Hiroki Yamauchi

Starch retrogradation can be evaluated using X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques, which can estimate the crystallinity of starch. It is well known that the crystallinity is reflected in the mechanical properties of foods and materials. Crystallinity should be also related to the structural dynamics of starch, but there are no reports on the relationship between these properties. In this study, we used quasi-elastic neutron scattering (QENS) to investigate changes in the molecular dynamics of cooked rice starch during retrogradation. The width of the measured QENS narrowed with retrogradation. The elastic incoherent structure factor (EISF) increased, which indicated that the molecular dynamics are spatially suppressed upon retrogradation. However, the width of the quasi-elastic scattering component was independent of retrogradation in the measured Q-range. Analysis of EISF with a bimodal continuous diffusion model, where low and high mobilities are assumed to correspond to crystalline and amorphous phases, respectively, showed that the fraction of the low-mobility component increases with retrogradation. The suppression of the molecular dynamics during retrogradation was correlated with the crystallinity evaluated by XRD. The molecular dynamics of the crystalline region that appeared after gelatinization and retrogradation were different from that of raw rice starch. These results suggest that molecular dynamics reflect the state of retrogradation and can be used to monitor retrogradation of starch in foods.

Objective To investigate the association between the urinary levels of prostaglandins (PGE2 and PGF2α), nerve growth factor (NGF) and substance P, and overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms in patients with suprapontine brain diseases. Materials and Methods The subjects were 114 patients in the chronic phase of a brain disease and 27 healthy controls with no brain disease or lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). The OAB symptoms were assessed with the OAB symptom score and the subjects were then classified into 5 groups: healthy control, patients without LUTS, increased bladder sensation (IBS), OAB dry, and OAB wet. Urinary mediator concentrations were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and normalized to the urinary creatinine concentration, and then compared among the 5 groups. Results The urinary PGE2 level was significantly higher in patients with brain diseases than in healthy controls, even in the patients without any OAB symptoms, and compared with patients without LUTS, a significant increase in the urinary PGE2 was observed in patients with OAB dry or wet (P = .004 or .015, respectively). The PGF2α level showed a significant increase in OAB wet compared with patients without LUTS (P = .001). The urinary levels of NGF and substance P were not significantly associated with OAB as a result of this type of brain disease. Conclusion The urinary PGE2 level was putatively elevated in patients with suprapontine brain diseases and associated with the presence of OAB. The PGF2α level may also be associated with OAB. To investigate the association between the urinary levels of prostaglandins (PGE2 and PGF2α), nerve growth factor (NGF) and substance P, and overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms in patients with suprapontine brain diseases. The subjects were 114 patients in the chronic phase of a brain disease and 27 healthy controls with no brain disease or lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). The OAB symptoms were assessed with the OAB symptom score and the subjects were then classified into 5 groups: healthy control, patients without LUTS, increased bladder sensation (IBS), OAB dry, and OAB wet. Urinary mediator concentrations were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and normalized to the urinary creatinine concentration, and then compared among the 5 groups. The urinary PGE2 level was significantly higher in patients with brain diseases than in healthy controls, even in the patients without any OAB symptoms, and compared with patients without LUTS, a significant increase in the urinary PGE2 was observed in patients with OAB dry or wet (P = .004 or .015, respectively). The PGF2α level showed a significant increase in OAB wet compared with patients without LUTS (P = .001). The urinary levels of NGF and substance P were not significantly associated with OAB as a result of this type of brain disease. The urinary PGE2 level was putatively elevated in patients with suprapontine brain diseases and associated with the presence of OAB. The PGF2α level may also be associated with OAB.

