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Spinal magnetic resonance imaging artifacts in lumboperitoneal shunt surgery using adjustable valve implantation on the paravertebral spinal muscles
Get PDFBackground : Adjustable shunt valves that have been developed for managing hydrocephalus rely on intrinsically magnetic components ; thus, artifacts with these valves on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are inevitable. No studies on valve-induced artifacts in lumboperitoneal shunt (LPS) surgery have been published. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate valve-induced artifacts in LPS. Methods : We retrospectively reviewed all MRIs obtained between January 2023 and June 2023 in patients with an implanted Codman CERTAS Plus adjustable shunt valve (Integra Life Sciences, Princeton, New Jersey, USA). The valve was placed < 1 cm subcutaneously on the paravertebral spinal muscle of the back, with its long axis perpendicular to the body axis. The scans were performed using a Toshiba Medical Systems 1.5 Tesla scanner. The in-plane artifact sizes were assessed as the maximum distance of the artifact from the expected region of the back. Results : All spinal structures or spinal cords can be recognized, even with valve–induced artifacts. The median maximum valve-induced artifact distance on T1-weighted axial imaging was 25.63 mm (mean, 25.98 mm ; range, 22.24–30.94 mm). The median maximum valve-induced artifact distance on T2-weighted axial imaging was 25.56 mm (mean, 26.27 mm ; range, 21.83–29.53 mm). Conclusion : LPS surgery with adjustable valve implantation on paravertebral muscles did not cause valve-induced artifacts in the spine and spinal cord. We considered that LPS could simplify the postoperative care of these patients.journal articl
ウイルス感染症の胸部画像診断
Get PDFComputed tomography（CT） is an imaging modality that plays an important role in clinical practice. It began being used as a clinical device in the United Kingdom in 1972 and has made dramatic progress over the past half century. The principle is to create a tomographic image by getting X-ray images from multiple directions, to process the information obtained by a computer, and to create an image that allows you to check the detailed internal state and anatomy of the parts of the body. In the clinical practice in patients with respiratory infections, it is often experienced that CT examinations make the pneumonia detectable, which are difficult to detect with X-ray examinations, and can be used to evaluate the three-dimensional shape, spread, and severity. In this article, we focus on CT imaging for various viral infections and introduce CT images of COVID-19 pneumonia.journal articl
Characterization of double-negative T cells in colorectal cancers and their corresponding lymph nodes
Get PDFTCRαβ+ CD4− CD8− double-negative T (DNT) cells are minor populations in peripheral blood, and their roles have mostly been discussed in inflammation and autoimmunity. However, the functions of DNT cells in tumor microenvironment remain to be elucidated. We investigated their characteristics, possible origins and functions in colorectal cancer tissues as well as their corresponding tumor-draining lymph nodes. We found a significant enrichment of DNT cells in tumor tissues compared with their corresponding lymph nodes, especially in tumors with lower T cell infiltration. T cell receptor (TCR) sequence analysis of CD4+ T, CD8+ T and DNT cells indicated that TCR sequences detected in DNT cells were found in CD8+ T cells, but rarely in CD4+ T cells, suggesting that a part of DNT cells was likely to be originated from CD8+ T cells. Through a single-cell transcriptomic analysis of DNT cells, we found that a DNT cell cluster, which showed similar phenotypes to central memory CD8+ T cells with low expression of effector and exhaustion markers, revealed some specific gene expression patterns, including higher GZMK expression. Moreover, in flow cytometry analysis, we found that DNT cells lost production of cytotoxic mediators. These findings imply that DNT cells might function as negative regulators of anti-tumor immune responses in tumor microenvironment.journal articl
Perspectives on IoT-oriented network simulation systems
Get PDFThe Internet of Things (IoT) paradigm is assumed to be a major component in the present and future Internet, with forecasts claiming a humongous number of devices connected in the near future, and applications fields spanning from agriculture, to healthcare. Despite this, the standardization efforts have not yet resulted in widely adopted standards, and the market is fragmented into multiple solutions both at physical and communication protocol levels. Moreover, IoT systems exacerbate the usual test bed limitations, e.g., scalability (very large number of devices), hardware compatibility, space, and price. Due to the above problems, simulation tools become an extremely interesting tool for studying IoT systems both for academia (new algorithms), standardization (new protocols), and industry (what-if analysis). In this paper we will discuss what are the most relevant features and models that a simulation tool like ns-3 should prioritize to enable the above-mentioned needs from academia, standardization, and industry, and if they are achievable in the short, medium, or long term.journal articl
