A preliminary study on rectal dose reduction associated with hyaluronic acid implantation in brachytherapy for prostate cancer

Objectives: Hydrogel spacer (HS) was developed to reduce rectal toxicities caused by radiotherapy, but has been reported to cause major adverse events. Our institute has attempted to introduce a hyaluronic acid (HA) as an alternative spacer. This study aimed to compare rectal doses and geometric distributions between the HS and HA implantation in prostate cancer.Methods: HS and HA were inserted in 20 and 18 patients undergoing high-dose brachytherapy, respectively. The rectum spacer volumes injected were 10 mL and 22 mL, respectively. In the treatment planning system, 13.5 Gy was administered with common catheter positions. The rectal dose indices were assessed between the spacer groups for dosimetry evaluation. Distances between the prostate and rectum and configurations of the spacers were compared.Results: The mean doses irradiated to 0.1 and 2 mL of the rectum were 10.45 Gy and 6.71 Gy for HS, and 6.73 Gy and 4.90 Gy for HA (p<0.001). The mean minimum distances between the prostate and rectum were 1.23 cm and 1.79 cm for HS and HA, respectively (p<0.05). Geometrical configuration comparisons revealed that HA has a higher ability to expand the space than HS.Conclusion: The rectal dose reduction ability of HA is significantly greater than that of HS, suggesting its potential as a new spacer.

Functional Confirmation Using a Medical X-Ray System of a Semiconductor Survey Meter

In recent years, semiconductor survey meters have been developed and are in increasing demand worldwide. This study determined if it is possible to use the X-ray system installed in each medical facility to calculate the time constant of a semiconductor survey meter and confirm the meter’s function. An additional filter was attached to the medical X-ray system to satisfy the standards of N-60 to N-120, more copper plates were added as needed, and the first and second half-value layers were calculated to enable comparisons of the facility’s X-ray system quality with the N-60 to N-120 quality values. Next, we used a medical X-ray system to measure the leakage dose and calculate the time constant of the survey meter. The functionality of the meter was then checked and compared with the energy characteristics of the meter. The experimental results showed that it was possible to use a medical X-ray system to reproduce the N-60 to N-120 radiation quality values and to calculate the time constant from the measured results, assuming actual leakage dosimetry for that radiation quality. We also found that the calibration factor was equivalent to that of the energy characteristics of the survey meter.

Effect of multifunction cavitation using phosphoric acid on fatigue and surface properties of AZ31 magnesium alloy

Magnesium alloy is attractive for lightweight construction but often suffers from poor corrosion resistance and low strength.Cavitation processing with chemicals,i.e.,multifunction cavitation(MFC),was introduced to form a high-corrosion film and improve the fatigue properties of an AZ31 magnesium alloy.Surface analysis and plane bending fatigue tests were conducted for the MFC-treated magnesium alloy at a stress ratio,R,of-1.The mechanical action of cavitation bubbles improved the fatigue life of magnesium alloys due to increasing the surface hardness and generating compressive residual stress.However,the combined mechanical and electrochemical action during MFC formed pits on the surface.These pits were large enough to easily nucleate an initial fatigue crack.In addition,the magnesium alloys without pit formation,for which a coating process using phosphoric acid was conducted after MFC using water,showed superior fatigue properties.

Nutritional, Textural, Sensory Properties and Storage Stability Evaluation of Newly Formulated Strawberry Bar

