Arginine enriched EN after total gastrectomy

The effects of early enteral arginine-rich nutrition (EAN) were analyzed among patients undergoing curative-intent total gastrectomy for gastric cancer. There were 19 patients in this prospective study, all randomly assigned to either a parenteral nutrition (PN) group or an EAN group for the first seven days after surgery. The EAN group received 1.8-fold greater arginine (10.1 g / day) compared with the PN group, which was administered through an enteral tube inserted into the jejunal loop. Both groups were provided almost identical amounts of total amino acids (54 g / day), and the total energy was set at 65% of the total requirement (25 kcal / kg / day). No significant differences were observed between the two groups in postoperative complications, length of hospital stay, oral intake, nutritional status, or body weight. The serum arginine profile was similar in the two groups, as it decreased significantly on postoperative day (POD) 1, and gradually returned to preoperative levels by POD 7. The nitrogen balance remained negative until POD 7 in the PN group, but turned neutral at POD 7 in the EAN group. While we could not confirm body weight loss improvement, these results suggested that early arginine-rich enteral nutrition could improve the nitrogen balance after total gastrectomy

Feasibility study of two schedules of sunitinib in combination with pemetrexed in patients with advanced solid tumors

Background Sunitinib is an oral multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor and platelet-derived growth factor receptors, as well as of other receptor types. We have performed a feasibility study to investigate the safety of sunitinib in combination with pemetrexed for treatment of advanced refractory solid tumors. Methods Sunitinib was administered once daily on a continuous daily dosing (CDD) schedule (37.5 mg/day) or a 2-weeks-on, 1-week-off treatment schedule (50 mg/day, Schedule 2/1) in combination with pemetrexed at 500 mg/m2 on day 1 of repeated 21-day cycles. Results Twelve patients were enrolled in the study: six on the CDD schedule and six on Schedule 2/1. None of the treated patients experienced a dose-limiting toxicity. Toxicities were manageable and similar in type to those observed in monotherapy studies of sunitinib and pemetrexed. Pharmacokinetic analysis did not reveal any substantial drug–drug interaction. One patient with squamous cell lung cancer showed a partial response and five patients had stable disease. Conclusions Combination therapy with sunitinib administered on Schedule 2/1 (50 mg/day) or a CDD schedule (37.5 mg/day) together with standard-dose pemetrexed (500 mg/m2) was well tolerated in previously treated patients with advanced solid tumors

Terpenoids from Ligularia virgaurea collected in China: the first example of two bakkane derivatives with an anhydride-type ring C and nineteen new chemical constituents

Further chemical investigation of two Ligularia virgaurea samples collected in China resulted in the isolation of 21 new compounds, two of which were bakkane-type sesquiterpenoids bearing an anhydride-type ring C, which was a previously unknown partial structure. These samples belonged to the V-type (the major component was virgaurenone) among the five chemotypes found in this species

Kinetics of charge transfer in DNA containing a mismatch

Charge transfer (CT) in DNA offers a unique approach for the detection of a single-base mismatch in a DNA molecule. While the single-base mismatch would significantly affect the CT in DNA, the kinetic basis for the drastic decrease in the CT efficiency through DNA containing mismatches still remains unclear. Recently, we determined the rate constants of the CT through the fully matched DNA, and we can now estimate the CT rate constant for a certain fully matched sequence. We assumed that further elucidating of the kinetics in mismatched sequences can lead to the discrimination of the DNA single-base mismatch based on the kinetics. In this study, we investigated the detailed kinetics of the CT through DNA containing mismatches and tried to discriminate a mismatch sequence based on the kinetics of the CT in DNA containing a mismatch

精神科における多職種連携の取り組み

精神科においては精神障害者の生活の質の向上のために退院促進が求められている．そのためにはチームアプローチが不可欠であり，それを実践するためには，各専門職者の持っている能力を統合した活動を展開しなければならない．学際的連携チームケアモデルInterdisciplinary collaborative teamcare model （ICTCM）とは，チームケアを実践するための具体的な方法（教育，理論，実践，研究）を示すものである．そこで，ICTCMを使用して，チームケアサービスの質の改善活動の一環として，看護サービスをレベルアップすることを目的とした多職種参加による看護診断学習会を行ってきた．その結果，チームケア運営体制の整備，職種間の役割理解及び職種間で積極的に情報を共有しようとする姿勢が改善したと考えられた．This article describes workshop on nursing diagnosis that aimed improving an interdisciplinary collaboration in the psychiatric hospital. Psychiatric hospitals are required the promotion of discharge a patients with chronic mental disorders in order to enhance the quality of life of the people with mental disorders. For that purpose, team approach is absolutely imperative. In order to practice team approach, we have to unify the competency of each professional. Interdisciplinary Collaborative Team Care Model （ICTCM）shows the concrete method（education, theory, practice, research）for practicing team care. Our hospitals’ staffs are working based on this model in order to assure continuous improvement of providing efficient and high-quality of team care services. Nursing diagnosis workshop based on this model has been performed which aims to improve nursing services involve the participation of various health care professional. The overall conclusion of the report was that the management system of the team care is well-organized, also understanding of the role of other professions, the active and positive attitude for sharing information between inter-health care providers have improved

アスコルビン酸ステアリン酸エステルを投与したマウスにおける鉛毒性の軽減

We aimed to evaluate roles of hepatic ascorbic acid in ddY strain mice after a single injection of lead acetate (100μmol/kg body weight, i.p.). Lead decreased glutathione content, inhibited glutathione S-transferase activity, and increased calcium content in the liver four days after the injection. These lead-induced alterations were significantly antagonized by the treatment of mice with a diet containing 1(w/w) % ascorbyl stearate ester (ASE) for three days before and four days after lead injection, whereas ascorbate content was largely elevated in the livers of animals treated with both lead and ASE. Furthermore, the production of NADPH was enhanced by not only lead injection but also ASE-feeding. These results suggest that ASE-feeding could ameliorate cell damage through the restoration of intracellular redox states

PICK1 inhibition of the Arp2/3 complex controls dendritic spine size and synaptic plasticity

Dendritic spine remodelling involves regulated actin dynamics and is essential for synaptic plasticity. The Arp2/3 inhibitor PICK1 is here shown to regulate spine size: inducing shrinkage during long-term depression

Direct immobilization of DNA oligomers onto the amine-functionalized glass surface for DNA microarray fabrication through the activation-free reaction of oxanine

Oxanine having an O-acylisourea structure was explored to see if its reactivity with amino group is useful in DNA microarray fabrication. By the chemical synthesis, a nucleotide unit of oxanine (Oxa-N) was incorporated into the 5′-end of probe DNA with or without the -(CH2)n- spacers (n = 3 and 12) and found to immobilize the probe DNA covalently onto the NH2-functionalized glass slide by one-pot reaction, producing the high efficiency of the target hybridization. The methylene spacer, particularly the longer one, generated higher efficiency of the target recognition although there was little effect on the amount of the immobilized DNA oligomers. The post-spotting treatment was also carried out under the mild conditions (at 25 or 42°C) and the efficiencies of the immobilization and the target recognition were evaluated similarly, and analogous trends were obtained. It has also been determined under the mild conditions that the humidity and time of the post-spotting treatment, pH of the spotting solution and the synergistic effects with UV-irradiation largely contribute to the desired immobilization and resulting target recognition. Immobilization of DNA oligomer by use of Oxa-N on the NH2-functionalized surface without any activation step would be employed as one of the advanced methods for generating DNA-conjugated solid surface