Solid tumors of the pancreas can put on a mask through cystic change

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Solid pancreatic tumors such as pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), solid pseudopapillary tumor (SPT), and pancreatic endocrine tumor (PET) may occasionally manifest as cystic lesions. In this study, we have put together our accumulated experience with cystic manifestations of various solid tumors of the pancreas.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>From 2000 to 2006, 376 patients with pancreatic solid tumor resections were reviewed. Ten (2.66%) of these tumors appeared on radiological imaging studies as cystic lesions. We performed a retrospective review of medical records and pathologic findings of these 10 cases.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of the ten cases in which solid tumors of the pancreas manifested as cystic lesions, six were PDAC with cystic degeneration, two were SPT undergone complete cystic change, one was cystic PET, and one was a cystic schwannoma. The mean tumor size of the cystic portion in PDAC was 7.3 cm, and three patients were diagnosed as 'pseudocyst' with or without cancer. Two SPT were found incidentally in young women and were diagnosed as other cystic neoplasms. One cystic endocrine tumor was preoperatively suspected as intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm or mucinous cystic neoplasm.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Cystic changes of pancreas solid tumors are extremely rare. However, the possibility of cystic manifestation of pancreas solid tumors should be kept in mind.</p

Acupuncture for Spinal Cord Injury and Its Complications: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

To evaluate the evidence supporting the effectiveness of acupuncture treatment for SCI and its complications, we conducted search across 19 electronic databases to find all of the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that used acupuncture as a treatment for SCI and its complications. The methodological quality of each RCT was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool and the PEDro scale. Sixteen RCTs, including 2 high-quality RCTs, met our inclusion criteria (8 for functional recovery from SCI, 6 for bladder dysfunction, and 2 for pain control). The meta-analysis showed positive results for the use of acupuncture combined with conventional treatments for the functional recovery in terms of motor ASIA scores and total FIM scores when compared to conventional treatments alone. Positive results were also obtained for the treatment of bladder dysfunction, in terms of the total efficacy rate, when comparing acupuncture to conventional treatments. However, 2 RCTs for pain control reported conflicting results. Our systematic review found encouraging albeit limited evidence for functional recovery, bladder dysfunction, and pain in SCI. However, to obtain stronger evidence without the drawbacks of trial design and the quality of studies, we recommend sham-controlled RCTs or comparative effectiveness research for each condition to test the effectiveness of acupuncture

Defect structure evolution of polyacrylonitrile and single wall carbon nanotube nanocomposites: a molecular dynamics simulation approach

In this study, molecular dynamics simulations were performed to understand the defect structure development of polyacrylonitrile-single wall carbon nanotube (PAN-SWNT) nanocomposites. Three different models (control PAN, PAN-SWNT(5,5), and PAN-SWNT(10,10)) with a SWNT concentration of 5 wt% for the nanocomposites were tested to study under large extensional deformation to the strain of 100% to study the corresponding mechanical properties. Upon deformation, the higher stress was observed in both nanocomposite systems as compared to the control PAN, indicating effective reinforcement. The higher Young&apos;s (4.76 +/- 0.24 GPa) and bulk (4.19 +/- 0.25 GPa) moduli were observed when the smaller-diameter SWNT(5,5) was used, suggesting that SWNT(5,5) resists stress better. The void structure formation was clearly observed in PAN-SWNT(10,10), while the nanocomposite with smaller diameter SWNT(5,5) did not show the development of such a defect structure. In addition, the voids at the end of SWNT(10,10) became larger in the drawing direction with increasing deformation

'Big Tigers, Big Data:' Learning Social Reactions to China’s Anticorruption Campaign through Online Feedback

This study examines the effect of campaign-style anticorruption on political support using the case of China’s most recent anticorruption drive, which stands out for its harsh crackdown on high-ranking officials, or the “big tigers.” An exploratory text analysis of over 370,000 online comments on the downfall of the first 100 big tigers, from 2012 to 2015, reveals that public support for the top national leader who initiated the campaign significantly exceeds that afforded to anticorruption agencies and institutions. Further regression analyses show that support for the leaders vis-à-vis intuitions increases with the tigers’ party ranking. Findings suggest that while campaign-style enforcement can reinforce the central authority and magnify support for individual leaders, it may also marginalize the role of legal institutions crucial to long-term corruption control.published_or_final_versio

