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Accelerator-based boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) systems employing a solid-state lithium target indicated the reduction of neutron flux over the lifetime of a target, and its reduction could represent the neutron flux model. This study proposes a novel compensatory approach for delivering the required neutron fluence and validates its clinical applicability. The proposed approach relies on the neutron flux model and the cumulative sum of real-time measurements of proton charges. The accuracy of delivering the required neutron fluence for BNCT using the proposed approach was examined in five Li targets. With the proposed approach, the required neutron fluence could be delivered within 3.0%, and within 1.0% in most cases. However, those without using the proposed approach exceeded 3.0% in some cases. The proposed approach can consider the neutron flux reduction adequately and decrease the effect of uncertainty in neutron measurements. Therefore, the proposed approach can improve the accuracy of delivering the required fluence for BNCT even if a neutron flux reduction is expected during treatment and over the lifetime of the Li target. Additionally, by adequately revising the approach, it may apply to other type of BNCT systems employing a Li target, furthering research in this direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is generally believed that water droplets on (super)hydrophilic surfaces is spread and strongly pin to the surface. The surface chemistry that achieves the paradoxical surface properties of being statically very hydrophilic, but exhibiting outstanding water sliding properties, has not yet established. Here, a facile approach to prepare such unusual surfaces based on a combination of a sol–gel process using an organosilane containing polyethylene glycol units and tetraethoxysilane, and subsequent alkali‐treatment is reported. The resulting sol–gel thin films are smooth, transparent, hydrophilic (static contact angle (CA) (θS) of ≈37°) and show a liquid‐like nature with both low CA hysteresis (≈4°) and sliding angle (α) for 10 µL water droplets (≈10°). Surprisingly, after alkali‐treatment for sufficient time, the surface becomes very hydrophilic (θS of ≈14°) while improving its dynamic wetting behaviors (CA hysteresis of ≈3° and α for 10 µL water droplet of ≈4°), such that even a mere 0.5 µL water drop can slide down smoothly without pinning and/or tailing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Muscle atrophy due to fragility fractures or frailty worsens not only activity of daily living and healthy life expectancy, but decreases life expectancy. Although several therapeutic agents for muscle atrophy have been investigated, none is yet in clinical use. Here we report that bezafibrate, a drug used to treat hyperlipidemia, can reduce immobilization-induced muscle atrophy in mice. Specifically, we used a drug repositioning approach to screen 144 drugs already utilized clinically for their ability to inhibit serum starvation-induced elevation of Atrogin-1, a factor related to muscle atrophy, in myotubes in vitro. Two candidates were selected, and here we demonstrate that one of them, bezafibrate, significantly reduced muscle atrophy in an in vivo model of muscle atrophy induced by leg immobilization. In gastrocnemius muscle, immobilization reduced muscle weight by an average of ~ 17.2%, and bezafibrate treatment prevented ~ 40.5% of that atrophy. In vitro, bezafibrate significantly inhibited expression of the inflammatory cytokine Tnfa in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW264.7 cells, a murine macrophage line. Finally, we show that expression of Tnfa and IL-1b is induced in gastrocnemius muscle in the leg immobilization model, an activity significantly antagonized by bezafibrate administration in vivo. We conclude that bezafibrate could serve as a therapeutic agent for immobilization-induced muscle atrophy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We introduce the coupled Ricci–Calabi functional and the coupled H-functional which measure how far a Kähler metric is from a coupled Kähler–Einstein metric in the sense of Hultgren–Witt Nyström. We first give corresponding moment weight type inequalities which estimate each functional in terms of algebraic invariants. Secondly, we give corresponding Hessian formulas for these functionals at each critical point, which have an application to a Matsushima type obstruction theorem for the existence of a coupled Kähler–Einstein metric. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key Clinical Message: If a foreign body is seen on chest or abdominal radiographs, accidental aspiration or ingestion of a dental‐related foreign body may be suspected. This report describes a case in which vascular embolization coils seen on radiography were suspected to represent a swallowed dental prosthesis. A 72‐year‐old man with a history of endovascular embolization of portosystemic shunt was admitted for mandibular fracture. On hospital day 2, a foreign body was noted on chest radiographs taken to confirm pleural effusion. No foreign body had been evident on radiographs of the same area the previous day. The foreign body was suspected to be a dental prosthesis, but intraoral examination ruled out this possibility, and the foreign body turned out to be metal coils used to embolize the shunt. Dentists and oral surgeons should be aware that medical devices such as vascular embolization coils can produce images similar to a dental‐related foreign body on chest or abdominal radiographs, and dental‐related foreign body ingestion or aspiration should be considered in the differential diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The tachinid fly Drino inconspicuoides parasitizes various lepidopteran larvae, including Noctuidae and Nymphalidae. The adult female oviposits the eggs on the surface of the host, and the hatched larvae immediately penetrate into the host hemocoel and develop there during the larval stage. The caterpillar possesses immune defense mechanisms to eliminate such invaders, but the tachinid larva can avoid these defenses. Within 24 h, the parasitizing larva is surrounded by a black pigmented structure called the "funnel", and the larva and the funnel are wrapped with a cottony structure called the "cloak". The funnel is a physically rigid structure that penetrates the epidermis of the host, allowing the larva to breathe through contact with the outside air. This study aimed to clarify the function of the cloak, which has not previously been elucidated. Our findings suggest that formation of the funnel generates ROS, but that these are detoxified in the cloak to enhance the survival of the tachinid larva. The funnel and cloak are composed of host cells. Our study provides insight into the parasitic strategy of a tachinid fly by through which it ingeniously diverts host cells. Drino inconspicuoides (Diptera: Tachinidae) is an endoparasitoid that develops inside the lepidopteran host. When the larva of D. inconspicuoides penetrates into the host, Mythimna separata (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), the larva creates a cap-like structure, called the funnel, by using host hemocytes, forming a respiratory attachment to permit efficient respiration. A newly described