The Daliangshan fault zone is the eastern branch in the central section of Xianshuihe-Xiaojiang fault system. It has been neglected for a long time, partly because of no destructive earthquake records along this fault...The Daliangshan fault zone is the eastern branch in the central section of Xianshuihe-Xiaojiang fault system. It has been neglected for a long time, partly because of no destructive earthquake records along this fault zone. On the other hand, it is located on the remote and inaccessible plateau. So far it was excluded as part of the Xianshuihe-Xiaojiang fault system. Based on the interpretation of aerophotographs and field investigations, we document this fault zone in detail, and give an estimation of strike-slip rate about 3 mm/a in Late Quaternary together with age dating data. The results suggest that the Daliangshan fault zone is a newly-generated fault zone resulted from shortcutting in the central section of Xianshuihe-Xiaojiang fault system because of the clockwise rotation of the Southeastern Tibetan Crustal Block, which is bounded by the Xianshuihe-Xiaojiang fault system. Moreover, the shortcutting may make the Daliangshan fault zone replace the Anninghe and Zemuhe fault zones gradually, and finally, the later two fault zones will probably die out with the continuous clockwise rotation.展开更多
Neuroinflammation is a well-recognized consequence of subarachnoid hemorrhage（SAH）, and Toll-like receptor（TLR） 4 may be an important therapeutic target for post-SAH neuroinflammation. Of the TLR family members, T...Neuroinflammation is a well-recognized consequence of subarachnoid hemorrhage（SAH）, and Toll-like receptor（TLR） 4 may be an important therapeutic target for post-SAH neuroinflammation. Of the TLR family members, TLR4 is expressed in various cell types in the central nervous system, and is unique in that it can signal through both the myeloid differentiation primary-response protein 88-dependent and the toll receptor associated activator of interferon-dependent cascades to coordinate the maximal inflammatory response. TLR4 can be activated by many endogenous ligands having damage-associated molecular patterns including heme and fibrinogen at the rupture of an intracranial aneurysm, and the resultant inflammatory reaction and thereby tissue damages may furthermore activate TLR4. It is widely accepted that the excreted products of TLR4 signaling alter neuronal functions. Previous studies have focused on the pathway through nuclear factor（NF）-κΒ signaling among TLR4 signaling pathways as to the development of early brain injury（EBI） such as neuronal apoptosis and blood-brain barrier disruption, and cerebral vasospasm. However, many findings suggest that both pathways via NF-κΒ and mitogen-activated protein kinases may be involved in EBI and cerebral vasospasm development. To overcome EBI and cerebral vasospasm is important to improve outcomes after SAH, because both EBI and vasopasm are responsible for delayed brain injuries or delayed cerebral ischemia, the most important preventable cause of poor outcomes after SAH. Increasing evidence has shown that TLR4 signaling plays an important role in SAH-induced brain injuries. Better understanding of the roles of TLR4 signaling in SAH will facilitate development of new treatments.展开更多
The formation of a bezoar is a relatively infrequentdisorder that affects the gastrointestinal system.Bezoars are mainly classified into four types dependingon the material constituting the indigestible mass of thebez...The formation of a bezoar is a relatively infrequentdisorder that affects the gastrointestinal system.Bezoars are mainly classified into four types dependingon the material constituting the indigestible mass of thebezoar phytobezoars, trichobezoars, pharmacobezoars,and lactobezoars. Gastric bezoars often cause ulcerativelesions in the stomach and subsequent bleeding,whereas small intestinal bezoars present with smallbowel obstruction and ileus. A number of articles haveemphasized the usefulness of Coca-Cola？ administrationfor the dissolution of phytobezoars. However, persimmonphytobezoars may be resistant to such dissolutiontreatment because of their harder consistency comparedto other types of phytobezoars. Better understanding ofthe etiology and epidemiology of each type of bezoarwill facilitate prompt diagnosis and management.Here we provide an overview of the prevalence, classification,predisposing factors, and manifestations ofbezoars. Diagnosis and management strategies arealso discussed, reviewing mainly our own case series.Recent progress in basic research regarding persimmonphytobezoars is also briefly reviewed.展开更多
AIM: To retrospectively analyze factors affecting the long-term survival of patients with pancreatic cancer who underwent pancreatic resection.METHODS: From January 2000 to December 2011,195 patients underwent pancrea...AIM: To retrospectively analyze factors affecting the long-term survival of patients with pancreatic cancer who underwent pancreatic resection.METHODS: From January 2000 to December 2011,195 patients underwent pancreatic resection in our hospital.The prognostic factors after pancreatic resection were analyzed in all 195 patients.After excluding the censored cases within an observational period,the clinicopathological characteristics of 20 patients who survived ≥ 5(n = 20) and < 5(n = 76) years were compared.For this comparison,we analyzed the patients who underwent surgery before June 2008 and were observed for more than 5 years.For statistical analyses,the log-rank test was used to compare the cumulative survival