A learning multiple-valued logic networkusing genetic algorithm

This paper describes a genetic algorithm based learning Multiple-Value Logic (MVL) network. The proposed learning network operates on a population of candidate window parameters to produce new window parameters with lower errors between the desired outputs and the actual outputs of the MVL network. Thus, the learning MVL network has a large number of search points, making it possible to obtain a global min- imum. The learning capability of the proposed MVL network with genetic algorithm is con rmed by simulations on several typical MVL functions. The simulation results show that the genetic algorithm based learning MVL network efficiently nds the appropriate network, window parameters, and bias, so that the MVL functions, especially for those relatively small problems

(4-Chloro­phen­yl)(2,7-dimeth­oxy-8-nitro­naphthalen-1-yl)methanone

In the title compound, C19H14ClNO5, the aroyl group is attached to the naphthalene ring system with a non-coplanar configuration. The dihedral angle between naphthalene ring system and benzene ring is 70.62 (6)°. The nitro group is oriented in parallel with the adjacent carbonyl plane. The torsion angle of the carbonyl group and naphthalene ring is 54.68 (19)° (C—C—C—O), and that of nitro group and naphthalene ring is 54.26 (18)° (O—N—C—C). In the crystal, π–π inter­actions between naphthalene systems [centroid–centroid distances = 3.5633 (9), 3,5634 (9), and 3.9758(9) Å], C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds, inter­molecular N—O⋯Cl inter­actions [2.9937 (12) Å] and C—H⋯π contacts are observed

Photocatalytic Activity of S-doped TiO2 Photocatalyst under Visible Light

In order to effectively utilize visible light in photocatalytic reactions, we have developed S-doped TiO2 particles. They show strong absorption for visible light and high activities for degradation of methylene blue in aqueous solution under irradiation at wavelengths longer than 440 nm. The oxidation state of the S atoms incorporated into the TiO2 particles is determined to be S6+ from the XPS spectra

サイケイ USB カメラ オ モチイタ ショウニ ノ Aグン βヨウケツセイ レンサ キュウキンセイ イントウエン ニ オケル イントウ ホッセキ ノ ヒョウカ

Background: The Centor criteria and a rapid antigen detection test（RADT）are commonly used to diagnose streptococcal pharyngitis. We evaluated the relationships between specific erythema of the throat, Centor criteria, and positive RADT results to clarify the usefulness of direct observation with a thin USB camera.Methods: We observed the pharynx of 161 patients aged 0–15 years using a thin USB camera. We also evaluated the Centor criteria and presence of specific erythema. We performed an RADT as pathological proof. Fisher’s exact tests were conducted to assess the differences in the findings between RADT-positive and RADT-negative patients.Results: Of the 87 patients who underwent RADT, specific erythema was present in 23（26.4%）, and 8（9.2%） met three Centor criteria and had specific erythema. The RADT results were positive for 17 of the 23 with specific erythema（73.9%; p < 0.001）and for 7 of the 8 who met three Centor criteria and had specific erythema（87.5%; p < 0.001）.Conclusion: A high proportion of the patients with specific erythema of the throat had positive RADT results for streptococcal pharyngitis. A thin USB camera can provide exact clinical findings for both evaluators and patients with a low-cost and simple technique

2,7-Dimethoxy­-1-(4-nitro­benzo­yl)-naphthalene

In the title compound, C19H15NO5, the dihedral angle between the naphthalene ring system and the benzene ring is 61.97 (5)°. The dihedral between the naphthalene ring system and the bridging carbonyl C—C(=O)—C plane is 54.68 (6)°, far larger than that [12.54 (7)°] between the phenyl group and the bridging carbonyl group. The nitro group and the phenyl ring are almost coplanar [O—N—C—C torsion angle = 2.94 (19)°]. In the crystal, mol­ecules are linked by C—H⋯π inter­actions and the phenyl rings are involved in a centrosymmetric π–π inter­action with a perpendicular distance of 3.523 Å and a lateral offset of 1.497 Å. In addition, weak inter­molecular C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds are formed between an H atom of one meth­oxy group and a nearby carbonyl O atom

Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection for Large Colorectal Tumor in a Japanese General Hospital

Background and Aims. Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is not widely used in large colorectal lesions because of technical difficulty and possible complications. We aimed to examine the efficacy and safety of ESD for large colorectal neoplasms. Patients and Methods. During the past 5 years, 608 cases of colorectal neoplasm (≧20 mm) were treated by ESD. They were divided into Group A (20–49 mm, 511 cases) and Group B (≧50 mm, 97 cases). Results. The average age, lesion size, and procedure time were 67.4 years, 30.0 mm, and 60.0 min in Group A, and they were 67.1 years, 64.2 mm, and 119.6 min in Group B. En bloc resection rates were 99.2% and 99.0% (), and complication rates were 4.1% and 9.9% (). Complications in Group A consisted of perforation (2.7%), bleeding (1.2%), and ischemic colitis (0.2%). Those in Group B were perforation (8.2%) and bleeding (1.0%). Two cases in Group A and none in Group B required emergency surgery for perforation. Conclusions. There was no difference in efficacy between Groups A and B. Complications were more frequent in Group B, but all perforations in Group B were successfully managed conservatively. ESD can be effective and safe for large colorectal tumors

Feasibility of Endoscopy-Assisted Laparoscopic Full-Thickness Resection for Superficial Duodenal Neoplasms

