In this paper, a high sensitivity compact multi-slot sub-wavelength Bragg grating refractive index (RI) sensor was investigated. The structural parameters were optimized for higher sensitivity to RI ...change of the surrounding medium from viewpoints of a wavelength shift, an extinction ratio and a transmission loss, and a record-high sensitivity was experimentally demonstrated with a compact size. In this sensor, the first side-lobe at the Bragg grating (BG) stop-band end was focused as a sensing peak wavelength for moderate transmission loss and efficient sensing. To realize the compactness, a period count of the BG was kept as small as 20. By increasing the RI of the surrounding medium, the sensing peak shifts toward a longer wavelength side; thus due to the high sharpness and easy tracing of the first side-lobe, the device worked as an efficient RI sensor. The structural optimization was carried out by using 3D finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulation approach, and also influences of the structural parameters to sensitivities were discussed. Based on these optimized parameters, the devices were fabricated using the lift-off technique. By exposing the sensor to various liquid samples with different RIs such as pure water, sugar-dissolved water with various concentrations, acetone and isopropyl alcohol (IPA), a record-high sensitivity of 730 nm/RIU was attained for a sensor fabricated on SOI platforms with a length of as small as 9.5 µm and a transmission loss of 3 dB.
A novel GII.P17-GII.17 variant norovirus emerged as a major cause of norovirus outbreaks from December 2014 to March 2015 in Japan. Named Hu/GII/JP/2014/GII.P17-GII.17, this variant has a newly ...identified GII.P17 type RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, while the capsid sequence displays amino acid substitutions around histo-blood group antigen (HBGA) binding sites. Several variants caused by mutations in the capsid region have previously been observed in the GII.4 genotype. Monitoring the GII.17 variant's geographical spread and evolution is important.
Recent preclinical and phase I studies have reported that rebamipide decreased the severity of chemoradiotherapy-induced oral mucositis in patients with oral cancer. This placebo-controlled ...randomized phase II study assessed the clinical benefit of rebamipide in reducing the incidence of severe chemoradiotherapy-induced oral mucositis in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC).
Patients aged 20-75 years with HNC who were scheduled to receive chemoradiotherapy were enrolled. Patients were randomized to receive rebamipide 2% liquid, rebamipide 4% liquid, or placebo. The primary endpoint was the incidence of grade ≥ 3 oral mucositis determined by clinical examination and assessed by central review according to the Common Terminology Criteria of Adverse Events version 3.0. Secondary endpoints were the time to onset of grade ≥ 3 oral mucositis and the incidence of functional impairment (grade ≥ 3) based on the evaluation by the Oral Mucositis Evaluation Committee.
From April 2014 to August 2015, 97 patients with HNC were enrolled, of whom 94 received treatment. The incidence of grade ≥ 3 oral mucositis was 29% and 25% in the rebamipide 2% and 4% groups, respectively, compared with 39% in the placebo group. The proportion of patients who did not develop grade ≥ 3 oral mucositis by day 50 of treatment was 57.9% in the placebo group, whereas the proportion was 68.0% in the rebamipide 2% group and 71.3% in the rebamipide 4% group. The incidences of adverse events potentially related to the study drug were 16%, 26%, and 13% in the placebo, rebamipide 2%, and rebamipide 4% groups, respectively. There was no significant difference in treatment compliance among the groups.
The present phase II study suggests that mouth washing with rebamipide may be effective and safe for patients with HNC receiving chemoradiotherapy, and 4% liquid is the optimal dose of rebamipide.
ClinicalTrials.gov under the identifier NCT02085460 (the date of trial registration: March 11, 2014).
Drowning is a comprehensive and exclusive diagnosis at autopsy. Autopsy findings such as pleural effusion and waterlogged lungs contribute to the diagnosis. Herein, we aim to reveal the practical ...usefulness and postmortem changes of the maxillary sinus fluid volume to diagnose drowning.
We evaluated 52 drowning and 59 nondrowning cases. The maxillary sinus fluid volume was measured using a computed tomography (CT) scan, and pleural effusion volume and lung weight were manually measured at autopsy. The utility of these three indices for diagnosing drowning and its postmortem changes was evaluated.
The maxillary sinus fluid volume was significantly higher in drowning cases than in other external causes and cardiovascular death cases. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed that a total maxillary sinus fluid volume >1.04 mL more usefully indicated drowning (odds ratio, 8.19) than a total pleural effusion volume >175 mL (odds ratio, 7.23) and a total lung weight >829 g (odds ratio, 2.29). The combination of maxillary sinus fluid volume and pleural effusion volume more effectively predicted drowning than one index alone. Moreover, the maxillary sinus fluid volume was less influenced by the postmortem interval than the other two indices up to a week after death.
Maxillary sinus fluid volume can be more useful than pleural effusion volume and lung weight with higher sensitivity and odds ratio for diagnosing drowning.
Fluid accumulation in both the maxillary sinuses strongly predicts drowning in the postmortem imaging.
