症例の予後改善のための,電子ビームCT,4列～320列CTを用いた循環器領域の新しい臨床診断学の開発への貢献

I went to the Stanford University Department of Radiology\u27s three-dimensional (3D) imaging laboratory from 1996 to 1999 to study a novel 3D image processing technique using electron beam computed tomography (CT). When I returned to Japan, I found that multi-slice CT had been available in daily practice since 1998. We have published a total of 152 peer-reviewed papers on diagnostic images in the field of cardiovascular disease. In 2003, when 16-slice CT was available for use in general hospitals, we successfully developed a prototype 256-slice cone-beam CT at the National Institute of Radiological Sciences. We produced several papers discussing the utilities of this prototype CT in both animal and phantom experiments, the concepts and ideas that were currently used for cardiac perfusion and myocardium characteristic study. In 2010, our paper was used as a reference in the American College of Cardiology Foundation Expert Consensus Guideline. The our current topics presented include coronary artery stenosis, coronary arterial plaques, the characteristics of the myocardium, the anatomy of structural and congenital heart disease, and the cardiac function, all using 16-320 slice CT with reduced radiation exposure in CT acquisition. Furthermore, we are now performing novel clinical CT studies combined magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography, and echocardiography. Using previous image data, we analyzed an epidemiology study using CT findings to predict the occurrence of major cardiovascular adverse events over long-term follow-up periods of more than 100 months (median), one of the longest follow-up periods documented in the literature. We also need to obtain accurate diagnoses for subjects with cardiac failure or fatal arrhythmia of unknown origin, allowing them to receive specific effective therapy for their possible cardiac amyloidosis, cardiac sarcoidosis, or Fabry\u27s disease. Of course, in all CT imaging techniques used for evaluation and monitoring of cardiovascular risk

Cu₂O Homojunction Solar Cells: F‑Doped N‑type Thin Film and Highly Improved Efficiency

Herein, F-doped Cu₂O thin films with different F content are first synthesized on the ITO glass via a simple electrochemical deposition method. The prepared F-doped Cu₂O thin films present n-type semiconductor character and show significantly high electronic and optical properties, especially for the one with preparation molar ratio of F/Cu = 1:2. This sample owns a unique net microstructure for a best absorption of visible-light and its electron concentration is more than ten times as that of pure Cu₂O. Additionally, it has a lowest resistivity, which is beneficial for photogenerated charge transfer and the decrease of electron–hole pair recombination. The F-doped Cu₂O films are utilized to fabricate Cu₂O homojunction solar cells by consecutive electrochemical depositions. The conversion efficiency of the best homojunction solar cell with the F-doped Cu₂O as n-type layer is nearly eight times as that with pure Cu₂O as n-type layer. Hence, this study provides a strategy to improve the properties of Cu₂O thin films through F ion doping. The application of F-doped Cu₂O to homojunction solar cell will shed light on the development of another cheap and environmentally friendly solar cell

The most likely phylogram obtained in a maximum likelihood analysis of the combined dataset.

<p>Bootstrap values ≥ 95% (** = 100%, * = 95-99%) were plotted above branches and posterior support values ≥ 0.95 (**=1.00, *=0.95-0.99) below branches. Shown branch lengths correspond to the estimated substitution events (see bar). Vertical bars on the right side of the figure mark specimens that were recovered as part of a single network in statistical parsimony analyses of the combined dataset. The numbers correspond to the number of haplotypes per network. Letters on the right side correspond to molecular operational taxonomical units (MOTUs) discussed in the text. The amplification numbers and region are given for each specimen.</p

The p38 MARK signaling pathway is involved in pSTAT1-S727 elevation in PRRSV-infected cells.

<p><b>A.</b> SB203580 treatment leads to inhibition of PRRSV-induced pSTAT1 elevation. MARC-145 cells were infected with PRRSV and treated with SB203580. At 24 hpi, the cells were harvested for Western blotting with antibodies against pSTAT1-S727, STAT1, and tubulin. <b>B.</b> PRRSV yield remains unchanged in the presence of SB203580. Cell culture supernatant samples of PRRSV-infected MARC-145 cells in the presence or absence of SB203580 were titrated. The viral yield is shown as log10 TCID50/ml. <b>C.</b> Cell viability assay of SB203580-treated MARC-145 cells. The cells were subjected for the assay 24 h after treatment. Relative percentages in comparison with mock-treated cells are shown.</p

