Radio-photoluminescence properties of CaF2 transparent and opaque ceramics

Kato Takumi,Nakauchi Daisuke,Kawaguchi Noriaki,Yanagida Takayuki 한국물리학회 2020 Current Applied Physics Vol.20 No.11

Radio-photoluminescence (RPL) phenomenon was observed in CaF2 transparent and opaque ceramics by X-ray irradiation. The RPL appeared as a formation of photoluminescence (PL) emission bands located around 660 and 720 nm caused by F2+ and (F2+)A centers, respectively. The RPL signal can be deleted by heating, and reusability was observed over ten experimental cycles. The fading of the RPL signal was confirmed to be ~4% in 10 days. The detectable RPL response of CaF2 transparent ceramics was as low as 1 mGy, and the dynamic ranges were confirmed over 1–10000 mGy with linear response.

Efficacy and Safety of Abdominal Trunk Muscle Strengthening Using an Innovative Device in Elderly Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain: A Pilot Study

Satoshi Kato,Satoru Demura,Yuki Kurokawa,Naoki Takahashi,Kazuya Shinmura,Noriaki Yokogawa,Noritaka Yonezawa,Takaki Shimizu,Ryo Kitagawa,Hiroyuki Tsuchiya 대한재활의학회 2020 Annals of Rehabilitation Medicine Vol.44 No.3

Objective To examine the efficacy and safety of an innovative, device-driven abdominal trunk muscle strengthening program, with the ability to measure muscle strength, to treat chronic low back pain (LBP) in elderly participants. Methods Seven women with non-specific chronic LBP, lasting at least 3 months, were enrolled and treated with the prescribed exercise regimen. Patients participated in a 12-week device-driven exercise program which included abdominal trunk muscle strengthening and 4 types of stretches for the trunk and lower extremities. Primary outcomes were adverse events associated with the exercise program, improvement in abdominal trunk muscle strength, as measured by the device, and improvement in the numerical rating scale (NRS) scores of LBP with the exercise. Secondary outcomes were improvement in the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RDQ) score and the results of the locomotive syndrome risk test, including the stand-up and two-step tests. Results There were no reports of increased back pain or new-onset abdominal pain or discomfort during or after the device-driven exercise program. The mean abdominal trunk muscle strength, NRS, RDQ scores, and the stand-up and two-step test scores were significantly improved at the end of the trial compared to baseline. Conclusion No participants experienced adverse events during the 12-week strengthening program, which involved the use of our device and stretching, indicating the program was safe. Further, the program significantly improved various measures of LBP and physical function in elderly participants.

Dosimetric properties of Mg-doped Al2O3 transparent ceramics

Takumi Kato,Noriaki Kawaguchi,Takayuki Yanagida 한양대학교 세라믹연구소 2019 Journal of Ceramic Processing Research Vol.20 No.5

Transparent ceramics of Al2O3 doped with different concentrations of Mg2+ ions (0.001, 0.01, 0.1 and 1.0%) were synthesized by the Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) method, and scintillation and dosimetric properties were investigated. Under X-ray irradiation, all the samples showed emission peaks around 310, 380 and 693 nm. Based on the measured scintillation decay times and previous studies, the origins of the emission peaks at 310, 380 and 693 nm were attributed to F+ centers, F centers and Cr3+ impurity ions, respectively. The 0.1% Mg-doped sample showed a glow curve consisting of peaks around 50, 105, 135, 230, 350 and 400 oC. All the samples had a linear TSL response in a dose range from 0.1 to 1,000 mGy.

