AIM:To assess the clinicopathologic characteristics,risk factors,and prognosis for synchronous multiple early gastric cancer(SMGC).METHODS:A total of 146 patients with SMGC and1194 patients with single gastric cancer ...AIM:To assess the clinicopathologic characteristics,risk factors,and prognosis for synchronous multiple early gastric cancer(SMGC).METHODS:A total of 146 patients with SMGC and1194 patients with single gastric cancer who had undergone gastrectomy between 1989 and 2008 were retrospectively analyzed to determine their clinicopathologic characteristics and postoperative survival.Tumors were classified into groups on the basis of location and histology.Smoking habits were evaluated using the Brinkman index.Clinical and pathological factors were compared using either Fisher’s exact test or Pearson’sχ2test.Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent risk factors.Survival rate was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method.RESULTS:SMGCs accounted for 10.9%of gastric cancer cases and occurred predominantly in elderly male patients with a family history of gastric cancer who were both smokers and drinkers.These tumors were typically macroscopically elevated and histologically differentiated.There were no significant differences between SMGC and single gastric cancer patients with respect to tumor location,tumor size,lymph node metastasis,the number of metastatic lymph nodes,venous invasion,or tumor stage(P=0.052,P=0.347,P=0.595,P=0.805,P=0.559,and P=0.408,respectively).Further,there was no significant difference in postoperative survival between the patient groups(P=0.200).Of the 146SMGC patients,a single patient had remnant cancer.CONCLUSION:A careful preoperative endoscopy is necessary for patients who are at high risk of SMGC,and minimally invasive treatment may be indicated in some cases.展开更多
AIM: To clarify the significance of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) in peritoneal metastasis from gastric cancer, using the gastric cancer cell line MKN-45 compared with the high potential peritoneal dissemin...AIM: To clarify the significance of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) in peritoneal metastasis from gastric cancer, using the gastric cancer cell line MKN-45 compared with the high potential peritoneal dissemination gastric cancer cell line MKN-45 P. METHODS: The supernatant of culture medium of MKN-45 cells or MKN-45 P cells was collected and the concentrations were measured of various cytokines, matrix metalloproteinases, growth factor and angiogenic factors, including VEGF. We performed an initial pilot study to explore whether bevacizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody against VEGF, had any suppressive effect on the peritoneal dissemination from gastric cancer in an experimental nude mouse modelof peritoneal metastasis. RESULTS: The concentrations of interleukin-6(IL-6), IL-8, VEGF and matrix metalloproteinase-2 protein in the culture supernatant were each significantly higher than each of those for MKN-45. In the in vivo study, the volume of ascites and the mitotic index were significantly lower in the therapy group than in the nontherapy group. The survival curve of the therapy group was significantly higher than that of the non-therapy group. These results suggested that VEGF was correlated with peritoneal metastasis from gastric cancer. CONCLUSION: Findings suggested that bevacizumab for inhibiting VEGF could suppress peritoneal dissemination from gastric cancer.展开更多
MXenes,a new family of two-dimensional transition metal carbides or nitrides,have attracted tremendous attention for various applications due to their unique properties such as good electrical conductivity,hydrophilic...MXenes,a new family of two-dimensional transition metal carbides or nitrides,have attracted tremendous attention for various applications due to their unique properties such as good electrical conductivity,hydrophilicity,and ion intercalability.In this work,Ti_(3)C_(2) MXene,or MX,is converted to MX-TiO_(2) composites using a simple and rapid microwave hydrothermal treatment in HCl/NaCl mixture solution that induces formation of fine TiO_(2) particles on the MX parent structure and imparts photocatalytic activity to the resulting MX-TiO_(2) composites.The composites were used for enrofloxacin(ENR),a frequently found contaminating antibiotic,removal from water.The relative amount of the MX and TiO_(2) can be controlled by controlling the hydrothermal temperature resulting in composites with tunable adsorption/photocatalytic properties.NaCl addition was found to play important role as composites synthesized without NaCl could not adsorb enrofloxacin well.Adding NaCl into the hydrothermal treatment causes sodium ions to be simultaneously intercalated into the composite structure,improving ENR adsorption greatly from 1 to 6 mg ENR/g composite.It also slows down the MX to TiO2 conversion leading to a smaller and more uniform distribution of TiO_(2) particles on the structure.MX-TiO_(2)/NaCl composites,which have sodium intercalated in their structures,showed both higher ENR adsorption and photocatalytic activity than composites without NaCl despite the latter having higher TiO2 content.Adsorbed ENR on the composites can be efficiently degraded by free radicals generated from the photoexcited TiO2 particles,leading to high photocatalytic degradation efficiency.This demonstrates the synergetic effect between adsorption and photocatalytic degradation of the synthesized compounds.展开更多
