four-temporary-waterslide-designs-adapted-to-different-slope

Four Temporary Waterslide Designs Adapted to Different Slope Conditions to Encourage Child Socialization in Playgrounds

Increased urbanization has decreased children's access to various natural outdoor environments. To counteract this deficiency in early life experiences, ...

Prenatal diagnosis was attempted in a pregnant Japanese woman whose son had died of infantile hypophosphatasia, using chorionic villi sampled at 10 weeks of gestation. Southern blot analysis of restriction fragment length polymorphism was used as a guide, with cDNA for the human liver-type alkaline phosphatase as a probe, and BclI as a restriction enzyme. The fetus was found to be a heterozygote; the pregnancy was allowed to continue; and the baby born was phenotypically normal.

Prenatal diagnosis of infantile hypophosphatasia.

In nine fetuses with ventricular septal defect (VSD), intracardiac blood flow was observed with color Doppler ultrasound. Interventricular shunt velocity, maximum systolic velocity in the ascending aorta and pulmonary artery, trans-atrioventricular blood flow velocity, and the flow pattern in the inferior vena cava were also measured with pulsed Doppler ultrasound. The cardio-thoracic ratio and ejection fraction were measured by B- and M-mood ultrasound. In all four fetuses with isolated VSD a bidirectional shunt was demonstrated. In the three normal developed fetuses time analysis showed a right (RT)-to-left (LT) shunt during systole and a LT-to-RT during diastole with maximum systolic velocities of 61cm/s, 42cm/s and 68cm/s. In the five fetuses with complexed cardiac malformation, two fetuses had a unidirectional shunt and three fetuses had a bidirectional shunt, which was a LT-to-RT during systole and a RT-to-LT during diastole. These studies indicate that although the systolic pressure in the right ventricle is slightly higher than that in the left, the pressure is almost the same in both ventricles. The presence of unidirectional shunting or a different time relationship from that of normal fetuses in bidirectional shunting would necessitate a careful check for other cardiac malformations.

[Two-dimensional and Doppler echocardiographic evaluation of intrauterine blood flow dynamics in the fetuses with a ventricular septal defect].

Renal blood flow dynamics were studied with color and pulsed Doppler ultrasound in 102 normal fetuses at 20 to 40 weeks of gestation, 11 growth retarded fetuses (group A), 15 fetuses with oligohydramnios (group B) and 10 growth retarded and oligohydramniotic fetuses (group C) at 32-40 weeks of gestation. The maximum systolic velocity (VMAX), early diastolic peak velocity (VEA), end diastolic velocity (VED) and resistance index (RIEA:VMAX-VEA/VMAX and RIED:VMAX-VED/VMAX) were measured in the renal artery. VMAX was also measured in the ascending aorta (AO) and pulmonary artery (PA). In the normal fetuses, blood flow velocity increased with gestational age, but VMAX and VEA remained constant after 28 weeks of gestation. The resistance index decreased with gestational age, but RIEA remained constant after 28 weeks of gestation. RIED in groups A and C increased significantly, and VMAX in groups B and C, and VED in group C decreased significantly compared with normal fetuses. VMAX in AO and PA decreased remarkably in the three abnormal groups. It was concluded that the kidneys were poorly perfused in the growth retarded fetuses with oligohydramnios, which may, in part, depend on the decreased stroke volume.

[Evaluation of the renal artery in the fetuses with growth retardation and oligohydramnios by two dimensional Doppler ultrasonography].

Echocardiograms of two hundred and ninety normal fetuses at 18-39 weeks of gestation were studied with a real-time linear scanner (3.5 MHz). Aortic valvular diameter, pulmonary valvular diameter, mitral valvular diameter, tricuspid valvular diameter and total cardiac dimension were measured. These parameters increased with fetal growth. The ratios of pulmonary to aortic valvular diameter and of tricuspid to mitral valvular diameter were more than 1, suggesting right ventricular dominance in the fetal hearts. The cardio-thoracic ratio was about 50% in this period. The four-chamber view, left ventricular long-axis view, ventricular short-axis view, short-axis view of the great arteries, the view of the aortic arch and the view of the inferior and superior vena cava were also recorded. These six views could be obtained in 9.8% of all subjects at the same time. Detection rates for these views were the greatest in pregnancy at 22-33 (especially 28-29) weeks of gestation. The ventricular short-axis view and short-axis view of the great arteries were easily detected in the dorsoposterior position, whereas the view of the aortic arch was obtained in the dorsoanterior position. It was concluded that fetal echocardiography needed to be performed at least twice, at 22-23 and 28-29 weeks of gestation, and this would be useful in diagnosing some congenital heart diseases.

