Estimating dynamics of fern species richness and assemblages for 30 years in Japan capital and along planning belt of linear motor car from Tokyo to Nagoya

We surveyed species density of ferns in Musashi (Tokyo and Saitama Prefs.), around capital of Japan, and planning belt of Linea express of 250km from Tokyo to Nagoya during 1997-2017, considering with records 30 years (mainly 1960-1980). The species richness (species richness per 10km X 10km) and similarity of species assemblages represented by species overlap were recorded and calculated between them of the past and present. Recent species richness is about half or less and the similarity ranged 0-48% in Musashi and 20-50% in the similarity along the Linea express planning belt.ArticleForestry Research and Engineering: International Journal. 2(2):68-73 (2018)journal articl

Effects of Kurozu concentrated liquid on adipocyte size in rats

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Kurozu concentrated liquid (KCL) is used as a health-promoting supplement for the treatment of disorders such as cancer, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension in Japan. We investigated the possible anti-obesity effects of KCL in rats.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Male Sprague Dawley rats were fed American Institute of Nutrition 76 formula diet and were orally administrated KCL or acetic acid at a dose of 100 mg/kg body weight or deionized water for 4 weeks. Adipocyte size, DNA content in subcutaneous adipose tissue, lipid levels in the serum and liver, and the rate of fatty acid excretion were determined. Effects of KCL on pancreatic lipase activity and 3T3-L1 preadipocyte differentiation were investigated <it>in vitro</it>.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In the KCL group, the average adipocyte size in subcutaneous and perirenal adipose tissues was significantly reduced. The KCL-administered rats displayed greater numbers of small adipocytes in the subcutaneous, perirenal and mesenteric adipose tissues than did rats from the other groups. In the KCL group, the DNA content in subcutaneous adipose tissue was significantly increased. The rate of fatty acid excretion was significantly increased in the KCL group. Furthermore, KCL significantly inhibited pancreatic lipase activity <it>in vitro</it>, and also significantly inhibited fat accumulation and mRNA expression of fatty acid binding protein 2 (aP2) and peroxisome proliferator-activated γ (PPARγ) in 3T3-L1 preadipocyte. The levels of serum and liver lipids, the concentration of serum glucose, and the levels of adiponectin were similar among the 3 groups.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Oral administration of KCL decreases the adipocyte size <it>via </it>inhibition of dietary fat absorption and reductions of PPARγ and aP2 mRNA expression levels in adipocytes.</p

An experience of treatment of postoperative biliary stricture at a single Japanese institute.

Many causes of biliary stricture are iatrogenic including postoperative complication such as a cholecystectomy. We examined the clinical demographics, surgical records and outcome in 7 patients undergoing biliary surgery between 1994 and 2006. Diseases included gall stone in 6 patients and neuroendocrine tumor of the pancreas head in one. Causes of biliary stricture included bile duct injury during cholecystectomy in 4 patients, and stenosis of hepaticojejunostomy in 3 (Repair of biliary injury in two and reconstruction after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) in one). Treatment modalities included surgical resection of stricture and reconstruction in 4 patients, extension by balloon catheter in one, and conservative treatment in two. Six patients have been cured and, however, one patient died of biliary cirrhosis and progressive hepatic failure at 4 years after PD. When improvement by the extension of stricture was not observed, surgical approach should be necessary. Complete resection of stricture and anastomosis between normal bile duct and intestine might be necessary. Indication of placement of metallic stent in stricture was thought to be carefully considered

Spontaneous Closure of a Rectovaginal Fistula that Developed after Double-stapled Anastomosis in Low Anterior Resection

Management of a rectovaginal fistula (RVF) following low circular-stapled colorectal anastomosis is difficult and often unsatisfactory. We report herein the case of a 66- year-old woman who developed a RVF following low anterior resection using the double-stapling technique for rectal cancer. The RVF spontaneously closed with nonoperative treatment that included simple observation without dietary restrictions. The spontaneous closure occurred within approximately 25 days. Minimally symptomatic patients may be candidates for nonoperative treatment

Type of Operation does not Affect Survival after Non-curative Resection for Adenocarcinoma of the Rectum at or below the Peritoneal Reflection: a Multivariate Analysis

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the type of operation [sphincter-saving resection (SSR) or abdominoperineal resection (APR)] for primary adenocarcinoma of the rectum at or below the peritoneal reflection affects survival after non-curative surgery. Methods. This retrospective study included 42 patients who underwent non-curative surgery by the following two types of operation between 1989 and 1998: (1) SSR (n=19 patients) included low anterior resection with either double-stapling technique (n=16) or transanal coloanal anastomosis (n=3); (2) APR (n=23). \u27Non-curative\u27 resection implied \u27Curability B\u27 and \u27Curability C\u27 defined by the Japanese Classification of Colorectal Carcinoma. Outcome measure was diseasespecific survival. Univariate and multivariate Cox\u27s regression analyses were used to evaluate data. Median follow-up was 17.2 months at study conclusion. Results. Disease-specific survival after non-curative surgery did not differ between the two types of operations. Multivariate analyses showed that the type of operation was not a significant independent variable in predicting disease-specific survival after surgery. One variable - \u27Curability\u27 - was significant predictor of outcome after surgery. Conclusions. The type of operation (SSR or APR) did not affect survival after non-curative resection for adenocarcinoma of the rectum at or below the peritoneal reflection

