The recent progress and development of corundum-structured III-oxide semiconductors are reviewed. They allow bandgap engineering from 3.7 to ∼9 eV and function engineering, leading to highly durable ...electronic devices and deep ultraviolet optical devices as well as multifunctional devices. Mist chemical vapor deposition can be a simple and safe growth technology and is advantageous for reducing energy and cost for the growth. This is favorable for the wide commercial use of devices at low cost. The III-oxide semiconductors are promising candidates for new devices contributing to sustainable social, economic, and technological development for the future.
Highlights • Sonography is a bedside test to visualize morphology of peripheral nerves at various segments including at the nerve root level. • The patients with ALS had smaller nerve diameters or ...areas in the peripheral nerves or nerve roots in the upper extremity than those of normal subjects. • Sonographic evaluation of cervical nerve roots might be more sensitive to detect nerve atrophy in ALS than peripheral nerves.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
The efficacy of stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) has been well established for postoperative residual and recurrent nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas (NFPAs). However, the risk of visual impairment ...due to SRT for lesions adjacent to the optic pathways remains a topic of debate. Herein, we evaluated the long-term clinical outcomes of hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (HFSRT) for perioptic NFPAs. From December 2002 to November 2015, 32 patients (18 males and 14 females; median age 63 years; range, 36–83 years) with residual or recurrent NFPAs abutting or displacing the optic nerve and/or chiasm (ONC) were treated with HFSRT. The median marginal dose was 31.3 Gy (range, 17.2–39.6) in 8 fractions (range, 6–15). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and visual and hormonal examinations were performed before and after HFSRT. The median follow-up period was 99.5 months (range, 9–191). According to MRI findings at the last follow-up, the tumor size had decreased in 28 (88%) of 32 patients, was unchanged in 3 (9%), and had increased in 1 (3%). The successful tumor size control rate was 97%. Visual functions remained unchanged in 19 (60%) out of 32 patients, improved in 11 (34%), and deteriorated in 2 (6%). Two patients had deteriorated visual functions; no complications occurred because of the HFSRT. One patient developed hypopituitarism that required hormone replacement therapy. The result of this long-term follow-up study suggests that HFSRT is safe and effective for the treatment of NFPAs occurring adjacent to the ONC.
Four pyrethroids (PYRs), metofluthrin, profluthrin, tefluthrin, and transfluthrin, which were newly developed and have relatively high vapor activity at ambient temperature, are now playing a key ...role in safely controlling insects in our daily lives. We developed a sensitive and high-throughput determination method for urinary metabolites derived from the newly developed PYR, e.g., 2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro-1,4-benzenedimethanol (HOCH
2
-FB-Al), 2,3,5,6-tetrafluorobenzyl alcohol (FB-Al), and other PYR metabolites such as
trans
-chrysanthemumdicarboxylic acid (
trans
-CDCA) and 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3PBA). After high temperature acid hydrolysis of 2 mL urine sample in 24-deep well plate, the PYR metabolites were extracted by semi-automated liquid-liquid extraction with
tert
-butyl methyl ether.
N
,
O
-Bis (trimethylsilyl) trifluoroacetamide containing 1% trimethylchlorosilane or 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoroisopropanol were used for the derivatization of PYR metabolites, and the derivatized metabolites were analyzed separately by GC-MS/MS equipped with dual injector system (DB-5MS and mid- to high-polarity phase Rtx-65 columns). The derivatization and evaporation conditions were mainly optimized for improving sensitivity and reproducibility. The mean within-run day precisions were less than 18.4% (relative standard deviation, %RSD) with low detection limits ranging from 0.01 μg/L for HOCH
2
-FB-Al to 0.06 μg/L for
trans
-CDCA. This method was successfully applied to urine samples obtained from 50 3-year-old children with high detection frequencies (e.g., 82% for HOCH
2
-FB-Al and 84% for FB-Al). This method may be a pivotal tool for developing risk assessment from PYR exposure in the general population.
