Background
Cancer chemotherapy is associated with a variety of side effects/adverse events. It is very important that patients adhere to the planned chemotherapy regimen, which necessitates a minimum ...of side effects and that these side effects be kept under control. We have investigated patients’ concerns and symptoms during chemotherapy with the aim to seek solutions that will improve patients’ quality of life during chemotherapy.
Methods
Forty-nine patients with malignant diseases on parenteral antineoplastic agents were sequentially enrolled in this study. These patients completed a questionnaire consisting of 42 items related to non-physical concerns and 52 items of physical symptoms related to chemotherapy. Each patient was also asked to select the three items among these 94 items which affected him/her the most.
Results
The median age of the cancer patients was 62 years and the male-to-female ratio was 18:31. Among the non-physical concerns, the most frequently chosen concern was ‘affects my family or partner,’ followed by anxiety related to treatment. Regarding the physical symptoms, the most frequent complaints were fatigue, alopecia and constipation, while the most troublesome symptoms were nausea, poor taste and paresthesia. Overall, the most frequently expressed concerns were ‘affects my family or partner’ and anxiety related to treatment. Male patients suffered most from fever, fatigue and nausea, and female patients complained more of poor taste and gastrointestinal problems.
Conclusion
Patient perceptions of adverse events associated with cancer chemotherapy apparently have changed from physical symptoms to non-physical concerns. In our patient cohort ‘affects my family or partner’ was the most important concern. One important point to note is that female patients often complained of poor taste because this meant they were unable to cook well.
Teleconnections between lower and higher latitude regions are widely known in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. To broaden our view of these teleconnections, we searched a reanalysis data ...set for evidence of a teleconnection between the Arctic Oscillation (AO) and the Antarctic Oscillation (AAO), two widely separated circumpolar phenomena. Statistical analysis of the Japanese 55‐year reanalysis data set showed significant in‐phase synchronization between the AO and AAO, particularly in October and February, with a vertical structure extending from the troposphere to the stratosphere. This vertical structure may suggest a stratospheric control, and we did not find a significant signature indicating a tropical ocean control. We also observed decadal‐scale modulation of the synchronicity. Observational evidence implies that the stratospheric meridional circulation may be responsible for AO‐AAO synchronization.
Plain Language Summary
The Arctic Oscillation (AO) and the Antarctic Oscillation (AAO) are dominant atmospheric variability patterns in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, respectively. Each is a pressure seesaw between the pole and the midlatitudes that remotely affects weather, climate, and environment around the world. We showed interhemispheric in‐phase synchronization between the AO and AAO in October and February, and we also found decadal‐scale variation of the synchronicity. Because the vertical structure of the AO‐AAO synchronization extends from the troposphere to the stratosphere, stratospheric variations may be responsible for the synchronization. This finding of AO‐AAO synchronization points the way to a better understanding of past, present, and future pole‐to‐pole climatic relationships and improvements in long‐term weather forecasts.
Key Points
In‐phase synchronicity between the Arctic and Antarctic Oscillations was found in February and October
Tropical ocean variations such as El Niño‐Southern Oscillation seem to be of little or no importance to this synchronicity
The stratospheric meridional circulation may be a key factor leading to synchronization
The Paleogene carbonate “megabreccia” units of the Friuli Basin are composite deposits produced by catastrophic shallow-water carbonate platform collapses re-deposited in relatively deep-water inner ...foredeep settings developed at the front of the advancing Dinaric thrust system. These thick, basin-wide mass transport deposits (MTDs) record the catastrophic emplacement of bipartite slide masses, comprising a lower coherent/cohesive blocky flow and an upper grain/turbulent flow. We here present the results of micro- to outcrop-scale structural analyses, constrained by stratigraphic and sedimentologic observations, performed to identify the internal deformation mechanisms and the emplacement processes of four of the largest MTDs exposed in two large three-dimensional outcrops: the Vernasso (NE Italy) and Anhovo (W Slovenia) open-pit quarries. Our results reveal a variety of primary (sedimentary) soft sediment deformation structures testifying fluid overpressure conditions within the brecciated, fine-grained matrix that sustain, intrude and surround slide blocks and clasts. Meso-scale structural analyses unraveled paleo-transport directions toward the N for the Vernasso quarry and toward the S for the Anhovo quarry. This suggests a forced propagation of the mass transport events controlled by the shape of basin, and reinforces the interpretation of different source areas related to multiple collapses from a carbonate platform rimming the southeastern tip of the basin. These units are thought to represent exhumed fossil examples of the MTDs extensively mapped in the present-day, carbonate-dominated continental margins, and thus, considered as reliable analogues for integrated studies.
