Effect of a Device-Free Compressed Shell Fixation Method on Hepatic Respiratory Movement: Analysis for Respiratory Amplitude of the Liver and Internal Motions of a Fiducial Marker

Purpose

Suppression of respiratory movement of the liver would be desirable for high-precision radiation therapy for liver tumors. We aimed to investigate the effect of our original device-free compressed shell fixation method and breathing instruction on suppression of respiratory movement. The characteristics of liver motion based on the movement of a fiducial marker were also analyzed.

Screening for musculoskeletal problems in children using a questionnaire

Background

On April 1, 2016, the Ministerial ordinance was enforced, and musculoskeletal examination of the extremities was made mandatory. From 2008, the University of us started musculoskeletal direct examination. To expand the examination, from 2016, we started to use the marksheet-type questionnaire. This study aimed to report the results of a musculoskeletal examination and investigate the association between musculoskeletal examination and age/gender and reports the reliability of the collected questionnaire data.

Case of Heerfordt's syndrome with prolonged peripheral nerve involvement]

A 28-year-old man complaining of myiodesopsia was given a diagnosis of uveitis. Subsequently he complained facial nerve palsy and enlargement of parotid gland. Heerfordt's syndrome was diagnosed based on the results of several examinations. Facial nerve palsy, enlargement of the parotid gland and uveitis were improved by systemic corticosteroid therapy. At present he is receiving systemic corticosteroid therapy, but numbness in the mouth, thought to be the involvement of the trigeminal nerve, remains. Systemic corticosteroid therapy is usually effective for most cases with Heerford's syndrome. On the other hand, there are some cases with the prolonged peripheral nerve involvement despite systemic corticosteroid therapy, as seen in this case. If peripheral nerve involvement is prolonged, it is necessary to consider small-fibre neuropathy as one possible cause.     

Abdominal vagotomy attenuates interleukin-1β-induced nitric oxide release in the paraventricular nucleus region in conscious rats

Nitric oxide (NO) has recently been shown to modulate the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis response to interleukin-1β (IL-1β). We measured levels of nitrite (NO₂⁻) and nitrate (NO₃⁻) in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) region using an in vivo brain microdialysis technique in conscious rats. Intraperitoneally administered IL-1β produced a significant increase in both NO₂⁻ and NO₃⁻ levels in the PVN region. We also examined the possible involvement of the abdominal vagal afferent nerves in this effect. In abdominal-vagotomized rats, the increase was significantly attenuated compared to that in sham-operated rats. Our results suggest that the abdominal vagal afferent nerves are involved in intraperitoneally administered IL-1β-induced NO release in the PVN region.     

A Possible Role of the Pineal Gland in Acute Immobilization-Related Suppression of Naloxone-Induced LH Release in Ovariectomized Estrogen-Primed Rats

It has been recently reported that acute immobilization stress almost completely suppresses the luteinizing hormone (LH) release induced by naloxone, a μ-opioid antagonist, in ovariectomized estrogen-primed rats. The present study examined the possible involvement of the pineal gland in the acute immobilization-related suppression of the naloxone-induced LH release. An intraventricular (ICV) injection of 15 μg naloxone produced an abrupt increase in circulating LH concentrations in non-stressed rats. The naloxone-induced LH release was completely eliminated when tested 60 min after the end of a 30 min session of acute immobilization. The same stress conditions did not affect LH-releasing hormone (LHRH)-induced LH release, suggesting that the stress-related suppression of the naloxone-induced LH release was a suprapituitary event. In chronically-pinealectomized rats, but not in sham-pinealectomized rats, naloxone injected 60 min after the end of the stress session evoked a significant increase in serum LH concentrations. However, naloxone injected ICV during the acute immobilization did not elicit LH release in either pinealectomized or sham-operated rats. Under non-stressed conditions, the LH secretory response to naloxone was similar in pinealectomized and sham-operated animals. The same stress (30 min immobilization) significantly increased pineal melatonin content as well as plasma melatonin concentrations in rats bearing intact pineal glands, indicating that stress actually affected the pineal function. These results provide evidence for a role of the pineal in the suppression of the LH response to naloxone after stress, but not during stress.     

Genomic structure around joining segments and constant regions of swine T-cell receptor alpha/delta (TRA/TRD) locus

A complete genomic region of 131.2 kb including the swine T-cell receptor alpha/delta constant region (TRAC/TRDC) and joining segments (TRAJ/TRDJ) was sequenced. The structure of this region was strikingly conserved in comparison to that of human or mouse. All of the 61 TRAJ segments detected in the human genomic sequence were detected in the swine sequence and the sequence of the protein binding site of T early alpha, the sequence of the alpha enhancer element and the conserved sequence block between TRAJ3 and TRAJ4 are highly conserved. Insertion of the repetitive sequences that interspersed after the differentiation of the species in mammals such as short interspersed nucleotide elements is markedly suppressed in comparison to other genomic regions, while the composition of the mammalian-wide interspersed sequences is relatively conserved in human and swine. This observation indicates the existence of a highly selective pressure to conserve this genomic region around TRAJ throughout the evolution of mammals.     

Porcine TCR CD3zeta-chain and eta-chain

Complete porcine CD3ζ-chain cDNA sequence was obtained for the first time, and its genomic nucleotide sequence was investigated from exon 2 down to CD3η-chain exon 8. The sequence of porcine CD3ζ-chain showed homologous amino acid sequence with human and murine counterparts, in contrast to CD3η-chain exon 8 with diversity among animals previously investigated. CD3η-chain peptide is an alternative splice form of CD3ζ-chain exon 7 splicing to CD3η-chain exon 8 instead of CD3ζ-chain exon 8. The genomic sequences revealed that the splice acceptor sequences of CD3η-chain exon 8 of all animals investigated to be completely uniform. Further, CD3η-chain exon 8 amino acid sequences retained the unique characters of having high proline (Pro) and positively charged amino acid content except for rats and mice. Although the biological role of CD3η-chain remains to be enigmatic, these evidences suggests the evolutional pressure to maintain its sequence.     

In vitro controllability of the MagScrew total artificial heart system

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the in vitro responses to preload and afterload of our total artificial heart (TAH), the MagScrew TAH. The TAH consists of two blood pumps and a control logic, developed at the Cleveland Clinic, OH, and the MagScrew actuator and its electronic control system, developed by Foster-Miller Technologies, Inc., Albany, NY. Tests were performed on a mock circulatory loop, using water as a test fluid. Preload sensitivity of the Mag-Screw TAH demonstrated a Frank-Starling response to preload in automatic mode. A peak flow of 10 L/min was obtained, with a left atrial pressure of 13 mm Hg. The relationship between right atrial pressure and left atrial pressure was well balanced when tested with a left bronchial shunt flow of 5% and a range of pulmonary artery and aortic pressures. With respect to afterload response, the left pump showed a relatively low sensitivity, which allowed the pump to maintain perfusion over a wide range of aortic pressures. The right pump, on the other hand, was much more sensitive to pulmonary artery pressure, which provided a measure of protection against pulmonary congestion. The very effective physiologic response of the MagScrew TAH is believed to result from employment of a left master, alternating ejection control logic, high inherent sensitivity of the blood pumps to atrial pressure, a lower effective stroke volume for the right pump, and a scaling of right side motor ejection voltage to 80% of that used for the left side ejection.