Considerations about L2- and L1-norm regularizations for ultrasound reverberation characteristics imaging and vectoral Doppler measurement.

The L1-norm regularization is applied to ultrasonic reverberation characteristics imaging and vectoral Doppler measurement, of which performances are compared with those of L2-norm regularizations. The L1 regularization yields the sharper image than the L2 regularization. Alternatively, for the Doppler measurement, the L1 regularization yields less accuracy than the L2 regularization. Clinical Relevance- This study will permit us to perform quantitative ultrasonic reverberation characteristics and accurate vectoral Doppler observation.

Deep-Learning for High Quality and High Quantitative Ultrasonic Echo Imaging.

This paper performs in simulations deep learning (DL) for high quality and high quantitative ultrasonic (US) echo imaging: (i) reduction of multiple echoes (multiple reverberations) and (ii) grading lobe echoes, (iii) separation of multiply crossed waves in US echo images, (iv) US attenuation correction imaging and (v) superresolutioned reflection and scattering imaging. In addition, (vi) segmentations of benign and malignant (cancerous) tumors in breast tissues are also performed. Clinical Relevance- This study about DL suggests the possibility of DL US segmentation for the automatic differential diagnosis about the human in vivo breast tumors in conjunction with the surrounding DL models.

Plural spectral frequency divisions for ultrasonic tissue displacement vector measurement.

For a human tissue displacement vector or strain tensor measurement, the plural spectral frequency division method (PSFDM) is presented. In this report, the effectiveness of the processing is demonstrated by performing the measurements on an agar phantom interrogated by wideband ultrasonic (US) single beam scanning and compounding of steered plane wave transmissions.

Effects of occlusal hypofunction and its recovery on PDL structure and expression of VEGF and bFGF in rats.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to clarify whether occlusal hypofunction and its recovery affect the structure of the periodontal ligament (PDL) and expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-eight Wistar rats aged 5 weeks were used and randomly divided into three groups: the hypofunctional group (HG), recovery group (RG), and control group (CG). In HG and RG, appliances were attached to the maxillary and mandibular incisors. In HG, appliances were set for 11 weeks. In RG, appliances were set for 7 weeks. Appliances were then removed at 0, 1, 3, 7, 14, and 28 days. Untreated rats served as CG. Histological sections were prepared and immunohistochemically stained for VEGF and bFGF. Three groups were evaluated for PDL area and the number of VEGF and bFGF immunopositive cells in PDL. RESULTS: The number of immunopositive cells and PDL area in CG and RG were significantly larger when compared with HG, and PDL area in RG was similar to that in CG. In the recovery process, PDL area and number of VEGF-positive cells in PDL increased from days 0 to 7 and decreased from days 7 to 28. Conversely, the number of bFGF-positive cells in PDL increased significantly after day 1 and peaked at 28 days. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that occlusal stimuli regulate PDL area through expression of VEGF and bFGF in rat PDL. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Occlusal stimuli are able to regulate the expression of VEGF and bFGF in PDL cells, and these growth factors may lead to alveolar bone remodeling in PDL.

The dialectical self-concept: contradiction, change, and holism in East asian cultures.

Naïve dialecticism refers to a set of East Asian lay beliefs characterized by tolerance for contradiction, the expectation of change, and cognitive holism. In five studies, the authors examined the cognitive mechanisms that give rise to global self-concept inconsistency among dialectical cultures. Contradictory self-knowledge was more readily available (Study 1) and simultaneously accessible (Study 2) among East Asians (Japanese and Chinese) than among Euro-Americans. East Asians also exhibited greater change and holism in the spontaneous self-concept (Study 1) and inconsistency in their implicit self-beliefs (Study 3). Cultural differences in self-concept inconsistency were obtained when controlling for alternative explanatory variables, including self-criticism (Study 4) and self-concept certainty (Studies 2 and 3) and were fully mediated by a direct measure of dialecticism (Study 5). Naïve dialecticism provides a comprehensive theoretical framework for understanding these cultural differences and the contradictory, changeable, and holistic nature of the East Asian self-concept.

