Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis-associated hepatocellular carcinoma: Our case series and literature review

Recently, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) has been considered to be another cause of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The natural history and prognosis of NASH are controversial. Accordingly, we assessed the clinicopathological features of NASH-associated HCC in our experience and reviewed the literature of NASH-associated HCC. We experienced 11 patients with NASH-associated HCC (6 male, 5 female; mean age 73.8 +/- 4.9 years) who received curative treatments. Most (91%) patients had been diagnosed with obesity, diabetes, hypertension, or dyslipidemia. Seven patients (64%) also had a non-cirrhotic liver. The recurrence-free survival rates at 1, 3 and 5 years were 72%, 60%, and 60%. We also summarized and reviewed 94 cases of NASH-associated HCC which were reported in the literature (64 male; mean age 66 years). The majority of patients (68%) were obese, 66% of patients had diabetes, and 24% had dyslipidemia. Furthermore, 26% of the HCCs arose from the non-cirrhotic liver. In conclusion, patients with non-cirrhotic NASH may be a high-risk group for HCC, and regular surveillance for HCC is necessary in non-cirrhotic NASH patients as well as cirrhotic patients

Cyclic Behavior of Multi-Row Slit Shear Walls Made from Low Yield Point Steel

The steel slit shear wall has attracted much attention as a lateral force-resisting system. However, issues such as fractures formed at the slit ends and pinched hysteresis reduce energy dissipation. To address these issues, the authors have developed a steel slit shear wall made from low yield point steel that has a low yield stress and large ductility and strain hardening. Steel slit shear walls made from low-yield-point steel dissipated energy at small lateral drifts, shear deformation was evenly distributed among all rows, fracture was eliminated, and fat hysteresis without the requirement for out-of-plane constraints was feasible. By adjusting dimensions of the link (segment divided by slits) and the number of rows of links while maintaining the required shear strength and stiffness, a small width-to-thickness ratio for the links was achievable to ensure the in-plane behavior of links and thus good energy dissipation. The combined hardening model developed using commercially available software simulated well the large strain hardening of low-yield-point steel. A proposed design procedure that ensures good energy dissipation was given

Versatile and Enantioselective Preparation of Planar-Chiral Metallocene-Fused 4-Dialkylaminopyridines and Their Application in Asymmetric Organocatalysis

A series of ferrocene-fused planar-chiral N-tosyl-4-pyridones (S)-2b-d were prepared in enantiomerically pure forms. Starting with the chiral ferrocenyl acetals, 1-[(2S,4S)-4-methoxymethyl-1,3-dioxan-2-yl]-1',2',3',4',5'-R5-ferrocenes ((–)-3b, R = Me; (–)-3c, R = Ph; (–)-3d, R = Bn), N-tosylamino and formyl groups were introduced at the 1- and 2-positions of the ferrocene cores in (S)-11b-d with control of the planar chirality. After the reaction with ethynylmagnesium bromide, generated propargyl alcohol derivatives (S)-17 were treated with MnO2 and catalytic TBAI to give the planar-chiral pyridones by the iodide-catalyzed cyclization. This method is highly practical with a shorter and higher-yield sequence without using noble metal catalysts. Planar-chiral ferroco-pyridones (S)-2b-d were reacted with various Me3Si-NR'2 to give a library of ferrocene-fused 4-dialkylaminopyridines ((S)-1, DAAPs) in high yields as single-enantiomers by the detosylative amination. The cymantrene-fused DAAPs were also prepared in the same way. The library of the chiral DAAPs were examined in the two asymmetric reactions as organocatalysts, and some newly prepared Fc-DAAPs showed better enantioselectivity than the known species

Groeth Mode and Function of Aboral Spine Canopy in the Sand Dollar Scaphechinus mirabilis (A.Agassiz, 1863)

金沢大学大学院自然科学研究科神奈川大学Promoting Environmental Pesearch in Pan-Japan Sea Area : Young Researchers\u27 Network, Schedule: March 8-10,2006,Kanazawa Excel Hotel Tokyu, Japan, Organized by: Kanazawa University 21st-Century COE Program, Environmental Monitoring and Prediction of Long- & Short- Term Dynamics of Pan-Japan Sea Area ; IICRC(Ishikawa International Cooperation Research Centre), Sponsors : Japan Sea Research ; UNU-IAS(United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies)+Ishikawa Prefecture Government ; City of Kanazaw

Probing the Functional Mechanism of Escherichia coli GroEL Using Circular Permutation

Background: The Escherichia coli chaperonin GroEL subunit consists of three domains linked via two hinge regions, and each domain is responsible for a specific role in the functional mechanism. Here, we have used circular permutation to study the structural and functional characteristics of the GroEL subunit. Methodology/Principal Findings: Three soluble, partially active mutants with polypeptide ends relocated into various positions of the apical domain of GroEL were isolated and studied. The basic functional hallmarks of GroEL (ATPase and chaperoning activities) were retained in all three mutants. Certain functional characteristics, such as basal ATPase activity and ATPase inhibition by the cochaperonin GroES, differed in the mutants while at the same time, the ability to facilitate the refolding of rhodanese was roughly equal. Stopped-flow fluorescence experiments using a fluorescent variant of the circularly permuted GroEL CP376 revealed that a specific kinetic transition that reflects movements of the apical domain was missing in this mutant. This mutant also displayed several characteristics that suggested that the apical domains were behaving in an uncoordinated fashion. Conclusions/Significance: The loss of apical domain coordination and a concomitant decrease in functional ability highlights the importance of certain conformational signals that are relayed through domain interlinks in GroEL. W

E22Δ Mutation in Amyloid β-Protein Promotes β-Sheet Transformation, Radical Production, and Synaptotoxicity, But Not Neurotoxicity

Oligomers of 40- or 42-mer amyloid β-protein (Aβ40, Aβ42) cause cognitive decline and synaptic dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease. We proposed the importance of a turn at Glu22 and Asp23 of Aβ42 to induce its neurotoxicity through the formation of radicals. Recently, a novel deletion mutant at Glu22 (E22Δ) of Aβ42 was reported to accelerate oligomerization and synaptotoxicity. To investigate this mechanism, the effects of the E22Δ mutation in Aβ42 and Aβ40 on the transformation of β-sheets, radical production, and neurotoxicity were examined. Both mutants promoted β-sheet transformation and the formation of radicals, while their neurotoxicity was negative. In contrast, E22P-Aβ42 with a turn at Glu22 and Asp23 exhibited potent neurotoxicity along with the ability to form radicals and potent synaptotoxicity. These data suggest that conformational change in E22Δ-Aβ is similar to that in E22P-Aβ42 but not the same, since E22Δ-Aβ42 exhibited no cytotoxicity, unlike E22P-Aβ42 and wild-type Aβ42