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Purpose. Glioblastoma is the most aggressive primary brain tumor, characterized by its distinctive intratumoral hypoxia. Sequential preoperative examinations using fluorine-18-fluoromisonidazole (18F-FMISO) and fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) could depict the degree of glucose metabolism with hypoxic condition. However, molecular mechanism of glucose metabolism under hypoxia in glioblastoma has been unclear. The aim of this study was to identify the key molecules of hypoxic glucose metabolism. Methods. Using surgically obtained specimens, gene expressions associated with glucose metabolism were analyzed in patients with glioblastoma (n = 33) who underwent preoperative 18F-FMISO and 18F-FDG PET to identify affected molecules according to hypoxic condition. Tumor in vivo metabolic activities were semiquantitatively evaluated by lesion-normal tissue ratio (LNR). Protein expression was confirmed by immunofluorescence staining. To evaluate prognostic value, relationship between gene expression and overall survival was explored in another independent nonoverlapping clinical cohort (n = 17) and validated by The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database (n = 167). Results. Among the genes involving glucose metabolic pathway, mRNA expression of glucose-6-phosphatase 3 (G6PC3) correlated with 18F-FDG LNR (P = 0.03). In addition, G6PC3 mRNA expression in 18F-FMISO high-accumulated glioblastomas was significantly higher than that in 18F-FMISO low-accumulated glioblastomas (P < 0.01). Protein expression of G6PC3 was consistent with mRNA expression, which was confirmed by immunofluorescence analysis. These findings indicated that the G6PC3 expression might be facilitated by hypoxic condition in glioblastomas. Next, we investigated the clinical relevance of G6PC3 in terms of prognosis. Among the glioblastoma patients who received gross total resection, mRNA expressions of G6PC3 in the patients with poor prognosis (less than 1-year survival) were significantly higher than that in the patients who survive more than 3 years. Moreover, high mRNA expression of G6PC3 was associated with poor overall survival in glioblastoma, as validated by TCGA database. Conclusion. G6PC3 was affluently expressed in glioblastoma tissues with coincidentally high 18F-FDG and 18F-FMISO accumulation. Further, it might work as a prognostic biomarker of glioblastoma. Therefore, G6PC3 is a potential key molecule of glucose metabolism under hypoxia in glioblastoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Somatic mosaicism of isocitrate dehydrogenase 1/2 (IDH1/2) mutation is a cause of Ollier disease (OD), characterized by multiple enchondromatosis. A 35‐year‐old woman who was diagnosed with OD at age 24 underwent resection surgery for multifocal tumors located at the right and left frontal lobes that were discovered incidentally. No apparent spatial connection was observed on preoperative magnetic resonance imaging. Pathological examinations revealed tumor cells with a perinuclear halo in the left frontal lobe tumor, whereas astrocytic tumor cells were observed in the right frontal lobe tumor. Based on positive IDH1 R132H immunostaining and the result of 1p/19q fluorescent in situ hybridization, pathological diagnoses were IDH mutant and 1p/19q‐codeleted oligodendroglioma in the right frontal lobe tumor and IDH mutant astrocytoma in the left frontal lobe tumor, respectively. The DNA sequencing revealed IDH1 R132H mutation in the peripheral blood sample and frontal lobe tumors. This case suggested that in patients with OD, astrocytoma and oligodendroglioma can co‐occur within the same individual simultaneously, and IDH1 R132H mutation was associated with supratentorial development of gliomas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Most types of intracranial germ cell tumors (IGCTs) are sensitive to chemoradiation. However, biopsy specimens are usually small and thus cannot be used for obtaining an accurate pathological diagnosis. Recently, the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) placental alkaline phosphatase (PLAP) value has been considered a new biomarker of IGCTs. The present study aimed to evaluate the discriminatory characteristics of the CSF-PLAP value upon diagnosis and at the time of recurrence in patients with IGCTs. Methods: Between 2015 and 2019, this study included 37 patients with tumors located in the intraventricular and/or periventricular region. The CSF-PLAP level was assessed before the patients received any treatment. The PLAP level was evaluated during and after first-line chemoradiotherapy in 7 patients with IGCTs. The CSF-PLAP values were compared according to histological diagnosis, and the correlation between these values and radiographical features was assessed. The CSF-PLAP values of 6 patients with IGCTs with suspected recurrence were evaluated based on neuroimaging findings. Results: The CSF-PLAP values were significantly higher in patients with IGCTs than in those with other types of brain tumor (n = 19 vs. 18; median: 359.0 vs. <8.0 pg/mL). The specificity and sensitivity were 88 and 95%, respectively, with a cutoff value of 8.0 pg/mL. In patients with IGCT, the CSF-PLAP value was higher in patients with germinoma than in those with nongerminomatous germ cell tumors (n = 12 vs. 7; median: 415.0 vs. 359.0 pg/mL). Regarding the time course, the CSF-PLAP value decreased to below the detection limit after the reception of first-line chemoradiotherapy in all 7 patients. A significant correlation was observed between the initial CSF-PLAP value and the tumor reduction volume after receiving first-line chemoradiotherapy (p < 0.0003, R2 = 0.6165, logY = 1.202logX – 1.727). Among the patients with suspected IGCT recurrence (n = 6), the CSF-PLAP value was high in patients with recurrence (n = 3; median: 259.0 pg/mL), and that in patients (n = 3) without recurrence was below the lower detection limit. Conclusions: The CSF-PLAP level is a useful biomarker during the initial diagnosis of IGCTs and at the time of recurrence. It may be associated with the volume of germinomatous components of tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dural reconstruction after transpetrosal approaches is complicated because complete primary closure of presigmoid dura mater is difficult to achieve. To address this problem, we use biocompatible polyglycolic acid (PGA) felt (Durawave) to reconstruct dural defects. To evaluate the use of PGA felt in dural reconstruction, we compared these results with those after conventional duraplasty using autologous fascia grafts. We retrospectively surveyed all cases involving a transpetrosal approach reported since 2013. In the conventional procedure, autologous fascia was fixed over the dural defect using stay sutures; any remaining dead space was obliterated by placing abdominal fat grafts. Since April 2017, we have used PGA felt instead of fascia. Of the 37 cases identified, 27 were reconstructed according to the conventional procedure, and the remaining 10 cases were reconstructed using PGA felt. Among the 27 conventional cases, 8 involved cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-related complications, including 3 cases of rhinorrhea and 5 cases of subcutaneous fluid collection, and 2 cases (7%) required repair surgery. Of the 10 cases involving PGA felt, 1 case (10%) involved subcutaneous fluid collection and required repair surgery, and whereas the remaining 9 cases had no evidence of CSF leakage. In addition, the median dural reconstruction time using PGA felt was 9 minutes, significantly shorter than that when autologous fascia was used (median, 44 minutes). Using PGA felt for presigmoid dura simplifies dural reconstruction because it obviates the need to suture in a deep field. PGA felt has the potential to prevent CSF-related