The Largest Known Survival Analysis of Patients with Brain Metastasis from Thyroid Cancer Based on Prognostic Groups

To analyze the clinical features and prognostic factors associated with the survival of patients with a very rare occurrence of brain metastasis (BM) from differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC).A total of 37 patients with DTC who were diagnosed with BM between 1995 and 2014 were included. We reviewed the clinical characteristics, treatment modalities, and image findings of BM. Factors associated with survival were evaluated, and the patients were divided into three prognostic groups (Groups A, B, and C) for comparative analysis.The median age at BM was 63 years, and the median time from initial thyroid cancer diagnosis to BM was 3.8 years. The median survival and the 1-year actuarial survival rate after BM were 8.8 months and 47%, respectively. According to univariate and multivariate analyses, four good prognostic factors (GPFs) were identified including age ≤ 60 years, PS ≤ ECOG 2, ≤ 3 BM sites, and without extracranial metastasis prior to BM. Three prognostic groups were designed based on age and number of remaining GPFs: patients ≤ 60 years of age with at least 2 GPFs (Group A) had the most favorable prognosis with a median survival of 32.8 months; patients ≤ 60 years of age with fewer than 2 GPFs and those > 60 years of age with at least 2 GPFs (Group B) had an intermediate prognosis with a median survival of 9.4 months; and patients > 60 years of age with fewer than 2 GPFs (Group C) had the least favorable prognosis with a median survival of 1.5 months.The survival of patients with BM form DTC differed among the prognostic groups based on the total number of good prognostic factors

Searching the pole solution of NEA 162173 (1999 JU3)

Conference at the Korean Space Science Society, April 24-26 2013, Jeju island, KoreaNear-Earth asteroid (NEA) 162173 (1999 JU3) (hereafter 1999 JU3) is the primary target of JAXA's Hayabusa 2 mission and also a backup target of NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission, not only because of its accessibility but also because it would be the first C-type asteroid for exploration missions. Knowing the information about spin status, such as rotational period, the ecliptic longitude and latitude of the pole is essential for the design of mission sequence such as the remote sensing observation. In order to get the physical properties of 1999 JU3, a total of 75 days ground-based observations at various geometries were carried out during 2007 - 2012 apparitions. Observations in the thermal infrared were also conducted with the Subaru, Akari, and Spitzer telescopes. We have analyzed the optical lightcurve of 1999 JU3, and derived a sidereal rotational period of 7.631 ± 0.001 hour. Using the lightcurve inversion method in conjunction with the thermal physical modeling, we determined a nearly spherical shape with a diameter of 823 ± 38 m, a geometric albedo of 0.058 ± 0.003, and a thermal inertia of 231 ± 76 J m-2 s-0.5 K-1. Although the pole orientation of 1999 JU3 is not strongly constrained, the best solution we derived is within 30 degree of (103,-20) in the ecliptic reference frame

Mesenteric Pseudocyst of the Small Bowel in Gastric Cancer Patient: A Case Report

Mesenteric pseudocyst is rare. This term is used to describe the abdominal cystic mass, without the origin of abdominal organ. We presented a case of mesenteric pseudocyst of the small bowel in a 70-year-old man. Esophago-gastro-duodenoscopy showed a 3.5 cm sized excavated lesion on the posterior wall of angle. Endocopic biopsy confirmed a histologic diagnosis of the poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma, which includes the signet ring cell component. Abdominal computed tomography scan showed a focal mucosal enhancement in the posterior wall of angle of the stomach, a 2.4 cm sized enhancing mass on the distal small bowel loop, without distant metastases or ascites in rectal shelf, and multiple gallbladder stones. The patient underwent subtotal gastrectomy with gastroduodenostomy, segmental resection of the small bowel, and cholecystectomy. The final pathological diagnosis was mesenteric pseudocyst. This is the first case report describing incidentally detected mesenteric pseudocyst of the small bowel in gastric cancer patients

Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonist Differentially Affects Brain Activation in Response to Visual Food Cues in Lean and Obese Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Background: To investigate the effects of a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist on functional brain activation in lean and obese individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in response to visual food cues. Methods: In a randomized, single-blinded, crossover study, 15 lean and 14 obese individuals with T2DM were administered lixisenatide or normal saline subcutaneously with a 1-week washout period. We evaluated brain activation in response to pictures of high-calorie food, low-calorie food, and nonfood using functional magnetic resonance imaging and measured appetite and caloric intake in participants who were given access to an ad libitum buffet. Results: Obese individuals with T2DM showed significantly greater activation of the hypothalamus, pineal gland, parietal cortex (high-calorie food vs. low-calorie food, P<0.05), orbitofrontal cortex (high-calorie food vs. nonfood, P<0.05), and visual cortex (food vs. nonfood, P<0.05) than lean individuals with T2DM. Lixisenatide injection significantly reduced the functional activation of the fusiform gyrus and lateral ventricle in obese individuals with T2DM compared with that in lean individuals with T2DM (nonfood vs. high-calorie food, P< 0.05). In addition, in individuals who decreased their caloric intake after lixisenatide injection, there were significant interaction effects between group and treatment in the posterior cingulate, medial frontal cortex (high-calorie food vs. low-calorie food, P < 0.05), hypothalamus, orbitofrontal cortex, and temporal lobe (food vs. nonfood, P< 0.05). Conclusion: Brain responses to visual food cues were different in lean and obese individuals with T2DM. In addition, acute administration of lixisenatide differentially affected functional brain activation in these individuals, especially in those who decreased their caloric intake after lixisenatide injection.Y