Background Cyclooxygenase-2 （COX-2） is overexpressed during airway inflammation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease （COPD） patients.Single nucleotide polymorphisms （SNPs） in the COX-2 promoter might contrib...Background Cyclooxygenase-2 （COX-2） is overexpressed during airway inflammation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease （COPD） patients.Single nucleotide polymorphisms （SNPs） in the COX-2 promoter might contribute to differential COX-2 expression and subsequent interindividual variability in susceptibility to COPD.We investigated the association between COX-2 （-765G〉C,-1195G〉A） polymorphisms and COPD susceptibility in Japanese and Chinese patients.Methods COX-2 genotypes were determined by polymerase chain reaction,restriction fragment length polymorphism in 230 COPD patients （103 Japanese and 127 Chinese） and 273 healthy controls （129 Japanese and 144 Chinese）.Results The frequency of-1195AA homozygote was significantly higher than the controls in Chinese COPD （adjusted OR=2.43,95% CI 1.14-4.19）,Japanese COPD （adjusted OR=-2.25,95% Cl 1.06-4.76） and combined COPD groups （adjusted OR=2.26,95% CI 1.34-3.99）.There was no difference in COX-2-765G〉C polymorphism between COPD and control groups in either Japanese or Chinese,while more Chinese individuals carried the-765C allele than Japanese in both groups （15.3% vs.2.9% in COPD,18.8% vs.5.5% in control）.Chinese individuals with the haplotype-765G：-1195A were at higher risk for COPD （adjusted OR=1.93,95% CI 1.05-3.55）.Conclusions The COX-2-1195AA genotype is associated with increased risk for COPD in both Japanese and Chinese individuals.Although COX-2-765G〉C polymorphism was not associated with COPD in either ethnic group,the-765C allele frequency was higher in Chinese than Japanese and haplotype-765G-1195A may confer susceptibility to COPD in Chinese.展开更多
Trastuzumab that targets human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) protein is the only approved molecular targeting agent for treating gastric cancer in Japan and the outcomes have been favorable. However, trast...Trastuzumab that targets human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) protein is the only approved molecular targeting agent for treating gastric cancer in Japan and the outcomes have been favorable. However, trastuzumab is effective for only 10% to 20% of the population with gastric cancer that expresses HER2 protein. Molecular targeting therapy with bevacizumab against vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGF) and with cetuximab and panitumumab against the epidermal growth factors pathway that have been approved for treating colorectal cancer are not considered effective for treating gastric cancer according to several clinical trials. However, ramucirumab that targets VEGF receptor-2 prolonged overall survival in a large phase III clinical trial and it might be an effective molecular targeting therapy for gastric cancer. The significance of molecular targeting therapy for gastric cancer remains controversial. A large-scale randomized clinical trial of novel molecular targeting agents with which to treat gastric cancer is needed.展开更多
The number of marine landfills in Japan has increased over the past decade due to the lack of suitable land. For marine landfills, protection of the alluvium clay layer and improvement of the drainage performance in w...The number of marine landfills in Japan has increased over the past decade due to the lack of suitable land. For marine landfills, protection of the alluvium clay layer and improvement of the drainage performance in waste inflow are important aspects. In this paper, an economical construction method for these problems is proposed using gravel-tire chips mixture (GTCM) as the horizontal reinforcement and drainage medium beneath the waste. The content and particle size of tire chips mixed with gravel are essential factors that affect the bearing capacity and permeability of the reinforcement layer. Therefore, a series of permeability tests are conducted using newly developed large-scale triaxial compression and permeability test apparatus to investigate the effect of tire chips particle size, the mass proportion of tire chips (MPTC), and triaxial stress on the permeability of GTCM. In addition, the effectiveness of this technique is evaluated by numerical simulations. The experimental results confirm that the shear strength of GTCM is influenced by tire chips content. Furthermore, permeability coefficient of GTCM is on the order of 0.02 cm/s to 0.08 cm/s, which is higher than the tolerable level of permeability of drainage layer in landfills. GTCM sample shows excellent permeability even on higher compression. Moreover, the Non-Darcy flow properties of GTCM (non-linear) are introduced in this study, and an approximate power function relationship between the permeability coefficient and the non-Darcy flow coefficient is developed. The numerical results confirm that GTCM performs better than the sand, a traditional reinforcement material.展开更多
The objective of the present study was to determine the optimum sowing time of three quinoa ecotypes (Altipllano, sea level, and valley) for high seed yields in south Kanto, Japan. Pot experiments were conducted in th...The objective of the present study was to determine the optimum sowing time of three quinoa ecotypes (Altipllano, sea level, and valley) for high seed yields in south Kanto, Japan. Pot experiments were conducted in the experimental field at Nihon University during 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014. In this experiment, the following quinoa varieties were used NL-6, Baer Cajon and Cauquenes (sea-level type), Amarilla de Marangani, Blanca de Junin, CICA-127, ECU-420, ECU-525, Ingapirica, and Narino (valley type), 94R and Isluga (Altiplano type). The quinoa seeds were sown on March 29, June 17 and September 22, 2011;March 27, June 17 and August 28, 2012;March 26, June 15 and 5 September 5, 2013;and March 27, June 17 and August 28, 2014. When the sea-level type and Altiplano type seeds were sowed from March to September, the seeds could be gained in all sowing plots. However, the seed weights of all varieties were the highest in the sowing plots of March. And the seed weights in the sowing plot of March were significantly higher than that in the other sowing plots. The sea-level type and Altiplano type quinoa had almost the same seed growth reaction for day length and day temperature. Thus, to gain a high seed yield of the sea-level and Altiplano type quinoa, March was the optimum sowing time in south Kanto, Japan. When the valley-type seeds were sowed from March to June, the seeds could not be gained, except in 2012. In 2012, the seed weights and seed numbers in sowing plots of March and June were significantly lower than those in the sowing plot of September. Thus, to obtain a high seed yield of the valley type quinoa, the optimum sowing time in south Kanto, Japan was from August to September.展开更多