complications after transpetrosal approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In organic chemistry, Comparative Molecular Field Analysis (CoMFA) can be defined as a regression analysis between reaction outcomes and molecular fields, wherein we can extract and visualize important structural information from the coefficients of the constructed regression models. In CoMFA, partial least-squares (PLS) regression, which determines all coefficients in the model, is used for fitting the regression models. However, in organic reactions, steric effects are observed only near the reactive site, indicating that a large number of regression coefficients in the CoMFA of organic reactions should be assigned as 0. The regularized regression method, LASSO/Elastic Net, allows us to fit the regression model while assigning 0 values to unimportant coefficients. Although LASSO/Elastic Net should be suitable for CoMFA, there is no example of its use for organic reaction analysis. Herein, we examine the performance of LASSO/Elastic Net for the quantification of steric effects in CoMFA. We employ digitized molecular structures (the indicator field) as molecular fields that represent steric effects. LASSO/Elastic Net regressions provide highly interpretable models that include less noise than those from PLS regression. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Metabolic activity and hypoxia are both important factors characterizing tumor aggressiveness. Here, we used F-18 fluoromisonidazole (FMISO) and F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) to define metabolically active hypoxic volume, and investigate its clinical significance in relation to progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in glioblastoma patients. Experimental Design: Glioblastoma patients ( n = 32) underwent FMISO PET, FDG PET, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) before surgical intervention. FDG and FMISO PET images were coregistered with gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted MR images. Volume of interest (VOI) of gross tumor volume (GTV) was manually created to enclose the entire gadolinium-positive areas. The FMISO tumor-to-normal region ratio (TNR) and FDG TNR were calculated in a voxel-by-voxel manner. For calculating TNR, standardized uptake value (SUV) was divided by averaged SUV of normal references. Contralateral frontal and parietal cortices were used as the reference region for FDG, whereas the cerebellar cortex was used as the reference region for FMISO. FDG-positive was defined as the FDG TNR ≥1.0, and FMISO-positive was defined as FMISO TNR ≥1.3. Hypoxia volume (HV) was defined as the volume of FMISO-positive and metabolic tumor volume in hypoxia (hMTV) was the volume of FMISO/FDG double-positive. The total lesion glycolysis in hypoxia (hTLG) was hMTV × FDG SUVmean. The extent of resection (EOR) involving cytoreduction surgery was volumetric change based on planimetry methods using MRI. These factors were tested for correlation with patient prognosis. Results: All tumor lesions were FMISO-positive and FDG-positive. Univariate analysis indicated that hMTV, hTLG, and EOR were significantly correlated with PFS ( p = 0.007, p = 0.04, and p = 0.01, respectively) and that hMTV, hTLG, and EOR were also significantly correlated with OS ( p = 0.0028, p = 0.037, and p = 0.014, respectively). In contrast, none of FDG TNR, FMISO TNR, GTV, HV, patients' age, or Karnofsky performance scale (KPS) was significantly correlated with PSF or OS. The hMTV and hTLG were found to be independent factors affecting PFS and OS on multivariate analysis. Conclusions: We introduced hMTV and hTLG using FDG and FMISO PET to define metabolically active hypoxic volume. Univariate and multivariate analyses demonstrated that both hMTV and hTLG are significant predictors for PFS and OS in glioblastoma patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Bevacizumab (BEV), a humanized monoclonal antibody, become a currently important chemotherapeutic option for the patients with recurrent glioma. The aim of this retrospective study is to investigate whether 18F-Fluoromisonidazole (FMISO) PET have the potential to detect BEV-resistant gliomas in the early-stage. Methods: We reviewed the FMISO PET and MRI appearances before and 3 to 4 courses after BEV treatment on 18 recurrent glioma patients. FMISO accumulation was assessed by visual inspection and semi-quantitative values which were tumor-to-normal (T/N) ratio and hypoxic volume. MRI responses were evaluated based on RANO (Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology) criteria. The prognostic analysis was performed in relation to the response assessment by FMISO PET and MRI using overall survival (OS) after BEV application. Results: After BEV application, MRI revealed partial response in 14 of 18 patients (78%), of which 9 patients also demonstrated decreased FMISO accumulation. These 9 patients (50%) were classified as “MRI-FMISO double responder”. As for the other 5 patients (28%), FMISO accumulation volumes increased or remained stable after BEV treatment although partial responses were achieved on MRI. Therefore, these cases were classified as “MRI-only responder”. The remaining 4 patients (22%) did not show treatment response on FMISO PET or MRI (“non-responder”). MRI-FMISO double responders showed significantly longer OS than that in other groups (median 12.4 vs 5.7 months; P < 0.001), whereas there were no overall survival difference between MRI-only responders and non-responders (median OS, 5.7 and 4.8 months; P = 0.58). Among the pre-treatment clinical factors, high FMISO T/N ratio was a significant prognostic factor of overall survival in these patients under the assessment of Cox proportional hazard model. Conclusions: Recurrent gliomas with decreasing FMISO accumulation after short-term BEV application could derive a survival benefit from BEV treatment. Change in FMISO PET appearance can identify BEV-resistant gliomas in early-stage regardless of MRI findings in a comprehensible way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although histological diagnosis is indispensable in treating primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL), we sometimes face an intractable situation in which tissue can be obtained only from a deep-seated brain lesion. In place of a histological diagnosis, the diagnostic adequacy of the combined use of 18 F-FDG PET and corticosteroid administration for PCNSL located in a deep-seated brain structure is reported. Methods: Patients with a deep-seated tumor were treated as having PCNSL without histological confirmation, based on the following criteria: (1) there was no evidence of systemic malignancy; (2) the tumor showed an extremely high FDG uptake relative to normal gray matter on pretreatment 18 F-FDG PET; (3) the tumor decreased in size 1 week after diagnostic therapy by corticosteroid administration on contrast-enhanced T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). FDG uptake of the lesion was evaluated by the maximum of standardized uptake values (SUVmax) and tumor-to-normal ratio of the SUV (T/N ratio). The extent of the tumor reduction was calculated by volumetric analysis for the treatment response to corticosteroid administration. Results: Ten patients (4 males and 6 females) matched these criteria. On pretreatment 18 F-FDG PET, mean SUVmax in the tumor was 24.8 (8.75-60.75), and mean T/N ratio was 3.24 (2.17-5.12). The extent of tumor volume reduction was shown to be 21 to 68 % 1 week after diagnostic therapy by corticosteroids. Mean total dose and duration of corticosteroids were 719 mg as prednisolone and 6.5 days, respectively. Nine patients achieved complete response and one patient achieved partial response on MRI after standard treatment for PCNSL with high-dose methotrexate and/or whole-brain irradiation. Conclusion: Although the value of biopsy is universal, combining 18 F-FDG PET and corticosteroid administration is an important alternative method that may lead to the diagnosis of deep-seated PCNSLs in cases with intractable histopathological confirmations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intracranial germ cell tumours (IGCTs) are a group of rare heterogeneous brain tumours that are clinically and histologically similar to the more common gonadal GCTs. IGCTs show great variation in their geographical and gender distribution, histological composition and treatment outcomes. The incidence of IGCTs is historically five- to eightfold greater in Japan and other East Asian countries than in Western countries, with peak incidence near the time of puberty. About half of the tumours are located in the pineal region. The male-to-female incidence ratio is approximately 3-4:1 overall, but is even higher for tumours located in the pineal region. Owing to the scarcity of tumour specimens available for research, little is currently known about this rare disease. Here we report the analysis of 62 cases by next-generation sequencing, single nucleotide polymorphism array and expression array. We find the KIT/RAS signalling pathway frequently mutated in more than 50% of IGCTs, including novel recurrent somatic mutations in KIT, its downstream mediators KRAS and NRAS, and its negative regulator CBL. Novel somatic alterations in the AKT/mTOR pathway included copy number gains of the AKT1 locus at 14q32.33 in 19% of patients, with corresponding upregulation of AKT1 expression. We identified loss-of-function mutations in BCORL1, a transcriptional co-repressor and tumour suppressor. We report significant enrichment of novel and rare germline variants in JMJD1C, which codes for a histone demethylase and is a coactivator of the androgen receptor, among Japanese IGCT patients. This study establishes a molecular foundation for understanding the biology of IGCTs and suggests potentially promising therapeutic strategies focusing on the inhibition of KIT/RAS activation and the AKT1/mTOR pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Radiotherapy for high-grade meningioma (HGM) is one of the essential treatment options for disease control. However, appropriate irradiation timing remains under debate. The object of this study is to discern which prognostic factors impact recurrence in HGM patients and to propose a risk-stratification system for the application of postoperative radiotherapy. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 55 adult patients who were diagnosed with Grade II and III intracranial meningioma. Cox regression models were applied to the analysis for impact on early recurrence in HGM patients without postoperative radiotherapy. Results: Grade III malignancy (P = 0.0073) and transformed histology (P = 0.047) proved to be significantly poor prognostic factors of early recurrence by multivariate analysis. The other candidates for recurrence factors were Simpson Grade 3–5 resection, preoperative Karnofsky Performance status < = 70%, and MIB-1 labeling index > = 15%. According to these prognostic factors, postoperative HGM patients could be stratified into three recurrence-risk groups. The prognoses were significantly different between each group, as the 3-year actual recurrence-free rates were 90% in low-risk group, 31% in intermediate-risk group, and 15% in high-risk group. Conclusion: We propose recurrence-risk stratification for postoperative HGM patients using clinically available factors. Our results suggest that the prognosis for patients with high-risk HGMs is dismal, whereas HGM patients belonging to the low-risk group could have favorable prognoses. This stratification provides us with the criteria necessary to determine whether to apply adjuvant radiotherapy to postoperative HGM patients, and to also help identify potentially curable HGMs without adjuvant radiotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two types of thieno-bridged porphyrins were synthesized by incorporating a thiophene group across their meso and β positions with different directions of the thiophene ring to investigate the aromaticity of these porphyrins with extended p-systems. The 2,3-thieno-bridged porphyrin showed a larger antiaromatic contribution than did the 3,4-thieno-bridged porphyrin. In the former, the antiaromatic contribution is based on a 20-π-electron conjugated circuit. The two thieno-bridged porphyrins were characterized by calculations of nucleus-independent chemical shift and anisotropy of the induced current density as well as by X-ray crystallography, NMR spectroscopy, UV-vis-NIR absorption spectroscopy, electrochemical studies, time-resolved excited-state analysis, and two-photon absorption cross section measurements. Chemical derivatization of the 2,3-thieno-bridged porphyrin was also demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fundamental investigations of plasma diagnostics of a forward laser plasma acceleration employing laser-foil interactions were conducted for an Al-foil target irradiated with an Nd:YAG laser of 1 J/pulse with pulse width of 10 ns. Temporal evolutions of electron temperatures and densities were evaluated with electrostatic probes and spectroscopic diagnostics. From the results, it was shown that an average speed of ions in a forward direction was about 40 km/s. Also, it was shown that the plasma temperature and density were about 2.5-8 eV and 10 cm, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Sonodynamic therapy is expected to be a novel therapeutic strategy for malignant gliomas. The titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticle, a photosensitizer, can be activated by ultrasound. In this study, by using water-dispersed TiO2 nanoparticles, an in vitro comparison was made between the photodynamic and sonodynamic damages on U251 human glioblastoma cell lines. Water-dispersed TiO2 nanoparticles were constructed by the adsorption of chemically modified polyethylene glycole (PEG) on the TiO2 surface (TiO2/PEG). To evaluate cytotoxicity, U251 monolayer cells were incubated in culture medium including 100μg/ml of TiO2/PEG for 3h and subsequently irradiated by ultraviolet light (5.0mW/cm2) or 1.0MHz ultrasound (1.0W/cm2). Cell survival was estimated by MTT assay 24h after irradiation. In the presence of TiO2/PEG, the photodynamic cytotoxic effect was not observed after 20min of an ultraviolet light exposure, while the sonodynamic cytotoxicity effect was almost proportional to the time of sonication. In addition, photodynamic cytotoxicity of TiO2/PEG was almost completely inhibited by radical scavenger, while suppression of the sonodynamic cytotoxic effect was not significant. Results of various fluorescent stains showed that ultrasound-treated cells lost their viability immediately after irradiation, and cell membranes were especially damaged in comparison with ultraviolet-treated cells. These findings showed a potential application of TiO2/PEG to sonodynamic therapy as a new treatment of malignant gliomas and suggested that the mechanism of TiO2/PEG mediated sonodynamic cytotoxicity differs from that of photodynamic cytotoxicity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is thought to be a photocatalytic agent excited by UV light. Our aim was to investigate the photocatalytic antitumor effect of water-dispersed TiO2 nanoparticles on C6 rat glioma cells and to evaluate the treatment responses by the spheroid models. Water-dispersed TiO2 nanoparticles were constructed by the adsorption of chemical modified polyethylene glycol (PEG) on the TiO2 surface (TiO2/PEG). Each monolayer and spheroid of C6 cells was coincubated with various concentrations of TiO2/PEG and subsequently irradiated with UV light. Damage of the cells and spheroids was evaluated sequentially by staining with the fluorescent dyes. The