Dry Small Pleural Dissemination of Adenocarcinoma of the Lung Preoperatively Detected by PET/CT: A Report of Two Cases

Dry pleural dissemination in non-small cell lung cancer, defined as solid pleural metastasis of lung cancer without pleural eff usion, is a condition occurring in T4 lung cancer. Positron emission tomography (PET) has been reported to be useful for the diagnosis and staging of lung cancer. It has been reported that positive findings on PET scans of indeterminate pleural abnormalities at computed tomography (CT) are sensitive to malignancy. We encountered two cases of dry small pleural dissemination of adenocarcinoma of the lung preoperatively detected by PET/CT. A 75-year-old man and a 66-year-old man underwent CT scan, which demonstrated solitary tumor in the lung, an enlarged mediastinal lymph node, and a small pleural nodule less than 10 mm in size, all of which were positive findings on the fluorine 18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET portion of an integrated PET/CT. Both patients underwent thoracoscopic biopsy of the dry pleural nodule revealing dissemination of adenocarcinoma of the lung (T4). Whereas histological thoracoscopic diagnosis remains mandatory before planning treatment, our cases may suggest that PET/CT will be useful as a screening modality for dry pleural dissemination of lung cancer.</p

Sox7 is dispensable for primitive endoderm differentiation from mouse ES cells

Abstract Background Primitive endoderm is a cell lineage segregated from the epiblast in the blastocyst and gives rise to parietal and visceral endoderm. Sox7 is a member of the SoxF gene family that is specifically expressed in primitive endoderm in the late blastocyst, although its function in this cell lineage remains unclear. Results Here we characterize the function of Sox7 in primitive endoderm differentiation using mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells as a model system. We show that ectopic expression of Sox7 in ES cells has a marginal effect on triggering differentiation into primitive endoderm-like cells. We also show that targeted disruption of Sox7 in ES cells does not affect differentiation into primitive endoderm cells in embryoid body formation as well as by forced expression of Gata6. Conclusions These data indicate that Sox7 function is supplementary and not essential for this differentiation from ES cells

Color blending based on viewpoint and surface normal for generating images from any viewpoint using multiple cameras

A color blending method for generating a high quality image of human motion is presented. The 3D (three-dimensional) human shape is reconstructed by volume intersection and expressed as a set of voxels. As each voxel is observed as different colors from different cameras, voxel color needs to be assigned appropriately from several colors. We present a color blending method, which calculates voxel color from a linear combination of the colors observed by multiple cameras. The weightings in the linear combination are calculated based on both viewpoint and surface normal. As surface normal is taken into account, the images with clear texture can be generated. Moreover, since viewpoint is also taken into account, high quality images free of unnatural warping can be generated. To examine the effectiveness of the algorithm, a traditional dance motion was captured and new images were generated from arbitrary viewpoints. Compared to existing methods, quality at the boundaries was confirmed to improve.</p

Sox7 is dispensable for primitive endoderm differentiation from mouse ES cells.

BACKGROUND: Primitive endoderm is a cell lineage segregated from the epiblast in the blastocyst and gives rise to parietal and visceral endoderm. Sox7 is a member of the SoxF gene family that is specifically expressed in primitive endoderm in the late blastocyst, although its function in this cell lineage remains unclear. RESULTS: Here we characterize the function of Sox7 in primitive endoderm differentiation using mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells as a model system. We show that ectopic expression of Sox7 in ES cells has a marginal effect on triggering differentiation into primitive endoderm-like cells. We also show that targeted disruption of Sox7 in ES cells does not affect differentiation into primitive endoderm cells in embryoid body formation as well as by forced expression of Gata6. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that Sox7 function is supplementary and not essential for this differentiation from ES cells

Class A scavenger receptor 1 (MSR1) restricts hepatitis C virus replication by mediating toll-like receptor 3 recognition of viral RNAs produced in neighboring cells