In the large helical device （LHD） having three dimensional configuration, Alfven eigenmodes （AEs） destabilized by energetic ions are widely investigated using neutral beam heated plasmas with monotonic and non-mon...In the large helical device （LHD） having three dimensional configuration, Alfven eigenmodes （AEs） destabilized by energetic ions are widely investigated using neutral beam heated plasmas with monotonic and non-monotonic rotational transform （l/2π） profiles. In a plasma with monotonic l/2π-profile, core-localized toroidicity-induced Alfven eigenmode （TAE） as well as global one are often observed. With the increase in the averaged toroidal beta value, defined as the ratio of total plasma pressure to toroidal magnetic pressure, core-localized TAE with low toroidal mode number becomes global. In a relatively high beta plasma with monotonic l/2π-profile, two TAEs with different toroidal mode number often interact nonlinearly and generate another modes through three wave coupling. In a plasma with non-monotonic l/2π-profile generated by intense counter neutral beam current drive, reversed shear Alfven eigenmode （RSAE） and geodesic acoustic mode （CAM） excited by energetic ions were observed for the first time in a helical plasma. Nonlinear coupling was also observed between RSAE and GAM.展开更多
If induced pluripotent stem(iPS)cells are to be used to treat damaged tissues or repair organs in elderly patients,it will be necessary to establish iPS cells from their tissues.To determine the feasibility of using t...If induced pluripotent stem(iPS)cells are to be used to treat damaged tissues or repair organs in elderly patients,it will be necessary to establish iPS cells from their tissues.To determine the feasibility of using this technology with elderly patients,we asked if it was indeed possible to establish iPS cells from the bone marrow(BM)of aged mice.BM cells from aged C57BL/6 mice carrying the green fluorescence protein(GFP)gene were cultured with granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor(GM-CSF)for 4 days.Four factors(Oct3/4,Sox2,Klf4 and c-Myc)were introduced into the BM-derived myeloid(BM-M)cells.The efficiency of generating iPS cells from aged BM cultured in GM-CSF was low.However,we succeeded in obtaining BM-M-iPS cells from aged C57BL/6 mice,which carried GFP.Our BM-M-iPS cells expressed SSEA-1 and Pou5f1 and were positive for alkaline phosphatase staining.The iPS cells did make teratoma with three germ layers following injection into syngeneic C57BL/6 mice,and can be differentiated to three germ layers in vitro.By co-culturing with OP9,the BM-M-iPS cells can be differentiated to the myeloid lineage.The differentiated BM-M-iPS cells proliferated well in the presence of GM-CSF,and lost expression of Nanog and Pou5f1,at least in part,due to methylation of their promoters.On the contrary,Tnf and Il1b gene expression was upregulated and their promoters were hypomethylated.展开更多
Introduction of cover crops may improve the diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in roots and soil under crop rotational systems;therefore, it is necessary to determine the potential for AMF communities to ...Introduction of cover crops may improve the diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in roots and soil under crop rotational systems;therefore, it is necessary to determine the potential for AMF communities to improve sustainable food production. We investigated the impact of cover crops, including wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), pea (Pisum sativum L.), and hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth.), on the AMF communities in their roots in autumn and spring sowing seasons with PCR-DGGE analysis. Although all four cover crops impacted the AMF community structure in roots, the diversity of AMF communities was unchanged among crop type or sowing season. Redundancy analysis (RDA) demonstrated that AMF communities within crop type were significantly different. However, the AMF community structures were not influenced by growing season, suggesting that growth stage in crops may be more responsive to shaping AMF community structure in crop roots than host crop identity.展开更多
The objectives of this study were to determine arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) community structure in colonized roots of soybean cultivated from Kanagawa and Hokkaido in Japan and to relate the community structure ...The objectives of this study were to determine arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) community structure in colonized roots of soybean cultivated from Kanagawa and Hokkaido in Japan and to relate the community structure to environmental conditions, which included soil type, preceding crops, and soil chemical properties. The average number of AMF OTU (operational taxonomic unit) colonizing soybean roots collected from Kanagawa and Hokkaido was 11.2 and 5.8, respectively, a significant difference. Moreover, AMF from the family Gigasporasera was not identified in soybean roots collected from Hokkaido, suggesting that AMF in the family Gigasporasea is absent or rare in the soybean fields of sampled in Hokkaido. We postulate that the soil type, preceding crops or soil chemical properties are not the underlying factor differentiating AMF community structure colonizing in soybean roots between Kanagawa and Hokkaido. Instead we conclude that temperature and phosphate absorption coefficient are the determining factors of AMF OTU in this study.展开更多