cytotoxic effect was correlated with the concentration of TiO2/PEG and the energy dose of UV irradiation. More than 90% of cells were killed after 13.5 J cm−2 of UV irradiation in the presence of 500 μg mL−1 TiO2/PEG. The irradiated spheroids in the presence of TiO2/PEG showed growth suppression compared with control groups. In TiO2/PEG-treated spheroids, the number of Annexin V-FITC-stained cells gradually increased during the first 6 h, and subsequently propidium iodide-stained cells appeared. The results of this study suggest that newly developed photoexcited TiO2/PEG have antitumoral activity. Photodynamic therapy utilizing this material can be a clue to a novel therapeutic strategy for glioma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Plasmacytoma is a localized mass of metastatic plasma cells. These lesions rarely involve the petroclival region and carry a high risk of progression to MM and poor prognosis. Case Description: We report a 65-year-old woman who presented with a large clival plasmacytoma causing right trigeminal and abducens nerve palsies and was diagnosed with MM after transsphenoidal biopsy. She underwent neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy followed by radical resection of the residual tumor. Conclusion: We presented our treatment strategy including neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy followed by radical resection of the lesion. The patient has experienced complete remission, and succeeding MRI revealed no evidence of local recurrence. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Studies the performance characteristics of power build-up capacity as the light source of a Raman spectroscopy based gas sensor. Key parameter to optimize stable and high intra-cavity power operation; Optimum diameter determined by an appropriate distance between the cavity and diode laser; Waveguide cross section of diode laser for the effective spatial filtering.

Investigates the posttranscriptional regulation of the flagellar hook protein of Salmonella enterica serovar typhimurium FlgE. Manifestation of differences in flgE protein levels; Role of certain protein mutants in the negative regulation of FlgE; Importance of posttranscriptional control in bacterial metabolism.

Investigates the location and properties of FliE, a flagellar basal body protein in Salmonella. Characteristics of the fliE gene; Primary role of FliE as a structural adapter between the annular symmetry of the motor/switch ring and helical symmetry of the basal body and axial structures; Importance of the N- and C-terminal regions.

Summary: Background: With the recent advent of genetic testing, IDH-mutant glioma has been found among adult brainstem gliomas. However, the clinical outcome and prognosis of IDH-mutant brainstem gliomas in adults have not been elucidated. This study aimed to investigate the clinical outcome, radiological findings, and genetic features of adult patients with IDH-mutant diffuse brainstem gliomas. Methods: Data from adult patients with brainstem glioma at Hokkaido University Hospital between 2006 and 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Patient characteristics, treatment methods, genetic features, and prognosis were evaluated. Results: Of 12 patients with brainstem glioma with proven histopathology, 4 were identified with IDH mutation. All patients underwent local radiotherapy with 54 Gray in 27 fractions combined with chemotherapy with temozolomide. Three patients had IDH1 R132H mutation and one had IDH2 R172G mutation. The median progression-free survival and overall survival were 68.4 months and 85.2 months, respectively, longer than that for IDH-wildtype gliomas (5.6 months and 12.0 months, respectively). At the time of initial onset, contrast-enhanced lesions were observed in two of the four cases in magnetic resonance imaging. Conclusion: As some adult brainstem gliomas have IDH mutations, and a clearly different prognosis from those with IDH-wildtype, biopsies are proactively considered to confirm the genotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate pre- and post-operative semicircular canal function in patients with vestibular schwannoma (VS) by the video Head Impulse Test (vHIT). Nineteen patients with VS who underwent surgery were enrolled in this study. The gain in vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) and the degree of scatter in catch-up saccades were examined pre- and post-operatively for the semicircular canals in VS patients. Ten of 19 cases (52.6 %) with VS were defined as demonstrating both superior vestibular nerve (SVN) and inferior vestibular nerve (IVN) impairment from the results of pre-operative vHIT. Hearing level and subjective vestibular symptoms showed significant correlations with pre-operative semicircular canal function. Compared to pre-operative vHIT results, VOR gains within 1 month after surgery were significantly reduced in all three canals; however, significant differences had disappeared in the anterior and posterior semicircular canals at 6 months after surgery. Cases of unknown origin had a significantly greater reduction in posterior semicircular canal function after surgery compared with those with disease of IVN origin. As vHIT could evaluate pre-operative vestibular nerve impairment, post-operative VOR gain reduction and the degree of vestibular compensation, semicircular canal function evaluated by vHIT provides a good deal of useful information regarding VS patients undergoing surgery compared to caloric testing, and vHIT should be performed pre- and post-operatively for patients with VS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Positron emission tomography with 11C-methionine (MET) is well established in the diagnostic work-up of malignant brain tumors. Texture analysis is a novel technique for extracting information regarding relationships among surrounding voxels, in order to quantify their inhomogeneity. This study evaluated whether the texture analysis of MET uptake has prognostic value for patients with glioma. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed adults with glioma who had undergone preoperative metabolic imaging at a single center. Tumors were delineated using a threshold of 1.3-fold of the mean standardized uptake value for the contralateral cortex, and then processed to calculate the texture features in glioma. Results: The study included 42 patients (median age: 56 years). The World Health Organization classifications were grade II (7 patients), grade III (17 patients), and grade IV (18 patients). Sixteen (16.1%) all-cause deaths were recorded during the median follow-up of 18.8 months. The univariate analyses revealed that overall survival (OS) was associated with age (hazard ratio (HR) 1.04, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01–1.08, p = 0.0093), tumor grade (HR 3.64, 95% CI 1.63–9.63, p = 0.0010), genetic status (p < 0.0001), low gray-level run emphasis (LGRE, calculated from the gray-level run-length matrix) (HR 2.30 × 1011, 95% CI 737.11–4.23 × 1019, p = 0.0096), and correlation (calculated from the gray-level co-occurrence matrix) (HR 5.17, 95% CI 1.07–20.93, p = 0.041). The multivariate analyses revealed OS was independently associated with LGRE and correlation. The survival curves were also significantly different (both log-rank p < 0.05). Conclusion: Textural features obtained using preoperative MET positron emission tomography may compliment the semi-quantitative assessment for prognostication in glioma cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reports on an extreme clockwise switch bias mutation in the fliG gene of Salmonella typhimurium. Suppression of the fliG gene by slow-motile mutations in motA and motB; Isolation of the second-site suppressor mutant pseudorevertants; Discussion of the importance of Lys28 and Asp33 of the MotB sequence for proton delivery.

