Zur Morphologie und Entwicklungsgeschichte der Lungenanlage bei Columba domestica

Die Entwicklungsgeschichte der Lungenanlage bei Vögeln ist seit langem oft Gegenstand eingehender Untersuchungen gewesen. Trotzdem müssen wir zugeben, dass auch heute noch manche Fragen nicht endgültig geklärt sind. Prof. Shikinami übertrug uns deshalb die Aufgabe, die ersten und weiteren Entwicklungsstadien der Lungenanlage, besonders die Verästelungsprozesse der Stammbronchien bei Columba domestica zuverfolgen. Einerseits sollten wir untersuchen, welche von den in der Literatur verbreiteten Angaben über die Vögel überstimmt seien, andrerseits sollten wir nach Möglichkeit die Lücken ausfüllen, welche unsere Kenntnisse in betreff der Lungenentwicklung noch aufweisen. Ale Material standen uns Haustaubenembryonen zur Verfügung. Das Material wurde grösstenteils mit Zenkerscher Lösung fixiert. Zur Färbung wurde Boraxkarmin, zum Einbetten Paraffin gebraucht; das Material wurde zum grössten Teil in quere Serien von 10μ Dicke geschnitten. Die Wachsplatten- und Gipsmodelle wurden in 100 father Vergrösserung hergestellt. Die Richtzeichen wurden mittels des Apparates nach Prof. J. Shikinami erfolgreich angebracht. Als Resultat unserer Untersuchungen möchten wir folgendes hervorheben: 1) Wir finden auch bei der Haustaube, wie bei anderen Vögeln, dass die Lunge entdermaler Herkunft ist and paarig als eine Ausstülpung der ventralen Seitenwand des Vorderdarmkanals entsteht. 2) Der Mutterboden des Respirationsapparates entsteht erst als eine charakteristische, umschriebene Wucherung des primitiven Epithels an der vorderen Kante sowie an den anschliessenden Seitenwänden des ventralen Darmkanals am Embryo von 6.0 mm (Ursegment 24…26) grösster Länge. 3) Im Verlauf der weiteren Entwicklung entsteht aus der einheitlichen Epithelverdickung an der vorderen Kante des Vorderdarms die Trachea, aus der paarigen seitlichen Epithelverdickung die Lunge. Infolgedessen können wir am Embryo von 5.8 mm (Ursegment 35) grösster Länge Trachea- und Lungenanlage deutlich wahrnehmen. 4) Tracheaanlage ist vollständig abgesetzt von der Lungenanlage und es entstehen die Entbronchi 1, von der Mitte der erweiterten Stammbronchi als papillenartige Knöspchen am Embryo von 6.0 mm grösster Länge. 5) Ausser den Entobronchi 1, entstehen 2, 3, und 4, am Embryo von 6.5 mm Nacken-steisslänge. So bestimmten wir bei den Tauben 4 ausgebildete Entbronchien. 6) Ausser den weiteren Wachstums- und Differenzierungsvorgängen der 4 Entbronchien, entstehen Ectobronchi 1, 2, 3, 4 und die Andeutung der Laterobronchi am Embryo von 8.5 mm Nackeusteisslänge. 7) Wir unterschieden, den kaudalen, transversalen und medialen Ast von Entobronchi 1, den anterolateralen und dorsalen Ast von Entobronchi 2, den kaudalen und ventralen Ast von Entobronchi 3, und vergrösserte Entobronchi 4, Ectobronchi 1, 2, 3, 4 und Laterobronchi 1, 2, 3 am Embryo von 11.0 mm Scheitel-steisslänge. 8) Wir sahen komplizierte Verästelungszustande des Bronchialbaums traubenartig am Embryo vou 12.5 mm Scheitel-steisslänge

Delay in Emergency Medical Service Transportation Responsiveness during the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Minimally Affected Region

Few studies have investigated the influence of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on emer-gency medical service (EMS) systems, especially in areas less affected or unaffected by COVID-19. In this study, we investigated changes in prehospital EMS activity and transport times during the COVID-19 pandemic. All patients transported by EMS in the city of Okayama from March–May 2019 or March–May 2020 were included. Interfacility transports were excluded. The primary outcome was the time from a patient’s first emergency call until hospital arrival (total prehospital time). Secondary outcomes included three segments of total prehospital time: the response time, on-scene time, and transportation time. Total prehospital time and the durations of each segment were compared between corresponding months in 2020 (COVID19-affected) and 2019 (control). The results showed that total prehospital times in April 2020 were significantly higher than those in 2019 (33.8 ± 11.6 vs. 32.2 ± 10.8 min, p < 0.001). Increases in total prehospital time were caused by longer response time (9.3 ± 3.8 vs. 8.7 ± 3.7 min, p < 0.001) and on-scene time (14.4 ± 7.9 vs. 13.5 ± 6.2min, p < 0.001). The COVID-19 pandemic was thus shown to affect EMS and delayed arrival/response even in a minimally affected region. A system to minimize transportation delays should be developed for emerging pandemics

IL-12 and IL-18 Induction and Subsequent NKT Activation Effects of the Japanese Botanical Medicine Juzentaihoto

