Acceleration of sarcopenia in elderly patients who develop asymptomatic pneumonia shadow within one year after surgery for early gastric cancer

Abstract Background Although early gastric cancer is curable with local treatment, the overall survival in elderly patients did not reach 80% at five years after surgery. The major cause of death in elderly patients with early gastric cancer is not cancer itself but is related to postoperative sarcopenia. Elderly patients frequently develop postoperative asymptomatic pneumonia shadow, which is associated with a poor prognosis. However, why asymptomatic pneumonia shadow worsens the prognosis remains unclear. We investigated whether sarcopenia is accelerated in patients who developed asymptomatic pneumonia shadow. Methods We retrospectively examined patients of > 75 years of age who underwent R0 gastrectomy for gastric cancer and were diagnosed with T1 disease at National Cancer Center Hospital between 2005 and 2012. The diagnosis of asymptomatic pneumonia shadow was defined by diagnostic findings of pneumonia (consolidation type, reticular type, and nodular type) which were newly observed on chest computed tomography performed one year after surgery in comparison to preoperative computed tomography. Postoperative muscle loss was assessed by a computed tomography-based analysis using the L3 skeletal muscle index before and two years after surgery and the rate of decrease was calculated. Patients were classified into two groups according to the rate of decrease (cut-off value: 10%). Results Of the 3412 patients who underwent gastrectomy in our hospital during the study period, 142 were included in this study. Asymptomatic pneumonia shadow was found in 26 patients (18%). Patients who developed asymptomatic pneumonia shadow showed a significantly greater loss of muscle volume in comparison to patients who did not develop asymptomatic pneumonia shadow. In the multivariate analysis, total gastrectomy and asymptomatic pneumonia shadow were the independent risk factors for severe muscle loss. However, there was no significant difference in prognosis between the two groups. Conclusions Sarcopenia was accelerated in elderly patients who developed asymptomatic pneumonia shadow after surgery for early gastric cancer. However, the poor prognosis in these patients may not be related to accelerated sarcopenia

Foraging ecology of mature male Antarctic minke whales (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) revealed by stable isotope analysis of baleen plates

The Antarctic minke whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) is a seasonal migrator that feeds mainly on Antarctic krill at higher latitudes during the summer and travels to lower latitudes to breed in winter. A previous study using delta C-13 and delta N-15 values of baleen plates showed that pregnant Antarctic minke whales feed on Antarctic krill in the foraging season, with less feeding during the breeding season. However, long-term changes in the habitat use and diet of males remain unknown. In this study, we estimated the foraging habits of nine mature male Antarctic minke whales using the stable isotope signatures of baleen plates. From Bayesian stable isotope mixing models, it was found that Antarctic krill was the predominant prey of male whales, and prey species in lower latitudes were rarely incorporated into the baleen plates. This result is consistent with that of female Antarctic minke whales. Eight whales showed at least one oscillation in delta C-13 and delta N-15 values, whereas one whale (AM246) showed no variation in delta N-15 values. This possibly indicates that AM246 remained in the Antarctic water year-round. Our results suggest multiple migration patterns of male Antarctic minke whales

Activated Carbon Impregnated with Elementary Iodine: Applications against Virus- and Bacteria-Related Issues

An iodine-doped activated carbon (named IodAC) was developed by adsorbing molecular iodine (I2) on commercially available activated carbon (AC). Iodine was selected with the purpose to add its well-known antibacterial and antiviral properties to the AC and in order to produce an innovative material for environmental pathogens control and for healthcare-related applications. The impregnation method achieved the goal of strongly adsorbing iodine on the AC surface, since both volatility and water solubility resulted to be negligible, and therefore it did not affect the stability of the material. An antibacterial test (on Escherichia coli) and an antiviral test (on an avian influenza strain) were conducted, showing the effectiveness of IodAC against the pathogens. In addition, IodAC was also compared to slaked lime (a material widely used for disinfection of outdoor spaces and livestock farming areas). The data proved the performance of IodAC against virus and bacteria and also evidenced a more stable and long-lasting disinfecting power of IodAC compared to slaked lime, the later reacting with carbon dioxide and suffering a gradually decrease of its disinfectant power; such drawback does not affect IodAC. Overall, the presented results show that IodAC can be used for a wide range of applications, including as a granular disinfectant for public spaces, for water disinfection, zoonotic diseases countermeasures (e.g., as an animal feed additive for avian influenza control), post-harvest food storage, and sanitization. Its characteristics also indicate its potential to be used for medical treatments, such as for blood, intestinal (for HIV, sepsis, irritable syndrome, ulcerative colitis therapy), and medical supplies (antibacterial bandages, gauze, cotton, etc.) sterilization