cloudy and cottony structure, called the "cloak", is formed outside the funnel within 24 h of parasitism. The cloak contains the host fat body and hemocytes. In this study, we aimed to clarify the function of the cloak, which has to date remained unknown. We hypothesized that the funnel generates reactive oxygen species (ROS) through melanization, and that the cloak detoxifies them. We confirmed that the black pigments of the funnel were caused by melanization, which inevitably generates ROS that are potentially harmful to the D. inconspicuoides larva inside the funnel. The cloak showed high activities of antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase. These results suggest that the cloak scavenged the ROS from the melanized funnel through the diversion of antioxidant enzymes in the fat body, thereby protecting the D. inconspicuoides larva from oxidative damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is no standard method of bronchoscopic local therapy for tracheal tumours. We herein present a case involving a 61‐year‐old woman who was diagnosed with tracheal mucosa‐associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma and underwent resection by a bronchoscopic high‐frequency electrosurgical snare. Few reports to date have described such use of high‐frequency electrosurgical snares; however, they are effective for the treatment of tracheal tumours, especially pedunculated tumours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Phase-contrast cine cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) quantifies global coronary flow reserve (CFR) by measuring blood flow in the coronary sinus (CS), allowing assessment of the entire coronary circulation. However, the complementary prognostic value of stress perfusion CMR and global CFR in long-term follow-up has yet to be investigated. This study aimed to investigate the complementary prognostic value of stress myocardial perfusion imaging and global CFR derived from CMR in patients with suspected or known coronary artery disease (CAD) during long-term follow-up. Methods: Participants comprised 933 patients with suspected or known CAD who underwent comprehensive CMR. Major adverse cardiac events (MACE) comprised cardiac death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, unstable angina, hospitalization for heart failure, stroke, ventricular arrhythmia, and late revascularization. Results: During follow-up (median, 5.3 years), there were 223 MACE. Kaplan–Meier curve analysis revealed a significant difference in event-free survival among tertile groups for global CFR (log-rank, p < 0.001) and between patients with and without ischemia (p < 0.001). The combination of stress perfusion CMR and global CFR enhanced risk stratification (p < 0.001 for overall), and prognoses were comparable between the subgroup with ischemia and no impaired CFR and the subgroup with no ischemia and impaired CFR (p = 0.731). Multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression analysis showed that impaired CFR remained a significant predictor for MACE (hazard ratio, 1.6; p = 0.002) when adjusted for coronary risk factors and CMR predictors, including ischemia. The addition of impaired CFR to coronary risk factors and ischemia significantly increased the global chi-square value from 88 to 109 (p < 0.001). Continuous net reclassification improvement and integrated discrimination with the addition of global CFR to coronary risk factors plus ischemia improved to 0.352 (p < 0.001) and 0.017 (p < 0.001), respectively. Conclusions: During long-term follow-up, stress perfusion CMR and global CFR derived from CS flow measurement provided complementary prognostic value for prediction of cardiovascular events. Microvascular dysfunction or diffuse atherosclerosis as shown by impaired global CFR may play a role as important as that of ischemia due to epicardial coronary stenosis in the risk stratification of CAD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) has recently been used in clinical oncology thanks to recent developments of accelerator‐based BNCT systems. Although there are some specific processes for BNCT, they have not yet been discussed in detail. Purpose: The aim of this study is to provide comprehensive data on the risk of accelerator‐based BNCT system to institutions planning to implement an accelerator‐based BNCT system. Methods: In this study, failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) was performed based on a treatment process map prepared for the accelerator‐based BNCT system. A multidisciplinary team consisting of a medical doctor (MD), a registered nurse (RN), two medical physicists (MP), and three radiologic technologists (RT) identified the failure modes (FMs). Occurrence (O), severity (S), and detectability (D) were scored on a scale of 10, respectively. For each failure mode (FM), risk priority number (RPN) was calculated by multiplying the values of O, S, and D, and it was then categorized as high risk, very high risk, and other. Additionally, FMs were statistically compared in terms of countermeasures, associated occupations, and whether or not they were the patient‐derived. Results: The identified FMs for BNCT were 165 in which 30 and 17 FMs were classified as high risk and very high risk, respectively. Additionally, 71 FMs were accelerator‐based BNCT‐specific FMs in which 18 and 5 FMs were classified as high risk and very high risk, respectively. The FMs for which countermeasures were "Education" or "Confirmation" were statistically significantly higher for S than the others (p = 0.019). As the number of BNCT facilities is expected to increase, staff education is even more important. Comparing patient‐derived and other FMs, O tended to be higher in patient‐derived FMs. This could be because the non‐patient‐derived FMs included events that could be controlled by software, whereas the patient‐derived FMs were impossible to prevent and might also depend on the patient's condition. Alternatively, there were non‐patient‐derived FMs with higher D, which were difficult to detect mechanically and were classified as more than high risk. In O, significantly higher values (p = 0.096) were found for FMs from MD and RN associated with much patient intervention compared to FMs from MP and RT less patient intervention. Comparing conventional radiotherapy and accelerator‐based BNCT, although there were events with comparable risk in same FMs, there were also events with different risk in same FMs. They could be related to differences in the physical characteristics of the two modalities. Conclusions: This study is the first report for conducting a risk analysis for BNCT using FMEA. Thus, this study provides comprehensive data needed for quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) in the treatment process for facilities considering the implementation of accelerator‐based BNCT in the future. Because many BNCT‐specific risks were discussed, it is important to understand the characteristics of BNCT and to take adequate measures in advance. If the effects of all FMs and countermeasures are discussed by multidisciplinary team, it will be possible to take countermeasures against individual FMs from many perspectives and provide BNCT more safely and effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: 18F-FDG PET is often utilized to determine BNCT selection due to