rates,and the χ2 and Mann-Whitney tests were used to compare the two groups.The CoxHazard model was used for a multivariate analysis,and P values less than 0.05 were considered significant.A multivariate analysis was conducted on the factors that were significant in the univariate analysis.RESULTS: The median survival for all patients was 27.1 months,and the 5-year actuarial survival rate was 34.5%.The median observational period was 595 d.With the univariate analysis,the UICC stage was significantly associated with survival time,and the CA19-9 ≤ 200 U/m L,DUPAN-2 ≤ 180 U/m L,t u m o r s i ze ≤ 2 0 m m,R 0 re s e c t i o n,a b s e n c e o f lymph node metastasis,absence of extrapancreatic neural invasion,and absence of portal invasion were favorable prognostic factors.The multivariate analysis showed that tumor size ≤ 20 mm(HR = 0.40; 95%CI: 0.17-0.83,P = 0.012) and negative surgical margins(R0 resection)(HR = 0.48; 95%CI: 0.30-0.77,P = 0.003) were independent favorable prognostic factors.Among the 96 patients,20 patients survived for 5 years or more,and 76 patients died within 5 years after operation.Comparison of the 20 5-year survivors with the 76 non-survivors showed that lower concentrations of DUPAN-2(79.5 vs 312.5 U/mL,P = 0.032),tumor size ≤ 20 mm(35% vs 8%,P = 0.008),R0 resection(9展开更多
AIM: To determine the difference in clinical outcome between ulcerative colitis (UC) patients with Mayo endoscopic subscore (MES) 0 and those with MES 1.
AIM: To investigate the usefulness of chromoendoscopy, using an acetic acid indigocarmine mixture (AIM), for gastric adenoma diagnosed by forceps biopsy.
BACKGROUND: Excretion of gadolinium-ethoxybenzyl-diethyl- enetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-EOB-DTPA) in the bile may be related to liver function, because of elimination from the liver after preferential uptake by hep...BACKGROUND: Excretion of gadolinium-ethoxybenzyl-diethyl- enetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-EOB-DTPA) in the bile may be related to liver function, because of elimination from the liver after preferential uptake by hepatocytes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relation between liver and biliary enhancement in patients with or without liver dysfunction, and to compare the tumor-to-liver contrast in these patients. METHODS: Forty patients [group 1: normal liver and Child Pugh class A in 20 patients, group 2: Child-Pugh class B in 18 patients and Child-Pugh C in 2] were evaluated. All patients underwent MR imaging of the liver using a 1.5-Tesla system. T1 weighted 3D images were obtained at 5, 10, 15 and 20 minutes after Gd-EOB-DTPA injection. The relation between group 3 (total bilirubin <1.8 mg/dL) and group 4 (total bilirubin ≥1.8 mg/dL) was investigated at 20 minutes. Liver and biliary signals were measured, and compared between groups 1 and 2 or groups 3 and 4. Tumor-to-liver ratio was also evaluated between groups 1 and 2. Scheffé’s post-hoc test after two-way repeated measures ANOVA and Pearson’s correlation test were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Liver enhancement showed significant difference at all time points between groups 1 and 2. Biliary enhancement did not show a significant difference between groups 1 and 2 at 5 minutes, but did at 10, 15 and 20 minutes. At 20 minutes significant differences between groups 3 and 4 were seen for liver and biliary enhancement. At all time points, liver enhancement correlated with biliary enhancement in both groups. At 5 minutes and 20 minutes, statistical differences between groups 1 and 2 were seen for tumor-to-liver ratio.CONCLUSIONS: The degree of biliary enhancement has a close correlation to that of liver enhancement. It is especially important that insufficient liver enhancement causes lower tumor-to-liver contrast in the hepatobiliary phase of Gd-EOB- DTPA.展开更多
A primary benign schwannoma of the liver is extremely rare and is difficult to preoperatively discriminate from a malignant tumor.We compared the imaging and pathological findings,and examined the possibility of preop...A primary benign schwannoma of the liver is extremely rare and is difficult to preoperatively discriminate from a malignant tumor.We compared the imaging and pathological findings,and examined the possibility of preoperatively diagnosing a benign liver schwannoma.A 72-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital because of a 4.6-cm mass in the liver.A malignant tumor was suspected,and a right hepatectomy was performed.After this,the diagnosis of a primary benign schwannoma of the liver was made through pathological examination.Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography(CEUS) with Sonazoid showed minute blood flows into the septum and solid areas of the tumor in the vascular phase;most likely due to increased arterial flow associated with infiltration of chronic inflammatory cells.In the postvascular phase,CEUS showed contrast defect of cystic areas and delayed enhancement of solid areas;most likely due to aggregation of siderophores.Because discriminating between a benign and malignant schwannoma of the liver is difficult,surgery is generally recommended.However,the two key findings from CEUS may be useful in discriminating ancient schwannoma by recognizing the hemorrhage involved in the secondary degeneration and aggregation of siderophores.展开更多
