Diversity of glial cell components in pilocytic astrocytoma

To characterize the cellular density and proliferative activity of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-negative cells in pilocytic astrocytoma (PA), surgically excised tissues of PAs (n=37) and diffuse astrocytomas (DAs) (n=11) were examined morphologically and immunohistochemically using antibodies against GFAP, Olig2, Iba1 and Ki-67 (MIB-1). In PA, Olig2 immunoreactivity was significantly expressed in protoplasmic astrocytes in microcystic, loose areas and cells in oligodendroglioma-like areas. Iba1-positive, activated microglia/macrophages were also commonly observed in microcystic areas. In compact areas, a prominent reaction for GFAP was observed, but for Olig2 and Iba1 to a lesser degree. On semiquantitative analysis, the number of Olig2-positive cells was significantly higher in PAs (mean labeling index (LI) ± standard deviation (SD): 46.8 ± 15.4%) than in DAs (13.3 ± 7.8%) (P<0.001). Many Iba1-positive, microglia/macrophages were observed in PAs (19.9 ± 6.5%), similarly to DAs (20.9 ± 9.9%). Re-immunostaining of PA demonstrated that most Ki-67-positive, proliferating cells expressed Olig2, whereas GFAP or Iba1 expression in Ki-67-positive cells was less frequent (14.7 ± 13.7%, and 8.8 ± 13.6%) in a double immunostaining study. Conversely, the percentage of Olig2-positive, proliferating cells in total Olig2-positive cells (7.2 ± 3.9%) was higher than that of Iba1-positive, proliferating cells in total Iba1-positive cells (0.9 ± 0.6%). In conclusion, the present study found that PA consisted of numerous GFAP-negative cells, including Olig2-positive cells with high proliferation. Semiquantitative analysis of Olig2 immunohistochemistry in microcystic areas might therefore be useful for the differential diagnosis of PA and DA学位記番号：医博甲1088, 学位の種類：博士（医）, 学位授与年月日：平成20年3月25

Interference and feature specificity in visual perceptual learning

AbstractPerceptual learning (PL) often shows specificity to a trained feature. We investigated whether feature specificity is related to disruption in PL using the texture discrimination task (TDT), which shows learning specificity to background element but not to target element. Learning was disrupted when orientations of background elements were changed in two successive training sessions (interference) but not in a random order from trial to trial (roving). The presentation of target elements seemed to have reversed effect; learning occurred in two-parts training but not with roving. These results suggest that interference in TDT is feature specific while disruption by roving is not

Relationship between Tourniquet Pressure and a Cross-Section Area of Superficial Vein of Forearm

This study investigated the appropriate tourniquet pressure (TP) and duration of tourniquet application for venipuncture by calculating the venous cross-section (VCS) area on ultrasonography. Twenty healthy volunteers without cardiovascular risk factors were enrolled in this study. A target vein (either a cephalic or median cubital vein) was selected on ultrasonography. The pneumatic tourniquet was inflated using a rapid cuff inflator system at setting pressure for 120sec. TP strength was varied from 20mmHg to 100mmHg, in 20mmHg increments. The order of TP was randomized. Compari-sons among more than 3 groups were performed by one-way repeated-measures ANOVA and the Bonferroni method. The VCS area increased rapidly until 10sec after tourniquet inflation. The VCS area then increased gradually until 30sec after tourniquet inflation. After that, the VCS area did not increase remarkably. The VCS area increased with TP strength up to 80mmHg, but the VCS area at TP 100mmHg decreased to less than that at TP 40mmHg. Based on these results, we recommend a tourniquet pressure of 60mmHg, and duration of tourniquet application is 30 to 60sec for venipuncture

Dysfunction from Focusing on Overseas Business

For this study, a questionnaire survey was administered to 824 people who had been posted overseas for at least one year (657 of whom had been involved in a business for the overseas market) in order to explore the factors behind the success of an overseas business. The results made clear, on one hand, that if Japanese companies focus on an overseas business, by, for example, defining the objectives and roles of the business, investing in market research, and posting core personnel abroad, they reach desirable outcomes, but, on the other hand, those outcomes are adversely affected when companies define the objectives and roles prior to conducting market research. A focus on overseas business increases personnel’s organizational identification with his or her headquarters and with the overseas business unit. However, dysfunction occurs when personnel feel high organizational identification with the overseas business unit, and that they are not expected to show customer-oriented behavior. According to our additional analyses, this dysfunction of organizational identification emerges when one perceives a weak identity of one’s organization.