the limited availability of 18F-BPA PET, which is performed by synthesizing 18F into the boron drug used for BNCT, although the uptake mechanisms between those are different. Additionally, only a few non-spatial point parameters, such as maximum SUV (SUVmax), have reported a correlation between those in previous studies. This study aimed to investigate the spatial accumulation pattern between those PET images in tumors, which would be expected to either show higher uptake on 18F-BPA PET or be utilized in clinical, to verify whether 18F-FDG PET could be used as a selection indicator for BNCT. Methods: A total of 27 patients with 30 lesions (11 squamous cell carcinoma, 9 melanoma, and 10 rhabdomyosarcoma) who received 18F-FDG and 18F-BPA PET within 2 weeks were enrolled in this study. The ratio of metabolic tumor volumes (MTVs) to GTV, histogram indices (skewness/kurtosis), and the correlation of total lesion activity (TLA) and non-spatial point parameters (SUVmax, SUVpeak, SUVmin, maximum tumor-to-normal tissue ratio (Tmax/N), and Tmin/N) were evaluated. After local rigid registration between those images, distances of locations at SUVmax and the center of mass with MTVs on each image and similarity indices were also assessed along its coordinate. Results: In addition to SUVmax, SUVpeak, and Tmax/N, significant correlations were found in TLA. The mean distance in SUVmax was 25.2 ± 24.4 mm and significantly longer than that in the center of mass with MTVs. The ratio of MTVs to GTV, skewness, and kurtosis were not significantly different. However, the similarities of MTVs were considerably low. The similarity indices of Dice similarity coefficient, Jaccard coefficient, and mean distance to agreement for MTV40 were 0.65 ± 0.21 , 0.51 ± 0.21 , and 0.27 ± 0.30 cm, respectively. Furthermore, it was worse in MTV50. In addition, spatial accumulation patterns varied in cancer types. Conclusions: Spatial accumulation patterns in tumors showed low similarity between 18F-FDG and 18F-BPA PET, although the various non-spatial point parameters were correlated. In addition, the spatial accumulation patterns were considerably different in cancer types. Therefore, the selection for BNCT using 18F-FDG PET should be compared carefully with using 18F-FBPA PET. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most toothbrush-induced oral injuries occur in children and are relatively shallow, involving the oral mucous membranes and musculature, but rarely deeper layers. Here, the management of an adult case of pharyngeal injury caused by a toothbrush is discussed. A man fell while brushing his teeth, and his toothbrush stuck in his throat. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography showed a toothbrush stuck in the left parapharyngeal space, reaching the subcutaneous tissue of the posterior neck. The toothbrush was surgically removed because blind removal could damage major cervical arterioles and nerves. In intraoral injuries caused by deep penetrating toothbrushes, there is a risk that the injury extends to the major arterioles and nerves of the neck. The need for imaging studies, methods of removal, and possible complications should all be considered before taking an appropriate removal action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The learning with errors (LWE) problem is one of the hard problems assuring the security of modern lattice-based cryptography. Kannan's embedding can reduce Search-LWE, the search version of LWE, to a specific case of the shortest vector problem (SVP). Lattice basis reduction is a powerful instrument for solving lattice problems including SVP. We propose a new way for efficiently solving Search-LWE. While a whole basis is reduced in a standard way, ours reduces only a projected basis. To realize our strategy, we also provide an algorithm for reducing projected bases, based on DeepBKZ that is an enhancement of the block Korkine–Zolotarev (BKZ) algorithm. Moreover, we show implementation results for solving some instances within the Darmstadt LWE challenge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The joint meeting of the American Physical Society Division of Nuclear Physics (DNP) and the Physical Society of Japan (JPS) was held in Hawaii from November 26 to December 1, 2023. The meeting, chaired by Baha Balantekin from the United States and Satoshi N. Nakamura from Japan, was the sixth in a series aimed at bringing together nuclear physicists from both countries. Despite being postponed twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic and forest fires, the meeting was attended by over 1,200 participants. The conference included workshops, satellite meetings, plenary sessions, parallel sessions, and events for undergraduate students. Awards were also presented during the conference. Participants expressed anticipation for the next meeting in the series. [Extracted from the article]

Fractal analysis of dynamic, four-dimensional computed tomography myocardial perfusion (4D-CTP) imaging might have potential for noninvasive differentiation of microvascular ischemia and macrovascular coronary artery disease (CAD) using fractal dimension (FD) as quantitative parameter for perfusion complexity. This multi-center proof-of-concept study included 30 rigorously characterized patients from the AMPLIFiED trial with nonoverlapping and confirmed microvascular ischemia (nmicro = 10), macrovascular CAD (nmacro = 10), or normal myocardial perfusion (nnormal = 10) with invasive coronary angiography and fractional flow reserve (FFR) measurements as reference standard. Perfusion complexity was comparatively high in normal perfusion (FDnormal = 4.49, interquartile range [IQR]:4.46–4.53), moderately reduced in microvascular ischemia (FDmicro = 4.37, IQR:4.36–4.37), and strongly reduced in macrovascular CAD (FDmacro = 4.26, IQR:4.24–4.27), which allowed to differentiate both ischemia types, p < 0.001. Fractal analysis agreed excellently with perfusion state (κ = 0.96, AUC = 0.98), whereas myocardial blood flow (MBF) showed moderate agreement (κ = 0.77, AUC = 0.78). For detecting CAD patients, fractal analysis outperformed MBF estimation with sensitivity and specificity of 100% and 85% versus 100% and 25%, p = 0.02. In conclusion, fractal analysis of 4D-CTP allows to differentiate microvascular from macrovascular ischemia and improves detection of hemodynamically significant CAD in comparison to MBF estimation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The 106-Ruthenium contact plaque applicator is utilized for the treatment of intraocular tumor within a thickness of less than 6 mm. If anything obstructs the placement of the plaque applicator, the treatment is generally difficult because the applicator has to be temporarily located just on the opposite side of the retinal tumor. Furthermore, the plaque applicator edge of approximately 1 mm does not contain 106Ru, estimating the delivered radiation dose for eccentric tumor is challenging because the lateral dose profile is inadequately provided by the manufacture's certification. This study aims to simulate tumor coverage of the tilted applicator placement for treating an infant with juxtapapillary retinoblastoma and to achieve the effective treatment.Case Presentation: We present an infant with retinoblastoma whose tumor involved macular and was invading just temporal side of the