AIM： To investigate the efficacy of angiotensin Ⅱ receptor antagonist on hepatic stellate cells （HSCs） activation in the patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis （NASH）. METHODS： Seven patients with NASH wer...AIM： To investigate the efficacy of angiotensin Ⅱ receptor antagonist on hepatic stellate cells （HSCs） activation in the patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis （NASH）. METHODS： Seven patients with NASH were prescribed Iosartan, a selective angiotensin Ⅱ type 1 receptor antagonist （50 mg/d） for 48 wk. Liver biopsies were performed both at the entry and end of the study in all patients. Quiescent and activated HSCs were identified by double immunostaining using anti-p75 and α-smooth muscle actin antibodies, and the number of each phenotype was counted. Similarly, the liver specimens obtained from the eight patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver （NAFL） were also examined as controls. RESULTS： In NASH hepatic tissues, activated HSCs were dominantly distributed as compared with those in NAFL. The 48-wk Iosartan treatment induced a remarkable decrease in activated HSCs and a mild increase in quiescent phenotypes. CONCLUSION： Our data suggest the crucial involvement of HSCs in anti-fibrotic effect of angiotensin Ⅱ receptor antagonist on patients with NASH.展开更多
AIM: To evaluate the endoscopic manifestations and prognoses of gastrointestinal (GI) mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). METHODS: A database search at the Department of Pathology of Okayama University Graduate School of Medi...AIM: To evaluate the endoscopic manifestations and prognoses of gastrointestinal (GI) mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). METHODS: A database search at the Department of Pathology of Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences revealed 57 MCL patients with GI involvement. Clinical records were available for 35 of the 57 patients from 21 institutions, and those 35 patients were enrolled in this study. We summarized the gross types of endoscopic features, event-free survival (EFS), and overall survival (OS) of those patients.RESULTS: Of the 35 patients, GI involvement in the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum was found in 2 (5.7%), 26 (74.3%), and 12 (34.3%) patients, respectively. Twenty-one of the 35 patients underwent colonoscopy; among them, GI involvement in the ileum, cecum, colon, and rectum was found in 10 (47.6%), 3 (14.3%), 12 (57.1%), and 10 (47.6%), respectively. Various lesions, such as superficial, protruded, fold thickening, or ulcerative, were found in the stomach, whereas multiple lymphomatous polyposis (MLP) was dominant from the duodenum to the rectum. Twelve patients were treated with a hyper-CVAD/MA regimen, and they had better OS (3-year rate, 88.3% vs 46.4%, P < 0.01) and better EFS (3-year rate, 66.7% vs 33.8%, P < 0.05) than the remaining 23 patients who were not treated with this regimen. CONCLUSION: MLP was a representative form of intestinal involvement, whereas a variety of lesions were found in the stomach. The hyper-CVAD/MA regimen may improve survival in these patients.展开更多
AIM: To investigate the anti-neoplastic effects of MK615, an extract from the Japanese apricot (Prunus mume), against colon cancer cells. METHODS: Three colon cancer cell lines, SW480, COLO, and WiDr, were cultured wi...AIM: To investigate the anti-neoplastic effects of MK615, an extract from the Japanese apricot (Prunus mume), against colon cancer cells. METHODS: Three colon cancer cell lines, SW480, COLO, and WiDr, were cultured with MK615. Growth inhibition was evaluated by cell proliferation assay and killing activity was determined by lactate dehydrogenase assay. Induction of apoptosis was evaluated by annexin Ⅴ flow cytometry. Morphological changes were studied by light and electron microscopy, and immunofluorescence staining with Atg8. RESULTS: MK615 inhibited growth and lysed SW480, COLO and WiDr cells in a dose-dependent manner. Annexin Ⅴ flow cytometry showed that MK615 induced apoptosis after 6 h incubation, at which point the occurrence of apoptotic cells was 68.0%, 65.7% and 64.7% for SW480, COLO, and WiDr cells, respectively. Light and electron microscopy, and immunofluorescence staining with Atg8 revealed that MK615 induced massive cytoplasmic vacuoles (autophagosomes) in all three cell lines. CONCLUSION: MK615 has an anti-neoplastic effect against colon cancer cells. The effect may be exerted by induction of apoptosis and autophagy.展开更多
Producers’ acreage decisions in response to the availability of insurance and government subsidy has been a topic of considerable attention. This study revisits the issue of agriculture producers’ production behavio...Producers’ acreage decisions in response to the availability of insurance and government subsidy has been a topic of considerable attention. This study revisits the issue of agriculture producers’ production behavior under crop insurance and premium subsidy conditions. The discussion begins by differentiating between the assumptions of the classic insurance model and that model’s application to crop insurance. A discussion of a closed dual economy model follows. Price difference in cases of disaster and no disaster essentially determines producers’ response to the availability of a premium subsidy. A producer can obtain higher production revenue due to the significant increase in price induced by yield loss if the economy is closed and a subsistence constraint is taken into account. In this case, a premium subsidy could induce producers to lower their output level. The result is further generalized by two model extensions in which assumptions are relaxed to allow openness in the economy or intertemporal storage of grains with grain reserve policy. The findings of this article suggest that governments should carefully examine the actual risk-bearing pattern of crop producers before any subsidy policy is implemented.展开更多