[Fetal screening of congenital heart disease].

[Anatomically corrected malposition of great arteries (ACM): prenatal diagnosis].

To explore the spatial and temporal localization of PKC isoforms during ischemia, we quantified PKC isoforms in the subcellular fractions in perfused rat heart by immunoblotting using specific antibodies against PKC isoforms. PKCs-alpha and epsilon translocated from the 100000 x g supernatant (S, cytosolic) fraction to the 1000 x g pellet (PI, nucleus-myofibril) and the 1000-100000 x g pellet (P2, membrane) fractions during 5-40 min of ischemia. PKC-delta redistributed from the P2 to the S fraction. A 50-kDa fragment of PKC-alpha appeared during ischemia possibly through calpain action. Immunohistochemical observations showed the different localizations of PKC-alpha, delta, and epsilon in the myocytes. The PKC assay displayed high basal levels of Ca(2+)-independent PKC, the activation of Ca(2+)-dependent PKC in the P1 and P2 fractions, and the activation of Ca(2+)-independent PKC in the P1 fraction after 20 min of ischemia. These observations show that ischemia induces different patterns of translocation of the three PKC isoforms, suggesting differences in their roles.

Translocation of protein kinase C-alpha, delta and epsilon isoforms in ischemic rat heart.

Chicken egg yolk phosvitin showed a remarkable antibacterial effect against Escherichia coli under thermal stress at 50 degrees C. E. coli cells (10(6)/mL) completely disappeared in 1 mL of L-broth coexisting with 0.l mg/mL phosvitin when incubated at 50 degrees C for 20 min, whereas a considerable amount of cells (10(5)/mL) survived at the same thermal stress without phosvitin. Blocking of the chelating effect of phosvitin by the addition of Ca(2+) ion displayed a protective effect against the bactericidal activity at 50 degrees C. In addition, the antibacterial activity of phosvitin was dramatically reduced by treatment with alpha-chymotrypsin, although the chelating effect remained. The surface properties, such as interfacial tension and emulsifying properties of phosvitin, which are an index of the affinity with the outer membrane, were greatly reduced by the alpha-chymotrypsin digestion. This indicates that the alpha-chymotrypsin-digested membrane-penetrating hydrophobic domains at the N- and C-terminal regions play an important role in antibacterial activity. These results suggest that a significant part of the bactericidal activity of phosvitin against E. coli resides in the synergistic effect of the high metal-chelating ability and the high surface activity under the influence of thermal stress.

Bactericidal action of egg yolk phosvitin against Escherichia coliunder thermal stress.

To evaluate whether nonpenetrating vascular closure staples (VCS) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) can effectively prevent anastomotic intimal hyperplasia.

Can nonpenetrating vascular closure staples and hepatocyte growth factor prevent intimal hyperplasia following ePTFE grafting of the carotid artery in rabbits?

Ordered nucleosome disassembly and reassembly are required for eukaryotic DNA replication. The facilitates chromatin transcription (FACT) complex, a histone chaperone comprising Spt16 and SSRP1, is involved in DNA replication as well as transcription. FACT associates with the MCM helicase, which is involved in DNA replication initiation and elongation. Although the FACT-MCM complex is reported to regulate DNA replication initiation, its functional role in DNA replication elongation remains elusive. To elucidate the functional role of FACT in replication fork progression during DNA elongation in the cells, we generated and analyzed conditional SSRP1 gene knock-out chicken (Gallus gallus) DT40 cells. SSRP1-depleted cells ceased to grow and exhibited a delay in S-phase cell cycle progression, although SSRP1 depletion did not affect the level of chromatin-bound DNA polymerase α or nucleosome reassembly on daughter strands. The tracking length of newly synthesized DNA, but not origin firing, was reduced in SSRP1-depleted cells, suggesting that the S-phase cell cycle delay is mainly due to the inhibition of replication fork progression rather than to defects in the initiation of DNA replication in these cells. We discuss the mechanisms of how FACT promotes replication fork progression in the cells.

The histone chaperone facilitates chromatin transcription (FACT) protein maintains normal replication fork rates.

Platform presentations.

Preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) can be a promising treatment for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, its administration for patients with impaired renal function has not been well investigated, let alone its clinical effect. We previously reported preliminary feasibility of CRT in PDAC patients with renal impairment. Herein, we aimed to investigate the clinical effects of preoperative CRT including safety and long-term prognosis in more PDAC patients with renal impairment as an extension to our previous work.