No AccessJournal of UrologyInvestigative Urology1 Jun 2011Antimuscarinics Suppress Adenosine Triphosphate and Prostaglandin E2 Release From Urothelium With Potential Improvement in Detrusor Overactivity in Rats With Cerebral Infarction Osamu Yokoyama, Ippei Tanaka, Naoya Kusukawa, Hiroki Yamauchi, Hideaki Ito, Yoshitaka Aoki, Nobuyuki Oyama, Yoshiji Miwa, and Hironobu Akino Osamu YokoyamaOsamu Yokoyama More articles by this author , Ippei TanakaIppei Tanaka More articles by this author , Naoya KusukawaNaoya Kusukawa More articles by this author , Hiroki YamauchiHiroki Yamauchi More articles by this author , Hideaki ItoHideaki Ito More articles by this author , Yoshitaka AokiYoshitaka Aoki More articles by this author , Nobuyuki OyamaNobuyuki Oyama More articles by this author , Yoshiji MiwaYoshiji Miwa More articles by this author , and Hironobu AkinoHironobu Akino More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2011.02.048AboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookLinked InTwitterEmail Abstract Purpose: Antimuscarinics improve detrusor overactivity. We evaluated the effects and action mechanisms of imidafenacin (Kyorin Pharmaceutical, Tokyo, Japan), a novel therapeutic agent for overactive bladder with antimuscarinic activity, on mediator release from urothelium and detrusor overactivity induced by cerebral infarction. Materials and Methods: Bladder hydrodistention was achieved by intravesical infusion of Krebs solution. Bladder adenosine triphosphate and prostaglandin E2 were measured in the presence and absence of anticholinergics using luciferin-luciferase assay and enzyme-linked immunoassay, respectively. Cerebral infarction was induced in rats by occluding the left middle cerebral artery. The effects of intravenous imidafenacin on bladder function were examined using cystometry in rats with cerebral infarction and in those pretreated with resiniferatoxin. Results: Increased intravesical adenosine triphosphate and prostaglandin E2 were shown by induced distention of isolated rat bladders. Imidafenacin and darifenacin (Kemprotec, Middlesbrough, United Kingdom) significantly suppressed the increases in adenosine triphosphate and prostaglandin E2. Decreased bladder capacity was observed in rats with cerebral infarction. Detrusor overactivity was suppressed with a minimum intravenous dose of 0.001 mg/kg imidafenacin. The effects of imidafenacin were not noted in rats pretreated with resiniferatoxin. Conclusions: Results support the hypothesis or suggest that imidafenacin improves cerebral infarction induced detrusor overactivity by suppressing peripheral C-fibers. This effect is thought to be associated with suppression of the release of adenosine triphosphate and prostaglandin E2 from the urothelium. References 1 : Antimuscarinics and the overactive detrusor—which is the main mechanism of action?. Eur Urol2003; 43: 1. Google Scholar 2 : Overactive bladder—pharmacological aspects. Scand J Urol Nephrol Suppl2002; 210: 72. Google Scholar 3 : Basic and clinical aspects of non-neuronal acetylcholine: expression of non-neuronal acetylcholine in urothelium and its clinical significance. J Pharmacol Sci2008; 106: 193. Google Scholar 4 : Activation of muscarinic receptors in rat bladder sensory pathways alters reflex bladder activity. J Neurosci2008; 28: 1977. Google Scholar 5 : Removal of urothelium affects bladder contractility and release of ATP but not release of NO in rat urinary bladder. BMC Urol2010; 10: 10. Google Scholar 6 : Modulation of stretch-evoked adenosine triphosphate release from the bladder epithelium by prostaglandin E2. J Urol2010; 185: 341. Google Scholar 7 : COX-2 and prostanoid expression in micturition pathways after cyclophosphamide-induced cystitis in the rat. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol2003; 284: R574. Google Scholar 8 : Prostanoids modulate reflex micturition by acting through capsaicin-sensitive afferents. Eur J Pharmacol1988; 145: 105. Google Scholar 9 : Improvement in bladder storage function by tamsulosin depends on suppression of C-fiber urethral afferent activity in rats. J Urol2007; 177: 771. Link, Google Scholar 10 : Pharmacology of lower urinary tract smooth muscles and penile erectile tissues. Pharmacol Rev1993; 45: 253. Medline, Google Scholar 11 : Urothelium EP1 receptor facilitates the micturition reflex in mice. Biomed Res2008; 29: 105. Google Scholar 12 : Stretch independent regulation of prostaglandin E(2) production within the isolated guinea-pig lamina propria. BJU Int2010; 105: 540. Google Scholar 13 : Effects of imidafenacin (KRP-197/ONO-8025), a new anti-cholinergic agent, on muscarinic acetylcholine receptors. Arzneimittelforschung (Drug Res)2007; 57: 92. Google Scholar 14 : Micturition in rats: a chronic model for study of bladder function and effect of anesthetics. Am J Physiol1986; 251: R1177. Medline, Google Scholar 15 : Influence of anesthesia on bladder hyperactivity induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion in the rat. Am J Physiol1997; 273: R1900. Medline, Google Scholar 16 : Effects of nifedipine on bladder overactivity in rats with cerebral infarction. J Urol1999; 162: 1502. Link, Google Scholar 17 : Triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) as a marker for ischaemic changes in rat brain following permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol1991; 17: 61. Google Scholar 18 : Effects of capsaicin on micturition and associated reflexes in rats. Am J Physiol1993; 265: R132. Medline, Google Scholar 19 : Attenuation of non-neuronal adenosine triphosphate release from human bladder mucosa by antimuscarinic agents. LUTS2009; 1: 88. Google Scholar 20 : Effects of propiverine and naftopidil on the urinary ATP level and bladder activity after bladder stimulation in rats. Neurosci Lett2007; 429: 142. Google Scholar 21 : Profile of prostaglandins generated in the detrusor muscle of rat urinary bladder: effects of adenosine triphosphate and adenosine. Eur J Pharmacol1985; 113: 431. Google Scholar 22 : Stimulation of prostaglandin biosynthesis by adenine nucleotides: Profile of prostaglandin release by perfused organs . Circ Res1974; 34: 455. Google Scholar 23 : Effects of tolterodine on an overactive bladder depend on suppression of c-fiber bladder afferent activity in rats. J Urol2005; 174: 2032. Google Scholar 24 : Improvement of bladder storage function by alpha1-blocker depends on the suppression of C-fiber afferent activity in rats. Neurourol Urodyn2006; 25: 461. Google Scholar 25 : Improvement in neurogenic detrusor overactivity by peripheral C fiber's suppression with cyclooxygenase inhibitors. J Urol2010; 183: 786. Link, Google Scholar 26 : Pharmacological and genetic analysis of mechanisms underlying detrusor overactivity in rats. Neurol Urodyn2010; 29: 107. Google Scholar 27 Zha X, Tanaka I, Nagase K et al: Neurogenic detrusor overactivity induces changes in ATP level and mRNA expression of several receptors in the bladder. Presented at International Continence Society/International Urogynecological Association meeting, Toronto, Canada, August 23–27, 2010. Google Scholar 28 : P2X3 knock-out mice reveal a major sensory role for urothelially released ATP. J Neurosci2001; 21: 5670. Crossref, Medline, Google Scholar Department of Urology, Faculty of Medical Science, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan© 2011 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsCited byAizawa N, Ito H, Sugiyama R, Fujimura T, Suzuki M, Fukuhara H, Homma Y and Igawa Y (2018) Selective Inhibitory Effect of Imidafenacin and 5-Hydroxymethyl Tolterodine on Capsaicin Sensitive C Fibers of the Primary Bladder Mechanosensitive Afferent Nerves in the RatJournal of Urology, VOL. 193, NO. 4, (1423-1432), Online publication date: 1-Apr-2015.Atala A (2018) Re: Loss of β1-Integrin from Urothelium Results in Overactive Bladder and Incontinence in Mice: A Mechanosensory Rather than Structural PhenotypeJournal of Urology, VOL. 190, NO. 6, (2305-2306), Online publication date: 1-Dec-2013. Volume 185Issue 6June 2011Page: 2392-2397 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2011 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.Keywordsurinary bladderoveractivecerebral infarctionimidafenacinurotheliumadrenergic fibersMetrics Author Information Osamu Yokoyama More articles by this author Ippei Tanaka More articles by this author Naoya Kusukawa More articles by this author Hiroki Yamauchi More articles by this author Hideaki Ito More articles by this author Yoshitaka Aoki More articles by this author Nobuyuki Oyama More articles by this author Yoshiji Miwa More articles by this author Hironobu Akino More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...

CLT（直交集成板）は，近年，中大規模の木造建築や土木分野への利用が期待されているが，国産CLTの活用促進のためには製造コストや施工コストが課題となっている．国産CLTの製造には油圧式プレスが用いられるが，海外では油圧プレスよりも導入コストが低い真空プレスを用いてCLTを生産している工場もある．真空プレスは圧締圧力が小さいが，真空ポンプと材料を覆うシートがあればプレスが可能であり，様々な寸法や形状のCLTの製造に対応することができる．本研究では，国産材のCLT製造における真空プレスの可能性を検討することを目的として，樹種や接着剤の条件を変えたCLTを真空プレスと油圧プレスを用いてそれぞれ作製し，曲げ性能や接着耐久性を評価した．

We searched for the $CP$-violating rare decay of neutral kaon, $K_{L} \to \pi^0 \nu \overline{\nu}$, in data from the first 100 hours of physics running in 2013 of the J-PARC KOTO experiment. One candidate event was observed while $0.34\pm0.16$ background events were expected. We set an upper limit of $5.1\times10^{-8}$ for the branching fraction at the 90\% confidence level (C.L.). An upper limit of $3.7\times10^{-8}$ at the 90\% C.L. for the $K_{L} \to \pi^{0} X^{0}$decay was also set for the first time, where $X^{0}$ is an invisible particle with a mass of 135 MeV/$c^{2}$.

Among various NO <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">x</sub> reduction technologies, selective catalytic reduction (SCR) methods have been studied for the cleaning of diesel engine exhaust. The urea SCR system, in which ammonia is used as a reducing agent, is thought to be one of the most promising methods. However, further improvement of the performance is required for low-temperature exhaust below 400 K. The purpose of this paper is the plasma reforming of solid urea to generate ammonia. In this paper, a dielectric-barrier-discharge plasma reactor in which dielectric pellets and urea powder were packed was experimentally investigated. The reactor was fed with humid gas and driven by pulsed high voltage at 400 K or lower. The effect of the pellet material, the gas humidity, and the gas flow rate were experimentally examined. The application of discharge plasma enhanced the ammonia production significantly. These results suggest that our method can provide a plasma-assisted solid-urea reforming system to generate ammonia.

