Development of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Associated with Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasia

We retrospectively investigated the incidence of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma among patients with intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms of the pancreas. Based on imaging in 195 such patients, we chose surgery as initial treatment for 54, and periodic evaluation over 6 to 192 months (mean, 52) for 141. In 6 of the 141 patients observed for intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (4.2%), pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma developed. Further, careful monitoring for cancer occurrence in the remnant pancreas proved essential in the surgical resection group; 2 of 26 patients (7.7%) subsequently developed pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma in the remnant pancreas, at 41 months and 137 months after surgery. Serial observation of patients with intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms by contrast-enhanced computed tomography or magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography therefore is critical, whether or not surgical treatment initially was performed

Numerical simulation of oil leakage, water flooding and damaged stability of oil carrier based on moving particle semi-implicit (MPS) method

Oil leakage or water flooding in a damaged oil carrier are complex phenomena that involve fluid-solid interaction with complicated geometry and multiphase flow. In order to assess the damaged stability and environmental impact when the damage occurs, the present research models the non-linear hydrodynamic problems by using a numerical approach based on MPS (Moving particle Semi-Implicit) method. The comparison of numerical results with that obtained by quasi-static approach shows the limit of validity of the last one. Cconsidering the reduced dimension of the opening of the damage, the effects of the resolution of spatial discretization are also analysed

Chromatographic formation of a triadic band of lithium in hydrated LTA zeolite: An investigation on lithium isotope separation effects by ion exchange

published online 12 April 2017Lithium concentrations [Li] and isotopic ratios [Li-7]/[Li-6] were measured for effluent fractions from a biphasic zeolite column. The biphasic state was ascribed to a mixture of hydrated Linde Type A (LTA) zeolites, [Li-0.008(NH4)(0.92)]A and [Li-0.33(NH4)(0.67)]A, which were formed by Li ion exchange from hydrated ammonium in the form (NH4)(12)[Al12Si12O48]center dot nH(2)O (NH(4)A). The biphasic Li band of the column was displaced by ion exchange with a solution of NH4NO3. A constant [Li] with a much lower level than the concentration of NHt(4)(_)(+) in the displacer (NH4NO3) was observed for the effluent from a short column. This constant lower level of [Li] was attributable to the biphasic state. On this [Li] plateau of the effluent, the level of [Li-7] shifted higher than the original isotopic composition of the Li feed, whereas Li-6 was concentrated on the biphasic zeolite solid. The accumulation of Li-6 in the zeolite proceeded by a mechanism of differential elution of Li-7 from the biphasic zeolite. For the long column experiment, a significant enrichment of Li-6 in the zeolite was observed, whereby a triadic band of Li was probably formed in the column. Two monophasic and a biphasic state were assigned. The biphasic band was deemed to push the monophasic bands forward, thereby enriching the monophasic bands with Li-7, while Li-6 accumulated at the end of the biphasic band. The trio structure of the Li band and isotopic discrimination in the band were analyzed. (C) 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.ArticleMICROPOROUS AND MESOPOROUS MATERIALS. 248:115-121 (2017)journal articl

Plaque Vulnerability in Internal Carotid Arteries with Positive Remodeling

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of assessing positive remodeling for predicting future stroke events in the internal carotid artery. We therefore assessed narrowing of the carotid artery lumen using multidetector-row computer tomography (MDCT) angiography and carotid plaque characteristics using black-blood (BB) magnetic resonance (MR). Methods: We retrospectively selected 17 symptomatic and 11 asymptomatic lesions with luminal narrowing >50%. We compared remodeling parameters of luminal stenosis (remodeling ratio, RR/remodeling index, RI) using MDCT and MR intensities of atherosclerotic plaque contents using the BB technique (relative signal intensity, rSI). We also confirmed the validity of the relationship between MR intensity and atherosclerotic plaque contents by histology. The levels of biological markers related to vessel atherosclerosis were measured. Results: Plaque lesions with positive remodeling in carotid arteries were associated with a significantly higher prevalence of stroke compared with plaques with negative remodeling (p Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that the combined analysis of RR, RI and rSI could potentially help to predict future stroke events

Broad-band spectral analysis of the Galactic Ridge X-ray Emission

Detailed spectral analysis of the Galactic X-ray background emission, or the Galactic Ridge X-ray Emission (GRXE), is presented. To study the origin of the emission, broad-band and high-quality GRXE spectra were produced from 18 pointing observations with Suzaku in the Galactic bulge region, with the total exposure of 1 Ms. The spectra were successfully fitted by a sum of two major spectral components; a spectral model of magnetic accreting white dwarfs with a mass of 0.66 (0.59-0.75) solar, and a softer optically-thin thermal emission with a plasma temperature of 1.2-1.5 keV which is attributable to coronal X-ray sources. When combined with previous studies which employed high spatial resolution of the Chandra satellite (e.g. Revnivtsev et al. 2009, Nature), the present spectroscopic result gives another strong support to a scenario that the GRXE is essentially an assembly of numerous discrete faint X-ray stars. The detected GRXE flux in the hard X-ray band was used to estimate the number density of the unresolved hard X-ray sources. When integrated over a luminosity range of ~10^30-10^34 erg/s, the result is consistent with a value which was reported previously by directly resolving faint point sources.Comment: accepted for publication in Ap

A novel clinical entity, IgG4-related disease (IgG4RD): general concept and details