optic disc. Additionally, posterior staphyloma was induced by a series of previous treatments, making it more difficult to treat the standard plaque placement. Thus, the applicator type of CCA was intentionally tilted to the eyeball and the distance between the posterior edge of the applicator and the eyeball had to be then equal to or more than 2 mm based on the dose distribution of the applicator calculated using Monte Carlo simulation to minimize damage to surrounding tissues while covering the tumor. It was then comparable to the certification and previous reports. Based on the acquired dose distribution, the optimal placement of the applicator was derived from varying the distance between the applicator's edge and the eyeball, and the distance was then determined to be 2 mm. In this case, the minimum dose rate in the tumor was 25.5 mGy/min, and the time required to deliver the prescribed dose was 26.2 h. Therefore, the tilted 106Ru plaque applicator placement could deliver the required dose for the treatment. The physical examination revealed no active tumor as a result of the treatment.Conclusions: Optimizing the placement of the 106Ru plaque applicator, it was possible to guarantee that the prescribed dose will be delivered to the tumor even if the standard placement is not possible for the juxtapapillary tumor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lattice problems are algorithmic problems for lattices, whose hardness assures the security of lattice-based cryptography. Given a basis of a lattice, the goal of lattice basis reduction is to seek a new basis of the same lattice whose basis vectors are relatively short and nearly orthogonal to each other. Such reduction algorithms give a fundamental tool to solve lattice problems such as the shortest and the closest vector problems. In this paper, we provide a new self-dual variant of the DeepBKZ reduction algorithm. Our variant dynamically switches performing primal and dual reductions for local blocks of an input basis to effectively reduce the whole basis. In particular, we introduce a parameter of free dimensions to determine the sizes of local blocks to be reduced. We also implement our self-dual DeepBKZ to report its experimental results for random lattice bases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Skeletal muscle is known to regulate bone homeostasis through muscle-bone interaction, although factors that control this activity remain unclear. Here, we newly established Smad3-flox mice, and then generated skeletal muscle-specific Smad2/Smad3 double conditional knockout mice (DcKO) by crossing Smad3-flox with skeletal muscle-specific Ckmm Cre and Smad2-flox mice. We show that immobilization-induced gastrocnemius muscle atrophy occurring due to sciatic nerve denervation was partially but significantly inhibited in DcKO mice, suggesting that skeletal muscle cell-intrinsic Smad2/3 is required for immobilization-induced muscle atrophy. Also, tibial bone atrophy seen after sciatic nerve denervation was partially but significantly inhibited in DcKO mice. Bone formation rate in wild-type mouse tibia was significantly inhibited by immobilization, but inhibition was abrogated in DcKO mice. We propose that skeletal muscle regulates immobilization-induced bone atrophy via Smad2/3, and Smad2/3 represent potential therapeutic targets to prevent both immobilization-induced bone and muscle atrophy. • Smad3 flox mice were newly established. • Skeletal muscle specific Smad2/3 conditional knockout (Smad2/3 cKO) were generated. • Smad2/3 cKO are resistant to denervation induced muscle and bone atrophy. • Denervation induced bone atrophy is promoted by Smad2/3 in muscles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Single-center studies indicated a high diagnostic accuracy of dynamic computed tomography perfusion (CTP) imaging in the diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD).Objectives: This prospective multicenter study determined the diagnostic performance of combined coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) and CTP for detecting hemodynamically significant CAD defined by invasive coronary angiography (ICA) with fractional flow reserve (FFR).Methods: Seven centers enrolled 174 patients with suspected or known CAD who were clinically referred for ICA. CTA and dynamic CTP were performed using dual-source CT before ICA. FFR was done as part of ICA in the case of 26% to 90% coronary diameter stenosis. Hemodynamically significant stenosis was defined as FFR of <0.8 or >90% stenosis on ICA.Results: The study protocol was completed in 157 participants, and hemodynamically significant stenosis was detected in 76 of 157 patients (48%) and 112 of 442 vessels (25%). According to receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis, adding dynamic CTP to CTA significantly increased the area under the curve from 0.65 (95% CI: 0.57-0.72) to 0.74 (95% CI: 0.66-0.81; P = 0.011) on the patient level, with decreased sensitivity (93% vs 72%; P < 0.001), improved specificity (36% vs 75%; P < 0.001), and improved overall accuracy (64% vs 74%; P < 0.001).Conclusions: In this prospective multicenter study on dynamic CTP, the combination of anatomic assessment with coronary CTA and functional evaluation with dynamic CTP allowed more accurate identification of hemodynamically significant CAD compared with CTA alone. However, the clinical significance of this approach needs to be further investigated, including its usefulness in improving prognosis. (Assessment of Myocardial Perfusion Linked to Infarction and Fibrosis Explored With Dual-Source CT [AMPLIFiED]; UMIN000016353). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triangle mechanisms for B 0 → (J / ψ π + π -) K + π - are studied. Experimentally, an X(3872) peak has been observed in this process. When the final (J / ψ π + π -) π invariant mass is around the D ∗ D ¯ ∗ threshold, one of the triangle mechanisms causes a triangle singularity and generates a sharp X(3872)-like peak in the J / ψ π + π - invariant mass distribution. The Breit–Wigner mass and width fitted to the spectrum are 3871.68 MeV (a few keV above the D ∗ 0 D ¯ 0 threshold) and ∼ 0.4 MeV, respectively. These Breit-Wigner parameters hardly depend on a choice of the model parameters. Comparing with the precisely measured X(3872) mass and width, 3871.69 ± 0.17 MeV and < 1.2 MeV, the agreement is remarkable. When studying the X(3872) signal from this process, this non-resonant contribution has to be understood in advance. We also study a charge analogous process B 0 → (J / ψ π 0 π -) K + π 0 . A similar triangle singularity exists and generates an X - (3876) -like peak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spinal cord herniation (SCH) is a rare condition associated with tethering of the spinal cord at the ventral dural defect. Idiopathic dorsal spinal cord herniation (IDSCH) is an extremely rare clinical entity. Here, we report the first case of IDSCH perforating the lamina in a patient with a history of ossification of the ligamentum flavum and diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis. Untethering of the spinal cord was performed by removing the surrounded ossified dura. Although urological symptoms and impaired proprioception remained, progressive neurological deterioration was prevented. Because this disease condition is extremely