Location-Specific Cortical Activation Changes during Sleep after Training for Perceptual Learning

Visual perceptual learning is defined as performance enhancement on a sensory task and is distinguished from other types of learning and memory in that it is highly specific for location of the trained stimulus. The location specificity has been shown to be paralleled by enhancement in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) signal in the trained region of V1 after visual training. Although recently the role of sleep in strengthening visual perceptual learning has attracted much attention, its underlying neural mechanism has yet to be clarified. Here, for the first time, fMRI measurement of human V1 activation was conducted concurrently with a polysomnogram during sleep with and without preceding training for visual perceptual learning. As a result of predetermined region-of-interest analysis of V1, activation enhancement during non-rapid-eye-movement sleep after training was observed specifically in the trained region of V1. Furthermore, improvement of task performance measured subsequently to the post-training sleep session was significantly correlated with the amount of the trained-region-specific fMRI activation in V1 during sleep. These results suggest that as far as V1 is concerned, only the trained region is involved in improving task performance after sleep

Characteristics of Highly Polymorphic Segmental Copy-Number Variations Observed in Japanese by BAC-Array-CGH

Segmental copy-number variations (CNVs) may contribute to genetic variation in humans. Reports of the existence and characteristics of CNVs in a large Japanese cohort are quite limited. We report the data from a large Japanese population. We conducted population screening for 213 unrelated Japanese individuals using comparative genomic hybridization based on a bacterial artificial chromosome microarray (BAC-aCGH). We summarize the data by focusing on highly polymorphic CNVs in ≥5.0% of the individual, since they may be informative for demonstrating the relationships between genotypes and their phenotypes. We found a total of 680 CNVs at 16 different BAC-regions in the genome. The majority of the polymorphic CNVs presented on BAC-clones that overlapped with regions of segmental duplication, and the majority of the polymorphic CNVs observed in this population had been previously reported in other publications. Some of the CNVs contained genes which might be related to phenotypic heterogeneity among individuals

Characterization of Burnout and Interpersonal Relationships : Overall and Age-stratified Analyses of Nurses Working in Palliative Care Units

The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship among the control of self-expression activities, patterns of interpersonal attitudes and burnout. A mail survey questionnaire was distributed to nurses working at 76 different palliative care units (N=782). The questionnaire consists of 5 scales: Japanese version the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), self-Monitoring Scale, Other-consciousness Scale. Emotional Empathy Scale, and Internal Working Model Scale. Overall, nurse with higher scores on the MBI were likely to be more unstable interpersonal relationships, more concerned about the outward appearance of others, more susceptible to emotion. This tendency was stronger among young and less experienced nurses who lived alone.自己表出行動の操作や対人態度の傾向が、バーンアウトとどのように関係しているのかを明らかにすることを目的に、全国の緩和ケア病棟に勤務する看護師を対象に郵送による質問紙調査を行った。質問紙には日本語版バーンアウト尺度、セルフ・モニタリング尺度、他者意識尺度、情動的共感性尺度、内的作業モデル尺度の5つの尺度を使用した。 対象全体では、バーンアウト得点が高いとより不安定な対人関係を示し、他者への意識がその人の外面に向きやすく感情的な影響も受けやすいこと、年齢・看護師経験が低く同居をしていない割合が高いことが示された。20歳代・30歳代・40歳代の年代別分析では、年代が異なってもバーンアウト得点の高いほうが社交性が乏しく、内的作業モデルの表象は安定したものではなく、共感時には暖かい反応が乏しくより冷淡であるという示唆が得られた。しかしバーンアウトに陥っている群の中では、バーンア ウトの程度ではなく年代によって自己表出行動の操作や対人態度の傾向がそれぞれ異なっており、他の年代と比べて特に20歳代に違いがみられた

Factors Predicting Adhesion between Renal Capsule and Perinephric Adipose Tissue in Partial Nephrectomy

In minimally invasive partial nephrectomy (MIPN), it is important to preoperatively predict the degree of difficulty of tumor resection. When severe adhesions occur between the renal capsule and perinephric adipose tissue, detachment can be difficult. Preoperative prediction of adhesion is thought to be useful in the selection of surgical procedure. Subjects were 63 patients of a single surgeon who had received MIPN between April 2008 and August 2013 at Okayama University Hospital. Of these patients, this study followed 47 in whom the presence or absence of adhesions between the renal capsule and perinephric adipose tissue was confirmed using intraoperative videos. Data collected included: sex, BMI, CT finding (presence of fibroids in perinephric adipose tissue), comorbidities and lifestyle. Adhesion was observed in 7 patients (14.9%). The mean operative time was 291.6min in the adhesion group, and 226.3min in the group without. The increased time in the adhesions group was significant (p＜0.05). Predictive factors were a positive CT finding for fibroid structure and comorbidity of hypertension (p＜0.05). In MIPN, difficulty of surgery can be affected by the presence of adhesion of the perinephric adipose tissue. Predicting such adhesion from preoperative CT is thus important