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Electroporation is a complex, iterative, and nonlinear phenomenon often studied through numerical simulations. In recent years, simulations of tissue electroporation have been conducted with static models. However, the results of a static model simulation are restricted to a fixed protocol signature of the pulsed electric field. In this paper, we describe a novel dynamic model of tissue electroporation that also accounts for tissue dispersion and temperature to allow time-domain simulations. We have implemented the biological dispersion of potato tubers and thermal analysis in a commercial finite-element method software. A cell electroporation model was adapted to account for the increase in tissue conductivity. The model yielded 12 parameters divided into three dynamic states of electroporation. The thermal analysis describes the dependence of tissue conductivity on temperature. The model parameters were evaluated using experiments with vegetal tissue (Solanum tuberosum) under electrochemotherapy protocols. The proposed model can accurately predict the conductivity of tissue under electroporation from 100 to 1000 V/cm. A negligible thermal effect was observed at 1000 V/cm, with a temperature increase of 0.89 ° C. We believe that the proposed model is suitable to describe the electroporation at the tissue level and provides a hint of the effects on the cell membrane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The paratenon is a sheath-like connective tissue that allows the tendon to move with minimal friction. The careful removal of the paratenon along the cruciate ligaments is a critical step of knee surgery. Thus, orthopaedic surgeons and interventional radiologists consider the paratenon as a basic anatomical tissue along a ligament, not along a tendon.Materials and Methods: We performed macroscopic and histological observations of cruciate ligament-associated paratenons in 43 human foetuses.Results: This tissue usually had a thick armour-like appearance that was distant from the infrapatellar fat pad. The anterior cruciate ligament, rather than the posterior ligament, was deeply embedded in the paratenon. The paratenon contained abundant arteries and veins and, at and near the crossing between the cruciate ligaments, had a well-developed venous plexus. Notably, there were abundant fused veins in the paratenon venous plexus, and prenatal knee movements (especially rotation) seemed to restrict its blood supply, leading to the development of a large cavity by way of advancing fusion of veins in the degenerating plexus. This unique manner of cavitation likely expanded the joint cavity.Conclusions: Differences in knee movements in utero seemed to cause differences in the thickness of the paratenon among foetuses. New-borns might have limited knee flexion due to a mass-effect of the thick paratenon around the cruciate ligaments. A slight twisting or rotation at the knee may help to release the knee, because it can break the foetal paratenon and accelerate cavitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Irreversible electroporation is a treatment to control microorganisms in food without harming food palatable aspects. The treatment by electroporation is dependent on the electric field amplitude, pulse durations and pulse repetitions. This study was carried out as a further investigation on the effects of irreversible electroporation pulse amplitude on S. cerevisiae and methods to verify the occurrence of irreversible electroporation, such as cell viability hemocytometer, macroscopic impedance measurements, scanning electron microscopy and numerical simulations. Active yeasts in wine represent a small portion of the volume (< 10 8 cell/mL), which challenges macroscopic impedance analysis. Irreversible electroporation proved to reach active yeast limits established by standards within 500 kV/m. We detected a 15% increase in the in pulse current measurements for a 100-fold yeast viability decrease to 10 5 cells/ml. Scanning electron microscopic images show details of yeast surface damage which may be PEF-triggered. Electric fields above 1 MV/m on the cell wall and release of intracellular substance caused by membrane permeability increase may directly contribute to yeast inactivation. Electroporation combined with instantaneous current-voltage measurements may be an adequate procedure for reducing yeast numbers in the industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Differential and integral cross sections for electron-impact excitation of the dipole-allowed C 1Π and D 1Σ+ electronic states of nitrous oxide have been measured. The differential cross sections were determined by analysis of normalized energy-loss spectra obtained using a crossed-beam apparatus at six electron energies