In recent years, research on the estimation of human emotions has been active, and its application is expected in various fields. Biological reactions, such as electroencephalography (EEG) and root mean square success...In recent years, research on the estimation of human emotions has been active, and its application is expected in various fields. Biological reactions, such as electroencephalography (EEG) and root mean square successive difference (RMSSD), are indicators that are less influenced by individual arbitrariness. The present study used EEG and RMSSD signals to assess the emotions aroused by emotion-stimulating images in order to investigate whether various emotions are associated with characteristic biometric signal fluctuations. The participants underwent EEG and RMSSD while viewing emotionally stimulating images and answering the questionnaires. The emotions aroused by emotionally stimulating images were assessed by measuring the EEG signals and RMSSD values to determine whether different emotions are associated with characteristic biometric signal variations. Real-time emotion analysis software was used to identify the evoked emotions by describing them in the Circumplex Model of Affect based on the EEG signals and RMSSD values. Emotions other than happiness did not follow the Circumplex Model of Affect in this study. However, ventral attentional activity may have increased the RMSSD value for disgust as the β/θ value increased in right-sided brain waves. Therefore, the right-sided brain wave results are necessary when measuring disgust. Happiness can be assessed easily using the Circumplex Model of Affect for positive scene analysis. Improving the current analysis methods may facilitate the investigation of face-to-face communication in the future using biometric signals.展开更多
This article briefly reviews the causes and impacts of the massive eastern Japan earthquake and tsunami of 11 March 2011, and comments on the response measures taken by Japan to cope with this devastating disaster. Ma...This article briefly reviews the causes and impacts of the massive eastern Japan earthquake and tsunami of 11 March 2011, and comments on the response measures taken by Japan to cope with this devastating disaster. Mass losses occurred mostly because the intensity of the quake and the induced tsunami exceeded local coping capacity. Particularly, the nuclear power plant crisis triggered by the tsunami significantly increased the short-and long-term impacts of the disaster. While the coping capacity Japanese society built after the 1995 Hanshin-Awaji great earthquake tremendously mitigated the damages, there is room for improvement despite Japan’s great efforts in this disaster. Investigating the tsunami preparedness of the coastal nuclear power plants is an issue of paramount importance. In response to future large-scale disasters, there is an urgent need for a highly collaborative framework based on which all available resources could be mobilized;a mutual assistance and rescue system against catastrophes among regions and countries on the basis of international humanitarian aid;and further in-depth research on the multi-hazard and disaster-chain phenomenon in large-scale disasters and corresponding governance approaches.展开更多
We report a case of two pseudolymphomas of the liver in a 63-year-old Japanese woman with primary biliary cirrhosis.One of the lesions was found incidentally during a medical examination,presenting as a 10 mm hypodens...We report a case of two pseudolymphomas of the liver in a 63-year-old Japanese woman with primary biliary cirrhosis.One of the lesions was found incidentally during a medical examination,presenting as a 10 mm hypodense nodule that revealed hyperdensity in the early phase and hypodensity in the late phase in computed tomography(CT)after injection of contrast medium.Retrospectively,the 10 mm nodule had first been discovered as a 4 mm nodule during CT 4 years previously.Superparamagnetic iron oxide-enhanced MRI revealed another 4 mm hyperintense nodule in segment 6 in addition to the 10 mm hyperintense nodule in segment 7.CT during arterial portography revealed two hypointense nodules.Findings with other imaging modalities such as ultrasonography,magnetic resonance imaging,and hepatic angiography were consistent with hepatocellular carcinoma.A right posterior segmentectomy was performed,and the lesions were microscopically diagnosed as pseudolymphoma.To the best of our knowledge,only 31 other cases of this disease have ever been reported,with a highly asymmetrical male:female ratio of 1:9.7.Although we could find only one case of transformation of hepaticpseudolymphoma into lymphoma in the liver,the exact nature of development from benign pseudolymphoma to malignant lymphoma is still not fully understood and cases of hepatic lymphoma need to be followed carefully.展开更多