Presents a study on the assembly of the switch onto the MS ring complex of salmonella typhimurium which does not require any other flagellar proteins. Information on what this study is based on; Effects of other proteins involved in the early stage of flagellar assembly; Results of the study.

Presents a study on the mutations responsible for the polyhook phenotype and the compensating mutations that result in partial or complete restoration of filament assembly in Salmonella typhimurium. Description of flagellar hooks which are found in S. typhimurium and Escherichia coli; Descriptions of hooks which are found in mutants with defective FliK protein; Classes which polyhood filaments mutants falls under; Results of study.

Studies the role of polyhook mutants fliK and flhB in the determination of flagellar hook length in Salmonella typhimurium. Strategy employed; Hook length in wild-type flagella; Hook length in wild-type polyhook basal bodies (HBB); Hook length in polyhook mutants; Hook length in polyhook-filament mutants; Hook length in flhB mutants.

DMF-appened cyclometalated platinum(II) and -(IV) porphyrins were synthesized via the double cleavage of sp² CH and sp³ CH bonds on one platinum center. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glioma is the most common malignant brain tumor. Hypoxia is closely related to the malignancy of gliomas, and positron emission tomography (PET) can noninvasively visualize the degree and the expansion of hypoxia. Currently, 18F-fluoromisonidazole (FMISO) is the most common radiotracer for hypoxia imaging. The clinical usefulness of FMISO PET has been established; it can distinguish glioblastomas from lower-grade gliomas and can predict the microenvironment of a tumor, including necrosis, vascularization, and permeability. FMISO PET provides prognostic information, including survival and treatment response information. Because hypoxia decreases a tumor's sensitivity to radiation therapy, dose escalation to an FMISO-positive volume is an attractive strategy. Although this idea is not new, an insufficient amount of evidence has been obtained regarding this concept. New tracers for hypoxia imaging such as 18F-DiFA are being tested. In the future, hypoxia imaging will play an important role in glioma management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly stable η²-porphyrin Ru(II) π complexes have been synthesized. The formation of the η² π bond has been facilitated through π-π stacking interactions between the porphyrin and the planar ligand on Ru. π coordination of ruthenium to porphyrin results in dramatic changes in the aromaticity and electronic properties. These properties are controllable via fine-tuning of the ligand on ruthenium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study on the construction of a metal-bridged cofacial diporphyrin architecture through a cyclometalation strategy and their dynamic helical conformational change by reduction of the bridge. The author states that they have achieved the synthesis of Pt(IV) and Pt(II0-bridged cofacial diporphyrins, and both the platinum centers force two porphyrin macrocycles to be in close proximity by the stable two Pt-C σ-bonds supported by the pyridyl groups.

The article examines the study on peripherally cyclometalated porphyrins and their catalytic activities controlled by central metals. The researchers have achieved the synthesis of heterobimetallic porphyrin pincer complexes. Furthermore, highly distorted structures of them have been revealed by X-ray analyses.

Objectives: This study noninvasively examined the electrical conductivity (σ) characteristics of diffuse gliomas using MRI and tested its validity.Methods: MRI including a 3D steady-state free precession (3D SSFP) sequence was performed on 30 glioma patients. The σ maps were reconstructed from the phase images of the 3D SSFP sequence. The σ histogram metrics were extracted and compared among the contrast-enhanced (CET) and noncontrast-enhanced tumour components (NCET) and normal brain parenchyma (NP). Difference in tumour σ histogram metrics among tumour grades and correlation of σ metrics with tumour grades were tested. Validity of σ measurement using this technique was tested by correlating the mean tumour σ values measured using MRI with those measured ex vivo using a dielectric probe.Results: Several σ histogram metrics of CET and NCET of diffuse gliomas were significantly higher than NP (Bonferroni-corrected p ≤ .045). The maximum σ of NCET showed a moderate positive correlation with tumour grade (r = .571, Bonferroni-corrected p = .018). The mean tumour σ measured using MRI showed a moderate positive correlation with the σ measured ex vivo (r = .518, p = .040).Conclusions: Tissue σ can be evaluated using MRI, incorporation of which may better characterise diffuse gliomas.Key Points: • This study tested the validity of noninvasive electrical conductivity measurements by MRI. • This study also evaluated the electrical conductivity characteristics of diffuse glioma. • Gliomas have higher electrical conductivity values than the normal brain parenchyma. • Noninvasive electrical conductivity measurement can be helpful for better characterisation of glioma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background To evaluate the accuracy of tumor size by maximum diameter, ABC/2 formula, and planimetry method using thick-slice and thin-slice magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Methods Maximum diameter and tumor volume calculated using ABC/2 formula (V1) and planimetry method with thick-slice MRI (V2) and thin-slice MRI (V3) were examined in 83 meningiomas. Form factor (FF) analysis was performed to assess irregularity of the tumor. V3 values were considered as real tumor volumes. The accuracy of V1 and V2 was evaluated using ratio and difference from V3. Meningiomas were categorized by tumor locations: skull base (anterior, middle, and posterior) and non–skull base (calvaria and other sites). Results Correlation between maximum diameter and V3 was statistically significant ( r = 0.91), but the error was significant in tumors with longer maximum diameters. Correlation between V1 and V3 was significant ( r = 0.97). However, V1 tended to be larger in middle skull base meningiomas or in tumors with low FF values ( R 2 = 0.21). V2 represented relatively accurate volumes in both groups except in the case of small meningiomas. When tumors were demonstrated within 3 fractions on thick-slice MRI, the ratio of V2 to V3 showed significant variability. Conclusions Using the ABC/2 formula, the volume of meningiomas in the middle skull base or meningiomas with low FF value might be calculated larger than the real tumor volume. The planimetry method with thick-slice MRI demonstrated relatively accurate volumes if the tumor was fractionated in >4 slices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although microvascular decompression (MVD) is a reliable treatment for hemifacial spasm (HFS), the postoperative course is varied. We retrospectively analyzed the resolution pattern of the spasm and specified predictors for delayed cure after MVD. This study included 114 consecutive patients with typical HFS. All of them were followed up for at least 1 year after operation. Patients were divided into three groups depending on the postoperative course: immediate cure, delayed cure, and failure. To identify the predictive factors for delayed cure after MVD, logistic regression analyses were applied using candidate clinical factors, such as duration of symptom, the tendency of the spasm, preoperative medical treatment, and offending vessels. Among the 114 patients, 107 patients were cured. For those cured, 65 patients were classified as immediate cure and 42 patients were classified as delayed