Involvement of Adrenomedullin Expression in Tumor Cells and Stroma in the Development of Diabetes in Pancreatic Cancer Patients

Some studies have reported that adrenomedullin （AM） is involved in diabetes mellitus （DM） associated with pancreatic cancer. Therefore, in this study we investigated the relationship between diabetes and AM expression in patients with pancreatic cancer. We examined 48 biopsies and 26 surgical resections from 74 patients with histologically diagnosed pancreatic cancer. Patients were classified into either DM or non-DM groups. The immunohistochemical expression of AM and various clinicopathological factors were compared between the two groups. Among the biopsy cases, 21 were classified as DM and 27 as non-DM. AM expression in pancreatic cancer cells was significantly lower in the DM group （p＝0.03）. No significant differences were noted in age, body mass index, tumor diameter or location, serum CA19-9, amylase, or C-reactive protein levels, pancreatic ductal dilatation, portal vein invasion, clinical stage, or histological differentiation between the DM and non-DM groups. The proportion of men was significantly lower in the DM group （p＝0.04）, as was the frequency of liver metastasis at diagnosis （p＝0.03）. Among the resection cases, 13 were classified as DM and 13 as non-DM. There were no significant differences in AM expression in pancreatic cancer cells between the two groups. However, marked AM expression was observed in the inflammatory cells and fibroblasts of the tumor stroma in all cases. In addition, the inflammatory response in the tumor stroma tended to be stronger in the DM group. Although the present study failed to find a positive correlation between diabetes and AM expression in pancreatic cancer cells, the results indicate that AM expression in stromal cells may be more closely related to the development of DM in pancreatic cancer patients

Functional tooth restoration by next-generation bio-hybrid implant as a bio-hybrid artificial organ replacement therapy

Bio-hybrid artificial organs are an attractive concept to restore organ function through precise biological cooperation with surrounding tissues in vivo. However, in bio-hybrid artificial organs, an artificial organ with fibrous connective tissues, including muscles, tendons and ligaments, has not been developed. Here, we have enveloped with embryonic dental follicle tissue around a HA-coated dental implant, and transplanted into the lower first molar region of a murine tooth-loss model. We successfully developed a novel fibrous connected tooth implant using a HA-coated dental implant and dental follicle stem cells as a bio-hybrid organ. This bio-hybrid implant restored physiological functions, including bone remodelling, regeneration of severe bone-defect and responsiveness to noxious stimuli, through regeneration with periodontal tissues, such as periodontal ligament and cementum. Thus, this study represents the potential for a next-generation bio-hybrid implant for tooth loss as a future bio-hybrid artificial organ replacement therapy

Neuroimaging and clinical outcomes of oral anticoagulant-associated intracerebral hemorrhage

Objective Methods Whether intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) associated with non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOAC-ICH) has a better outcome compared to ICH associated with vitamin K antagonists (VKA-ICH) is uncertain. We performed a systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis of cohort studies comparing clinical and radiological outcomes between NOAC-ICH and VKA-ICH patients. The primary outcome measure was 30-day all-cause mortality. All outcomes were assessed in multivariate regression analyses adjusted for age, sex, ICH location, and intraventricular hemorrhage extension. Results Interpretation We included 7 eligible studies comprising 219 NOAC-ICH and 831 VKA-ICH patients (mean age = 77 years, 52.5% females). The 30-day mortality was similar between NOAC-ICH and VKA-ICH (24.3% vs 26.5%; hazard ratio = 0.94, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.67-1.31). However, in multivariate analyses adjusting for potential confounders, NOAC-ICH was associated with lower admission National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score (linear regression coefficient = -2.83, 95% CI = -5.28 to -0.38), lower likelihood of severe stroke (NIHSS > 10 points) on admission (odds ratio [OR] = 0.50, 95% CI = 0.30-0.84), and smaller baseline hematoma volume (linear regression coefficient = -0.24, 95% CI = -0.47 to -0.16). The two groups did not differ in the likelihood of baseline hematoma volume <30cm(3) (OR = 1.14, 95% CI = 0.81-1.62), hematoma expansion (OR = 0.97, 95% CI = 0.63-1.48), in-hospital mortality (OR = 0.73, 95% CI = 0.49-1.11), functional status at discharge (common OR = 0.78, 95% CI = 0.57-1.07), or functional status at 3 months (common OR = 1.03, 95% CI = 0.75-1.43). Although functional outcome at discharge, 1 month, or 3 months was comparable after NOAC-ICH and VKA-ICH, patients with NOAC-ICH had smaller baseline hematoma volumes and less severe acute stroke syndromes. Ann Neurol 2018;84:702-712Peer reviewe

Optimizing Deep-Neural-Network-Driven Autonomous Race Car Using Image Scaling

In this work we propose scaling down the image resolution of an autonomous vehicle and measuring the performance difference using pre-determined metrics. We formulated a testing strategy and provided suitable testing metrics for RC driven autonomous vehicles. Our goal is to measure and prove that scaling down an image will result in faster response time and higher speeds. Our model shows an increase in response rate of the neural models, improving safety and results in the car having higher speeds