135 research outputs found

    Operative Benefits of Artificial Pneumo-thorax in Thoracoscopic Esophagectomy in the Left Lateral Decubitus Position for Esophageal Cancer

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    Abstract Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate operative benefits of artificial pnuemothorax in thoracoscopic esophagectomy in the left lateral decubitus position. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed short-term surgical outcomes including learning curve of 60 consecutive patients who underwent thoracoscopic esophagectomy with artificial pnuemothorax in the left lateral decubitus position between April 2010 and November 2012 in our department. Results: The median operation time and intraoperative blood loss were 443 min and 220 ml, respectively, and these values were 174 min and 95 ml, respectively, in the thoracic phase of surgery. The median number of harvested lymph node was 37. Only 1 patient required conversion to open esophagectomy. The postoperative 30-day mortality rate was 1.7%. The thoracic operation time significantly decreased after an experience of 10 cases and intraoperative blood loss during thoracic phasesignificantly decreased after an experience of 20 cases (p < 0.05), and operation time remained constant for the following cases. The number of harvested lymph nodes did not exhibit significant changes with an increase in the number of case experienced. Conclusions: Artificial pneumothorax provided the shorting of learning curve at the thoracoscopic esophagectomy in the left lateral decubitus position

    Short Term Operative Out-comes of Laparoscopic Gastric Mobilization in Esophagectomy for Esophageal Cancer: Comparison with Hand Assisted Technique

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    Abstract Objective: This study evaluated the safety and operative utilities of the laparoscopic gastric mobilization compared with hand-assisted laparoscopic gastric mobilization. Patients and Methods: From April 2010 to November 2015, 125 patients with esophageal cancer have been performed laparoscopic mobilization; 33 under hand-assisted laparoscopic gastric mobilization (HLG group) and 92 under laparoscopic gastric mobilization without hand-assisted technique (LG group). Preoperative data and surgical outcomes of 2 groups were compared. Results: Preoperative data were not significantly different except for BMI. Operation time in abdominal procedure of LG group is significantly longer than HLG group (P < 0.0001). Otherwise, the blood loss and number of dissected nodes of abdominal procedure was not significantly different in two groups. The perioperative blood transfusions were needed in 7 cases (21.2%) in HLG group and 25 (27.1%) in LG group. The postoperative complications and mortality within 30 days after surgery were not significantly different in two groups. The length of hospital stay was 29 days in HLG group and 31 days in HG group, respectively. Conclusions: Our results suggested that laparoscopic gastric mobilization was safe technique and the short-term operative outcomes were comparable with that of hand-assisted laparoscopic mobilization

    Seasonal Migration of Sika Deer in the Oku-Chichibu Mountains, Central Japan

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    Movements and seasonal home ranges of 6 GPS collared sika deer were investigated at the Oku-Chichibu Mountains, central Honshu, from April 2009 to March 2010. All deer migrated between discrete summer and winter home ranges. The linear migration distance ranged from 2.5 to 31.9 km. Mean elevation during the summer and the winter ranged from 980 to 1,782 m, and from 1,204 to 1,723 m, respectively. Two deer were upward migrants and 4 deer were downward migrants. Taking into consideration of the relatively small snow accumulation in the summer home range, the possibility of autumn migration to avoid deep snow is low. The percentage of steep slope in the winter home range was higher than that in the summer. Bamboo grass was not found in the summer home range, but was predominant in the winter home range. Road density decreased in the winter home range compared to the summer. Only 2 out of 6 deer stayed mainly in the wildlife protection area during the winter. Our results indicate that the autumn migration was affected by winter forage and human disturbance, thereby assured the survival of the deer during winter.ArticleMAMMAL STUDY. 37(2):127-137 (2012)journal articl

    Psychological and weight-related characteristics of patients with anorexia nervosa-restricting type who later develop bulimia nervosa