AIM： TO investigate the effect of E3-methyl-l-phe- nyl-2-pyrazolin-5-one （Edr） on hepatic ischemia-reper- fusion （I/R） injury and liver regeneration in a porcine hepatectomy model. METHODS： One hour ischemia was...AIM： TO investigate the effect of E3-methyl-l-phe- nyl-2-pyrazolin-5-one （Edr） on hepatic ischemia-reper- fusion （I/R） injury and liver regeneration in a porcine hepatectomy model. METHODS： One hour ischemia was induced by occlud- ing the vessels and the bile duct of the right and median lobes. A 40% left hepatectomy was performed after re- perfusion. Six animals received Edr （3 mg/kg per hour） intravenously and six control animals received saline just before reperfusion. Remnant liver volume, hemody- namics, aspartate aminotransferase （AST）, alanine ami- notransferase, lactate dehydrogenase and lactic acid, were compared between the groups. The expression of transforming growth factor-β （TGF-β1） and toll-like receptor （TRL） mRNA in hepatic tissues was examined using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Apoptosis was demonstrated by terminal deoxynucleo- tidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling （TUNEL） stain- ing, respectively. RESULTS： Serum AS-I- （P = 0.029）, and toll like recep- tor 4 level （P = 0.043） were significantly lower after 3 hin animals receiving Edr. In addition, TUNEL staining in Edr-treated pigs showed significantly fewer hepatocytes undergoing apoptosis compared with control pigs. After 1 mo, all factors were non-significantly different between the two groups. CONCLUSION： Edr is considered to reduce hepatic injury in the early stage of I/R injury in a porcine model.展开更多
基金the National Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 2004CB418401)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 40472109)+1 种基金Joint Earthquake Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 105066)Japan Grant-in Aid for Scientific Research from Japan Ministry of Education, Cul-ture, Sports, Science and Technology (Grant No. 18500776)
文摘The Daliangshan fault zone is the eastern branch in the central section of Xianshuihe-Xiaojiang fault system. It has been neglected for a long time, partly because of no destructive earthquake records along this fault zone. On the other hand, it is located on the remote and inaccessible plateau. So far it was excluded as part of the Xianshuihe-Xiaojiang fault system. Based on the interpretation of aerophotographs and field investigations, we document this fault zone in detail, and give an estimation of strike-slip rate about 3 mm/a in Late Quaternary together with age dating data. The results suggest that the Daliangshan fault zone is a newly-generated fault zone resulted from shortcutting in the central section of Xianshuihe-Xiaojiang fault system because of the clockwise rotation of the Southeastern Tibetan Crustal Block, which is bounded by the Xianshuihe-Xiaojiang fault system. Moreover, the shortcutting may make the Daliangshan fault zone replace the Anninghe and Zemuhe fault zones gradually, and finally, the later two fault zones will probably die out with the continuous clockwise rotation.
基金supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research from Mie Medical Research Foundation to Dr.Suzuki
文摘Neuroinflammation is a well-recognized consequence of subarachnoid hemorrhage（SAH）, and Toll-like receptor（TLR） 4 may be an important therapeutic target for post-SAH neuroinflammation. Of the TLR family members, TLR4 is expressed in various cell types in the central nervous system, and is unique in that it can signal through both the myeloid differentiation primary-response protein 88-dependent and the toll receptor associated activator of interferon-dependent cascades to coordinate the maximal inflammatory response. TLR4 can be activated by many endogenous ligands having damage-associated molecular patterns including heme and fibrinogen at the rupture of an intracranial aneurysm, and the resultant inflammatory reaction and thereby tissue damages may furthermore activate TLR4. It is widely accepted that the excreted products of TLR4 signaling alter neuronal functions. Previous studies have focused on the pathway through nuclear factor（NF）-κΒ signaling among TLR4 signaling pathways as to the development of early brain injury（EBI） such as neuronal apoptosis and blood-brain barrier disruption, and cerebral vasospasm. However, many findings suggest that both pathways via NF-κΒ and mitogen-activated protein kinases may be involved in EBI and cerebral vasospasm development. To overcome EBI and cerebral vasospasm is important to improve outcomes after SAH, because both EBI and vasopasm are responsible for delayed brain injuries or delayed cerebral ischemia, the most important preventable cause of poor outcomes after SAH. Increasing evidence has shown that TLR4 signaling plays an important role in SAH-induced brain injuries. Better understanding of the roles of TLR4 signaling in SAH will facilitate development of new treatments.
文摘The formation of a bezoar is a relatively infrequentdisorder that affects the gastrointestinal system.Bezoars are mainly classified into four types dependingon the material constituting the indigestible mass of thebezoar phytobezoars, trichobezoars, pharmacobezoars,and lactobezoars. Gastric bezoars often cause ulcerativelesions in the stomach and subsequent bleeding,whereas small intestinal bezoars present with smallbowel obstruction and ileus. A number of articles haveemphasized the usefulness of Coca-Cola？ administrationfor the dissolution of phytobezoars. However, persimmonphytobezoars may be resistant to such dissolutiontreatment because of their harder consistency comparedto other types of phytobezoars. Better understanding ofthe etiology and epidemiology of each type of bezoarwill facilitate prompt diagnosis and management.Here we provide an overview of the prevalence, classification,predisposing factors, and manifestations ofbezoars. Diagnosis and management strategies arealso discussed, reviewing mainly our own case series.Recent progress in basic research regarding persimmonphytobezoars is also briefly reviewed.
