Anomalies of the bile ducts: a case report of direct drain of the cystic duct into the papilla of Vater.

Direct drain of the cystic duct and drain of the biliary tract through an internal fistula into the duodenum in a 81-year-old man were endoscopically diagnosed without an operation.</p

Millimeter- and Submillimeter-Wave Observations of the OMC-2/3 Region. III. An Extensive Survey for Molecular Outflows

Using the ASTE 10 m submillimeter telescope and the 1.4 m Infrared Survey Facility (IRSF), we performed an extensive outflow survey in the Orion Molecular Cloud -2 and -3 region. Our survey, which includes 41 potential star-forming sites, has been newly compiled using multi-wavelength data based on millimeter- and submillimeter-continuum observations as well as radio continuum observations. From the CO (3-2) observations performed with the ASTE 10 m telescope, we detected 14 CO molecular outflows, seven of which were newly identified. This higher detection rate, as compared to previous CO (1-0) results in the same region, suggests that CO (3-2) may be a better outflow tracer. Physical properties of these outflows and their possible driving sources were derived. Derived parameters were compared with those of CO outflows in low- and high-mass starforming regions. We show that the CO outflow momentum correlates with the bolometric luminosity of the driving source and with the envelope mass, regardless of the mass of the driving sources. In addition to these CO outflows, seven sources having NIR features suggestive of outflows were also identified.Comment: Accepted to Astrophysical Journal, high resolution images at http://www.asiaa.sinica.edu.tw/~satoko_t/papers/ms.ST.pd

Genetic association of glutathione peroxidase-1 with coronary artery calcification in type 2 diabetes: a case control study with multi-slice computed tomography

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Although oxidative stress by accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in diabetes has become evident, it remains unclear what genes, involved in redox balance, would determine susceptibility for development of atherosclerosis in diabetes. This study evaluated the effect of genetic polymorphism of enzymes producing or responsible for reducing ROS on coronary artery calcification in type 2 diabetes (T2D).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>An index for coronary-arteriosclerosis, coronary artery calcium score (CACS) was evaluated in 91 T2D patients using a multi-slice computed tomography. Patients were genotyped for ROS-scavenging enzymes, <it>Glutathione peroxidase-1 (GPx-1)</it>, <it>Catalase, Mn-SOD</it>, <it>Cu/Zn-SOD</it>, as well as SNPs of <it>NADPH oxidase </it>as ROS-promoting elements, genes related to onset of T2D (<it>CAPN10, ADRB3, PPAR gamma, FATP4</it>). Age, blood pressure, BMI, HbA_1c, lipid and duration of diabetes were evaluated for a multivariate regression analysis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>CACS with Pro/Leu genotype of the <it>GPx-1 </it>gene was significantly higher than in those with Pro/Pro (744 ± 1,291 vs. 245 ± 399, respectively, <it>p </it>= 0.006). In addition, genotype frequency of Pro/Leu in those with CACS ≥ 1000 was significantly higher than in those with CACS < 1000 (45.5% vs. 18.8%; <it>OR </it>= 3.61, <it>CI </it>= 0.97–13.42; <it>p </it>= 0.045) when tested for deviation from Hardy-Weinberg's equilibrium. Multivariate regression analyses revealed that CACS significantly correlated with <it>GPx-1 </it>genotypes and age.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The presence of Pro197Leu substitution of the <it>GPx-1 </it>gene may play a crucial role in determining genetic susceptibility to coronary-arteriosclerosis in T2D. The mechanism may be associated with a decreased ability to scavenge ROS with the variant <it>GPx-1</it>.</p

Endoscopic Findings of Post-wedge Bronchoplastic Lobectomy

It is speculated that the advantage of wedge bronchoplastic lobectomy lies in the reduction in the incidence of major anastomotic complications. On the other hand, wedge bronchoscopic lobectomy can result in kinking at the anastomosis site. This study was performed to evaluate the operative outcomes and the postoperative endoscopic findings for wedge resection of the bronchus. From 2004 to 2012, nine patients underwent wedge bronchoplastic lobectomy for lung carcinoma. We evaluated the angles of the wedge and the distance of the preserved parts to the cut line of the bronchus (the so-called bronchial bridge). There were six right upper lobectomies, two middle and lower lobectomies, and one left lower lobectomy. Regarding bronchoscopic findings, five patients who underwent right upper lobectomy showed bulging into the bronchial lumen. There were no anastomotic strictures. Intraoperatively it was noted in these five patients that the bronchial bridge tended to be relatively long and/or the angle of the wedge resection tended to be relatively wide. To prevent bulging into the bronchial lumen after right upper wedge bronchoplastic lobectomy, bronchial wedge excisions should be shaped in order to reduce the length of the bronchial bridge

Nitro-fatty acids and cyclopentenone prostaglandins share strategies to activate the Keap1-Nrf2 system: a study using green fluorescent protein transgenic zebrafish