An effective ultrasonic strain measurement-based shear modulus reconstruction technique for superficial tissues--demonstration on in vitro pork ribs and in vivo human breast tissues.

An effective shear modulus reconstruction technique is described which uses ultrasonic strain measurements for diagnosis of superficial tissues, i.e. our previously developed ultrasonic strain measurement and shear modulus reconstruction methods are combined and enhanced. The technique realizes very low computational load, yet yields fairly high quantitativeness, high stability and spatial resolution, and large dynamic range. The suitability of the method is demonstrated on in vitro pork ribs and in vivo human breast tissues (fibroadenoma and scirrhous carcinoma).

Fine elasticity imaging utilizing the iterative RF-echo phase matching method.

To non-invasively quantify elasticity of soft tissue, we previously developed the iterative two-dimensional (2-D) rf-echo phase matching method for accurately measuring a 2-D displacement vector field generated in vivo in soft tissue during acquisition of two successive rf-echo data frames. We also developed a stable method for uniquely reconstructing a shear modulus distribution using strains derived from the measurement data. However, as in our measurement method a displacement is determined by using the phase characteristics of the finite local echo data as the index to iteratively search for the corresponding local data, change of the local phase characteristics due to tissue deformation deteriorates the accuracy of the determination. Thus, we improve the previous method such that, in principle, the displacement can be determined using an infinitesimal phase characteristics. That is, we incorporate an effective mechanism into the previous iterative phase matching scheme: the local size is made suitably smaller during the iterative phase matching. The demonstrated ability of measurement and reconstruction in simulation, and experiments on in vitro in pork rib and in vivo in breast tissue, shows this refinement allows not only better spatial resolution of the shear modulus image but also improved accuracy, and indicates that the improved method has a high potential to be applied for various soft tissues.

A robust numerical solution to reconstruct a globally relative shear modulus distribution from strain measurements.

To noninvasively quantify tissue elasticity for differentiating malignancy of soft tissue, we previously proposed a two-dimensional (2-D) mechanical inverse problem in which simultaneous partial differential equations (PDE's) represented the target distribution globally of relative shear moduli with respect to reference shear moduli such that the relative values could be determined from strain distributions obtained by conventional ultrasound (US) or nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging-based analysis. Here, we further consider the analytic solution in the region of interest, subsequently demonstrating that the problem is inevitably ill-conditioned in real-world applications, i.e., noise in measurement data and improper configurations of mechanical sources/reference regions make it impossible to guarantee the existence of a stable and unique target global distribution. Next, based on clarification of the inherent problematic conditions, we describe a newly developed numerical-based implicit-integration approach that novelly incorporates a computationally efficient regularization method designed to solve this differential inverse problem using just low-pass filtered spectra derived from strain measurements. To evaluate method effectiveness, reconstructions of the global distribution are carried out using intentionally created ill-conditioned models. The resultant reconstructions indicate the robust solution is highly suitable, while also showing it has high potential to be applied in the development of an effective yet versatile diagnostic tool for quantifying the distribution of elasticity in various soft tissues.

[Aprotinin 2 million KIU reduces perioperative blood loss in patients undergoing primary total hip replacement].

We investigated consecutive patients undergoing primary total hip replacement surgery who were randomly assigned into two groups; those who received a blinded solution of aprotinin 2 million KIU (kallikrein inactivation units) (n = 11) and those who received an equivalent volume of normal saline placebo (n = 10) throughout the surgical procedure. Anesthesia and surgical techniques were standardized. All patients received spinal anesthesia combined with general anesthesia. There was no significant difference in blood loss during operation between the two groups. However, postoperative blood loss in the aprotinin group (284 +/- 155g, mean +/- SD) was significantly less compared with that in the control group (723 +/- 334g). Total blood loss in the aprotinin group (820 +/- 255g) was also significantly less than in control group (1265 +/- 389g). We conclude that the use of aprotinin 2 million KIU during total hip replacement results in significantly less perioperative blood loss, especially during the postoperative period.

