Subacute adrenal hemorrhage by blunt abdominal contusion during snowboarding (Case report)

The adrenal glands lies deep in the abdomen, seemingly protected from blunt contusion. Wereport a case of a young female presenting left adrenal hemorrhage due to blunt abdominal contusioncaused by a collision during snowboarding, which was successfully treated with embolization

A novel superior factor widely controlling the rice grain quality

Synthesis of storage starch and protein accumulation is the main action of endosperm organogenesis in term of the economic importance of rice. This event is strongly disturbed by abiotic stresses such as high temperature; thus, the upcoming global warming will cause a crisis with a great impact on food production^1,2^. The enzymes for the protein storage and starch synthesis pathway should work in concert to carry out the organogenesis of rice endosperm^3-5^, but the regulatory mechanism is largely unknown. Here we show that a novel regulatory factor, named OsCEO1, acts as the conductor of endosperm organogenesis during the rice grain filling stage. The physiological properties of _floury-endosperm-2_ (_flo2_) mutants showed many similarities to symptoms of grains developed under high-temperature conditions, suggesting important roles of the responsible gene in sensitivity to high-temperature stress. Our map-based cloning identified the responsible gene for the _flo2_ mutant, _OsCEO1_, which has no homology to any genes of known function. The _OsCEO1_ belongs to a novel conserved gene family and encodes a protein composed of 1,720 amino acid residues containing a TPR (tetratricopeptide repeat) motif, which is considered to mediate a protein-protein interaction. The yeast two-hybrid analysis raised an unknown protein showing homology to a late embryogenesis abundant protein and a putative basic helix-loop-helix protein as candidates for the direct interactor for _OsCEO1_, whereas no enzyme genes for the synthesis of storage substances were detected. The _flo2_ mutant exhibited reduced expression of several genes for putative regulatory proteins as well as many enzymes involved in storage starch and proteins. These results suggest that _OsCEO1_ is a superior conductor of the novel regulatory cascade of endosperm organogenesis and may have important roles in the response to high-temperature stress

Survey of Period Variations of Superhumps in SU UMa-Type Dwarf Novae

We systematically surveyed period variations of superhumps in SU UMa-type dwarf novae based on newly obtained data and past publications. In many systems, the evolution of superhump period are found to be composed of three distinct stages: early evolutionary stage with a longer superhump period, middle stage with systematically varying periods, final stage with a shorter, stable superhump period. During the middle stage, many systems with superhump periods less than 0.08 d show positive period derivatives. Contrary to the earlier claim, we found no clear evidence for variation of period derivatives between superoutburst of the same object. We present an interpretation that the lengthening of the superhump period is a result of outward propagation of the eccentricity wave and is limited by the radius near the tidal truncation. We interpret that late stage superhumps are rejuvenized excitation of 3:1 resonance when the superhumps in the outer disk is effectively quenched. Many of WZ Sge-type dwarf novae showed long-enduring superhumps during the post-superoutburst stage having periods longer than those during the main superoutburst. The period derivatives in WZ Sge-type dwarf novae are found to be strongly correlated with the fractional superhump excess, or consequently, mass ratio. WZ Sge-type dwarf novae with a long-lasting rebrightening or with multiple rebrightenings tend to have smaller period derivatives and are excellent candidate for the systems around or after the period minimum of evolution of cataclysmic variables (abridged).Comment: 239 pages, 225 figures, PASJ accepte

腹腔鏡下大腸部分切除術後トロッカー挿入部に発生したRichter\u27s herniaの1例

われわれは腹壁吊り上げ法による腹腔鏡下手術後Richter\u27s herniaの一例を経験した.術後1週間で嘔気,嘔吐,腹痛の症状にて発症した。腹部X線写真では,鏡面像をみとめ,腹部CT検査では,皮下に腸管の逸脱を認めた.トロッカー挿入部の腹壁瘢痕ヘルニアの診断にて手術したところ,発生部位は初回手術時のトロッカー挿入部で,小腸が腹壁に嵌入していた。診断には腹部CT検査が有効であり,腹部の隆起が発見しにくい場合でも,早期に診断が可能である.トロッカー挿入部は正中を避け,10mm以上のトロッカーを使用した場合は,創の筋膜を確実に縫合閉鎖することが,肝要と思われた.The authors report a case of Richter\u27s hernia following gasless laparoscopic surgery. The patient complained of nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain a week after laparoscopic colectomy. Abdominal X-P demonstrated air fluid level and abdominal CT demonstrated an incisional hernia showing a prolapse of the small intestine under the skin. Surgery was performed, and a fascial defect was found at the infraumbilical 11mm trocar site. Abdominal CT is useful for diagnosis and allows precise diagnosis even if the elevation is minimal in the early stage. We suggest that paramedian trocar sites be preferred over midline sites. The fascia must be closed, when trocars over 10mm in diameter are used in laparoscopy