IgG4-related disease (IgG4RD) is a novel clinical disease entity characterized by elevated serum IgG4 concentration and tumefaction or tissue infiltration by IgG4-positive plasma cells. IgG4RD may be present in a certain proportion of patients with a wide variety of diseases, including Mikulicz’s disease, autoimmune pancreatitis, hypophysitis, Riedel thyroiditis, interstitial pneumonitis, interstitial nephritis, prostatitis, lymphadenopathy, retroperitoneal fibrosis, inflammatory aortic aneurysm, and inflammatory pseudotumor. Although IgG4RD forms a distinct, clinically independent disease category and is attracting strong attention as a new clinical entity, many questions and problems still remain to be elucidated, including its pathogenesis, the establishment of diagnostic criteria, and the role of IgG4. Here we describe the concept of IgG4RD and up-to-date information on this emerging disease entity

PD-1 blockade therapy promotes infiltration of tumor-attacking exhausted T cell clonotypes

PD-1 blockade exerts clinical efficacy against various types of cancer by reinvigorating T cells that directly attack tumor cells (tumor-specific T cells) in the tumor microenvironment (TME), and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) also comprise nonspecific bystander T cells. Here, using single-cell sequencing, we show that TILs include skewed T cell clonotypes, which are characterized by exhaustion (T-ex) or nonexhaustion signatures (Tnon-ex). Among skewed clonotypes, those in the T-ex, but not those in the Tnon-ex, cluster respond to autologous tumor cell lines. After PD-1 blockade, non-preexisting tumor-specific clonotypes in the T-ex cluster appear in the TME. Tumor-draining lymph nodes (TDLNs) without metastasis harbor a considerable number of such clonotypes, whereas these clonotypes are rarely detected in peripheral blood. We propose that tumor-infiltrating skewed T cell clonotypes with an exhausted phenotype directly attack tumor cells and that PD-1 blockade can promote infiltration of such T-ex clonotypes, mainly from TDLNs

Identification of a high incidence region for retroviral vector integration near exon 1 of the LMO2 locus

Therapeutic retroviral vector integration near the oncogene LMO2 is thought to be a cause of leukemia in X-SCID gene therapy trials. However, no published studies have evaluated the frequency of vector integrations near exon 1 of the LMO2 locus. We identified a high incidence region (HIR) of vector integration using PCR techniques in the upstream region close to the LMO2 transcription start site in the TPA-Mat T cell line. The integration frequency of the HIR was one per 4.46 × 10(4 )cells. This HIR was also found in Jurkat T cells but was absent from HeLa cells. Furthermore, using human cord blood-derived CD34(+ )cells we identified a HIR in a similar region as the TPA-Mat T cell line. One of the X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency (X-SCID) patients that developed leukemia after gene therapy had a vector integration site in this HIR. Therefore, the descriptions of the location and the integration frequency of the HIR presented here may help us to better understand vector-induced leukemogenesis

ブラダー・ウイリー ショウコウグン ニオケル セイチョウ ホルモン リョウホウ ト ソクワンショウ トノ カンケイ

成長ホルモン(GH)療法がプラダー・ウイリー症候群(PWS)の低身長に対して適応され5年が経過し,様々な効果が報告されてきている.しかし一方で, GH治療が側弯症を誘発または増悪させる可能性が問題になってきている.今回我々は,獨協医科大学越谷病院小児科でフォロー中のPWS患者72名(男性46名,女性26名,年齢1歳から49歳)を対象にGH治療と側弯症の関係を検討した.対象の72名中, GH療法を受けた者は41名,受けなかった者は31名であった. 72名中33名(45.8%)にコブ角10度以上の側弯症を認めた.側弯症は, GH療法を受けた41名中20名(48.8%)に, GH療法を受けなかった31名中13名(41.9%)に認められ,両群間に統計学的有意差は認められなかった. GH療法を受けた患者中,側弯症あり群となし群間でのGH療法開始後1年目の身長増加の比較では,それぞれ8.59±1.92cmと10.70±2.54cmであった.側弯なし群のGH療法開始後1年目の身長は側弯あり群より有意に増加していた.したがって,統計学上では身長の加速は側弯症を悪化させていなかった. GH開始年齢と側弯症発症との関係では,側弯症なし群でGH療法開始年齢が有意に低かった(p=0.029). GH療法を受けている群で,側弯症を認めた20名のコブ角の経過は,変動なし10名,増悪6名,増悪軽快1名,軽快3名であった. PWS患者においてGH療法は身長増加をもたらすが側弯症増悪因子になっていないと考えられた.Growth hormone (GH) therapy for Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) has started worldwide and various favorable effects have been reported. But the possibility of progression of scoliosis is being new problems for GH treatment. In this study we analyzed 72 patients who are followed at our hospital (46 males and 26 females, aged from 1 year old to 49 years old, 41 patients with GH use and 31 without GH). We studied 1. The overall frequency of scoliosis in PWS, 2. The frequency of scoliosis with and without GH therapy, 3. The two factors (i.e. height velocity of the first year of GH therapy and the starting age of GH) which may be related to the progression of scoliosis, and 4. The prognosis of the scoliosis. The results are ; 1. Out of 72 patients, 33 patients (45.8%) showed scoliosis more than 10 degree of Cobb angle. 2. Out of 41 patients with GH therapy 20 patients (48.8 %) had scoliosis and out of 31 patients without GH therapy 13 patients (41.9 %) showed scoliosis. No statistical difference was detected between two groups. 3. Height velocities of the first year of treatment were 8.59±1.92 cm and 10.70±2.54 cm with and without scoliosis, respectively (p<0.001). GH therapy was started earlier in patients without scoliosis than with scoliosis (p<0.0001). 4. Out of 20 patients with scoliosis and GH use, the degree of scoliosis progressed in six patients, improved in three, and fluctuated in one during the GH treatment. Our results show that there is a high frequency of scoliosis in PWS with and without GH treatment, Increased height velocity by GH does not develop scoliosis, and early start of GH is not an exacerbating factor of scoliosis. Many patients showed progression of scoliosis with age irrespective of the use of GH and at least some patients improved their scoliosis in degree by GH