Two pairs of high-frequency magnetic probes were installed in the Large Helical Device （LHD）. During the injection of a perpendicular neutral beam, ion cyclotron emissions （ICEs） with the fundamental frequency cor...Two pairs of high-frequency magnetic probes were installed in the Large Helical Device （LHD）. During the injection of a perpendicular neutral beam, ion cyclotron emissions （ICEs） with the fundamental frequency corresponding to the ion cyclotron frequency at the plasma edge were detected, which are the same type of ICE as measured with the former spare ion cyclotron range of frequencies （ICRF） heating antennas. This type of ICE was further investigated with regard to the phase and intensity of signals. Another type of ICE was found in the LHD, and these ICEs were synchronized with bursts of toroidicity induced Alfv^n eigenmodes （TAE） and the rise of intensity of lost ion flux. Therefore the source of these ICEs was thought to be the particles transferred from the core to the outer region of plasma by the TAE bursts. The frequency of ICEs induced by the TAE bursts increases linearly with the magnetic field strength, since the ion cyclotron frequency increases with the magnetic field strength.展开更多
Beam-ion losses induced by fast-ion-driven toroidal Alfven eigenmodes （TAE） were measured with a scintillator-based lost fast-ion probe （SLIP） in the large helical device （LHD）. The SLIP gave simultaneously the ...Beam-ion losses induced by fast-ion-driven toroidal Alfven eigenmodes （TAE） were measured with a scintillator-based lost fast-ion probe （SLIP） in the large helical device （LHD）. The SLIP gave simultaneously the energy E and the pitch angle X=arccos（v///v） distribution of the lost fast ions. The loss fluxes were investigated for three typical magnetic configurations of Rax-vac=3.60 m, 3.75 m. and 3.90 m, where Rax-vac is the magnetic axis position of the vacuum field. Dominant losses induced by TAEs in these three configurations were observed in the E/X regions of 50-190 keV/40°, 40-170 keV/25°, and 30-190 keV/30°, respectively. Lost-ion fluxes induced by TAEs depend clearly on the amplitude of TAE magnetic fluctuations, Rax-vac and the toroidal field strength Bt. The increment of the loss fluxes has the dependence of （bTAE/Bt）s. The power s increases from s = 1 to 3 with the increase of the magnetic axis position in finite beta plasmas.展开更多
New anticancer drugs are being increasingly used for advanced and recurrent gastric cancer in many institutions. Therefore, the relative importance of surgery may have changed, and there may also be controversy as to ...New anticancer drugs are being increasingly used for advanced and recurrent gastric cancer in many institutions. Therefore, the relative importance of surgery may have changed, and there may also be controversy as to whether patients with stage IV gastric cancer should or not undergo surgical resection. The relevance of surgery in this population was studied. The relevance of surgery was studied in 304 cases of stage IV gastric cancer who were treated at KurumeUniversityHospitalfrom 1995 to 2009. Multivariate analysis showed that distant organ metastasis was significantly correlated with surgery. In stage IV cases, chemotherapy and the number of stage IV factors were independent prognostic factors. In surgery cases, venous invasion, chemotherapy, and residual tumor were independent prognostic factors. R0 was significantly higher in the surgery with chemotherapy group than in the chemotherapy alone group, but there was no significant difference in R1 or R2 cases between the surgery with chemotherapy group and the chemotherapy alone group. In R2 cases, use of a new drug was an independent prognostic factor. The rate of R0 was significantly higher in the preoperative chemotherapy group than in the surgery alone group. In preoperative chemotherapy cases, the S-1/cisplatin (CDDP) group had a 50% 2-year survival rate, and these cases underwent postoperative chemotherapy using the S-1 regimen. A multimodal treatment is considered most effective for stage IV gastric cancer, where this includes preoperative chemotherapy, surgery, and postoperative chemotherapy using the new anti-cancer drugs.展开更多
Salt reduction policies have been implemented throughout the world as well as in Japan. However, most of the current questionnaires for estimating salt intake are apt to be based on empirical evidence. This study was ...Salt reduction policies have been implemented throughout the world as well as in Japan. However, most of the current questionnaires for estimating salt intake are apt to be based on empirical evidence. This study was aimed to develop and validate a questionnaire for predicting high salt intake based on salt usage using dietary behaviors that affect salt intake in cooperation with Niigata prefecture, Japan. The study was comprised of 760 participants aged 21 - 79 years (Men%: 49%) living in Niigata. Participants completed a questionnaire about dietary behaviors potentially relevant to salt intake. Second morning voiding urine for estimating dietary salt intake per day was collected on the same day. The relationship of estimated dietary salt intake to answers on the questionnaire was examined using analysis of covariance for age, gender, body mass index, and whether taking medication or not. Ten items on the questionnaire revealed an association with dietary salt intake per day: making oneself gorge on a meal, having ≥2 different staples per meal, having a 1-dish meal, number of simmered dishes per day, variety of pickled vegetables per day, having salt-cured fish eggs per day, quantity of soup consumed when eating noodles, preference for strong-tasting meals, frequency of eating out, and frequency of alcohol consumption.The current study identified 10 dietary behaviors that enabled the development of a salt intake questionnaire for identifying specific dietary behaviors for assessing regions and/or individuals when attempting to encourage salt reduction.展开更多