in the range 15–200 eV. Integral cross sections were subsequently derived from these data. The present work was undertaken in order to check both the validity of the only other comprehensive experimental study into these excitation processes [Marinkovic et al., J. Phys. B 32, 1949 (1998)] and to extend the energy range of those data. Agreement with the earlier data, particularly at the lower common energies, was typically found to be fair. In addition, the BEf-scaling approach [Kim, J. Chem. Phys. 126, 064305 (2007)] is used to calculate integral cross sections for the C 1Π and D 1Σ+ states, from their respective thresholds to 5000 eV. In general, good agreement is found between the experimental integral cross sections and those calculated within the BEf-scaling paradigm, the only exception being at the lowest energies of this study. Finally, optical oscillator strengths, also determined as a part of the present investigations, were found to be in fair accordance with previous corresponding determinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A compact nonvolatile programmable switch (NVPS) using 90 nm CMOS technology together with perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction (p-MTJ) devices is fabricated for zero-standby-power field-programmable gate array. Because routing information does not change once it is programmed into an NVPS, high-speed read and write accesses are not required and a write-control transistor can be shared among all the NVPSs, which greatly simplifies structure of the NVPS. In fact, the effective area of the proposed NVPS is reduced by 40% compared to that of a conventional MTJ-based NVPS. The instant on/off behavior without external nonvolatile memory access is also demonstrated using the fabricated test chip. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report discovery of the lowestmass ratio exoplanet to be found by themicrolensingmethod in the light curve of the event OGLE 2016-BLG-1195. This planet revealed itself as a small deviation from a microlensing single lens profile from an examination of the survey data. The duration of the planetary signal is ~2.5 h. The measured ratio of the planet mass to its host star is q = 4.2 ± 0.7 × 10-5. We further estimate that the lens system is likely to comprise a cold ~3 Earth mass planet in an ~2 au wide orbit around a 0.2 Solar mass star at an overall distance of 7.1 kpc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Imaging technologies based on terahertz (THz) waves have great potential for use in powerful non-invasive inspection methods. However, most real objects have various three-dimensional curvatures and existing THz technologies often encounter difficulties in imaging such configurations, which limits the useful range of THz imaging applications. Here, we report the development of a flexible and wearable THz scanner based on carbon nanotubes. We achieved room-temperature THz detection over a broad frequency band ranging from 0.14 to 39 THz and developed a portable THz scanner. Using this scanner, we performed THz imaging of samples concealed behind opaque objects, breakages and metal impurities of a bent film and multi-view scans of a syringe. We demonstrated a passive biometric THz scan of a human hand. Our results are expected to have considerable implications for non-destructive and non-contact inspections, such as medical examinations for the continuous monitoring of health conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtual field‐programmable gate array (FPGA) is an emerging technology to put multiple users in the same FPGA fabric with logical isolation. Security researchers have studied new threats in virtual FPGA and proposed attacks on the logical isolation by exploiting analogue natures of FPGA. These attacks use an oscillator comprising a combinatorial loop to have access to the analogue domain using digital components only. Interestingly, the system in the field prohibits a combinatorial loop by a design rule check. In this Letter, the authors study if prohibiting a combinatorial loop is sufficient to thwart the conventional attacks. They negatively answer the question by showing oscillators without a combinatorial loop. They also show how to detect and reject the proposed oscillators by a design rule check. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single-cell electroporation with electrolytefilled capillary is a selective technique that affects the target cell without any consequences for the neighbouring cells. Inhomogeneous electric field caused by interaction of capillary, cell and environment in the experiment make the optimization setup difficult for DNA transfection efficiency. A electroporation model of membrane conductivity with experimental parameters was used to analyze the influence of cell-to-tip distance, cell-capillary dimensions relation, electrolyte and cytoplasm conductivity, and strength of the pulses on electroporation. Simulation results demonstrate that the nonlinear electric field distribution on cell membrane depends on tip-to-cell distance and may be the cause of cell survival. The electroporation with capillary are affected by the external medium, relation between the cell and capillary radius, tip-to-cell distance, and strength of the applied potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What is known and objective: Linezolid (LZD) is an oxazolidinone antibiotic that is active against Gram-positive bacteria including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin- resistant enterococci. The major adverse effect related to its use in humans is reversible myelosuppression, which mostly manifests as thrombocytopenia. This retrospective study was conducted to identify risk factors that might contribute towards the development of thrombocytopenia due to intravenous administration of LZD. Method: Patients who were administered LZD between January 2008 and March 2013 were included. Thrombocytopenia was defined as a decrease in platelet count of =10 3 104 cell/lL from baseline or of =30%. Results: A total of 47 patients were included in this study. These patients were divided into two groups: 22 patients (468%) were assigned to a non-thrombocytopenia group and 25 patients (532%) to a thrombocytopenia group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed significant intergroup differences in duration of LZD treatment [odds ratio (OR) = 1278; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1068-1529; P = 0007] and white blood cell (WBC) count (>12000 cells/lL; OR = 10399; 95% CI = 1667-64882; P = 0012). What is new and conclusions: This finding suggests that duration of LZD treatment and WBC count (>12000 cells/lL) are risk factors associated with thrombocytopenia resulting from LZD administration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated T/natural-killer lymphoproliferative disorders form a group of diseases that includes classical and systemic hydroa vacciniforme (HV) and hypersensitivity to mosquito bites (HMB). Patients with systemic HV (sHV) and HMB often have a poor prognosis, although little is known about the prognostic factors. Objectives To elucidate the prognostic factors of HV and HMB. Methods We studied clinicopathological manifestations, routine laboratory findings, anti-EBV titres, EBV DNA load and EBV-encoded gene expression, including expression of BZLF1, in 50 patients with classical HV (cHV), sHV, HMB only and HMB with HV (HMB + HV), and further analysed 30 patients who were available for follow-up. Results The median age of disease onset was 5 years (range 1-74). A follow-up study indicated that fatal outcomes were observed in three of eight patients with sHV, two of six patients with HMB only, and two of five patients with HMB + HV. The main causes of death were complications from haematopoietic stem-cell transplantation and multiorgan failure. There were no fatalities among the 11 patients with cHV. Univariate analysis revealed two poor prognostic indicators: (i) onset age > 9 years and (ii) the expression of an EBV-encoded immediate-early gene transcript, BZLF1 mRNA, in the skin lesions ( P < 0·001 and P = 0·003, respectively). Conclusions No prognostic correlation was observed in EBV-infected lymphocyte subsets, anti-EBV antibody titres or EBV DNA load. Late onset and EBV reactivation are both related to more severe phenotypes of the disease, and thus may predict a poor prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A variation‐resilient single‐ended six‐input lookup table circuit, which makes it possible to implement any arbitrary six‐input logic gates, is proposed. Since operating point is optimally tuned by the redundant magnetic tunnel junction devices after chip fabrication, adequate p‐channel metal‐oxide semiconductor (PMOS) feedback can be performed, which results in variation‐resilient, energy‐efficient operation. In fact, the energy consumption of the proposed circuit is 66% smaller than that of the conventional single‐ended circuit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the first microlensing candidate for a free-floating exoplanet-exomoon system, MOA-2011-BLG-262, with a primary lens mass of Mhost ∼ 4 Jupiter masses hosting a sub-Earth mass moon. The argument for an exomoon hinges on the system being relatively close to the Sun. The data constrain the product MLπrel where ML is the lens system mass and πrel is the lens-source relative parallax. If the lens system is nearby (large πrel), then ML is small (a few Jupiter masses) and the companion is a sub-Earth-mass exomoon. The best-fit solution has a large lens-source relative proper