Estimation of shear modulus distribution in soft tissue from strain distribution.

In order to obtain noninvasively quantitative static mechanical properties of living tissue, we propose a new type of inverse problem by which the spatial distribution of the relative elastic modulus of the tissue can be estimated only from the deformation or strain measurement. The living tissue is modeled as a linear isotropic incompressible elastic medium which has the spatial distribution of the shear modulus, and the deformation or strain is supposedly measured ultrasonically. Assuming that there is no mechanical source in the region of interest, we derive a set of linear equations in which unknowns are the spatial derivatives of the relative shear modulus, and the coefficients are the strain and its spatial derivatives. By solving these equations, the spatial derivatives of the relative shear modulus are determined throughout the region, from which the spatial distribution of the relative shear modulus is obtained by spatial integration. The feasibility of this method was demonstrated using the simulated deformation data of the simple inclusion problem. The proposed method seems promising for the quantitative differential diagnosis on the lesion in the tissue in vivo.

Characterization of recombinant human aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase expressed in COS cells.

The expression vector containing the full-length cDNA of human aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.28) was transfected in COS cells by a modified calcium phosphate coprecipitation method. The cells transfected with plasmids that had a true direction of the cDNA gave a major immunoreactive band at 50 kDa. This expressed enzyme catalyzed the decarboxylation of L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA), L-5-hydroxytryptophan (L-5-HTP) and L-threo-3,4-dihydroxyphenylserine. The optimal pH of the enzyme activity with L-DOPA as a substrate was 6.5, whereas the enzyme had a broad pH optimum when L-5-HTP was used as a substrate. Addition of pyridoxal phosphate to the incubation mixture greatly enhanced the activity for both L-DOPA and L-5-HTP.

Effects of sex steroid hormones on pancreatic cancer in the rat.

The incidence of spontaneous and induced neoplasms of the exocrine pancreas in rats is higher in males than in females. Castration, ovariectomy, and hormone replacement with estradiol and testosterone have been shown to influence the growth of carcinogen-induced preneoplastic foci in the azaserine-rat model of pancreatic carcinogenesis. Similar hormonal treatments have also influenced the growth of an azaserine-induced poorly differentiated acinar cell carcinoma that can be transplanted syngeneically in Lewis rats. The effect on growth of preneoplastic lesions and carcinomas is similar. The preneoplastic lesions and transplanted tumors grow faster in intact male rats than in castrated rats, and the growth of the lesions and tumors is inhibited by estrogen treatment. It appears that testosterone supports the growth of preneoplastic foci and carcinomas, whereas estrogen inhibits such growth. The mechanism is unknown and may be direct, or an indirect effect may be mediated through a peptide hormone. Tamoxifen treatment did not significantly influence the growth of the transplanted carcinomas in the rat model.

Inhibition of a transplantable pancreatic carcinoma by castration and estradiol administration in rats.

Influence of sex steroids on the growth of an azaserine-induced transplantable rat pancreatic carcinoma, DSL-2, was studied. This established transplantable tumor has been maintained in syngeneic rats. Inbred male Lewis rats were pretreated with castration and s.c. implantation of 1.0-mg 17 beta-estradiol (CAS: 50-28-2; estradiol) pellets at 7 weeks of age. Tumor cells were inoculated s.c. on the back of intact male, castrated male, or 17 beta-estradiol-treated castrated male rats. Additional male rats served as non-tumor-bearing controls. There was no difference in the body weight between tumor-bearing and non-tumor-bearing male rats. A distinct difference in the tumor growth was observed in variously conditioned recipients. In castrated male hosts, the serum testosterone levels and the epididymis weights were significantly decreased, and the tumor weights were significantly less as compared to intact control hosts. Additional pretreatment with 17 beta-estradiol caused a markedly slower growth of tumors and increases of the serum 17 beta-estradiol levels and the pituitary weights in castrated male recipients. The remarkable response of tumor growth to castration was also observed in a fast-growing tumor derived from DSL-2. Moreover, close positive relationships between tumor weights and the activities of both serum amylase and lipase were observed. Results showed that the pretreatment with castration alone or in combination with 17 beta-estradiol treatment was able to inhibit the growth of the transplantable tumor. In addition, tumor cells had an ability to produce amylase and lipase, and the amount of enzymic activity was related to the tumor volume. Thus, these data indicate that the transplantable rat pancreatic carcinoma retains physiological function. Our previous study has shown the modulation by sex steroids of azaserine-induced preneoplastic lesions of pancreas in rats. Therefore, androgens and estrogens may play key roles as promoters and inhibitors during the process of pancreatic carcinogenesis.