BackgroundEnd-tidal PCO2 (Pe′CO2) is routinely used in the clinical assessment of the adequacy of ventilation because it provides an estimate of PaCO2. How well Pe′CO2 reflects PaCO2 depends on the gradient between them, expressed as ΔPa−e′CO2. The major determinant of ΔPa−e′CO2 is alveolar dead space (Vdalv). The fraction of inspired O2 (FiO2) is not thought to substantially affect ΔPa−e′CO2 in anaesthetized patients. We hypothesized that a high FiO2 may indeed increase ΔPa−e′CO2 by preferentially vasodilating well-perfused alveoli, resulting in the redistribution of blood flow to these alveoli from poorly perfused alveoli and an increase in Vdalv. We therefore investigated the effects of changes in FiO2 on ΔPa−e′CO2 and Vdalv.MethodsWith Institutional Review Board approval and informed consent, we studied 20 ASA I–II supine patients undergoing elective lower abdominal surgery under combined general and epidural anaesthesia. At constant levels of ventilation, FiO2 levels of 0.21, 0.33, 0.5, 0.75, and 0.97 were applied in a random order and ΔPa−e′CO2 and Vdalv were calculated.ResultsThe ΔPa−e′CO2 values were, in order of ascending FiO2, {mean [standard error of the mean (sem)]} 0.13 (0.04), 0.28 (0.08), 0.29 (0.09), 0.44 (0.11), and 0.53 (0.09) kPa. The corresponding values of Vdalv were 25.5, 33.8, 35.8, 48.9, and 47.4 ml. Each successive hyperoxic level showed a significant increase in ΔPa−e′CO2 except between the 0.33–0.5 and 0.75–0.97 FiO2 levels.ConclusionsThese data demonstrate that ΔPa−e′CO2, in anaesthetized patients depends on FiO2. End-tidal PCO2 (Pe′CO2) is routinely used in the clinical assessment of the adequacy of ventilation because it provides an estimate of PaCO2. How well Pe′CO2 reflects PaCO2 depends on the gradient between them, expressed as ΔPa−e′CO2. The major determinant of ΔPa−e′CO2 is alveolar dead space (Vdalv). The fraction of inspired O2 (FiO2) is not thought to substantially affect ΔPa−e′CO2 in anaesthetized patients. We hypothesized that a high FiO2 may indeed increase ΔPa−e′CO2 by preferentially vasodilating well-perfused alveoli, resulting in the redistribution of blood flow to these alveoli from poorly perfused alveoli and an increase in Vdalv. We therefore investigated the effects of changes in FiO2 on ΔPa−e′CO2 and Vdalv. With Institutional Review Board approval and informed consent, we studied 20 ASA I–II supine patients undergoing elective lower abdominal surgery under combined general and epidural anaesthesia. At constant levels of ventilation, FiO2 levels of 0.21, 0.33, 0.5, 0.75, and 0.97 were applied in a random order and ΔPa−e′CO2 and Vdalv were calculated. The ΔPa−e′CO2 values were, in order of ascending FiO2, {mean [standard error of the mean (sem)]} 0.13 (0.04), 0.28 (0.08), 0.29 (0.09), 0.44 (0.11), and 0.53 (0.09) kPa. The corresponding values of Vdalv were 25.5, 33.8, 35.8, 48.9, and 47.4 ml. Each successive hyperoxic level showed a significant increase in ΔPa−e′CO2 except between the 0.33–0.5 and 0.75–0.97 FiO2 levels. These data demonstrate that ΔPa−e′CO2, in anaesthetized patients depends on FiO2.

Abnormal scapular kinematics during throwing motion in baseball players with shoulder disorders has not yet been clarified, although altered scapular position has been suggested to be associated with shoulder disorder.To determine if the shoulders of baseball players with throwing disorders demonstrate abnormal scapular kinematics during the simulated arm-cocking phase of throwing activity.Cross-sectional study.Laboratory.Eleven baseball players (age 21.1 ± 1.2 y) with a unilateral shoulder disorder volunteered to participate, including 9 players at the college level and 2 at the adult level. The mean playing experience was 12.1 ± 2.7 y.Scapular upward/downward rotation, anteroposterior tilting, and external/internal rotation during simulated arm-cocking motion were analyzed using a 3-to-2-dimensional registration technique.Scapular external rotation in the throwing shoulder was significantly smaller by 2.0-6.0° than that of the contralateral shoulder. There were no detectable differences in scapular upward/downward rotation or anteroposterior tilting between the throwing and contralateral shoulders.Compared with that in the contralateral shoulder, scapular external rotation was smaller in the throwing shoulder, which would increase glenohumeral horizontal abduction during the arm-cocking phase and be related to the throwing-shoulder disorder.

Humeral retroversion angles determined by previous techniques are varied and/or biased by morphologic variations of the proximal and distal humerus, and their validity should be revisited. To overcome the limitations of previous studies associated with 2-dimensional (2D) images and the reference axes, a 3-dimensional (3D) measurement of humeral retroversion is required. However, comparisons of 2D imaging methods with the 3D computed tomography (CT) measurement as a reference standard have not been heretofore performed.To determine whether the 3D CT humeral retroversion angle in baseball players is correlated with conventional humeral retroversion measurements.Cohort study (diagnosis); Level of evidence, 2.A total of 28 humeri from 14 male baseball players were used for measuring humeral retroversion. Participants underwent CT scans, and geometric bone models were created for measuring the 3D CT humeral retroversion angle. Using CT slices, the 2D CT humeral retroversion angle was also determined. Bicipital forearm angle was assessed using the indirect ultrasound technique. Linear regressions and Bland-Altman plots were used to determine whether there were agreements among 3 variables: the 3D CT retroversion, 2D CT retroversion, and bicipital forearm angles.In linear regression analyses, the 3D humeral retroversion angle was not predicted by the 2D CT retroversion (R = 0.167, R (2) = 0.028, P = .395) or the bicipital forearm angle (R = 0.049, R (2) = 0.002, P = .805). The bias of these 2 methods was 20.9° and -15.3°, respectively. Regression analysis demonstrated that the bicipital forearm angle was a significant predictor of the 2D CT retroversion angle (R = 0.632, R (2) = 0.400, P < .001).The 3D CT humeral retroversion angle was found to be underestimated by the 2D CT retroversion angle and overestimated by the bicipital forearm angle obtained by the indirect ultrasound, although a previously observed relationship between the 2D CT retroversion and bicipital forearm angles was confirmed.Precise measurement of humeral retroversion angle is important because retroversion has been linked to upper extremity disorders, including throwing-related shoulder and elbow disorders in baseball players.

