Differences in the electric potential of pancreatic head cancer tissues

Identifying the electrical properties of cancer relies on the understanding of the electric potential (EP) of cancer tissues. This study aimed to investigate the EP properties in 49 pancreatic head cancer tissues using a digital multimetre. The anode was placed at the central side of the tumour, and the electric potential differences (EPDs) between cancerous and cancerous, cancerous and noncancerous, and noncancerous and noncancerous lesions at approximately 1-cm intervals following resection were evaluated. Pathological evaluation identified 30 of these samples as pancreatic invasive ductal carcinoma (PIDC, 10 without preoperative chemotherapy and 20 after chemotherapy), seven other pancreatic cancers, three tumours of Vater’s ampulla (VA), and eight extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (EHCC) samples. We also evaluated the differences in pH for cancerous and noncancerous lesions in nine PIDC samples. Our data suggest that the EP of pancreatic cancerous tissues is higher than that of noncancerous tissues, especially in PIDCs. We also noted that EPD was the highest when comparing cancerous and noncancerous lesions. Additionally, PIDC tissues presented with low pH; the pH difference between cancerous and noncancerous sites was significantly correlated with EPD (P = 0.011). These EPDs were also correlated with tumour size in PIDCs and inversely correlated with their response to chemotherapy. The EP values for both the cancerous and noncancerous sites in both the VA tumours and EHCC samples were not significantly different, whereas EPD in PIDC correlated with tumour extension and viable tumour content, suggesting that EPD might be useful for evaluating the viability and effectiveness of neoadjuvant chemotherapy.This research was partially supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A) (Nos. 15H02567 and 17H05102) from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology, and the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare for Japan

DC superconducting quantum interference devices fabricated using bicrystal grain boundary junctions in Co-doped BaFe2As2 epitaxial films

DC superconducting quantum interference devices (dc-SQUIDs) were fabricated in Co-doped BaFe2As2 epitaxial films on (La, Sr)(Al, Ta)O3 bicrystal substrates with 30deg misorientation angles. The 18 x 8 micro-meter^2 SQUID loop with an estimated inductance of 13 pH contained two 3 micro-meter wide grain boundary junctions. The voltage-flux characteristics clearly exhibited periodic modulations with deltaV = 1.4 micro-volt at 14 K, while the intrinsic flux noise of dc-SQUIDs was 7.8 x 10^-5 fai0/Hz^1/2 above 20 Hz. The rather high flux noise is mainly attributed to the small voltage modulation depth which results from the superconductor-normal metal-superconductor junction nature of the bicrystal grain boundary

Associations of Nutrient Patterns with the Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome : Results from the Baseline Data of the Japan Multi-Institutional Collaborative Cohort Study

The association between nutrient patterns and metabolic syndrome (MetS) has not been examined in a Japanese population. A cross-sectional study was performed on 30,108 participants (aged 35–69 years) in the baseline survey of the Japan Multi-Institutional Collaborative Cohort Study. Dietary intake was assessed using a 46-item food frequency questionnaire. MetS was diagnosed according to the Joint Interim Statement Criteria of 2009, using body mass index instead of waist circumference. Factor analysis was applied to energy-adjusted intake of 21 nutrients, and three nutrient patterns were extracted: Factor 1 (fiber, potassium and vitamins pattern); Factor 2 (fats and fat-soluble vitamins pattern); and Factor 3 (saturated fatty acids, calcium and vitamin B2 pattern). In multiple logistic regression analysis adjusted for sex, age, and other potential confounders, Factor 1 scores were associated with a significantly reduced odds ratio (OR) of MetS and all five components. Factor 2 scores were associated with significantly increased prevalence of MetS, obesity, and high blood pressure. Factor 3 scores were significantly associated with lower OR of MetS, high blood pressure, high serum triglycerides and low HDL cholesterol levels. Analysis of nutrient patterns may be useful to assess the overall quality of diet and its association with MetS

