The effect of available choices on ambiguity aversion: an examination of different types of ambiguity

Ellsberg's two-color problem, known as an example of ambiguity aversion, has generated a great deal of interest among many researchers. However, an unsettled question remains regarding the conditions that lead to heightened or diminished ambiguity aversion. We conducted a series of experiments, which required participants to choose between a clear and vague bet. Results showed that participants did not always prefer the clear bet, and the ratios of those who indicated ambiguity aversion varied depending on the types of ambiguity. Furthermore, ambiguity aversion consistently decreased when participants were allowed to choose the ambiguity task they would perform. These results were interpreted in terms of the pattern of second order probability distributions and illusion of control.     

Three-dimensional helical coiling structures and band patterns of hydrous metaphase chromosomes observed by low vacuum scanning electron microscopy

Helical coiling structures and band patterns of hydrous metaphase chromosomes were documented three-dimensionally by low vacuum scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Fixed or unfixed isolated Chinese hamster metaphase chromosomes were stained with platinum blue (Pt blue) and observed in the backscattered electron mode for low vacuum SEM without any hypotonic treatment or drying processes. Fibrous structures were shown both in the fixed and unfixed hydrous chromosomes; helical chromatid coils and their subcoils were clarified especially in the fixed chromosomes having contrasting alternative bands of light and darkness, while the translucent perichromosomal matrix and compact fibrous structures were recognized in the unfixed chromosomes. The helical coils were more clearly represented in a loosened chromatid of metaphase chromosomes. Treatment with a tris-HCl buffer solution and Pt blue staining in a hydrous condition successfully produced banding patterns similar to G-bands on metaphase chromosomes. These banded chromosomes observed by low vacuum SEM were also analyzed stereoscopically by field emission SEM after critical point drying. These findings indicate that: 1) native or unfixed chromosomes maintain the compact arrangement of high-order helical structures covered with the peri-chromosomal matrix; 2) helical coiling appearances of chromatids frequently observed in previous papers might be caused by loosening of the final level of the high-order structure of the metaphase chromosome; and 3) banding patterns might be produced by the rearrangement or reorganization of chromatin fibers at the 30 nm fiber level after the extraction of some chromosomal components including the peri- or intra-chromosomal materials during the banding procedure.     

Antihypertensive constituents in Sanoshashinto

It has been reported that Sanoshashinto (SanHuangXieXinTang, 三黃瀉心湯), which is composed of Rhei Rhizoma, Scutellariae Radix, and Coptidis Rhizoma, exhibits vasorelaxant effects in vitro and lowers blood pressure of patients. Based on this discovery, in this study, a mixture containing those three materials and combinations of them were extracted with methanol, and the extracts were fractionated into different parts. Effects of all extracts and fractions on high concentration of potassium chloride (High K+)- or noradrenaline (NA)-induced contractions of isolated rat aortic rings or helical strips were examined. Qualitative and quantitative HPLC analyses of the extracts and the fractions revealed that the contents of baicalin and berberine in Sanoshashinto methanol extract (SHXXTM) were higher than those of the other constituents. All pharmacological and HPLC data were analyzed by principal component analysis (PCA) software and the results indicated that baicalin, berberine, palmatine, baicalein, and wogonoside contributed significantly to the pharmacological activity. Furthermore, spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) that were orally given SHXXTM or a baicalin–berberine combination showed significantly reduced increase in the rate of systolic blood pressure (SBP) compared to the control group. These findings suggested that Sanoshashinto has significant vasorelaxant effects in vitro and antihypertensive effects in vivo, and baicalin and berberine, which were the principal constituents of Scutellariae Radix and Coptidis Rhizoma, were the main antihypertensive constituents in Sanoshashinto. It was speculated that baicalin and berberine produced vasorelaxant effects by activating the NO/cGMP pathway and that the BKCa channel and the DAG/PKC/CPI-17 pathway were also involved.     

Evaluation of DNA and RNA quality from archival formalin‐fixed paraffin‐embedded tissue for next‐generation sequencing – Retrospective study in Japanese single institution

Genetic analysis on formalin‐fixed paraffin‐embedded (FFPE) tissue specimens has become a mainstream method, from conventional direct sequencing to comprehensive analysis using next‐generation sequencing (NGS). In this study, we evaluated the quality of DNA and RNA extracted from FFPE sections, derived from surgical specimens of different tumor types. Electrophoresis was performed using a 4200 TapeStation to evaluate DNA and RNA fragmentation. DNA Ct values were higher and significantly increased over a period of 4 years compared with those from cell lines or frozen tissues. The RNA integrity number equivalent (RIN) ranged from 1 to 4.1 and DV200 ranged from 7.3 to 81%. Twelve of the 108 cases were analyzed by NGS using the AmpliSeq Cancer HotSpot Panel v2 on a Miniseq system. A sufficient number of reads and coverage were obtained in all cases. Our results revealed that NGS analysis was sufficient for FFPE‐derived DNA within 4 years of preservation. Conversely, approximately 20% of the RNA derived from FFPE within 4 years from the collection could be inappropriate for gene analysis based on RIN and DV200. It was suggested that FFPE would be adequate for genetic analysis, although it is desirable to store frozen specimens for the tumor tissues to be subjected to genetic analysis.     

