Preoperative Graft Volume Assessment with 3D-CT Volumetry in Living-Donor Lobar Lung Transplantations

To determine the effectiveness of living-donor lobar lung transplantation (LDLLT), it is necessary to predict the recipient's postoperative lung function. Traditionally, Date's formula, also called the segmental ratio, has used the number of lung segments to estimate the forced vital capacity (FVC) of grafts in LDLLT. To provide a more precise estimate of graft FVC, we calculated the volumes of the lower lobe and total lung using three-dimensional computed tomography (3D-CT) and the volume ratio between them. We calculated the volume ratio in 52 donors and tested the difference between the segmental volume ratios with a one-tailed t-test. We also calculated the predicted graft FVC in 21 LDLLTs using the segmental ratio pFVC(c) and the volume ratio pFVC(v), and then found the Pearson's correlation coefficients for both pFVC(c) and pFVC(v) with the recipients' actual FVC (rFVC) measured spirometrically 6 months after surgery. Significant differences were found between the segmental ratio and the average volume ratio for both sides (right, p＝0.03;left, p＝0.0003). Both pFVC(c) and pFVC(v) correlated significantly with rFVC at 6 months after surgery (p＝0.007 and 0.006). Both the conventional and the volumetric methods provided FVC predictions that correlated significantly with measured postoperative FVC

Impact of lymph node dissection on clinical outcomes of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: Inverse probability of treatment weighting with survival analysis

Background: Lymph node metastasis (LNM) has been established as a critical risk factor for prognosis in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). The clinical implications of lymph node dissection (LND) have been debated. This study aimed to clarify the prognostic impact of LND by multicenter retrospective analysis. Methods: A total of 310 ICC patients who had undergone curative resection between 2000 and 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. The prognostic impact of LND was estimated under an inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) approach using propensity scores. Results: LND was performed for 224 patients (72%), with LNM pathologically confirmed in 90 patients (40%). Prognosis was poorer for patients with LNM (median survival, 16.9 months) than for those without (57.2 months; P Conclusions: LND could have a significant role to play in improving oncologic outcomes. Therapeutic LND should be implemented on the basis of tumor location and tumor advancement

コウシュウハ イオンプレーティング ホウ ニ ヨル ハクマク ケイセイ ニ カンスル ケンキュウ

The nanostructural hydrogenated graphite (CnanoHx) was synthesized from graphite by ball milling under hydrogen (H2) atmosphere. In this product, characteristic hydrogenated states in the form of polarized hydrocarbon groups (―CH, ―CH2, and ―CH3) are realized in the nanoscale. By synthesizing the composite of CnanoHx and lithium hydride (LiH), known as the Li―C―H system, hydrogen was desorbed at 350 °C, which is a lower temperature compared to the decomposition temperature of each component. It is considered that this hydrogen desorption would be induced by destabilization of each hydrogen absorbed state due to an interaction between the polarized C―H groups in CnanoHx and LiH. Therefore, in order to understand the hydrogen absorption/desorption mechanism of the Li―C―H system, it is an important issue to investigate the change in the C―H groups during hydrogen absorption/desorption reactions in the composite. The correlations among atoms contained in this composite are examined by neutron diffraction measurements, where the protium/deuterium (H/D) isotopic substitution was used to clarify the location of hydrogen atoms in this composite. Some C―D and Li―D correlations are found from the radial distribution function [RDF(r)] obtained by the neutron diffraction for the CnanoDx and LiD composite. After dehydrogenation, C―C triple bond and Li―C bond, ascribed to lithium carbide (Li2C2), are observed. Furthermore, the RDF(r) corresponding to rehydrogenated composite indicates the presence of not only the Li―D correlation but also the C―D one

Structured triacylglycerol containing behenic and oleic acids suppresses triacylglycerol absorption and prevents obesity in rats

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Dietary 1(3)-behenoyl-2,3(1)-dioleoyl-<it>rac</it>-glycerol (BOO) has been reported to inhibit pancreatic lipase activity <it>in vitro </it>and suppress postprandial hypertriacylglycerolemia in humans. In the present study, the anti-obesity activities of BOO and its inhibitory effects on lymphatic triacylglycerol (TAG) absorption were investigated in rats.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In Experiment 1, rats were fed either BOO or soybean oil (SO) diet for 6 weeks. In the BOO diet, 20% of SO was replaced with an experimental oil rich in BOO. In Experiments 2 and 3, rats cannulated in the thoracic duct were administered an emulsions containing trioleoylglycerol (OOO) or an oil mixture (OOO:BOO, 9:1). Tri[1-¹⁴C]oleoylglycerol (¹⁴C-OOO) was added to the emulsions administered in Experiment 3.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>No observable differences were detected in food intake or body weight gain between the BOO and SO groups in Experiment 1. Plasma and liver TAG concentrations and visceral fat weights were significantly lower in the BOO group than in the SO group. The apparent absorption rate of fat was significantly lower in the BOO group than in the SO group. In Experiment 2, the lymphatic recovery of oleic and behenic acids was significantly lower at 5 and 6 h after BOO administration than after OOO administration. In Experiment 3, the lymphatic recovery of ¹⁴C-OOO was significantly lower at 5 and 6 h after BOO administration than after OOO administration.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These results suggest that BOO prevents deposition of visceral fat and hepatic TAG by lowering and delaying intestinal absorption of TAG.</p

Systematic Cys mutagenesis of FlgI, the flagellar P-ring component of Escherichia coli

