Cyclic Strength of Undisturbed Mine Tailings

In order to update existing regulations for the seismic design of tailings retention dikes, extensive investigations were undertaken for 15 existing tailings dams throughout Japan. Undisturbed samples procured from the tailings disposal ponds were tested ln the laboratory to determine the cyclic strength of the in-situ tailings deposits. The results of cyclic triaxial tests on these materials are summarized by means of empirical formulae which are recommended for incorporation in the new seismic design code for the tailings dams

The molecular basis for genetic polymorphism of human deoxyribonuclease I: identification of the nucleotide substitution that generates the fourth allele

AbstractIn addition to the three alleles commonly responsible for the protein polymorphism of human deoxyribonuclease I, a mutation encoded by a fourth allele, DNASEI*4, was detected by isoelectric focusing. All 8 exons covering the entire open reading frame of the human DNase I gene were amplified by the polymerase chain reaction and subjected to direct sequencing. Only one nucleotide substitution, a C-to-G transition (CAG → GAG), in the codon for amino acid 9 of the mature enzyme was found. This substitution resulted in the replacement of Gln with Glu (Q9E)

Trends of correlations between serum levels of growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor-I in general practice

Serum levels of growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I are crucial in the diagnosis and management of GH-related diseases. However, these levels are affected by nutritional and metabolic status. To elucidate the correlations between GH and IGF-I in various conditions, a retrospective analysis was performed for adult patients in which GH levels were examined by general practitioners during the period from January 2019 to December 2021. Of 642 patients, 33 patients were diagnosed with acromegaly, 21 were diagnosed with GH deficiency (GHD), and 588 were diagnosed with non-GH-related diseases (NGRD). In contrast to the positive correlations found between the levels of GH and IGF-I in patients with acromegaly (R=0.50; P<0.001) and patients with GHD (R=0.39; P=0.08), a negative correlation was found in the NGRD group (R=-0.23; P<0.001). In that group, the results of multivariable analysis showed that GH levels were predominantly influenced by gender and body mass index (BMI), whereas IGF-I levels were modulated by albumin in addition to age and GH. Of note, in the NGRD group, there was an enhanced negative correlation between GH and IGF-I under conditions of BMI < 22 and albumin < 4.0 g/dL (R=-0.45; P<0.001), and the negative correlation between GH and IGF-I was reinforced by excluding patients with other pituitary diseases and patients taking oral steroids (R=-0.51; P<0.001 and R=-0.59; P<0.001, respectively). Collectively, the results indicate that attention should be given to the presence of a negative correlation between serum levels of GH and IGF-I, especially in lean and low-nutritious conditions

Clinical significance of vascular endothelial growth factor and Delta-like ligand 4 in small pulmonary adenocarcinoma

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays a key role in tumor angiogenesis. The notch ligand Delta-like ligand 4 (DLL4) is induced by VEGF and acts as a negative regulator of tumor angiogenesis by reducing the numbers of non-productive sprouting vessels. Several reports have shown the prognostic role of VEGF expression in non-small cell lung cancer. However, the correlation between VEGF and DLL4 expression and their clinical significance in non-small cell lung cancer remains unclear. The aim of this study was to analyze the correlation between the expression of VEGF/DLL4 and the clinicopathological background. Fifty-eight patients with lung adenocarcinomas measuring less than 3 cm in diameter who underwent surgical resection at Kawasaki Medical School Hospital from 2008 to 2010 were enrolled in this study. The expressions of VEGF, DLL4, CD31, and Ki-67 were analyzed using immunohistochemical staining. The tumor cells were VEGF-positive in 44 patients (75.9%) and DLL4-positive in 41 patients (70.7%). No statistically significant association was observed between the patients\u27 characteristics and VEGF/DLL4 expression. A high VEGF expression level tended to be associated with a high DLL4 expression level (P = 0.050, r = 0.258). The mean Ki-67 index was significantly lower in the patients with high VEGF expression (9.5 vs. 18.2, P = 0.011), but no significant difference was observed when patients were compared according to their DLL4 expression levels (11.8 vs. 11.0, P = 0.804). The mean Ki-67 index was higher in the VEGF_ DLL4_ patients than in the VEGFhigh DLL4high patients by a marginally significant difference (20.1 vs. 10.9 P = 0.056). The 3-year recurrence-free survival rates of the VEGF_/DLL4_ and the VEGF_/DLL4_ patients were 83.3% and 35.7%, respectively. The prognosis of the VEGF_/DLL4_ patients was significantly better than that of the VEGF_/DLL4_ patients (P = 0.032). To investigate the significance of the difference in tumor proliferation and prognosis between the VEGF_/DLL4_ and the VEGF_/DLL4_ patients, we evaluated the morphologic effect of VEGF/DLL4 expression on the intratumoral capillaries by counting the number of capillaries and calculating the luminal area (μm^2). No significant differences were seen between either the VEGF or DLL4 expression levels and the mean number of intratumoral capillaries or the luminal area (μm^2). In conclusion, VEGF_/DLL4_ patients with small pulmonary adenocarcinoma had a significantly poorer prognosis, although no significant difference in a morphological evaluation of the capillaries was seen between VEGF_/DLL4_ and VEGF_/DLL4_ patients

Improvements in the degree of understanding the treatment guidelines for schizophrenia and major depressive disorder in a nationwide dissemination and implementation study

Background: To implement clinical practice guidelines (CPGs), it is necessary for psychiatrists to deepen their understanding of the CPGs. The Effectiveness of Guidelines for Dissemination and Education in Psychiatric Treatment (EGUIDE) project is a nationwide dissemination and implementation study of two sets of CPGs for schizophrenia and major depressive disorder (MDD). Methods: A total of 413 psychiatrists (n = 212 in 2016; n = 201 in 2017) learned the two CPGs in the education program of the EGUIDE project, and clinical knowledge of these CPGs was evaluated at baseline and after the programs. To improve the correct answer rate for clinical knowledge after the programs, we revised the lecture materials associated with items that had a low correct answer rate in 2016 and used the revised lecture materials with the CPGs in 2017. The rates of correct answers after the programs between the 2016 and 2017 groups were compared. Results: The correct answer rate of one item on the schizophrenia CPG and one item on the MDD CPG tended to be improved (S-D5 and D-C6) and that of one on the MDD CPG was significantly improved (D-D3, P = 0.0008) in the 2017 group compared to those in the 2016 group. Conclusions: We reported improvements in clinical knowledge of CPGs after the EGUIDE program in the 2017 group following revision of the lecture materials based on results from the 2016 group. These attempts to improve the degree of understanding of CPGs may facilitate the successful dissemination and implementation of psychiatric guidelines in everyday practice