In this study, we first measured some cytokine concentrations in the serum of patients treated with Juzentaihoto (JTT). Of the cytokines measured interleukin (IL) -18 was the most prominently up-regulated cytokine in the serum of patients under long term JTT administration. We next evaluated the effects of JTT in mice, focusing especially on natural killer T (NKT) cell induction. Mice fed JTT were compared to control group ones. After sacrifice, the liver was fixed, embedded and stained. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) observations were performed. Although the mice receiving the herbal medicine had same appearance, their livers were infiltrated with massive mononuclear cells, some of which were aggregated to form clusters. Immunohistochemical staining revealed that there was abundant cytokine expression of IL-12 and IL-18 in the liver of JTT treated mice. To clarify what the key molecules that induce immunological restoration with JTT might be, we next examined in vitro lymphocyte cultures. Mononuclear cells isolated and prepared from healthy volunteers were cultured with and without JTT. Within 24 hours, JTT induced the IL-12 and IL-18 production and later (72 hours) induction of interferon (IFN)-gamma. Oral administration of JTT may induce the expression of IL-12 in the early stage, and IL-18 in the chronic stage, followed by NKT induction. Their activation, following immunological restoration could contribute to anti-tumor effects

Variant PRC1 competes with retinoic acid-related signals to repress Meis2 in the mouse distal forelimb bud

10 p.-3 fig.-1 tab.Suppression of Meis genes in the distal limb bud is required for proximal-distal (PD) specification of the forelimb. Polycomb group (PcG) factors play a role in downregulation of retinoic acid (RA)-related signals in the distal forelimb bud, causing Meis repression. It is, however, not known whether downregulation of RA-related signals and PcG-mediated proximal gene repression are functionally linked. Here, we reveal that PcG factors and RA-related signals antagonize each other to polarize Meis2 expression along the PD axis in mouse. Supported by mathematical modeling and simulation, we propose that PcG factors are required to adjust the threshold for RA-related signaling to regulate Meis2 expression. Finally, we show that a variant Polycomb repressive complex 1 (PRC1), incorporating PCGF3 and PCGF5, represses Meis2 expression in the distal limb bud. Taken together, we reveal a previously unknown link between PcG proteins and downregulation of RA-related signals to mediate the phase transition of Meis2 transcriptional status during forelimb patterning.This work was supported by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan (MEXT) (23249015 to H.K.), the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED) (JP18gm0510016 to H.K. and T.K.), the Special Postdoctoral Researcher Program of RIKEN (to N.Y.-K.), the Regional Innovation Program from MEXT (to T.K.) and the Cross-ministerial Strategic Innovation Promotion Program (SIP) from Cabinet Office, Government of Japan (to T.K. and H.K.).Peer reviewe

Utilizing a low-cost desktop 3D printer to develop a “one-stop 3D printing lab” for oral and maxillofacial surgery and dentistry fields

Abstract Background In the oral and maxillofacial surgery and dentistry fields, the use of three-dimensional (3D) patient-specific organ models is increasing, which has increased the cost of obtaining them. We developed an environment in our facility in which we can design, fabricate, and use 3D models called the “One-stop 3D printing lab”. The lab made it possible to quickly and inexpensively produce the 3D models that are indispensable for oral and maxillofacial surgery. We report our 3D model fabrication environment after determining the dimensional accuracy of the models with different laminating pitches (; layer thickness) after fabricating over 300 3D models. Considerations were made for further reducing modeling cost and model print time. MDCT imaging was performed using a dry human mandible, and 3D CAD data were generated from the DICOM image data. 3D models were fabricated with a fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printer MF-2000 (MUTOH) with a laminating pitch of 0.2 mm, 0.3 mm, 0.4 mm, or 0.5 mm. Each 3D model was then subjected to reverse scanning to evaluate the modeling conditions and deformation during modeling. For the 3D image processing system, Volume Extractor 3.0 (i-Plants Systems) and POLYGONALmeister V2 (UEL) were used. For the comparative evaluation of CAD data, spGauge 2014.1 (Armonicos) was used. Results As the laminating pitch increased, the weight of the 3D model, model print time, and material cost decreased, and no significant reduction in geometric accuracy was observed. Conclusions The amount of modeling material used and preparation cost were reduced by increasing the laminating pitch. The “One-stop 3D printing lab” made it possible to produce 3D models daily. The use of 3D models in the oral and maxillofacial surgery and dentistry fields will likely increase, and we expect that low-cost FDM 3D printers that can produce low-cost 3D models will play a significant role

Clusters of coronavirus disease 2019 in medical institutions and elderly care facilities in Okayama Prefecture

　Coronavirus disease 2019 has spread worldwide and has yet to be contained. The Japanese government has taken measures against the occurrence of clusters. However, there has little evaluation of the occurrence of the clusters and their changes. Therefore, we investigated the occurrence of the clusters in medical institutions and elderly care facilities in Okayama Prefecture. 　We compared the characteristics of the clusters that occurred in each of the wave between October 21, 2020, and September 30, 2021, by using the data published that interval. As a case study, we also evaluated the characteristics of positive patients at a medical institution over where a cluster occurred in case the fourth wave. 　The overall number of cluster outbreaks decreased with the spread of vaccination. In the fourth wave, there was a period in which the vaccination of staff members at medical institutions became widespread, while patients or facility users were unvaccinated, resulting in a longer convergence period and an increase in the number of positive cases among patients relative to the number of staff members. 　The impact of the spread of vaccination and the duration of immunity acquired after vaccination on the occurrence of clusters should be closely monitored in the future