文摘AIM:To assess the clinicopathologic characteristics,risk factors,and prognosis for synchronous multiple early gastric cancer(SMGC).METHODS:A total of 146 patients with SMGC and1194 patients with single gastric cancer who had undergone gastrectomy between 1989 and 2008 were retrospectively analyzed to determine their clinicopathologic characteristics and postoperative survival.Tumors were classified into groups on the basis of location and histology.Smoking habits were evaluated using the Brinkman index.Clinical and pathological factors were compared using either Fisher’s exact test or Pearson’sχ2test.Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent risk factors.Survival rate was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method.RESULTS:SMGCs accounted for 10.9%of gastric cancer cases and occurred predominantly in elderly male patients with a family history of gastric cancer who were both smokers and drinkers.These tumors were typically macroscopically elevated and histologically differentiated.There were no significant differences between SMGC and single gastric cancer patients with respect to tumor location,tumor size,lymph node metastasis,the number of metastatic lymph nodes,venous invasion,or tumor stage(P=0.052,P=0.347,P=0.595,P=0.805,P=0.559,and P=0.408,respectively).Further,there was no significant difference in postoperative survival between the patient groups(P=0.200).Of the 146SMGC patients,a single patient had remnant cancer.CONCLUSION:A careful preoperative endoscopy is necessary for patients who are at high risk of SMGC,and minimally invasive treatment may be indicated in some cases.
文摘AIM: To clarify the significance of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) in peritoneal metastasis from gastric cancer, using the gastric cancer cell line MKN-45 compared with the high potential peritoneal dissemination gastric cancer cell line MKN-45 P. METHODS: The supernatant of culture medium of MKN-45 cells or MKN-45 P cells was collected and the concentrations were measured of various cytokines, matrix metalloproteinases, growth factor and angiogenic factors, including VEGF. We performed an initial pilot study to explore whether bevacizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody against VEGF, had any suppressive effect on the peritoneal dissemination from gastric cancer in an experimental nude mouse modelof peritoneal metastasis. RESULTS: The concentrations of interleukin-6(IL-6), IL-8, VEGF and matrix metalloproteinase-2 protein in the culture supernatant were each significantly higher than each of those for MKN-45. In the in vivo study, the volume of ascites and the mitotic index were significantly lower in the therapy group than in the nontherapy group. The survival curve of the therapy group was significantly higher than that of the non-therapy group. These results suggested that VEGF was correlated with peritoneal metastasis from gastric cancer. CONCLUSION: Findings suggested that bevacizumab for inhibiting VEGF could suppress peritoneal dissemination from gastric cancer.
基金National Nanotechnology Center (NANOTEC) (No.P1751698) for financial supportThailand Advanced Institute of Science and Technology and Tokyo Institute of Technology (TAIST-Tokyo Tech) for collaborative program and scholarship supports+1 种基金supported by Thammasat University Research Fund Contract No.TUFT 055/2563Support from Center of Excellence in Functional Advanced Materials Engineering (CoE FAME),SIIT
文摘MXenes,a new family of two-dimensional transition metal carbides or nitrides,have attracted tremendous attention for various applications due to their unique properties such as good electrical conductivity,hydrophilicity,and ion intercalability.In this work,Ti_(3)C_(2) MXene,or MX,is converted to MX-TiO_(2) composites using a simple and rapid microwave hydrothermal treatment in HCl/NaCl mixture solution that induces formation of fine TiO_(2) particles on the MX parent structure and imparts photocatalytic activity to the resulting MX-TiO_(2) composites.The composites were used for enrofloxacin(ENR),a frequently found contaminating antibiotic,removal from water.The relative amount of the MX and TiO_(2) can be controlled by controlling the hydrothermal temperature resulting in composites with tunable adsorption/photocatalytic properties.NaCl addition was found to play important role as composites synthesized without NaCl could not adsorb enrofloxacin well.Adding NaCl into the hydrothermal treatment causes sodium ions to be simultaneously intercalated into the composite structure,improving ENR adsorption greatly from 1 to 6 mg ENR/g composite.It also slows down the MX to TiO2 conversion leading to a smaller and more uniform distribution of TiO_(2) particles on the structure.MX-TiO_(2)/NaCl composites,which have sodium intercalated in their structures,showed both higher ENR adsorption and photocatalytic activity than composites without NaCl despite the latter having higher TiO2 content.Adsorbed ENR on the composites can be efficiently degraded by free radicals generated from the photoexcited TiO2 particles,leading to high photocatalytic degradation efficiency.This demonstrates the synergetic effect between adsorption and photocatalytic degradation of the synthesized compounds.