rare, it should be differentiated from ventral SCH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four pigeons were exposed to a tandem variable‐interval (VI) fixed‐ratio (FR) schedule in the presence of a 50‐pixel (about 15 mm) square or an 80‐pixel (about 24 mm) square and to a tandem VI differential‐reinforcement‐of‐low‐rate (DRL) schedule when a second 80‐pixel or 50‐pixel square was present. The values of the VI and FR schedules were adjusted to equate reinforcement rates in the two tandem schedules. Following this, a square‐size continuum generalization test was administered under a fixed‐interval (FI) schedule or extinction. In the first testing session, response frequency was a graded function of the similarity of the test stimuli to the training stimuli for all pigeons. These systematic generalization gradients persisted longer under the FI schedule than under extinction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Coronary magnetic resonance angiography (CMRA) allows non-ionizing visualization of luminal narrowing in coronary artery disease (CAD). Although a prior study showed the usefulness of CMRA for risk stratification in short-term follow-up, the long-term prognostic value of CMRA remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the long-term prognostic value of CMRA. Methods: A total of 506 patients without history of myocardial infarction or prior coronary artery revascularization underwent free-breathing whole-heart CMRA between 2009 and 2015. Images were acquired using a 1.5 T or 3 T scanner and visually evaluated as the consensus decisions of two observers. Obstructive CAD on CMRA was defined as luminal narrowing of ≥ 50% in at least one coronary artery. Major adverse cardiac events (MACE) comprised cardiac death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and unstable angina. Results: Obstructive CAD on CMRA was observed in 214 patients (42%). During follow-up (median, 5.6 years), 31 MACE occurred. Kaplan–Meier curve analysis revealed a significant difference in event-free survival between patients with and without obstructive CAD for MACE (log-rank, p = 0.003) and cardiac death (p = 0.012). Annualized event rates for MACE in patients with no obstructive CAD, 1-vessel disease, 2-vessel disease, and left-main or 3-vessel disease were 0.6%, 1.5%, 2.3%, and 3.6%, respectively (log-rank, p = 0.003). Cox proportional hazard regression analysis showed that, among obstructive CAD on CMRA and clinical risk factors (age, sex, hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, smoking, and family history of CAD), obstructive CAD and diabetes were significant predictors of MACE (hazard ratios, 2.9 [p = 0.005] and 2.2 [p = 0.034], respectively). In multivariate analysis, obstructive CAD remained an independent predictor (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.6 [p = 0.010]) after adjusting for diabetes. Addition of obstructive CAD to clinical risk factors significantly increased the global chi-square result from 8.3 to 13.8 (p = 0.022). Conclusions: In long-term follow-up, free breathing whole heart CMRA allows non-invasive risk stratification for MACE and cardiac death and provides incremental prognostic value over conventional risk factors in patients without a history of myocardial infarction or prior coronary artery revascularization. The presence and severity of obstructive CAD detected by CMRA were associated with worse prognosis. Importantly, patients without obstructive CAD on CMRA displayed favorable prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An accelerator-based boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) system employing a solid-state Li target can achieve sufficient neutron flux for treatment although the neutron flux is reduced over the lifetime of its target. In this study, the reduction was examined in the five targets, and a model was then established to represent the neutron flux. In each target, a reduction in neutron flux was observed based on the integrated proton charge on the target, and its reduction reached 28% after the integrated proton charge of 2.52 × 106 mC was delivered to the target in the system. The calculated neutron flux acquired by the model was compared to the measured neutron flux based on an integrated proton charge, and the mean discrepancies were less than 0.1% in all the targets investigated. These discrepancies were comparable among the five targets examined. Thus, the reduction of the neutron flux can be represented by the model. Additionally, by adequately revising the model, it may be applicable to other BNCT systems employing a Li target, thus furthering research in this direction. Therefore, the established model will play an important role in the accelerator-based BNCT system with a solid-state Li target in controlling neutron delivery and understanding the neutron output characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Risk stratification by MRI for cervical cancer patients after CCRT or radiotherapy. • Usefulness of early changes of ADC and tumor volume for prediction of prognosis. • ADC changes were a stronger predictor than tumor volume changes. • Incremental value of the early changes over pre-treatment ADC and tumor volume. Our study aimed to evaluate a prognostic value of early changes in apparent diffusion coefficients (ADC) and tumor volume during treatment in patients with cervical cancer treated with chemoradiotherapy or radiotherapy, and to assess whether the early changes provided an incremental value to pre-treatment ADC and tumor volume in predicting disease recurrences. A total of 103 patients with stage IB–IVA cervical cancer including 76 (74%) patients with stage ≥IIIA who underwent magnetic resonance imaging before and during (25 ± 4.6 days after start) the treatment were enrolled. Eighty-one patients received chemoradiotherapy and the remaining 22 had radiotherapy. Both a volumetric ADC and volume of a tumor before and during treatment were measured. %ADC increase and %Volume reduction were defined as changes in the ADCs and tumor volume before and during treatment, respectively. During a median follow-up of 2.7 years, 42 (41%) patients had disease recurrences. Univariate Cox regression analysis revealed that pre-treatment ADC (Hazard ratio [HR] = 2.8; p = 0.002), %ADC increase (HR = 6.8; p < 0.001), and %Volume reduction (HR = 2.7; p = 0.003) were significant predictors for disease recurrences. On multivariate analysis, %ADC increase was the only independent predictor (adjusted HR = 5.2; p < 0.001) for disease recurrences when adjusted for %Volume reduction and pre-treatment ADC. Global chi-square analysis demonstrated that %ADC increase and %Volume reduction had an additional prognostic value over pre-treatment ADC and tumor volume (p < 0.05). Kaplan–Meier curve analysis showed that both smaller %ADC increase and %Volume reduction were associated with worse prognosis in disease-free survival (log-rank, p < 0.001 and p = 0.002, respectively). Among patients with cervical cancer treated with chemoradiotherapy or radiotherapy, early changes in tumor ADCs and tumor volume during treatment are associated with better prognosis. %ADC increase and %Volume reduction during the treatment have an additional prognostic value for predicting tumor recurrence to pre-treatment ADC and tumor volume. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vitamin D deficiency is a recognized risk factor for sarcopenia development, but mechanisms underlying this outcome are unclear. Here, we show that low vitamin D status worsens immobilization-induced muscle atrophy in mice. Mice globally lacking vitamin D receptor (VDR) exhibited more severe muscle atrophy following limb immobilization than controls. Moreover, immobilization-induced muscle atrophy was worse in neural crest-specific than in skeletal muscle-specific VDR-deficient mice. Tnfα expression was significantly higher in immobilized muscle of VDR-deficient relative to control mice, and was significantly elevated in neural crest-specific but not muscle-specific VDR-deficient mice. Furthermore, muscle atrophy induced by limb immobilization in low vitamin D mice was significantly inhibited in Tnfα-deficient mice. We conclude that vitamin D antagonizes immobilization-induced muscle atrophy via VDR expressed in neural crest-derived cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to report our initial clinical results of hyaluronic acid gel injection (HGI) in the rectovaginal septum (RVS) to reduce the incidence of rectal bleeding in vaginal brachytherapy for gynecologic malignancies. Since 2008, CT based image-guided adaptive brachytherapy (IGABT) was initiated, and since 2015, HGI in the RVS was introduced in our institution. Vaginal cylinder with or without tandem or additional interstitial needles were applied for patients with gynecologic malignancies. Rectum dosimetric parameters and incidence of late rectum bleeding were compared between patients with and without HGI in the RVS. Between May 2008 and October 2017, 83 patients with gynecologic malignancies were treated with IGABT involving vaginal cylinder. Eleven patients who were treated for palliative intention were excluded, and 72 patients were subjected to the analysis. Of the total 72 patients 46 were with uterine cervical cancer, 19 uterine corpus cancer, five vaginal cancer, one vulvar cancer, and one ovarian cancer. Fifteen and 57 patients were irradiated with and without HGI in the RVS, respectively. With a median follow-up period of 57.7 (4.7–123.1) months, 30 (41.7%) patients suffered from radiation-related rectal bleeding. Patients with HGI in the RVS had a statistically significant lower incidence of rectal bleeding compared with those without it (13.3% vs. 49.1%, p = 0.01). HGI in the RVS reduced the incidence of late rectal bleeding for patients with gynecologic malignancies treated by vaginal cylinder and was not associated with HGI-procedure-related adverse events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An accelerator-based boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) system that employs a solid-state Li target can achieve sufficient neutron flux derived from the 7Li(p,n) reaction. However, neutron production is complicated by the large thermal load expected on the target. The relationship between neutron production and thermal load was examined under various conditions. A target structure for neutron production consists of a Li target and a target basement. Four proton beam profiles were examined to vary the local thermal load on the target structure while maintaining a constant total thermal load. The efficiency of neutron production was evaluated with respect to the total number of protons delivered to the target structure. The target structure was also evaluated by observing its surface after certain numbers of protons were delivered. The yield of the sputtering effect was calculated via a Monte Carlo simulation to investigate whether it caused complications in neutron production. The efficiency of neutron production and the amount of damage done depended on the proton profile. A more focused proton profile resulted in greater damage. The efficiency decreased as the total number of protons delivered to the target structure increased, and the rate of decrease depended on the proton profile. The sputtering effect was not sufficiently large to be a main factor in the reduction in neutron production. The proton beam profile on the target structure was found to be important to the stable operation of the system with a solid-state Li target. The main factor in the rate of reduction in neutron production was found to be the local thermal load induced by proton irradiation of the target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polarization of sintered hydroxyapatite (HAp) ceramics by application of an external dc field at higher temperature was analyzed by thermally stimulated depolarization current (TSDC) measurements. The mechanisms for the polarization and depolarization of HAp were discussed in relation to the instability of the protons in the hydroxide groups. The TSDC spectra consisted of broad peaks, while the ferroelectric substances such as the BaTiO[sub 3] ceramics exhibited a sharp peak. Although the maximum current density of 7.87 nA cm-2 for the HAp polarized at 400 °C under 1.0 kV cm-1 was approximately 1/12 lower than that of BaTiO[sub 3], the polarization charge of 14.9 μC cm-2 was almost twice as large as that of BaTiO[sub 3]. Considering the activation energy of 0.72-0.89 eV for the depolarization, it was revealed that the polarization of HAp was ascribed to the migration of protons in the columnar OH[sup -] channels with a micrometer-order distance. It was also found that the polarization charge was large and long enough to enhance the biological reactivity of HAp ceramics for biomedical implants. © 2001 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) is a peptide with diverse functions, among them regulation of embryonic development and bone homeostasis. Serum IGF-I levels decline in the elderly; however, IGF-I function in adults has not been clearly defined. Here, we show that IGF-I is required to maintain muscle mass in adults. We crossed Igf-I flox'd and Mx1 Cre mice to yield Mx1 Cre/Igf-Iflox/flox (IGF-I cKO) mice, and deleted Igf-I in adult mice by polyIpolyC injection. We demonstrate that, although serum IGF-I levels significantly decreased after polyIpolyC injection relative to (Igf-Iflox/flox) controls, serum glucose levels were unchanged. However, muscle mass decreased significantly after IGF-I down-regulation, while bone mass remained the same. In IGF-I cKO muscle, expression of anabolic factors such as Eif4e and p70S6K significantly decreased, while expression of catabolic factors MuRF1 and Atrogin-1 was normal and down-regulated, respectively, suggesting that observed muscle mass reduction was due to perturbed muscle metabolism. Our data demonstrate a specific role for IGF-I in maintaining muscle homeostasis in adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Etherification of cellulose was performed using a mixture of ionic liquids (ILs) playing roles in both cellulose dissolution and catalysis. We investigated the effects of the reaction time and the ratio of these ILs in the mixture. Cellulose etherification was performed in these IL mixtures. The proportion of propoxy cellulose exceeded 2.5 after 24 h. Several mixtures of ionic liquids, playing roles in both cellulose dissolution and catalysis, were synthesised. Cellulose etherification was performed in these IL mixtures. The proportion of propoxy cellulose exceeded 2.5 after 24 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Genetic and