Background. Superficial duodenal neoplasms (SDNs) are a challenging target in the digestive tract. Surgical resection is invasive, and it is difficult to determine the site and extent of the lesion from outside the intestine and resect it locally. Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) has scarcely been utilized in the treatment of duodenal tumors because of technical difficulties and possible delayed perforation due to the action of digestive juices. Thus, no standard treatments for SDNs have been established. To challenge this issue, we elaborated endoscopy-assisted laparoscopic full-thickness resection (EALFTR) and analyzed its feasibility and safety. Methods. Twenty-four SDNs in 22 consecutive patients treated by EALFTR between January 2011 and July 2012 were analyzed retrospectively. Results. All lesions were removed en bloc. The lateral and vertical margins of the specimens were negative for tumor cells in all cases. The mean sizes of the resected specimens and lesions were 28.9 mm (SD ± 10.5) and 13.3 mm (SD ± 11.6), respectively. The mean operation time and intraoperative estimated blood loss were 133 min (SD ± 45.2) and 16 ml (SD ± 21.1), respectively. Anastomotic leakage occurred in three patients (13.6%) postoperatively, but all were minor leakage and recovered conservatively. Anastomotic stenosis or bleeding did not occur. Conclusions. EALFTR can be a safe and minimally invasive treatment option for SDNs. However, the number of cases in this study was small, and further accumulations of cases and investigation are necessary

Investigation of drugs affecting hypertension in bevacizumab-treated patients and examination of the impact on the therapeutic effect

Background: In patients treated with bevacizumab, hypertension may be a biomarker of therapeutic efficacy. However, it is not clear whether drugs that control blood pressure influence bevacizumab's efficacy. In this study, we investigated drugs that may affect hypertension in bevacizumab-treated patients and examined the impact on the therapeutic effect. Patients and methods: We analyzed 3,724,555 reports from the third quarter of 2010 to the second quarter of 2015. All data were obtained from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) analysis. In this retrospective cohort study, we investigated a total of 58 patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer and treated for the first time with bevacizumab containing XELOX or mFOLFOX6 at The University of Tokushima Hospital between January 2010 and December 2015. The effect of the treatment was evaluated according to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.0. Thereafter, the effect was confirmed using Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and cultured cells. Results: There are few reports in FAERS of hypertension in patients treated with omeprazole on bevacizumab. Based on the chart review, patients who used proton pump inhibitors (PPI) had a lower response to treatment than those who did not (response rate: 25% vs 50%). Furthermore, experiments on GEO and cell lines suggested that induction of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene expression by PPIs is the cause of the reduced therapeutic effect. Conclusion: PPIs prevent hypertension in bevacizumab-treated patients but may reduce bevacizumab's anti-tumoral effects by inducing VEGF expression

Chemoradiotherapy with miriplatin

Background: The prognosis for patients with unresectable advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is poor. Miriplatin is a hydrophobic platinum compound that has a long retention time in lesions after transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). We investigated anti-tumor activity of miriplatin combined with irradiation on HCC cells, and its underlying mechanism of apoptosis. We also analyzed the effectiveness of miriplatin-TACE and radiotherapy for locally advanced HCC. Methods: Human HCC cell lines HepG2 and HuH-7 were treated with DPC (active form of miriplatin) and radiation, and synergy was evaluated using a combination index (CI). Apoptosis-related proteins and cell cycles were analyzed by western blotting and flowcytometry. We retrospectively analyzed treatment outcomes in 10 unresectable HCC patients with vascular/bile duct invasion treated with miriplatin-TACE and radiotherapy. Results: DPC or X-ray irradiation decreased cell viability dose-dependently. DPC plus irradiation decreased cell viability synergistically in both cell lines (CI<1 respectively). Cleaved PARP expression was induced much more strongly by DPC plus irradiation than by each treatment alone. Expression of p53 up-regulated modulator of apoptosis (PUMA) was significantly induced by the combination, and knockdown of PUMA with siRNA significantly decreased apoptosis in both cell lines. DPC plus irradiation caused sub-G1, G2/M, and S phase cell arrest in those cells. The combination of miriplatin-TACE and radiotherapy showed a high response rate for patients with locally advanced HCC despite small number of patients. Conclusions: Miriplatin plus irradiation had synergistic anti-tumor activity on HCC cells through PUMA-mediated apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. This combination may possibly be effective in treating locally advanced HCC

Potential use of lenvatinib for patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma including after treatment with sorafenib : Real-world evidence and in vitro assessment via protein phosphorylation array

The efficacy and safety of lenvatinib (LEN) as a second/third-line treatment for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after sorafenib (SOR) therapy remains unknown. We evaluated the outcomes of second/third-line LEN treatment, investigated the sensitivity of a SOR-resistant HCC cell line (PLC/PRF5-R2) to LEN, and assessed their signal transduction pathways by protein array analysis. We retrospectively enrolled 57 patients with unresectable HCC. Fifty-three radiologically evaluated patients comprised 34 molecular-targeted agent (MTA)-naive (first-line), nine intolerant to SOR (second-line), and 10 resistant to regorafenib (third-line). The objective response rates (ORRs) were 61.8% in first-line, 33.3% in second-line, and 20.0% in third-line groups. The overall survival (OS) in the first-line was significantly longer than that in the third-line group (p < 0.05). Patients with better liver functional reserves (child score, ALBI grade) exhibited higher ORR and longer OS. The IC50 of LEN against PLC/PRF5-R2 was significantly higher than that against PLC/PRF5. LEN significantly inhibited more LEN-related signal transduction pathways in PLC/PRF5 than in PLC/PRF5-R2 cells. This suggests that LEN is active and safe as a second/third-line treatment for unresectable HCC. LEN seems more effective for patients with HCC with better hepatic reserve functions or before MTA-resistance is acquired because of the partial cross-resistance to SOR