Nitro-fatty acids are electrophilic fatty acids produced in vivo from nitrogen peroxide that have many physiological activities. We recently demonstrated that nitro-fatty acids activate the Keap1-Nrf2 system, which protects cells from damage owing to electrophilic or oxidative stresses via transactivating an array of cytoprotective genes, although the molecular mechanism how they activate Nrf2 is unclear. A number of chemical compounds with different structures have been reported to activate the Keap1-Nrf2 system, which can be categorized into at least six classes based on their sensing pathways. In this study, we showed that nitro-oleic acid (OA-NO2), one of major nitro-fatty acids, activates Nrf2 in the same manner that of a cyclopentenone prostaglandin 15-deoxy-Δ12,14-prostaglandin J2 (15d-PGJ2) using transgenic zebrafish that expresses green fluorescent protein (GFP) in response to Nrf2 activators. In transgenic embryos, GFP was induced in the whole body by treatment with OA-NO2, 15d-PGJ2 or diethylmaleate (DEM), but not with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), when exogenous Nrf2 and Keap1 were co-overexpressed. Induction by OA-NO2 or 15d-PGJ2 but not DEM was observed, even when a C151S mutation was introduced in Keap1. Our results support the contention that OA-NO2 and 15d-PGJ2 share an analogous cysteine code as electrophiles and also have similar anti-inflammatory roles

The Japanese space gravitational wave antenna; DECIGO

DECi-hertz Interferometer Gravitational wave Observatory (DECIGO) is the future Japanese space gravitational wave antenna. DECIGO is expected to open a new window of observation for gravitational wave astronomy especially between 0.1 Hz and 10 Hz, revealing various mysteries of the universe such as dark energy, formation mechanism of supermassive black holes, and inflation of the universe. The pre-conceptual design of DECIGO consists of three drag-free spacecraft, whose relative displacements are measured by a differential Fabry– Perot Michelson interferometer. We plan to launch two missions, DECIGO pathfinder and pre- DECIGO first and finally DECIGO in 2024

DECIGO pathfinder

DECIGO pathfinder (DPF) is a milestone satellite mission for DECIGO (DECi-hertz Interferometer Gravitational wave Observatory) which is a future space gravitational wave antenna. DECIGO is expected to provide us fruitful insights into the universe, in particular about dark energy, a formation mechanism of supermassive black holes, and the inflation of the universe. Since DECIGO will be an extremely large mission which will formed by three drag-free spacecraft with 1000m separation, it is significant to gain the technical feasibility of DECIGO before its planned launch in 2024. Thus, we are planning to launch two milestone missions: DPF and pre-DECIGO. The conceptual design and current status of the first milestone mission, DPF, are reviewed in this article

The ASTRO-H X-ray Observatory

The joint JAXA/NASA ASTRO-H mission is the sixth in a series of highly successful X-ray missions initiated by the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS). ASTRO-H will investigate the physics of the high-energy universe via a suite of four instruments, covering a very wide energy range, from 0.3 keV to 600 keV. These instruments include a high-resolution, high-throughput spectrometer sensitive over 0.3-2 keV with high spectral resolution of Delta E < 7 eV, enabled by a micro-calorimeter array located in the focal plane of thin-foil X-ray optics; hard X-ray imaging spectrometers covering 5-80 keV, located in the focal plane of multilayer-coated, focusing hard X-ray mirrors; a wide-field imaging spectrometer sensitive over 0.4-12 keV, with an X-ray CCD camera in the focal plane of a soft X-ray telescope; and a non-focusing Compton-camera type soft gamma-ray detector, sensitive in the 40-600 keV band. The simultaneous broad bandpass, coupled with high spectral resolution, will enable the pursuit of a wide variety of important science themes.Comment: 22 pages, 17 figures, Proceedings of the SPIE Astronomical Instrumentation "Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2012: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ray

The Quiescent Intracluster Medium in the Core of the Perseus Cluster

Clusters of galaxies are the most massive gravitationally-bound objects in the Universe and are still forming. They are thus important probes of cosmological parameters and a host of astrophysical processes. Knowledge of the dynamics of the pervasive hot gas, which dominates in mass over stars in a cluster, is a crucial missing ingredient. It can enable new insights into mechanical energy injection by the central supermassive black hole and the use of hydrostatic equilibrium for the determination of cluster masses. X-rays from the core of the Perseus cluster are emitted by the 50 million K diffuse hot plasma filling its gravitational potential well. The Active Galactic Nucleus of the central galaxy NGC1275 is pumping jetted energy into the surrounding intracluster medium, creating buoyant bubbles filled with relativistic plasma. These likely induce motions in the intracluster medium and heat the inner gas preventing runaway radiative cooling; a process known as Active Galactic Nucleus Feedback. Here we report on Hitomi X-ray observations of the Perseus cluster core, which reveal a remarkably quiescent atmosphere where the gas has a line-of-sight velocity dispersion of 164+/-10 km/s in a region 30-60 kpc from the central nucleus. A gradient in the line-of-sight velocity of 150+/-70 km/s is found across the 60 kpc image of the cluster core. Turbulent pressure support in the gas is 4% or less of the thermodynamic pressure, with large scale shear at most doubling that estimate. We infer that total cluster masses determined from hydrostatic equilibrium in the central regions need little correction for turbulent pressure.Comment: 31 pages, 11 Figs, published in Nature July