Precipitation induced filament pattern of injected fluid controlled by structured cell

Mixing of two fluids can lead to the formation of precipitation. If one of the fluids is injected into a confined space filled with the other, a created precipitate disrupts the flow locally and intricates complex spatiotemporal patterns. Here, we show that such injection patterns can be controlled consistently by injection rate and obstacles. Our experimental results revealed filament patterns for high injection and low reaction rates, and the injection rate can control the number of active filaments. Furthermore, appropriately spaced obstacles in the cells can straighten the motion of the advancing tip of the filament. A mathematical model based on a moving boundary adopting the effect of precipitation reproduced the phase diagram and the straight motion of filaments in structured cells.Comment: 10 pages, 10 figure

Vitamin D-3 induces expression of human cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide 18 in newborns

This research was originally published in International Journal of Hematology. Authors. Misawa, Y; Baba, A; Ito, S; Tanaka, M; Shiohara, Title. Vitamin D-3 induces expression of human cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide 18 in newborns, IJH. Year 2009;Vol. 90, Issue. 5:pp561-pp570. Copyright (c) 2009 by The Japanese Society of Hematology.Bactericidal activities of neutrophils occur by two distinctive mechanisms that are oxygen-dependent and -independent. Human cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide 18 (hCAP18), also known as LL-37/FALL-39, is a neutrophil-specific granule protein. We compared the content of hCAP18 and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), another neutrophil-specific granule protein, in neutrophils of both neonates and adults by flow cytometry. The percentage as well as fluorescence intensity ratio of hCAP18 and NGAL expression in neonate neutrophils were significantly lower than in adults. Expression of hCAP18 in monocytes, however, was not significantly different between neonates and adults. Both hCAP18 and NGAL expression increased in an age-dependent fashion. Plasma concentration of these peptides measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was not significantly different between neonates and adults. Oral intake of 1 alpha hydroxy vitamin D-3 (1 alpha(OH)D-3) in rickets patients for 4 weeks significantly increased hCAP18 expression in neutrophils compared to age-matched healthy controls without 1 alpha(OH)D-3, indicating the potential of vitamin D-3 as a regulator of the innate immune response of neonates.ArticleINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HEMATOLOGY. 90(5):561-570 (2009)journal articl

New method to create a vascular arteriovenous fistula in the arm with an endoscopic technique

AbstractWe describe a new technique in which the basilic vein is transposed subcutaneously with endoscopic surgery to create a vascular access in the arm. The vein was harvested with the Endoscopic Vascular Surgery System (Olympus Co, Tokyo, Japan). We could harvest a vessel about 25 cm long with endoscopy. After vessel transposition, an arteriovenous fistula was created in the usual manner. In all 10 patients, we created an effective blood access as scheduled before surgery. We could use the arteriovenous fistula 6 days after surgery and get blood flow in all cases. (J Vasc Surg 2002;36:635-8.

Design paper: A phase II study of Bevacizumab and Erlotinib in patients with non-Squamous non-small cell lung cancer that is refractory or relapsed after 1-2 previous Treatment (BEST)

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Combination of erlotinib and bevacizumab is a promising regimen in advanced non-squamous non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We are conducting a single arm phase II trial which aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of this regime as a second- or third-line chemotherapy.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Key eligibility criteria were histologically or cytologically confirmed non-squamous NSCLC, stage III/IV or recurrent NSCLC not indicated radical chemoradiation, prior one or two regimen of chemotherapy, age 20 years or more, and performance status of two or less. The primary endpoint is objective response rate. The secondary endpoints include overall survival, progression-free survival, disease control rate and incidence of adverse events. This trial plans to accrue 80 patients based on a two-stage design employing a binomial distribution with an alternative hypothesis response rate of 35% and a null hypothesis threshold response rate of 20%. A subset analysis according to EGFR mutation status is planned.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>We have presented the design of a single arm phase II trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of combination of bevacizumab and erlotinib in advanced non-squamous NSCLC patients. In particular we are interested in determining the merit of further development of this regimen and whether prospective patient selection using EGFR gene is necessary in future trials.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>This trial was registered at the UMIN Clinical Trials Registry as UMIN000004255 (<url>http://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr/index.htm</url>).</p

Age Scale for Assessing Activities of Daily Living

The purpose of this study was to develop an age scale for assessing activities of daily living (ADL) among community-dwelling adults aged 75 years or older. Participants were 1006 older Japanese: 312 men (79.6 ± 4.3 years) and 694 women, (79.9 ± 5.5 years). Participants completed a battery of 8 performance tests related to ADL and the Barthel index (BI) questionnaire. Spearman rank-order correlation analysis was applied to obtain the correlation of the 8 ADL performance tests with the total BI score. Three variables were high rank-order correlated with BI, secondly those items were subjected to the principal component analysis. The weighted combination of the principal component scores was summed. Resulting in an ADL score (ADLS), women = 0.075 X1 - 0.082 X2 - 0.063 X3 + 0.124, men = 0.051 X1 - 0.105 X2 - 0.099 X3 + 0.249, where X1 = hand-grip strength, X2 = timed up and go, X3 = five-chair sit to stand. Individual ADLS was transformed to an ADL age scale (ADLA). The estimation was - 5.493 ADLS + 79.90 for women, and - 4.272 ADLS + 79.57 for men. Due to the distortion at the regression edges, the equation was corrected as suggested by Dubina et al. ADLA women after correction was = 0.447 (chronological age: CA) - 5.49ADLS + 44.17, men = 0.519CA - 4.27ADLS + 38.26. ADLA can be used to identify or monitor the characteristics of the ADL levels of physical abilities in older Japanese aged 75 years or older

