Endoscopic Mucosal Resection of Primary Anorectal Malignant Melanoma:A Case Report

Anorectal melanoma is a rare malignant tumor with a poor prognosis. However, several studies have reported cases of long-term survival. In this report, we present a patient with anorectal melanoma who has survived for 9 years after endoscopic mucosal resection. An 85-year-old man was referred to our hospital for further examination and treatment of an anal tumor 2cm in size. Endoscopic ultrasonography revealed that the depth of tumor invasion was confined to the submucosal layer. Endoscopic mucosal resection was performed, and the tumor was diagnosed as a malignant melanoma. The patient was followed without any additional treatment, which was per his wishes. Although melanoma recurred 4 times thereafter, endoscopic mucosal resection was performed for each recurrent lesion. Thus, he has been alive for 9 years since the first endoscopic mucosal resection without distant metastases. If the depth of tumor invasion is shallow, endoscopic mucosal resection is a useful option among other therapeutic modalities.</p

X-ray Anomalous Scattering of Diluted Magnetic Oxide Semiconductors: Possible Evidence of Lattice Deformation for High Temperature Ferromagnetism

We have examined whether the Co ions crystallographically substitute on the Ti sites in rutile and anatase Ti_{1-x}$Co$_{x}$O$_{2-delta}$thin films that exhibit room-temperature ferromagnetism. Intensities of the x-ray Bragg reflection from the films were measured around the$K$-absorption-edge of Co. If the Co ions randomly substitute on the Ti sites, the intensity should exhibit an anomaly due to the anomalous dispersion of the atomic scattering factor of Co. However, none of the anatase and rutile samples did exhibit an anomaly, unambiguously showing that the Co ions in Ti$_{1-x}$Co$_{x}$O$_{2-delta}$are not exactly located at the Ti sites of TiO$_2$. The absence of the anomaly is probably caused by a significant deformation of the local structure around Co due to the oxygen vacancy. We have applied the same method to paramagnetic Zn$_{1-x}$Co$_{x}$O thin films and obtained direct evidence that the Co ions are indeed substituted on the Zn sites.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, accepted in PR

High Efficiency Inverter Scroll Compressors

We have developed 8HP ~ 20HP high efficiency and high reliability , high-pressure dome type inverter scroll compressors , which are for the building air conditioning use,  to meet the recent increasing energy-saving demand. In addition to the traditional technology, which we employed to achieve high efficiency and high reliability, such as, -The high-low pressure dome structure to suppress the suction overheat - The push-back structure to suppress the increase in the surface pressure by introducing the high pressure oil between thrust sliding surface of the fixed scroll and the orbiting scroll, in this compressors we employed the following technology as well. - The optimization of the orbiting scroll back pressure in order to prevent the turnover of the orbiting scroll even at a low compression ratio operation, - Injection mechanism employing a check valve to achieve high efficiency both at rated condition and a low compression ratio condition, minimizing the dead volume of the compression chamber. Furthermore for the compressors, which are more than 16HP, · The balance mechanism, which suppress the deflection of shaft due to the gas load during the compression and prevent uneven contact of the shaft and the bearing, was adopted. With the new technologies above, as compared with the conventional scroll compressor, in a wide operation range from a low compression ratio operation to high compression ratio operation and from low-speed operation to high speed operation, efficiency and reliability were significantly improved in the APF and IPLV conditions In this paper I describe particularly about high-efficiency technology

GRAVITATIONAL EFFECT ON GROWTH OF InX Ga1-XSb TERNARY BULK CRYSTALS

The effect of gravity on dissolution of GaSb in InSb melt and growth of InGaSb was experimentally investigated using GaSb(seed)/InSb/GaSb(feed) sandwich samples. Two parameters were considered: (1) the inclination angle of the sample for gravity as 0&deg;, 53&deg; and 90&deg;, (2) the sample diameter (D) as 9 mm and 5mm. When &theta; =0&deg;, the interface was almost flat whereas the interfaces were strongly distorted when &theta; = 53&deg; and 90&deg;. The undissolved GaSb(feed) remained for \theta = 0 &deg;. However, it dissolved completely for &theta; = 90&deg;, and partially for &theta; = 53&deg;. As the gravitational angle was increased, the growth length of uniform composition became long. The decrease of sample diameter reduced the dissolution area of GaSb. These facts indicated that the dissolution and growth processes were strongly influenced by gravity