Inhibitory effects of estrogen and castration on the early stage of pancreatic carcinogenesis in Fischer rats treated with azaserine.

Effects of sex steroids on pancreatic carcinogenesis during the early stage were studied in azaserine-treated rats of both sexes. Fischer rats were given weekly i.p. injections of azaserine (30 mg/kg) [CAS:115-02; diazoacetate serine(ester)] at 2 and 3 weeks of age and were divided into six groups. Castration, ovariectomy, and s.c. implantations of either a 0.3-mg or a 1.0-mg 17 beta-estradiol (CAS:50-28.2; estradiol) pellet were performed at 7 weeks of age. The groups were as follows: group 1, intact male; group 2, castrated; group 3, castrated plus 0.3 mg estradiol; group 4, castrated plus 1.0 mg estradiol; group 5, ovariectomized; and group 6, intact female. Rats were killed 4 months after the last injection of azaserine. Azaserine treatment induced atypical acinar cell foci and nodules (AACN) in both sexes. The acidophilic AACN are considered preneoplastic lesions. An apparent sex difference was observed; the number of acidophilic AACN was greater in male rats than in female rats. Castration caused a significant decrease in both the serum testosterone levels and the number of acidophilic AACN, which were comparable to those in ovariectomized female rats. Furthermore, when estradiol treatment was administered to the castrated male rats, a linear decrease in the number of acidophilic AACN and an elevation in the serum estradiol levels were observed and were dose dependent. There were also positive relationships between estradiol treatments and the mean pituitary and pancreas weights. These results showed that estradiol treatment and the drop in testosterone levels caused by castration were highly effective in inhibiting the development and growth of preneoplastic lesions of the pancreas of the rats treated with azaserine. This estradiol effect was dose dependent. The present study, therefore, provides evidence that estrogen may act as an inhibitor and androgen as a promoter in the early stage of pancreatic carcinogenesis in rats.

Changes in plasma levels of prolactin and estradiol, nutrient intake, and time spent nesting during the incubation phase of broodiness in the Chabo hen (Japanese bantam).

The plasma concentrations of prolactin (PRL) and estradiol, time spent nesting, consumption of feed and water, body weight, and hematocrit were measured during egg laying, incubating, and brooding of the chicks in a Japanese strain of dwarf bantam hen, Chabo. Plasma levels of PRL increased before incubation, were maintained at high levels during incubation, and decreased rapidly at the onset of hatching the young. The concentration of estradiol decreased before incubation and was maintained at low levels when circulating levels of PRL were high. During incubation, hens spent greater than 95% of the day on the nest, reduced their daily intake of feed and water by 63 and 78%, respectively, and decreased their body weight by 19% by the end of incubation. Thus, Chabo hens show a mode of incubation behavior similar to that reported in larger chickens. The temporal changes between nutrient intake and plasma levels of PRL at the start and end of incubation behavior suggested that changes in nutrient intake may not cause changes in the concentration of PRL, whereas the association between increased levels of PRL and decreased levels of estradiol suggested that they may be causally associated. Plasma levels of PRL also appeared to be associated with time spent on the nest.

Characterization of histamine release in digitonin-permeabilized rabbit platelets.