Multivariate prognostic analysis of adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix treated with radical hysterectomy and systematic lymphadenectomy

Tatsuya Kato,Hidemichi Watari,Mahito Takeda,Masayoshi Hosaka,Takashi Mitamura,Noriko Kobayashi,Satoko Sudo,Masanori Kaneuchi,Masataka Kudo,Noriaki Sakuragi 대한부인종양학회 2013 Journal of Gynecologic Oncology Vol.24 No.3

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic factors and treatment outcome of patients with adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix who underwent radical hysterectomy with systematic lymphadenectomy. Methods: A total of 130 patients with stage IB to IIB cervical adenocarcinoma treated with hysterectomy and systematic lymphadenectomy from 1982 to 2005 were retrospectively analyzed. Clinicopathological data including age, stage, tumor size, the number of positive node sites, lymphovascular space invasion, parametrial invasion, deep stromal invasion (>2/3 thickness), corpus invasion, vaginal infiltration, and ovarian metastasis, adjuvant therapy, and survival were collected and Cox regression analysis was used to determine independent prognostic factors. Results: An estimated five-year survival rate of stage IB1 was 96.6%, 75.0% in stage IB2, 100% in stage IIA, and 52.8% in stage IIB. Prognosis of patients with one positive-node site is similar to that of those with negative-node. Prognosis of patients with multiple positive-node sites was significantly poorer than that of negative and one positive-node site. Multivariate analysis revealed that lymph node metastasis, lymphovascular space invasion, and parametrial invasion were independent prognostic factors for cervical adenocarcinoma. Survival of patients with cervical adenocarcinoma was stratified into three groups by the combination of three independent prognostic factors. Conclusion: Lymph node metastasis, lymphovascular space invasion, and parametrial invasion were shown to be independent prognostic factors for cervical adenocarcinoma treated with hysterectomy and systematic lymphadenectomy.

Isolated tumor cells and micrometastases in regional lymph nodes in stage I to II endometrial cancer

Yukiharu Todo,Hidenori Kato,Kazuhira Okamoto,Shinichiro Minobe,Katsushige Yamashiro,Noriaki Sakuragi 대한부인종양학회 2016 Journal of Gynecologic Oncology Vol.27 No.1

Objective: The aim of this study was to clarify the clinical significance of isolated tumor cells (ITCs) or micrometastasis (MM) in regional lymph nodes in patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage I to II endometrial cancer. Methods: In this study, a series of 63 patients with FIGO stage I to II were included, who had at least one of the following risk factors for recurrence: G3 endometrioid/serous/clear cell adenocarcinomas, deep myometrial invasion, cervical involvement, lympho-vascular space invasion, and positive peritoneal cytology. These cases were classified as intermediate-risk endometrial cancer. Ultrastaging by multiple slicing, staining with hematoxylin and eosin and cytokeratin, and microscopic examination was performed on regional lymph nodes that had been diagnosed as negative for metastases. Results: Among 61 patients in whom paraffin-embedded block was available, ITC/MM was identified in nine patients (14.8%). Deep myometrial invasion was significantly associated with ITC/MM (p=0.028). ITC/MM was an independent risk factor for extrapelvic recurrence (hazard ratio, 17.9; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.4 to 232.2). The 8-year overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates were more than 20% lower in the ITC/MM group than in the node-negative group (OS, 71.4% vs. 91.9%; RFS, 55.6% vs. 84.0%), which were statistically not significant (OS, p=0.074; RFS, p=0.066). Time to recurrence tended to be longer in the ITC/MM group than in the node-negative group (median, 49 months vs. 16.5 months; p=0.080). Conclusions: It remains unclear whether ITC/MM have an adverse influence on prognosis of intermediate-risk endometrial cancer. A multicenter cooperative study is needed to clarify the clinical significance of ITC/MM.