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DOBA, EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, IZUM, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OBVAL, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Using conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods, the differentiation of primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) and glioblastoma (GBM) is often difficult due to overlapping ...imaging characteristics. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic value of combining 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) with arterial spin labeling (ASL) for differentiating PCNSL from GBM. In all, 20 patients with PCNSL and 55 with GBM were retrospectively examined. From the FDG-PET data, the maximum standardized uptake values (SUVmax) and the ratio of tumor to normal contralateral gray matter (T/N_SUVmax) were calculated. From the ASL data, the T/N ratio of the maximum tumor blood flow (relative TBFmax: rTBFmax) was obtained. Diagnostic performance of each parameter was analyzed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses and receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses. A generalized linear model was applied for comparing the performance of FDG-PET and ASL individually, and in combination. In univariate analysis, SUVmax and T/N_SUVmax were statistically higher in patients with PCNSL and rTBFmax was higher in patients with GBM. In the multivariate analysis, T/N_SUVmax and rTBFmax were statistically independent. The sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve (AUC) for discriminating PCNSL from GBM were 100%, 87.3%, and 0.950 in T/N_SUVmax; 90%, 72.7%, and 0.824 in rTBFmax; and 95%, 96.4%, and 0.991 in the combined model, respectively. The combined use of T/N_SUVmax and rTBFmax may contribute to better differentiation between PCNSL and GBM.
Highlights • Tongue sonography is a useful tool for the quantitative evaluation of tongue atrophy in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients. • Tongue thickness is associated with oral preparatory and ...transit time but not with pharyngeal transit time in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients. • Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients show a progressive reduction in tongue thickness over time using ultrasonography.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
Abstract We investigated the frequency and contribution of variants of the 28 known amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)-related genes in Japanese ALS patients. We designed a multiplex, polymerase ...chain reaction–based primer panel to amplify the coding regions of the 28 ALS-related genes and sequenced DNA samples from 257 Japanese ALS patients using an Ion Torrent PGM sequencer. We also performed exome sequencing and identified variants of the 28 genes in an additional 251 ALS patients using an Illumina HiSeq 2000 platform. We identified the known ALS pathogenic variants and predicted the functional properties of novel nonsynonymous variants in silico. These variants were confirmed by Sanger sequencing. Known pathogenic variants were identified in 19 (48.7%) of the 39 familial ALS patients and 14 (3.0%) of the 469 sporadic ALS patients. Thirty-two sporadic ALS patients (6.8%) harbored 1 or 2 novel nonsynonymous variants of ALS-related genes that might be deleterious. This study reports the first extensive genetic screening of Japanese ALS patients. These findings are useful for developing genetic screening and counseling strategies for such patients.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and autotaxin (ATX) play important roles in embryonic vasculogenesis and cancer progression. This study examines whether these two angiogenic factors ...cooperate in the mechanism that regulates vascular development during the progression of chronic viral hepatitis C (CVH‐C) (Inuyama classification, F1–F4). First, surgical wedge biopsy specimens and needle biopsy specimens were obtained. Immunohistochemical staining for ATX and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor was assessed in serial sections. Immunoelectron microscopy was conducted with a perfusion‐fixation method. In normal control liver tissue specimens, ATX was expressed at low levels within the branches of the hepatic artery and hepatic sinusoids. In F1 CVH‐C liver tissue specimens, ATX was expressed within the branches of the hepatic artery. Additionally, VEGFR‐2 was expressed within the branches of the hepatic artery and capillaries. In F3–F4 CVH‐C liver tissue specimens, positive staining for ATX and VEGFR‐2 or VEGFR‐3 was detected in the branches of the hepatic artery or microlymphatic vessels. ATX‐1 reaction products were specifically expressed on the plasma membrane of some microvascular endothelial cells (ECs) in the proliferative capillary artery. VEGFR‐2 was expressed on caveolae in ECs and vascular smooth muscle cells. VEGFR‐3 immunogold particles were also observed in lymphatic ECs. These results suggest functional interactions among ATX, VEGFR‐2, and VEGFR‐3 in the modulation of hemovascular and lymphovascular cell activation during vascular development.
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BFBNIB, DOBA, FZAB, GIS, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
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