environmental factors are proposed to be involved in cedar pollen allergy sensitization and onset. The impact of these factors will provide key information for the prevention of cedar pollen sensitization and allergy onset, which we investigated in this cross-sectional study. Methods Subjects were 382 young adult volunteers who completed a self-administered questionnaire on self-reported subjective symptoms of pollinosis, physician-diagnosed pollinosis, and background factors. We also measured their serum IgE antibody titers specific for cedar, cypress, and mites. Factors associated with subjective symptoms, physician diagnosis, and the three specific antigens were determined using both univariate and multivariate analyses. Results Sensitization to cedar, cypress, and mites, defined as specific IgE levels of class 1 or above, was found in 78.8%, 64.4%, and 56.0% of subjects, respectively. The prevalence of cedar pollinosis was 41.2% based on subjective symptoms and 22.2% based on physician diagnosis. Factors associated with increased cedar pollen sensitization were mite sensitization, comorbid allergic rhinitis, and family history of cedar pollinosis. Risk-reducing factors for cedar pollen sensitization were keeping a cat, number of common colds, and hours of sleep. Risk-increasing factors for both subjective pollinosis symptoms and physician-diagnosed pollinosis were comorbid allergic rhinitis and family history of cedar pollinosis. Conclusions Sensitization to cedar pollen in this population was extremely high. Both common and distinct factors were associated with sensitization to pollen and with the development of pollinosis. The distinct factors were associated with sensitization to cedar and cypress antigens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Tritiated water at low concentration in light water was removed by hydrate formation. • Heavy water is used as co-precipitant to enhance separation. • Tritium concentration of 106 Bq/kg was reduced to be 103 Bq/kg. A separation method of tritium has been developed based on co-precipitation of tritiated water on porous heavy water (D 2 O) based clathrate hydrate. The tritium was semi-continuously removed by a circulating flow of tritium-containing light water through the D 2 O hydrate media crystallized in advance. The tritium concentration of 4.77 × 105 Bq/kg was reduced to 1.55 × 103 Bq/kg with HFC-134a hydrate at 0.35 MPa for 1 h, while tritiated water treatment at a concentration of 1010 Bq/kg or greater is eligible with the conventional detritiation methods. Near the D 2 O hydrate surfaces, solid solutions with higher concentrations of tritiated water were deposited on the hydrate substrate than those in the liquid phase. The semi-serialized operation of hydrate based detritiation is capable of high-rate processing as well as energy and resource saving. This method could be a candidate treatment for huge quantities of water with low concentration tritium discharged from nuclear fusion power generation system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the aim of developing better procedures for rearing the microtype tachinid fly Pales pavida (Meigen), we performed ecological studies in the laboratory using the natural host Mythimna separata (Walker), investigating larval development, mating behaviour, individual oviposition patterns and relationships between parasitisation and number of eggs ingested (NEI) per host. The host instar at the time of parasitoid egg ingestion significantly affected the development time of the immature parasitoid: development took longer when the hosts ingested eggs when at the fifth instar than at the sixth (last) instar. There was no difficulty obtaining mated females in the laboratory when day 0-1 female flies were kept with day 2-4 males. Mean lifetime fecundity was 5805 ± 568 eggs per female. Daily rates of oviposition by individual females varied widely; the greatest number of eggs laid in a day was exactly 1700. When the NEI by day 1 fifth instars or day 0 or 3 last instars was 1, 3, 6 or 10, the parasitisation percentage tended to increase with increasing NEI, although it did not differ significantly between NEI 6 and 10. Therefore, the percentage adult emergence per egg ingested decreased from NEI 6 to 10, particularly in the case of last instars. Using day 0 last instars, with six eggs ingested per host, should increase parasitisation rates and shorten the development time of the parasitoid for rearing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The aim of this study was to examine long‐term outcomes in patients who received salvage radiotherapy (SRT) for biochemical recurrence (BRec) of prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy (RP). One hundred and twenty patients with prostate cancer who underwent SRT for BRec after RP without evidence of clinical disease were identified in our institution from 2002 to 2014. Prescription doses to prostate beds were 64.8 Gy with a fractional dose of 1.8 Gy in 96.7% of the patients. In three‐dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D‐CRT), the seminal vesicle bed (SVB) was not included in the radiation fields. The prognostic factors for BRec‐free survival (BRFS) and incidence of acute and late toxicities were investigated. Median follow‐up duration after SRT was 64.9 months. The 5‐year rates of BRFS, overall survival (OS), cause‐specific survival (CSS), and clinical recurrence‐free survival (CRFS) were 39.2%, 98.3%, 97.0%, and 91.9%, respectively. Only two patients experienced late grade 3 toxicity of hematuria. Multivariate analysis revealed that BRFS was significantly favorable in patients with prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) values <0.5 ng/mL at the initiation of SRT and pathological Gleason score not including Gleason grade 5. In patients treated with 3D‐CRT, a positive surgical margin at the base of the prostate influenced BRFS unfavorably in comparison with positive surgical margins at other sites. SRT for patients with BRec after RP was performed very safely in our institution. However, to improve BRFS, adequate inclusion of the SVB appears mandatory, especially in cases of positive surgical margins at the base of the prostate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we report a case of vertebral artery aneurysm causing dysphagia in a 56-year-old man who had no remarkable past history. Two months before the first visit, he developed posterior neck pain followed by difficulty swallowing 1 month later. He was referred to our clinic because of gradually worsening dysphagia. Physical examination showed paralysis of cranial nerves IX, X, and XII; therefore, he was hospitalized. Because enhanced CT and MRI showed a partially thrombosed right vertebral artery aneurysm, he was transferred to the care of the Department of Neurosurgery. Parent artery occlusion of the right vertebral artery aneurysm was performed and it improved his symptoms. After regaining his ability to take in liquid food, he was transferred to another hospital for further rehabilitation. In this case, we attributed the dysphagia to aneurysmal compression of the roots of cranial nerves IX, X, and XII. A partially thrombosed cerebral artery aneurysm may often rupture and cause worsening of neurologic symptoms. The prognosis is generally poor because the rupture rate is extremely high especially