Impaired DNA-binding affinity of novel PAX6 mutations

Mutations in human PAX6 gene are associated with various congenital eye malformations including aniridia, foveal hypoplasia, and congenital nystagmus. These various phenotypes may depend on the mutation spectrums that can affect DNA-binding affinity, although this hypothesis is debatable. We screened PAX6 mutations in two unrelated patients with congenital nystagmus, and measured DNA-binding affinity through isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). To elucidate phenotypic differences according to DNA-binding affinity, we also compared DNA-binding affinity among the previously reported PAX6 missense mutations within the linker region between two subdomains of the paired domain (PD). We identified two novel mutations of PAX6 gene: c.214G &gt;T (p.Gly72Cys) and c.249_250delinsCGC (p.Val84Alafs*8). Both were located within the linker region between the two subdomains of the PD. ITC measurement revealed that the mutation p.Val84Alafs*8 had no DNA-binding affinity, while the p.Gly72Cys mutation showed a decreased binding affinity (Kd = 0.58 mu M) by approximately 1.4 times compared to the wild type-PAX6 (Kd = 0.41 mu M). We also found that there was no close relationship between DNA-binding affinity and phenotypic differences. Our results suggest that the DNA-binding affinity alone might be insufficient to determine PAX6-related phenotypes, and that other modifier genes or environmental factors might affect phenotypes of the PAX6 gene

Analysis of Endoscopic Electronic Image of Intramucosal Gastric Carcinoma Using a Software Program for Calculating Hemoglobin Index

Hemoglobin is the predominent pigment in the gastrointestinal mucosa, and the development of electronic endoscopy has made it possible to quantitatively measure the mucosal hemoglobin volume, by using a hemoglobin index (IHb). The aims of this study were to make a software program to calculate the IHb and then to investigate whether the mucosal IHb determined from the electronic endoscopic data is a useful marker for evaluating the color of intramucosal gastric carcinoma with regard to its value for discriminating between the histologic types. We made a software program for calculating the IHb in the endoscopic images. By using this program, the mean values of the IHb for the carcinoma (IHb-C) and those of the IHb for the surrounding non-cancerous mucosa (IHb-N) were calculated in 75 intestinal-type and 34 diffuse-type intramucosal gastric carcinomas. We then analyzed the ratio of the IHb-C to the IHb-N (C/N ratio). The C/N ratio in the intestinal-type carcinoma group was higher than that in the diffuse-type carcinoma group (p<0.001). In the diffuse-type carcinoma group, the C/N ratio in the body was lower than that in the antrum (p=0.022). The accuracy rate, sensitivity, specificity, and the positive and negative predictive values for the differential diagnosis of the diffuse-type carcinoma from the intestinal-type carcinoma were 94.5%, 94.1%, 94.7%, 88.9% and 97.3%, respectively. IHb is useful for making quantitative measurement of the endoscopic color in the intramucosal gastric carcinoma, and the C/N ratio by using the IHb would be helpful for distinguishing the diffuse-type carcinoma from the intestinal-type carcinoma

Clinical Features and Prognosis of Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis in Korean Patients with Liver Cirrhosis: A Multicenter Retrospective Study

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Although early recognition and treatment with effective antibiotics have lead to improvements in the prognosis of patients with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP), it remains to be a serious complication in cirrhotic patients. This study was designed to evaluate the clinical manifestations and prognosis of patients with liver cirrhosis and SBP in Korea. METHODS: This was a multicenter retrospective study examining 157 episodes of SBP in 145 patients with cirrhosis. SBP was diagnosed based on a polymorphonuclear cell count in ascitic fluid of >250 cells/mm(3) in the absence of data compatible with secondary peritonitis. RESULTS: The mean age of the cohort was 56 years, and 121 (77%) of the 157 episodes of SBP occurred in men. Microorganisms were isolated in 66 episodes (42%): Gram-negative bacteria in 54 (81.8%), Gram-positive in 11 (16.7%), and Candida in 1. Isolated Gram-negative organisms were resistant to third-generation cephalosporin in 6 cases (17%), to ciprofloxacin in 11 (20.8%), and to penicillin in 33 (62.3%). The treatment failure and in-hospital mortality rates were 12.1% and 21%, respectively. A high Model of End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score, SBP caused by extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing organisms, and hepatocellular carcinoma were independent prognostic factors of high in-hospital mortality. CONCLUSIONS: SBP remains to be a serious complication with high in-hospital mortality, especially in patients with a high MELD score.ope

Discutindo a educação ambiental no cotidiano escolar: desenvolvimento de projetos na escola formação inicial e continuada de professores

A presente pesquisa buscou discutir como a Educação Ambiental (EA) vem sendo trabalhada, no Ensino Fundamental e como os docentes desta escola compreendem e vem inserindo a EA no cotidiano escolar., em uma escola estadual do município de Tangará da Serra/MT, Brasil. Para tanto, realizou-se entrevistas com os professores que fazem parte de um projeto interdisciplinar de EA na escola pesquisada. Verificou-se que o projeto da escola não vem conseguindo alcançar os objetivos propostos por: desconhecimento do mesmo, pelos professores; formação deficiente dos professores, não entendimento da EA como processo de ensino-aprendizagem, falta de recursos didáticos, planejamento inadequado das atividades. A partir dessa constatação, procurou-se debater a impossibilidade de tratar do tema fora do trabalho interdisciplinar, bem como, e principalmente, a importância de um estudo mais aprofundado de EA, vinculando teoria e prática, tanto na formação docente, como em projetos escolares, a fim de fugir do tradicional vínculo “EA e ecologia, lixo e horta”.Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educació