Association of the time to first epinephrine administration and outcomes in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: SOS-KANTO 2012 study

Objective

This study assessed the association between the timing of first epinephrine administration (EA) and the neurological outcomes following out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCAs) with both initial shockable and non-shockable rhythms.

Quality of life after single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy: A randomized,clinical trial

Background

Controversy continues as to whether single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy, with the somewhat larger incision at the umbilicus, may lead to a worse postoperative quality of life and more pain compared with the more classic 4-port laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The aim of this study was to compare single-incision and 4-port laparoscopic cholecystectomy from the perspective of quality of life.

Characterization of peptide components in the venom of the scorpion Liocheles australasiae (Hemiscorpiidae).

Scorpion venoms are composed of a number of neurotoxic peptides. A variety of toxins have been isolated from the venoms of scorpions of the family Buthidae, however, little interest has been paid to non-Buthidae scorpions. In this study, we examined the toxicity of the venom of Liocheles australasiae (Hemiscorpiidae) to mice and crickets, and characterized the peptide components by HPLC and mass spectrometry. Over 200 components were detected in the L. australasiae venom by LC/MS analysis, with components of molecular masses ranging from 500 to 5000 Da being particularly abundant. A number of peptides contained two to four disulfide bridges, which was estimated based on the mass difference after derivatization of Cys residues. A peptide having a monoisotopic molecular mass of 7781.6 Da and four disulfide bridges was isolated from the venom. The peptide has a primary structure similar in terms of the position of eight Cys residues to those observed in several peptides found from scorpions, ticks and insects, although biological roles of these peptides are unknown.     

Expression profile of chemokines and chemokine receptors in epithelial cell layers of oral lichen planus

BACKGROUND: To understand the immunopathological features of oral lichen planus (OLP), we analyzed the expression of chemokines in the epithelial cell layers. Methods: Epithelia from OLP or healthy gingiva were collected by laser microdissection. The chemokine and chemokine receptor expressions in the epithelia were analyzed by DNA microarray. RESULTS: High levels of MIP-3alpha/LARC/CCL20 and its receptor CCR6 were expressed in the lesional epithelia. Furthermore, DC-CK1/CCL18, ELC/CCL19, SDF-1/CXCL12 and CXCR4 expressions were also increased. Immunohistologial analysis showed that high numbers of Langerhans cells (LCs) were present in the epithelia of OLP. Lesional epithelia also expressed high levels of the ligands specific for CXCR3 (e.g. MIG/CXCL9, IP-10/CXCL10 and I-TAC/CXCL11) and CCR5 (e.g. RANTES/CCL5). CONCLUSIONS: Infiltration of LCs is orchestrated by CCR6. Further, LCs residing in the lesional epithelia may be a mature phenotype. Moreover, infiltration of T cells in OLP could be mediated by signaling pathways through CXCR3 and CCR5.     

Marchiafava-Bignami disease: CT and MR findings

We describe characteristic findings in a patient with Marchiafava-Bignami disease who was serially imaged with CT and MR. Involvement of the entire corpus callosum was visualized with both types of imaging. Following administration of gadolinium-DTPA, the lesion was clearly enhanced in the subacute stage. Correspondence to: S. Otake     

Imaging of a large collection of human embryo using a super-parallel MR microscope.

Using 4 and 8-channel super-parallel magnetic resonance (MR) microscopes with a horizontal bore 2.34T superconducting magnet developed for 3-dimensional MR microscopy of the large Kyoto Collection of Human Embryos, we acquired T(1)-weighted 3D images of 1204 embryos at a spatial resolution of (40 microm)(3) to (150 microm)(3) in about 2 years. Similarity of image contrast between the T(1)-weighted images and stained anatomical sections indicated that T(1)-weighted 3D images could be used for an anatomical 3D image database for human embryology.     

Effect of gravitation for detection of bronchioloalveolar carcinoma on computed tomography

A 64-year-old female was found to have localized ground-glass opacity (GGO) in the middle lobe on a chest computed tomography (CT) for screening. Middle lobectomy with video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) was undertaken, and pathological diagnosis was a bronchioloalveolar carcinoma (BAC) in stage IA. A follow-up CT a year following the surgery revealed localized GGO in area S⁶ of the left lung. However, it disappeared during the gravitation-dependent gradient in the observation period. The patient was scanned again under prone position to exclude the gravitational effect, resulting in definite detection of the GGO. Left extended S⁶ segmentectomy with VATS was performed, and pathological diagnosis was a BAC in stage IA. As GGO existing in a gravitation-dependent area may be masked by the gravitation-dependent density, a change of the scanning position may lead to a proper detection of the tumor for the diagnosis of BAC.     

Excitation and inhibition of medullary inspiratory neurons by two types of burst inspiratory neurons in the cat

In Nembutal-anesthetized and artificially ventilated cats, we studied the connectivity of burst inspiratory (I) neurons in the B?tzinger complex and the ventral respiratory group (VRG) with spike-triggered averaging methods. Burst I neurons exhibited tonic (I-TON) or decrementing (I-DEC) firing patterns. Spikes of I-TON neurons induced monosynaptic EPSPs in intracellularly recorded I neurons of both the VRG and the dorsal respiratory group (DRG). Spikes of I-DEC neurons induced monosynaptic inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (IPSPs) in both VRG and DRG I neurons.