Early Onset of Daunomycin Cardiotoxicity in a Case of Acute Myelogeneous Leukemia Associated with Sweet's Syndrome

A patient of acute leukemia with Sweet's syndrome who developed heart failure after receiving 107 mg/㎡ daunorubicin was reported. There seemed to be genetic factors of individuals in inducing anthracycline cardiotoxicity. Further study on genetic analysis of such a disease will be necessary for clarification of the genetic factors susceptible to anthracyclines.This work was supported in part by a Grant-in-Aid for Cancer Research from the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture

The Potential for Bidirectional Promoter Activity of the Human PDGF-A Chain Gene

Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) is a heterodimeric glycoprotein consisting of A and B chains. A functional promoter had been identified in the 5' flanking region of the human PDGF-A chain gene. We found that the PDGF-A chain promoter region possesses the potential for bidirectional activity. This bidirectional promoter activity is influenced by the 5' -untranslated region (5'-UTR) and serum concentration. The 5'-UTR may regulate expression of the PDGF-A chain by transcription in the opposite direction

Identification of 5' Regulatory Elements of the PDGF-A Chain Gene, and Interaction with Single-stranded DNA Binding Protein

The expression of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) is controlled in a very complicated manner. To clarify the mechanism of regulation of the PDGF-A chain gene, deletion analysis of the 5'-flanking region was performed. We identified a positive regulatory element 25 base pairs (bp) upstream of TATAA, a negative element 135 bp upstream, a positive element 223 bp upstream and a negative element further upstream. These regulatory sites of the PDGF-A chain gene may be involved in tissue specificity, developmental regulation, and transformation. In addition, our analysis suggested the presence of a strand non-specific single-stranded DNA binding nuclear protein in the positive regulatory element 25 bp upstream of TATAA

The Genus Fejervarya (Anura: Ranidae) in Central Western Ghats, India, with Descriptions of Four New Cryptic Species

We compared six taxa of the genus Fejervarya from central Western Ghats, southwestern India, including F. rufescens, F. sahyadris, and four taxa that possess distinct mtDNA haplotypes as demonstrated by our previous studies. Morphological comparisons with F. brevipalmata, F. keralensis, F. nilagirica, and F. syhadrensis on the basis of literature descriptions and museum specimens revealed that the four haplotypes do not correspond to any of the previously described species. Therefore, they are named herein as new species. Although each of these new species was separated clearly by discriminant analyses, two large-bodied species, as well as two small-bodied species, occurring sympatrically or parapatrically in many collecting sites, were very similar to each other in external appearance. Acoustic characteristics available for five of the six species were most conspicuous and diagnostic features. This study revealed the occurrence of active speciation in Fejervarya in the Western Ghats, one of the hot spots of biodiversity in the worl

Immunohistochemical Evaluation of Insulin-like Growth Factor I Receptor Status in Cervical Cancer Specimens

The insulin-like growth factor I receptor (IGF-IR) is exceptionally overexpressed in many cervicalcancer-derived cell lines. It is postulated that a decrease of p53 protein levels due to human papillomavirus (HPV) infection may contribute to the up-regulation of IGF-IR expression in cervical cancer cells because transcription of IGF-IR is strictly down-regulated by p53. To evaluate this fact in clinical cervical cancer specimens, we checked the expression levels and activated status of IGF-IR by immunohistochemistry. Formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded specimens obtained by conization or hysterectomy were stained with anti-IGF-IR and with an antibody recognizing phosphorylated tyrosine at its c-terminus. The expression levels of IGF-IR were significantly high in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) III and invasive cancer specimens. Phosphorylation of IGF-IR was promoted in all CIN and invasive cancer specimens, and its intensity was related to the promotion of lesions. Interestingly, IGF-IR overexpression was missing in the basal layer of CIN I and II lesions, whereas it was evenly distributed in CIN III and invasive cancer lesions. This IGF-IR overexpression pattern may be utilized in the diagnosis of HPV infection status in CIN lesions.</p

Pluto’s ocean is capped by gas hydrates

Many icy solar system bodies possess subsurface oceans. At Pluto, Sputnik Planitia’s location near the equator suggests the presence of a subsurface ocean and a locally thinned ice shell. To maintain an ocean, Pluto needs to retain heat inside. On the other hand, to maintain large variations in ice shell thickness, Pluto’s ice shell needs to be cold. Achieving such an interior structure is problematic. Here we show that the presence of a thin layer of clathrate hydrates (gas hydrates) at the base of the ice shell can explain both the long-term survival of the ocean and the maintenance of shell thickness contrasts. Clathrate hydrates act as a thermal insulator, preventing the ocean from complete freezing while keeping the ice shell cold and immobile. The most likely clathrate guest gas is methane either contained in precursor bodies and/or produced by cracking of organic materials in the hot rocky core. Nitrogen molecules initially contained and/or produced later in the core would likely not be trapped as clathrate hydrates, instead supplying the nitrogen-rich surface and atmosphere. The formation of a thin clathrate hydrate layer capping a subsurface ocean may be an important generic mechanism maintaining long-lived subsurface oceans in relatively large but minimally-heated icy satellites and Kuiper Belt Objects

