The objective of this retrospective study was to determine the survival rate, incidence of late complications, and incidence of second cancers when radiation therapy alone is used for carcinoma of ...the uterine cervix. Between 1971 and 1995, 1495 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix (stages I-IV) were treated with radiation therapy alone in our hospital. Radiation therapy consisted of a combination of high-dose-rate intracavitary brachytherapy and external beam radiotherapy. The cumulative 5-year survival rates for stages Ib, II, and III/IVa carcinoma were 93.5, 77.0, and 60.3%, respectively, and the 10-year survival rates were 90.9, 74.5, and 56.1%, respectively. Local control rates for stages Ib, II, and III/IVa carcinoma were 92.0, 79.4 and 64.2%, respectively. Eighty-two (5.5%) patients suffered grade III/IV or V (fatal) complications. A second cancer developed in 13 (0.87%) patients. Second cancers were observed most frequently in the rectum (five cases), colon (three cases), and uterine body (two cases). Long-term follow-up data revealed that our method of radiation therapy alone for locally advanced carcinoma of the uterine cervix is effective, with low incidences of late complications and second cancers.
Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a heterogenous group of inherited retinal diseases resulting in adult blindness caused by mutations of various genes. Although it is difficult to cure the blindness that ...results from these diseases, delaying the disease progression may be of great benefit, since the majority of RP diseases are seen in middle age or later. To test a gene therapy strategy for RP using a neurotrophic factor gene, we assessed the effect of simian lentivirus (SIV)-mediated subretinal gene transfer of pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF), a potent neurotrophic factor, during the disease progression in Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) rats, a well-accepted animal model of RP. Regional gene transfer via SIV into the peripheral subretinal space at the nasal hemisphere was performed in all animals to monitor site-specific transgene expression as well as the therapeutic effect in each retina. Gene transfer of lacZ and PEDF was observed in the regional pigment epithelium corresponding to the regional gene transfer. Histologically, PEDF gene transfer significantly protected the loss of photoreceptor cells (PCs) corresponding to the regions of the gene transfer, compared to those of control groups during the course of the experiment. The antiapoptotic effect of PEDF on PCs is likely to be a related mechanism, because a significant reduction of terminal dUTP-nicked end labeling-positive PC numbers was found in PEDF-treated eyes compared to those of the control group (P<0.05). PEDF-treated eyes also retained a significant sensitivity to light flash during the experimental course. These findings clearly show that neuroprotective gene therapy using PEDF can protect retinal degeneration and functional defects in individuals with RP.
This study was aimed to investigate etiology and clinical profiles of recurrent acute pancreatitis (RAP), particularly from the morphology of the pancreaticobiliary duct system.
Pancreaticobiliary ...morphology was examined in 230 of 381 patients with acute pancreatitis (AP) using endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. We analyzed factors associated with RAP including the pancreaticobiliary duct system.
RAP was diagnosed in 74 patients (19%). Major etiologies of RAP were alcoholic (38%), idiopathic (26%) and pancreaticobiliary malformation (22%). Patients with alcoholic RAP were significantly younger (47.2±11.6 years) than those with gallstone RAP (67.3±16.8; p<0.05). RAP with pancreaticobiliary malformation (male-to-female ratio: 1:4.3; p<0.01) and gallstone RAP (1:1.7; p<0.05) occurred predominantly in females in comparison with alcoholic RAP (1:0.2). Recurrence rate was 80% for AP with pancreaticobiliary malformation, significantly higher than for the others (p<0.01). Pancreas divisum was suspected as the etiology of mild RAP in 7 patients. Four RAP patients with pancreas divisum underwent endoscopic minor papilla sphincterotomy and improved. Pancreaticobiliary maljunction with biliary dilatation (choledochal cyst) was suspected as the etiology of mild RAP in 3 patients. The 3 RAP patients with choledochal cyst underwent prophylactic flow diversion surgery with complete resection of the dilated common bile duct, and achieved improvement. High confluence of pancreaticobiliary ducts was suspected as the etiology of mild RAP in 6 patients.
Pancreaticobiliary malformation is one of the major causes of RAP. As some of them benefit from endoscopic or surgical treatment, morphology of the pancreaticobiliary duct system should be examined where possible in RAP patients.
Drosophila wings are patterned by a morphogen, Decapentaplegic (Dpp), a member of the TGFbeta superfamily, which is expressed along the anterior and posterior compartment boundary. The distribution ...and activity of Dpp signaling is controlled in part by the level of expression of its major type I receptor, thickveins (tkv). The level of tkv is dynamically regulated by En and Hh. We have identified a novel gene, master of thickveins (mtv), which downregulates expression of tkv in response to Hh and En. mtv expression is controlled by En and Hh, and is complementary to tkv expression. In this report, we demonstrate that mtv integrates the activities of En and Hh that shape tkv expression pattern. Thus, mtv plays a key part of regulatory mechanism that makes the activity gradient of the Dpp morphogen.
This study aims to develop a model for the integrated evaluation of woody biomass heat utilization considering the environment, economy, and society. Herein, a woody biomass heat utilization business ...was virtually operated at Mt. Rokko, Kobe, Japan. In the societal impact assessment, a questionnaire survey was conducted to clarify tourist opinions regarding the hypothetical hot bath facility, and its societal value was estimated using the contingent valuation method. The total benefit estimated based on the willingness to pay was 5.92 million USD. In the economic evaluation, an economic model was constructed using life cycle cost. If kerosene was added to the wood chips, the optimum scale of the wood chip boiler installed was 687 kW, and the fossil fuel substitution rate reached 95.9%. The difference between the annual cost was −126.74–100.12 thousand USD. In the environmental impact assessment, a life cycle assessment was conducted to clarify how the use of woody biomass heat may change the environmental impact of the hypothesized hot bath facility. The net greenhouse gas emissions per 1 GJ were −69.9 kg-CO2eq/GJ in kerosene.
Experimental results for anisotropy and hysteresis of the ultrasonic propagation velocity (1
MHz) in a magnetic fluid subject to a magnetic field are reported. Measurements were made by the pulse ...method while the magnetic field intensity was varied from 0 to 570
mT and the angle between the magnetic field direction and the direction of ultrasonic wave propagation was varied between 0° and 180°. Some interesting results that seem to be caused by cluster formation in the magnetic fluid were obtained.
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