Persistent infections with hepatitis C virus (HCV) may result in life-threatening liver disease, including cirrhosis and cancer, and impose an important burden on human health. Understanding how the virus is capable of achieving persistence in the majority of those infected is thus an important goal. Although HCV has evolved multiple mechanisms to disrupt and block cellular signaling pathways involved in the induction of interferon (IFN) responses, IFN-stimulated gene (ISG) expression is typically prominent in the HCV-infected liver. Here, we show that Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) expressed within uninfected hepatocytes is capable of sensing infection in adjacent cells, initiating a local antiviral response that partially restricts HCV replication. We demonstrate that this is dependent upon the expression of class A scavenger receptor type 1 (MSR1). MSR1 binds extracellular dsRNA, mediating its endocytosis and transport toward the endosome where it is engaged by TLR3, thereby triggering IFN responses in both infected and uninfected cells. RNAi-mediated knockdown of MSR1 expression blocks TLR3 sensing of HCV in infected hepatocyte cultures, leading to increased cellular permissiveness to virus infection. Exogenous expression of Myc-MSR1 restores TLR3 signaling in MSR1-depleted cells with subsequent induction of an antiviral state. A series of conserved basic residues within the carboxy-terminus of the collagen superfamily domain of MSR1 are required for binding and transport of dsRNA, and likely facilitate acidification-dependent release of dsRNA at the site of TLR3 expression in the endosome. Our findings reveal MSR1 to be a critical component of a TLR3-mediated pattern recognition receptor response that exerts an antiviral state in both infected and uninfected hepatocytes, thereby limiting the impact of HCV proteins that disrupt IFN signaling in infected cells and restricting the spread of HCV within the liver

Multi-Physics Simulation Platform and Multi-Layer Metal Technology for CMOS-MEMS Accelerometer with Gold Proof Mass

This chapter describes technical features and solutions to realize a highly sensitive CMOS-MEMS accelerometer with gold proof mass. The multi-physics simulation platform for designing the CMOS-MEMS device has been developed to understand simultaneously both mechanical and electrical behaviors of MEMS stacked on LSI. MEMS accelerometer fabrication process is established by the multi-layer metal technology, which consists of the gold electroplating and the photo-sensitive polyimide film. The proposed MEMS accelerometers are fabricated and evaluated to verify the effectiveness of the proposed techniques regarding sub-1G MEMS and arrayed MEMS devices. The experimental results show that the Brownian noise of the sub-1G MEMS accelerometer can achieve 780 nG/(Hz)1/2 and the arrayed MEMS accelerometer has a wide detection, ranging from 1.0 to 20 G. Moreover, using the developed simulation platform, we demonstrate the proposed capacitive CMOS-MEMS accelerometer implemented by the multi-layer metal technology. In conclusion, it is confirmed that the multi-physics simulation platform and the multi-layer metal technology for the CMOS-MEMS device have a potential to realize a nano-gravity sensing technology

Practical Seminar for the Teaching Profession on the Teacher Training Program at Okayama University（２）

　岡山大学では，平成25年度後期より本格実施する教職実践演習に向けて，独自で通年開講する教育学部を除く7課程認定学部と教師教育開発センター（以降，センター）が協同して準備を行っている。平成24年度後期に教育学部以外の教職希望学生を対象に15講からなる教職実践演習（以降，全学教職実践演習）の試行を実施した。試行は参加学生へのアンケート調査や授業担当者の反省会で得られた意見より，概ね期待された効果が得られた。一方，試行に参加した学生が教育実習後と比較し伸びているのか，必修科目になれば教職を目指さない学生が混じるため試行ほど成果が期待されないのではないか，等の課題が指摘された。試行の反省を基に，平成25年度前期には受講生向けに「全学教職実践演習ガイドブック」を，40 名近くの指導者向けに「全学教職実践演習ハンドブック」を作成した。本稿では試行の成果と課題及び本格実施の実際について報告する

Dissecting the Roles of the 5′ Exoribonucleases Xrn1 and Xrn2 in Restricting Hepatitis C Virus Replication

