[Encephalopathies caused by antineoplastic agents].
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Antineoplastic Agents↗
Biomedical subjects
Akira Taniguchi
Publications and source records attributed to Akira Taniguchi.
Early bone in-growth ability of alumina ceramic implants loaded with tissue-engineered bone.
To enhance early bonding of an alumina ceramic implant to bone, we evaluated a method of seeding the implant surface with bone marrow mesenchymal cells that differentiated to osteoblasts and bone matrix prior to implantation. The usefulness of the method was evaluated in Japanese white rabbits. In our study, an alumina ceramic test piece loaded with differentiated osteoblasts and bone matrix by a tissue engineering technique was implanted into rabbit bones. Three weeks after the procedure, evaluation of mechanical bonding and histological examination were performed. Histological examination of the noncell-loaded implant surfaces showed no bone infiltration into the implant gap. However, the cell-loaded implant surfaces exhibited new bone infiltration into the implant gap with mechanical bonding. In the mechanical test, the average failure load was 0.60 kgf for the noncell-loaded side and 1.49 kgf for the cell-loaded side. Preculturing mesenchymal cells on the surface of the alumina ceramic prior to implantation increased the debonding strength by two and half times. The present findings indicate early bonding between the implant and bone three weeks after the procedure.
Alkaline Phosphatase↗
16-MDCT aortography with a low-dose contrast material protocol.
OBJECTIVE: The objective of our study was to evaluate whether a low-dose contrast material (CM) protocol with a saline flush might provide sufficient contrast enhancement in aortoiliac 16-MDCT angiography. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Forty-five patients were divided into two groups on the basis of the CM (300 mg I/mL) administration protocol: group 1 (23 patients) received 100 mL of CM at 3.0 mL/sec; and group 2 (22 patients), 50 mL of CM at 3.0 mL/sec followed by a 20-mL saline flush at 3.0 mL/sec. All patients underwent 16-MDCT angiography of the entire aortoiliac region. Seven regions of interest (ROIs) were drawn from the ascending aorta (ROI 1) to the external iliac artery (ROI 7). Quantitative analysis was performed by calculating the mean aortoiliac attenuation and the mean difference between the maximum and minimum attenuation values. Vascular enhancement of the renal arteries was visually assessed using 2D and 3D postprocessing techniques. RESULTS: The mean aortoiliac attenuation in group 1 was 314.3 +/- 45.9 H and that in group 2 was 306.1 +/- 35.0 H. The difference was not statistically significant. Adequate mean aortoiliac attenuation was achieved in 95.7% (22/23) and 95.5% (21/22) of patients in groups 1 and 2, respectively. The difference was not statistically significant. The mean difference between the maximum and minimum attenuation values was significantly smaller in group 1 (41.3 +/- 16.8 H) than in group 2 (57.2 +/- 25.3 H). The renal arteries were assessable in all patients in both groups. CONCLUSION: This protocol of 50 mL of CM with a saline flush provides attenuation comparable to that obtained with the 100 mL of CM in aortoiliac 16-MDCT angiography.
Aged↗
Cardiac 16-MDCT for anatomic and functional analysis: assessment of a biphasic contrast injection protocol.
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the optimal contrast injection protocol for clear delineation of the endocardial and epicardial contours and coronary vessels in anatomic and functional imaging with cardiac 16-MDCT. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Thirty-eight patients were allocated to three groups according to contrast injection protocol: a long-duration biphasic protocol in which diluted contrast material was used in the latter phase (protocol A, 13 patients); a uniphasic protocol with saline flush (protocol B, 12 patients); a uniphasic protocol without a flush (protocol C, 13 patients). Six regions of interest were drawn within the left ventricle (LV), right ventricle (RV), and interventricular septum along the z-axis. Mean ventricular attenuation, mean difference between maximum and minimum ventricular attenuation, and ventricular-myocardial contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) were calculated. Attenuation and visualization of the coronary vessels also were compared. RESULTS: The difference between maximum and minimum RV attenuation was significantly smaller in group A (58.1 H) than in groups B (179.5 H) and C (157.0 H). RV-myocardial CNR was significantly higher in group A (9.0) than in group B (5.5). The mean LV attenuation, difference between maximum and minimum LV attenuation, and LV-myocardial CNR were not significantly different among three groups. In protocol A, both endocardial and epicardial contours were clearly delineated, and cardiac functional analysis was feasible in all cases. Average attenuation and visualization of the coronary vessels were not significantly different among groups. The diagnostic accuracies in detection of coronary stenosis were 92%, 93%, and 91%, respectively, for protocols A, B, and C. CONCLUSION: The long-duration contrast injection protocol with diluted contrast material is optimal for assessing the coronary vessels and cardiac function.
