We hypothesized that suppression of peripheral circulation
cryotherapy may be effective in preventing paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy (PIPN). Therefore, this study aimed to clarify whether ...self-administered cryotherapy could prevent PIPN in patients with early-stage breast cancer, using real-world data. A single-center, retrospective, observational study was conducted. Data from the electronic medical records of consecutive patients aged ≥ 20 years with early-stage breast cancer who received a regimen containing paclitaxel for 12 cycles with or without self-administered cryotherapy at the National Cancer Center Hospital from March 2018 to May 2019 were evaluated. The primary endpoint was the cumulative dose of paclitaxel until the onset of grade ≥ 2 PIPN. To compare the difference between the two groups, multivariable Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for prognostically important variables were used. Ninety Japanese patients were included in this study. The estimated incidence of grade ≥ 2 PIPN was 26.9% and 37.7% in the self-administered cryotherapy group and control group, respectively (
= 0.314). The multivariable Cox proportional hazards model showed that the self-administered cryotherapy group had a decreased risk of onset of grade ≥ 2 PIPN (hazard ratio: 0.63, 95% confidence interval: 0.25 to 1.39;
= 0.281). Sensitivity analyses using multivariable Cox proportional hazards models along with two propensity score-adjusted methods demonstrated consistent results. The findings suggest that the methods of self-administered cryotherapy may prevent PIPN and should be reinforced appropriately in clinical practice. A randomized controlled multicenter trial of self-administered cryotherapy is warranted.
At diagnosis, the primary clinical manifestations of pediatric Moyamoya disease are TIA or CSs. CSs are reported to be more prevalent in younger than in older children. We sought to determine whether ...age-related differences in clinical manifestations are associated with age-related angiographic differences.
We divided 78 patients diagnosed with Moyamoya disease before 16 years of age into four 4-year age groups and examined the relationships between age at diagnosis and clinical manifestations and angiographic and MR imaging findings.
Among the 4 diagnostic age groups, in those younger than 4 years of age, the prevalence of CSs and of infarctions on MR images was highest, and along with severity of steno-occlusive lesions of the PCA, the prevalence was significantly higher than that in the next diagnostic age group (4-7 years), though the severity of steno-occlusive lesions in the ICA and the degree of transdural collaterals did not differ significantly. The prevalence of CSs and infarctions did not differ significantly in the 3 oldest diagnostic age groups, whereas ICA and PCA lesions and transdural collaterals correlated positively with diagnostic age.
The high prevalence of CSs and infarctions in patients diagnosed before 4 years of age is associated with advanced steno-occlusive lesions of the PCA. In patients 4 years of age and older at diagnosis, transdural collaterals develop in parallel with advancement of ICA and PCA lesions, which may contribute to the nearly constant prevalence of CSs.
To clarify whether and when neuroblastomas identified through screening do regress, and to ascertain how to treat them appropriately, we observed screened patients who had localized tumors, without ...any therapeutic intervention.
The criteria for the observation program were as follows: disease stage I or II; tumor less than 5 cm in diameter; no invasion to the intraspinal canal or growth to the great vessels; urinary vanillylmandelic acid (VMA) and homovanillic acid (HVA) less than 50 microg/mg creatinine; and informed consent. Of 25 patients identified through screening for 6-month-old infants in Saitama Prefecture, Japan between April 1994 and March 1996, 11 patients who met the criteria and one other patient with stage III tumor were enrolled onto the program. They were examined by abdominal ultrasonography (US) and their urinary VMA and HVA levels were assessed approximately once per month. The observation periods ranged from 4 to 27 months.
The 11 tumors decreased in size, although one of these 11 tumors initially enlarged until the patient was 12 months of age and decreased in size thereafter. One other tumor slightly increased in size. Urinary VMA levels decreased in all patients. None of the tumors had completely disappeared by the last observation day.