Lymphadenectomy can be omitted for low-risk endometrial cancer based on preoperative assessments

Takashi Mitamura,Hidemichi Watari,Yukiharu Todo,Tatsuya Kato,Yosuke Konno,Masayoshi Hosaka,Noriaki Sakuragi 대한부인종양학회 2014 Journal of Gynecologic Oncology Vol.25 No.4

Objective: According to the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics staging, some surgeons perform lymphadenectomy in all patients with early stage endometrial cancer to enable the accurate staging. However, there are some risks to lymphadenectomy such as lower limb lymphedema. The aim of this study was to investigate whether preoperative assessment is useful to select the patients in whom lymphadenectomy can be safely omitted. Methods: We evaluated the risk of lymph node metastasis (LNM) using LNM score (histological grade, tumor volume measured in magnetic resonance imaging [MRI], and serum CA-125), myometrial invasion and extrautrerine spread assessed by MRI. Fifty-six patients of which LNM score was 0 and myometrial invasion was less than 50% were consecutively enrolled in the study in which a lymphadenectomy was initially intended not to perform. We analyzed several histological findings and investigated the recurrence rate and overall survival. Results: Fifty-one patients underwent surgery without lymphadenectomy. Five (8.9%) who had obvious myometrial invasion intraoperatively underwent systematic lymphadenectomy. One (1.8%) with endometrial cancer which was considered to arise from adenomyosis had para-aortic LNM. Negative predictive value of deep myometrial invasion was 96.4% (54/56). During the mean follow-up period of 55 months, one patient with deep myometrial invasion who refused an adjuvant therapy had tumor recurrence. The overall survival rate was 100% during the study period. Conclusion: This preoperative assessment is useful to select the early stage endometrial cancer patients without risk of LNM and to safely omit lymphadenectomy.

Effect of Different Types of Upper Instrumented Vertebrae Instruments on Proximal Junctional Kyphosis Following Adult Spinal Deformity Surgery: Pedicle Screw versus Transverse Process Hook

Akira Matsumura,Takashi Namikawa,Minori Kato,Shoichiro Oyama,Yusuke Hori,Akito Yabu,Noriaki Hidaka,Hiroaki Nakamura 대한척추외과학회 2018 Asian Spine Journal Vol.12 No.4

Study Design: Retrospective comparative study. Purpose: To compare the incidence of proximal junctional kyphosis (PJK) between transverse process hooks (TPHs) and pedicle screws (PSs) at the upper instrumented vertebrae (UIV) following adult spinal deformity (ASD) surgery. Overview of Literature: The choice of UIV implant type may be important for avoiding PJK; however, few comparative clinical studies have evaluated the incidence of PJK according to the type of UIV implant used in ASD surgery. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 39 consecutive patients with ASD (mean age, 67 years; mean follow-up period, 41 months) who underwent corrective surgery between 2009 and 2013. TPH was used in 17 patients and PS in 22 patients. PJK was defined as the presence of a UIV or UIV±1 fracture, or a change in the proximal junctional angle (PJA) of >20°. Data of patients with TPH and PS were compared. Results: The TPH group had a PJK incidence of 17.6% compared with 27.3% in the PS group (p =0.47). In the TPH group, PJK was a result of UIV fracture in one patient, UIV−1 fracture in one patient, and ligamentous failure in one patient. In the PS group, six patients developed PJK because of UIV fracture. No differences in radiographic parameters were found between the two groups. After analyzing the PJA data in the patients with PJK, the changes in PJA were significantly higher in the PS group than in the TPH group (19.0°/5.0°, p =0.04). Conclusions: Our results show that using TPH as a UIV implant may not prevent PJK; however, using TPH as the UIV anchor may prevent vertebral collapse if cases of UIV fracture. The increased risk of UIV fracture collapse in the PS group may be a result of a higher mechanical load on UIV when using PS.

