No abstract available.
Ultrasonics*

PURPOSE: To describe chronic rectal mucosal damage after pelvic radiotherapy (RT) for cervical cancer and correlate these findings with clinical symptoms and radiation dose. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-two patients who underwent pelvic RT were diagnosed with radiation-induced proctitis based on endoscopy findings. The median follow-up period was 35 months after external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) and intracavitary radiotherapy (ICR). The Vienna Rectoscopy Score (VRS) was used to describe the endoscopic findings and compared to the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC)/Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) morbidity score and the dosimetric parameters of RT (the ratio of rectal dose calculated at the rectal point [RP] to the prescribed dose, biologically effective dose [BED] at the RP in the ICR and EBRT plans, alpha/beta = 3). RESULTS: Rectal symptoms were noted in 28 patients (rectal bleeding in 21 patients, bowel habit changes in 6, mucosal stools in 1), and 4 patients had no symptoms. Endoscopic findings included telangiectasia in 18 patients, congested mucosa in 20, ulceration in 5, and stricture in 1. The RP ratio, BEDICR, BEDICR+EBRT was significantly associated with the VRS (RP ratio, median 76.5%; BEDICR, median 37.1 Gy3; BEDICR+EBRT, median 102.5 Gy3; p < 0.001). The VRS was significantly associated with the EORTC/RTOG score (p = 0.038). CONCLUSION: The most prevalent endoscopic findings of RT-induced proctitis were telangiectasia and congested mucosa. The VRS was significantly associated with the EORTC/RTOG score and RP radiation dose.
Constriction, Pathologic ; Endoscopy ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Mucous Membrane ; Proctitis ; Radiation Injuries ; Rectum ; Telangiectasis ; Ulcer ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

No abstract available.
Glomus Tumor*

A case of arterial priapism was treated by superselective transcatheteric autologous clot embolization of cavernosal artery 25 days after blunt periheal trauma. No immediate improvement was noted but the priapism subsided on 48th day after the procedure. Normal physiclogic erectlie function was achieved on 53rd day after the procedure, and the period of postprocedure impotence was shortened, as compared with previously reported cases. Autologous blood clot embolization may be an effective treatment method even in delayed priapism, and superselective technique is thought to be more effective to shorten the postprocedure erectlie dysfunction
Arteries ; Erectile Dysfunction ; Male ; Priapism*

Acoustic stimulation test(AST), is currently being used as an alternative tool of nonstress test (NST). However, there are no standard guideline for analysis of AST. Computerized numerical analysis of AST would be helpful for development of diagnostic criteria of AST. Fifty-one normal pre-term pregnancies entered to this study after conventional 20-minutes NST and 10-minutes AST. Acoustic stimulations were performed using Fetal Acoustic Stimulator (Model 146, Corometrics, US). We analyzed the FHR response after acoustic stimulation using our on-line computerized FHR analysis system, HYFM-I & II software. The changes of loss of signal, baseline FHR, variability, number of fetal movements, and number of FHR accelerations were analyzed numerically. The loss of signal was increased about 2 fold(122.61%). The baseline FHR was increased from 144.57bpm to 156.81bpm(8.5%) after acoustic stimulation. Number of fetal movements was increased about 2 fold(from 2.1 to 4.12/10 minutes). FHR variability was also increased from 17.81 bpm to 26.37 bpm. After AST, number of FHR accelaration was increased 55.47%(10sec 10bpm) and 68.42%(15sec 15bpm), respectively. In this study, we acrumulated elemental FHR data using computerized system after AST. These data would be helpful in the accurate analysis of AST and also enable us to develop the objective interpretation system for AST.
Acceleration ; Acoustic Stimulation* ; Acoustics* ; Female ; Fetal Heart* ; Fetal Movement ; Heart Rate, Fetal* ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy*

No abstract available.
Animals ; Babesiosis* ; Clindamycin ; Humans ; Male* ; Quinine

No abstract available.
Animals ; Babesiosis* ; Clindamycin ; Humans ; Male* ; Quinine

A defective HIV-1 helper virus DNA, pHyPC, was assembled by deleting the RNA packaging signal, env, nef and the 3'LTR sequences. HIV-1 like virus particles that carry the HIV-1 receptor, CD4 were generated by coexpression of pHyPC and plasmid DNAs encoding different chimeric CD4 proteins. The CD4 particles, sharing the CD4 ectodomain, precisely fused to different membrane anchors. CD4(+) particles specifically bound to HIV-1 Env expressing cells, but any signs of infection into these cells were not detected. Binding was only partially blocked by either polyclonal anti-CD4 antibodies or by high concentrations of soluble CD4. Suprisingly, CD4(+) particles also adsorbed to HeLa, CHO, NIH3T3 and COS-7 cells in the absence of HIV-1 Env expression. Adsorption was comparable in strength and speed to the highly specific CD4-Env interaction. CD4(-) particles exhibited only background levels of binding. Cell binding was CD4- dependent, but it was independent of the cell type from which the CD4(+) particles originated. Interestingly, CD4-dependent/Env-independent binding was only found when CD4 was present on virus particles. This suggests that the micro-environment of CD4 on virus particles uniquely expose this new cell binding activity. Its high affinity could explain in part why infection of Env(+) cells by CD4(+) particles was not detected. Further experiments will be required to evlauate whether this strong membrane interaction could represent one step in the multiple-step viral entry process.
Adsorption ; Animals ; Antibodies ; COS Cells ; DNA ; Helper Viruses ; HIV-1* ; Membranes ; Plasmids ; Product Packaging ; RNA ; Virion

No abstract available.
Edema* ; Hydrops Fetalis*

The identification for skeletal remains is one of roles of forensic medicine. For this purpose, dating, i.e., estimating the birth year and death year is expected as useful, however has not yet been practically applied. A dating method using radiocarbon analysis was recently introduced and related studies have been reported. In this study, we tried to confirm the applicability of radiocarbon dating for the identification of skeletal remains and to develop formulas to estimate the death year. Thirty-four autopsy cases from the National Forensic Service, from December 2014 to July 2022, with known death year were selected for inclusion. For each case, two samples were taken: the spongy bone of the femur head, and the compact bone of the femur midshaft. For each sample, radiocarbon analysis was carried out and the corresponding femur year were calculated using the bomb peak curve. The differences between the femur year and the death year were determined and analyzed on the influence of variables. A formula for estimating the death year was developed and the applicability of the formula was determined. The results showed that the difference between death year and femur head year was 14.2 years on average. In male, the difference between death year and femur head year increased with age, however, it did not show any difference according to age in female. The estimation formula of death year was as follows: (In male) Death year=0.993×(Femur head year)+0.288×(Age)+15.061, (In female) Death year=0.769×(Femur head year)-0.218×(Age)+489.676. The formula for male had relatively high explanatory power (adjusted R2=0.710), however, the formula for female had low explanatory power (adjusted R2=0.588). This study is meaningful because it is the largest single study of its kind, to date, and uses specific and identical skeleton (femur head/femur midshaft) to increase the accuracy of the death year estimation. We expect that the results of this study will be supplemented through additional research in the future.