Aged↗
[The most probable clinical diagnosis to the applicants for the intractable disease registration of Parkinson's disease, spinocerebellar degeneration and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis].
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson's disease (PD) and spinocerebellar degeneration (SCD) are included in the 45 intractable diseases" acknowledged by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan. The registration of applicants is based on the attending doctors' diagnosis, and medical costs of registered patients are covered by the government. However, the accuracy of the diagnoses has not been investigated previously. The aim of the present study is to investigate the accuracy of the diagnoses of patients registered as PD, SCD and ALS in Mie prefecture of Japan. The study design was cross-sectional and the survey was carried out using an anonymous questionnaire. We asked the attending doctors the most probable clinical diagnosis in each applicant for PD, SCD or ALS at the annual renewal of application form of the specified diseases by the Ministry. The questionnaires were sent to the 57 neurologists in 20 general hospitals and 2 neurology clinics in Mie prefecture, Japan. The survey was carried out from July to September, 2003. For each disorder (PD, ALS, SCD), the accuracy rates were calculated as the ratio of the number of patients with the most probable diagnosis of the consistent disease to the number of all patients registered each disease. Questionnaires on 678 patients replied from 31 neurologists, 27 of whom were the neurology specialists approved by the Japanese Society of Neurology, were retrieved and analyzed. They covered 41.1% of the total registered PD cases, 45.4% of total SCD cases, and 54.0% of total ALS cases in Mie prefecture. The final clinical diagnosis were made by such specialists in 641 cases (94.5%). The accuracy rate of PD was 97.3% for all degenerative parkinsonisms and 90.2% for idiopathic PD, 96.0% for SCD, and 77.8% for typical ALS and 81.5% for ALS and Kennedy-Alter-Sung syndrome. Although the most probable diagnoses were performed by the attending physicians without verification by other raters, the accuracy rates were excellently high in these diseases, partly because most of the attending physicians were neurology specialists. The relatively low accuracy rate in ALS may be caused partly by the difficulty in differentiating it from spine diseases, neuropathies or myopathies at the early stage of the disease when the patients had been registered, or by inclusion of other motor neuron diseases such as Kennedy-Alter-Sung syndrome.
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis↗
Platinum dissolution and deposition in the polymer electrolyte membrane of a PEM fuel cell as studied by potential cycling.
The behavior of platinum dissolution and deposition in the polymer electrolyte membrane of a membrane-electrode-assembly (MEA) for a proton-exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) was studied using potential cycling experiment and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The electrochemically active surface area decreased depending on the cycle number and the upper potential limit. Platinum deposition was observed in the polymer electrolyte membrane near a cathode catalyst layer. Platinum deposition was accelerated by the presence of hydrogen transported through the membrane from an anode compartment. Platinum was transported across the membrane and deposited on the anode layer in the absence of hydrogen in the anode compartment. This deposition was also affected by the presence of oxygen in the cathode compartment.
Chemical Phenomena↗
Compton-scattering measurement of diagnostic x-ray spectrum using high-resolution Schottky CdTe detector.
The analysis of x-ray spectra is important for quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) of radiographic systems. The aim of this study is to measure the diagnostic x-ray spectra under clinical conditions using a high-resolution Schottky CdTe detector. Under clinical conditions, the direct measurement of a diagnostic spectrum is difficult because of the high photon fluence rates that cause significant detector photon pile-up. An alternative way of measuring the output spectra from a tube is first to measure the 90 deg Compton scattered photons from a given sample. With this set-up detector, pile-up is not a problem. From the scattered spectrum one can then use an energy correction and the Klein-Nishina function to reconstruct the actual spectrum incident upon the scattering sample. The verification of whether our spectra measured by the Compton method are accurate was accomplished by comparing exposure rates calculated from the reconstructed spectra to those measured with an ionization chamber. We used aluminum (Al) filtration ranging in thickness from 0 to 6 mm. The half value layers (HVLs) obtained for a 70 kV beam were 2.78 mm via the ionization chamber measurements and 2.93 mm via the spectral measurements. For a 100 kV beam we obtained 3.98 and 4.32 mm. The small differences in HVLs obtained by both techniques suggest that Compton scatter spectroscopy with a Schottky CdTe detector is suitable for measuring the diagnostic x-ray spectra and useful for QA and QC of clinical x-ray equipment.
Aluminum↗
Talocalcaneal coalition: a case showing the ossification process.