Our results suggest that regression of screened neuroblastoma is not a rare phenomenon. At present, it seems reasonable to adopt a wait-and-see strategy, with careful observation, for selected stage I or II tumors identified in infants screened at 6 months of age.
summary The purpose of this study was to investigate taste sensation in the elderly, and to determine relationships between subjective dissatisfaction with taste ability and factors such as age, ...gender and oral status among independently living elderly individuals. Participants were older adults (mean age, 66·0 ± 4·2 years; 321 men and 319 women) voluntarily attending a Senior Citizen Educational Program supported by local government in 2003 and 2004. The questionnaire included self‐assessed items on general health, dry mouth, chewing satisfaction and taste satisfaction. Respondents underwent investigation of salivary flow rate, dental status and gustatory testing using the filter‐paper disc method for sweet, salty, sour and bitter. Chi‐squared tests showed that the factors associated with dissatisfaction with taste ability were older age, dissatisfaction with chewing, dry mouth during eating and wearing dentures covering the entire hard palate. The sensation for each taste was not significantly related to taste satisfaction by chi‐squared test. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that dry mouth during eating, dentures covering the entire hard palate, dissatisfaction with chewing and discriminatory threshold for the sour taste were associated with dissatisfaction with taste ability. We found a significant association between subjective taste dissatisfaction and certain oral factors; hence, when patients complain about diminished taste, dentists must assess oral status as well as taste sensation.
We report on instrumentation-related challenges of applying graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy (GF-AAS) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). We show that a ...significant amount of polyatomic species derived from silicon sample solution in the plasma, such as SiO, SiOH, SiOH
2·SiOH
3, SiO
2, SiO
2H, SiO
2H
2 and SiO
2H
3, can hamper the detection limits of many elements of interest. This paper describes a method for eliminating these polyatomic ions. We discuss the advantages and disadvantages of vapor phase decomposition method (VPD), drop etching method (DE) and drop sandwich-etching method (DSE) for the recovery of metal impurities from a silicon wafer surface. We report the application of the DSE method for the evaluation of near-surface metal impurities, used for gettering studies. We describe the direct acid bulk decomposition (DABD) and the room temperature acid vapor phase decomposition method (RT-AVPD) for the determination of metal impurities in bulk silicon. Finally, we report concentration of trace metal contamination in several chemical reagent solutions.
To evaluate the clockwise whirlpool sign at color Doppler ultrasound (US) in the diagnosis of midgut volvulus.
Pediatric patients (160 boys, 76 girls; age range, 0 day to 14 years) with possible ...midgut volvulus underwent abdominal gray-scale US and color Doppler US. Midgut volvulus was diagnosed by recognition of the whirlpool sign (wrapping of the superior mesenteric vein and the mesentery around the superior mesenteric artery). If the whirlpool rotated clockwise with caudal movement of the transducer, the direction of the whirlpool was defined as clockwise.
Color Doppler US showed a whirlpool sign that was clockwise in 12 of 13 patients with surgically confirmed midgut volvulus and counterclockwise in three patients without midgut volvulus. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value of clockwise whirlpool sign for midgut volvulus were 92%, 100%, and 100%.
The clockwise whirlpool sign is diagnostic of midgut volvulus. Color Doppler US should be performed as an initial imaging study in children suspected of having midgut volvulus.
We experimentally study the Mn substitution effect on thermoelectric properties in a full-Heusler alloy, Fe2TiSi. By employing molecular beam epitaxy, homogeneous and L21-ordered Fe2Ti1−xMnxSi ...epilayers are achieved. The lattice constant, the saturation magnetic moment, and electrical resistivity are intentionally controlled with increasing Mn substitution. Notably, we find that the sign of the Seebeck coefficient is varied from positive to negative at around x=0.2. On the basis of the first-principles calculations, we qualitatively understand that the observed variation in the electrical and thermoelectric properties arises from the change in the electronic band structure near the Fermi level, dominated by Fe and Mn atoms in Fe2Ti1−xMnxSi.
Experiments were performed to estimate the adequacy of simulation results obtained using global analysis of heat transfer performed using melt convection models. First, we reproduced the shapes of ...the crystal–melt interface for several crystal lengths using two turbulence models with standard value of the Karman constant. Moreover, axial temperature distributions were measured by imbedding thermocouples into the crystal as it grew from the silicon melt. During the experiment, the crystal and the crucible were rotated to match the simulation conditions. Temperatures were measured at three points located at different distances from the crystal axis. Comparing these results with the simulation results, we found that the distribution predicted by the
k−
l turbulence model was more realistic and agreed well with the results of the experiments. Finally, computer simulation, based on the parallel model of the void and oxide precipitate formation in silicon crystals is reported. The unusual microdefect pattern observed in the silicon crystal with a diameter of 150
mm, where oxide particles occured in the interstitial-rich region was reproduced by the simulation and explained.
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