motion, μrel = 19.6 ± 1.6 mas yr–1, which would rule out a distant lens system unless the source star has an unusually high proper motion. However, data from the OGLE collaboration nearly rule out a high source proper motion, so the exoplanet+exomoon model is the favored interpretation for the best fit model. However, there is an alternate solution that has a lower proper motion and fits the data almost as well. This solution is compatible with a distant (so stellar) host. A Bayesian analysis does not favor the exoplanet+exomoon interpretation, so Occam's razor favors a lens system in the bulge with host and companion masses of and , at a projected separation of AU. The existence of this degeneracy is an unlucky accident, so current microlensing experiments are in principle sensitive to exomoons. In some circumstances, it will be possible to definitively establish the mass of such lens systems through the microlensing parallax effect. Future experiments will be sensitive to less extreme exomoons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to examine anatomical properties of the adductor magnus through a detailed classification, and to hypothesize its function and size to gather enough information about morphology. Ten cadaveric specimens of the adductor magnus were used. The muscle was separated into four portios ( AM1- AM4) based on the courses of the corresponding perforating arteries, and its volume, muscle length, muscle fiber length and physiological cross-sectional area were assessed. The architectural characteristics of these four portions of the adductor magnus were then classified with the aid of principal component analysis. The results led us into demarcating the most proximal part of the adductor magnus ( AM1) from the remaining parts ( AM2, AM3, and AM4). Classification of the adductor magnus in terms of architectural characteristics differed from the more traditional anatomical distinction. The AM2, AM3, and AM4, having longer muscle fiber lengths than the AM1, appear to be designed as displacers for moving the thigh through a large range of motion. The AM1 appears instead to be oriented principally toward stabilizing the hip joint. The large mass of the adductor magnus should thus be regarded as a complex of functionally differentiable muscle portions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the analysis of the high microlensing event MOA-2008-BLG-379, which has a strong microlensing anomaly at its peak due to a massive planet with a mass ratio of q = 6.9 × 10–3. Because the faint source star crosses the large resonant caustic, the planetary signal dominates the light curve. This is unusual for planetary microlensing events, and as a result, the planetary nature of this light curve was not immediately noticed. The planetary nature of the event was found when the Microlensing Observations in Astrophysics (MOA) Collaboration conducted a systematic study of binary microlensing events previously identified by the MOA alert system. We have conducted a Bayesian analysis based on a standard Galactic model to estimate the physical parameters of the lens system. This yields a host star mass of orbited by a planet of mass at an orbital separation of AU at a distance of kpc. The faint source magnitude of IS = 21.30 and relatively high lens-source relative proper motion of μrel = 7.6 ± 1.6 mas yr–1 imply that high angular resolution adaptive optics or HubbleSpaceTelescope observations are likely to be able to detect the source star, which would determine the masses and distance of the planet and its host star. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Idiopathic pneumonia syndrome (IPS) is a critical complication following allogeneic hematopoietic SCT (HSCT); however, few reports have analyzed the risk factors for IPS in children. A total of 210 consecutive pediatric patients, including 131 boys and 79 girls, with various hematologic malignancies, aplastic anemia or solid tumors who underwent allogeneic HSCT were analyzed to clarify the incidence and risk factors for IPS. Patient and transplantation characteristics after allogeneic HSCT were compared between patients with and without IPS. Cumulative incidence rates of IPS 120 days after allogeneic HSCT were 6.7% (14/210). Of 14 patients with IPS, 11 (78.6%) died after developing IPS. The presence of prior HSCT was more frequent in patients with IPS (IPS group) than in those without IPS (non-IPS group; 35.7 vs 12.8%, respectively, P=0.018). The IPS group contained more patients with acute GVHD (grade II-IV) than the non-IPS group (50.0 vs 18.9%, respectively, P=0.006). The association of these two factors with IPS was further confirmed by multivariate analysis. We should be aware of these risk factors in patients who have undergone allogeneic HSCT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present