文摘Background Cyclooxygenase-2 （COX-2） is overexpressed during airway inflammation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease （COPD） patients.Single nucleotide polymorphisms （SNPs） in the COX-2 promoter might contribute to differential COX-2 expression and subsequent interindividual variability in susceptibility to COPD.We investigated the association between COX-2 （-765G〉C,-1195G〉A） polymorphisms and COPD susceptibility in Japanese and Chinese patients.Methods COX-2 genotypes were determined by polymerase chain reaction,restriction fragment length polymorphism in 230 COPD patients （103 Japanese and 127 Chinese） and 273 healthy controls （129 Japanese and 144 Chinese）.Results The frequency of-1195AA homozygote was significantly higher than the controls in Chinese COPD （adjusted OR=2.43,95% CI 1.14-4.19）,Japanese COPD （adjusted OR=-2.25,95% Cl 1.06-4.76） and combined COPD groups （adjusted OR=2.26,95% CI 1.34-3.99）.There was no difference in COX-2-765G〉C polymorphism between COPD and control groups in either Japanese or Chinese,while more Chinese individuals carried the-765C allele than Japanese in both groups （15.3% vs.2.9% in COPD,18.8% vs.5.5% in control）.Chinese individuals with the haplotype-765G：-1195A were at higher risk for COPD （adjusted OR=1.93,95% CI 1.05-3.55）.Conclusions The COX-2-1195AA genotype is associated with increased risk for COPD in both Japanese and Chinese individuals.Although COX-2-765G〉C polymorphism was not associated with COPD in either ethnic group,the-765C allele frequency was higher in Chinese than Japanese and haplotype-765G-1195A may confer susceptibility to COPD in Chinese.
文摘Trastuzumab that targets human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) protein is the only approved molecular targeting agent for treating gastric cancer in Japan and the outcomes have been favorable. However, trastuzumab is effective for only 10% to 20% of the population with gastric cancer that expresses HER2 protein. Molecular targeting therapy with bevacizumab against vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGF) and with cetuximab and panitumumab against the epidermal growth factors pathway that have been approved for treating colorectal cancer are not considered effective for treating gastric cancer according to several clinical trials. However, ramucirumab that targets VEGF receptor-2 prolonged overall survival in a large phase III clinical trial and it might be an effective molecular targeting therapy for gastric cancer. The significance of molecular targeting therapy for gastric cancer remains controversial. A large-scale randomized clinical trial of novel molecular targeting agents with which to treat gastric cancer is needed.
文摘The number of marine landfills in Japan has increased over the past decade due to the lack of suitable land. For marine landfills, protection of the alluvium clay layer and improvement of the drainage performance in waste inflow are important aspects. In this paper, an economical construction method for these problems is proposed using gravel-tire chips mixture (GTCM) as the horizontal reinforcement and drainage medium beneath the waste. The content and particle size of tire chips mixed with gravel are essential factors that affect the bearing capacity and permeability of the reinforcement layer. Therefore, a series of permeability tests are conducted using newly developed large-scale triaxial compression and permeability test apparatus to investigate the effect of tire chips particle size, the mass proportion of tire chips (MPTC), and triaxial stress on the permeability of GTCM. In addition, the effectiveness of this technique is evaluated by numerical simulations. The experimental results confirm that the shear strength of GTCM is influenced by tire chips content. Furthermore, permeability coefficient of GTCM is on the order of 0.02 cm/s to 0.08 cm/s, which is higher than the tolerable level of permeability of drainage layer in landfills. GTCM sample shows excellent permeability even on higher compression. Moreover, the Non-Darcy flow properties of GTCM (non-linear) are introduced in this study, and an approximate power function relationship between the permeability coefficient and the non-Darcy flow coefficient is developed. The numerical results confirm that GTCM performs better than the sand, a traditional reinforcement material.