文摘AIM: To retrospectively analyze factors affecting the long-term survival of patients with pancreatic cancer who underwent pancreatic resection.METHODS: From January 2000 to December 2011,195 patients underwent pancreatic resection in our hospital.The prognostic factors after pancreatic resection were analyzed in all 195 patients.After excluding the censored cases within an observational period,the clinicopathological characteristics of 20 patients who survived ≥ 5(n = 20) and < 5(n = 76) years were compared.For this comparison,we analyzed the patients who underwent surgery before June 2008 and were observed for more than 5 years.For statistical analyses,the log-rank test was used to compare the cumulative survival rates,and the χ2 and Mann-Whitney tests were used to compare the two groups.The CoxHazard model was used for a multivariate analysis,and P values less than 0.05 were considered significant.A multivariate analysis was conducted on the factors that were significant in the univariate analysis.RESULTS: The median survival for all patients was 27.1 months,and the 5-year actuarial survival rate was 34.5%.The median observational period was 595 d.With the univariate analysis,the UICC stage was significantly associated with survival time,and the CA19-9 ≤ 200 U/m L,DUPAN-2 ≤ 180 U/m L,t u m o r s i ze ≤ 2 0 m m,R 0 re s e c t i o n,a b s e n c e o f lymph node metastasis,absence of extrapancreatic neural invasion,and absence of portal invasion were favorable prognostic factors.The multivariate analysis showed that tumor size ≤ 20 mm(HR = 0.40; 95%CI: 0.17-0.83,P = 0.012) and negative surgical margins(R0 resection)(HR = 0.48; 95%CI: 0.30-0.77,P = 0.003) were independent favorable prognostic factors.Among the 96 patients,20 patients survived for 5 years or more,and 76 patients died within 5 years after operation.Comparison of the 20 5-year survivors with the 76 non-survivors showed that lower concentrations of DUPAN-2(79.5 vs 312.5 U/mL,P = 0.032),tumor size ≤ 20 mm(35% vs 8%,P = 0.008),R0 resection(9
文摘AIM: To determine the difference in clinical outcome between ulcerative colitis (UC) patients with Mayo endoscopic subscore (MES) 0 and those with MES 1.
文摘AIM: To investigate the usefulness of chromoendoscopy, using an acetic acid indigocarmine mixture (AIM), for gastric adenoma diagnosed by forceps biopsy.
文摘BACKGROUND: Excretion of gadolinium-ethoxybenzyl-diethyl- enetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-EOB-DTPA) in the bile may be related to liver function, because of elimination from the liver after preferential uptake by hepatocytes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relation between liver and biliary enhancement in patients with or without liver dysfunction, and to compare the tumor-to-liver contrast in these patients. METHODS: Forty patients [group 1: normal liver and Child Pugh class A in 20 patients, group 2: Child-Pugh class B in 18 patients and Child-Pugh C in 2] were evaluated. All patients underwent MR imaging of the liver using a 1.5-Tesla system. T1 weighted 3D images were obtained at 5, 10, 15 and 20 minutes after Gd-EOB-DTPA injection. The relation between group 3 (total bilirubin <1.8 mg/dL) and group 4 (total bilirubin ≥1.8 mg/dL) was investigated at 20 minutes. Liver and biliary signals were measured, and compared between groups 1 and 2 or groups 3 and 4. Tumor-to-liver ratio was also evaluated between groups 1 and 2. Scheffé’s post-hoc test after two-way repeated measures ANOVA and Pearson’s correlation test were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Liver enhancement showed significant difference at all time points between groups 1 and 2. Biliary enhancement did not show a significant difference between groups 1 and 2 at 5 minutes, but did at 10, 15 and 20 minutes. At 20 minutes significant differences between groups 3 and 4 were seen for liver and biliary enhancement. At all time points, liver enhancement correlated with biliary enhancement in both groups. At 5 minutes and 20 minutes, statistical differences between groups 1 and 2 were seen for tumor-to-liver ratio.CONCLUSIONS: The degree of biliary enhancement has a close correlation to that of liver enhancement. It is especially important that insufficient liver enhancement causes lower tumor-to-liver contrast in the hepatobiliary phase of Gd-EOB- DTPA.
文摘A primary benign schwannoma of the liver is extremely rare and is difficult to preoperatively discriminate from a malignant tumor.We compared the imaging and pathological findings,and examined the possibility of preoperatively diagnosing a benign liver schwannoma.A 72-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital because of a 4.6-cm mass in the liver.A malignant tumor was suspected,and a right hepatectomy was performed.After this,the diagnosis of a primary benign schwannoma of the liver was made through pathological examination.Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography(CEUS) with Sonazoid showed minute blood flows into the septum and solid areas of the tumor in the vascular phase;most likely due to increased arterial flow associated with infiltration of chronic inflammatory cells.In the postvascular phase,CEUS showed contrast defect of cystic areas and delayed enhancement of solid areas;most likely due to aggregation of siderophores.Because discriminating between a benign and malignant schwannoma of the liver is difficult,surgery is generally recommended.However,the two key findings from CEUS may be useful in discriminating ancient schwannoma by recognizing the hemorrhage involved in the secondary degeneration and aggregation of siderophores.