measurements of the microlensing optical depth and event rate toward the Galactic Bulge (GB) based on two years of the MOA-II survey. This sample contains ∼1000 microlensing events, with an Einstein radius crossing time of tE ⩽ 200 days in 22 bulge fields covering ∼42 deg2 between –5° < l < 10° and –7° < b < –1°. Our event rate and optical depth analysis uses 474 events with well-defined microlensing parameters. In the central fields with |l| < 5°, we find an event rate of Γ = [2.39 ± 1.1]e[0.60 ± 0.05](3 – |b|) × 10–5 star–1 yr–1 and an optical depth (for events with tE ⩽ 200 days) of τ200 = [2.35 ± 0.18]e[0.51 ± 0.07](3 – |b|) × 10–6 for the 427 events, using all sources brighter than Is ⩽ 20 mag. The distribution of observed fields is centered at (l, b) = (0.°38, –3.°72). We find that the event rate is maximized at low latitudes and a longitude of l ≈ 1°. For the 111 events in 3.2 deg2 of the central GB at |b| ⩽ 3.°0 and 0.°0 ⩽ l ⩽ 2.°0, centered at (l, b) = (0.°97, –2.°26), we find star–1 yr–1 and . We also consider a red clump giant (RCG) star sample with Is < 17.5, and we find that the event rate for the RCG sample is slightly lower than but consistent with the all-source event rate. The main difference is the lack of long duration events in the RCG sample due to a known selection effect. Our results are consistent with previous optical depth measurements, but they are somewhat lower than previous all-source measurements, and slightly higher than previous RCG optical depth measurements. This suggests that the previously observed difference in optical depth measurements between all-source and RCG samples may largely be due to statistical fluctuations. These event rate measurements toward the central GB are necessary to predict the microlensing event rate and to optimize the survey fields in future space missions such as Wide Field Infrared Space Telescope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Age-dating of single plutonium oxide particles ∼ 1 µm in diameter was demonstrated using eight particles. For this demonstration, the particles were prepared from a standard reference material SRM-947 that had been stored for 3.9 years since the last Pu purification. The Pu particles were separately dissolved, and Am and Pu were chemically separated from the solution viaanion-exchange chromatography. The isotope ratios of Am and Pu in the eluted fractions were measured using a high-resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (HR-ICP-MS). The precision and accuracy of the Pu age were improved through the addition of an 243Am spike to the sample solutions and by the trace chemical separation of Pu and Am. The determined age in this work was in good agreement with the expected age with high accuracy (deviation: 7.1-105 days) and precision (uncertainty: 0.16-0.5 years ( k = 1)). These results indicate that a combination of ICP-MS and chemical separation after spiking with 243Am provides an effective tool for the analysis of environmental samples collected during nuclear safeguard inspections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on high-resolution spectra obtained during gravitationalmicrolensing events we present a detailed elemental abundance analysis of 32 dwarf and subgiant stars in the Galactic bulge. Combined with the sample of 26 stars from the previous papers in this series, we now have 58 microlensed bulge dwarfs and subgiants that have been homogeneously analysed. The main characteristics of the sample and the findings that can be drawn are: (i) the metallicity distribution (MDF) is wide and spans all metallicities between [Fe/H] = -1.9 to +0.6; (ii) the dip in the MDF around solar metallicity that was apparent in our previous analysis of a smaller sample (26 microlensed stars) is no longer evident; instead it has a complex structure and indications of multiple components are starting to emerge. A tentative interpretation is that there could be different stellar populations at interplay, each with a different scale height: the thin disk, the thick disk, and a bar population; (iii) the stars with [Fe/H]≲ -0.1 are old with ages between 10 and 12 Gyr; (iv) the metal-rich stars with [Fe/H] ≳ -0.1 show a wide variety of ages, ranging from 2 to 12 Gyr with a distribution that has a dominant peak around 4-5 Gyr and a tail towards higher ages; (v) there are indications in the [α/Fe] - [Fe/H] abundance trends that the "knee" occurs around [Fe/H] = -0.3 to -0.2, which is a slightly higher metallicity as compared to the "knee" for the local thick disk. This suggests that the chemical enrichment of the metal-poor bulge has been somewhat faster than what is observed for the local thick disk. The results from the microlensed bulge dwarf stars in combination with other findings in the literature, in