•Vertical slide body partition into basal cohesive and upper turbulent flows•Basal subdivision into lower visco-fluid and upper visco-plastic parts•Supporting sedimentary matrix with fluid overpressure-related liquefaction•Slope gradient breaks leading to deformation and erosion of the substrate•Different source areas and paleo-transport direction for the main MTDs
We present the integrated outcrop-geophysical study of two mass transport complexes, the exhumed Specchio unit in the Northern Apennines of Italy and the Holocene Poverty unit in the Hikurangi margin ...of New Zealand. The combination of micro- to meso-scale structural, stratigraphic and sedimentologic analyses carried on continuous three-dimensional outcrops, with large-scale structural and morphologic data deriving from seismic/acoustic imaging of the present-day continental margins, allow important considerations on submarine landslide processes and mechanisms through the broader (up-scaled and down-scaled) understanding of the mass transport-related structural associations. We compare the discontinuous high-amplitude, reverse-polarity reflectors observed within the Poverty with the syn-sedimentary, ductile shear zones found within the Specchio mass transport complex. The seismic signature of such structures suggests localized fluid overpressure along detachment/thrust zones due to shearing and loading of undrained, water-saturated, fine-grained material, developed along with the slide mass movement. The outcrop expression of these structures is tentatively attributed to m- to tens of m-thick shear zones comprising large amounts of sedimentary matrix which separate and accommodate the differential movements of the internal slide components (e.g. slide blocks, olistoliths). The sedimentary matrix is an unsorted, lithologically mixed medium characterized by a scale-invariant “block-in-matrix” fabric (i.e. brecciated, mud-supported), that injects, sustain and surrounds discrete slide elements (from particles to blocks) and interpreted as a hyper-concentrated (liquefied/fluidized) suspension of water and scattered sediments developed in fluid overpressure conditions. We highlight the fundamental role of shearing-related liquefaction as one of the main factors controlling slide mobility through the “lubrication” of the internal and basal friction forces. The analysis of such features can therefore provide important information for the characterization of mass transport deposits developed from potentially catastrophic, long run-out mass transport events, and consequently, to better understand their possible socio-economic impact in terms of tsunamigenic potential.
•Reactivation and amalgamation of different bodies within mass transport deposits•Basal and internal fluid overpressure-related liquefaction in shear zones•Shear zones identified in seismic as high amplitude, inverse-polarity reflector(s)•Shear zones identified in outcrop as intervals of liquefied sedimentary matrix•Integrated, scale-invariant study of comparable outcrop and geophysical analogs
We revealed the structural features of astrocytes by means of light microscopy, confocal laser scanning microscopy and high voltage electron microscopy, and estimated their numerical densities in the ...mouse hippocampus. The high voltage electron microscope examinations of Golgi-impregnated astrocytes clearly disclosed their fine leaflet-like processes in the masses occupied by individual astrocytes. The intracellular injection of two different fluorescent tracers into two neighboring astrocytes revealed that each astrocyte occupied a discrete area with a limited overlap only at its peripheral portion. In a quantitative analysis using an optical disector, the numerical densities of astrocytes identified as S100-immunoreactive cells were only slightly different in their areal and laminar distributions. The numerical densities were higher in the stratum lacunosum-moleculare and dentate hilus, while they were slightly lower in the principal cell layers than the average (24.2×10
3 mm
−3) in whole hippocampal regions. As for the dorsoventral difference, the numerical densities were significantly larger at the ventral level in the dentate gyrus, whereas such tendency was not apparent in the hippocampus proper. The projection area of the astrocytes estimated from Golgi-impregnated samples was roughly in inverse relation to the numerical densities; the areas in the stratum lacunosum-moleculare were somewhat smaller than the other layers, where the numerical densities were high.