An analytical study was conducted to develop a strawberry bar and analysis of the nutritional quality and storage stability of a newly formulated strawberry bar. In proximate analysis moisture, ash, pH, acidity, vitamin C, total phenolic content, and antioxidant of strawberry pulp were found 82%, 0.5%, 2.57, 1.38%, 49 mg/100g, 0.33%, 75.17% whereas, in the strawberry bar, it was found 18%, 0.71%, 2.10, 1.10%, 22 mg/100g, 0.14%, 56.13% respectively. For textural properties analysis, the textural profile of the strawberry bar such as hardness, factorability, viscosity, cohesiveness, adhesiveness, springiness, gumminess, chewiness, probe diameter, threshold, filtering range of strawberry bar was found 5.538 × 104 N/m, 0.000 N/m2, 1.687 × 104 N/m2, 0.6636, 2.908 × 103 J/m3, 0.8664, 3.675 × 104 N/m2, 3.184 × 104 N/m2, 20.000 mm, 5 N, 0.4 N respectively whereas the maximum level was 17.4 N at 29.628 seconds and the minimum level was -5.3 N at 30.166 seconds. The sensory evaluation of the strawberry bar was conducted based on nine-point hedonic scales. The sensory evaluation results indicated that the appearance of the strawberry bar was liked very much and the taste, texture, color, aroma, and overall acceptability of the strawberry bar were liked moderately by panelists. In microbiological analysis, the Total Viable Count (TVC) and Total Coliform Count (TCC) of the strawberry bar were found safe levels for up to third days. But on the sixth day, the TCC of the strawberry bar was not found and the TVC of the strawberry bar was found 17 × 104 cfu/g respectively which is higher than the permitted value (Gulf Standard: 105 cfu/g). From the microbial point of view, the newly formulated strawberry bar was safe to consume for up to 3 days but not for 6 days.

A Study of Optimum Switching Problem for Production Systems Considering Efficiency, Delivery Time and Green Evaluation

This paper aims to derive the optimal switching strategy for production system considering efficiency, delivery time and green evaluation. Nowadays more and more manufacturing and logistics systems not only pursue better work efficiency, but also focus on green energy evaluation issues. Cost reduction and shortening of delivery time are always important management issues in pursuit of efficiency and optimization of the entire production system because of global production competition. In a market situation where customer needs change in various ways, in particular, due to inadequate quality, changes in the local environment, natural disasters and so on. Therefore, prompt planning of management measures such as switching work processes and changing production methods has become an important issue. On the other hand, since the Paris Agreement came into effect, the construction of an environment-friendly production system has been required as an approach to environmental problems such as global warming. In this paper, we propose an optimum switching model of production systems considering efficiency, delivery time and green evaluation using a green evaluation index (GEC: Green Energy Coefficient). We also discuss the optimal switching strategy by numerical observation.

Degradation of differently processed Mg-based implants leads to distinct foreign body reactions(FBRs)through dissimilar signaling pathways

Mg alloys have mechanical properties compatible with human bones.However,their rapid degradation and associated foreign body reactions in vivo significantly limit their application for human implants.In this study,three differently processed Mg alloys,pure Mg(PM),cold extruded Mg alloy AZ31(CE AZ31),and fully annealed AZ31 Mg alloy(FA AZ31)were comparatively investigated for their potential as implants using a rat model.All three implanted Mg alloys do not show any impact on hepato-and renal function,nor any signs of observable changes to vital organs.Proteomics analysis of tissues directly contacting the implants 2.5 months post implantation revealed that FA AZ31 activates very few inflammation and immune associated signaling pathways;while the CE AZ31 and PM produce more significant inflammatory responses as confirmed by cytokine array analyses.Further,FA AZ31 activated pathways for cell organization and development that may improve the recovery of injured tissues.Structurally,EBSD analysis reveals that the FA AZ31 alloy has a higher ratio of first-order pyramidal orientated(10–11){10–1–2}grain texture with a value of 0.25,while PM and CE AZ31 alloys have lower ratios of first-order pyramidal orientated texture with the values of 0.16 and 0.17,respectively.This is associated with recovery and recrystallisation during annealing which promotes grain texture which exhibits enhanced degradation behaviours and induces a more limited immune response in vivo.In conclusion,the FA AZ31 demonstrated better biocompatibility and corrosion resistance and is a promising candidate for metal-based degradable implants which warrants further investigation.

Structure of Periodic Flows through a Channel with a Suddenly Expanded and Contracted Part

With respect to flows in a two-dimensional sudden expansion and contraction channel having a pair of cavities, numerical simulation was performed by imposing inlet/outlet boundary conditions giving a velocity distribution to the inlet. Periodic flows have been reproduced, which have a discrete spectrum about frequency. A fundamental wave occupies most part of the disturbance components, but higher harmonic waves are also included. The disturbance is excited by Kelvin-Helmholtz instability in a cavity section, where only the fundamental wave is generated. A wavenumber is regulated by a channel length under a periodic boundary condition, but there is no restriction in a main flow direction under the inlet/outlet boundary conditions, and therefore, some wavenumbers can occur. Therefore, an arbitrary frequency component of disturbance is a synthesized wave composed of various wave numbers. There are two kinds of components constituting this synthesized wave: a maximum of a velocity distribution is near a wall and in the center of the channel, which are called as wall mode and central mode in linear stability analysis of the plane Poiseuille flow. The synthesized wave composed of some modes shows a tendency to lower wavenumbers at the center of the channel.