particular the evidence that the bulge has cylindrical rotation, indicate that the Milky Way could be an almost pure disk galaxy. The bulge would then just be a conglomerate of the other Galactic stellar populations (thin disk, thick disk, halo, and ...?), residing together in the central parts of the Galaxy, influenced by the Galactic bar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study we aimed to clarify the effect of passive exercise with blood flow restriction on the cross-sectional area (CSA) and muscle strength around the knee joint. Seven male college swimmers (Age: 19.1±1.1 yr) volunteered to participate in this study. The right leg of all subjects was assigned to the control condition (CON) and the left leg was assigned to passive exercise with blood flow restriction conditions (PEB). In the PEB leg, passive exercise was performed 3 days per week for 8 weeks. The passive exercise consisted of 3 or 4 sets of repeated (150 times) passive knee extension and flexion using a Biodex unit, separated by 3-minute intervals. Before and after the experimental period, the knee extensor-flexor muscle strength was evaluated in the following settings: concentric contraction at angular speeds of 60, 180 and 300 deg⋅s-1 (CC60, 180 and 300), eccentric contraction at angular speeds of 60 and 180 deg⋅s-1, and isometric contraction. Both knee extensor and flexor muscle CSA was also analyzed with MRI before and after the experimental period. In the knee extensor torque, the extent of increase in strength at CC60 was significantly higher (p<0.05) in the PEB legs (16.1±11.5% than the CON legs (4.6±4.8%). Although the CSA of knee extensor and flexor muscles was significantly increased after the experimental period in the both legs (p<0.01, respectively), the percent changes in the CSA of the knee extensor muscles were significantly (p<0.05) higher in the PEB legs (5.2±2.5%) than the CON legs (2.5±1.5). Passive exercise with blood flow restriction could be an effective intervention to increase both muscle volume and strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The reconstruction technique to individually reconstruct multi-bundles of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) has been improved in the last decade. For further improvement of the technique, the present study was conducted to determine the force sharing among the three bundles (the medial and lateral bundles (AMM and AML) of the anteromedial (AM) bundle and the posterlateral (PL) bundle) of the human ACL in response to hyperextension, passive flexion-extension and anterior force to the knee. Methods: Using a 6-DOF robotic system, the human cadaveric knee specimens were subjected to hyperextension, passive flexion-extension and anterior-posterior tests, while recording the 6-DOF motion and force/moment of the knees. The intact knee motions recorded during the tests were reproduced after sequential bundle transection to determine the bundle forces. Results: The bundle forces were around 10 N at 5 N-m of hyperextension and remained less than 5 N during passive flexion-extension. In response to 100 N of anterior force, the AMM and PL bundle forces were slightly higher than the AML bundle force at full extension. The AMM bundle force remained at a high level up to 90° of flexion, with significant differences versus the AML bundle force at 15°, 30° and 60° of flexion and the PL bundle force at 90° of flexion. Conclusion: The AMM bundle is the primary stabilizer to tibial anterior drawer through wide range of motion, while the AML bundle is the secondary stabilizer in deep flexion angles. The PL bundle is the crucial stabilizer to hyperextension as well as tibial anterior drawer at full extension. Level of evidence: Prognostic study, Level II. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the discovery and mass measurement of the cold, low-mass planet MOA-2009-BLG-266Lb, performed with the gravitational microlensing method. This planet has a mass of mp = 10.4 ± 1.7 M⊙ and orbits a star of mass M✭ = 0.56 ± 0.09 M⊙ at a semimajor axis of a = Due to image rights restrictions, multiple line equation(s) cannot be graphically displayed. AU and an orbital period of P = Due to image rights restrictions, multiple line equation(s) cannot be graphically displayed. yrs. The planet and host star mass measurements are enabled by the measurement of the microlensing parallax effect, which is seen primarily in the light curve distortion due to the orbital motion of the Earth. But the analysis also demonstrates the capability to measure the microlensing parallax with the Deep Impact (or EPOXI) spacecraft in a heliocentric orbit. The planet mass and orbital distance are similar to predictions for the critical core mass needed to accrete a substantial gaseous envelope, and thus may indicate that this