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    <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Patients with anorexia nervosa-restricting type (AN-R) sometimes develop accompanying bulimic symptoms or the full syndrome of bulimia nervosa (BN). If clinicians could predict who might change into the bulimic sub-type or BN, preventative steps could be taken. Therefore, we investigated anthropometric and psychological factors possibly associated with such changes.</p> <p>Method</p> <p>All participants were from a study by the Japanese Genetic Research Group for Eating Disorders. Of 80 patients initially diagnosed with AN-R, 22 changed to the AN-Binge Eating/Purging Type (AN-BP) and 14 to BN for some period of time. The remaining 44 patients remained AN-R only from the onset to the investigation period. Variables compared by ANOVA included anthropometric measures, personality traits such as Multiple Perfectionism Scale scores and Temperament and Character Inventory scores, and Beck Depression Inventory-II scores.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In comparison with AN-R only patients, those who developed BN had significantly higher current BMI (p < 0.05) and maximum BMI in the past (p < 0.05). They also scored significantly higher for the psychological characteristic of parental criticism (p < 0.05) and lower in self-directedness (p < 0.05), which confirms previous reports, but these differences disappeared when the depression score was used as a co-variant. No significant differences were obtained for personality traits or depression among the AN-R only patients irrespective of their duration of illness.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The present findings suggest a tendency toward obesity among patients who cross over from AN-R to BN. Low self-directedness and high parental criticism may be associated with the development of BN by patients with AN-R, although the differences may also be associated with depression.</p

    Cathepsin E Deficiency Impairs Autophagic Proteolysis in Macrophages

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    Cathepsin E is an endosomal aspartic proteinase that is predominantly expressed in immune-related cells. Recently, we showed that macrophages derived from cathepsin E-deficient (CatE-/-) mice display accumulation of lysosomal membrane proteins and abnormal membrane trafficking. In this study, we demonstrated that CatE-/- macrophages exhibit abnormalities in autophagy, a bulk degradation system for aggregated proteins and damaged organelles. CatE-/- macrophages showed increased accumulation of autophagy marker proteins such as LC3 and p62, and polyubiquitinated proteins. Cathepsin E deficiency also altered autophagy-related signaling pathways such as those mediated by the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), Akt, and extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK). Furthermore, immunofluorescence microscopy analyses showed that LC3-positive vesicles were merged with acidic compartments in wild-type macrophages, but not in CatE-/- macrophages, indicating inhibition of fusion of autophagosome with lysosomes in CatE-/- cells. Delayed degradation of LC3 protein was also observed under starvation-induced conditions. Since the autophagy system is involved in the degradation of damaged mitochondria, we examined the accumulation of damaged mitochondria in CatE-/- macrophages. Several mitochondrial abnormalities such as decreased intracellular ATP levels, depolarized mitochondrial membrane potential, and decreased mitochondrial oxygen consumption were observed. Such mitochondrial dysfunction likely led to the accompanying oxidative stress. In fact, CatE-/- macrophages showed increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and up-regulation of oxidized peroxiredoxin-6, but decreased antioxidant glutathione. These results indicate that cathepsin E deficiency causes autophagy impairment concomitantly with increased aberrant mitochondria as well as increased oxidative stress

    The interaction of bacterial pathogens with platelets.

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    In recent years, the frequency of serious cardiovascular infections such as endocarditis has increased, particularly in association with nosocomially acquired antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Growing evidence suggests a crucial role for the interaction of bacteria with human platelets in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular infections. Here, we review the nature of the interactions between platelets and bacteria, and the role of these interactions in the pathogenesis of endocarditis and other cardiovascular diseases

    The disruption of proteostasis in neurodegenerative diseases

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    Cells count on surveillance systems to monitor and protect the cellular proteome which, besides being highly heterogeneous, is constantly being challenged by intrinsic and environmental factors. In this context, the proteostasis network (PN) is essential to achieve a stable and functional proteome. Disruption of the PN is associated with aging and can lead to and/or potentiate the occurrence of many neurodegenerative diseases (ND). This not only emphasizes the importance of the PN in health span and aging but also how its modulation can be a potential target for intervention and treatment of human diseases.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
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