Charge-Order Pattern of the Low-Temperature Phase of NaV2O5 Uniquely Determined by Resonant X-Ray Scattering from Monoclinic Single Domain

The present resonant x-ray scattering from each of monoclinically-split single domains of NaV2O5 has critically enhanced contrast between V4+ and V5+ ions strong enough to lead to unambiguous conclusion of the charge-order pattern of its low-temperature phase below Tc = 35 K. The zig-zag type charge-order patterns in the $ab$-plane previously confirmed have four kinds of configurations (A, A', B and B') and the stacking sequence along the c-axis is determined as the AAA'A' type by comparison with model calculations. By assigning the A and A' configurations to Ising spins, one can reasonably understand the previously discovered "devil's staircase"-type behavior with respect to the modulation of the layer-stacking sequences at high pressures and low temperatures, which very well resembles the global phase diagram theoretically predicted by the ANNNI model.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Electron Beam Lithography for Large Area Patterning 1: Development of Large Field Deflection E-Beam Lithography System

A novel electron beam system has been designed and developed specifically for large area patterning of electronic devices such as printed wiring boards. The prototyped system features a large field deflection, high scanning speed and stably focused beam in the large field. An electron gun with a LaB5 flat cathode was used by operating at 1750-1800 K. The electron beam column provides an electron probe of less than 40 μm in diameter with a current of 50 μA at 60 kV. Fast and large field deflections by a magnetic deflection system enables an area of 104 mm x 104 mm to be covered. The scanning speed can range up to 254 m/s. Particular attention was paid to the materials and shapes of the optics column to minimize the influence of eddy currents from the point of view of controlling the dynamic behavior of beam deflection. It is confirmed that the system can provide accurate beam deflection within a ±20 μm (3) tolerance for the quite large field of 52 mm x 52 mm

Preoperative oral administration of pentoxifylline ameliorates respiratory index after cardiopulmonary bypass through decreased production of IL-6

Activation of inflammatory response during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) may lead to considerable post-operative mortality. Recently, pentoxifylline (PTX), a methylxanthine derivative, has been reported to be effective in inhibiting proinflammatory cytokine production. This study aimed to determine whether or not PTX prevented CPB-induced systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) in patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery. Thirty adult patients were randomly separated into 2 experimental groups and 1 control group of 10 patients each. The experimental group received peroral PTX administration (Group 1: 600 mg/day, Group 2: 900 mg/day), while the control group did not. In Group 1 and Group 2, PTX administration was started on preoperative day 5 and continued for 5 days. Serum levels of PTX and IL-6 were measured just before and at 4 h after CPB using HPLC and ELISA, respectively. Respiratory index (RI) before and at 4 h after CPB was calculated, and serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and fibrinogen on postoperative day 1 were also determined. There were no significant differences in age, body weight, sex, surgical procedures, CPB time, haemodynamics or risk factors among the 3 groups. Serum IL-6 level and RI index after CPB in Group 2 were significantly decreased compared with those in Group 1 and the control group. These results, therefore, suggested that preoperative daily administration of 900 mg/day PTX contributed to the attenuation of CPB-induced SIRS and had a beneficial effect on the postoperative course after cardiovascular surgery.</p

Actin Family in INO80 Complex

Nuclear actin family proteins, comprising of actin and actin-related proteins (Arps), are essential functional components of the multiple chromatin remodeling complexes. The INO80 chromatin remodeling complex, which is evolutionarily conserved and has roles in transcription, DNA replication and repair, consists of actin and actin-related proteins Arp4, Arp5, and Arp8. We generated Arp5 knockout (KO) and Arp8 KO cells from the human Nalm-6 pre-B cell line and used these KO cells to examine the roles of Arp5 and Arp8 in the transcriptional regulation mediated by the INO80 complex. In both of Arp5 KO and Arp8 KO cells, the oxidative stress-induced expression of HMOX1 gene, encoding for heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), was significantly impaired. Consistent with these observations, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay revealed that oxidative stress caused an increase in the binding of the INO80 complex to the regulatory sites of HMOX1 in wild-type cells. The binding of INO80 complex to chromatin was reduced in Arp8 KO cells compared to that in the wild-type cells. On the other hand, the binding of INO80 complex to chromatin in Arp5 KO cells was similar to that in the wild-type cells even under the oxidative stress condition. However, both remodeling of chromatin at the HMOX1 regulatory sites and binding of a transcriptional activator to these sites were impaired in Arp5 KO cells, indicating that Arp5 is required for the activation of the INO80 complex. Collectively, these results suggested that these nuclear Arps play indispensable roles in the function of the INO80 chromatin remodeling complex

Misdiagnosis of Anterior Superior Pancreaticoduodenal Artery Aneurysm Rupture Likely Due to Segmental Arterial Mediolysis: A Case Report