Ideal therapy for lower urinary tract dysfunction in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) should decrease detrusor overactivity, thereby promoting urine storage at low intravesical pressure and promoting efficient voiding at low pressure by decreasing detrusor-sphincter dyssynergia. Here we investigated blockade of various α-adrenoceptors to determine the subtype that was principally responsible for improving the voiding dysfunction. The effects of the intravenous α-blocker naftopidil, the α-blocker BMY 7378, and the α-blocker silodosin were evaluated using cystometrography and external urethral sphincter-electromyography (EMG) in decerebrated, unanesthetized female Sprague-Dawley rats with chronic SCI following transection at Th8. Parameters measured included the voided volume, residual volume, voiding efficiency, and burst and silent periods on EMG. Compared with values in decerebrated non-SCI rats, EMG of decerebrated SCI rats revealed more prominent tonic activity, significantly shorter periods of bursting activity, and a reduced ratio of the silent to active period during bursting. Compared with the value before drug administration (control), the voiding efficiency was significantly increased by naftopidil (1 and 3 mg/kg) (<0.05 each), and the burst (<0.01 and <0.05, respectively) and silent periods (<0.01 each) on EMG were significantly lengthened. BMY 7378 (1 mg/kg) significantly increased voiding efficiency and lengthened the burst periods (<0.05 each). Silodosin did not affect any parameters. These results suggest that α-blockade reduces the urethral resistance associated with detrusor-sphincter dyssynergia, thus improving voiding efficiency in SCI rats.

Urgency is the core symptom of the overactive bladder symptom complex, but the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Clinical findings have led to the assumption that bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) caused by benign prostatic enlargement (BPE) induces storage symptoms and detrusor overactivity. Presumably, BOO by BPE accounts for urgency; however, urgency is not always caused by BOO. Sensory nerves in the wall of the urethra fire in response to urethral fluid flow, and this activity initiates bladder contractions in the quiescent bladder and augments ongoing contractions in the active bladder. In humans, prostatic urethral anesthesia results in significant increases in bladder capacity among BPH patients without neurological diseases, therefore sensory stimuli from an anatomically altered prostatic urethra has the possibility to induce urgency and detrusor overactivity. Studies in animals demonstrate the basis for an excitatory urethra to bladder reflex. Urethral stimulation by prostaglandin E 2 induces an excitatory effect on micturition reflex by activation of C‐fiber afferent nerves. α 1A ‐adrenoceptor blocker has an inhibitory effect on the micturition reflex, suggesting excitatory urethra to bladder reflex is mediated by α 1A ‐adrenoceptor. Even if there is no obstruction, increase in urethral sensory due to BPE may induce the development of the detrusor overactivity.

We report on the current status of a project to develop a dedicated superconducting accelerator for slow positron production at AIST. Two 500 MHz, 5 cell cavities will form the basis of the new accelerator. Initial set-up and preliminary design activities are reported.

Hypothesis and background Humeral retroversion is defined as the orientation of the humeral head relative to the distal humerus. Because none of the previous methods used to measure humeral retroversion strictly follow this definition, values obtained by these techniques vary and may be biased by morphologic variations of the humerus. The purpose of this study was 2-fold: to validate a method to define the axis of the distal humerus with a virtual cylinder and to establish the reliability of 3-dimensional (3D) measurement of humeral retroversion by this cylinder fitting method. Methods Humeral retroversion in 14 baseball players (28 humeri) was measured by the 3D cylinder fitting method. The root mean square error was calculated to compare values obtained by a single tester and by 2 different testers using the embedded coordinate system. To establish the reliability, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and precision (standard error of measurement [SEM]) were calculated. Results The root mean square errors for the humeral coordinate system were <1.0 mm/1.0° for comparison of all translations/rotations obtained by a single tester and <1.0 mm/2.0° for comparison obtained by 2 different testers. Assessment of reliability and precision of the 3D measurement of retroversion yielded an intratester ICC of 0.99 (SEM, 1.0°) and intertester ICC of 0.96 (SEM, 2.8°). Discussion and conclusion The error in measurements obtained by a distal humerus cylinder fitting method was small enough not to affect retroversion measurement. The 3D measurement of retroversion by this method provides excellent intratester and intertester reliability. Humeral retroversion is defined as the orientation of the humeral head relative to the distal humerus. Because none of the previous methods used to measure humeral retroversion strictly follow this definition, values obtained by these techniques vary and may be biased by morphologic variations of the humerus. The purpose of this study was 2-fold: to validate a method to define the axis of the distal humerus with a virtual cylinder and to establish the reliability of 3-dimensional (3D) measurement of humeral retroversion by this cylinder fitting method. Humeral retroversion in 14 baseball players (28 humeri) was measured by the 3D cylinder fitting method. The root mean square error was calculated to compare values obtained by a single tester and by 2 different testers using the embedded coordinate system. To establish the reliability, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and precision (standard error of measurement [SEM]) were calculated. The root mean square errors for the humeral coordinate system were <1.0 mm/1.0° for comparison of all translations/rotations obtained by a single tester and <1.0 mm/2.0° for comparison obtained by 2 different testers. Assessment of reliability and precision of the 3D measurement of retroversion yielded an intratester ICC of 0.99 (SEM, 1.0°) and intertester ICC of 0.96 (SEM, 2.8°). The error in measurements obtained by a distal humerus cylinder fitting method was small enough not to affect retroversion measurement. The 3D measurement of retroversion by this method provides excellent intratester and intertester reliability.

We herein present the results of a survey which assessed the benthic fauna from subtidal to continental shelf depth in the Shirahama area from 2012 to 2016.Our research resulted in the identification of 132 species from 75 families in seven phyla, Cnidaria, Annelida, Tardigrada, Arthropoda, Mollusca, Echinodermata and Chordata.This includes 24 newly recorded species to Shirahama.Two species were also new records for Japanese waters.Furthermore, six undescribed species and five potentially undescribed species were recorded.We provide a selection of relevant photos for future taxonomic studies and monitoring of environmental changes.

This paper proposes a position sensorless control of interior permanent magnet synchronous motors; this method involves the use of an adaptive observer based on direct-type adaptive control for achieving an improvement in responses of speed estimation and control. Although various adaptive observers based on indirect-type adaptive control have been extensively studied so far, improvement in responses of speed estimation and control has not been discussed so much. This paper first shows the response of speed estimation system based on the indirect-type adaptive observer. An adaptive observer based on direct-type adaptive control is then proposed to achieve an improvement in response of speed estimation system. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method is proved on some experimental results.

Silicon-on-insulator (SOI) for fine measurement of space and time (SOFIST) is designed taking full advantage of advanced SOI monolithic pixel detector fabrication technology to record the charge and time information of hit pixels. The aim is to achieve 3 μm position resolution and ultimately identify the International Linear Collider beam bunches of 554 ns separation. SOFIST Ver. 3 includes full circuits to read out the charge and time for each pixel of size 30×30μm. Its performance is evaluated using a 120 GeV proton beam. The time resolution is evaluated to be 1.92 μs (including calibration error), with an intrinsic time resolution of 1.34–1.55 μs. Additionally, multi-memory readout functionality is successfully examined. With SOFIST Ver. 4, the same functionality is to be realized with a 20×20μm pixel size by 3D stacking. The first chip was successfully tested to image β rays. The connection yield of Au micro-bumps is greater than 99.9%.