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Child↗
Partial tarsal arthrodesis for rheumatoid feet.
Partial intertarsal joint arthrodesis was performed on 12 feet of 11 patients as a surgical treatment for planovalgus deformity of the foot and lesions of the intertarsal joints caused by rheumatoid arthritis. Single arthrodesis was performed on the talocalcaneal joint in eight feet, two of which underwent simultaneous total ankle arthroplasty, and on the talonavicular joint in two feet. Double arthrodesis was done on the talocalcaneal and talonavicular joints in one foot and on the talonavicular and calcaneocuboid joints in one foot. Screws or staples were used for fixation. Patients were followed for 2 years to 8 years 7 months (average 4 years 3 months). Osseous fusion was achieved in all feet, and satisfactory pain relief was obtained in all cases except one. We performed this surgery in patients who were relatively active, and the results indicated that arthrodesis of a small number of joints that caused pain and deformity was effective in reducing pain and correcting the deformity. We concluded that partial tarsal arthrodesis should be performed on a limited number of joints during the early stages of planovalgus deformity of the foot because more joints are found to be fixed during the advanced stages. However, progression of the osteoarthritis was found in the neighboring joints. Close follow-up observation is needed.
Journal Article↗
C sign for diagnosis of talocalcaneal coalition.
PURPOSE: To reevaluate the relevance of the C sign for diagnosis of talocalcaneal coalition. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Weight-bearing lateral radiographs of 55 feet with talocalcaneal coalition (patient group) and 55 feet without coalition (control group) were reviewed retrospectively. In the patient group, 36 cases of talocalcaneal coalition were confirmed histologically, and 19 cases that did not require surgery were diagnosed at computed tomography (CT). At CT, absence of talocalcaneal coalition in control subjects was confirmed, and control subjects were individually matched with patients according to sex, age, and the calendar year of the clinic visit. Two observers who were blinded to personal information regarding the subjects assessed the presence of the C sign on randomly presented radiographs. When judgments differed, a third observer made the final judgment. Affected feet were classified according to location (ie, medial, posterior, or diffuse) of the coalition and age (ie, <12, 13-20, >21 years). Sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratios of the C sign were calculated, and a second radiologic sign, posterior joint surface irregularity, was also evaluated. Differences in occurrence of the C sign among groups according to age and type of coalition were evaluated with the Fisher exact probability test. RESULTS: Sensitivity and specificity of the C sign for diagnosis of talocalcaneal coalition were 49% and 91%. The positive and negative likelihood ratios were 5.44 and 0.56, respectively. Corresponding sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative likelihood ratios for the irregularity of the posterior talocalcaneal joint were 71%, 93%, 10.14, and 0.31, respectively. C-sign false-negative findings were more frequent in patients younger than 12 years and in those with posterior coalition. CONCLUSION: C sign sensitivity obtained in our study was low, which indicated that an absence of the C sign does not negate a diagnosis of coalition.
Adolescent↗
Pirogoff ankle disarticulation as an option for ankle disarticulation.
Eleven patients (12 ankles) who had Pirogoff ankle disarticulation were followed up for an average of 5.6 years (range, 2.1-8.9 years). After disarticulation of the Chopart joint, the talus was removed and the calcaneus was cut off in the coronal plane. The heel then was rotated 90 degrees to the tibial plafond. The postoperative result was evaluated using a scoring sheet. Excellent results were seen in four feet: two in patients with trauma, one in a patient with a metastatic tumor, and one in a patient with osteomyelitis. Good results were seen in two feet: one in a patient with trauma and one in a patient with diabetes mellitus. A fair result was seen in one foot in a patient with diabetes mellitus. Poor results were seen in four feet in three patients with arteriosclerosis and one foot in a patient with diabetes mellitus. In Pirogoff ankle disarticulation, the leg-length discrepancy is compensated for by using the calcaneus. The patients only had a leg-length discrepancy of 2.8 cm on average, which enabled them to walk outdoors wearing only a shoe orthosis. The postoperative results were unfavorable in patients with vascular diseases and were satisfying in patients without vascular diseases.
Adolescent↗
Evaluation of the bitterness of antibiotics using a taste sensor.