基金Supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C) from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, No. 15590613,and a grant for Research on Intractable Disease from the Japanese Ministry of Public Welfare
文摘AIM： To investigate the efficacy of angiotensin Ⅱ receptor antagonist on hepatic stellate cells （HSCs） activation in the patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis （NASH）. METHODS： Seven patients with NASH were prescribed Iosartan, a selective angiotensin Ⅱ type 1 receptor antagonist （50 mg/d） for 48 wk. Liver biopsies were performed both at the entry and end of the study in all patients. Quiescent and activated HSCs were identified by double immunostaining using anti-p75 and α-smooth muscle actin antibodies, and the number of each phenotype was counted. Similarly, the liver specimens obtained from the eight patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver （NAFL） were also examined as controls. RESULTS： In NASH hepatic tissues, activated HSCs were dominantly distributed as compared with those in NAFL. The 48-wk Iosartan treatment induced a remarkable decrease in activated HSCs and a mild increase in quiescent phenotypes. CONCLUSION： Our data suggest the crucial involvement of HSCs in anti-fibrotic effect of angiotensin Ⅱ receptor antagonist on patients with NASH.
文摘AIM: To evaluate the endoscopic manifestations and prognoses of gastrointestinal (GI) mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). METHODS: A database search at the Department of Pathology of Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences revealed 57 MCL patients with GI involvement. Clinical records were available for 35 of the 57 patients from 21 institutions, and those 35 patients were enrolled in this study. We summarized the gross types of endoscopic features, event-free survival (EFS), and overall survival (OS) of those patients.RESULTS: Of the 35 patients, GI involvement in the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum was found in 2 (5.7%), 26 (74.3%), and 12 (34.3%) patients, respectively. Twenty-one of the 35 patients underwent colonoscopy; among them, GI involvement in the ileum, cecum, colon, and rectum was found in 10 (47.6%), 3 (14.3%), 12 (57.1%), and 10 (47.6%), respectively. Various lesions, such as superficial, protruded, fold thickening, or ulcerative, were found in the stomach, whereas multiple lymphomatous polyposis (MLP) was dominant from the duodenum to the rectum. Twelve patients were treated with a hyper-CVAD/MA regimen, and they had better OS (3-year rate, 88.3% vs 46.4%, P < 0.01) and better EFS (3-year rate, 66.7% vs 33.8%, P < 0.05) than the remaining 23 patients who were not treated with this regimen. CONCLUSION: MLP was a representative form of intestinal involvement, whereas a variety of lesions were found in the stomach. The hyper-CVAD/MA regimen may improve survival in these patients.
文摘AIM: To investigate the anti-neoplastic effects of MK615, an extract from the Japanese apricot (Prunus mume), against colon cancer cells. METHODS: Three colon cancer cell lines, SW480, COLO, and WiDr, were cultured with MK615. Growth inhibition was evaluated by cell proliferation assay and killing activity was determined by lactate dehydrogenase assay. Induction of apoptosis was evaluated by annexin Ⅴ flow cytometry. Morphological changes were studied by light and electron microscopy, and immunofluorescence staining with Atg8. RESULTS: MK615 inhibited growth and lysed SW480, COLO and WiDr cells in a dose-dependent manner. Annexin Ⅴ flow cytometry showed that MK615 induced apoptosis after 6 h incubation, at which point the occurrence of apoptotic cells was 68.0%, 65.7% and 64.7% for SW480, COLO, and WiDr cells, respectively. Light and electron microscopy, and immunofluorescence staining with Atg8 revealed that MK615 induced massive cytoplasmic vacuoles (autophagosomes) in all three cell lines. CONCLUSION: MK615 has an anti-neoplastic effect against colon cancer cells. The effect may be exerted by induction of apoptosis and autophagy.
基金This study was supported financially by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under grant 41001357 and the Scientific Research Foundation of Beijing Normal University.
文摘Producers’ acreage decisions in response to the availability of insurance and government subsidy has been a topic of considerable attention. This study revisits the issue of agriculture producers’ production behavior under crop insurance and premium subsidy conditions. The discussion begins by differentiating between the assumptions of the classic insurance model and that model’s application to crop insurance. A discussion of a closed dual economy model follows. Price difference in cases of disaster and no disaster essentially determines producers’ response to the availability of a premium subsidy. A producer can obtain higher production revenue due to the significant increase in price induced by yield loss if the economy is closed and a subsistence constraint is taken into account. In this case, a premium subsidy could induce producers to lower their output level. The result is further generalized by two model extensions in which assumptions are relaxed to allow openness in the economy or intertemporal storage of grains with grain reserve policy. The findings of this article suggest that governments should carefully examine the actual risk-bearing pattern of crop producers before any subsidy policy is implemented.