The muscular dystrophies are inherited myogenic disorders characterized by progressive muscle wasting and weakness of variable distribution and severity. They can be subdivided into several groups, including congenital forms, in accordance with the distribution of predominant muscle weakness: Duchenne/Becker; limb-girdle; Fukuyama type congenital muscular dystrophy; Emery-Dreifus; facioscapulohumeral; oculopharyngeal; myotonic dystrophy, et al. Muscular dystrophies are susceptible to perioperative respiratory, cardiac and other complications, such as rhabdomyolysis. Halogenated inhalational anesthetic agents have been implicated as a cause of acute rhabdomyolysis that resembles malignant hyperthermia. Depolarizing neuromuscular blocking drugs that cause rhabdomyolysis are contraindicated in these patients. Recommendations are proposed for the safe anesthetic management of these patients.

Colorectal endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is technically difficult and involves long procedure times with the risk of perforation because of the thinness of the muscularis propria and the poor maneuverability of the endoscope [1] [2]. Magnetic anchor-guided (MAG) systems using neodymium magnets have been reported to be useful in resolving the difficulties of ESD [3] [4]. However, a remaining problem with this procedure has been the inability to deliver the magnetic anchor through the scope [5].

Among various NOx reduction technologies, selective catalytic reduction (SCR) methods have been studied for cleaning of diesel engine exhaust. Urea SCR system, in which ammonia is used as reducing agent is thought to be one of the most promising methods. However, further improvement of the performance is required at low temperatures for example below 400 K. The purpose of this study is to enhance ammonia generation from urea at low temperatures. In this study, a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma reactor in which dielectric pellets and urea powder were packed was investigated experimentally. The reactor was fed with humid gas and driven by pulsed high voltage at 400 K or lower. The effect of the pellet material, gas humidity, and gas flow rate on ammonia generation was experimentally examined. Application of discharge plasma enhanced the ammonia generation significantly at low temperatures in which ammonia generation was negligible without plasma. Material of the catalyst pellets packed in the reactor significantly affected the ammonia generation. Air plasma showed nearly the same ammonia generation as that of nitrogen plasma. These results suggest that our method can provide a compact and low temperature on-board ammonia production system.

A 42-year-old male diagnosed with primary urothelial carcinoma of the prostate (T4NOM0) underwent pelvic exenteration, and lymph node dissection. Two courses of systemic chemotherapy (gemcitabine and carboplatin) were performed. This patient is alive without any evidence of tumor recurrence at 6 months after surgery.

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disease resulting from the production of antibodies against the acetylcholine receptors of the neuromuscular synapse, and is the disease characterized by weakness and fatigability of the skeletal muscle, with improvement following rest. Adequate preoperative evaluation of the MG patients must be carried out. Especially, the preoperative evaluation of respiratory muscle strength is very important. Although several general anesthetic techniques have been proposed, none has been proven to be superior to the others. It is necessary to evaluate anesthetic management of MG patients according to the severity of the individual patient. But the use of regional anesthesia seems to be warranted whenever possible. Based on the preoperative severity, operative procedure and perioperative management, extubation should be carried out carefully in all MG patients. MG is a disease with many pitfalls in the safe administration of anesthesia.

Generally, if a piece of code clone was found between two different programs, a plagiarism or a code reuse (program piracy) might be made. On the other hand, code clone also occurs accidentally or by code idioms. This paper experimentally derives the probability of program piracy based on length of code clone. In the experiment, we identified code clones among many different programs which we confirmed that program piracy has not been made, and formulated by power approximation the relation between the length of code clone and its derivation probability. By using this formula, we can compute the probability of program piracy from the maximum length of code clone derived from given two programs. Keyword source code plagiarism, source code reuse, software metrics, software measurement

This paper proposes a robust-adaptive scheme for position sensorless control of Interior Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors (IPMSMs), which can improve robust stability in low-speed operation. It has been pointed out that the performance of position sensorless control system extremely degrades in very low-speed region including standstill, since the back-emf voltage of the motor would be very low, and disturbances such as voltage control error and parameter mismatches significantly influence to stability of position sensorless control. This paper proposes an adaptive full-order observer with ε <inf xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">1</inf> -modification approach for robustness improvement of position sensorless control. Finally, the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed design are shown by experimental results of low-speed operation.

Among various NOx reduction technologies, selective catalytic reduction (SCR) methods have been studied for cleaning of diesel engine exhaust. Urea SCR system, in which ammonia is used as reducing agent is thought to be one of the most promising methods. However, further improvement of the performance is required at low temperatures for example below 400 K. The purpose of this study is to enhance ammonia generation from urea at low temperatures. In this study, a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma reactor in which dielectric pellets and urea powder were packed was investigated experimentally. The reactor was fed with humid gas and driven by pulsed high voltage at 400 K or lower. The effect of the pellet material, gas humidity, and gas flow rate on ammonia generation was experimentally examined. Application of discharge plasma enhanced the ammonia generation significantly at low temperatures in which ammonia generation was negligible without plasma. Material of the catalyst pellets packed in the reactor significantly affected the ammonia generation. Air plasma showed nearly the same ammonia generation as that of nitrogen plasma. These results suggest that our method can provide a compact and low temperature on-board ammonia production system.

We studied the endoscopic removal of tracheobronchial foreign bodies from 13 patients. Eight patients were treated under local anesthesia and 5 under general anesthesia. Complications included mild bleeding during endoscopic treatment of 3 patients. One patient was placed under general anesthesia because the patient was irritable and because hemorrhage made observation difficult. Laryngeal masks were used in 4 cases, and resulted in no complications. The follow-up courses ranged from 4 months to 12 years and were uneventful for all patients. Use of a fiberoptic bronchoscope in combination with laryngeal masks facilitated the management and removal of tracheobronchial foreign bodies by providing a secure airway and by minimizing the effect on the cardiorespiratory system.

