425 research outputs found
Impact of inflammation-based prognostic score on survival after curative thoracoscopic esophagectomy for esophageal cancer
AbstractBackgroundDespite recent improvements in early detection, progress in surgical techniques, and development of chemoradiation therapies, prognosis of esophageal cancer remains poor. The aim of the present study was to assess whether Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS), an inflammation-based prognostic score, has prognostic value independent of conventional clinicopathological criteria in patients undergoing curative resection for esophageal cancer, even in elderly patients.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed the database of 141 consecutive patients with histologically verified esophageal squamous cell carcinoma who underwent potentially curative surgery in our institute, between January 2006 and December 2014. GPS and neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (NLR) were calculated.ResultsOn multivariate analysis, TNM stage (p < 0.0001) and GPS (p = 0.041) were independently associated with worse prognosis in overall patients with esophageal cancer.Multivariate analysis evaluated the prognostic factors in two different patient groups: patients younger than 70 years (non-elderly) and those aged 70 years or more (elderly).Multivariate analysis demonstrated that TNM stage (p = 0.0003) was an only independent risk factor for a worse prognosis among non-elderly group. Meanwhile, multivariate analysis demonstrated that TNM stage (p = 0.001) and GPS (p = 0.043) were the independent risk factor for a worse prognosis among elderly group.ConclusionThe present study demonstrated that GPS is associated with prognosis and can be considered as an independent prognostic marker in patients who underwent esophagectomy. Moreover, the GPS has the advantage of being simple to measure, routinely available and well standardized. But the present study failed to confirm the NLR as a significant predictor of survival following resection for esophageal cancer
Reconstruction of the esophagojejunostomy by double stapling method using EEAâ„¢ OrVilâ„¢ in laparoscopic total gastrectomy and proximal gastrectomy
Here we report the method of anastomosis based on double stapling technique (hereinafter, DST) using a trans-oral anvil delivery system (EEATM OrVilTM) for reconstructing the esophagus and lifted jejunum following laparoscopic total gastrectomy or proximal gastric resection
Low energy high angular resolution neutral atom detection by means of micro-shuttering techniques: the BepiColombo SERENA/ELENA sensor
The neutral sensor ELENA (Emitted Low-Energy Neutral Atoms) for the ESA
cornerstone BepiColombo mission to Mercury (in the SERENA instrument package)
is a new kind of low energetic neutral atoms instrument, mostly devoted to
sputtering emission from planetary surfaces, from E ~20 eV up to E~5 keV,
within 1-D (2x76 deg). ELENA is a Time-of-Flight (TOF) system, based on
oscillating shutter (operated at frequencies up to a 100 kHz) and mechanical
gratings: the incoming neutral particles directly impinge upon the entrance
with a definite timing (START) and arrive to a STOP detector after a flight
path. After a brief dissertation on the achievable scientific objectives, this
paper describes the instrument, with the new design techniques approached for
the neutral particles identification and the nano-techniques used for designing
and manufacturing the nano-structure shuttering core of the ELENA sensor. The
expected count-rates, based on the Hermean environment features, are shortly
presented and discussed. Such design technologies could be fruitfully exported
to different applications for planetary exploration.Comment: 11 page
CH radio emission from heiles cloud 2 as a tracer of molecular cloud evolution
A mapping observation of the -type doubling transition (3.3
GHz) of CH has been conducted toward Heiles Cloud 2 (HCL2) in the Taurus
molecular cloud complex to reveal its molecular cloud-scale distribution. The
observations were carried out with the Effelsberg 100 m telescope. The CH
emission is found to be extended over the whole region of HCL2. It is brighter
in the southeastern part, which encloses the TMC-1 cyanopolyyne peak than in
the northwestern part. Its distribution extends continuously from the peak of
the neutral carbon emission (CI peak) to the TMC-1 ridge, as if it were
connecting the distributions of the [C I] and CO emissions. Since CH is
an intermediate in gas-phase chemical reactions from C to CO, its emission
should trace the transition region. The above distribution of the CH emission
is consistent with this chemical behavior. Since the CH abundance is subject to
the chemical evolutionary effect, the CH column density in HCL2 no longer
follows a linear correlation wit the H column density reported for diffuse
and translucent clouds. More importantly, the CH line profile is found to be
composed of the narrow and broad components. Although the broad component is
dominant around the CI peak, the narrow component appears in the TMC-1 ridge
and dense core regions such as L1527 and TMC-1A. This trend seems to reflect a
narrowing of the line width during the formation of dense cores. These results
suggest that the 3.3 GHz CH line is a useful tool for tracing the chemical and
physical evolution of molecular clouds.Comment: 8 page
Insulating behavior in ultra-thin bismuth selenide field effect transistors
Ultrathin (~3 quintuple layer) field-effect transistors (FETs) of topological
insulator Bi2Se3 are prepared by mechanical exfoliation on 300nm SiO2/Si
susbtrates. Temperature- and gate-voltage dependent conductance measurements