铂族元素中子活化分析的微型镍锍试金预富集方法研究

建立了适用于小样品(≤1 g)中铂族元素分离富集的微型镍锍试金流程.讨论了试金熔剂、捕集剂的用量和比例,以及熔炼条件.化学回收实验显示铂族元素全流程回收率≥ 90%,分析精密度 (RSD,n=6) 为4.3%～7.7%.标准参考物质分析显示分析值与标准值基本吻合,表明所建立的微型镍锍试金流程是可靠的.

循环旋转弯曲变形中65Cu-35Zn黄铜管显微组织和力学性能的演变

为了细化65Cu−35Zn黄铜管的晶粒尺寸,并改善其力学性能,进行不同变形条件下的循环旋转弯曲(CRB)实验。利用光学显微镜、EBSD和常温拉伸实验,对变形后管材的显微组织和轴向力学性能进行研究。为了获得变形过程中黄铜管的累计有效塑性应变,对黄铜管不同变形条件下的CRB进行有限元模拟。结果表明,常温变形条件下,黄铜管的平均晶粒尺寸随旋转时间的增加而减小;在200℃变形条件下,其平均晶粒尺寸随弯曲角度的减小而减小。随着累计有效塑性应变的增加,变形后黄铜管平均晶粒尺寸减小率呈现增大趋势,其抗拉强度呈现波状增加,而伸长率呈现先增加后迅速减小的趋势。

Study on dynamic response of embedded long span corrugated steel culverts using scaled model shaking table tests and numerical analyses

A series of scaled-model shaking table tests and its simulation analyses using dynamic finite element method were performed to clarify the dynamic behaviors and the seismic stability of embedded corrugated steel culverts due to strong earth-quakes like the 1995 Hyogoken-nanbu earthquake. The dynamic strains of the embedded culvert models and the seismic soil pressure acting on the models due to sinusoidal and random strong motions were investigated. This study verified that the cor-rugated culvert model was subjected to dynamic horizontal forces (lateral seismic soil pressure) from the surrounding ground, which caused the large bending strains on the structure; and that the structures do not exceed the allowable plastic deformation and do not collapse completely during strong earthquake like Hyogoken-nanbu earthquake. The results obtained are useful for design and construction of embedded long span corrugated steel culverts in seismic regions.

Tamarix chinensis Lour inhibits chronic ethanol-induced liver injury in mice

BACKGROUND Tamarix chinensis Lour(TCL)is a shrub that usually grows in arid or semiarid desert areas and saline-alkali fields.It is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine with hepatoprotective,antioxidant,antibacterial,and antitumor activities.AIM To investigate the possible protective effects of TCL against liver injury induced by chronic ethanol intake.METHODS C57BL/6J male mice were fed a Lieber-DeCarli lipid diet containing alcohol and received(by gavage)a water-alcohol extract(80%)of TCL(100 and 200 mg/kg BW)or distilled water for 4 wk.After euthanasia,liver tissues were observed histologically with hematoxylin and eosin staining and Oil red O staining,and the levels of alanine aminotransferase,aspartate transaminase,hepatic lipids,reactive oxygen species,malondialdehyde,and superoxide dismutase were measured.In addition,expression of the NOD-like receptor family,pyrin domain-containing 3(NLRP3)inflammasome and downstream proinflammatory cytokines were determined.RESULTS Compared with the ethanol group,mice in the TCL-treated group(200 mg/kg)had significantly lower serum levels of alanine aminotransferase(mean,34.1 IU/L vs 45.3 IU/L,P<0.01)and aspartate transaminase(mean,89.6 IU/L vs 115.7 IU/L,P<0.01),as well as marked reduction of hepatic tissue reactive oxygen species(decreased by 27.5%,P<0.01)and malondialdehyde(decreased by 76.6%,P<0.01)levels,with a significant increase of superoxide dismutase(Increased by 73.2%,P<0.01).Expression of the NLRP3 inflammasome and its downstream cytokines[interleukin(IL)-1β,tumor necrosis factor-α,and IL-6],and recruitment of natural killer T cells to the liver,were reduced in the TCLtreated incubation with a Lieber-DeCaril ethanol lipid diet group.CONCLUSION These findings suggest that a TCL extract(200 mg/kg)protects against chronic ethanol-induced liver injury,probably by inhibiting the NLRP3-caspase-1-IL-1βsignaling pathway and suppressing oxidative stress.