An aneurysm of the abdominal internal organs is relatively rare. Recently, segmental arterial mediolysis (SAM) and median arcuate ligament syndrome (MALS) were identified as specific causes for aneurysms of the pancreaticoduodenal artery arcade. Herein, we report a ruptured anterior superior pancreaticoduodenal artery (ASPDA) aneurysm due to SAM that was misdiagnosed as acute pancreatitis. The patient was a 59-year-old male with acute, severe, and sharp pain in the upper abdomen. He was clinically diagnosed with acute pancreatitis based on abdominal computed tomography (CT). However, a follow-up CT scan revealed an aneurysm of the ASPDA. We therefore diagnosed this case as retroperitoneal hemorrhage due to aneurysm rupture, and we performed an angiogram and transcatheter arterial embolization to prevent aneurysm re-rupture. Based on a subsequent review of all the findings for this patient, we retrospectively determined the cause of the ASPDA aneurysm to be SAM. Such case reports are rare, and further accumulation of similar cases is necessary in the near future to establish proper diagnostic criteria and appropriate treatment protocols

Feasibility of Endoscopy-Assisted Laparoscopic Full-Thickness Resection for Superficial Duodenal Neoplasms

Background. Superficial duodenal neoplasms (SDNs) are a challenging target in the digestive tract. Surgical resection is invasive, and it is difficult to determine the site and extent of the lesion from outside the intestine and resect it locally. Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) has scarcely been utilized in the treatment of duodenal tumors because of technical difficulties and possible delayed perforation due to the action of digestive juices. Thus, no standard treatments for SDNs have been established. To challenge this issue, we elaborated endoscopy-assisted laparoscopic full-thickness resection (EALFTR) and analyzed its feasibility and safety. Methods. Twenty-four SDNs in 22 consecutive patients treated by EALFTR between January 2011 and July 2012 were analyzed retrospectively. Results. All lesions were removed en bloc. The lateral and vertical margins of the specimens were negative for tumor cells in all cases. The mean sizes of the resected specimens and lesions were 28.9 mm (SD ± 10.5) and 13.3 mm (SD ± 11.6), respectively. The mean operation time and intraoperative estimated blood loss were 133 min (SD ± 45.2) and 16 ml (SD ± 21.1), respectively. Anastomotic leakage occurred in three patients (13.6%) postoperatively, but all were minor leakage and recovered conservatively. Anastomotic stenosis or bleeding did not occur. Conclusions. EALFTR can be a safe and minimally invasive treatment option for SDNs. However, the number of cases in this study was small, and further accumulations of cases and investigation are necessary

Urinary Myoinositol Index: A New and Better Marker for Postmeal Hyperglycemia

We investigated the usefulness of the urinary myoinositol index (UMI) for identifying postmeal hyperglycemia in type 2 diabetics undergoing a meal tolerance test. Fifty-eight patients (18 males, 40 females) were enrolled, fasted overnight and blood collected prior to and 1 and 2 hours following the test meal. Urine was collected 2 hours after the test meal. Plasma 1,5-anhydroglucitol (1,5-AG) was measured enzymatically, and UMI with an improved enzymatic cycling method. Simple and multiple regression analyses were employed to determine correlations between plasma glucose (PG) and three PG markers; HbA1C (Japan Diabetes Society), 1,5-AG and UMI. Study population characteristics were age 67.6±7.9 years, body mass index 24.9±3.8kg/m2 and waist circumference 90.2±10.4cm. Mean concentrations for PG were 130±23mg/dL (fasting), 179±46mg/dL (1h postmeal) and 150±49mg/dL (2h postmeal), HbA1C (6.3±0.6%), 1,5-AG (11.9±5.7μg/mL) and 2h UMI (52.0±35.9mg/gCr). Correlation coefficients were calculated between 1h postmeal PG and HbA1C (r=0.558), 1,5-AG (r=0.256), and 2h UMI (r=0.496), and 2h postmeal PG HbA1C (r=0.605), 1,5-AG (r=0.306), and 2h UMI (r=0.606). Two hour UMI and HbA1C (Japan Diabetes Society) were significant determinants of 2h postmeal PG. As HbA1C reflects PG excursion during the previous 1-3 months, UMI may be a useful marker for monitoring and management of postmeal hyperglycemia in type 2 diabetics

Correlations between Extranodal Metastasis and Prognosis in Patients with Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Esophagus

Background Extranodal metastasis (EM) has been reported in carcinomas of many organs. However, the clinicopathological significance of EM in squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus remains unclear, and this study sought to clarify this issue. MethodsThis study included 220 patients who underwent an esophagectomy with lymphadenectomy for primary esophageal carcinoma from 1996 to 2008. EM was defined as the presence of cancer cells in the soft tissue that were discontinuous with the primary lesion, or in the perinodal soft tissue distinct from the lymph nodes. Results EM was detected in 25 (9.6%) of the 220 patients, and in 56 (0.7%) of the 8,186 nodules retrieved as ‘lymph nodes’. The incidence of EM was significantly higher in patients who had tumors of a larger size (diameter ≥ 4 cm), lymphatic vessel invasion, lymph node metastasis, a high pathological stage, infiltrative growth pattern, or a high pT-stage. The 5-year overall survival rates in N0-1 patients with EM were significantly lower than in the patients without EM (P = 0.005). Conclusion EM is closely associated with the development and aggressiveness of esophageal carcinoma, and the presence of EM can be useful for predicting prognosis after surgery in N0-1esophageal carcinoma patients