Structure of Lambda(1405) and threshold behavior of piSigma scattering

The scattering length and effective range of the piSigma channel are studied in order to characterize the strangeness S=-1 meson-baryon scattering and the Lambda(1405) resonance. We examine various off-shell dependence of the amplitude in dynamical chiral models to evaluate the threshold quantities with the constraint at the KbarN threshold. We find that the piSigma threshold parameters are important to the structure of the Lambda(1405) resonance and provide further constraints on the subthreshold extrapolation of the KbarN interaction.Comment: 20 pages, 4 figures, with corrections made after referring proces

YKL-40 is associated with MIA syndrome in HD

Chitinase-3-like protein 1 (YKL-40) is a glycoprotein associated with inflammation and tissue remodeling that has recently been used as a marker of inflammation in hemodialysis (HD) patients. In this study, we aimed to determine whether YKL-40 has potential to serve as a nutritional parameter in Japanese HD patients. The serum YKL-40 concentration, hematological parameters, inflammatory marker levels, anthropometric measurements, and laboratory values were measured in 88 patients receiving HD. The geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI) was used as a nutritional assessment tool. 45.4% of patients were malnourished. YKL-40 correlated positively with age, alkaline phosphatase, alanine transaminase and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (γ -GTP) levels, but not with nutritional status, and correlated inversely with ankle brachial index score, a predictor of atherosclerosis. Furthermore, multiple regression analysis confirmed that γ-GTP, GNRI and age correlated with YKL-40. YKL-40 elevation was associated with γ-GTP, GNRI and age in HD patients

Usefulness of the Palliative Prognostic Index in patients with lung cancer.

The usefulness of the Palliative Prognostic Index (PPI) has been successfully validated in a variety of clinical settings. However, while lung cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide, patients with lung cancer accounted for only 6.9-25.8 % of the study populations in these previous studies. We conducted a retrospective study to evaluate the usefulness of the PPI for survival prediction in patients with lung cancer. Patients with lung cancer who were admitted to our hospital between 2009 and 2013 to receive palliative care were enrolled. The association between the Palliative Prognostic Index, determined based on the data recorded in the clinical charts at the last admission to our hospital, and survival was evaluated. The patient group with a PPI of >6 showed a significantly shorter survival time than the patient group with a PPI of ≤ 6 (P < 0.0001, log-rank test). The sensitivity and specificity of the PPI determined using the cutoff value of 6 for predicting less than 3 weeks of survival were 61.3 and 86.8 %, respectively. However, the sensitivity decreased to 50.0 % when the assessment was carried out in only patients with small cell lung carcinoma. Our findings suggest the existence of a close association between the PPI and survival in patients with lung cancer receiving palliative care. However, the sensitivity of the index for predicting less than 3 weeks of survival was relatively low in patients with small cell lung carcinoma

Sn-modified Ni-nanowire array films prepared by electrodeposition and their electrochemical properties as an anode material of lithium-ion batteries

Ni-nanowire array films were prepared by general galvanostatic electrodeposition employing a polycarbonate membrane filter (pore diameter: 0.1 μm or 0.8 μm) as a template and subsequent dissolution of the membrane filter in chloroform. Thereafter the Ni-nanowire array films were modified with Sn by pulsed electrodeposition. Morphology of Sn-modified Ni-nanowire array films obtained was largely dependent on the microstructure of the membrane filter and the conditions of pulsed electrodeposition of Sn. It was confirmed that uniform deposition of Sn right into the Ni-nanowire array structure improved charge-discharge characteristics of the Sn-modified Ni-nanowire array films as an anode of lithium-ion batteries.1st International Conference on Renewable Energy Research and Applications, ICRERA 2012; Nagasaki; Japan; 11 November 2012 ～ 14 November 201

Overseas Support in the Field of Vascular Access

Since joining the Non-Governmental Organization Ubiquitous Blood Purification International in 2014, professionals who are mainly members of the Japanese Society for Dialysis Therapy (JSDT) have worked toward promoting dialysis therapy in several countries through help with organization of local nephrology societies and conducting educational activities. Since 2016, training at our hospital has been provided for doctors and dialysis staff from these countries as part of the activities of the JSDT. These activities also involve technical training for vascular access (VA) surgery and management. To date, lectures and practical teaching on VA procedures have been given in Cambodia and Vietnam, and a hands-on seminar on echo-guided puncture and VA management was held in Mongolia. In Mongolia and Myanmar, a plan to provide systemic VA surgery education has been developed, at the request of local nephrology societies. Doctors and medical staff from Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Nepal and Indonesia have visited our hospital and have observed operations as part of their training. To achieve sustainable medical support and academic activities, we have found it to be important to have a counterpart society in each country, and guidance has been provided when required on organization of a national nephrology society

Non-invasive regional cerebral blood flow quantification in the 123I-IMP autoradiography using artificial neural network.

PurposeRegional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) quantification using 123I-N-isopropyl-p-iodoamphetamine (123I-IMP) requires an invasive, one-time-only arterial blood sampling for measuring the 123I-IMP arterial blood radioactivity concentration (Ca10). The purpose of this study was to estimate Ca10 by machine learning (ML) using artificial neural network (ANN) regression analysis and consequently calculating rCBF and cerebral vascular reactivity (CVR) in the dual-table autoradiography (DTARG) method.Materials and methodsThis retrospective study included 294 patients who underwent rCBF measurements through the 123I-IMP DTARG. In the ML, the objective variable was defined by the measured Ca10, whereas the explanatory variables included 28 numeric parameters, such as patient characteristic values, total injection 123I-IMP radiation dose, cross-calibration factor, and the distribution of 123I-IMP count in the first scan. ML was performed with training (n = 235) and testing (n = 59) sets. Ca10 was estimated in testing set by our proposing model. Alternatively, the estimated Ca10 was also calculated via the conventional method. Subsequently, rCBF and CVR were calculated using estimated Ca10. Pearson's correlation coefficient (r-value) for the goodness of fit and the Bland-Altman analysis for assessing the potential agreement and bias were performed between the measured and estimated values.ResultsThe r-value of Ca10 estimated by our proposed model was higher compared with the conventional method (0.81 and 0.66, respectively). In the Bland-Altman analysis, mean differences of 4.7 (95% limits of agreement (LoA): -18-27) and 4.1 (95% LoA: -35-43) were observed using proposed model and the conventional method, respectively. The r-values of rCBF at rest, rCBF after the acetazolamide challenge, and CVR calculated using the Ca10 estimated by our proposed model were 0.83, 0.80 and 0.95, respectively.ConclusionOur proposed ANN-based model could accurately estimate the Ca10, rCBF, and CVR in DTARG. These results would enable non-invasive rCBF quantification in DTARG