Extensive Preferential Pathway Ablation for the Elimination of Premature Ventricular Contractions Arising from the Right Ventricular Outflow Tract

AbstractA 76 y/o women presented with 2 different types of premature ventricular contractions (VPCs 1 and 2) arising from the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT). Catheter ablation (CA) eliminated PVC1 at the earliest activation site (EAS), but thereafter another PVC morphology (PVC3) appeared. Small potentials preceding the local potential were broadly exhibited from the RVOT’s supero-anterior region to the EAS during PVC3. Point CA targeting such prepotentials failed. Transverse-linear CA with a line connecting sites with such pre-potentials eliminated both PVCs 3 and 2. In cases with broadly spreading preferential pathways, extensive CA might be needed to eliminate the PVCs

Laparoscopic gastrectomy in the Republic of the Union of Myanmar: my experience

　In Myanmar, laparoscopic gastrectomy is still uncommon. The first author demonstrated laparoscopic gastrectomy in response to a request from Myanmarese surgeons.　The patient was a 62-year-old male with gastric outlet obstruction. He had been unable to eat solid food for a month. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy revealed a type 2 tumor in the antrum, and the biopsy revealed adenocarcinoma. Laparoscopic distal gastrectomy with Rouxen-Y reconstruction was performed by the author with the assistance of Myanmarese surgeons thanks to donated devices. The postoperative course was uneventful.　As laparoscopic gastrectomy requires more equipment, is more expensive, requires more time than open surgery, and requires training, there are several obstacles to its widespread adoption in Myanmar

Effects of Preoperative Use of an Immune-Enhancing Diet on Postoperative Complications and Long-Term Outcome: A Randomized Clinical Trial in Colorectal Cancer Surgery in Japanese Patients

Background: Despite recent advances in surgical techniques and perioperative management, postoperative infectious complications remain a problem in surgical patients. We performed a prospective randomized clinical trial to examine the effects of preoperative Immune Enhancing Diets (IEDs) on postoperative complications in Japanese patients who underwent curative colorectal cancer surgery. This study was also designed to evaluate the optimal dose of preoperative IEDs for the patients without malnutrition. Finally, we analyzed recurrence free survival (RFS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) after surgery in patients who did and did not receive IEDspreoperatively.Material and Methods: This was a prospective, randomized clinical trial conducted at the Department of Surgery, National Defense Medical College, from October 2002 to October 2005. The 88 patients undergoing colorectal surgery were enrolled and were randomly divided into 3 groups. The high- (High, N=26) and low- (Low, N=31) dose groups received normal food and, respectively, 750ml/day or 250ml/ day of IEDs for 5 days before the operation. The primary endpoint was the rates of surgical site infection (SSI) and non- infectious complications. We also evaluated the RFS and DSS rate, respectively. Results: The patients were followed for 77±10 months (9-133 months) after surgery. Incisional SSI rates in the IEDs (High and Low) groups were significantly lower than in the Control group. (0%*, 0%* and 17%) (*P<0.01 vs. Control) The incidences of the infections not involving the surgical site (non-SSI) and the lengths of hospital stay were similar among the three groups. No significant differences were observed in RFS or DSS.Conclusion: In Japanese patients undergoing colorectal cancer surgery, preoperative IEDs significantly reduced the rate of incisional SSI as compared with the control group. Very interestingly, in Japanese patients, preoperative 250ml/day IED intake may be adequate for colorectal cancer patients without malnutrition. However, with regard to the long term outcome, beneficial effects of preoperative IEDs are not evident