planet is a "failed" gas giant. This and future microlensing detections will test planet formation theory predictions regarding the prevalence and masses of such planets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lumbar foraminal stenosis is a troublesome disease. Decompression of the whole length of the nerve root from the spinal canal to extraforaminal zone is often a surgical requirement due to the difficulty in identifying the nerve compression site before surgery, making preservation of the posterior elements difficult. The authors report a minimally invasive microendoscopic technique for lumbar foraminal stenosis to decompress the entire length of the nerve root from the spinal canal to the extraforaminal zone while preserving the posterior elements. Surgical Procedure: A tubular retractor is inserted towards the base of the transverse process of the upper vertebra with the retractor tilted inward at a 45-degree angle or greater. Approximately one-third of the pedicle is resected caudally from the base of the transverse process to the spinal canal. After identification of the nerve root, compression factors around the nerve are excised from the spinal canal to the extraforaminal zone without damaging posterior elements such as the facet joints and pars interarticularis. Results: We treated 6 patients with lumbar foraminal stenosis using this procedure. There were no complications during the operation, and satisfactory results were obtained in all cases. Conclusions: This microendoscopic technique proved to be useful for the treatment of lumbar foraminal stenosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ankle taping is convenient fixation for ankle instability after lateral ligament injury. There are many reports on ankle taping regarding stability or limitation of plantar/ dorsiflexion or inversion/ eversion. However, no studies have been conducted on the effect of rotatory instability. The biomechanical effect of ankle taping on rotatory instability was examined for lateral ligament injury. Using 8 fresh frozen legs, we made a ligament injury model by sequential cut of the anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) and the calcaneofibular ligament (CFL). Each injury model was applied to 39.2N of anterior traction for dorsiflexion and 19.6Nm of torque for internal rotation in the condition of "unfixed", "taping" and "plaster cast". Three dimensional measurements were performed by a magnetic tracking system (3space, Polhemus). Both in the ATFL and ATFL+CFL injury model, the dorsiflexion angle of taping (17.1±4.2° and 17.4±3.5°) was significantly larger than that of plaster cast (9.6±3.2° and 11.9±3.2°) (p<0.05). On the other hand, the internal rotation angle of taping was significantly smaller (7.0±1.6° and 7.7±2.4°) than that of unfixed (17.1± 4.2°and 17.4±3.5°), and there was no significant difference between taping and plaster cast fixation. These results indicate that the limitation of dorsiflexion by taping is less than that by plaster cast and is a good stabilizer for internal rotation instability in the same way as that by plaster cast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

$ \beta$ -decay spectroscopy on a Tz = - 2 proton-rich nucleus 24Si was performed. The decay scheme of 24Si was reconstructed by the $ \beta$ -delayed $ \gamma$ -ray and proton measurements. Two $ \beta$ branches to the bound 11 + and 12 + states in 24Al were observed for the first time. The observation of the allowed transition firmly established the spin-parity assignment for the 12 + states. The branching ratios to the 11 + and 12 + states were determined to be 31(4)% and 23.9(15)%, respectively. The branching ratios to three unbound states in 24Al including a new level at 6.735MeV were also determined for the first time. The level structure of 24Al was compared with its mirror nucleus 24Na . The Thomas-Ehrman shift on the 12 + state indicates s -wave dominance in the state as well as a characteristic behavior of the weakly bound s -wave proton in 24Al . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have measured the lifetime of the first excited 2+ state in 18C using an upgraded recoil shadow method to determine the electric quadrupole transition. The measured mean lifetime is 18.9±0.9 (stat)±4.4 (syst) ps, corresponding to B( E2;21 + $ \rightarrow$ 0+ gs) = 4.3±0.2±1.0 e2 fm^4, or about 1.5 Weisskopf units. The mean lifetime of the first 2+ state in 16C was remeasured to be 18.3±1.4±4.8 ps, about four times shorter than the value reported previously. The discrepancy is explained by incorporating the $ \gamma$ -ray angular distribution obtained in this work into the previous measurement. The observed transition strengths in 16, 18C are hindered compared to the empirical values, indicating that the anomalous E2 strength observed in 16C persists in 18C . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In-beam $ \gamma$ -ray spectroscopy of high-spin states in 49-51Ti was performed via the fusion-evaporation reaction using a radioactive beam. By excitation function and $ \gamma$ - $ \gamma$ coincidence analysis, yrast high-spin levels up to I = (21/2-),(11+),(17/2-) in 49-51Ti were determined. The levels were compared with full- pf -shell model calculation. The level structure indicates the persistency of the N = 28 shell gap at yrast states in 49-51Ti . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is currently insufficient evidence to recommend a low-protein diet for type 2 diabetic patients with diabetic nephropathy. We assessed whether a low-protein diet could prevent the progression of diabetic nephropathy. This was a multi-site parallel randomised controlled trial for prevention of diabetic nephropathy progression among 112 Japanese type 2 diabetic patients with overt nephropathy. It was conducted in Japan from 1 December 1997 to 30 April 2006. The participants were randomly assigned using a central computer-generated schedule to either low-protein diet (0.8 g kg−1 day−1) and normal-protein diet (1.2 g kg−1 day−1), and were followed for 5 years. The participants and investigators were not blinded to the assignment. The primary outcomes were the annual change in estimated GFR and creatinine clearance, the incidence of doubling of serum creatinine and the time to doubling of baseline serum creatinine. The study was completed by 47 (84%) of 56 participants in the low-protein diet group and 41 (73%) of 56 participants in the normal-diet group. During the study period, the difference in mean annual change in estimated GFR between the low-protein diet and the normal-protein diet groups was −0.3 ml min−1 1.73 m−2 (95% CI −3.9, 4.4; p = 0.93). The difference in mean annual change in creatinine clearance between the low-protein diet and the normal-protein diet groups was −0.006 ml s−1 1.73 m−2 (95% CI −0.089, 0.112; p = 0.80). A doubling of serum creatinine was reached in 16 patients of the low-protein group (34.0%), compared with 15 in the normal-protein group (36.6%), the difference between groups being −2.6% (95% CI −22.6, 17.5; p = 0.80). The time to doubling of serum creatinine was similar in both groups ( p = 0.66). It is extremely difficult to get patients to follow a long-term low-protein diet. Although in the low-protein group overall protein intake was slightly (but not significantly) lower, it did not confer renoprotection. Clinical trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00448526 Funding: Research grant from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Allergic diseases such as asthma and allergic rhinitis are major causes of morbidity in developed countries. The pathology underlying allergic respiratory diseases is considered to be IgE-mediated type I allergy characterized by mucosal inflammation that occurs in response to allergen exposure. They are common diseases involving a complex inheritance. Complement systems are known to play an important role in allergic diseases. Decay-accelerating factor (DAF) is important for the regulation of the complement system and is a good candidate for determining the susceptibility to allergic diseases. Objective The present study aimed to investigate whether polymorphisms in the DAF gene are associated with allergic respiratory diseases in the Japanese population. Methods We performed mutation screenings of DAF and conducted a tag single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) association analysis for 684 unrelated adult individuals with seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR) with Japanese ceder pollen, 188 mite-sensitive adults with asthma, and 346 unrelated non-allergic healthy controls. Results DAF is located in the tight linkage disequilibrium (LD) block spanning 62 kb. The tag SNP analysis revealed that rs10746463 was significantly associated with SAR ( P=0.00033) and mite-sensitive adult asthma ( P=0.044). The rs2564978 and rs3841376 haplotypes, which are located in the promoter region of DAF, were in complete LD with rs10746463 ( r2=1). Luciferase reporter assays with constructs containing the 5′ flanking regions of DAF showed that the plasmid with rs2564978 C/rs3841376 deletion (the risk haplotype) had a statistically significantly lower transcriptional activity than that containing the rs2564978 T/rs3841376 insertion. Conclusions Our results suggest that DAF is one of the genes involved in conferring susceptibility to allergic respiratory diseases and show that decreased levels of DAF may be associated with the enhanced specific IgE responses occurring in allergic diseases in the Japanese population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]