Higher Performance Seismic Structures for Advanced Cities and Societies

1. Introduction Tokyo, one of the largest cities in the world, is the capital of Japan, a heavily earthquake-prone country. The Japanese population and much of its functionality are highly concentrated in Tokyo. The estimated damage to Tokyo as a result of future large earthquakes with a magnitude greater than the Japanese scale 7 is extremely high. The number of casualties could exceed 20 000 due to both the shaking itself and post-earthquake fires.

Single-atom catalysts for CO oxidation,CO_(2) reduction,and O_(2) electrochemistry

CO_(x)(x=1,2)and O_(2) chemistry play key roles in tackling global severe environmental challenges and energy issues.To date,the efficient selective electrocatalytic transformations of COx-carbon chemicals,and O_(2)-hydrogenated products are still huge challenges.Single-atom catalysts(SACs)as atomic-scale novel catalysts in which only isolated metal atoms are dispersed on supports shed new insights in overcome these obstacles in CO_(x) and O_(2) chemistry,including CO oxidation,CO_(2) reduction reaction(CO_(2)RR),oxygen reduction reaction(ORR),and oxygen evolution reaction(OER).In this review,the unique features and advanced synthesis strategies of SACs from a viewpoint of fundamental synthesis design are first highlighted to guide future strategy design for controllable SAC synthesis.Then,the to-date reported CO_(2)RR,CO oxidation,OER,and ORR mechanism are included and summarized.More importantly,the design principles and design strategies of improving the intrinsic activity,selectivity,and stability are extensively discussed and the engineering strategy is classified as neighbor coordination engineering,metal-atom engineering,and substrate engineering.Via the comprehensive review and summary of state-of-the-art SACs,the synthesis–structure–property–mechanism–design principle relation can be revealed to shed lights into the structural construction of SACs.Finally,we present an outlook on current challenges and future directions for SACs in CO_(x) and O_(2) chemistry.

Urban climate in the Tokyo metropolitan area in Japan

Long-term climate changes related with urbanization in Tokyo, Japan, and recent temperature and heavy rainfall distribution in the Tokyo metropolitan area are reviewed. A relatively high temperature increase in annual mean temperature at the rate of 3.0°C/century was detected in Tokyo for the period 1901–2015. Some observational evidence showed the existence of both thermal and mechanical effects of urbanization on recent heavy rainfall occurrences, and modeling studies also support precipitation enhancement. Urban influences were recognized in other climatological elements, such as number of fog days, relative humidity, and wind circulation.

Pluripotent stem cell-derived neural stem cells: From basic research to applications

Basic research on pluripotent stem cells is designed to enhance understanding of embryogenesis, whereas applied research is designed to develop novel therapies and prevent diseases. Attainment of these goals has been enhanced by the establishment of embryonic stem cell lines, the technological development of genomic reprogramming to generate induced-pluripotent stem cells, and improvements in in vitro techniques to manipulate stem cells. This review summarizes the techniques required to generate neural cells from pluripotent stem cells. In particular, this review describes current research applications of a simple neural differentiation method, the neural stem sphere method, which we developed.

Differential Expression of Two Cytosolic Ascorbate Peroxidases and Two Superoxide Dismutase Genes in Response to Abiotic Stress in Rice

Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) play central roles in the pathway for scavenging reactive oxygen species in plants, thereby contributing to the tolerance against abiotic stress. Here we report the responses of cytosolic SOD (cSOD; sodCc1 and sodCc2) and cytosolic APX (cAPX; OsAPX1 and OsAPX2) genes to oxidative and abiotic stress in rice. RNA blot analyses revealed that methyl viologen treatment caused a more prominent induction of cAPXs compared with cSODs, and hydrogen peroxide treatment induced the expression of cAPXs whereas cSODs were not affected. These results suggest that cAPXs play more important roles in defense against oxidative stress compared with cSODs. It is noted that cSODs and cAPXs showed coordinate response to abscisic acid treatment which induced both sodCc1 and OsAPX2. However, cSODs and cAPXs responded differentially to drought, salt and chilling stress, which indicates that cSOD and cAPX genes are expressed differentially in response to oxidative and abiotic stress in rice.