cure. Cumulative spasm-free rates after 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months after MVD were 70, 88, and 97 %, respectively. No predictive factors between the cured and failure groups were observed. According to multivariate analysis, preoperative anticonvulsant therapy was found to be the sole significant predictive factor for delayed cure after MVD ( p = 0.025). A significant correlation between delayed cure and preoperative anticonvulsant therapy was found in our study, which suggests that hyperexcitation of the facial nucleus plays an important role in pathogenesis of delayed cure. Therefore, if a patient demonstrating a positive response to preoperative anticonvulsant therapy showed a persistent spasm after MVD, reoperation should be delayed for at least 3 months after the initial operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Perpendicular Period and Phase Scanning (P3S) method can evaluate the uniformity of a laser-induced periodic surface structure (LIPSS). P3S assesses the uniformity of LIPSS using the standard deviation of the peak period and the average of the phase difference in the direction perpendicular to LIPSS. The P3S method demonstrates that LIPSS formed by two-color double-pulse irradiation is reduced to a quarter of the period dispersion, and the average phase difference of LIPSS is also reduced compared to the single-pulse irradiation. In addition, a 3D electromagnetic particle-in-cell simulation was performed to evaluate the possibility of an improved uniformity of LIPSS. The results confirm that the two-color double-pulse irradiation produces a uniform LIPSS and validates the effectiveness of the P3S method to assess the uniformity of LIPSS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Tumor necrosis is one of the indicators of tumor aggressiveness. F-fluoromisonidazole (FMISO) is the most widely used positron emission tomography (PET) tracer to evaluate severe hypoxia in vivo. Because severe hypoxia causes necrosis, we hypothesized that intratumoral necrosis can be detected by FMISO PET in brain tumors regardless of their histopathology. We applied FMISO PET to various types of brain tumors before tumor resection and evaluated the correlation between histopathological necrosis and FMISO uptake. Methods: This study included 59 brain tumor patients who underwent FMISO PET/computed tomography before any treatments. According to the pathological diagnosis, the brain tumors were divided into three groups: astrocytomas (group 1), neuroepithelial tumors except for astrocytomas (group 2), and others (group 3). Two experienced neuropathologists evaluated the presence of necrosis in consensus. FMISO uptake in the tumor was evaluated visually and semi-quantitatively using the tumor-to-normal cerebellum ratio (TNR). Results: In visual analyses, 26/27 cases in the FMISO-positive group presented with necrosis, whereas 28/32 cases in the FMISO-negative group did not show necrosis. Mean TNRs with and without necrosis were 3.49 ± 0.97 and 1.43 ± 0.42 ( p < 0.00001) in group 1, 2.91 ± 0.83 and 1.44 ± 0.20 ( p < 0.005) in group 2, and 2.63 ± 1.16 and 1.35 ± 0.23 ( p < 0.05) in group 3, respectively. Using a cut-off value of TNR = 1.67, which was calculated by normal reference regions of interest, we could predict necrosis with sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 96.7, 93.1, and 94.9 %, respectively. Conclusions: FMISO uptake within the lesion indicated the presence of histological micro-necrosis. When we used a TNR of 1.67 as the cut-off value, intratumoral micro-necrosis was sufficiently predictable. Because the presence of necrosis implies a poor prognosis, our results suggest that FMISO PET could provide important information for treatment decisions or surgical strategies of any type of brain tumor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because it is highly infiltrative, malignant glioma is a cancer with a poor prognosis despite multidisciplinary treatment strategies, such as aggressive surgery and chemoradiotherapy, necessitating new therapeutic approaches to control migration of tumor cells. In our study, we investigated the efficacy of sonodynamic therapy of glioma cells in vitro using porphyrin derivatives, including 5-aminolevulinic acid, protoporphyrin IX and talaporfin sodium, as sonosensitizers. These substances have been known to accumulate in glioma cells and are expected to have cytotoxic effects on sonication. Our study found that the cytotoxicity of sonication of glioma cells is enhanced by each sonosensitizer and that the efficacy of sonodynamic therapy may depend on the degree of intracellular accumulation of sonosensitizer. Also, the study suggests that induction of apoptosis is a major mechanism underlying cell death. Though further investigations are necessary, our preliminary result indicates a potential for sonodynamic therapy with sonosensitizers in glioma treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: C-methionine (MET) PET is an established diagnostic tool for glioma. Studies have suggested that MET uptake intensity in the tumor is a useful index for predicting patient outcome. Because MET uptake is known to reflect tumor expansion more accurately than MRI, we aimed to elucidate the association between volume-based tumor measurements and patient prognosis. Methods: The study population comprised 52 patients with newly diagnosed glioma who underwent PET scanning 20 min after injection of 370 MBq MET. The tumor was contoured using a threshold of 1.3 times the activity of the contralateral normal cortex. Metabolic tumor volume (MTV) was defined as the total volume within the boundary. Total lesion methionine uptake (TLMU) was defined as MTV times the mean standardized uptake value (SUVmean) within the boundary. The tumor-to-normal ratio (TNR), calculated as the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) divided by the contralateral reference value, was also recorded. All patients underwent surgery (biopsy or tumor resection) targeting the tissue with high MET uptake. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate the predictive value of each measurement. Results: Grade II tumor was diagnosed in 12 patients (3 diffuse astrocytoma, 2 oligodendroglioma, and 7 oligoastrocytoma), grade III in 18 patients (8 anaplastic astrocytoma, 6 anaplastic oligodendroglioma, and 4 anaplastic oligoastrocytoma), and grade IV in 22 patients (all glioblastoma). TNR, MTV and TLMU were 3.1 ± 1.2, 51.6 ± 49.9 ml and 147.7 ± 153.3 ml, respectively. None of the three measurements was able to categorize the glioma patients in terms of survival when all patients were analyzed. However, when only patients with astrocytic tumor ( N = 33) were analyzed (i.e., when those with oligodendroglial components were excluded), MTV and TLMU successfully predicted patient outcome with higher values associated with a poorer prognosis ( P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively), while the predictive ability of TNR did not reach statistical significance ( P = NS). Conclusion: MTV and TLMU may be useful for predicting outcome in patients with astrocytic tumor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Previous radiological investigations have generally shown the superiority of metabolic imaging in distinguishing high-grade from low-grade glioma, but the presence of an oligodendroglial component may affect the diagnostic accuracy. We investigated the diagnostic accuracy of PET imaging using C-methionine (MET) and F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) in distinguishing high-grade from low-grade glioma, in correlation with the oligodendroglial component. Methods: The study population comprised adult patients who underwent preoperative PET imaging using both