Efficacy of RAD001 (everolimus) in peritoneal dissemination of gastric cancer

Peritoneal dissemination occurs frequently in patients with unresectable advanced stage gastric cancer. In this study, we tested mTOR inhibitor RAD001 (everolimus) for efficacy on peritoneal dissemination of gastric cancer. Using the two cell lines 58As1, a highly peritoneal metastatic cell line, and its parental HSC58, a human scirrhous gastric cancer cell line, we first examined the growth inhibition activity of everolimus in vitro. Methylene blue assay demonstrated a moderate inhibitory effect on both cell lines under normal culture condition. When cells were maintained in hypoxic (1% O2) conditions, growth inhibition by everolimus was greatly reduced in HSC58, whereas the reduction was much smaller in 58As1. In western blotting, phosphorylation of mTOR, and its down-stream signaling molecules, P70S6K and 4E-BP1, were decreased under hypoxic conditions in HSC58. However, in 58As1, phospho-P70S6K and -4E-BP1 remained active state in hypoxic conditions and was suppressed by treatment with everolimus. Cell-cycle analysis showed that the hypoxia-induced G1 arrest was not manifested in 58As1 cells as compared to HSC58 cells. Separately, an in vivo orthotopic mouse model of 58As1 revealed that everolimus significantly reduces peritoneal dissemination as evaluated by quantitative photon counting method. Taken together, our results suggest that everolimus may have activity against gastric cancer, particularly in cases with peritoneal dissemination

Subacute adrenal hemorrhage by blunt abdominal contusion during snowboarding (Case report)

The adrenal glands lies deep in the abdomen, seemingly protected from blunt contusion. Wereport a case of a young female presenting left adrenal hemorrhage due to blunt abdominal contusioncaused by a collision during snowboarding, which was successfully treated with embolization

Role of ABCB1 and ABCB4 in renal and biliary excretion of perfluorooctanoic acid in mice

Background: Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is one of the major per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. The role of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters in PFOA toxicokinetics is unknown. Methods: In this study, two ABC transporters, ABCB1 and ABCB4, were examined in mice with single intravenous PFOA administration (3.13 µmol/kg). To identify candidate renal PFOA transporters, we used a microarray approach to evaluate changes in gene expression of various kidney transporters in Abcb4 null mice. Results: Biliary PFOA concentrations were lower in Abcb4 null mice (mean ± standard deviation: 0.25 ± 0.12 µg/mL) than in wild-type mice (0.87 ± 0.02 µg/mL). Immunohistochemically, ABCB4 expression was confirmed at the apical region of hepatocytes. However, renal clearance of PFOA was higher in Abcb4 null mice than in wild-type mice. Among 642 solute carrier and ABC transporters, 5 transporters showed significant differences in expression between wild-type and Abcb4 null mice. These candidates included two major xenobiotic transporters, multidrug resistance 1 (Abcb1) and organic anion transporter 3 (Slc22a8). Abcb1 mRNA levels were higher in Abcb4 null mice than in wild-type mice in kidney. In Abcb4 null mice, Abcb1b expression was enhanced in proximal tubules immunohistochemically, while that of Slc22a8 was not. Finally, in Abcb1a/b null mice, there was a significant decrease in the renal clearance of PFOA (0.69 ± 0.21 vs 1.1 mL ± 0.37/72 h in wild-type mice). A homology search of ABCB1 showed that several amino acids are mutated in humans compared with those in rodents and monkeys. Conclusions: These findings suggest that, in the mouse, Abcb4 and Abcb1 are excretory transporters of PFOA into bile and urine, respectively