Effect of fluidity on the manufacturing of open cell magnesium alloy foams

The effect of fluidity on open cell AZ31 metal foam samples fabricated using a solid state space holder method was investigated.Granule was fabricated by plaster powder and perlite powder.Granules were sieved which compacted layer by layer in casting mold.Preforms which made by granules were then heated to 200℃,300℃,400℃,500℃ under a rough(mechanical)vacuum before pressure infiltration with AZ31 Mg alloy.Samples were infiltrated using vacuum pressure values range of 8-14 KPa.The conditions of pressure and temperature were performed in order to get different fluidity on manufacturer of open cell AZ31 metal foam specimen quantity.It is found that the fluidity plays significant role to determine the open cell AZ31 alloy foam.The fluidity is affected by preheat temperature and infiltration vacuum pressure.The macrostructure,the distribution of the pores,microstructure,infiltration length,and porosity were investigated.

循环肿瘤细胞在微血管中的膜张力和运动特征分析

目的循环肿瘤细胞在微血管中的细胞膜张力变化和运动特征是影响癌症转移的重要细胞尺度力学微环境。模拟生理状态下微血管中血流与CTCs之间的相互作用,分析CTCs在随血流发生转移时,不同血管直径和红细胞压积条件下循环肿瘤细胞膜张力变化和运动特征的关联。方法采用浸入式边界方法模拟细胞膜和流场的相互耦合作用。结果以血管直径与肿瘤细胞直径之比D_T/D_C=1.25为界,循环肿瘤细胞的膜张力随管径呈现两个不同的分布特性:当D_T/D_C<1.25时。

An approach to a non-contact vital sign monitoring using dual-frequency microwave radars for elderly care

This study aimed to produce a prototype system for non-contact vital sign monitoring of the elderly using microwave radar with the intention of reducing the burdens on monitored individuals and nursing caregivers. In addition, we tested the ability of the proposed prototype system to measure the respiratory and heart rates of the elderly in a nursing home and discussed the systems effectiveness and problems by examining results of real-time monitoring. The prototype system consisted of two 24-GHz microwave radar antennas and an analysis system. The antennas were positioned below a mattress to monitor motion on the body surface for measuring cardiac and respiratory rates from the dorsal side of the subjects (23.3 ± 1.2 years) who would be lying on the mattress. The heart rates determined by the prototype system correlated significantly with those measured by electrocardiography (r = 0.92). Similarly, the respiratory rates determined by the prototype correlated with those obtained from respiration curves (r = 0.94). Next, we investigated the effectiveness of the prototype system with 7 elderly patients (93.3 ± 10.56 years) at a nursing home. The proposed system appears to be a promising tool for monitoring the vital signs of the elderly in a way that alleviates the need to attach electrodes overnight to confirm patient safety.

An investigation using high-precision CCD laser displacement sensor to measure body surface motion induced by heartbeat

The aim of this study was to measure the motion of the body surface induced by heartbeat by using a high-precision laser sensor in order to provide a reference for other research on medical remote sensing techniques that are unconstrained and non-contact. Body surface motions at some points on the chest and on the dorsal region were measured for eight men with a laser displacement sensor. For comparison, an electrocardiograph was also used to monitor the heartbeat. As a result, we confirmed cyclic motion of about 0.1 mm in amplitude everywhere on the body surface, not only from the front of the body but also from the back and the neck. In contrast, which part on the body was most suitable for measurement had to be taken into account because a difference in motion amplitudes was observed in different parts on the body. The amplitude of the motions also depended on the conditions of the body surface as well as underneath the skin. These results show the possibility of acquiring information about heartbeats from anywhere on the body by using an unconscious sensing technique, and the potential for the technique to monitor the condition of the body and personal physical characteristics.