Laparoscopy-Assisted Pylorus-Preserving Gastrectomy for Treating Early Gastric Cancer

Laparoscopy-assisted pylorus-preserving gastrectomy (LAPPG) with lymphadenectomy has been used for treating early gastric cancer located in the middle-third of the stomach. However, firm evidence supporting its safety and usefulness is scant. This study examined 24 and 10 gastric adenocarcinoma patients who had undergone conventional pylorus-preserving gastrectomy (CPPG) and LAPPG, respectively, at our institution. Operation time for LAPPG (362.8 ± 49.6 min) was significantly longer than that for CPPG (221.9 ± 50.0 min; P = 0.04). Estimated blood loss with LAPPG (127.5 ± 91.2 mL) was not significantly different from that with CPPG (167.9 ± 149.9 mL; P = 0.44). Total number of resected lymph nodes was 26.3 ± 9.5 and 21.3 ± 10.8 with LAPPG and CPPG, respectively, with no statistically significant difference. C-reactive protein in serum on postoperative day 1 was significantly lower in the LAPPG than in the CPPG group (5.3 ± 1.7 mg/dL versus 7.8 ± 3.6 mg/dL; P = 0.049). The requirement for analgesia after surgery was more frequent in the CPPG than in the LAPPG group (3.7 ± 2.0 versus 2.2 ± 1.7; P = 0.04). Time to first flatus was shorter in the LAPPG than in the CPPG group (1.9 ± 0.9 days versus 3.1 ± 0.9 days; P = 0.0006). Postoperative hospital stay was significantly shorter in the LAPPG than in the CPPG group (12.0 ± 4.0 days versus 23.0 ± 10.7days; P = 0.0036). With regard to postoperative complications, stasis was observed more frequently in the CPPG (33.3%) than in the LAPPG (10%) group. In conclusion, patients treated by LAPPG showed a comparable quality of surgical operation compared with those treated by CPPG

Highly Stretchable Stress-Strain Sensor from Elastomer Nanocomposites with Movable Cross-links and Ketjenblack

Practical applications like very thin stress-strain sensors require high strength, stretchability, and conductivity, simultaneously. One of the approaches is improving the toughness of the stress-strain sensing materials. Polymeric materials with movable cross-links in which the polymer chain penetrates the cavity of cyclodextrin (CD) demonstrate enhanced strength and stretchability, simultaneously. We designed two approaches that utilize elastomer nanocomposites with movable cross-links and carbon filler (ketjenblack, KB). One approach is mixing SC (a single movable cross-network material), a linear polymer (poly(ethyl acrylate), PEA), and KB to obtain their composite. The electrical resistance increases proportionally with tensile strain, leading to the application of this composite as a stress- strain sensor. The responses of this material are stable for over 100 loading and unloading cycles. The other approach is a composite made with KB and a movable cross-network elastomer for knitting dissimilar polymers (KP), where movable cross-links connect the CD-modified polystyrene (PSCD) and PEA. The obtained composite acts as a highly sensitive stress-strain sensor that exhibits an exponential increase in resistance with increasing tensile strain due to the polymer dethreading from the CD rings. The designed preparations of highly repeatable or highly responsive stress-strain sensors with good mechanical properties can help broaden their application in electrical devices

Selective peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α modulator K-877 efficiently activates the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α pathway and improves lipid metabolism in mice

Aims/IntroductionPeroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α (PPARα) is a therapeutic target for hyperlipidemia. K-877 is a new selective PPARα modulator (SPPARMα) that activates PPARα transcriptional activity. The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of K-877 on lipid metabolism in vitro and in vivo compared with those of classical PPARα agonists.Materials and MethodsTo compare the effects of K-877 on PPARα transcriptional activity with those of the classical PPARα agonists Wy14643 (Wy) and fenofibrate (Feno), the cell-based PPARα transactivation luciferase assay was carried out. WT and Ppara−/− mice were fed with a moderate-fat (MF) diet for 6 days, and methionine–choline-deficient (MCD) diet for 4 weeks containing Feno or K-877.ResultsIn luciferase assays, K-877 activated PPARα transcriptional activity more efficiently than the classical PPARα agonists Feno and Wy. After being fed MF diet containing 0.001% K-877 or 0.2% Feno for 6 days, mice in the K-877 group showed significant increases in the expression of Ppara and its target genes, leading to marked reductions in plasma triglyceride levels compared with those observed in Feno-treated animals. These K-877 effects were blunted in Ppara−/− mice, confirming that K-877 activates PPARα. In further experiments, K-877 (0.00025%) and Feno (0.1%) equally improved the pathology of MCD diet-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, with increased expression of hepatic fatty acid oxidation genes.ConclusionsThe present data show that K-877 is an attractive PPARα-modulating drug and can efficiently reduce plasma triglyceride levels, thereby alleviating the dysregulation of lipid metabolism