Visible Light-Induced Plasticity of Shape Memory Polymers

Plasticity of thermoset polymers has been realized by introducing exchangeable bonds, and the plasticity is mostly triggered via heat or UV light. Visible light is a relatively mild trigger that has not been used to induce plasticity in polymer materials. Herein, thermoset polyurethanes (PUs) containing diselenide bonds are fabricated that possess visible light-induced plasticity along with shape memory behavior. A series of PUs with different diselenide bond contents were tested and their shape memory properties and plasticity varied. With a higher diselenide bond content, both shape memory and light-induced plasticity are achieved. By combining these two properties, reshaping the permanent shapes of the PUs is easier. Compared with heat or UV light, visible light has the advantage of spatial control. For instance, a pattern of visible light was introduced by a commercial projector to demonstrate facile reshaping of the materials. Because visible light can be introduced via various methods, PUs with visible light-induced plasticity have great potential applications

List of primers for real-time PCR.

*<p>F1: forward primer, R1: reverse primer. Primers for swine genes start with “s”.</p

Nsp12 induces elevation of pSTAT1-S727 and expression of proinflammatory genes in HEK293 cells.

<p><b>A.</b> Nsp12 induces elevation of pSTAT1-S727 in HEK293 cells. The cells were transfected with nsp12 or nps4 plasmids. The cells were harvested 48 h after transfection for Western blotting with antibodies against pSTAT1-S727, STAT1 and tubulin. <b>B.</b> Densitometry analysis showing relative pSTAT1 levels in comparison with empty vector lane after normalization with tubulin. <b>C.</b> Nsp12 induces expression of proinflammatory cytokine genes. HEK293 cells were transfected with nsp12 plasmid and harvested for RT-qPCR. Significant differences between cells transfected with nsp12 and those with empty vector are shown by “*”, which indicates <i>P</i><0.05.</p

One-Step Preparation of Highly Hydrophobic and Oleophilic Melamine Sponges via Metal-Ion-Induced Wettability Transition

Hydrophobic and oleophilic absorbent materials have received wide attention in recent years for potential applications in pollutant removal from accidental spills of oil or organic chemicals. In this work, we report a metal-ion-induced hydrophobic melamine sponge (MII-HMS) prepared by a one-step solution immersion process. The commercial melamine sponge (intrinsically superhydrophilic with a water contact angle of ∼0°) is immersed in an aqueous solution of transition metal ions (e.g., FeCl₃, Fe­(NO₃)₃, Zn­(NO₃)₂, Ni­(NO₃)₂, and Co­(NO₃)₂) for a short period, followed by drying. This simple process renders the transition of the superhydrophilic melamine sponge to become highly hydrophobic (a water contact angle of ∼130°). Results from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and infrared spectroscopy suggest that the unprecedented transition is likely due to the formation of metal complexes during immersion. The MII-HMS is also oleophilic, exhibiting excellent oil absorption capabilities, ∼71–157 times of its weight, for a wide range of oils and organic solvents. Our work offers a simple, scalable, and economical approach to fabricate highly efficient absorbent materials for potential applications in oil spill recovery and environmental remediation

VR-2385 infection leads to higher expression of proinflammatory cytokine genes than MLV and SB203580 treatment reduces their expression.

<p>MARC-145 cells were infected with VR-2385 or MLV and treated with SB203580. Mock-treated cells were included for control. The cells were harvested at 48 hpi for RNA isolation and RT-qPCR. Relative folds of transcript levels of IL-1β, IL-8, and ISG54 in comparison with mock-treated PRRSV-negative cells are shown. Error bars represent variation of three repeated experiments. Significant differences between paired samples are shown by “*” and “**”, which indicate <i>P</i><0.05 and <i>P</i><0.01, respectively.</p

Kinetics and dose-dependent effect of PRRSV-induced elevation of pSTAT1-S727 (pSTAT1).

<p><b>A.</b> Kinetics of pSTAT1-S727 in VR-2385-infected cells. MARC-145 cells were infected with VR-2385 and MLV. The cells were harvested at 12, 24 and 48 hpi for Western blotting. Relative levels of pSTAT1 in comparison to the mock-infected cells of 12 hpi time point are shown as folds below the images. <b>B.</b> The pSTAT1 level increases along with incremental addition of VR-2385 virus inoculum. The MARC-145 cells were infected with 0.01, 0.1, 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 MOI and harvested at 24 hpi for Western blotting. <b>C.</b> Densitometry analysis of pSTAT1 showing relative levels of pSTAT1 in comparison with cells inoculated with 0.01 MOI as folds after normalization with tubulin. Error bars indicate standard errors among three repeated experiments.</p