Spontaneous complete necrosis of hepatocellular carcinoma caused by feeding vessel occlusion outside the tumour capsule

A 64-year-old man began treatment for chronic hepatitis C with peg-interferon and ribavirin. His hepatitis C virus ribonucleic acid (HCV-RNA) results turned negative. Just after the treatment, a computed tomography (CT) scan revealed a hypovascular mass in the segment 8. We performed a right hemihepatectomy as HCC. Upon macroscopic examination, the tumour was yellow and firm with a fibrous capsule. A wedge-shaped necrotic area was located at the top of an artery and a portal vein of segment 8. Necrosis was observed not only in the tumour but in the adjacent parenchyma. A histopathological examination showed that the tumour had been completely replaced by necrosis. This tumour was surrounded by capillary vessels and fed by several thick arteries, but organized thrombi were not detected. No viable cells were found. The histopathological diagnosis was a spontaneous complete necrosis of HCC caused by the occlusion of feeding vessels outside the capsule

Relationship between charge redistribution and ferromagnetism at the heterointerface between perovskite oxides LaNiO3 and LaMnO

To investigate the relationship between the charge redistribution and ferromagnetism at the heterointerface between perovskite transition-metal oxides LaNiO$_3$ (LNO) and LaMnO$_3$ (LMO), we performed x-ray absorption spectroscopy and x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) measurements. In the LNO/LMO heterostructures with asymmetric charge redistribution, the electrons donated from Mn to Ni ions are confined within one monolayer (ML) of LNO at the interface, whereas holes are distributed over 3-4 ML on the LMO side. A detailed analysis of the Ni-$L_{2,3}$ and Mn-$L_{2,3}$ XMCD spectra reveals that Ni magnetization is induced only by the Ni$^{2+}$ ions in the 1 ML LNO adjacent to the interface, while the magnetization of Mn ions is increased in the 3-4 ML LMO of the interfacial region. The characteristic length scale of the emergent (increased) interfacial ferromagnetism of the LNO (LMO) layers is in good agreement with that of the charge distribution across the interface, indicating a close relationship between the charge redistribution due to the interfacial charge transfer and the ferromagnetism of the LNO/LMO interface. Furthermore, the XMCD spectra clearly demonstrate that the vectors of induced magnetization of both ions are aligned ferromagnetically, suggesting that the delicate balance between the exchange interactions occurring inside each layer and across the interface may induce the canted ferromagnetism of Ni$^{2+}$ ions, resulting in weak magnetization in the 1 ML LNO adjacent to the interface.Comment: 22 pages, 4 figure

Clotting Changes, Including Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation, during Rapid Renal-Homograft Rejection

One of two patients in whom early homograft rejection developed after renal transplantation had many antidonor antibodies before operation. By the measurement of gradients across intracorporeal and extracorporeal homografts in this patient, the new kidneys were shown to sequester host immunoglobulins, platelets, white cells and clotting factors. Moreover, the renal venous blood then contained fibrinolytic activity. This presensitized recipient, as well as a second patient who did not have detectable preformed humoral antibodies, gave evidence from clinical observation and from the various clotting tests of disseminated intravascular coagulation with fibrinolysis and a severe bleeding diathesis. Immunofluorescent and histologic studies revealed a laying down of fibrin in the homograft vessels that continued in some cases to cortical necrosis of the transplanted kidneys or, alternatively, receded at the time fibrinolysis occurred. The variety of rejection seen in these patients has been characterized as an immunologically induced coagulopathy. © 1970, Massachusetts Medical Society. All rights reserved

Quality of life of children with neurodevelopmental disorders and their parents during the COVID-19 pandemic : a 1-year follow-up study

This study aimed to reveal changes in the quality of life (QOL) of children with neurodevelopmental disorders and their parents, and the interaction between their QOL and parental mental state during the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Eighty-nine school-aged children and parents participated in surveys in May 2020 (T1) and May 2021 (T2). The parents completed questionnaires that assessed their QOL, depression, parenting stress, and living conditions. Children's temporary mood status was evaluated using the self-reported visual analog scale (VAS). Children's QOL and VAS at T2 were higher than their QOL at T1. Parents' QOL at T2 was lower than their QOL at T1. Severe parental depression at T1 had a synergistic effect on severe parenting stress and severe depressive state at T2. Additionally, children's high QOL at T1 had a synergistic effect on low parenting stress and children's high QOL at T2. Furthermore, children's low VAS scores and parents' low QOL at T2 were associated with deterioration of family economic status. Children and parents' QOL changed during the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. Improvement in children's QOL was influenced by reduced maternal depressive symptoms. Public support for parental mental health is important to avoid decreasing QOL.Peer reviewe