with large or giant aneurysms. However, this case had a good clinical course owing to treatment by parent artery occlusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The multi-foil method is commonly used to determine upon an energy spectrum of neutrons in boron neutron capture therapy. The method requires to measure the radioactivation of the foils. This study develops a simple modeling procedure of a high-purity Ge detector, which is used to measure the radioactivation, in order to calculate the detection efficiency with GEANT4. By changing four parameters from their manufacturing specifications of the detector, the simulated detection efficiency is able to reproduce the actual detection efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate soil testing procedures contribute to agricultural development of Mozambique. The Mehlich 3 (M-3) procedure has not been evaluated for Mozambican soils despite its wide applicability. Results showed M-3 solution could extract exchangeable calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and potassium (K) as well as 1 M ammonium acetate (NH4OAc), while M-3 was not appropriate for extraction of exchangeable sodium (Na). M-3 was an alternative procedure to Bray-I for available phosphorus (P) extraction. Although M-3 extracted 1.6 times more P than Bray-I, determination coefficient between the two procedures showed significantly high value. P content in M-3 extracts can determine using inductively coupled plasma spectrophotometers (ICP) to maximize the merits of M-3. In conclusion, M-3 is applicable for determination of exchangeable Ca, Mg, K, and available P, in a single determination using ICP, and should contribute to development of effective and accurate soil diagnosis in Mozambique. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The LHCb data on B + → J / ψ ϕ K + show four peaks and three dips in the J / ψ ϕ invariant mass distribution, and the peaks are interpreted as X (4140) , X (4274) , X (4500) and X (4685) / X (4700) resonance contributions. Interestingly, all the peaks and dips are located at (or close to) D s ⁎ D ¯ s (⁎) , D s 0 ⁎ (2317) D ¯ s (⁎) , D s 1 (2536) D ¯ s (⁎) , and ψ ′ ϕ thresholds. These coincidences suggest a close connection between the structures and the thresholds, which however has not been seriously considered in previous theoretical studies on the X structures. In fact, if we utilize this connection and interpret the X structures as common s -wave threshold cusps, we face a difficulty: X (4274) and X (4500) have spin-parity that conflict with the experimentally determined ones. In this work, we introduce double triangle mechanisms that cause threshold cusps significantly sharper than the ordinary one-loop ones of the same spin-parity. We demonstrate that all the X and dip structures are well described by a combination of one-loop and double-triangle threshold cusps, thereby proposing a novel interpretation of the X and dip structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cutaneous adverse events associated with the use of epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors, such as cetuximab are relatively common. Although there are reports about possible treatments for acne or acneiform lesions induced by cetuximab, there are only few reports of prospective studies. Objective: The aim of the study was to analyze the efficacy of varius treatment modalities and their combinations in patients with acneiform eruptions caused by cetuximab. Patients and methods: We studied 14 patients treated with an epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors, including 7 patients cetuximab, who developed acneiform eruptions in the course of therapy. All patients were diagnosed as grade II according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) v4.0. A corticosteroid ointment, tacrolimus ointment, and ketoconazole ointment were used in a randomized manner. Oral therapy included administration of antihistaminic drugs, tetracycline, a cyclooxygenase inhibitor, or a macrolide. We measured the numer of days required to achieve improvement from grade II to grade I during cetuximab treatment. Results: Our results showed that tetracycline treatment may shorten the period needed to achieve improvement. Ketoconazole cream and a combination of oral tetracycline and topical ketoconazole also significantly shortened this period. Conclusion: The results of our short case study may indicate that a combitation therapy of oral tetracyclin and topical ketokonazole is most effective in the therapy of patients with acneiform eruptions caused by cetuximab. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Myocardial sarcoidosis is known as a significant complication of sarcoidosis, but Holter electrocardiographic monitoring or echocardiograms might not be sensitive enough to detect cardiac involvement. While gallium scintigraphy has been recommended, 18Ffluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography might be more sensitive to detect sarcoidosis. Case presentations This report comprises the cases of 12 Japanese patients. Two were male, and ten were female. Their age range was between 32 and 93 years. The average age of the patients was 63. We found internal involvement of sarcoidosis in eight (89%) of nine patients by positron emission tomography-computed tomography and in two (67%) of three patients by gallium scintigraphy. Myocardial sarcoidosis was detected in four (33%) of twelve patients, and specifically in three (75%) of four facial multiple plaque type sarcoidosis patients. Conclusion The myocardial lesions detected by positron emission tomography-computed tomography could not be detected with conventional electrocardiogram or echogram. Positron emission tomography-computed tomography can detect sarcoid lesions of the whole body and is useful for the follow up of patients. We recommend positron emission tomography-computed tomography for those patients having cutaneous sarcoidosis, especially facial multiple plaque type sarcoidosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glutathione-protected Ag clusters (Ag15, Ag25 and Ag29) function as photosensitizers when they are adsorbed on TiO2 electrodes. [Co(bpy)3]2+ is the most appropriate electron donor among the cobalt complexes examined. Ag15 clusters yielded the highest internal quantum efficiency of 28% at 460 nm in the presence of [Co(bpy)3]2+ as a donor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A low-cost multi-channel analyzer (MCA) system was developed using a custom-build interface circuit and a PC sound card. The performance of the system was studied using γ-ray spectroscopy measurements with a NaI(Tl) scintillation detector. Our system successfully measured the energy of γ-rays at a rate of 1000 counts per second (cps). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Professor Osamu Hashimoto of Tohoku University passed away on February 3, 2012. As well as leading the nuclear physics laboratory of Tohoku University, Prof. Hashimoto contributed much to hypernuclear and strangeness nuclear physics community for years. In this decade, he devoted himself to establish the hypernuclear spectroscopy. I will review progresses of Λ hypernuclear spectroscopy with a memory of this decade which I was privileged to share with Prof. Hashimoto. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]