The present study indicates that astrocytes are distributed rather evenly without any prominent areal or laminar differences and that the individual astrocytes have their own domains; the periphery of the domain of a given astrocyte is interdigitated intricately with the processes of adjacent astrocytes whereas its inner core portion is not penetrated by them.
Streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS) is a severe invasive infection characterized by the sudden onset of shock, multi-organ failure, and high mortality. In Japan, appropriate notification ...measures based on the Infectious Disease Control law are mandatory for cases of STSS caused by β-haemolytic streptococcus. STSS is mainly caused by group A streptococcus (GAS). Although an average of 60–70 cases of GAS-induced STSS are reported annually, 143 cases were recorded in 2011. To determine the reason behind this marked increase, we characterized the emm genotype of 249 GAS isolates from STSS patients in Japan from 2010 to 2012 and performed antimicrobial susceptibility testing. The predominant genotype was found to be emm1, followed by emm89, emm12, emm28, emm3, and emm90. These six genotypes constituted more than 90% of the STSS isolates. The number of emm1, emm89, emm12, and emm28 isolates increased concomitantly with the increase in the total number of STSS cases. In particular, the number of mefA-positive emm1 isolates has escalated since 2011. Thus, the increase in the incidence of STSS can be attributed to an increase in the number of cases associated with specific genotypes.
We report on the first γ-ray spectroscopy of 51,53K produced via the 52,54Ca(p,2p) reactions at ∼250 MeV/nucleon. Unambiguous final-state angular-momentum assignments were achieved for beam ...intensities down to few particles per second by using a new technique based on reaction vertex tracking combined with a thick liquid-hydrogen target. Through γ-ray spectroscopy and exclusive parallel momentum distribution analysis, 3/2+ ground states and 1/2+ first excited states in 51,53K were established quantifying the natural ordering of the 1d3/2 and 2s1/2 proton-hole states that are restored at N = 32 and 34. State-of-the-art ab initio calculations and shell-model calculations with improved phenomenological effective interactions reproduce the present data and predict consistently the increase of the E(1/21+) - E(3/21+) energy differences towards N = 40.
•48-week phase 3 RCT evaluating efficacy and safety of drisapersen 6 mg/kg/week.•The pre-specified analyses did not meet statistical significance.•Due to increased data variation, statistical power ...for 6MWD was reduced to 53%.•Evidence for a greater treatment benefit was seen in a selected population post-hoc.•Most common adverse events were injection-site reactions and subclinical proteinuria.
This 48-week, randomized, placebo-controlled phase 3 study (DMD114044; NCT01254019) evaluated efficacy and safety of subcutaneous drisapersen 6 mg/kg/week in 186 ambulant boys aged ≥5 years, with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) resulting from an exon 51 skipping amenable mutation. Drisapersen was generally well tolerated, with injection-site reactions and renal events as most commonly reported adverse events. A nonsignificant treatment difference (P = 0.415) in the change from baseline in six-minute walk distance (6MWD; primary efficacy endpoint) of 10.3 meters in favor of drisapersen was observed at week 48. Key secondary efficacy endpoints (North Star Ambulatory Assessment, 4-stair climb ascent velocity, and 10-meter walk/run velocity) gave consistent findings. Lack of statistical significance was thought to be largely due to greater data variability and subgroup heterogeneity. The increased standard deviation alone, due to less stringent inclusion/exclusion criteria, reduced the statistical power from pre-specified 90% to actual 53%. Therefore, a post-hoc analysis was performed in 80 subjects with a baseline 6MWD 300–400 meters and ability to rise from floor. A statistically significant improvement in 6MWD of 35.4 meters (P = 0.039) in favor of drisapersen was observed in this subpopulation. Results suggest that drisapersen could have benefit in a less impaired population of DMD subjects.
We study the momentum correlation functions of
p
Ξ
-
and
Λ
Λ
pairs produced in high-energy nuclear collisions by using the coupled-channel framework and the
N
Ξ
-
Λ
Λ
coupled-channel baryon-baryon ...potentials recently obtained from lattice QCD calculations at almost physical quark masses. The calculated results are found to well describe the correlation function data from
pp
and
p
Pb collisions. This agreement confirms the
S
=
-
2
baryon-baryon potentials from lattice QCD and supports the existence of the
H
dibaryon as a virtual state around the
N
Ξ
threshold.
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