To manipulate the intracellular milieu of rabbit platelets, permeabilization was performed using digitonin. Permeabilized platelets showed dose-dependent release of histamine, which was stored in granules of rabbit platelets, in response to extracellular calcium ion. As PMA stimulated the release reaction in digitonin-permeabilized platelets, the protein kinase C system, which regulates metabolic processes and cell reactions in intact platelets, was revealed to be working. Cupric phenanthroline also released histamine from permeabilized rabbit platelets dose-dependently, and dithiothreitol inhibited the release strongly. Since cupric phenanthroline is a mild oxidant which catalyzes the formation of disulfide bridges, as in the case of Ca2+-ATPase of sarcoplasmic reticulum, the results suggested that protein cross-linking is implicated in the regulation of the release reaction in permeabilized rabbit platelets.

The presence of catechol-o-methyltransferase activity in separately cultured cerebromicrovascular endothelial and smooth muscle cells.

The activity of catechol-o-methyltransferase (COMT) was investigated in cultured and propagated cerebromicrovascular endothelial and smooth muscle cells using high performance liquid chromatography and immunocytochemistry. The existence of COMT was detected in both cell types. The demonstration of this enzyme activity in the cerebromicrovascular smooth muscle cells, in addition to the endothelium, indicates that the enzymatic barrier to catecholamine is not limited to capillaries, the main constituents of the blood-brain barrier.

Inhibition by 3-amino-1H-1,2,4-triazole of hepatic tumorigenesis induced by diethylstilbestrol alone or combined with N-nitrosobutylurea in WF rats.

Six groups of inbred male WF rats were castrated at 40 days of age. Group 1 was given no further treatment; groups 3-6 received sc implantations of 5.0 mg diethylstilbestrol [(DES) CAS: 56-53-1]. At 50-55 days of age, groups 5 and 6 were given drinking water containing 5.0 mg N-nitrosobutylurea [(NBU) CAS: 869-01-2] per day for 30 days. After the termination of NBU treatment, groups 2, 4, and 6 were given 3-amino-1H-1,2,4-triazole (AT), considered an inhibitor of hydroperoxidases, in the drinking water throughout the experiment. Castrated male rats or rats castrated and treated with AT alone developed neither hepatic tumors nor pituitary tumors. The hepatic tumor incidence, the size and total number of hepatic tumors, and the mean liver weight were significantly reduced in rats given the DES-NBU combination and slightly reduced in rats given DES alone when AT was administered. In contrast, AT treatment did not change the pituitary tumor incidence and the mean pituitary weight. The thyroid gland weights were approximately 7-44 times greater in AT-treated groups than those in each corresponding control group. These data indicate that AT inhibited hepatic but not pituitary tumorigenesis and caused enlargement of the thyroid gland. The present study, therefore, provides evidence that the metabolic activation of DES by oxidation is involved in rat liver carcinogenesis.

Preventive effects of antioestrogen on mammary and pituitary tumorigenesis in rats.

Six groups of inbred male Wistar/Furth (WF) rats were castrated at 40 days of age and group I received no further treatment. Groups 3 and 5 received 5.0 mg diethylstilboestrol (DES) pellets. Groups 4 and 6 were given both DES and 5.0 mg anti-oestrogen (antiE) clomiphene citrate pellets. At 50-55 days of age groups 2, 5, and 6 were exposed daily to drinking water containing 5.0 mg N-nitrosobutylurea (NBU), for 30 days. None of the castrated rats given NBU alone developed mammary or pituitary tumours (MT, PT). When antiE was administered, both MT and PT incidences were reduced in rats given DES alone or in combination with NBU. Furthermore, in antiE-treated rats receiving DES and NBU the mean number of MT per rat was also significantly decreased. Similarly a marked reduction in the mean pituitary weight was observed in antiE-treated groups. These results indicate that antiE treatment was effective in the prevention of both mammary and pituitary tumorigenesis in rats receiving DES alone or receiving a combination of DES and NBU, and its inhibitory effect on mammary tumorigenesis may be mainly due to competitive antagonism for DES-induced pituitary tumorigenesis by antiE.