Objectives: Increased humeral retroversion in the throwing shoulder is considered to exist in many baseball players and is often considered as a cause of internal rotation deficit. However, retroversion angles using two-dimensional (2D) methods utilized in previous studies did not correlated with a true three-dimensional measurement technique (3D retroversion) in our study. The purposes of this study were to determine 1) if significant side-to-side differences in retroversion exist, and 2) the relationships between retroversion and glenohumeral range of motion (ROM) in baseball players with a shoulder disorder. Methods: Fourteen male baseball players (age: 21.4 ± 1.5 years; mean ± standard deviation) with a throwing shoulder disorder were enrolled, including 11 in the collegiate and 3 in the adult levels, comprising 5 pitchers and 9 position players. The mean age when the athletes had started playing baseball was 9.1 years (range, 6 to 10 years) and the mean playing experience was 12.1 years (range, 9 to 17 years). Patients with history of fracture or surgery in the shoulder or elbow were excluded. Outcome measurements included a 3D retroversion angle and glenohumeral ROM in bilateral shoulders. Patients underwent CT scan at 1.0 mm slice pitch for the bilateral humerus and geometric bone models were created. The 3D retroversion angle was defined as an angle between the projected humeral neck line (connecting the spherical center of the humeral head and the cylindrical axis of the humeral shaft) onto the horizontal plane and the flexion-extension axis of the distal humerus obtained by a cylinder-fitting method for the capitulum and trochlea (intratester reliability: ICC 0.98, standard error of measurement: 1.7º). The CT slices for the proximal and distal humerus were used to measure a 2D-CT retroversion angle using a reported convention. An indirect measurement of retroversion was performed using a bicipital grove-ulna angle by an ultrasound images dusing a reported convention. Glenohumeral ROM measurements included internal rotation (IR) and horizontal adduction (HAd) in the supine position with the scapula manually stabilized on the treatment table. Independent t tests were used to determine if significant side-to-side differences exist in retroversion and glenohumeral ROM. Pearson correlation coefficients were used to determine the association between retroversion and glenohumeral ROM in the throwing shoulders. Statistical analysis was performed with PASW Statistics 18 (SPSS, Inc, Chicago, IL). An alpha level of 0.05 was set a priori for statistical significance. Results: No significant difference was found in 3D retroversion between the throwing and non-throwing shoulders (P = .182). The throwing shoulders demonstrated decreased IR and HAd compared with the non-throwing shoulders (P &lt; .001 and P = .002, respectively). There were no significant correlations between retroversion and glenohumeral ROM for the throwing shoulders (Table). The 2D-CT retroversion and bicipital grove-ulna angles were greater in the throwing shoulder (P = .007 and .009, respectively). Conclusion: Contradicted to the previous studies, no side-to-side difference in retroversion and no association between retroversion and glenohumeral ROM were observed in the baseball players with a shoulder disorder. We believe that deficit in shoulder IR and HAd may be attributed to soft tissue tightness. The results of the previous studies involving humeral retroversion should be reassessed.

Some simulation systems of the city planning in VR space have been proposed. For example, there are landscape simulation system and sunshine simulation systems. However, the conventional simulation system in VR space are limited in the 3DCG of buildings modeled in advance and don’t assume that discussion of city planning with an architect in remote locations. In order to solve these issues, we have proposed methods that superimposition a virtual models on actual models using AR and object recognition and using COMSAS. In this paper, we report the development and evaluation of a prototype of this city planning simulation system in AR space which becomes a cornerstone of the proposed system. In this prototype system provides users intuitive manipulation of AR buildings.

Background: The posterior shoulder tightness (PST) was considered that it affects humeral anterior translation during internal rotation at 0 degree abducted position. This theory was applied for shoulder flexion by many authors and who thought PST was a one of the causes of subacromial impingement. Because posterior soft tissue moved inferiorly and humeral head was pushed up by soft tissue in shoulder elevated position. Therefore, we demonstrated correlations between shoulder internal rotation angle at 90 degree flexed position and anterior humeral migration during passive internal rotation in healthy living subject. However, humeral anterior migration was occurred after glenoid contact with lesser tubercle during passive internal rotation in macroscopic kinematics.

Poster: ECR 2015 / C-0875 / Essentials on oncological imaging: Postoperative CT and MR imaging of pharyngolaryngeal cancer by: A. Baba 1, H. Ojiri2, H. Yamauchi2, T. Mogami1, Y. Kobashi1, S. Yamazoe1, Y. Nozawa1, Y. Aoyagi1; 1Chiba/JP, 2Tokyo/JP

You have accessJournal of UrologyBladder and Urethra: Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology1 Apr 2011216 α1D-ADRENOCEPTOR BLOCKER IMPROVES VOIDING EFFICIENCY BY INCREASE IN SILENT PERIOD OF THE EXTERNAL URETHRAL SPHINCTER IN RATS WITH SPINAL CORD INJURY Hirokazu Ishida, Hiroki Yamauchi, Hironobu Akino, and Osamu Yokoyama Hirokazu IshidaHirokazu Ishida Fukui, Japan More articles by this author , Hiroki YamauchiHiroki Yamauchi Fukui, Japan More articles by this author , Hironobu AkinoHironobu Akino Fukui, Japan More articles by this author , and Osamu YokoyamaOsamu Yokoyama Fukui, Japan More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2011.02.326AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES An ideal therapy for lower urinary tract dysfunction in spinal cord injury (SCI) patients would decrease bladder overactivity, thereby, promoting urine storage at low intravesical pressure, and promote efficient voiding at low pressure by decreasing detrusor-sphincter dyssynergia (DSD). In this study we investigated whether α1D-adrenoceptor blocker naftopidil improved voiding dysfunction of chronic SCI rats by monitoring cystometrogram CMG) and external-sphincter electromyogram (EUS-EMG) under unanesthesized state. METHODS The effects of intervenous α1D-adrenoceptor blocker naphtopidil were evaluated during cystometry in decebrated, unanesthetized female Sprague-Dawley rats with spinal cord chronically transected at the T8. Parameters measured included voided volume, residual volume, voiding efficiency, miction pressure, and EUS-EMG which consisted of more prominent tonic activity, shorter periods of bursting activity, and a reduction in the ratio of silent to active periods during bursting in SCI rats. RESULTS Compared to premedication control values, naftopidil ( 0.1, 1, and 3 mg/kg) dose-dependently decreased the number of non-voiding contractions (NVC) per voiding cycle (12.2±7.25 vs. 9±8.56, 6.5±6.74, 2.8±2.71 times, each p<0.05). However, voided volume and maximal pressure of voiding contraction were not significantly affected by naftopidil treatment. Naftopidil (0.1mg/kg, 1mg/kg) decreased residual volume (from 1.96±1.60ml to 1.43±1.60ml, 1.03±1.01ml, respectively; both p<0.05), and increased Voiding efficiency (from 28.5±29.0% to 44±25.8%, 53.4±36.9%, respectively; both p<0.05 ).Compared to control values at EUS-EMG, naftopidil (0.1mg/kg, 1mg/kg, and 3mg/kg) significantly increased burst period (2.46±1.51 sec vs. 8.51±1.45, 11.0±1.05, 9.8±1.50 sec, respectively) and silent period (0.036±0.02 vs. 0.061±0.02, 0.074±0.01, 0.1±0.04 sec). CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that α1D-adrenoceptor blocker reduces NVC and urethral resistance associated with DSD, resulting in improvement voiding efficiency in SCI rats. This report is the first to evaluate the effects of α1D-adrenoceptor blocker on EUS-EMG in SCI models. © 2011 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 185Issue 4SApril 2011Page: e89 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2011 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Hirokazu Ishida Fukui, Japan More articles by this author Hiroki Yamauchi Fukui, Japan More articles by this author Hironobu Akino Fukui, Japan More articles by this author Osamu Yokoyama Fukui, Japan More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...

This paper proposes a position sensorless control of interior permanent magnet synchronous motors; this method involves the use of an adaptive observer based on direct-type adaptive control for achieving an improvement in responses of speed estimation and control. Although various adaptive observers based on indirect-type adaptive control have been extensively studied so far, improvement in response of speed estimation and control has not been discussed so much. This paper first discusses the adaptive observer based on indirect-type adaptive control, in which the response of speed estimation system on the indirect-type is restricted. An adaptive observer based on direct-type adaptive control is then proposed to achieve fast response of speed estimation system. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method is proved on some experimental results.