文摘In recent years, research on the estimation of human emotions has been active, and its application is expected in various fields. Biological reactions, such as electroencephalography (EEG) and root mean square successive difference (RMSSD), are indicators that are less influenced by individual arbitrariness. The present study used EEG and RMSSD signals to assess the emotions aroused by emotion-stimulating images in order to investigate whether various emotions are associated with characteristic biometric signal fluctuations. The participants underwent EEG and RMSSD while viewing emotionally stimulating images and answering the questionnaires. The emotions aroused by emotionally stimulating images were assessed by measuring the EEG signals and RMSSD values to determine whether different emotions are associated with characteristic biometric signal variations. Real-time emotion analysis software was used to identify the evoked emotions by describing them in the Circumplex Model of Affect based on the EEG signals and RMSSD values. Emotions other than happiness did not follow the Circumplex Model of Affect in this study. However, ventral attentional activity may have increased the RMSSD value for disgust as the β/θ value increased in right-sided brain waves. Therefore, the right-sided brain wave results are necessary when measuring disgust. Happiness can be assessed easily using the Circumplex Model of Affect for positive scene analysis. Improving the current analysis methods may facilitate the investigation of face-to-face communication in the future using biometric signals.
文摘This article briefly reviews the causes and impacts of the massive eastern Japan earthquake and tsunami of 11 March 2011, and comments on the response measures taken by Japan to cope with this devastating disaster. Mass losses occurred mostly because the intensity of the quake and the induced tsunami exceeded local coping capacity. Particularly, the nuclear power plant crisis triggered by the tsunami significantly increased the short-and long-term impacts of the disaster. While the coping capacity Japanese society built after the 1995 Hanshin-Awaji great earthquake tremendously mitigated the damages, there is room for improvement despite Japan’s great efforts in this disaster. Investigating the tsunami preparedness of the coastal nuclear power plants is an issue of paramount importance. In response to future large-scale disasters, there is an urgent need for a highly collaborative framework based on which all available resources could be mobilized;a mutual assistance and rescue system against catastrophes among regions and countries on the basis of international humanitarian aid;and further in-depth research on the multi-hazard and disaster-chain phenomenon in large-scale disasters and corresponding governance approaches.
文摘We report a case of two pseudolymphomas of the liver in a 63-year-old Japanese woman with primary biliary cirrhosis.One of the lesions was found incidentally during a medical examination,presenting as a 10 mm hypodense nodule that revealed hyperdensity in the early phase and hypodensity in the late phase in computed tomography(CT)after injection of contrast medium.Retrospectively,the 10 mm nodule had first been discovered as a 4 mm nodule during CT 4 years previously.Superparamagnetic iron oxide-enhanced MRI revealed another 4 mm hyperintense nodule in segment 6 in addition to the 10 mm hyperintense nodule in segment 7.CT during arterial portography revealed two hypointense nodules.Findings with other imaging modalities such as ultrasonography,magnetic resonance imaging,and hepatic angiography were consistent with hepatocellular carcinoma.A right posterior segmentectomy was performed,and the lesions were microscopically diagnosed as pseudolymphoma.To the best of our knowledge,only 31 other cases of this disease have ever been reported,with a highly asymmetrical male:female ratio of 1:9.7.Although we could find only one case of transformation of hepaticpseudolymphoma into lymphoma in the liver,the exact nature of development from benign pseudolymphoma to malignant lymphoma is still not fully understood and cases of hepatic lymphoma need to be followed carefully.
文摘AIM： TO investigate the effect of E3-methyl-l-phe- nyl-2-pyrazolin-5-one （Edr） on hepatic ischemia-reper- fusion （I/R） injury and liver regeneration in a porcine hepatectomy model. METHODS： One hour ischemia was induced by occlud- ing the vessels and the bile duct of the right and median lobes. A 40% left hepatectomy was performed after re- perfusion. Six animals received Edr （3 mg/kg per hour） intravenously and six control animals received saline just before reperfusion. Remnant liver volume, hemody- namics, aspartate aminotransferase （AST）, alanine ami- notransferase, lactate dehydrogenase and lactic acid, were compared between the groups. The expression of transforming growth factor-β （TGF-β1） and toll-like receptor （TRL） mRNA in hepatic tissues was examined using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Apoptosis was demonstrated by terminal deoxynucleo- tidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling （TUNEL） stain- ing, respectively. RESULTS： Serum AS-I- （P = 0.029）, and toll like recep- tor 4 level （P = 0.043） were significantly lower after 3 hin animals receiving Edr. In addition, TUNEL staining in Edr-treated pigs showed significantly fewer hepatocytes undergoing apoptosis compared with control pigs. After 1 mo, all factors were non-significantly different between the two groups. CONCLUSION： Edr is considered to reduce hepatic injury in the early stage of I/R injury in a porcine model.