show that ultrathin Bi2Se3 FETs are n-type, and have a clear OFF state at
negative gate voltage, with activated temperature-dependent conductance and
energy barriers up to 250 meV
A reversible lesion of the corpus callosum splenium with adult influenza-associated encephalitis/encephalopathy: a case report
<p>ABstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Influenza virus-associated encephalitis/encephalopathy is a severe childhood illness with a poor prognosis. Adult case reports are rare and, to date, there have been no reports of adults with a mild subcortical encephalopathy with reversible lesions of the corpus callosum splenium.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>A previously healthy 35-year-old man presented with acute progressive tetraplegia, transcortical motor aphasia and a mild decrease in his consciousness during his recovery after receiving oseltamivir phosphate treatment, and influenza type A antiviral medication. The initial magnetic resonance imaging study at day 1 showed symmetrical diffuse lesions in the white matter and a lesion on the central portion of the corpus callosum splenium. These findings had resolved on follow-up studies at day 8 and day 146. His neurological deficits mostly recovered within 12 hours following methylprednisolone pulse therapy. The levels of interleukin-6 and interleukin-10 in his blood and cerebrospinal fluid were initially elevated, but rapidly decreased to normal levels by day 8.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>It is important for clinicians to recognize that even in adulthood, the subcortical encephalopathy observed during the therapeutic treatment for influenza type A infection can occur in conjunction with a reversible lesion of the corpus callosum, which may recover quickly. In addition, the cytokine storm in the blood system and the corticospinal cavity may play an important role in the etiology of the disease process.</p
Prediction of Anisotropic Single-Dirac-Cones in BiSb Thin Films
The electronic band structures of BiSb thin films can be
varied as a function of temperature, pressure, stoichiometry, film thickness
and growth orientation. We here show how different anisotropic
single-Dirac-cones can be constructed in a BiSb thin film for
different applications or research purposes. For predicting anisotropic
single-Dirac-cones, we have developed an iterative-two-dimensional-two-band
model to get a consistent inverse-effective-mass-tensor and band-gap, which can
be used in a general two-dimensional system that has a non-parabolic dispersion
relation as in a BiSb thin film system
Seismic tomography of the uppermost mantle beneath southwestern Japan: Seismological constraints on modelling subduction and magmatism for the Philippine Sea slab
Initiation of human colon cancer cell proliferation by trypsin acting at protease-activated receptor-2
The protease-activated receptor-2 (PAR-2) is a G protein-coupled receptor that is cleaved and activated by trypsin. We investigated the expression of PAR-2 and the role of trypsin in cell proliferation in human colon cancer cell lines. A total of 10 cell lines were tested for expression of PAR-2 mRNA by Northern blot and RT-PCR. PAR-2 protein was detected by immunofluorescence. Trypsin and the peptide agonist SLIGKV (AP2) were tested for their ability to induce calcium mobilization and to promote cell proliferation on serum-deprived cells. PAR-2 mRNA was detected by Northern blot analysis in 6 out of 10 cell lines [HT-29, Cl.19A, Caco-2, SW480, HCT-8 and T84]. Other cell lines expressed low levels of transcripts, which were detected only by RT-PCR. Further results were obtained with HT-29 cells: (1) PAR-2 protein is expressed at the cell surface; (2) an increase in intracellular calcium concentration was observed upon trypsin (1–100 nM) or AP2 (10–100 μM) challenges; (3) cells grown in serum-deprived media supplemented with trypsin (0.1–1 nM) or AP2 (1–300 μM) exhibited important mitogenic responses (3-fold increase of cell number). Proliferative effects of trypsin or AP2 were also observed in other cell lines expressing PAR-2. These data show that subnanomolar concentrations of trypsin, acting at PAR-2, promoted the proliferation of human colon cancer cells. The results of this study indicate that trypsin could be considered as a growth factor and unravel a new mechanism whereby serine proteases control colon tumours. © 2001 Cancer Research Campaign http://www.bjcancer.co
Hindered rolling and friction anisotropy in supported carbon nanotubes
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are well known for their exceptional thermal,
mechanical and electrical properties. For many CNT applications it is of the
foremost importance to know their frictional properties. However, very little
is known about the frictional forces between an individual nanotube and a
substrate or tip. Here, we present a combined theoretical and experimental
study of the frictional forces encountered by a nanosize tip sliding on top of
a supported multiwall CNT along a direction parallel or transverse to the CNT
axis. Surprisingly, we find a higher friction coefficient in the transverse
direction compared with the parallel direction. This behaviour is explained by
a simulation showing that transverse friction elicits a soft 'hindered rolling'
of the tube and a frictional dissipation that is absent, or partially absent
for chiral CNTs, when the tip slides parallel to the CNT axis. Our findings can
help in developing better strategies for large-scale CNT assembling and sorting
on a surface.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure
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