Mesoporous materials prepared through the self-assembly of surfactants have attracted wide attention because of their many potential applications. The mesostructural, compositional, and morphological ...controls of mesoporous materials have been extensively studied thus far. In particular, the macroscopic alignments of one-dimensional (1D) mesochannels and their controls are quite important for the creation of advanced functional materials. In most cases, the direction of mesochannels in mesoporous films lies parallel to the substrate. Vertical orientation of the mesochannels can realize high diffusion and accessibility of guest species from the outside. Here, I review the recent progress on this emerging research field. Various methods have been proposed for the preparation of vertically oriented mesoporous thin films using high magnetic field, shear flow, modification of the substrate, and other methods. I also briefly introduce their applications and a perspective for the future.
Objectives To investigate factors in patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI) and isolated infrapopliteal lesions that adversely affect outcomes of endovascular therapy (EVT) with or without ...angiosome-oriented revascularization. Methods This was a retrospective multicenter study. We used a database of 718 consecutive CLI patients (70 ± 11 years, 75% diabetics, 68% on hemodialysis, 24% Rutherford class 6) with ischemic tissue loss due to isolated infrapopliteal lesions undergoing primary EVT. Primary outcome was MALE (major adverse limb event). Association between indirect EVT (recanalization of a non-angiosome-based artery) and outcome was assessed by Cox proportional hazard regression model. Results C-reactive protein (CRP) level was >3 mg/dL in 32% of cases. Indirect EVT (in 307 CLI patients, 43%), was associated with MALE ( p = .04, hazard ratio 95% confidence interval 1.25 1.01, 1.55), and interacted with CRP >3 mg/dL ( p < .004) but not with other baseline characteristics. Indirect EVT with CRP >3 mg/dL had higher MALE risk (HR 2.08), and interacted with diabetes mellitus (DM) presence. Indirect EVT with CRP >3 mg/dL and DM had higher MALE risk (HR 2.17). Conclusion Limb prognosis was equivalent for direct and indirect endovascular revascularization except in the presence of both diabetes and wound infection, when indirect revascularization has a poorer outcome.
Pain is a multidimensional conscious experience including sensory and negative affective components. The neural systems of the sensory component of pain have been extensively studied, while those of ...the negative affective component are less clear. The amygdala is a forebrain structure composed of several distinct nuclei including the basolateral (BLA) and central (CeA) nuclei, and is thought to be a key neural substrate underlying emotional responses. Recently, we reported that intraplantar (i.pl.) injection of formalin as a chemical somatic noxious stimulus increased c‐fos mRNA expression in the BLA, but not CeA, while intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of acetic acid as a chemical visceral noxious stimulus induced it highly in the CeA, and hardly in BLA Nakagawa et al. (2003) Neurosci. Lett., 344, 197–200. In this study, we examined the effects of discrete bilateral excitotoxic lesions of the BLA or CeA on the sensory and negative affective components of the two types of pain in Sprague–Dawley rats. In the place‐conditioning paradigm, both i.pl. formalin and i.p. acetic acid produced conditioned place aversion. The i.pl. formalin‐induced conditioned place aversion was abolished by the lesion of the BLA or CeA, while the i.p. acetic acid‐induced conditioned place aversion was abolished by the CeA‐, but not BLA‐lesion. On the other hand, the BLA‐ or CeA‐lesion failed to reduce the i.pl. formalin‐ and i.p. acetic acid‐produced nociceptive behaviours. Taken together, these results suggest that activation of distinct amygdaloid nuclei could differentially contribute to chemical somatic and visceral noxious stimuli‐induced negative affective, but not sensory components of pains.
Purpose: Metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is relatively poor; however, depending on the selected cases, pulmonary metastasectomy can be a practical therapeutic option. This ...study aimed to identify the outcomes of complete metastasectomy based on each primary site and to investigate unfavorable prognostic factors. Patients and Methods: We used the database from the Metastatic Lung Tumour Study Group of Japan. Between November 1980 and April 2017, 231 patients were deemed eligible. According to anatomy and the current epidemiology of HNSCC, the patients were divided into three groups: nasopharynx, oropharynx, and salivary gland (n = 40, Group 1), oral cavity, tongue, and paranasal sinuses (n = 69, Group 2), and larynx and hypopharynx (n = 122, Group 3). Results: The 5-year overall survival after complete pulmonary metastasectomy was 58.5%, 25.0%, and 46.9% in G1, 2, and 3, respectively (p < 0.01). Multivariate analyses revealed unfavourable prognostic factors to be G2, and pathological maximum diameter was >20 mm. Therefore, on dividing group 1 and 3 with or without diameter, the 5-year overall survival was significantly worse in HNSCC with a diameter >20 mm (n = 74) than that in the remnant (n = 88; 61.9% vs 35.5%; p < 0.01). Conclusion: According to the multi-institutional Japanese data, pulmonary metastasectomy from HNSCC indicates a potential survival benefit. Oral cavity, tongue, and paranasal sinuses cancer, and tumour size (>20 mm) were poor prognostic factors for pulmonary metastasectomy from head and neck cancer. Keywords: pulmonary metastasectomy, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, pulmonary metastasis, survival outcomes
Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) often experience exacerbations of their disease, sometimes requiring hospital admission and being associated with increased mortality. ...Although previous studies have reported mortality from exacerbations of COPD, there is limited information about prediction of individual in-hospital mortality. We therefore aimed to use data from a nationwide inpatient database in Japan to generate a nomogram for predicting in-hospital mortality from patients' characteristics on admission.