DNA adducts are a major cause of DNA mutation and DNA mutation-related diseases, but the simultaneous identification of multiple DNA adducts has been a challenge for a decade. An adductome approach ...using consecutive liquid chromatography and double mass spectrometry after micrococcal nuclease treatment has paved the way to demonstrations of numerous DNA adducts in a single experiment and is expected to contribute to the comprehensive understanding of overall environmental and endogenous exposures to possible mutagens in individuals. In this report, we applied an adductome approach to gastric mucosa samples taken at the time of a gastrectomy for gastric cancer in Lujiang, China, and in Hamamatsu, Japan. Seven lipid peroxidation-related DNA adducts 1,N6-etheno-2'-deoxyadenosine, butanone-etheno-2'-deoxycytidine (BεdC), butanone-etheno-2'-deoxy-5-methylcytidine, butanone-etheno-2'-deoxyadenosine (BεdA), heptanone-etheno-2'-deoxycytidine, heptanone-etheno-2'-deoxyadenosine (HεdA) and heptanone-etheno- 2'-deoxyguanosine were identified in a total of 22 gastric mucosa samples. The levels of these adducts ranged from 0 to 30,000 per 10(9) bases. Although the presence of Helicobacter pylori DNA in the mucosa was not related to these adducts level, the levels of BεdC, BεdA and HεdA were higher in the Japanese gastric mucosa samples. The profiles of these 7 adduct levels among the 21 cases were capable of discriminating between the possible origins (China or Japan) of the gastric mucosa samples. Our report is the first demonstration of lipid peroxidation-related DNA adducts in the human stomach, and these observations warrant further investigation in the context of the significance of DNA adducts in human gastric carcinogenesis.
Genetic abnormalities in mitochondrial complex assembling factors are associated with leukoencephalopathy. We present a 1‐year‐old girl with consciousness disturbance after a respiratory infection. ...Brain MRI revealed leukoencephalopathy with bilaterally symmetrical hyperintensity in the substantia nigra, medial thalamic nuclei, and basal nuclei, as well as cavities in the cerebral white matter and corpus callosum. Lactate levels in the spinal fluid were high, while magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the cerebral white matter and basal nuclei showed high peak lactate levels, suggesting mitochondrial dysfunction. The respiratory enzyme activity of complex I was reduced to 17% to 21% in skeletal muscle. Whole exome sequencing identified compound heterozygous variations in NDUFAF3, involved in the assembly of mitochondrial complex I (c.342_343insGTG:p.117Valdup, c.505C > A:p.Pro169Thr). Two‐dimensional, blue‐native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) and sodium dodecyl sulfate‐PAGE revealed reductions in Q‐module (NDUFS2, NDUFS3, and NDUFA9) and P‐module (NDUFB10 and NDUFB11) subunits, indicating disruption of mitochondrial complex I assembly. Our report expands the spectrum of clinical phenotypes associated with pathogenic variants of NDUFAF3.
Cavitating leukoencephalopathy
Background
Full‐mouth scaling and root planing combined with azithromycin is clinically and bacteriologically effective for the treatment of chronic periodontitis. This study aimed to investigate the ...clinical and bacteriological effects of this combination treatment in patients with peri‐implantitis.
Methods
Twenty adult patients with both chronic periodontitis and peri‐implantitis were randomly divided into two groups (10: test, 10: control). All patients underwent full‐mouth scaling and root planing but the test group received azithromycin for 3 days before the procedure. The probing depth, bleeding on probing, and the gingival index were assessed clinically. Bacterial samples were obtained before treatment at 1 week and 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months after treatment. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were performed using the polymerase chain reaction Invader method.
Results
All clinical parameters showed better improvement in both periodontitis and peri‐implantitis in the test group. Periodontal bacteria were more effectively reduced in the test group, but gradually increased around implants 6 months after treatment and natural teeth 9 months after treatment.
Conclusions
Full‐mouth scaling and root planing combined with azithromycin was temporarily useful for the treatment of peri‐implantitis. Clinical improvements were maintained for about 9 months but periodontal bacteria increased again 6 months after treatment.
It was shown in our previous reports that a few spores of moss Venturiella could tolerate the very high pressure of 20GPa for 30min and germinated a protonema to the length of 30μm. However, these ...spores did not grow any further, and disappeared at around 30 days of incubation after seeded. On the other hand, colonies of blue-green alga Microcystis flos-aquae came to appear about 76 days after the moss spores were seeded. Many of these colonies appeared at the places where the moss spores had disappeared. These colonies were formed by the algae that had adhered to the spore cases of the moss and survived after exposure to the very high pressure of 20GPa. Though the appearance of the colonies of high pressure exposed algae was delayed by about 50 days compared with that of the control group which was not exposed to high pressure, there seems no difference in their shape and color from those of the control group. The pressure tolerance of blue-green alga is found to be enormously strong, and it can survive after exposure to the high pressure which corresponds to the depth of about 550–600km from the surface of the Earth, just above the lower mantle.
•We exposed blue-green algae to ultra-high pressure of 20GPa for 30min.•The algae could tolerate to the ultra-high pressure.•The appearance of the colonies of algae delayed by 50 days compared with control.•The pressure corresponds to the depth of 550–600km from the earth׳s surface.
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