文摘The objective of the present study was to determine the optimum sowing time of three quinoa ecotypes (Altipllano, sea level, and valley) for high seed yields in south Kanto, Japan. Pot experiments were conducted in the experimental field at Nihon University during 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014. In this experiment, the following quinoa varieties were used NL-6, Baer Cajon and Cauquenes (sea-level type), Amarilla de Marangani, Blanca de Junin, CICA-127, ECU-420, ECU-525, Ingapirica, and Narino (valley type), 94R and Isluga (Altiplano type). The quinoa seeds were sown on March 29, June 17 and September 22, 2011;March 27, June 17 and August 28, 2012;March 26, June 15 and 5 September 5, 2013;and March 27, June 17 and August 28, 2014. When the sea-level type and Altiplano type seeds were sowed from March to September, the seeds could be gained in all sowing plots. However, the seed weights of all varieties were the highest in the sowing plots of March. And the seed weights in the sowing plot of March were significantly higher than that in the other sowing plots. The sea-level type and Altiplano type quinoa had almost the same seed growth reaction for day length and day temperature. Thus, to gain a high seed yield of the sea-level and Altiplano type quinoa, March was the optimum sowing time in south Kanto, Japan. When the valley-type seeds were sowed from March to June, the seeds could not be gained, except in 2012. In 2012, the seed weights and seed numbers in sowing plots of March and June were significantly lower than those in the sowing plot of September. Thus, to obtain a high seed yield of the valley type quinoa, the optimum sowing time in south Kanto, Japan was from August to September.
基金LHD project budget of Japan (NIFS08ULHH508)the Grant-in-aid for Scientific Research from MEST of Japan (No.16082209)the JSPS-CAS Core-University Program in the field of Plasma and Nuclear Fusion
文摘In the large helical device （LHD） having three dimensional configuration, Alfven eigenmodes （AEs） destabilized by energetic ions are widely investigated using neutral beam heated plasmas with monotonic and non-monotonic rotational transform （l/2π） profiles. In a plasma with monotonic l/2π-profile, core-localized toroidicity-induced Alfven eigenmode （TAE） as well as global one are often observed. With the increase in the averaged toroidal beta value, defined as the ratio of total plasma pressure to toroidal magnetic pressure, core-localized TAE with low toroidal mode number becomes global. In a relatively high beta plasma with monotonic l/2π-profile, two TAEs with different toroidal mode number often interact nonlinearly and generate another modes through three wave coupling. In a plasma with non-monotonic l/2π-profile generated by intense counter neutral beam current drive, reversed shear Alfven eigenmode （RSAE） and geodesic acoustic mode （CAM） excited by energetic ions were observed for the first time in a helical plasma. Nonlinear coupling was also observed between RSAE and GAM.
基金This work was supported by the Ministry of Education,Science,Technology,Sports and Culture,Japan。
文摘If induced pluripotent stem(iPS)cells are to be used to treat damaged tissues or repair organs in elderly patients,it will be necessary to establish iPS cells from their tissues.To determine the feasibility of using this technology with elderly patients,we asked if it was indeed possible to establish iPS cells from the bone marrow(BM)of aged mice.BM cells from aged C57BL/6 mice carrying the green fluorescence protein(GFP)gene were cultured with granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor(GM-CSF)for 4 days.Four factors(Oct3/4,Sox2,Klf4 and c-Myc)were introduced into the BM-derived myeloid(BM-M)cells.The efficiency of generating iPS cells from aged BM cultured in GM-CSF was low.However,we succeeded in obtaining BM-M-iPS cells from aged C57BL/6 mice,which carried GFP.Our BM-M-iPS cells expressed SSEA-1 and Pou5f1 and were positive for alkaline phosphatase staining.The iPS cells did make teratoma with three germ layers following injection into syngeneic C57BL/6 mice,and can be differentiated to three germ layers in vitro.By co-culturing with OP9,the BM-M-iPS cells can be differentiated to the myeloid lineage.The differentiated BM-M-iPS cells proliferated well in the presence of GM-CSF,and lost expression of Nanog and Pou5f1,at least in part,due to methylation of their promoters.On the contrary,Tnf and Il1b gene expression was upregulated and their promoters were hypomethylated.
文摘Introduction of cover crops may improve the diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in roots and soil under crop rotational systems;therefore, it is necessary to determine the potential for AMF communities to improve sustainable food production. We investigated the impact of cover crops, including wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), pea (Pisum sativum L.), and hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth.), on the AMF communities in their roots in autumn and spring sowing seasons with PCR-DGGE analysis. Although all four cover crops impacted the AMF community structure in roots, the diversity of AMF communities was unchanged among crop type or sowing season. Redundancy analysis (RDA) demonstrated that AMF communities within crop type were significantly different. However, the AMF community structures were not influenced by growing season, suggesting that growth stage in crops may be more responsive to shaping AMF community structure in crop roots than host crop identity.
文摘The objectives of this study were to determine arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) community structure in colonized roots of soybean cultivated from Kanagawa and Hokkaido in Japan and to relate the community structure to environmental conditions, which included soil type, preceding crops, and soil chemical properties. The average number of AMF OTU (operational taxonomic unit) colonizing soybean roots collected from Kanagawa and Hokkaido was 11.2 and 5.8, respectively, a significant difference. Moreover, AMF from the family Gigasporasera was not identified in soybean roots collected from Hokkaido, suggesting that AMF in the family Gigasporasea is absent or rare in the soybean fields of sampled in Hokkaido. We postulate that the soil type, preceding crops or soil chemical properties are not the underlying factor differentiating AMF community structure colonizing in soybean roots between Kanagawa and Hokkaido. Instead we conclude that temperature and phosphate absorption coefficient are the determining factors of AMF OTU in this study.