Clinicopathology and prognosis of mucinous gastric carcinoma

Background/Aims: Mucinous gastric carcinoma (MGC) is a rare histopathological type of gastric carcinoma, for which the clinicopathological features and prognosis remain controversial. To clarify the clinical significance of mucinous histological type in gastric cancer, we studied clinicopathological characteristics of MGC tumors and prognosis of patients. Methodology: Forty-one patients with MGC and 1,407 patients with non-mucinous gastric carcinoma (NGC) were included in the study. Tumors were evaluated against patient gender and age, tumor location, size, and macroscopic type, depth of gastric wall invasion, lymph node metastasis, liver metastasis, peritoneal dissemination, distant metastasis, stage, and operative curability. Results: Compared with NGC tumors, MGC tumors were larger, showed more serosal invasion, were associated with a higher incidence of lymph node metastasis, and peritoneal dissemination, and tended to be at a more advanced stage. However, multivariate analysis demonstrated that the mucinous histological type was neither an independent prognostic factor nor an independent risk factor for lymph node metastasis in patients with gastric cancer. Conclusions: The mucinous histological type had no influence on patient outcome or the frequency of lymph node metastasis. MGC tumors are therefore biologically similar to those in NGC

Evaluation of Surgical Resection for Pancreatic Carcinoma at a Japanese Single Cancer Institute

Background/Aims: Surgical resection is a radical treatment option for pancreatic carcinoma (PC); however, it is still difficult to cure and patient prognosis is poor at this stage. Methodology: We examined the demographics, surgical records and outcome in 64 patients with hilar PC undergoing surgical resection. Results: Pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) was carried out in 48 patients, distal pancreatectomy (DP) in 14 and total pancreatectomy in two. Postoperative complications were observed in 18 patients (28%) but no hospital deaths. All stage I patients showed carcinoma in situ of intraductal papillary mucinous carcinoma (IPMC). Postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy was performed in 15 patients (23%) using gemcitabine or S-1. Cancer recurrence was observed in 36 patients (56%) and 31 died of carcinoma. The 5-year cancer-free and overall survival rate was 12% and 14%, respectively. CA19-9 level, morphological type, T category, lymph node metastasis, extrapancreatic nerve plexus invasion, retropancreatic tissue invasion, distal bile duct invasion, duodenal invasion and arterial system invasion were significant poor prognostic factors; however, portal vein system invasion was not significantly associated with prognosis. Cancer infiltration at bile duct cut-end and dissected peripancreatic tissue margin and presence of residual tumor showed a poor prognosis. Surgical prognosis in only non-invasive IPMC was satisfactory.Conclusions: Radically extended surgical resection is necessary and newly effective adjuvant chemotherapy is a promising modality to improve patient survival in PC patients

Experience of Surgical Resection for Hilar Cholangiocarcinomas at a Japanese Single Cancer Institute

Background/Aims: Surgical resection is a radical treatment option for hilar bile duct carcinoma (HBDC); however, it is still difficult to cure and postoperative morbidity is high at this stage. Methodology: We examined the demographics, surgical records and outcome in 38 patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma undergoing operation. Results: Five patients (13%) underwent probe laparotomy because of peritoneal dissemination or liver metastasis. Of 33 patients, extended hemi-hepatectomy was performed in 32 patients.Postoperative complications were observed in 46% including hepatic failure in 3 and hospital death was observed in 4 patients. Advanced tumor stage more than stage III was observed in 23 patients. Curability of operation was A in 5 patients, B in 17 and C in 11 and postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy was administered in 24% including photodynamic therapy in 3. Tumor recurrence was observed in 41% of HBDC patients. The 3- and 5-year tumor-free survival was 38% and 10%, respectively and 3- and 5-year overall survival was 48% and 32%, respectively. By comparison with tumor stage or final curability, survival rates were not significantly different between groups.Conclusions: Surgical resection is still the only curative treatment option to improve patient survival even in advanced stage HBDC

Circulating Sialyl Lewisa, Sialyl LewisX, and Sialyl Tn Antigens in Patients with Diffuse Type of Gastric Cancer

The aim of this study was to clarify whether or not preoperative serum levels of sialyl Lewisa (CA19-9), sialyl LewisX (SLX), and sialyl Tn (STN) antigens are predictors for diffuse type gastric cancer. Eighty-two patients with diffuse type and 96 patients with intestinal type cancers were studied. Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that the following factors were significantly associated with diffuse type cancer: high levels of serum STN, young age (<62 years), female gender, tumor in the middle stomach, macroscopic type 3/type 4 cancer, presence of lymphatic invasion, peritoneal dissemination, stage III/IV, and non-curative resection. Multivariate analysis revealed that diffuse type cancer was independently related to young age (<62 years), female gender, tumor in the middle stomach, and macroscopic type 3/type 4 cancer. In conclusion, none of the preoperative serum levels of CA19-9, SLX, and STN were predictors for diffuse type cancer

Evaluation of new prognostic staging systems (SLiDe score) for hepatocellular carcinoma patients who underwent hepatectomy.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: A new prognostic staging system, the SLiDe (S, stage; Li, liver damage; De, des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin) score was recently proposed. We examined 207 HCC patients following hepatic resection to determine the usefulness of this staging system for HCC patients after surgery. METHODOLOGY: Disease-free and overall survival rates were calculated according to the Kaplan-Meier method, and differences between groups were tested for significance using the log-rank test. RESULTS: Regarding disease-free survival, there were no significant differences in survival between SLiDe score 0 vs 1, between score 2 vs 3, and between score 4 vs 5. There were significant differences between 0-1 vs 2-3 (p < 0.01) and between 2-3 vs 4-5 (p < 0.01). Regarding overall survival, there were no significant differences in survival between score 0 vs 1, between score 2 vs 3, and between score 4 vs 5. There were significant differences between 0-1 vs 2-3 (p < 0.05) and between 2-3 vs 4-5 (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The SLiDe score, a staging system that combines tumor factors, a tumor marker and hepatic function, might be a better predictor of prognosis in HCC patients who have undergone hepatic resection