Effective Appendix Stump Closure Using the Doubleshanked Titanium Ligation Clip (DS Clip): A Case Report

Background: During laparoscopic appendectomy, several methods and devices can be used to close the appendicular stump, such as endoloops, linear staplers, clips, and open purse-string sutures. The Double-shanked Titanium Ligation Clip® (DS clip; B. Braun Aesculap, Tuttlinger, Germany), a new device that can be used to close the appendicular stump, was approved for use in Japan in March 2015. We report a case of effective appendix stump closure using DS clips. Case presentation: An 81-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with complaints of severe pain in the right lower quadrant of the abdomen. Abdominal contrast-enhanced computed tomography showed a thickened appendix (1.7 cm in diameter) with fecal stones, while acute inflammatory signs were visible around the appendix. He was diagnosed with acute appendicitis for which laparoscopic appendectomy was performed with a curative intent. It was difficult to mobilize the cecum because of inflammation, so we attempted to use DS clips instead of linear staplers. A histological examination revealed gangrenous appendicitis. The patient’s postoperative course was uneventful and he was discharged 10 days postoperatively. We also used DS clips to close the appendicular stump in 12 other cases. We observed no intra- or postoperative complications and no cases of mortality. Conclusion: The management of an appendicular stump using DS clips during laparoscopic appendectomy was simple, safe, and cost-effective. DS clips may be an alternative method to linear staplers

Resistance to gamma- and ultraviolet-rays of Rubrobacter sp. AA3-22

Rubrobacter belong to the phylum “Actinobacteria” while Deinococcus that are well known as the radioresistant bacteria belong to the distinct phylum “Deinococcus-Thermus”. To date, 11 species of Rubrobacter have been reported, and radiation resistance data are described for 3 species, namely Rubrobacter radiotolerans, Rubrobacter xylanophilus and Rubrobacter taiwanensis. The strain AA3-22 isolated from Arima Onsen is a moderate thermophile with an optimum growth temperature of 58 ˚C, and it has been reported from genome sequence analysis that it is most related to R. xylanophilus. In this study, we compared the survival curves of the strain AA3-22, the R. radiotolerans and R. xylanophilus type strains in order to clarify the resistance to gamma- and ultraviolet-rays. AA3-22 showed the lowest resistance to gamma-rays among the three strains tested. The survival curve of AA3-22 resembled that of the wild-type strain of Deinococcus radiodurans. The gamma-ray resistance of R. radiotolerans JCM 2153 was in good agreement with the previous literature value. On the other hand, the gamma-ray resistance of R. xylanophilus JCM 11954 was lower than the previous literature value, which seemes to be due to the difference in cell density subjected to irradiation. Regarding ultraviolet resistance, AA3-22 exhibited the highest resistance among the three strains tested, and R. xylanophilus JCM 1195 unexpectedly showed significant sensitivity to ultraviolet-ray

Increasing Electrode Work Function Using a Natural Molecule

Abstract Providing sustainability to organic electronics is highly demanded to reduce the negative impact of organic devices on environments and human health upon their disposal. To attain biodegradability and biocompatibility of the electronic devices, utilization of the natural molecules for the device constituents is essential. In this study, it is reported that the adsorption of caffeic acid (CfA), a polar phenylpropanoid that plants bio‐synthesize, universally increases work functions (WFs) of practical electrodes and organic films. Either vacuum‐depositing or spin‐casting CfA films on the electrode materials form a dipole layer with the negative charges on the carboxyl group exposed to the outermost surface. The preferential adsorption of the catechol moiety of CfA onto substrate surfaces drives the molecular orientation, leading to the WF increase up to 0.7 eV. As a consequence, the single‐layer devices with the CfA interlayer facilitate the hole injection in forward bias by a factor of 101–102, which validates the usability of the natural molecule for organic electronics

Ectodomain shedding of EGFR ligands serves as an activation readout for TRP channels.

Transient receptor potential (TRP) channels are activated by various extracellular and intracellular stimuli and are involved in many physiological events. Because compounds that act on TRP channels are potential candidates for therapeutic agents, a simple method for evaluating TRP channel activation is needed. In this study, we demonstrated that a transforming growth factor alpha (TGFα) shedding assay, previously developed for detecting G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) activation, can also detect TRP channel activation. This assay is a low-cost, easily accessible method that requires only an absorbance microplate reader. Mechanistically, TRP-channel-triggered TGFα shedding is achieved by both of a disintegrin and metalloproteinase domain-containing protein 10 (ADAM10) and 17 (ADAM17), whereas the GPCR-induced TGFα shedding response depends solely on ADAM17. This difference may be the result of qualitative or quantitative differences in intracellular Ca2+ kinetics between TRP channels and GPCRs. Use of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and betacellulin (BTC), substrates of ADAM10, improved the specificity of the shedding assay by reducing background responses mediated by endogenously expressed GPCRs. This assay for TRP channel measurement will not only facilitate the high-throughput screening of TRP channel ligands but also contribute to understanding the roles played by TRP channels as regulators of membrane protein ectodomain shedding

Bulk and grain-scale minor sulfur isotope data reveal complexities in the dynamics of Earth’s oxygenation

Significance The permanent disappearance of mass-independent sulfur isotope fractionation (S-MIF) from the sedimentary record has become a widely accepted proxy for atmospheric oxygenation. This framework, however, neglects inheritance from oxidative weathering of pre-existing S-MIF–bearing sedimentary sulfide minerals (i.e., crustal memory), which has recently been invoked to explain apparent discrepancies within the sulfur isotope record. Herein, we demonstrate that such a crustal memory effect does not confound the Carletonville S-isotope record; rather, the pronounced Δ 33 S values identified within the Rooihoogte Formation represent the youngest known unequivocal oxygen-free photochemical products. Previously observed 33 S-enrichments within the succeeding Timeball Hill Formation, however, contrasts with our record, revealing kilometer-scale heterogeneities that highlight significant uncertainties in our understanding of the dynamics of Earth’s oxygenation. </jats:p