ABSTRACT The replication of hepatitis C virus (HCV) is uniquely dependent on a host microRNA, miR-122. Previous studies using genotype 1a H77S.3 virus demonstrated that miR-122 acts in part by protecting the RNA genome from 5′ decay mediated by the cytoplasmic 5′ exoribonuclease, Xrn1. However, this finding has been challenged by a recent report suggesting that a predominantly nuclear exoribonuclease, Xrn2, mediates the degradation of genotype 2a JFH1 RNA. Here, we dissect the roles of these two 5′ exoribonucleases in restricting the replication of different HCV strains and mediating the decay of HCV RNA. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) depletion experiments indicated that Xrn1 restricts replication of all HCV strains tested: JFH1, H77S.3, H77D (a robustly replicating genotype 1a variant), and HJ3-5 (a genotype 1a/2a chimeric virus). In contrast, the antiviral effects of Xrn2 were limited to JFH1 and H77D viruses. Moreover, such effects were not apparent in cells infected with a JFH1 luciferase reporter virus. Whereas Xrn1 depletion significantly slowed decay of JFH1 and HJ3-5 RNAs, Xrn2 depletion marginally enhanced the JFH1 RNA half-life and had no effect on HJ3-5 RNA decay. The positive effects of Xrn1 depletion on JFH1 replication were largely redundant and nonadditive with those of exogenous miR-122 supplementation, whereas Xrn2 depletion acted additively and thus independently of miR-122. We conclude that Xrn1 is the dominant 5′ exoribonuclease mediating decay of HCV RNA and that miR-122 provides protection against it. The restriction of JFH1 and H77D replication by Xrn2 is likely indirect in nature and possibly linked to cytopathic effects of these robustly replicating viruses. IMPORTANCE HCV is a common cause of liver disease both within and outside the United States. Its replication is dependent upon a small, liver-specific noncoding RNA, miR-122. Although this requirement has been exploited for the development of an anti-miR-122 antagomir as a host-targeting antiviral, the molecular mechanisms underpinning the host factor activity of miR-122 remain incompletely defined. Conflicting reports suggest miR-122 protects the viral RNA against decay mediated by distinct cellular 5′ exoribonucleases, Xrn1 and Xrn2. Here, we compare the roles of these two exoribonucleases in HCV-infected cells and confirm that Xrn1, not Xrn2, is primarily responsible for decay of RNA in cells infected with multiple virus strains. Our results clarify previously published research and add to the current understanding of the host factor requirement for miR-122

A Practical Study on School Volunteer Promotion Supports in cooperation with Student Staffs

　2013年10月よりスクールボランティアビューローに「学生スタッフ制度」を新たに設け，活動開始後2年が経過した。その間，学生スタッフと大学教職員が協働し，スクールボランティアフェアの開催，スクールボランティア活動事例集の作成・編集・発行と各教育委員会等への配布，スクールボランティアツアーの実施等様々な学生目線のスクールボランティア推進支援事業に取り組んできた。それぞれの事業では，学生スタッフが学生らしい工夫を随所に凝らしており，企画・準備から実施・反省に至るまで多大な尽力・努力をした。これらの活動を通して，スクールボランティア活動に参加しようと思っている学生やなかなか一歩が踏み出せない学生に対する啓発活動として大変効果的な事業であったことは成果と言えるが，学生の参加減少や学生への周知の難しさ，また，学生スタッフのなり手不足や大学教職員からの学生への働きかけの重要性など課題も残っている

A New Support Program to Urge University Students to Participate in School Volunteer Activities

　教員養成における学校現場での実践的・体験的活動が昨今一層求められている。教育再生実行会議での提言 や中央教育審議会での報告でも，採用前の学生の学校現場でのボランティア活動を推奨している。こうした中， 2013 年度の岡山大学におけるスクールボランティア活動の登録者数が大幅に減少した。要因としては学校現場 でのインターンシップ活動が必修化された点が大きいが，インターンシップとボランティアの長短を学生は理解 し参加していく必要がある。こうした社会的要請や大学における課題などを踏まえ，スクールボランティアビュー ローに新たに「学生スタッフ制度」を設けた。学生の立場から，スクールボランティア活動を多面的に支援し， 関連事業の企画・参画・連携を学生と教職員が協働して実施するものである。最初の取り組みとして，2014 年4 月には「スクールボランティアフェア2014」を開催した