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Factors Influencing Functional Exercise Capacity After Lung Resection for Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer
Get PDFPurpose: We investigated, in patients who underwent lung resection for non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the magnitude of early limitation in functional exercise capacity and the associations with pre- and postoperative factors. Methods: Consecutive patients with preoperative clinical stage I to IIIA NSCLC who underwent lung resection were prospectively enrolled. We measured functional exercise capacity (6-minute walk distance [6MWD]) and skeletal muscle strength (handgrip [HF] and quadriceps force [QF]) within 2 days prior to surgery and on day 7 postoperatively. Results: Two hundred eighteen participants were recruited (median age 69 years) of whom 49 developed postoperative complications (POCs). 6MWD was markedly decreased (514 m vs 469 m, P < .001); HF and QF were slightly decreased following surgery. Multiple linear regression showed that preoperative vital capacity (P < .01), QF (P < .05), the duration of chest tube drainage (P < .001), and presence of POCs (P < .05) were significant predictors. However, intraoperative factors were not significantly associated with the decline in 6MWD. Conclusions: These results suggest that patients with preoperative impairments in pulmonary function and muscle strength, and those who require prolonged chest tube drainage or develop POCs are likely to have impaired exercise capacity. Therefore, individual assessment and follow-up of patients with such factors is indicate
A Simple and High-Throughput ELISA-Based Neutralization Assay for the Determination of Anti-Flavivirus Neutralizing Antibodies
Get PDFMosquito-borne flavivirus infections, including dengue virus and Zika virus, are major public health threats globally. While the plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT) is considered the gold standard for determining neutralizing antibody levels to flaviviruses, the assay is time-consuming and laborious. This study, therefore, aimed to develop an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-based microneutralization test (EMNT) for the detection of neutralizing antibodies to mosquito-borne flaviviruses. The inhibition of viral growth due to neutralizing antibodies was determined colorimetrically by using EMNT. Given the significance of Fcγ-receptors (FcγR) in antibody-mediated neutralization and antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) of flavivirus infection, non-FcγR and FcγR-expressing cell lines were used in the EMNT to allow the detection of the sum of neutralizing and immune-enhancing antibody activity as the neutralizing titer. Using anti-flavivirus monoclonal antibodies and clinical samples, the utility of EMNT was evaluated by comparing the end-point titers of the EMNT and the PRNT. The correlation between EMNT and PRNT titers was strong, indicating that EMNT was robust and reproducible. The new EMNT assay combines the biological functional assessment of virus neutralization activity and the technical advantages of ELISA and, is simple, reliable, practical, and could be automated for high-throughput implementation in flavivirus surveillance studies and vaccine trials
Relationships of handgrip strength with the presence of cerebral microbleeds and platelet count in older Japanese adults
Get PDFIntroduction: Lower handgrip strength is a manifestation of sarcopenia and frailty, and has been reported to be associated with cerebral microbleeds (CMBs), which appear on T2*-weighted magnetic resonance scans as low-intensity spots. However, the underlying mechanism is unknown. We hypothesized that vascular endothelial injury could be the common factor in loss of handgrip strength and CMBs. We aimed to clarify the relationship between handgrip strength and CMBs, with reference to a marker of vascular repair capability. Materials and Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 95 60- to 87-year-old Japanese people who underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging in 2016-2017. Baseline information was obtained by trained interviewers regarding the age, sex, smoking status, nutrient intake, cognition, medical history, education, and household income of the participants. Physical activity was assessed using a tri-axial accelerometer. We used the Fried frailty phenotype definition. Multivariable linear regression analysis was performed. Results: Handgrip strength was independently associated with the presence of CMB after adjustment for age, sex, body mass index, classical cardiovascular risk factors, protein intake, and daily activity (B = −3.43, p = 0.027). This association was shown in participants with a low (B = −4.05, p = 0.045) but not high platelet count (B=−2.23, p = 0.479). Frailty was also independently associated with the presence of CMB after adjustment for confounders (B = 0.57, p = 0.014). Although this association was not present in participants a high platelet count, there was a positive trend in those with a low platelet count (B = 0.50, p = 0.135). Conclusions: Platelet count, a marker of vascular repair capability, appears to modify the relationship between handgrip strength and CMBs
新たな高分解能CT肺線維化スコアを用いた肺癌患者における抗癌剤起因性薬剤性肺炎の発症予測について
Get PDF長崎大学学位論文 [学位記番号]博（医歯薬）甲第1255号 [学位授与年月日]令和2年6月3
Researching teaching materials of Art and Handicraft
Get PDF長崎大学教育学部紀要：教科教育学 通巻 第60号（Bulletin of Faculty of Education, Nagasaki University: Curriculum and Teaching, Vol.60
Sculpture: 「Eroded a･ta･ma」
Get PDF長崎大学教育学部紀要：人文科学 通巻 第86号（Bulletin of Faculty of Education Nagasaki University: Humanities, Vol.86) 佐々野好継教授 退職記念
Human BST-2/tetherin inhibits Junin virus release from host cells and its inhibition is partially counteracted by viral nucleoprotein
Get PDFBone marrow stromal cell antigen-2 (BST-2), also known as tetherin, is an interferon-inducible membrane-associated protein. It effectively targets enveloped viruses at the release step of progeny viruses from host cells, thereby restricting the further spread of viral infection. Junin virus (JUNV) is a member of Arenaviridae, which causes Argentine haemorrhagic fever that is associated with a high rate of mortality. In this study, we examined the effect of human BST-2 on the replication and propagation of JUNV. The production of JUNV Z-mediated virus-like particles (VLPs) was significantly inhibited by over-expression of BST-2. Electron microscopy analysis revealed that BST-2 functions by forming a physical link that directly retains VLPs on the cell surface. Infection using JUNV showed that infectious JUNV production was moderately inhibited by endogenous or exogenous BST-2. We also observed that JUNV infection triggers an intense interferon response, causing an upregulation of BST-2, in infected cells. However, the expression of cell surface BST-2 was reduced upon infection. Furthermore, the expression of JUNV nucleoprotein (NP) partially recovered VLP production from BST-2 restriction, suggesting that the NP functions as an antagonist against antiviral effect of BST-2. We further showed that JUNV NP also rescued the production of Ebola virus VP40-mediated VLP from BST-2 restriction as a broad spectrum BST-2 antagonist. To our knowledge, this is the first report showing that an arenavirus protein counteracts the antiviral function of BST-2
Emphasis of Periodicity in the Dynamic Behavior of Ionization Waves
Get PDFThe dynamic behavior of ionization waves in glow discharge plasma was examined, particularly with regard to periodicity. In a series of experiments, neon plasma was produced by the glow discharge between two electrodes after the glass tube was evacuated to high vacuum. Fluctuations in the light intensity were sampled with a line-scan camera and photodiodes as spatiotemporal signals for data analysis. The largest Lyapunov exponents were calculated from the time series of the experimental samples to quantitatively estimate the complexity of the system. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) became saturated as the intensity of the external force applied to the chaotic state was gradually increased because chaotic oscillations in the ionization wave synchronized to the external force. A periodic orbit in the chaos system was emphasized, and the oscillation became coherent as the state SNR reached its maximum value. When the periodicity was emphasized, the oscillation became coherent not only in time but also in space. Periodicity was also observed in system-induced feedback without an external force. Similar results were obtained with an external force and feedback; however, the former caused the chaos system to synchronize with the external force, while the latter yielded periodic oscillations from the chaos-chaos interaction