The Usefulness of CT-Diffusion Weighted Image Mismatch in Patients with Mild to Moderate Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) has a complex and heterogeneous pathology. It is frequently difficult to predict the neurological deterioration of patients with TBI, and unpredictable change may occur even when TBI is mild to moderate. When computed tomography (CT) findings are considered to be inconsistent with the traumatic origin or with the neurological deterioration of patients observed on admission, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is employed based on the standards of our ethical committee. In this retrospective study, we compared CT and diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) of patients with mild to moderate TBI in the very acute phase. When the high-intensity lesions on DWI are larger than the high-density lesions on CT images, we defined the imaging finding as a ʻCT-DWI mismatchʼ. Between January 2010 and December 2013, 92 patients were inspected using both CT and MRI at admission, and we detected a CT-DWI mismatch in 35 patients. CT-DWI mismatch was 92.6 (95 confidence interval 79.8-97.9) sensitive and 84.6 (95 confidence interval 79.3-86.3) specific for the prediction of enlargement of the hemorrhagic lesions on repeat CT. CT-DWI mismatch is considered to be useful as one of the predictors of the enlargement of hemorrhagic lesions in patients with mild to moderate TBI

イ ジョウコウ ケッチョウ チョクチョウ ノ 3 チョウフクガン ニ タイシテ イッキテキ ニ フククウキョウカ シュジュツ オ シコウ シタ 1レイ

A ５１-years-old man was admitted with anemia. The upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed ０-IIa＋IIc lesion in the middle body of the stomach. The colonoscopy revealed type ３ lesion by Borrmann classification with advanced stenosis. Computed tomography of the abdomen revealed the tumor in the ascending colon. We diagnosed a synchronous gastric, ascending colon, and rectal cancer. After neoadjuvant chemotherapy, we performed the laparoscopic operation for the synchronous cancer. There were no remarkable complications due to the collaboration. Laparoscopic approach for synchronous triple cancer is feasible as safety and minimally invasive surgery

Trastuzumab/Capecitabine/Cisplatin HXP リョウホウ ニヨル 2ジ チリョウ ガ ユウコウ デアッタ シンコウ イガン ノ 1レイ

The case was a ６９-year-old man, and gastric cancer （papillary adenocarcinoma） was diagnosed by a close inspection of the abdominal pain in ２００８, and it was our department introduction. Show the type ０‐IIa＋IIc like advanced lesion of gastric middle body gastrointestinal endoscope, and CT showed no regional lymph node and distant metastases, and we diagnosed it as c-T２ （MP）, N０, M０, stageIB. We performed laparoscopic distal gastrectomy with D２ dissection, and in pathology, acknowledgment of severe lymph node metastases was obtained, and diagnosed it as T３ （SE）, N２, M０, stageIIIB. We gave adjuvant chemotherapy with S-１and Cisplatin for ５ cycles, and maintenance S-１alone up to ２４ months after surgery. There was no recurrence for ３９ months after surgery. But multiple metastases to lung recurrence was acknowledged and we performed S-１/Docetaxel therapy for ６ cycles, which lead to progressive disease. Then we performed Trastuzumab/Capecitabine/Cisplatin chemotherapy （HXP）, the anti-tumor effect was good, and after １４ months later, showed a liver metastasis, but the tolerability was good. Generally, it is said that the chemotherapy is poor at an effect after the second line treatment, but HXP may be useful even in the second line chemotherapy

Mesh-Airtight-Preperitoneum : a simple method for confirming mesh placement in transabdominal preperitoneal repair of inguinal hernia

We devised a method for confirming the position of mesh placed during transabdominal preperitoneal repair (TAPP) of an inguinal hernia. The preperitoneum is sufficiently detached, and the mesh is fixed in place as usual. Before completely closing the peritoneum, pressure is applied from outside the body and inside the abdominal cavity to remove as much air as possible from the detached preperitoneum ; the peritoneum is then sutured using a V-LocTM closure device so that it does not constrict. By releasing the pressure all at once, the airtightness of the preperitoneum is maintained, and the position of the mesh can be observed through the translucent peritoneum. This method, called Mesh-Airtight-Preperitoneum (MAPP), could become widely used as a simple technique for confirming mesh position in TAPP