RETROPERITONEAL FIBROSARCOMA WITH DISTINCTIVE CHARACTERISTICS ON GROWTH P ATTERN AND FINDINGS IN DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING

A 47-year-old man with lumbago had been found to have a perirenal hematoma at the lower pole of the left kidney on CT. MR imaging also demonstrated a hematoma，8 X8X9αn in size. After 1-month observation，the mass had very rapidly increased in size，suggesting it to be a neoplasm. Consequent surgery resulted in noncurative tumor extirpation，because of invasion to the descending colon，left kidney and surrounding tissues. Histlogically，the tumor consisted of uniform spindle-shaped cells with interlacing solid and bundle forms，showing a herring-bone pattern. Immunohistochemical studies finally led to the diagnosis of fibrosarcoma with markedly high malignant potential. Additional therapy was not performed. Rapid local spread of the tumor was demonstrated when bowel obstruction developed 2 months later. The patient died of the disease 3 months after surgery. No distant metastasis was observed throughout the clinical course

Native gold from Mikawa mine, Niigata Prefecture, Japan

Native gold was found at Mikawa mine, Niigata Prefecture, Japan. The mineral was associated with quartz in a druse within quartz-vein in propyrite. The crystals were formed in filiform, reticulated and dendritic shapes with about 1 mm length with 0.1 mm width and 0.05 mm thickness. Very malleable and ductile, opaque and yellow with metallic luster. Qualitative and semi-quantiative analyses were performed by the wavelength dispersive EPMA. Quantitatively, the crystals contained Au, Ag and Hg. Semi-quantitative analyses were executed with ZAF correction algorithm. The results showed that these specimens had a average chemical composition Au0.77 Ag0.11Hg0.12. This specimen was archived at our site with a collection number ESO-M01001

Exchange Transfusion and Cytarabine for Transient Abnormal Myelopoiesis in Hydrops Fetalis

Most cases of transient abnormal myelopoiesis (TAM) in neonates with Down syndrome (DS) resolve spontaneously; however, DS-TAM neonates with hydrops fetalis (HF) show poor clinical outcomes. We report three infants with DS-TAM and HF who were treated with exchange transfusion (ET) followed by low-dose cytarabine (LD-CA). All of them survived without developing liver failure, acute leukemia, or other serious adverse events. Our results suggest that this combination treatment with ET and LD-CA would be safe, tolerable and effective as an novel approach for DS-TAM patients with HF

Clinical impact of postoperative loss in psoas major muscle and nutrition index after radical cystectomy for patients with urothelial carcinoma of the bladder

Figure S3. Comparison of changes after radical cystectomy between neoadjuvant chemotherapy-treated group and non-treated group. Time-course changes in cross-section area of the psoas major muscle at the level of L3 (a), abdominal skeletal muscle area at the level of L3 (b), the PNI (c) and, the CONUT score (d). Data of neoadjuvant chemotherapy-treated group (red) and non-treated group (blue) are plotted by means ¹ SD. Scores of two groups compared in each time point by the Mann-Whitney U-test. ns, not significant. (TIFF 7424 kb

Vibrational effect on the fragmentation dynamics of the C K-shell excited CF2CH2

Photoabsorption cross-sections of CF2CH2 were measured in the carbon K-edge region and linear time-of-flight mass spectra were acquired at some photon energies across the two π* peaks. The kinetic energy distributions of CH2+ and CF2+ with two components were deduced from the analysis of the mass spectra. The CH2+ ion with high kinetic energies increases with the extent of vibrational excitation of the CF 1s-1π* state, indicating that molecular vibrations play an important role in the photofragmentation of the inner-shell excited molecule

Authentic role of ATP signaling in micturition reflex

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is a signaling molecule that regulates cellular processes. Based on previous studies of bladder function over the past decade, bladder ATP signaling was thought to have an essential role in the normal micturition reflex. In this study, we performed detailed analyses of bladder function in purinergic receptor-deficient mice using the automated voided stain on paper method and video-urodynamics. Unexpectedly, a lack of P2X2 or P2X3 receptors did not affect bladder function under normal physiological conditions, indicating that bladder ATP signaling is not essential for normal micturition reflex. In contrast, we found that lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced markedly high levels of ATP release from the urothelium. In addition, LPS-induced rapid bladder hyperactivity was attenuated in P2X2 -/- and P2X3 -/- mice. Contrary to the previous interpretation, our present findings indicate that bladder ATP signaling has a fundamental role in the micturition reflex, especially in bladder dysfunction, under pathological conditions. Therefore, the bladder ATP signaling pathway might be a highly promising therapeutic target for functional bladder disorders. This study newly defines an authentic role for bladder ATP signaling in the micturition reflex

Time-resolved serial femtosecond crystallography reveals early structural changes in channelrhodopsin

X線自由電子レーザーを用いて、光照射によるチャネルロドプシンの構造変化の過程を捉えることに成功. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2021-03-26.Channelrhodopsins (ChRs) are microbial light-gated ion channels utilized in optogenetics to control neural activity with light . Light absorption causes retinal chromophore isomerization and subsequent protein conformational changes visualized as optically distinguished intermediates, coupled with channel opening and closing. However, the detailed molecular events underlying channel gating remain unknown. We performed time-resolved serial femtosecond crystallographic analyses of ChR by using an X-ray free electron laser, which revealed conformational changes following photoactivation. The isomerized retinal adopts a twisted conformation and shifts toward the putative internal proton donor residues, consequently inducing an outward shift of TM3, as well as a local deformation in TM7. These early conformational changes in the pore-forming helices should be the triggers that lead to opening of the ion conducting pore

Detection of viral RNA in diverse body fluids in an SFTS patient with encephalopathy, gastrointestinal bleeding and pneumonia: a case report and literature review

BACKGROUND: Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging infectious disease that commonly has a lethal course caused by the tick-borne Huaiyangshan banyang virus [former SFTS virus (SFTSV)]. The viral load in various body fluids in SFTS patients and the best infection control measure for SFTS patients have not been fully established. CASE PRESENTATION: A 79-year-old man was bitten by a tick while working in the bamboo grove in Nagasaki Prefecture in the southwest part of Japan. Due to the occurrence of impaired consciousness, he was referred to Nagasaki University Hospital for treatment. The serum sample tested positive for SFTSV-RNA in the genome amplification assay, and he was diagnosed with SFTS. Furthermore, SFTSV-RNA was detected from the tick that had bitten the patient. He was treated with multimodal therapy, including platelet transfusion, antimicrobials, antifungals, steroids, and continuous hemodiafiltration. His respiration was assisted with mechanical ventilation. On day 5, taking the day on which he was hospitalized as day 0, serum SFTSV-RNA levels reached a peak and then decreased. However, the cerebrospinal fluid collected on day 13 was positive for SFTSV-RNA. In addition, although serum SFTSV-RNA levels decreased below the detectable level on day 16, he was diagnosed with pneumonia with computed tomography. SFTSV-RNA was detected in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid on day 21. By day 31, he recovered consciousness completely. The pneumonia improved by day 51, but SFTSV-RNA in the sputum remained positive for approximately 4 months after disease onset. Strict countermeasures against droplet/contact infection were continuously conducted. CONCLUSIONS: Even when SFTSV genome levels become undetectable in the serum of SFTS patients in the convalescent phase, the virus genome remains in body fluids and tissues. It may be possible that body fluids such as respiratory excretions become a source of infection to others; thus, careful infection control management is needed