We retrospectively collected data on patients with COPD who had been admitted for exacerbations and been discharged between July 1, 2010 and March 31, 2013. We performed multivariable logistic regression analysis to examine factors associated with in-hospital mortality and thereafter used these factors to develop a nomogram for predicting in-hospital prognosis.
The study comprised 3,064 eligible patients. In-hospital death occurred in 209 patients (6.8%). Higher mortality was associated with older age, being male, lower body mass index, disturbance of consciousness, severe dyspnea, history of mechanical ventilation, pneumonia, and having no asthma on admission. We developed a nomogram based on these variables to predict in-hospital mortality. The concordance index of the nomogram was 0.775. Internal validation was performed by a bootstrap method with 50 resamples, and calibration plots were found to be well fitted to predict in-hospital mortality.
We developed a nomogram for predicting in-hospital mortality of exacerbations of COPD. This nomogram could help clinicians to predict risk of in-hospital mortality in individual patients with COPD exacerbation.
Patients with symptomatic COPD are recommended to use inhaled bronchodilators containing long-acting muscarinic receptor antagonists (LAMAs). However, bronchodilators may cause gastrointestinal ...adverse effects due to anticholinergic reactions, especially in advanced-age patients with COPD. Dai-kenchu-to (TU-100, Da Jian Zhong Tang in Chinese) is the most frequently prescribed Japanese herbal Kampo medicine and is often prescribed to control abdominal bloating and constipation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of Dai-kenchu-to as a supportive therapy in advanced-age patients with COPD.
We used the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination inpatient database and identified patients aged ≥75 years who were hospitalized for COPD exacerbation. We then compared the risk of re-hospitalization for COPD exacerbation or death between patients with and without Dai-kenchu-to using 1-to-4 propensity score matching. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to compare the two groups. We performed subgroup analyses for patients with and without LAMA therapy.
Patients treated with Dai-kenchu-to had a significantly lower risk of re-hospitalization or death after discharge; the HR was 0.82 (95% CI, 0.67-0.99) in 1-to-4 propensity score matching. Subgroup analysis of LAMA users showed a significant difference in re-hospitalization or death, while subgroup analysis of LAMA non-users showed no significant difference.
Our findings indicate that Dai-kenchu-to may have improved the tolerability of LAMA in advanced-age patients with COPD and, therefore, reduced the risk of re-hospitalization or death from COPD exacerbation. Dai-kenchu-to may be recommended as a useful supportive therapy for advanced-age patients with COPD.
•D retention in W irradiated by high-dose neutrons at high temp. were investigated.•Neutron irradiation temperature affected D retentions; 894 > 1074 ≈ 1379 K.•TDS and D implantation simulation were ...performed to estimate retention properties.•Detrapping energy, depth and D/W were estimated.
We investigated deuterium (D) retention in three W samples irradiated with MeV neutrons at high damage level of 0.39 ~ 0.74 displacements per atom (dpa) at high temperatures, 894 K, 1074 K and 1379 K. The W specimens were exposed to high-flux (~1 × 1022 m−2 s−1) and high-fluence (~5 × 1025 m−2) D plasma at 873 K in the Tritium Plasma Experiment. Broad desorption peaks extended from 900 K to 1200 K were observed for the neutron-irradiated W by thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS). The retention in neutron-irradiated specimens was much larger than for an un-irradiated specimen. The highest D retention was obtained for a specimen irradiated at 894 K. With increasing neutron irradiation temperature, the retention was reduced about by half at 1074 K and further increase of the temperature (1379 K) resulted in comparable retention. In addition, one-dimensional diffusion calculations (D desorption in TDS and D depth distribution in plasma exposure) were performed to derive retention parameters (the detrapping energy, the depth occupied by D atoms and D/W ratio) from experimental D retention properties of neutron-irradiated W. By TDS simulation calculation, simple dependences of the peak temperature, height and width of TDS peaks on the retention parameters were obtained with total retention in the orders of 1019 ~ 1022 m−2. The calculation of the depth distribution of trapped D atoms made a relationship between the D/W ratio and the depth occupied by D atoms after plasma exposure at relevant conditions. By comparing the relationship (the D/W and the depth) with that obtained from the experimental results, we estimate each retention parameters for the specimens irradiated by high-dose neutrons at the high temperatures. And, we discussed the neutron-irradiation temperature dependence of D retentions.
Gibberellin levels in imbibed Arabidopsis thaliana seeds are regulated by light via phytochrome, presumably through regulation of gibberellin biosynthesis genes, AtGA3ox1 and AtGA3ox2, and a ...deactivation gene, AtGA2ox2. Here, we show that a loss-of-function ga2ox2 mutation causes an increase in GA4 levels and partly suppresses the germination inability during dark imbibition after inactivation of phytochrome. Experiments using 2,2-dimethylGA4, a GA4 analog resistant to gibberellin 2-oxidase, in combination with ga2ox2 mutant seeds suggest that the efficiency of deactivation of exogenous GA4 by AtGA2ox2 is dependent on light conditions, which partly explains phytochrome-mediated changes in gibberellin effectiveness (sensitivity) found in previous studies.
The adsorption structure and spin-resolved electronic properties of a nickel phthalocyanine (NiPc) molecule on an Fe(100) surface are studied using first-principles calculations. The NiPc molecule is ...distorted and prefers the top site with the Ni–N1 bond along the ⟨110⟩ direction. The NiPc/Fe(100) interface is magnetically active, which results in spin polarization of the electronic states of the adsorbed NiPc molecule. Spin splitting is predicted to occur for the Ni atom with a magnetic moment of 1.06 μB. Observable electron transfer between the molecule and the substrate is revealed by differential charge density maps.
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