災害発生後の認定こども園の保育継続における課題 : 令和5年梅雨前線による大雨及び台風2号により被災した茨城県取手市の認定こども園の事例から
Get PDF本研究では，令和5年梅雨前線による大雨及び台風2号により被災した茨城県取手市の認定こども園を事例として，認定こども園における保育継続計画策定時の留意点を整理することを目的として周辺地域の内外水氾濫解析および被災園，自治体保育担当課，受け入れ先となった幼稚園・保育所を対象とした保育継続に関するインタビュー調査を実施した．内外水氾濫解析の結果，I-1園の浸水過程の特徴が明らかになり，早期の避難の必要性と避難が長時間に及ぶ場合の備えの必要性があることが示された．被災園は，代替施設を確保して3ヶ所での分散保育を行っていたが，代替施設確保が課題となっており，子どもの受け入れを可能とする代替施設を用意できるよう地域内での連携体制づくりが求められる．The purpose of this study is to summarize the points to be considered when formulating a child-care continuity plan for certified child-care centers, using a certified child center in Toride City, Ibaraki Prefecture, which was damaged by a heavy rain caused by a rainy front and Typhoon No. 2 in 2023, as a case study. Interviews were conducted with the affected certified child center, the local government division in charge of childcare, and three kindergarten and daycare centers that had accepted the children. The affected preschools had secured alternative facilities and dispersed their childcare services among the three locations. When childcare was resumed, priority was given to children with high childcare needs, and even within the same certified child center, some children were able to resume attending certified child center early while others were not, depending on the working status of their parents. In addition, securing an alternative facility to accommodate many children is an issue, and a cooperative system within the community is needed to enable the acceptance of children.journal articl
Hemodynamics of the left cerebral hemisphere during silent reading : analysis using near-infrared spectroscopy
Get PDFThe purpose of this study was to investigate the hemodynamic activity in the left cerebral hemisphere during silent reading in college students with typical development using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Sixty college students with typical development participated in this study. In the silent reading task, participants were asked to read a text from Andersen’s fairy tale. Then, the change in oxygenated hemoglobin (oxy-Hb) concentration during silent reading of the text was calculated. The number of letters read during the silent reading task was also measured to calculate the silent reading speed. The average trend graph of 60 college students revealed increased oxy-Hb concentration in both the left inferior frontal gyrus (Broca’s area) and the left inferior occipitotemporal gyrus during silent reading. A negative correlation was found between the change in oxy-Hb concentration in Broca’s area and silent reading speed. A positive correlation was found between oxy-Hb concentration change in the left inferior occipitotemporal gyrus and silent reading speed. The increase in oxy-Hb concentration in Broca’s area observed during silent reading may reflect effortful reading in students with reading difficulty. The increase in oxy-Hb concentration in the left inferior occipitotemporal gyrus observed during silent reading may reflect proficiency in reading. Our findings suggest the usefulness of NIRS in assessing reading function and its potential use in the diagnosis of developmental dyslexia.journal articl
Validation of Light–Ion Quantum Molecular Dynamics (LIQMD) model for hadron therapy
Get PDFPurpose: This study aims to validate the Light-Ion Quantum Molecular Dynamics (LIQMD) model, an advanced version of the QMD model for more accurate simulations in hadron therapy, incorporated into Geant4 (release 11.2).
Methods: Two sets of experiments are employed. The first includes positron-emitter distributions along the beam path for 350 MeV/u 12C ions incident on a PMMA target, obtained from in–vivo Positron Emission Tomography (PET) experiments at QST (Chiba, Japan). The second comprises cross-sections for 95 MeV/u 12C ions incident on thin targets (H, C, O, Al, and Ti), obtained from experiments at GANIL (Caen, France). The LIQMD model’s performance is compared with the experimental data and the default QMD model results.
Results: The LIQMD model can predict the profile shape of positron-emitting radionuclide yields with better accuracy than the default QMD model, although some discrepancies remains. The consistency observed in the production of positron-emitting radionuclides aligns with the thin target cross-section analysis. The LIQMD model significantly improves the differential and double-differential cross-sections of fragments produced in thin targets, especially in the forward direction. The overestimation of 10C production in the in–vivo PET benchmark is consistent with the 95 MeV/u 12C cross-section test. Overall, the LIQMD model demonstrates better agreement with experimental measurements for nearly all fragment species compared to the QMD model.
Conclusions: The LIQMD model offers an improved description of the fragmentation process in hadron therapy. Future work should involve further validation against additional experimental measurements to confirm these findings.journal articl