Comparison of conservative treatment versus transcatheter arterial embolisation for the treatment of spontaneously ruptured hepatocellular carcinoma

Purpose: To elucidate the prognostic factors in the spontaneous rupture of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and to determine whether transcatheter arterial embolisation (TAE) is associated with better prognosis compared to conservative treatment. Material and methods: A retrospective multicentre study was conducted involving 71 patients with spontaneous rupture of HCC. A conservative treatment group (Cons T group) included 20 patients, while a transcatheter arterial embolisation group (TAE group) included 51 patients. Results: The median survival time (MST) in the Cons T group was only 16 days and the survival rate was 39% at one month, whereas the MST in the TAE group was 28 days and the one month survival rate was 63%. However, there is no statistically significant difference in the overall survival between Cons T and TAE groups (p = 0.213). Multivariable analysis identified only the presence of distant metastasis as an independent prognostic factor (p = 0.023). A subanalysis including patients without distant metastasis showed that the presence of portal vein tumour thrombosis was a significant prognostic factor (p = 0.015). Conclusions: Distant metastasis appears to be a prognostic factor in spontaneous rupture of HCC. In cases without distant metastasis, portal vein tumour thrombosis could influence the prognosis. Our data failed to prove any benefit of TAE as the primary management

Studies on the Storage of Mint Seed.

ハッカ種子の発芽力保存のために,炭酸ガス濃度の高い空気中で種子を貯蔵することは,有効とは認めがたく,長期貯蔵では,かえつて有害と認められた.低温貯蔵は,採種後1年間は,発芽力保存に有効であつたが,その後,急激に,効力を失つた.乾燥剤と共に貯蔵することは,もつとも有効であつた.さらに,乾燥剤と共に,ハッカ種子を低温貯蔵すると,両処理の単独効果の和より,いつそう大きい発芽力保存効果を示した.筆者等はこの方法で,採種後2カ年半,3年目の春まで,完全に,ハッカ種子の発芽力を保存した.もつとも,ハッカ種子は,室内常温貯蔵では,採種の翌年の秋には,発芽歩合が低下して,実用価値を失うが,その頃までの発芽力保存には,風乾種子を密封貯蔵するだけで,可なり効果があつた.また,採種後最初の播種期である,翌春までのハッカ種子の貯蔵においても,低温湿潤積層して,後熟を促進し,休眠期間の短縮をはかるのでなければ,むしろ,風乾種子を乾燥剤と共に密封して,低温貯蔵することが好ましい

Experimental renal and hepatic artery embolization with a new embolic agent, atelocollagen, in a porcine model

PURPOSEWe aimed to investigate the potentiality of atelocollagen, a new embolic agent which is collagen type I in a porcine experimental model. MATERIALS AND METHODSThree pigs underwent transcatheter embolization of lower interlobular arteries of the renal artery (n=6) and one branch of the hepatic artery (n=3) with collagen type I. Angiography was performed prearterial, during, and postarterial embolization. After the procedure, samples from the embolized organs were evaluated by histological analysis. RESULTSSix lower interlobular renal arteries and three hepatic arteries were successfully embolized by administration of 0.8±0.3 mL and 2.9±1.2 mL, respectively, of the collagen type I. Histological findings of the embolized kidney specimens showed that the collagenous materials filled the arterial lumen, whose size ranged from 2.02 to 839.82 μm and reached the level of afferent arteries of glomerular tufts. Although the area of occluded arteries of the liver was smaller than the kidney, histological findings of the liver specimens showed that the collagenous materials filled small arterial lumens from 2.81 to 187.86 μm in diameter. CONCLUSIONAtelocollagen, a collagen type I, has the potential to be used to embolize the distal vessels of both renal and hepatic arteries

Identification of the occurrence and pattern of masseter muscle activities during sleep using EMG and accelerometer systems

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Sleep bruxism has been described as a combination of different orofacial motor activities that include grinding, clenching and tapping, although accurate distribution of the activities still remains to be clarified.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We developed a new system for analyzing sleep bruxism to examine the muscle activities and mandibular movement patterns during sleep bruxism. The system consisted of a 2-axis accelerometer, electroencephalography and electromyography. Nineteen healthy volunteers were recruited and screened to evaluate sleep bruxism in the sleep laboratory.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The new system could easily distinguish the different patterns of bruxism movement of the mandible and the body movement. Results showed that grinding (59.5%) was most common, followed by clenching (35.6%) based on relative activity to maximum voluntary contraction (%MVC), whereas tapping was only (4.9%).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>It was concluded that the tapping, clenching, and grinding movement of the mandible could be effectively differentiated by the new system and sleep bruxism was predominantly perceived as clenching and grinding, which varied between individuals.</p

Genetic polymorphism of pleiotrophin is associated with pain experience in Japanese adults Case-control study

Genetic factors play a role in individual differences in pain experience. Here, we performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to identify novel loci regulating pain processing. We conducted a 2-stage GWAS and the candidate single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) association study on pain experience using an exploratory cohort of patients with cancer pain. The confirmatory cohort comprised of participants from the general population with and without habitual use of analgesic medication. In the exploratory cohort, we evaluated pain intensity using a numerical rating scale, recorded daily opioid dosages, and calculated pain reduction rate. In the confirmatory cohort, pain experience was defined as habitual nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug usage. Using linear regression models, we identified candidate SNP in the exploratory samples, and tested the association between phenotype and experienced pain in the confirmatory samples. We found 1 novel SNP (rs11764598)—located on the gene encoding for pleiotrophin on chromosome 7—that passed the genome-wide suggestive significance at 20% false discovery rate (FDR) correction in the exploratory samples of patients with cancer pain (P = 1.31 × 10-7, FDR = 0.101). We confirmed its significant association with daily analgesic usage in the confirmatory cohort (P = .028), although the minor allele affected pain experience in an opposite manner. We identified a novel genetic variant associated with pain experience. Further studies are required to validate the role of pleiotrophin in pain processing