Suppressor T cell Inducing Factor from a Human Macrophage Like Cell Line-U 937

U 987, a human histiocytic lymphoma cell line, spontaneously produces a factor(M-SF) which inhibits blastogenic responses of lymphocytes and Interleukin 2(IL-2) activated killer(IAK) induction from human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL). We investigated the mechanism of the suppressor action and the physicochemical character of the M-SF. Suppressive activity of U 937 culture supernatant was absorbed with human peripheral blood T lymphocytes. When the M-SF pretreated T cells were added, the mitogenic response of fresh allogeneic or autologus PBL to phytohaemagglutinin(PHA), Concanavalin A(Con A) and pokeweed mitogen(PWM) were suppressed. In addition, IL-2 activated killer activity was suppressed when the M-SF pretreated T cells were present in the induction phase of IAK. These suppressions were mediated by soluble factors produced by M-SF treated T lymphocytes. These results suggest that the pretreatment of T lymphocytes with M-SF resulted in the induction of suppressor T lymphocytes. M-SF also inhibited the protein kinase activity associated with T cell membrane. The intensity of phosphorylated T cell membrane proteins with the molecular weights of 110, 94, 42, 38 and 34 killodaltons on SDS PAGE were decreased. Dephosphorylation of these proteins may be related to the functional alteration of T lymphocytes. CPG-10 Gel permeation and hydrophobic interaction column chromatographic analysis revealed that the M-SF was an extremely hydrophobic sialoprotein of which approximate molecular weight was 10,000 daltons

Realization of a scanning soft X-ray microscope for magnetic imaging under high magnetic fields

For the purpose of imaging element- and shell-specific magnetic distributions under high magnetic fields, a scanning soft X-ray microscope has been developed at beamline BL25SU, SPring-8, Japan. The scanning X-ray microscope utilizes total electron yield detection of absorbed circularly polarized soft X-rays in order to observe magnetic domains through the X-ray magnetic circular dichroism effect. Crucially, this system is equipped with an 8 T superconducting magnet. The performance and features of the present system are demonstrated by magnetic domain observations of the fractured surface of a Nd₁₄.₀Fe₇₉.₇Cu₀.₁B₆.₂ sintered magnet.Y.Kotani, Y.Senba, K.Toyoki, et al. Realization of a scanning soft X-ray microscope for magnetic imaging under high magnetic fields. Journal of Synchrotron Radiation 25, 1444 (2018); https://doi.org/10.1107/S1600577518009177

Impairment of starvation-induced and constitutive autophagy in Atg7-deficient mice

Autophagy is a membrane-trafficking mechanism that delivers cytoplasmic constituents into the lysosome/vacuole for bulk protein degradation. This mechanism is involved in the preservation of nutrients under starvation condition as well as the normal turnover of cytoplasmic component. Aberrant autophagy has been reported in several neurodegenerative disorders, hepatitis, and myopathies. Here, we generated conditional knockout mice of Atg7, an essential gene for autophagy in yeast. Atg7 was essential for ATG conjugation systems and autophagosome formation, amino acid supply in neonates, and starvation-induced bulk degradation of proteins and organelles in mice. Furthermore, Atg7 deficiency led to multiple cellular abnormalities, such as appearance of concentric membranous structure and deformed mitochondria, and accumulation of ubiquitin-positive aggregates. Our results indicate the important role of autophagy in starvation response and the quality control of proteins and organelles in quiescent cells

Relative angle determinable stitching interferometry for hard x-ray reflective optics

Metrology plays an important role in surface figuring with subnanometer accuracy. We have developed relative angle determinable stitching interferometry for the surface figuring of elliptical mirrors, in order to realize hard x-ray nanofocusing. In a stitching system, stitching angles are determined not by the general method using a common area between neighboring shots, but by the new method using the mirror's tilt angles measured at times when profile data are acquired. The high measurement accuracy of approximately 4 nm (peak-to-valley) was achieved in the measurement of a cylindrical surface having the same curvature as the elliptically designed shape to enable hard x-ray nanofocusing. © 2005 American Institute of Physics.Hidekazu Mimura, Hirokatsu Yumoto, Satoshi Matsuyama, Kazuya Yamamura, Yasuhisa Sano, Kazumasa Ueno, Katsuyoshi Endo, Yuzo Mori, Makina Yabashi, Kenji Tamasaku, Yoshinori Nishino, Tetsuya Ishikawa and Kazuto Yamauchi, "Relative angle determinable stitching interferometry for hard x-ray reflective optics", Review of Scientific Instruments 76(4), 045102 (2005) https://doi.org/10.1063/1.186847