Evaluation of the genetic variability of orchid fleck virus by single-strand conformational polymorphism analysis and nucleotide sequencing of a fragment from the nucleocapsid gene

The variability of a fragment of the nucleocapsid gene of orchid fleck virus (OFV) was investigated by single-strand conformational polymorphism (SSCP) analysis and nucleotide sequencing. Forty-eight samples of 18 genera of orchids were collected from Brazil, Costa Rica and Australia. The SSCP analysis yielded six different band patterns, and phylogenetic analysis based on the nucleotide fragment sequence obtained in this work and six available in GenBank showed two different groups, one with isolates 023Germany and So-Japan, and other with the rest of the isolates. None of the analyses showed geographic correlation among the Brazilian strains. The data obtained in this study showed a low genetic variation in this region of the genome; the d_N/d_S ratio of 0.251–0.405 demonstrated a negative selective pressure that maintains the stability of the analyzed fragments. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Susceptibilities of bacteria isolated from patients with lower respiratory infectious diseases to antibiotics (2000)

From October 2000 to September 2001, we collected the specimen from 410 patients with lower respiratory tract infections in 16 institutions in Japan, and investigated the susceptibilities of isolated bacteria to various anti-bacterial agents and antibiotics and patients' characteristics. Of 499 strains that were isolated from specimen (mainly from sputum) and assumed to be bacteria causing in inflammation, 493 strains were investigated. The breakdown of the isolated bacteria were: Staphylococcus aureus 78, Streptococcus pneumoniae 73, Haemophilus infiuenzae 99, Pseudomonas aeruginosa (non-mucoid) 64, P. aeruginosa (mucoid) 14, Klebsiella pneumoniae 25, Moraxella subgenus Branhamella catarrhalis 21, etc. Of 78 S. aureus strains, those with 4 micrograms/ml or more of MIC of oxacillin (methicillin-resistant S. aureus: MRSA) occupied 53.8%. Vancomycin and arbekacin had the most potent activities against MRSA as observed in 1999. The frequency of S. pneumoniae exhibiting low sensitivity to penicillin (penicillin-intermediate S. pneumoniae: PISP + penicillin-resistant S. pneumoniae: PRSP) was 38.4% being consistent with that in 1999 (34.7%). PRSP accounted for 11.0% of the total, being more than that in 1999 (3.0%). Carbapenems had strong activities against S. pneumoniae. Especially, panipenem inhibited the growth of all 73 strains at 0.125 microgram/ml. Generally, all drugs had strong activities against H. influenzae with MIC80s of 8 micrograms/ml or less. The drug that had the strongest activity against H. infiuenzae was levofloxacin, which inhibited the growth of 94 of the 99 strains at 0.063 microgram/ml. Tobramycin had a strong activity against P. aeruginosa (both mucoid and non-mucoid) with MIC80 of 1 microgram/ml. The mucoid strain was little isolated (14 strains) but the susceptibilities to all drugs were better than the non-mucoid strain. K. pneumoniae showed good susceptibilities to all drugs except ampicillin and the MIC80S were 2 micrograms/ml or less. Particularly, cefpirome, cefozopran, and levofloxacin had strong bactericidal activities against K. pneumoniae with MIC80s of 0.125 microgram/ml, and cefotiam, second-generation cephems, also had a favorable activity being MIC80 of 0.25 microgram/ml. Also, all drugs generally had strong activities against M. (B.) catarrhalis. MIC80s of all drugs were 2 micrograms/ml or less. The drug having the strongest activity was imipenem and levofloxacin inhibiting all 21 strains at 0.063 microgram/ml. Most of the patients with respiratory infection were aged 70 years or older, accounting for approximately a half of the total (44.4%). As for the incidence by the diseases, bacterial pneumonia and chronic bronchitis were the highest, being noted in 38.0% and 31.7% of all the patients, respectively. The bacteria frequently isolated from the patients with bacterial pneumonia were S. aureus (18.3%) and S. pneumoniae (16.1%). In contrast, H. infiuenzae (20.4%) and P. aeruginosa (both mucoid and non-mucoid: 16.7%) were frequently isolated from the patients with chronic bronchitis. Before the drug administration, the bacteria frequently isolated from all the patients were S. pneumoniae (24.3%) and H. infiuenzae (26.7%). The frequency of isolated S. pneumoniae tended to decrease with the increase in the number of administration days while that of isolated H. infiuenzae did not. The frequency of isolated P. aeruginosa tended to increase with the duration of administration. The isolated bacteria were comparable between the patients already treated with penicillins and cephems. In the patients treated with aminoglycosides, macrolides, and quinolones, P. aeruginosa was most frequently isolated (33.3 to 40.0%).     

Vascular pseudoinvasion in laparoscopic hysterectomy specimens for endometrial carcinoma: a grossing artifact?

