Stiff deployable structures via coupling of thick Miura-ori tubes along creases

Origami-based structures play an important role in the realization of deployable mechanisms and unique mechanical properties via programmable deformation by folding. Among origami-based structures, tessellation by the coupling of origami tubes enriches the variations in geometry and mechanical properties. However, thickness accommodation is a critical problem in engineering applications involving the coupling of thick origami tubes. To solve this problem, this study proposes the coupling of thick Miura-ori tubes along the creases for facile fabrication, which sustains the one-degree-of-freedom (DOF) motion of thick Miura-ori tubes owing to the local mirror symmetry around the coupling interfaces. Furthermore, the coupling method contributes to the high stiffness of the coupled Miura-ori tubes, as evidenced by the wide gap in the eigenvalues between the one-DOF mode and the elastic modes obtained by the bar-and-hinge models. Finally, meter-scale coupled Miura-ori tubes were fabricated to demonstrate one-DOF motion and high stiffness. The findings of this study enable the rapid construction of structures by one-DOF motion and enhancement of transportability via flat-foldability.Comment: 41 pages, 16 figure

DNA adduct formation by 2-amino-3-methylimidazo [4,5-f] quinoline (IQ) in rat colon

A food-born carcinogen, 2-amino-3-methylimidazo [4,5-f] quinoline (IQ) induces cancer in the rat colon. The mechanism for colonic DNA adduct formation leading to cancer by IQ was studied using a colostomized F344 rat model. In this model, the transverse colon of the rat was colostomized, which produced a fecal stream-positive proximal colon and a negative distal colon were produced. When IQ (50 mg/kg) was administered into the distal colon of the colostomized rats (n=5), the ratio of the DNA adduct level of the distal colonic mucosa to the paired muscular layer 24 hr after dosage was 2.02, whereas that was 1.51 and 1.37 when IQ was administered into the stomach (n=6) and the vein (n=5), respectively. This suggested that luminal exposure of IQ induced DNA adduct formation. Since IQ (an amine form) has no reactivity toward DNA, these findings suggested that IQ was immediately activated in the absorbed mucosal cells and reacted with DNA. However, most of the IQ absorbed was metabolically activated in the liver, distributed by blood circulation, and formed DNA adducts in the colonic mucosa and muscular layer

Effect of ursodeoxycholic acid on azoxymethane-induced aberrant crypt foci formation in rat colon : in vitro potential role of intracellular Ca2+

The studies were conducted to examine the precise nature of the suppressive effect of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) on colonic aberrant crypt foci (ACF) formation. Fischer 344 rats were treated with a single dose of azoxymethane (AOM) (20 mg/kg, s.c.) and fed basal diet (MF) supplemented with UDCA (0.4%) during an initiation or a post-initiation stage. ACF were enumerated at the 2nd, 5th and 8th weeks after AOM administration (15-18 rats/group).The number of ACF in the UDCA treated group was decreased significantly in the initiation and post-initiation stages at the 2nd (Plt0.01, Plt0.0001) and 8th weeks (Plt0.001, Plt0.0001),respectively, compared with untreated controls. In the time-course experiments, the effect of continuous feeding of UDCA (0.4%) on ACF formation was evaluated. ACF number was decreased significantly (Plt0.005) until the 16thweek.UDCAshowed a significant dose-dependent suppression of ACF number from a range of 0.1-0.4%UDCA.To approach the subcellular mechanisms of the effect of bile acids, the intracellular free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) of bile acid-treated rat colonic cancer cells (ACL-15) was examined. DCA and CDCA, which are promotive on ACF formation, induced a rapid increase in [Ca2+]i, while UDCA and CA, which are suppressive or non-effective on ACF formation, did not. These findings suggest that the promotive effect of bile acids may involve intracellular Ca2+ signaling

Proteomic alteration in gastic adenocarcinomas from Japanese patients

BACKGROUND: Gastric adenocarcinomas comprise one of the common types of cancers in Asian countries including Japan. Comprehensive protein profiling of paired surgical specimens of primary gastric adenocarcinomas and nontumor mucosae derived from Japanese patients was carried out by means of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2D-EP) and liquid chromatography-electrospray ionic tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS) to establish gastric cancer-specific proteins as putative clinical biomarkers and molecular targets for chemotherapy. RESULTS: Relatively common alterations in protein expression were revealed in the tumor tissues. Increases in manganese dismutase and nonhistone chromosomal protein HMG-1 (HMG-1) were observed, while decreases in carbonic anhydrases I and II, glutatione-S-transferase and foveolin precursor (gastrokine-1) (FOV), an 18-kDa stomach-specific protein with putative tumor suppressor activity, were detected. RT-PCR analysis also revealed significant down-regulation of FOV mRNA expression in tumor tissues. CONCLUSION: A possible pathological role for down-regulation of FOV in gastric carcinogenesis was demonstrated. Evaluation of the specific decreases in gene and protein expression of FOV in patients may be utilized as clinical biomarkers for effective diagnosis and assessment of gastric cancer

A case of early relapsed multiple lung metastases after esophagectomy successfully treated with S-1/cisplatin therapy after docetaxel/5-fluorouracil/cisplatin therapy

A 55-year-old-male patient underwent subtotal esophagectomy for esophageal cancer (pT1b, N0, M0, stage II) in April 2005. The patient received postoperative chemotherapy (docetaxel 40 mg/body, 5-fluorouracil 750 mg/body, cisplatin 10 mg/body : administered every 4 weeks) for 3 months. Six months postoperatively, routine follow up CT demonstrated multiple metastatic tumors in the bilateral lungs. Under the diagnosis of multiple lung metastases, the patient was hospitalized and received intensive chemotherapy with docetaxel 40 mg/ week (day 1), 5-fluorouracil 500 mg/ day (days 1-5), cisplatin 10 mg/ day (days 1-5). After two weeks administration, the patient eagerly hoped for outpatient treatment. The treatment was changed to outpatient chemotherapy with S-1 100 mg/ day (continuous administration for 3 weeks followed by rest for 1 week) and cisplatin 20 mg/ every week. The treatment enabled the patient to keep working. Follow up CT showed disappearance of all tumors two months after TS-1/cisplatin chemotherapy. There were no obvious signs of recurrence 5 months after chemotherapy. The S-1/cisplatin therapy in the outpatient was thought to be one of the effective treatments in maintaining quality of life for the patient

フククウキョウカ チョクチョウダツ コンチ ジュツゴ ニ ハッセイ シタ ポートコウ ヘルニア ノ イチレイ

The patient was an 80-year-old hunchbacked woman. Her main complaints were anal pain and hemorrhage. She was diagnosed with Tuttle’s type II rectal prolapse and underwent radical laparoscopic surgery for the rectal prolapse. A Penrose drain was put in place through a 12-mm port in the right hypogastrium. As there was no problem with drainage, the drain was withdrawn on the 3rd postoperative day. However, the small intestine was found to be prolapsed 20 cm in length from the site and to be necrotized. We resected the small intestine immediately. It seems necessary to take some measures, for example, using a port of 10 mm or less, when placing a drain during laparoscopic surgery, with occurrence of port-site hernia in mind