The requisite anesthetic concentration of sevoflurane required to obtain adequate sedation when sufficient analgesics are supplied has not been determined. The purpose of this study was to determine the requisite age-associated concentration of sevoflurane to obtain an adequate level of anesthesia during combined epidural-general anesthesia by bispectral index (BIS) monitoring.Twenty-seven elective abdominal surgery patients (American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I-II) were enrolled. The patients were divided into two groups of more or less than 60 years of age. We investigated the concentration of sevoflurane required to obtain an adequate sedation level during combined epidural-general anesthesia, maintaining the BIS value between 40 and 60.The requisite sevoflurane concentration required to keep the BIS value at 40-60 was not stable during surgery. In the younger group, the maximum concentration of sevoflurane needed during surgery was 1.95 ± 0.14 (95% confidence interval: 1.87-2.10) vol%, while it was 1.54 ± 0.44 (95% confidence interval: 1.27-1.80) vol% in the older group (P < 0.01).The requisite concentration of sevoflurane required with combined epidural-general anesthesia was 2.5 vol% for the younger group and 2.0 vol% for the older group as determined by BIS monitoring. We believe that these percentages are sufficient to avoid awareness during surgery with adequate analgesia.

Introduction: The Japanese Association for Acute Medicine (JAAM) and The Japanese Society of Thrombosis developed the disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) diagnostic criteria in 2005 and the expert consensus for DIC treatment in 2010, respectively. Anticoagulant therapies for DIC are strongly recommended and widely administered as well as the treatment to underlying diseases. Since recombinant thrombomodulin (rTM) was first introduced in Japan, we evaluated its effectiveness in combination with conventional multidisciplinary treatments. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included intensive care patients with septic DIC, diagnosed by the JAAM DIC diagnostic criteria. Twenty patients with septic DIC were randomly selected and assigned to 2 groups, based on whether they received rTM (group R) or did not receive rTM (group C). Primary outcomes were 28-day and 90-day mortality. Secondary outcomes were DIC score, organ disorder score (SOFA and APACHEII), and coagulation-fibrinolysis markers (PLT, PT-INR, FDP, TAT, PIC, and PAI-1). Both groups were evaluated on days 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7. Results: There was no significant difference in JAAM DIC score (5.5 ± 1.3 vs. 5.8 ± 1.3), SOFA (9.9 ± 3.5 vs. 9.6 ± 2.8), and APACHEII (21.9 ± 9.5 vs. 23.4 ± 6.0) between groups R and C on day 0. Further, there was no significant difference in 28- and 90-day mortality (5% vs. 20% and 16.5% vs. 26.2%, respectively). Improvement in the organ disorder score was not significantly different either. In group R, the DIC score had improved significantly on day 7. FDP and TAT levels also improved significantly in group R on days 7 and 1, respectively. In group R, PLT, FDP, and TAT improved significantly on days 7, 5, and 2, respectively. However, in group C, they had not improved by day 7. No serious rTM-related adverse events were recorded. Conclusions: When rTM was used in combination with conventional multidisciplinary treatments, the mortality of patients with septic DIC did not improve. However, since the TAT and FDP levels improved significantly, we believe that the anticoagulant effect, which mainly concerns the decreased activity and production control of thrombin levels through APC, was demonstrated sufficiently; this control was reflected by the DIC score improvement.

You have accessJournal of Urology1 Apr 2009WHAT IS THE MOST VALUABLE MEDIATOR SECRETED FROM THE UROTHELIUM OF THE URINARY BLADDER IN PATIENTS WITH NEUROGENIC OVERACTIVE BLADDER? Hiroki Yamauchi, Hideaki Ito, Yoshitaka Aoki, Hironobu Akino, Osamu Yokoyama, and Tadao Nomura Hiroki YamauchiHiroki Yamauchi More articles by this author , Hideaki ItoHideaki Ito More articles by this author , Yoshitaka AokiYoshitaka Aoki More articles by this author , Hironobu AkinoHironobu Akino More articles by this author , Osamu YokoyamaOsamu Yokoyama More articles by this author , and Tadao NomuraTadao Nomura More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-5347(09)60965-4AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookLinked InTwitterEmail "WHAT IS THE MOST VALUABLE MEDIATOR SECRETED FROM THE UROTHELIUM OF THE URINARY BLADDER IN PATIENTS WITH NEUROGENIC OVERACTIVE BLADDER?." The Journal of Urology, 181(4S), p. 339 © 2009 by American Urological AssociationFiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 181Issue 4SApril 2009Page: 339 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2009 by American Urological AssociationMetricsAuthor Information Hiroki Yamauchi More articles by this author Hideaki Ito More articles by this author Yoshitaka Aoki More articles by this author Hironobu Akino More articles by this author Osamu Yokoyama More articles by this author Tadao Nomura More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...

The components of the food related to the "deliciousness" are usually evaluated by componential analysis. The component content and type of components in the food are determined by this analysis. However, componential analysis is not able to analyze measurements in detail, and the measurement is time consuming. We propose a method to measure the two-dimensional distribution of the component in food using a near infrared ray (IR) image. The advantage of our method is to be able to visualize the invisible components. Many components in food have characteristics such as absorption and reflection of light in the IR range. The component content is measured using subtraction between two wavelengths of near IR light. In this paper, we describe a method to measure the component of food using near IR image processing, and we show an application to visualize the saccharose in the pumpkin.

The components of the food related to the “deliciousness” are usually evaluated by the componential analysis. Component content and the kind of the component in the food are measured by this analysis. However, componential analysis is not able to analyze detailed measurement, and it needs long time to measure. We propose a method to measure two-dimensional distribution of the component in the food by using the near infrared ray (IR) image. An advantage of our method is to be able to make a visualized image of invisible components, because the component content is measured by taking subtraction of two wavelength of near IR light. Many components of the food have characteristics in the range of IR. In this paper, we describe a method to measure the component of the food by using near IR image processing, and we show an application to visualize the saccharose in the pumpkin.

We developed a beam telescope system comprising five layers of 300-$\mu$m-thick INTPIX4NA monolithic pixel sensors with each pixel size of 17 $\mu$m square. The sensors were fabricated using silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology. The signal-to-noise ratio of 140--230 is realized at a bias voltage of 20~V. The tracker system was tested using a positron beam of 200--822 MeV/c, and various tracking methods are examined to optimize spatial precision achievable at these energies. The best tracking precision including the precision of the sensor under test itself is 11.04 $\pm$ 0.10 $\mu$m for 822-MeV/c positrons for an equidistant sensor spacing of 32 mm. The achieved precision results combined with the intrinsic spatial resolution value obtained for a similar system using 120 GeV protons are used to estimate the tracking performance of electrons in the GeV energy range; a tracking precision of 2.22 $\mu$m is evaluated for 5-GeV electrons. The method to estimate the tracking performance is verified using a Geant4-based simulation. The developed high precision tracker system enables to map the detailed performance of the sensors with pixel sizes of $\mathcal{O}$(10 $\mu$m), therefore will be a powerful system for development of devices targeting precision position resolutions.