Low toxicity of a conditioning with 8-Gy total body irradiation, fludarabine and cyclophosphamide as preparative regimen for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in pediatric hematological malignancies

The definitive version is available at www.blackwell-synergy.comWe here report the efficacy and toxicity of a conditioning regimen with fractionated 8-Gy TBI, fludarabine, and cyclophosphamide in allogeneic HSCT for pediatric hematological malignancies. Among 22 children who received related or unrelated HSCT, nine were transplanted with refractory disease and/or from HLA two or more loci-mismatched family donors. None of the patients developed graft failure. The Seattle grading system revealed that 18 patients had no RRT, and the remaining patients had grade I gastrointestinal toxicity alone. The estimated overall survival and leukemia-free survival at two yr were 57.1% and 48.0%, respectively, in 10 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia; 91.7% and 71.3%, respectively, in 12 patients with myeloid leukemia. The incidence of TRM was 4.8% at two yr. The rates of RRT above grade II and TRM in an 8-Gy TBI-containing regimen were significantly lower than the data of historical control patients who underwent 12-Gy TBI and cyclophosphamide with or without etoposide. The intermediate-dose TBI-based conditioning regimen may confer successful engraftment combined with minimized RRT, although its efficacy should be further evaluated.ArticlePEDIATRIC TRANSPLANTATION. 13(6):737-745 (2009)journal articl

Genetic analysis of TP53 in childhood myelodysplastic syndrome and juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia

信州大学博士（医学）・学位論文・平成23年3月31日授与（甲第886号)・齋藤章治ArticleLEUKEMIA RESEARCH. 35(12):1578-1584 (2011)journal articl

Professional dietary coaching within a group chat using a smartphone application for weight loss: a randomized controlled trial

Purpose: To test the effectiveness of professional dietary coaching via group chat using a smartphone application (app) for weight loss.Methods: This study was a 12-week, assessor-blind, parallel-group, waitlist-controlled randomized trial that included a 4-week follow-up period (trial registration, UMIN000025340). Data were collected between October 2016 and May 2017 and were analyzed between July 2017 and January 2018. Participants were 112 overweight, obese, or abdominally obese Japanese adults, aged 20 to 64 years, with at least one cardiometabolic risk factor. Participants were randomized to the coaching group (n=75) or control group (n=37), with a ratio of 2:1. The coaching group received a commercial weight loss program characterizing dietary coaching by a certified nutrition professional via group chat delivered on a smartphone app. Participants posted photos of every meal into the group chat, and the certified professional gave immediate direct feedback and encouragement. The primary outcome was an 8-week weight change. Secondary outcomes included 8-week changes in cardiometabolic risk factors. The frequency of meal photo uploads was recorded as a measure of adherence.Results: Of the 112 randomized participants, 93 (83.0%) and 81 (72.3%) completed 8-week and 12-week visits, respectively. Intention-to-treat analysis demonstrated significantly larger 8-week weight loss in the coaching group (−1.4 kg; 95% confidence interval [CI]: −2.0, −0.8 kg) than that in the control group (−0.1 kg; 95% CI: −0.6, 0.4 kg). Significantly larger improvements in triglyceride and glycated hemoglobin A1c levels were also obtained in the coaching group. These benefits, except for the triglyceride level, were maintained until week 12. The frequent upload of meal photos was associated with a larger 8-week weight loss in a dose–response fashion (P-value for trend <0.001).Conclusion: This smartphone-delivered commercial weight loss program characterized as dietary coaching via group chat resulted in modest but significant weight loss. Facilitating participants’ active involvement in the program is necessary to achieve greater health benefits

Characteristics of unique endocytosis induced by weak current for cytoplasmic drug delivery

We previously reported that 20 a weak current (WC, 0.3-0.5mA/cm2) applied to cells can induce endocytosis to promote cytoplasmic delivery of hydrophilic macromolecules (MW: < 70,000), such as dextran and siRNA, which leak from WC-induced endosomes into the cytoplasm (Hasan et al., 2016). In this study, we evaluated the characteristics of WC-mediated endocytosis for application of the technology to cytoplasmic delivery of macromolecular medicines. WC induced significantly higher cellular uptake of exogenous DNA fragments compared to untreated cells; the amount increased in a time-dependent manner, indicating that endocytosis was induced after WC. Moreover, following WC treatment of cells in the presence of an antibody (MW: 150,000) with the lysosomotropic agent chloroquine, the antibody was able to bind to its intracellular target. Thus, high molecular weight protein medicines delivered by WC-mediated endocytosis were functional in the cytoplasm. Transmission electron microscopy of cells treated by WC in the presence of gold nanoparticles covered with polyethylene glycol showed that the WC-induced endosomes exhibited an elliptical shape. In the WC-induced endosomes, ceramide, which makes pore structures in the membrane, was localized. Together, these results suggest that WC can induce unique endocytosis and that macromolecular medicines leak from endosomes through a ceramide pore