Preoperative chemoradiotherapy using gemcitabine for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma in patients with impaired renal function.

The optimal type of surgery (e.g., anatomic or non-anatomic resection) or radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is still under debate despite numerous comparative studies based on overall survival. This debate continues not only because these endpoints are influenced by non-surgical factors, such as liver function, but because the definition of non-anatomic resection for HCC has remained unclear. The optimal surgery could be logically determined based on the mechanism of local intrahepatic metastasis, that is, the drainage of tumour blood flow (TBF), because HCC spreads locally through tumour blood flowing to the peri-tumourous liver parenchyma. Since TBF is clearly demonstrated by CT scan under hepatic arteriography, the surgical margin can be determined individually based on the drainage of TBF without deteriorating local curability. Controversy regarding RFA and surgery does not result from the curability of treatment itself but from the lack of scientific evidence on safety margins. Based on proper concepts and self-evident truths, an algorithm of loco-regional treatment for HCC is proposed.

"Logic-Based Medicine" Is More Feasible than "Evidence-Based Medicine" in the Local Treatment for Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Delayed gastric emptying (DGE) is an important postoperative complication after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD), and its incidence may be associated with the utilized surgical procedures. Compared with pancreaticojejunostomy (PJ) after PD, it may be speculated that pancreaticogastrostomy (PG) is a risk factor for DGE, because it needs an anastomosis of the remnant pancreas to the back wall of the stomach. This study aimed to compare PG and PJ with regard to the incidence of DGE after PD.

Randomized clinical trial of pancreaticogastrostomy versus pancreaticojejunostomy regarding incidence of delayed gastric emptying after pancreaticoduodenectomy.

Pancreatic intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) involves multiple histopathological stages from benign to malignant lesions. Further, a biomarker to diagnose the malignant IPMN (IPMC) is clinically relevant. Recently, we found that serum fucosylated α -acid glycoprotein (fAGP) level markedly elevated along with disease progression in large cohorts of patients with various cancers.

The malignant potential of pancreatic intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm is reflected in expression levels of fucosylated glycans in α -acid glycoprotein.

Article	Year
Prenatal diagnosis of infantile hypophosphatasia. Prenatal diagnosis\| PubMed ID: 1680232	1991
[Two-dimensional and Doppler echocardiographic evaluation of intrauterine blood flow dynamics in the fetuses with a ventricular septal defect]. Nihon Sanka Fujinka Gakkai zasshi\| PubMed ID: 1744456	1991
[Evaluation of the renal artery in the fetuses with growth retardation and oligohydramnios by two dimensional Doppler ultrasonography]. Nihon Sanka Fujinka Gakkai zasshi\| PubMed ID: 1940553	1991
[Fetal screening of congenital heart disease]. Nihon Sanka Fujinka Gakkai zasshi\| PubMed ID: 2584819	1989
[Anatomically corrected malposition of great arteries (ACM): prenatal diagnosis]. Nihon Sanka Fujinka Gakkai zasshi\| PubMed ID: 2592824	1989
Translocation of protein kinase C-alpha, delta and epsilon isoforms in ischemic rat heart. Biochimica et biophysica acta\| PubMed ID: 8876625	1996
Bactericidal action of egg yolk phosvitin against Escherichia coliunder thermal stress. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry\| PubMed ID: 10820050	2000
Can nonpenetrating vascular closure staples and hepatocyte growth factor prevent intimal hyperplasia following ePTFE grafting of the carotid artery in rabbits? Surgery today\| PubMed ID: 12111519	2002
The histone chaperone facilitates chromatin transcription (FACT) protein maintains normal replication fork rates. The Journal of biological chemistry\| PubMed ID: 21757688	2011
Platform presentations. Surgical and radiologic anatomy : SRA\| PubMed ID: 27392491	2009
Preoperative chemoradiotherapy using gemcitabine for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma in patients with impaired renal function. Cancer chemotherapy and pharmacology\| PubMed ID: 31834436	2020
"Logic-Based Medicine" Is More Feasible than "Evidence-Based Medicine" in the Local Treatment for Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Oncology\| PubMed ID: 32045926	2020
Randomized clinical trial of pancreaticogastrostomy versus pancreaticojejunostomy regarding incidence of delayed gastric emptying after pancreaticoduodenectomy. Langenbeck's archives of surgery\| PubMed ID: 32901299	2020
The malignant potential of pancreatic intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm is reflected in expression levels of fucosylated glycans in α -acid glycoprotein. Journal of hepato-biliary-pancreatic sciences\| PubMed ID: 35776060	2022

Tomofusa Akita

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