The bitterness of nine commercial antibiotics (clarithromycin, erythromycin, cefdinil, doxycycline, vancomycin, tetracycline, minocycline, oxytetracycline and bacampicillin) was evaluated in human gustatory sensation tests with nine volunteers. The bitterness of 0.1-0.3 mM solutions (or suspensions in the case of clarithromycin) of the antibiotics was then measured using an artificial multichannel taste sensor. In the sensor measurements, three variables were used to predict estimated bitterness in single and multiple regression analysis and principal component analysis: sensor output as relative value (R), the change of membrane potential caused by adsorption (C) and C/R. Particularly good correlation was obtained between obtained bitterness scores and predicted scores using C from channel 2 of the sensor (r2=0.870, P<0.005) and C/R values for channels 2 and 3 (r2=0.947, P<0.005). The taste sensor was also successful in assessing the bitterness intensity of clarithromycin powder suspensions of various concentrations. Clarithromycin has a low aqueous solubility but is the most bitter of the nine antibiotics. Sensory data from channel 3 of the sensor predicted the bitterness of clarithromycin powder suspensions and their filtered solutions well. Finally, the bitterness intensity of a commercial clarithromycin dry syrup product (Clarith dry syrup, Taisho Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd, Tokyo, Japan) was evaluated in gustatory sensation tests and using the taste sensor. In Clarith dry syrup the drug is coated with aminoalkyl methacrylate polymer using a spray congealing method. The taste sensor results confirmed that the polymer was successful in almost completely masking the bitter taste of the dry syrup product.
Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
Anatomy of the spring ligament.
BACKGROUND: The spring ligament has been reported to be composed of the inferior calcaneonavicular and superomedial calcaneonavicular ligaments. We investigated the lower layer of the spring ligament fibrocartilage complex under the fibrocartilaginous surface, identified three distinct structures, and examined the morphology and running patterns of their fiber bundles. METHODS: Forty-eight cadaveric feet were examined. After ablation of the ankle joint and extirpation of the talus, the surface cartilage of the spring ligament fibrocartilage complex was carefully removed with forceps, and the length, width, and thickness of the three components of the complex were measured with calipers. RESULTS: The three components of the spring ligament complex are the superomedial calcaneonavicular ligament, the inferior calcaneonavicular ligament, and a structure that we termed the third ligament, which comprises fibers running from the notch between the calcaneal facets to the navicular tuberosity. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated a third component of the spring ligament; this component runs from the notch between the anterior and middle calcaneal facets to the tubercle of the navicular in the lower layer of the spring ligament complex, lying beneath the cartilaginous surface of the complex.
Foot↗
Prediction of the bitterness of single, binary- and multiple-component amino acid solutions using a taste sensor.
The purpose of this study was to develop a quick, quantitative, prediction method for the determination of the bitterness of solutions containing one or more of five amino acids (L-isoleucine, L-leucine, L-valine, L-phenylalanine, and L-tryptophan), using an artificial taste sensor. The bitterness of various solutions containing different concentrations (1, 3, 10, 30, and 100 mM) of five amino acids, singly and in combination, was estimated using a multichannel taste sensor and compared with the results of human gustatory sensation tests with nine volunteers. The relative response electric potential patterns were similar for all five amino acids. Large sensor outputs were observed in channels 1-4 (which are negatively charged) while there were no responses in channels 5-8 (positively charged). The sensor output for channel 1, which was the largest output value, was used for prediction of bitterness. The change of membrane potential caused by adsorption (CPA), which corresponds to aftertaste, could not be used as an explanatory variable since the adsorption of the amino acids to the sensor membrane was weak and CPA values were small. The bitterness intensity scores for single, binary, and multi-component amino acid solutions, could be easily predicted on the basis of the sensor output value of channel 1 using regression analysis. Principal component analysis of the sensor output data suggested that the sourness, astringency and/or smell of the solutions also played a role in the perception of bitterness.
Amino Acids↗
[MELAS sudden death due to paroxysmal arrhythmia].
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Arrhythmias, Cardiac↗
A new species in the genus Cyrtostrombidium (Ciliophora, Oligotrichia, Oligotrichida): its morphology, seasonal cycle and resting stage.
Cysts of an oligotrich ciliate were collected from natural sediment samples in Onagawa Bay, northeastern coast of Japan, and examined for their excystment capability. A high excystment ratio was obtained at lower temperatures of 10 or 15 degrees C; no excystment occurred at 20 degrees C. Excysted vegetative cells were observed after protargol staining and were identified as a new species, Cyrtostrombidium boreale n. sp. The seasonal changes in the vegetative population and sedimentation of newly formed cysts were also investigated in situ. Planktonic vegetative cells were abundant during the cold season from February to May, when the water temperature was lower than 10 degrees C. Mass encystment occurred abruptly just after the seasonal peak of the vegetative population in April. These results indicate that C. boreale is a cold-water species and aestivates during the longer, warm period from late spring to fall.
Animals↗