Abstract We developed a beam telescope system comprising five layers of 300 μm thick INTPIX4NA monolithic pixel sensors, each with a pixel size of 17 μm square. The sensors were fabricated using silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology. The signal-to-noise ratio of 140–230 is realized at a bias voltage of 20 V. The tracker system was tested using a positron beam of 200–822 MeV/c, and various tracking methods are examined to optimize the spatial precision achievable at these energies. The best tracking precision including the precision of the sensor under test itself is 11.04 ± 0.10 μm for 822 MeV/c positrons for an equidistant sensor spacing of 32 mm. The achieved precision results combined with the intrinsic spatial resolution value obtained for a similar system using 120 GeV protons are used to estimate the tracking performance of electrons in the GeV energy range; a tracking precision of 2.22 μm is evaluated for 5 GeV electrons. The method to estimate the tracking performance is verified using a Geant4-based simulation. The developed high-precision tracker system enables us to map the detailed performance of sensors with pixel sizes of $\mathcal {O}$(10 μm) and will therefore be a powerful system for the development of devices targeting precision position resolutions.

大腸では稀な神経鞘腫の1手術例を経験したので報告する.症例は58歳,女性で,平成6年10月初旬より血便を認あ,当院消化器科を受診した.11月下旬に1日5行以上の下血がみられ,精査のため入院した.注腸造影および大腸内視鏡検査で下行結腸に隆起性病変を認め,下行結腸癌の診断で当科へ転科した.術前の血液生化学検査では軽度の貧血が認められたのみで,腫瘍マーカーは正常範囲にあった.手術所見では,腫瘍は下行結腸に位置し,6×4×2cm大で,表面は壊死物質に覆われていた.また周囲のリンパ節も硬く腫大していた.腫瘍部の術中迅速診断では悪性所見は認あなかったが,肉眼所見で悪性が強く疑われたため,左半結腸切除術を施行した.術後の病理組織学的所見では紡錘形細胞が束状に錯綜しており,免疫染色でS-100蛋白およびVimentin陽性で,下行結腸神経鞘腫と判断された.

Deterioration of visibility because of blood and adipose tissue makes endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) difficult, and it is sometimes necessary to withdraw the endoscope and clean the lens. We hypothesized that coating the lens with a liquid ceramic material would prevent deterioration of visibility. This case report describes ESD for a gastric tumor with the use of a liquid ceramic coating (Hycera; Miyazaki Chemical Co, Ltd, Kyoto, Japan) on the endoscope lens. Hycera is a liquid ceramic composed mainly of silanole and silicon dioxide and is not absorbed by the human body. It is usually used for digital displays, showcases for food, and other purposes. At this time, Hycera has not been approved for medical products. Therefore, this study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of our hospital (study registration: UMIN 000029793). A 75-year-old man was found to have an early gastric cancer in the lesser curvature of the upper part of the stomach body, which had severe fibrosis caused by previous ESD. The tumor was marked with a needle-knife (KD-1L-1; Olympus Co, Tokyo, Japan), and a small incision was made by the needle-knife after the injection of saline solution diluted with sodium hyaluronate (MucoUp; Boston Scientific Co, Tokyo, Japan) into the submucosa. After circumferential mucosal cutting with an insulated-tip knife (IT knife-2, KD-611L; Olympus), Submucosal dissection was performed (Fig. 1 and Video 1, available online at www.VideoGIE.org). Despite hypervascularity and abundant adipose tissue, the lens of the endoscope was cleaned only once during the procedure. The patient was discharged without adverse events. In conclusion, this study clearly demonstrates the feasibility of using a liquid ceramic coating on the endoscope lens in gastric ESD. We believe that this material prevents deterioration of visibility and facilitates other procedures, including other endoscopic examinations and laparoscopic surgery. Detailed testing of the effects of this material on the human body has not been done, and there is no approval of its use for this purpose by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. In addition, details of its effects on the endoscope lens are unknown. This study was conducted with approval from our Institutional Review Board and consent from the patient. To make this material popular in the future, corporate efforts are necessary, and we are currently working on it. All authors disclosed no financial relationships relevant to this publication. https://www.videogie.org/cms/asset/e39e2099-e404-4761-aad4-4df00b01322b/mmc1.mp4Loading ... Download .mp4 (156.69 MB) Help with .mp4 files Video 1Endoscopic submucosal dissection for gastric cancer in the lesser curvature of the upper part of the stomach body by use of a liquid ceramic coating.https://www.videogie.org/cms/asset/f43c63a4-23e1-4453-8f83-9886ec03113a/mmc2.mp4Loading ... Download .mp4 (161.4 MB) Help with .mp4 files Video 2 Download .docx (.02 MB) Help with docx files Video Script

Purpose Effectiveness of differential diagnosis of gallbladder polypoid lesions using contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) examination by perflubutane (Sonazoid®:Daiichi-Sankyo, Tokyo). Material & Methods CEUS was performed on 183 patients with gallbladder polypoid lesions.It consists of 10 adenocarcinomas, 2 adenomas, 129 benign polyps and 42 adenomyomatosis (fundal type). For benigndiseases, we examined cases where the size was 6 mm or more and could be observed for more than one year. Ultrasound was performed using TUS-A500 (Aplio 500) (Canon MedicalSystems. Tokyo) and prosound alpha10 (Hitachi Aloka Medical,Ltd.Tokyo). First, the largest cross section of a lesion was visualized using B-mode and infusion of Sonazoid. The characteristics and behavior of blood flow in the lesion in the early vascular phase were examined over approximately 30 sec. Thereafter, observation was continued accordingly for about 3 min. Sonazoid infusion using contrast harmonic imaging and real-time perfusion Imaging. Results Gallbladder carcinoma showed hypervascular staining and “eruption sign” was apparent in 60%. The “eruption sign” showed an image of a vigorously boiling water that was splashing up from the entire lesion. Blood flow imaging revealed irregular size and buckling, including tortuous vessels and erratic blood flow in 70%. Gallbladder adenoma showed “eruption sign” was apparent in 50%. The irregular size, tortuous vessels and eruption signs of blood flow imaging were 83.3% as an index of neoplastic. Gallbladder benign polyp, staining was scattered within them, and “flicker sign” was observed in 93.8%. The “flicker sign” showed an image of bubbling pre-boiled hot water. Five cases (3.9%) showed a diffused and hypervascular staining pattern. The staining time was shorter than gallbladder carcinoma. Blood flow image showed normal vessels without buckling. Linear blood flow of the stalk of gallbladder polyp was also characteristic. Gallbladder adenomyomatosis (fundal type), staining was scattered and mild flicker signs were observed in 85.7%. Blood flow at the surface of the prominence and internal Rokitansky-Aschoff sinus was observed clearity. Conclusions CEUS can clarify the hemodynamics and blood flow images and are useful for the differential diagnosis of gallbladder polypoid lesions.

Critical exponents of elastic constant of Inverse Swiss-cheese model (Continuum percolation problem) is experimentally investigated following our previous experimental studies on electric conductivity and permeability in a continuum percolation system.

Critical exponents of elastic constant of Inverse Swiss-cheese model (Continuum percolation problem) is experimentally investigated following our previous experimental studies on electric conductivity and permeability in a continuum percolation system.