Structural basis for channel conduction in the pump-like channelrhodopsin ChRmine

新規光駆動型イオンチャネルの構造解明と高性能分子ツールの創出 --神経科学に光を当てる--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2022-02-03.ChRmine, a recently discovered pump-like cation-conducting channelrhodopsin, exhibits puzzling properties (large photocurrents, red-shifted spectrum, and extreme light sensitivity) that have created new opportunities in optogenetics. ChRmine and its homologs function as ion channels but, by primary sequence, more closely resemble ion pump rhodopsins; mechanisms for passive channel conduction in this family have remained mysterious. Here, we present the 2.0 Å resolution cryo-EM structure of ChRmine, revealing architectural features atypical for channelrhodopsins: trimeric assembly, a short transmembrane-helix 3, a twisting extracellular-loop 1, large vestibules within the monomer, and an opening at the trimer interface. We applied this structure to design three proteins (rsChRmine and hsChRmine, conferring further red-shifted and high-speed properties, respectively, and frChRmine, combining faster and more red-shifted performance) suitable for fundamental neuroscience opportunities. These results illuminate the conduction and gating of pump-like channelrhodopsins and point the way toward further structure-guided creation of channelrhodopsins for applications across biology

CVIT expert consensus document on primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in 2018

While primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has significantly contributed to improve the mortality in patients with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction even in cardiogenic shock, primary PCI is a standard of care in most of Japanese institutions. Whereas there are high numbers of available facilities providing primary PCI in Japan, there are no clear guidelines focusing on procedural aspect of the standardized care. Whilst updated guidelines for the management of acute myocardial infarction were recently published by European Society of Cardiology, the following major changes are indicated; (1) radial access and drug-eluting stent over bare metal stent were recommended as Class I indication, and (2) complete revascularization before hospital discharge (either immediate or staged) is now considered as Class IIa recommendation. Although the primary PCI is consistently recommended in recent and previous guidelines, the device lag from Europe, the frequent usage of coronary imaging modalities in Japan, and the difference in available medical therapy or mechanical support may prevent direct application of European guidelines to Japanese population. The Task Force on Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention of the Japanese Association of Cardiovascular Intervention and Therapeutics (CVIT) has now proposed the expert consensus document for the management of acute myocardial infarction focusing on procedural aspect of primary PCI

Bonding of different self-adhesive resins to high-strength composite resin block treated with surface conditioning

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of chemical conditioning and self-adhesive resins (SARs)on the bonding of mechanically conditioned high-strength composite resin block (HSCRB). Methods: Eighteen sections of HSCRB (KZR-CAD HR 3 Gammatheta, Yamakin) were treated with alumina air abrasion and randomly divided into 3 groups according to the SARs for bonding: RelyX Unicem 2 (RXU), SA Luting Plus (SAL), and G-Cem ONE (GCO). The sections were further divided into 3 subgroups according to the chemical conditioning of the adherend surfaces: no conditioning (C), universal adhesive (UA), and a mixture of γ-MPTS and 10-MDP (MM). After the surface conditioning, the sections were cemented with the SARs. Each cemented section was cut into 40 beams. Half of the beams were thermocycled (4 °C/60 °C, 10,000 cycles). The micro-tensile bond strength (μTBS) values were measured using a universal testing machine.Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), contact angles, and surface roughness measurements were performed on the adherend surfaces of each subgroup.Results: RXU showed the highest μTBS values among the 3 SARs tested, while MM application exhibited the highest μTBS values among the 3 chemical conditioning methods tested. After thermocycling, the samples in the RXU/MM, RXU/UA, and GCO/MM groups showed no significant changes in the μTBS values,whereas the others showed a significant reduction. Conclusions: The bond strength of HSCRB was influenced by the chemical conditioning, SARs, and aging. γ-MPTS and 10-MDP application yielded higher μTBS values of mechanically treated HSCRB than the UA