MET and FDG within 1 week and successful excision of the tumour tissue, which confirmed WHO grade II-IV glioma. We examined the tumour metabolic activity in terms of lesion-to-normal uptake ratios (L/N ratio) in both MET PET and FDG PET images. We assessed the correlation between the imaging results and the histological findings to determine the diagnostic accuracy of receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis in detecting high-grade tumours. Results: We studied 46 patients with glioma (13 low-grade and 33 high-grade), including 26 with an oligodendroglial components. The L/N ratios of the PET images showed significantly higher metabolic activities in high-grade gliomas than in low-grade gliomas for both MET (4.29 ± 1.22 and 2.36 ± 0.72, respectively; p < 0.0001) and FDG (1.72 ± 0.91 and 0.77 ± 0.26, respectively; p = 0.0007) images, although significant overlaps in L/N ratio were observed between high-grade and low-grade gliomas. Excluding the 26 patents with an oligodendroglial component improved the separation for both MET (4.62 ± 1.14 vs. 2.16 ± 0.63; p < 0.001) and FDG (1.76 ± 0.87 vs. 0.71 ± 0.14; p < 0.05) images. The ROC analyses demonstrated the clinical utility of the metabolic radiotracers in distinguishing high-grade from low-grade gliomas, showing similar AUC values for MET (0.91) and FDG (0.92). Excluding the 26 patents with an oligodendroglial component also further improved the diagnostic accuracy for both MET (AUC 0.98), and FDG (AUC 1.00) images. The metabolic radiotracers were significantly correlated with the MIB-1 labelling index ( R = 0.52, p < 0.05 for MET; R = 0.52, p < 0.05, for FDG) only in gliomas without an oligodendroglial component. Conclusion: For better characterization of gliomas and for risk assessment, the results of metabolic PET imaging should be revised after obtaining the pathological report, because oligodendroglial differentiation may positively influence the substrate metabolism and thus complicated the preoperative evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to investigate the clinical implications and natural history of primary intraparenchymal lesions in patients with neurofibromatosis type 2. Radiological findings of 15 neurofibromatosis type 2 cases were retrospectively collected. Twenty-seven primary intraparenchymal lesions were observed in 7 out of 15 patients (47%). Cortical/subcortical T2 hyperintense lesions and enlarged Virchow–Robin spaces were the most common findings in five and four patients, respectively. During the follow-up period (median 84 months), one new primary intraparenchymal lesion was identified and increased lesions were observed in two cases on contrast-enhanced MRI. Surgical resection was performed in one case pathologically diagnosed with atypical meningioma. Twenty-five other lesions without contrast enhancement presented no apparent growth during follow-up. Although most primary intraparenchymal lesions are benign, a subset of cases would present newly developed or increased lesions on contrast-enhanced MRI. Careful monitoring is necessary for such cases, and pathological confirmation should be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Discharge current distributions generated underwater by spark discharges from the atmosphere to free water surfaces with conductivities in the range 0.07–10.0S/m were investigated using a laboratory-scale electrode system consists of a discharge electrode and nine underwater grounding electrodes. Discharge emission on the water surface, which shows significant change with slight increase in conductivity, affects the current distribution in the water. The electric potential of the water surface also changes significantly with slight increase in conductivity. Results of numerical calculations of the underwater discharge current based on the water surface potential agree with the experimental results. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: An open-label, non-comparative study assessed the efficacy and safety of nivolumab in Japanese patients with first recurrence glioblastoma. Methods: Patients with first recurrence of histologically confirmed World Health Organization Grade IV glioma, after treatment with temozolomide and radiotherapy, received nivolumab 3 mg/kg every 2 weeks until confirmed disease progression (Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology criteria) or toxicity. Primary endpoint was 1-year overall survival rate assessed by Bayesian approach. The prespecified efficacy criterion was that the Bayesian posterior probability threshold for exceeding the 1-year overall survival of bevacizumab (34.5%) from the Japanese phase 2 study (JO22506) would be 93%. Results: Of the 50 enrolled patients, 44 (88.0%) had recurrent malignant glioma (glioblastoma, gliosarcoma), and of these, 26 (59.1%) had at least one measurable lesion at baseline. The Bayesian posterior mean 1-year overall survival (90% Bayesian credible intervals) with nivolumab was 54.4% (42.27–66.21), and the Bayesian posterior probability of exceeding the threshold of the 1-year overall survival rate of bevacizumab (34.5%) was 99.7%. Median (90% confidence interval) overall and progression-free survival was 13.1 (10.4–17.7) and 1.5 (1.4–1.5) months, respectively. One partial response was observed (objective response rate 1/26 evaluable patients [3.8%]). Treatment-related adverse event rates were 14.0% for Grade 3–4 and 2.0% for Grade 5; most adverse events resolved and were manageable. Conclusions: The 1-year overall survival with nivolumab monotherapy in Japanese patients with glioblastoma met the prespecified efficacy criterion. The safety profile of nivolumab was consistent with that observed in other tumor types. Clinical Trial Registration: JapicCTI-152967. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the CNS, primary tumors with rhabdoid components are classified as atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor, rhabdoid meningioma or rhabdoid glioblastoma. The authors present a young adult patient with supratentorial rhabdoid tumor incidentally found after head trauma as a small pre-existing lesion in the parahippocampal gyrus. MRI demonstrated an area of hypointensity on T1-weighted images and hyperintensity on T2-weighted and fluid attenuated inversion recovery images. A serial MR scan revealed no change 3 months after the initial examination but drastic changes at 6 months. As the tumor and accompanying intratumoral hemorrhage enlarged rapidly, resection of the tumor was performed. Histopathology revealed that the main component of the tumor was typical rhabdoid cells with some necrotic areas. There were also pathological features consistent with oligoastrocytoma. The specimen had neither vascular proliferation usually seen in high-grade glioma nor the meningothelial pattern that suggests meningioma. Immunohistochemical findings revealed that cells were strongly positive for vimentin, epithelial membrane antigen and INI-1 antibody throughout the specimen. Further, monosomy 22 was detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization. The tumor was finally thought to be an unclassifiable primitive rhabdoid tumor with oligoastrocytoma that arose in the CNS. The patient died within 5 months of detection of the tumor, regardless of surgical resection, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information on a novel master oscillator that consists of a CW microchip laser and an electro optic (EO) deflector. The EO deflector can operate at lower applied voltages than conventional EO modulators, which require several kilovolts. It is stated that the novel master oscillator has a multi stage fiber amplifier system, that generates stable laser pulses at repetition rates between 100 kilohertz and 1 megahertz.

