Identification of 45 New Neutron-Rich Isotopes Produced by In-Flight Fission of a 238U Beam at 345 MeV/nucleon

A search for new isotopes using in-flight fission of a 345 MeV/nucleon 238U beam has been carried out at the RI Beam Factory at the RIKEN Nishina Center. Fission fragments were analyzed and identified by using the superconducting in-flight separator BigRIPS. We observed 45 new neutron-rich isotopes: 71Mn, 73,74Fe, 76Co, 79Ni, 81,82Cu, 84,85Zn, 87Ga, 90Ge, 95Se, 98Br, 101Kr, 103Rb, 106,107Sr, 108,109Y, 111,112Zr, 114,115Nb, 115,116,117Mo, 119,120Tc, 121,122,123,124Ru, 123,124,125,126Rh, 127,128Pd, 133Cd, 138Sn, 140Sb, 143Te, 145I, 148Xe, and 152Ba

Applicability of radiocolloids, blue dyes and fluorescent indocyanine green to sentinel node biopsy in melanoma

Patients with primary cutaneous melanoma underwent sentinel node (SN) mapping and biopsy at 25 facilities in Japan by the combination of radiocolloid with gamma probe and dye. Technetium-99m (99mTc)-tin colloid, 99mTc-phytate, 2% patent blue violet (PBV) and 0.4% indigo carmine were used as tracers. In some hospitals, 0.5% fluorescent indocyanine green, which allows visualization of the SN with an infrared camera, was concomitantly used and examined. A total of 673 patients were enrolled, and 562 cases were eligible. The detection rates of SN were 95.5% (147/154) with the combination of tin colloid and PBV, 98.9% (368/372) with the combination of phytate and PBV, and 97.2% (35/36) with the combination of tin colloid or phytate and indigo carmine. SN was not detected in 12 cases by the combination method, and the primary tumor was in the head and neck in six of those 12 cases. In eight of 526 cases (1.5%), SN was detected by PBV but not by radiocolloid. There were 13 cases (2.5%) in which SN was detected by radiocolloid but not by PBV. In 18 of 36 cases (50%), SN was detected by radiocolloid but not by indigo carmine. Concomitantly used fluorescent indocyanine green detected SN in all of 67 cases. Interference with transcutaneous oximetry by PVB was observed in some cases, although it caused no clinical trouble. Allergic reactions were not reported with any of the tracers. 99mTc-tin colloid, 99mTc-phytate, PBV and indocyanine green are useful tracers for SN mapping.ArticleJOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY. 39(4):336-338 (2012)journal articl

統合失調症患者へ社会認知訓練と就労準備訓練を併用した介入効果の検証

研究論文Original article背景：統合失調症患者の就労支援に関心が高まっている．特に認知改善療法（CRT）と他の訓練の併用は有効な支援手段と考えられている．本研究では，社会的認知の改善を目的としたCRT である社会的認知訓練（SCIT）と職業準備訓練（VPT）を組み合わせることで、介入効果を高める効果を検証することを目的とした。研究方法：参加者は統合失調症と診断された患者である．参加者を3 群に分類した．3 群は（1）SCIT ＋ VPT 群，（2）SCIT 群，（3）対照群の3 群に分けられた．（1）（2）ではプログラムを週1回実施した．介入効果は，介入前後，介入終了8 週間後に仕事関連スキル，社会的認知機能，神経認知機能，精神症状により測定された．結果：SCIT+VPT 群の心の理論（ToM）には交互作用が観察された．しかし，SCIT+VPT 群の介入終了8 週間後の測定では，ToM に対する介入効果の継続性は観察されなかった。考察：3 群間の比較からSCIT とVPT を併用することでCRT 介入の効果が高まる可能性が明らかになった。この知見は，CRT と他のリハビリテーションプログラムを組み合わせることでその効果が高まるというこれまでの先行研究を裏付けるものであった．しかし，CRT とVPT を併用する介入の継続的な効果は確認できず，統合失調症患者の社会的認知機能の改善を就労関連スキルに般化する方法の検討が今後の課題といえる．Background： There is increasing interest in employment support for schizophrenia patients. Combining cognitive remediation training (CRT) with employment support programs is believed to be an especially effective means of assistance. The purpose of this study was to verify whether combining social cognition and interaction training (SCIT) and vocational preparation training (VPT), two kinds of CRT approaches aimed at improving social cognition, could lead to enhanced intervention effects.Methods：Participants were patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. They were divided into three groups: (1) SCIT + VPT, (2) SCIT only, and (3) control, based on measurements taken prior to the intervention. In (1) (2) program were implemented once per week. Intervention effects were measured through work-related skills, social cognitive function, neurocognitive function, and mental symptoms.Results：Interaction was observed in theory of mind (ToM) of SCIT + VPT group．A significant difference in ToM was identified between the SCIT + VPT group and the control group. However, persistent intervention effects on ToM in the SCIT + VPT group were not observed in measurements taken 8 weeks after the intervention ended.Disscussions：Comparisons between the three groups demonstrated that combining SCIT and VPT might increase the efficacy of CRT interventions. This corroborates previous research findings that combining CRT with other rehabilitation programs enhances its efficacy. However, the intervention was not observed to have persistent effects, raising questions about methods to generalize patients’ improved social cognitive function to employment-related skills, which could be a topic for future study

