Changes in Natural Killer Cell Activity (NK Activity) by Surgical Stress

NK activity in relation to proliferation of cancer cells was clinically evaluated in the postoperative course in patients with carcinomas of the stomach and colon as compared with that in patients with benign diseases. 1) Preoperative NK activities in patients with advanced cancers were inhibited as compared with those in patients with benign diseases and those of normal individual. In particular, it was significant in patients with poor PS of grade 2. 2) NK activities enhanced until two hours after surgery and gradually fell down to the minimum at 12 hours, thereafter resumed the activities. 3) Intraoperative decrease in NK activity was minimal in patients with favorable PS. In contrast, in patients with poor PS and advanced cancers, a decrease and recovery of NK activity was aggravated. 4) NK activity also related to the operation time and the amount of blood transfusion. 5) Main causes of depressed NK activity in the postoperative course were prolonged operation time, with or without blood transfusion, and malnutrition

Keratin 8 phosphorylation regulates its transamidation and hepatocyte Mallory‐Denk body formation

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154269/1/fsb2026006010.pd

Relationship between protein C and antithrombin III deficiencies in sepsis without disseminated intravascular coagulation status

Sepsis 2008 / Granada, Spain / 19-22 November 200

Leukocytapheresis Therapy Improved Cholestasis in a Patient Suffering from Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis with Ulcerative Colitis

Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is an autoimmune disease of the hepatobiliary system for which effective therapy has not been established. Leukocytapheresis (LCAP) therapy is known to effective in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). In addition, effects of LCAP therapy were reported on some autoimmune diseases such as Crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis and rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis. Here we report the case of a 29-year-old man with PSC associated with UC who was treated with LCAP therapy. He had a 16-year history of UC and a 12-year history of PSC. Although he was under treatment with prednisolone and ursodeoxycholic acid, exacerbation of UC and PSC-associated cholestasis were seen. Since he showed side effects of prednisolone, he was treated with LCAP. Not only improvement of UC, but also decreased serum alkaline phosphatase, γ-guanosine triphosphate and total bile acids, suggesting improvement of PSC-associated cholestaisis, were seen after treatment with LCAP. Our experience with this case suggests that LCAP therapy could be a new effective therapeutic strategy for patients with PSC associated with UC

Histopathologically Proven Autoimmune Pancreatitis Mimicking Neuroendocrine Tumor or Pancreatic Cancer

Autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) can be difficult to distinguish from pancreatic cancer. We report a case of histopathologically proven AIP mimicking neuroendocrine tumor (NET) or pancreatic cancer in a 53-year-old man. He was referred to our hospital for further evaluation of a pancreatic mass detected on ultrasonography at a medical check-up. Abdominal ultrasonography showed a 15-mm hypoechoic mass located in the pancreatic body. Computed tomography revealed a tumor without any contrast enhancement, and magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated the mass to be hyperintense on diffusion-weighted image. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography revealed slight dilatation of a branch of the pancreatic duct without stricture of the main pancreatic duct. The common bile duct seemed intact. Under suspicion of a non-functioning NET or malignant neoplasm, laparotomy was performed. At laparotomy, an elastic firm and well-circumscribed mass was found suggestive of a non-functioning NET, thus enucleation was performed. Histopathologically, the lesion corresponded to AIP

Computing gravitational waves from slightly nonspherical stellar collapse to black hole: Odd-parity perturbation

Nonspherical stellar collapse to a black hole is one of the most promising gravitational wave sources for gravitational wave detectors. We numerically study gravitational waves from a slightly nonspherical stellar collapse to a black hole in linearized Einstein theory. We adopt a spherically collapsing star as the zeroth-order solution and gravitational waves are computed using perturbation theory on the spherical background. In this paper we focus on the perturbation of odd-parity modes. Using the polytropic equations of state with polytropic indices $n_p=1$ and 3, we qualitatively study gravitational waves emitted during the collapse of neutron stars and supermassive stars to black holes from a marginally stable equilibrium configuration. Since the matter perturbation profiles can be chosen arbitrarily, we provide a few types for them. For $n_p=1$, the gravitational waveforms are mainly characterized by a black hole quasinormal mode ringing, irrespective of perturbation profiles given initially. However, for $n_p=3$, the waveforms depend strongly on the initial perturbation profiles. In other words, the gravitational waveforms strongly depend on the stellar configuration and, in turn, on the ad hoc choice of the functional form of the perturbation in the case of supermassive stars.Comment: 31 pages, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. D, typos and minor errors correcte

商業スポーツ施設における会員の満足度の変化に関する研究

The purpose of this research is to provide feed back to management of commercial fitness club in order to maintain and improve consumer satisfaction. This research applied the "discrepancy model" to explain changing consumer satisfaction scores. The model states that satisfaction is a function of the degree of congruency between aspiration and the perceived reality of experience. If the consumer\u27s expectation for the sport facility is higher than its performance, then consumer satisfaction will be low. Conversely, if consumer expectation is lower than performance, then satisfaction will be high. In order to address the objectives of research, member\u27s attitudes regarding a commercial fitness club were assessed twice. The questionnaire contained 22 satisfaction items, of which, one was related to the whole facility, thirteen to its individual facilities, four to its programs, and the remaining four items to its staff. Responses were made on a 7-point scale. Both changing expectations and performance scores for each concept and satisfaction scores for the facility as a whole were measured. A step-wise regression analysis tested the application of model. The dependent variable was the change in satisfaction for the whole facility and independent variables were the change in expectation and performance scores for the individual facilities, programs and staff. The findings were : 1) The variables that most influenced changing satisfaction scores were related to expectation and performance of the staff. 2) The variables that least influenced changing satisfaction were related to programs. 3) Expectation and performance scores influenced each other for changing satisfaction. (The discrepancy model explained 34% of the variation in changing satisfaction [adjusted R^2=0.355].

Spontaneous Regression of Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Portal Vein Tumor Thrombus

An 83-year-old man underwent transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) for a 20-mm hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Couinaud’s segment 4. Computed tomography (CT) 4 months after TACE showed tumor thrombus in the portal vein in addition to diffuse metastases and arterioportal shunts in the left lobe. Although we performed the best supportive care, the tumor thrombus in the portal vein and tumors in the left lobe had completely disappeared on CT 16 months after the TACE. Rapidly grown portal vein tumor thrombus and arterioportal shunt might be the causes of spontaneous regression of HCC, probably associated with tumor hypoxia