Experimental Approach Reveals the Role of alx1 in the Evolution of the Echinoderm Larval Skeleton

AbstractOver the course of evolution, the acquisition of novel structures has ultimately led to wide variation in morphology among extant multicellular organisms. Thus, the origins of genetic systems for new morphological structures are a subject of great interest in evolutionary biology. The larval skeleton is a novel structure acquired in some echinoderm lineages via the activation of the adult skeletogenic machinery. Previously, VEGF signaling was suggested to have played an important role in the acquisition of the larval skeleton. In the present study, we compared expression patterns of Alx genes among echinoderm classes to further explore the factors involved in the acquisition of a larval skeleton. We found that the alx1 gene, originally described as crucial for sea urchin skeletogenesis, may have also played an essential role in the evolution of the larval skeleton. Unlike those echinoderms that have a larval skeleton, we found that alx1 of starfish was barely expressed in early larvae that have no skeleton. When alx1 overexpression was induced via injection of alx1 mRNA into starfish eggs, the expression patterns of certain genes, including those possibly involved in skeletogenesis, were altered. This suggested that a portion of the skeletogenic program was induced solely by alx1. However, we observed no obvious external phenotype or skeleton. We concluded that alx1 was necessary but not sufficient for the acquisition of the larval skeleton, which, in fact, requires several genetic events. Based on these results, we discuss how the larval expression of alx1 contributed to the acquisition of the larval skeleton in the putative ancestral lineage of echinoderms

Inward or Outward Costophrenic Angles: A Simple Sign on Chest X-ray for the Screening of Metabolic Syndrome

Prevention of cardiovascular diseases is a top-priority issue in Japan. To this end, we have developed a new screening method for metabolic syndrome (MetS) using chest X-ray. We recruited 200 patients who visited our outpatient cardiology clinic from March 2014 to August 2014. Patients with severe lung disease, acute coronary syndrome, and end-stage renal failure were excluded. We collected data on each patient\u27s medical history, laboratory results, waist circumference (WC), body weight, and height. Additionally, we measured two parameters from the chest X-ray: (A) width at the level of right dome of diaphragm and (B) width between the costophrenic (CP) angles. We classified the CP angles as either inward (A≥B) or outward (A<B). Increased WC was defined as ≥85cm in males and ≥90cm in females. Patients with outward CP angles had a significantly larger WC compared to those with inward CP angles (92.3±8.9 vs. 80.5±7.8cm, P<0.001). In particular, the percentage of male patients with increased WC (≥ 85cm) was significantly higher in patients with outward CP angles than in those with inward CP angles (89.2% vs. 41.3%, P<0.001). Body weight and BMI were both significantly higher in patients with outward CP angles than in those with inward CP angles in both gender groups. When laboratory data and risk factors were compared, patients with outward CP angles and those with positive WC criteria consistently tended toward high morbidity from hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes. The inward/outward CP identified candidates for MetS, especially in the male subjects. Chest X-ray could become a useful screening tool for the detection of increased WC and coronary risk factors

Interface-induced perpendicular magnetic anisotropy of Co nanoparticles on single-layer h-BN/Pt(111)

Ferromagnetism with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) was observed at room temperature in cobalt nanoparticles (NPs) grown on hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) on a Pt(111) surface. It was shown that the Co NPs have planar hexagonal shapes with a mean diameter of ∼20 nm and a mean height of ∼1.6 nm. The depth-resolved analysis of X-ray magnetic circular dichroism at the Co L2,3-edges revealed that in the ferromagnetic Co NPs, the ratio of the orbital magnetic moment to the spin magnetic moment in the out-of-plane direction becomes larger at the Co NP/h-BN interface than the ratio in bulk Co. The B and N K-edge near edge X-ray absorption fine structures showed the orbital hybridization between the π orbitals of h-BN and d orbitals of Co at the interface, as an origin of the orbital magnetic moment enhancement possibly giving rise to PMA in the Co NPs