The majority of oligodendroglial tumors harbor mutations in the telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) gene (TERT) promoter and the isocitrate dehydrogenase 1/2 (IDH1/2) gene (IDH1/2), as well as 1p/19q codeletion. Generally, TERT promoter mutations, C250T and C228T, are mutually exclusive. We present a case of oligodendroglioma harboring both C250T and C228T mutations in TERT promoter. A 38‐year‐old man presented with grand mal seizures and underwent a resection surgery for a left frontal lobe tumor. He was pathologically diagnosed as having oligodendroglioma and was carefully observed. At 48 years of age, he underwent another resection surgery due to tumor regrowth, with the pathological diagnosis of anaplastic oligodendroglioma. Genetic analysis of the initial tumor specimen revealed IDH1 R132H mutation and both C250T and C228T mutations in TERT promoter. Using mutation‐specific primers, two mutations were considered to be distributed in different alleles. In the tumor specimen obtained during the second surgery, IDH1 R132H mutation was detected to be similar to that of the initial specimen; however, only C228T mutation was detected in TERT promoter. The 1p/19q codeletion was detected in both the initial and recurrent tumor specimens. According to the sequencing data from the two tumor specimens, although TERT promoter mutation has been considered to be an early genetic event in the tumorigenesis of oligodendroglial tumors, it is likely that the C250T and C228T mutations in TERT promoter are subclonally distributed in the same tumor specimen of the present case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 5‐year‐old girl presented with headache and vomiting. Head computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed a right frontal lobe tumor with marked calcification. The patient underwent resection surgery with suspicion of anaplastic ependymoma, and the tumor was gross totally removed. Pathological examination revealed areas of dense tumor cells with a high nucleocytoplasmic ratio and myxoid areas consisting of tumor cells with a round‐shaped nucleus and eosinophilic cytoplasm. Perivascular pseudorosette, necrosis, circumscribed growth, and microcalcification were also observed. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated negative staining for glial fibrillary protein and epithelial membrane antigen. Diagnosis of a high‐grade neuroepithelial tumor (HGNET) with BCL6 corepressor (BCOR) alteration was made based on pathological findings and internal tandem duplication in the exon 15 of BCOR. Although calcification on radiological and pathological examination is not typical, it would be essential to recognize that calcification could appear in HGNET‐BCOR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: 18F-fluoromisonidazole (18F-FMISO) is the most widely used positron emission tomography (PET) tracer for imaging tumor hypoxia. Previous reports suggested that the time from injection to the scan may affect the assessment of 18F-FMISO uptake. Herein, we directly compared the images at 2 h and 4 h after a single injection of 18F-FMISO. Methods: Twenty-three patients with or suspected of having a brain tumor were scanned twice at 2 and 4 h following an intravenous injection of 18F-FMISO. We estimated the mean standardized uptake value (SUV) of the gray matter and white matter and the gray-to-white matter ratio in the background brain tissue from the two scans. We also performed a semi-quantitative analysis using the SUVmax and maximum tumor-to-normal ratio (TNR) for the tumor. Results: At 2 h, the SUVmean of gray matter was significantly higher than that of white matter (median 1.23, interquartile range (IQR) 1.10–1.32 vs. 1.04, IQR 0.95–1.16, p < 0.0001), whereas at 4 h, it significantly decreased to approach that of the white matter (1.10, IQR 1.00–1.23 vs. 1.02, IQR 0.93–1.13, p = NS). The gray-to-white matter ratio thus significantly declined from 1.17 (IQR 1.14–1.19) to 1.09 (IQR 1.07–1.10) (p < 0.0001). All 7 patients with glioblastoma showed significant increases in the SUVmax (2.20, IQR 1.67–3.32 at 2 h vs. 2.65, IQR 1.74–4.41 at 4 h, p = 0.016) and the TNR (1.75, IQR 1.40–2.38 at 2 h vs. 2.34, IQR 1.67–3.60 at 4 h, p = 0.016). Conclusion: In the assessment of hypoxic tumors, 18F-FMISO PET for hypoxia imaging should be obtained at 4 h rather than 2 h after the injection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 17‐year‐old female complained of lower extremity pain that progressed to low back pain accompanied by paraparesis. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a mass in the conus medullaris of the spinal cord at the thoracic spine 11–12 level. The patient underwent resection of the mass. The pathological diagnosis was anaplastic astrocytoma based on the densely proliferating astrocytic tumor cells without necrosis or microvascular proliferation. The patient received chemoradiotherapy with oral temozolomide and a total of 54 Gy of local irradiation, followed by 24 courses of temozolomide as maintenance chemotherapy. The patient survived for 8 years without tumor recurrence following the initial treatment. Genetic analysis of the tumor revealed a BRAF V600E mutation that has not yet been reported in spinal cord high‐grade gliomas (HGGs). In recent years, the molecular therapy targeting the BRAF V600E mutation has been applied in clinical practice for several cancer types. Although the frequency in spinal cord HGGs is uncertain, it is necessary to investigate BRAF V600E mutation as a potential therapeutic target in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies the determination of the length of the hook part of the flagellum of motile bacteria using the amount of subunit protein secreted by the flagellar export apparatus. Electron micrographs of short hooks; Construction of the largest part of flagellum requiring an export system specific for the flagellar proteins.