Implantation of Liquid Nitrogen Frozen Tumor Tissue after Posterior Decompression and Stabilization for Metastatic Spinal Tumors

Kazuya Shinmura,Hideki Murakami,Satoru Demura,Satoshi Kato,Katsuhito Yoshioka,Hiroyuki Hayashi,Noriaki Yokogawa,Takashi Igarashi,Moriyuki Fujii,Noritaka Yonezawa,Hiroyuki Tsuchiya 대한척추외과학회 2015 Asian Spine Journal Vol.9 No.6

Study Design: A retrospective study. Purpose: To evaluate the immunity-enhancing effect of implantation of a liquid nitrogen-treated tumor. Overview of Literature: We have developed a new technique of implanting a tumor frozen in liquid nitrogen after posterior decompression and stabilization, with the aim of enhancing antitumor immunity in order to prolong the survival period of the patient. In the current study, the immunity-enhancing effect of this new technique has been evaluated. Methods: The subjects were 19 patients in whom we had earlier performed decompression and stabilization between April 2011 and September 2013. The 19 subjects were divided into two groups, namely a frozen autologous tumor tissue implantation group (n=15; “implantation group”), which consisted of patients, who underwent implantation with autologous tumor tissue frozen in liquid nitrogen, and a control group (n=4), which consisted of patients, who did not undergo autologous cancer transplantation. To evaluate the immunity-enhancing effect of the protocol, plasma cytokines (interferon [IFN]-γ and interleukin [IL]-12) were analyzed before surgery and a month after surgery. Results: The mean rate of increase in IFN-γ was significantly higher in the implantation group (p =0.03). Regarding IL-12, no significant difference was observed between the groups, although the implantation group exhibited increased levels of IL-12 (p =0.22). Conclusions: Decompression and stabilization combined with autologous frozen tumor cell implantation can enhance cancer immunity in metastatic spinal tumor patients. It is hypothesized that this procedure might prevent local recurrence and prolong survival period.

Surgical Outcomes of Multilevel Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion versus Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion for the Correction of Adult Spinal Deformity: A Comparative Clinical Study

Iwamae Masayoshi,Matsumura Akira,Namikawa Takashi,Kato Minori,Hori Yusuke,Yabu Akito,Sawada Yuta,Noriaki Hidaka,Nakamura Hiroaki 대한척추외과학회 2020 Asian Spine Journal Vol.14 No.4

Study Design: A retrospective case control study.Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the surgical outcomes of multilevel lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LIF) and multilevel posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) in the surgical treatment of adult spinal deformity (ASD) and to evaluate the sagittal plane correction by combining LIF with posterior-column osteotomy (PCO).Overview of Literature: The surgical outcomes between multilevel LIF and multilevel PLIF in ASD patients remain unclear.Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 31 ASD patients who underwent multilevel LIF combined with PCO (LIF group, n=14) or multilevel PLIF (PLIF group, n=17) and with a minimum 2-year follow-up. In the comparison between LIF and PLIF groups, their mean age at surgery was 69.4 vs. 61.8 years while the mean follow-up period was 29.2 vs. 59.3 months. We evaluated the transition of pelvic incidence–lumbar lordosis (PI–LL) and disc angle (DA) in the LIF group, in fulcrum backward bending (FBB), after LIF and after posterior spinal fusion (PSF) with PCO. The spinopelvic radiographic parameters were compared between LIF and PLIF groups.Results: Compared with the PLIF group, the LIF group had less blood loss and comparable surgical outcomes with respect to radiographic data, health-related quality of life scores and surgical time. In the LIF group, the mean DA and PI–LL were unchanged after LIF (DA, 5.8°; PI–LL, 15°) compared with the values using FBB (DA, 4.3°; PI–LL, 15°) and improved significantly after PSF with PCO (DA, 8.1°; PI–LL, 0°).Conclusions: In the surgical treatment of ASD, multilevel LIF is less invasive than multilevel PLIF and combination of LIF and PCO would be necessary for optimal sagittal correction in patients with rigid deformity.

One step entrapment of surfactant onto PVDF hollow fiber membrane surface by the TIPS process using a triple-layer orifice spinneret

Saeid Rajabzadeh,Chuanjie Fang,Pengfei Zhang,Noriaki Kato,Hideto Matsuyama 한국막학회 2020 한국막학회 총회 및 학술발표회 Vol.2020 No.11