Wnt5 is required for notochord cell intercalation in the ascidian Halocynthia roretzi

Background information. In the embryos of various animals, the body elongates after gastrulation by morphogenetic movements involving convergent extension. The Wnt/PCP (planar cell polarity) pathway plays roles in this process, particularly mediolateral polarization and intercalation of the embryonic cells. In ascidians, several factors in this pathway, including Wnt5, have been identified and found to be involved in the intercalation process of notochord cells

Association between shift work and the risk of death from biliary tract cancer in Japanese men

Background: There is increasing evidence suggesting that shift work involving night work may increase cancer risk. Methods: We examined the association between working rotating shifts and the risk of death from biliary tract cancer among Japanese men who participated in the Japan Collaborative Cohort Study. Of the 46, 395 men recruited, 22, 224 men aged 40-65 at baseline (1988-1990) who reported working full-time or were self-employed were included in the present analysis. The study subjects were followed through December 31, 2009. Information regarding occupation and lifestyle factors was collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) and 95 % confidence interval (CI) for the risk of death from biliary tract cancer in relation to shift work. Results: During a mean 17-year follow-up, we observed 94 biliary tract cancer deaths, including 23 deaths from gallbladder cancer and 71 deaths from extrahepatic bile duct cancer. Overall, shift work was associated with a statistically non-significant increase in the risk of biliary tract cancer, with an HR of 1.50 (95 % CI: 0.81-2.77), among rotating shift workers. When the analysis was limited to extrahepatic bile duct cancer, a significant association appeared, with a multivariable-adjusted HR of 1.93 (95 % CI: 1.00-3.72) for rotating shift workers. Conclusion: Our data indicate that shift work may be associated with increased risk of death from extrahepatic bile duct cancer in this cohort of Japanese men. The association with gallbladder cancer remains unclear because of the small number of deaths

統合失調症患者の就労関連技能へ影響を及ぼす要因の検討

研究論文Original Articles　本研究は，統合失調症患者の就労関連技能に対し影響を及ぼす要因である認知機能，精神症状の関連性を明らかにすることを目的に仮説モデルを作成し，検討を実施した．対象者57 名に対し基本情報と就労関連技能（LASMI），社会認知機能（NMT，SCSQ），神経認知機能（BACS），全般的機能（GAF）を測定し，就労関連技能と各測定項目間の相関関係を確認した上で構造方程式モデリングを用い解析した．その結果, 就労関連技能へ直接影響を及ぼす因子として，社会認知機能のうち表情認知，原因帰属バイアスの指標である敵意バイアスと全般的機能が抽出された．また就労関連技能に対し，敵意バイアスを介し，他者の心を推測する心の理論と神経認知障害が間接的に影響を及ぼす認知機能間の関係性が明らかになった．本研究で得られた就労関連技能へ影響を及ぼす要因のモデルにより，作業療法士の統合失調症患者に対する就労支援の際，評価と介入において有用であると考えられた．　This present study aimed to develop and review a theoretical model with the goal of revealing the relationship among the key factors influencing the work-related abilities of patients with schizophrenia, namely cognitive function and psychiatric symptoms. In total, 57 participants were recruited in the present study. The analyzed measures included standard information, work-related ability, social cognitive function, neurocognitive function, and general function. After confirming the correlation between the work-related ability and each of the measurement items, these were further analyzed using structural equation modeling. As a result, the general function and the social cognitive function elements of facial expression recognition function and hostility bias—an indicator of causal attribution bias—were extracted as factors directly influencing the work-related ability. Furthermore, the relationship between the cognitive functions that were indirectly affected by neurocognitive disorder and the theory of mind for guessing the mental states of others was revealed through the hostility bias. These present findings indicated that this model of the key factors influencing the work-related ability in schizophrenia will be useful for measures of assessment and intervention by occupational therapists when providing employment support for patients with schizophrenia