Inflammation, oxidation and some fatty acids (FAs) have been addressed in relation to depression. To investigate these associations, we compared perceived depression with peripheral serum FAs, ...inflammatory and oxidative stress markers. We conducted a cross-sectional study on 141 female workers in a hospital and nursing homes. Depressive symptoms were assessed utilizing the 20-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scale. FAs, IL-6 cytokine, hs-CRP and oxidised (ox-) LDL in the serum from the peripheral blood were measured. Prior to data analysis, two participants taking sleeping drug, and nine whose serum triglyceride levels were over 200 mg/dl were excluded; consequently, 129 subjects were analysed. After controlling for confounders, CES-D scores were negatively correlated with the serum concentration and percentage of n-3 poly-unsaturated FAs (PUFAs: Docosahexaenoic acid, DHA; Eicosapentaenoic acid, EPA), and positively correlated with IL-6 concentrations, whereas there were no significant correlations between CES-D scores and either hs-CRP or ox-LDL concentrations. Hierarchical linear regression analysis revealed that IL-6 and n-3 PUFA were independently related with CES-D scores ( p < .05, p < .05, respectively). Although we had reported the negative relationship between depressive symptoms and the serum percentage of arachidonic acid in men, results from female population were different. In addition, the mechanism to connect depressive symptoms with n-3 PUFA may be different from that with IL-6.
To shield the leakage flux densities of 3 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) higher than 1.5 T MRI and to reduce the degradation of magnetic properties during construction, the design of an open-type ...magnetically shielded room (MSR) combined with square cylinders made of magnetic and conductive materials should be improved. This paper reports on an optimal design for magnetic cylinders to improve the shielding effect, while also considering ease of construction with a view to practical use. Firstly, the structure of the magnetic cylinders, such as their opening width and the slit width were optimized using a 3D linear magnetic-field analysis. Using optimal magnetic cylinders, when the relative permeability (mu r ) of the magnetic material is larger than 10 000, the reluctance of gaps between the cylinders is the main contributor to the leakage flux. So, the required mu r of the magnetic material is 10 000 and oriented silicon steel is adopted instead of the non-oriented type. Secondly, as an optimal construction method, it was determined by experiment that oriented silicon steel sheets, annealed after bending, should be laminated so that the effect of gaps on butt joints between steel sheets on the magnetic property of the cylinder becomes smaller. This enables the relative permeability of 10 000 when the maximum flux density of the material in the cylinder is less than 1.7 T. Finally, the minimum thickness of oriented silicon steel sheet of cylinders depending on the distance from a 3 T MRI is obtained using linear magnetic analysis under the condition that the maximum flux density of the material of the cylinder is less than 1.7 T. In the case of the thickness of 3.8 mm, the leakage flux density of 3 T MRI is decreased to less than a guideline (0.5 mT) when the distance between the cylinders and the center of MRI is larger than 2 750 mm. This indicates that the optimal design and construction method of an open-type MSR for 3 T MRI composed of magnetic square cylinders are realized.
Two cold-sensitive transient receptor potential (TRP) channels, TRPA1 and TRPM8, have been identified and considered interesting because of their possible roles in thermosensation, nociception and ...other functions. Recently, we have reported that the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase occurred in primary afferent neurons in response to noxious heat stimulation of the peripheral tissue, i.e. activity-dependent activation of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase and p38 in dorsal root ganglion neurons. In the present study, we investigated the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase, p38, and c-Jun N-terminal kinase in the rat dorsal root ganglion by cold stimulation using immunohistochemistry. Cold stimuli (28-4 °C) were applied by immersion of the hind paw into a water bath (six times of 10 s stimulation and 10 s interval, total 2 min). Noxious cold stimulation induced phosphorylated-extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase and phosphorylated-p38, but not phosphorylated-c-Jun N-terminal kinase, in small to medium diameter sensory neurons with a peak at 2 min after stimulation. We found that a cold stimulation at 4 °C showed a marked increase in the number of activated neurons. Furthermore, double staining for phosphorylated-extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase and phosphorylated-p38 showed no colocalization in the dorsal root ganglion neurons. We then performed double-labeling experiments for TRPA1 and TRPM8 mRNA and phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase. The majority of phosphorylated-extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase-positive neurons also expressed TRPM8 mRNA, whereas phosphorylated-p38 heavily colocalized with TRPA1 mRNA after noxious cold stimulation. Our data suggest that the noxious, but not innocuous, cold stimulation
in vivo induced differential activation of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase and p38 pathways in each subpopulation containing TRPA1 or TRPM8 in dorsal root ganglion.
Combination of S-1, an oral fluorouracil derivative, plus docetaxel against non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) showed promising efficacy but clinically problematic emesis. A phase I/II study ...utilising a new schedule for this combination was conducted.
A biweekly regimen of docetaxel on day 1 with oral S-1 on days 1-7 was administered to previously treated NSCLC patients. Doses of docetaxel/S-1 were escalated to 30/80, 35/80, and 40/80 mg m(-2), respectively, and its efficacy was investigated at the recommended dose below maximum tolerated dose (MTD).
In phase I study employing 13 patients, dose-limiting toxicities were febrile neutropenia and treatment delay, with the respective MTDs for docetaxel 40 mg m(-2)/S-1 80 mg m(-2). In the phase II study, 34 patients were treated with docetaxel 35 mg m(-2)/S-1 80 mg m(-2) for a median cycle of 6. The response and disease control rates were 34.3% (95% confidence interval (CI), 18.6-50.0%) and 62.9% (95% CI, 46.8-72.9%), respectively. Median progression-free survival was 150.5 days. Haematologic grade 4 toxicities were observed in neutropenia (11.8%) and thrombocytopenia (2.9%). Regarding non-haematologic toxicities, including emesis, there were no grade 3/4 side effects.
Combination of 1-week administration of S-1 with biweekly docetaxel is safe and active for NSCLC.
Nulling interferometer for directly imaging exoplanets with a segmented-mirror telescope is investigated. Lateral shearing interferometry is applied to a segmented-mirror telescope such as the Thirty ...Meter Telescope. Use of a pair of double Fresnel rhombs in Mach-Zehnder interferometer achieves achromatic nulling and lateral shearing simultaneously. In this paper, computer simulations of the lateral interferometry with the Fresnel rhombs in the near infrared region are carried out to analyze the effects of segmentation errors, tip-tilt errors, amplitude and optical-path difference errors on its nulling performance.
The authors describe a patient with sporadic distal myopathy associated with reduced caveolin-3 in muscle fibers in which the muscle atrophy was restricted to the small muscles of the hands and feet. ...Gene analysis disclosed a heterozygous 80 G-->A substitution in the caveolin-3 gene that was identical to that of reported cases of elevated serum creatine kinase. This patient further demonstrated possible clinical heterogeneity of myopathies with mutations in the caveolin-3 gene.
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