolved the organics; the fluid would likely have not mobilized because of the very low thermal conductivity of the porous icy body. This event allowed the formation of the large organic puddle of the UCAMM, as well as organic matter sulfurization, formation of thin membrane-like layers of minerals, and deformation of organic nanoglobules.アクセプト後にタイトル・アブストラクト等変更あり、著者最終稿は変更前のタイトル"Formation of an Ultracarbonaceous Antarctic Micrometeorite through Minimum Aqueous Alteration in a Small Porous Icy Body"This work was supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (No. 22224010, PI: H. Nagahara). The STXM facility at the beamline 5.3.2.2, ALS, is supported by the Department of Energy, Basic Energy Sciences Program

眼症状を有する腸管Behcet病の1例

腸管潰瘍を合併する不全型Behcet病の1症例を報告した.47歳の女性がBehcet病の眼症状を来し,その治療中に回盲部に多発性の潰瘍が発症した.本邦においては,腸管Behcet病はまれで眼病変の治療中に発生することは極めてまれである.A case report of incomplete Behcet\u27s disease accompanied by intestinal ulcer was presented. A 47-year-old female suffered from ocular fit of Behcet\u27s disease. In the course of treatment, multiple ulcers developed in the ileocaecal region. In Japan, intestinal Behcet\u27s disease is a rare occurrence and the simultaneous attack of ocular fit and intestinal ulcer is still rarer