Over several years, it has been a matter of debate whether or not the use of a uterine balloon manipulator during laparoscopic hysterectomies for endometrial carcinoma (EC) may cause tumor disruption resulting in a positive peritoneal cytology. More recently, this procedure has been associated with vascular pseudoinvasion in cases of low-risk EC. In this study, we evaluated a series of 21 cases of low-risk EC treated by laparoscopic hysterectomy (LH) to determine the incidence of this finding and to better characterize its histopathologic features. In addition, we reviewed 28 cases of low-risk EC treated by total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH) for comparison. Clinical information was obtained from patients' charts. Hematoxylin and eosin-stained slides were retrospectively reviewed in all cases. The following information was recorded: tumor grade and tumor stage according to the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics, tumor shape (polypoid versus flat), presence or absence of vascular space involvement (VSI), size and location of the vessels with tumor involvement, concomitant presence of artifactual clefts in the myometrium with tumor involvement if applicable, presence or absence of lymph node sampling and the presence or absence of involvement at this site, and results of peritoneal cytology. Seven of 21 (33%) cases of low-risk EC treated by LH in this study showed VSI. None of the cases treated by TAH had VSI (P=0.001). In all of the cases of LH with VSI, the endometrial tumor was polypoid. VSI was detected only in large, thick-walled vessels in the outer myometrium or in ectatic vessels anywhere in the myometrium; no tumor fragments were seen in small vessels. The tumor in the VSI consisted of conspicuous fragments of tumors detached from the vascular wall. The VSI also lacked the inflammatory perivascular infiltrate seen in many cases of bona fide lymphovascular invasion. In addition, all of the cases with VSI also showed fragments of tumor in artifactual clefts in the myometrium. None of the cases of LH in which lymph node sampling and/or peritoneal cytology were obtained showed tumor at this site. In summary, our study confirms that LH is indeed associated with a higher rate of vascular pseudoinvasion when compared with TAH. However, we cannot attribute this phenomenon to mechanical disruption, displacement, and transport of tumor tissue into vascular spaces by the use of a uterine manipulator alone. Instead, we propose that pathologists may be generating postoperative pseudoinvasion by mechanically transporting tumor into vascular spaces during the grossing process. Proper recognition of this artifact is of utmost importance to avoid the overtreatment of patients undergoing LH for low-risk EC.     

Platinum blue as an alternative to uranyl acetate for staining in transmission electron microscopy

This paper introduces an aqueous solution of platinum blue (Pt-blue) as an alternative to uranyl acetate (UA) for staining in transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Pt-blue was prepared from a reaction of cis-dichlorodiamine-platinum (II) (cis-platin) with thymidine. When Pt-blue was dried on a microgrid and observed by TEM it showed a uniform appearance with tiny particles less than 1 nm in diameter. The effect of Pt-blue as an electron stain was then examined not only for positive staining of conventional ultrathin resin sections and counterstaining of post-embedding immuno-electron microscopy but also for negative staining. In ultrathin sections of the rat liver and renal glomerulus, Pt-blue provided good contrast images, especially in double staining combined with a lead stain (Pb). Almost all cell organelles were clearly observed with high contrast in these sections. Glycogen granules in the hepatic parenchymal cells were particularly electron dense in Pt-blue stained sections compared with those treated with UA. In longitudinal and transverse sections of budding influenza A viruses, a specific arrangement of rod-like structures, which correspond to the ribonucleoprotein complexes, was clearly shown in each virion stained with Pt-blue and Pb. When post-embedding immunoelectron microscopy was performed in ultrathin sections of HeLa cells embedded in Lowicryl K4M, the localization of Ki-67 protein was sufficiently detected even after Pt-blue and Pb staining. The present study also revealed that Pt-blue could be used for the negative staining of E. coli, allowing the visualization of a flagellum. These findings indicate that Pt-blue is a useful, safe, and easily obtainable electron stain that is an alternative to UA for TEM preparations.     

Diagnostic utility of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies for rheumatoid arthritis in patients with active lung tuberculosis

This study was intended to evaluate the utility of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (second generation, anti-CCP2) as a diagnostic marker for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in patients with active tuberculosis. Among 89 patients with active tuberculosis, anti-CCP2 was detected in six (6.7%), and three of these (3.4%) were strongly positive for anti-CCP2. The positive rate of anti-CCP2 in patients with newly diagnosed RA was 82.1% (87 of 106 cases), while the rate in healthy control subjects was 0.4% (one of 237 individuals). The mean level of anti-CCP2 among the RA group was 159.3 U/ml, which was significantly higher than both that among the tuberculosis group (15.4 U/ml) and that among the healthy controls (0.7 U/ml). IgM rheumatoid factor (RF) was detected in 16 patients from the tuberculosis group (18.0%) with a mean serum level of 18.6 IU/ml and in 77 patients of the RA group (72.6%) with a mean level of 164.0 IU/ml. Only two cases in the tuberculosis group were positive for both anti-CCP2 and IgM RF. These observations show that measurement of anti-CCP2 seems to be a reliable serological tool for identifying early RA in patients with active tuberculosis.