The effectiveness of simulation-based education combined with peer-assisted learning on clinical performance of first-year medical residents: a case-control study

Background Simulation-based education and peer-assisted learning (PAL) are both known as useful educational methods. Previous research has reported that combining these two methods are effective for training medical residents in short-term evaluation. This study was aimed to evaluate the middle- to long-term effects of simulation-based education combined with PAL on the performance of medical residents during emergency department duties. Methods This study was designed as a case-control study and conducted over three years at Okayama University Hospital in Japan. Postgraduate-year-one medical residents were assigned to three groups: a simulation group that received simulation-based education, a lecture group that received traditional lecture-based education, and a control group that received no such prior trainings. Prior training in emergency department duties using PAL was performed as an educational intervention for the simulation and lecture groups during the clinical orientation period. The residents' medical knowledge was assessed by written examinations before and after the orientation. The performance of residents during their emergency department duties was assessed by self-evaluation questionnaires and objective-assessment checklists, following up with the residents for three months after the orientation period and collecting data on their 1st, 2nd, and 3rd emergency department duties. All the datasets collected were statistically analyzed and compared by their mean values among the three groups. Results A total of 75 residents were included in the comparative study: 27 in the simulation group, 24 in the lecture group, and 24 in the control group. The simulation and lecture groups obtained significantly higher written examination scores than the control group. From the self-evaluation questionnaires, the simulation group reported significantly higher satisfaction in their prior training than the lecture group. No significant differences were found in the emergency department performance of the residents among the three groups. However, when evaluating the improvement rate of performance over time, all three groups showed improvement in the subjective evaluation, and only the simulation and lecture groups showed improvement in the objective evaluation.ConclusionSimulation-based education combined with PAL is effective in improving the knowledge and satisfaction of medical residents, suggesting the possibility of improving work performance during their emergency department duties

Early detachment of neuromuscular junction proteins in ALS mice with SODG93A mutation

The transgenic animals with mutant copper/zinc superoxide dismutase (SOD1) DNA develop paralytic motor neuron disease resembling human amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients and are commonly used as models for ALS. In the transgenic (Tg) mice with the G93A mutation of the human SOD1 gene SOD1G93A mice), the loss of ventral root axons and the synapses between the muscles and the motor neurons suggested that the motor neuron degeneration might proceed in a dying-back degeneration pattern. To reveal the relationship between axonal degeneration and the progression of the muscle atrophy in the SOD1G93A mice, we investigated the status of the neuromuscular junction along the disease progression. As a presynaptic or postsynaptic marker of neuromuscular junction (NMJ), anti-synaptic vesicle protein 2 (anti-SV2) antibody and α-bungarotoxin (α-BuTX) were chosen in this study and, as a marker of synaptic cleft, anti-agrin antibody was chosen in this study. In the immunohistochemistry of α-BuTX and anti-SV2 antibody, the percentages of double positive NMJs among α-BuTX single positive were decreased in Tg mice through time from ten weeks. The number of postsynaptic acethylcholine receptor (AChR) clusters did not decrease in Tg mice even at the end stage. Immunohistochemistry of α-BuTX and anti-agrin antibody revealed that the increase of immunopositive area of anti-agrin antibody around the muscle fiber in Tg mice from ten weeks of age. In this study, we revealed that the detachment of nerve terminals started at ten weeks in Tg mice. The levels of AChR did not change throughout 5–20 weeks of age in both groups of mice, and AChR remains clustering at NMJs, suggesting that the muscle abnormality is the result of detachment of nerve terminals