Epidemiological and clinical features of lung cancer patients from 1999 to 2009 in Tokushima Prefecture of Japan

Lung cancer is the leading cause of malignancy-related death worldwide. In the present study, we reviewed the epidemiologic and clinical features of lung cancer in Tokushima Prefecture, Japan. Between January 1999 and December 2009, 2,183 patients with lung cancer were enrolled in this study. One thousand five hundred ninety-one (73%) patients were male and 592 (27%) patients were female. Median age was 70 years, with a range of 15-93 years. Seventy-six percent of patients had smoking history. One thousand nine hundred five (87%) patients were non-small cell lung cancer and the predominant histological type was adenocarcinoma (51%). Among all 2,183 patients, 702 (32%) belonged to elderly population. Four hundred seventy-one (22%), 213 (10%), 24 (1%), 116 (5%), 238 (11%), 370 (17%) and 678 (31%) patients had stage IA, IB, IIA, IIB, IIIA, IIIB and IV lung cancer, respectively. In Tokushima University Hospital, 516 (29%), 191 (11%), 58 (3%), 755 (43%) and 216 (12%) patients were initially treated with chemotherapy, chemo-radiotherapy, thoracic radiotherapy, operation and best supportive care, respectively. The median time to progression (TTP) and the median survival time (MST) of patients treated with chemotherapy and chemo-radiotherapy were 3.5 months, 13.0 months and 7.0 months, 18.0 months, respectively. The median TTP and the MST of 33 elderly patients treated with chemotherapy were 3.3 months and 18.0 months, respectively, which were comparable with those of total population. These results indicated the benefit of chemotherapy in elderly patients with advanced lung cancer by proper selection

Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 and Magnesium Oxide in Children with Functional Chronic Constipation: A Double-Blind and Randomized Clinical Trial

Objective: Chronic functional constipation is a frequent condition. The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of the probiotic Lactobacillus (L.) reuteri DSM 17938 and magnesium oxide (MgO) for relieving chronic functional constipation in children. Study design: A prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, and parallel-group trial was conducted in five pediatric outpatient clinics in Japan. Sixty patients who were more than six months old and under six years of age with a diagnosis of functional constipation according to Rome IV criteria were randomly divided into three groups: group A (n = 20) received L. reuteri DSM 17938 and lactose hydrate as a placebo of MgO; group B (n = 19) received L. reuteri DSM 17938 and MgO; and group C (n = 21) received a placebo of L. reuteri DSM 17938 and MgO. Results: All three groups exhibited significant improvement in defecation frequency in the fourth week compared with the baseline condition (group A: p < 0.05; group B: p < 0.05; group C: p < 0.05). The MgO group and combination group showed a significant decrease in stool consistency, but the L. reuteri DSM 17938 group did not (group A: p = 0.079; group B: p < 0.05; group C: p < 0.05). MgO significantly suppressed the presence of the genus Dialister. Defecation frequency negatively correlated with the frequency of Clostridiales-belonging bacteria among the gut microbiome. Conclusions: L. rueteri DSM 17938 and MgO were both effective in the management of functional constipation in young children. MgO caused an imbalance in the gastrointestinal microbiome, which was not the case in the probiotic group

Inhibition Assay of Yeast Cell Walls by Plasmon Resonance Rayleigh Scattering and Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Imaging

We report on plasmon resonance Rayleigh scattering (PRRS) and surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) imaging for inhibition assay of yeast cell walls. This assay reveals that the proteins having alkali sensitive linkage bound to β1,3 glucan frameworks in cell walls are involved in SERS activity. The result is further confirmed by comparison of genetically modified cells and wild type cells. Finally, we find that PRRS and SERS spots do not appear on cell walls when daughter cells are enough smaller than parent ones, but appear when size of daughter cells are comparable to parent cells. This finding indicates the relationship between expression of the proteins that generate SERS spots and cell division. These results demonstrate that PRRS and SERS imaging can be a convenient and sensitive method for analysis of cell walls

SERS microscopic imaging as novel tool for assessing viability and enumerating yeast cells at various stages of cell cycle in lag, log, exponential and stationary phases of growth in culture

<div><p>Surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) microscopic imaging was employed to enumerate the yeast cells in culture. We found this imaging method as an efficient tool for easily differentiating and quantitatively enumerating yeast cell at different stages of cell-division cycle (G1, S, G2 and M phase) at various stages of growth phases namely lag, log, exponential and stationary phases in culture. Apart from enumerating the cells at different stages of cell cycle under lag, log, exponential and stationary phases, it was possible using SERS microscopy to differentiate the live cells from dead ones. The dead cells were SERS inactive and gave enhanced autofluorescence compared with the live cells, which were SERS active. The results from the present investigation suggest that SERS microscopic imaging, using silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) as a sensitive tool to enumerate the yeast cells in culture.</p> </div