基金supported by NIFS budgets NIFS10ULRR003,NIFS11ULRR703,and NIFS11PLRR302
文摘Two pairs of high-frequency magnetic probes were installed in the Large Helical Device （LHD）. During the injection of a perpendicular neutral beam, ion cyclotron emissions （ICEs） with the fundamental frequency corresponding to the ion cyclotron frequency at the plasma edge were detected, which are the same type of ICE as measured with the former spare ion cyclotron range of frequencies （ICRF） heating antennas. This type of ICE was further investigated with regard to the phase and intensity of signals. Another type of ICE was found in the LHD, and these ICEs were synchronized with bursts of toroidicity induced Alfv^n eigenmodes （TAE） and the rise of intensity of lost ion flux. Therefore the source of these ICEs was thought to be the particles transferred from the core to the outer region of plasma by the TAE bursts. The frequency of ICEs induced by the TAE bursts increases linearly with the magnetic field strength, since the ion cyclotron frequency increases with the magnetic field strength.
基金supported in part by the Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research from MEXT (No. 16082209)from JSPS (Nos. 21360457, 21340175,and 22-7912)+1 种基金the LHD project budget (NIFS09ULHH508)partially supported by the JSPS-CAS Core-University program in thefield of‘Plasma and Nuclear Fusion’
文摘Beam-ion losses induced by fast-ion-driven toroidal Alfven eigenmodes （TAE） were measured with a scintillator-based lost fast-ion probe （SLIP） in the large helical device （LHD）. The SLIP gave simultaneously the energy E and the pitch angle X=arccos（v///v） distribution of the lost fast ions. The loss fluxes were investigated for three typical magnetic configurations of Rax-vac=3.60 m, 3.75 m. and 3.90 m, where Rax-vac is the magnetic axis position of the vacuum field. Dominant losses induced by TAEs in these three configurations were observed in the E/X regions of 50-190 keV/40°, 40-170 keV/25°, and 30-190 keV/30°, respectively. Lost-ion fluxes induced by TAEs depend clearly on the amplitude of TAE magnetic fluctuations, Rax-vac and the toroidal field strength Bt. The increment of the loss fluxes has the dependence of （bTAE/Bt）s. The power s increases from s = 1 to 3 with the increase of the magnetic axis position in finite beta plasmas.
文摘New anticancer drugs are being increasingly used for advanced and recurrent gastric cancer in many institutions. Therefore, the relative importance of surgery may have changed, and there may also be controversy as to whether patients with stage IV gastric cancer should or not undergo surgical resection. The relevance of surgery in this population was studied. The relevance of surgery was studied in 304 cases of stage IV gastric cancer who were treated at KurumeUniversityHospitalfrom 1995 to 2009. Multivariate analysis showed that distant organ metastasis was significantly correlated with surgery. In stage IV cases, chemotherapy and the number of stage IV factors were independent prognostic factors. In surgery cases, venous invasion, chemotherapy, and residual tumor were independent prognostic factors. R0 was significantly higher in the surgery with chemotherapy group than in the chemotherapy alone group, but there was no significant difference in R1 or R2 cases between the surgery with chemotherapy group and the chemotherapy alone group. In R2 cases, use of a new drug was an independent prognostic factor. The rate of R0 was significantly higher in the preoperative chemotherapy group than in the surgery alone group. In preoperative chemotherapy cases, the S-1/cisplatin (CDDP) group had a 50% 2-year survival rate, and these cases underwent postoperative chemotherapy using the S-1 regimen. A multimodal treatment is considered most effective for stage IV gastric cancer, where this includes preoperative chemotherapy, surgery, and postoperative chemotherapy using the new anti-cancer drugs.
文摘Salt reduction policies have been implemented throughout the world as well as in Japan. However, most of the current questionnaires for estimating salt intake are apt to be based on empirical evidence. This study was aimed to develop and validate a questionnaire for predicting high salt intake based on salt usage using dietary behaviors that affect salt intake in cooperation with Niigata prefecture, Japan. The study was comprised of 760 participants aged 21 - 79 years (Men%: 49%) living in Niigata. Participants completed a questionnaire about dietary behaviors potentially relevant to salt intake. Second morning voiding urine for estimating dietary salt intake per day was collected on the same day. The relationship of estimated dietary salt intake to answers on the questionnaire was examined using analysis of covariance for age, gender, body mass index, and whether taking medication or not. Ten items on the questionnaire revealed an association with dietary salt intake per day: making oneself gorge on a meal, having ≥2 different staples per meal, having a 1-dish meal, number of simmered dishes per day, variety of pickled vegetables per day, having salt-cured fish eggs per day, quantity of soup consumed when eating noodles, preference for strong-tasting meals, frequency of eating out, and frequency of alcohol consumption.The current study identified 10 dietary behaviors that enabled the development of a salt intake questionnaire for identifying specific dietary behaviors for assessing regions and/or individuals when attempting to encourage salt reduction.