The bacterial flagellar motor is embedded in the cytoplasmic membrane, and penetrates the peptidoglycan layer and the outer membrane. A ring structure of the basal body called the P ring, which is located in the peptidoglycan layer, is thought to be required for smooth rotation and to function as a bushing. In this work, we characterized 32 cysteine-substituted Escherichia coli P-ring protein FlgI variants which were designed to substitute every 10th residue in the 346 aa mature form of FlgI. Immunoblot analysis against FlgI protein revealed that the cellular amounts of five FlgI variants were significantly decreased. Swarm assays showed that almost all of the variants had nearly wild-type function, but five variants significantly reduced the motility of the cells, and one of them in particular, FlgI G21C, completely disrupted FlgI function. The five residues that impaired motility of the cells were localized in the N terminus of FlgI. To demonstrate which residue(s) of FlgI is exposed to solvent on the surface of the protein, we examined cysteine modification by using the thiol-specific reagent methoxypolyethylene glycol 5000 maleimide, and classified the FlgI Cys variants into three groups: well-, moderately and less-labelled. Interestingly, the well- and moderately labelled residues of FlgI never overlapped with the residues known to be important for protein amount or motility. From these results and multiple alignments of amino acid sequences of various FlgI proteins, the highly conserved region in the N terminus, residues 1–120, of FlgI is speculated to play important roles in the stabilization of FlgI structure and the formation of the P ring by interacting with FlgI molecules and/or other flagellar components

ノウ ノ ハクブツカン ニ シュウゾウ サレテイル コウチュウモク タンメイ タイプ

農の博物館に収蔵されている甲虫目の担名タイプのすべてを,それぞれの学名,タイプの種類,性別とともに報告した。原著論文の記述によると,ハネカクシ科,クワガタムシ科,コガネムシ科,シバンムシ科,カミリキムシ科,ヒゲナガゾウムシ科に含まれる合計395種18亜種の担名タイプが保管されているはずだが,1950年以前に澤田玄正博士が記載したコガネムシ科の担名タイプは,第二次世界大戦の戦火と終戦後の混乱で失われたと考えられる。All the name-bearing types of Coleoptera deposited in the Museum of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture (Atsugi Campus) are listed. According to the original descriptions, name-bearing types of 395 species and 18 subspecies in the families Staphylinidae, Lucanidae, Scarabaeidae, Anobiidae, Cerambycidae, and Anthribidae should be housed in the museum. However, none of the holotypes and syntypes of Scarabaeidae described before 1951 by Dr. H. Sawada can been found there. It is most probable that they were lost during or after the Second World War

Risk factors for severity of colonic diverticular hemorrhage

Background/AimsColonic diverticular hemorrhage (DH) was a rare disease until the 1990s, and its incidence has increased rapidly since 2000 in Japan. In recent years, colonic DH has been the most frequent cause of lower gastrointestinal bleeding (LGIB). Nearly all cases of DH are mild, with the bleeding often stopping spontaneously. Some cases, however, require surgery or arterial embolization. In this study, using a cohort at Fukuoka University Chikushi Hospital, we investigated factors associated with severe colonic DH.MethodsAmong patients with LGIB who underwent colonoscopy at our hospital between 1995 and 2013, DH was identified in 273 patients. Among them, 62 patients (22.7%) were defined as having severe colonic DH according to recurrence of bleeding in a short period, and/or the necessity of transfusion, arterial embolization, or surgery. We then evaluated risk factors for severe DH among DH patients in this retrospective cohort.ResultsAmong the 273 patients with DH, use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (odds ratio [OR], 2.801; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.164–6.742), Charlson Risk Index (CRI) ≥2 (OR, 3.336; 95% CI, 1.154–7.353), right-sided colonic DH (OR, 3.873; 95% CI, 1.554–9.653), and symptoms of cerebral hypoperfusion (such as light-headedness, dizziness, or syncope) (OR, 2.926; 95% CI, 1.310–6.535) showed an increased risk of severe DH even after controlling for other factors.ConclusionsSevere DH occurred in 23% of DH patients, and NSAID use, CRI ≥2, right-sided colonic DH, and symptoms of cerebral hypoperfusion are suggested to be predictors of severe DH

TRPV4-dependent induction of a novel mammalian cold-inducible protein SRSF5 as well as CIRP and RBM3

Cold-inducible RNA-binding protein (CIRP) and RNA-binding motif protein 3 (RBM3) are two evolutionarily conserved RNA-binding proteins that are structurally related to hnRNPs and upregulated in response to moderately low temperatures in mammalian cells. Although contributions of splicing efficiency, the gene promoters activated upon mild hypothermia and the transcription factor Sp1 to induction of CIRP have been reported, precise mechanisms by which hypothermia and other stresses induce the expression of mammalian cold-inducible proteins (CIPs) are poorly understood. By screening the serine/arginine-rich splicing factors (SRSFs), we report that the transcript and protein levels of SRSF5 were increased in mammalian cells cultured at 32 °C. Expression of SRSF5 as well as CIRP and RBM3 were also induced by DNA damage, hypoxia, cycloheximide and hypotonicity. Immunohistochemical studies demonstrated that SRSF5 was constitutively expressed in male germ cells and the level was decreased in human testicular germ cell tumors. SRSF5 facilitated production of p19 H-RAS, and increased sensitivity to doxorubicin in human U-2 OS cells. Induction of CIPs was dependent on transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) channel protein, but seemed independent of its ion channel activity. These findings indicate a previously unappreciated role for the TRP protein in linking environmental stress to splicing