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Anal cystic lesions are extremely rare. From October 2011 to August 2023, 3 (0.12%) of the 2498 anal surgery cases performed in our hospital had cystic lesions. They were 38, 56, and 69 years old, all male, and cystic lesions were located anterior to the anus. The cysts were elastic and soft, and the preoperative diagnosis was thrombosed external hemorrhoids or cysts, but histopathologic examination revealed epidermal cysts in two cases and teratoma in one case. Teratomas in the anus show similar histological features to tailgut cysts and retrorectal cyst-hamartomas, and are thought to be rare cysts caused by the remnants of cloaca. They are usually located in the retrorectal space; cases located in the perianal region are extremely rare, and only four cases including ours have been reported in Japan. We present each case and report a case of teratoma in the anal region with a review of the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arteriovenous malformation or arteriovenous hemangioma of the maxillary sinus is relatively rare. The coexistence of the 2 lesions in the maxillary sinus is extremely rare. Such lesions may cause severe epistaxis due to arterial bleeding. A 73-year-old woman visited our department for recurrent and severe epistaxis, and a blood transfusion (400 mL) was required owing to the decrease in hemoglobin level (8.0 g/dL). On magnetic resonance imaging, the mass expanding in the right maxillary sinus had mixed high signal intensity on T1 magnetic resonance imaging with heterogeneous enhancement. The angiography showed no dilatation or meandering of the blood vessels of the relevant region and any apparent bleeding sites were not detected. An endoscopic nasal surgery could remove the maxillary sinus mass without preoperative embolization. Pathological examination clarified the coexistence of arteriovenous malformation and arteriovenous hemangioma in the mass. She has never complained of epistaxis for 6 months after the surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atomic stress, utilized in molecular mechanics and molecular dynamics, is valuable in analyzing complex phenomena such as heat transfer, crack propagation and void growth. However, traditional modeling techniques designed for large-scale systems may lack the precision achievable through first-principles calculations. To overcome this limitation, we propose an approach based on artificial neural network (ANN) potentials to compute atomic stress. A crucial aspect of this method is the use of central force decomposition to derive the atomic stress tensor of the ANN potential, ensuring compliance with the balance between linear and angular momentum. By comparing atomic stress calculations for surface systems in Fe and Al using the ANN and embedded-atom (EAM) potentials, we demonstrate that the ANN potential accurately reproduces the stress oscillations near the surface layer predicted by first-principles calculations. This scheme allows us to evaluate atomic stress with nearly the same accuracy as first-principles calculations, even in large-scale models with complex geometries and defect structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a case where tranexamic acid, which is an antifibrinolytic agent, was used to effectively treat bleeding tendency in a patient with immunoglobulin light chain (AL) amyloidosis. A male patient in his 80s without a history of bleeding disorders was admitted to our hospital for the examination of bleeding tendency and was diagnosed with a bleeding disorder due to AL amyloidosis. Blood tests revealed elevated plasmin-α2- plasmin inhibitor complex levels, suggesting fibrinolytic activation. Managing the bleeding was difficult; however, we suspected fibrinolytic activation associated with AL amyloidosis and initiated treatment with oral tranexamic acid, which markedly improved the bleeding disorder and abnormalities of the fibrinolytic system. Therefore, in cases of bleeding due to fibrinolytic activation of AL amyloidosis, tranexamic acid administration can be an effective treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study clarifies the involvement of gender and pre-existing diabetes mellitus (DM) in the clinical characteristics of polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR). Methods: The clinical records of patients diagnosed with PMR in our department between January 2011 and June 2021, especially in terms of gender and DM were retrospectively analysed. Results: We identified 89 patients with the median age of 75.37 cases were men and 52 cases were women. Pre-existing DM was found in 21 patients (23.6%). Male PMR patients exhibited a higher complication rate of pre-existing DM and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels at diagnosis (p = .04 and p < .01, respectively) than female patients, and men were more common in the patient group with pre-existing DM (p = .04). The CRP levels of male PMR patients without pre-existing DM were higher than female PMR patients without pre-existing DM. Conclusion: Male PMR patients might have a varying pathophysiology from female patients in terms of high inflammation levels accompanied by a high prevalence rate of pre-existing DM and need a gender-specific approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Advanced Pancreatic Cancer (PC) causes nutritional deterioration and weight loss due to a decrease in digestive and absorption capacity associated with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. Therefore, we conducted a prospective cohort study to evaluate the effectiveness of an elemental diet (ED). Methods: We conducted two-centers, prospective consecutive observational study to assess the outcomes of patients with unresectable PC who underwent first-line chemotherapy. We enrolled patients receiving chemotherapy for unresectable PC from January 2017 to December 2019 and prescribed an oral ED (ED group). From December 2014 to December 2016, 43 patients before the introduction of ED therapy in our institutions were retrospectively studied as a historical cohort. Data on the nutritional markers at baseline and 3 months were extracted, and serial changes were compared between the 2 groups. Results: A comparison of the background of the two groups revealed that the clinical stage was significantly worse and serum CA19-9 levels were significantly higher in the ED group. The serial changes at 3 months in body mass index, serum CEA, and serum CA19-9 were not statistically significant. The serum albumin level tended to show a much greater decrease in the historical cohort (P=0.15). Furthermore, the serum total protein level and prognostic nutrition index were significantly decreased in the historical cohort (P=0.02, <0.005, respectively). Conclusion: This prospective study demonstrated that ED tended to improve the nutritional status during chemotherapy for unresectable PC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Palatinose is a disaccharide in which glucose (G) and fructose (F) are bonded together by alpha-1,6 linkage and is more slowly absorbed into blood than sucrose consisting of G and F bonded by alpha-1, 2 linkage. Since postprandial glucose levels and insulin responses are considered to be related with the risk of cardiometabolic diseases, we compared in this study the effects of 1)palatinose IC, highly purified palatinose crystal (99%or more), 2) palatinose SD, a spray dried sugar mixture containing palatinose as the main component (84%) and 3) the combination of glucose and fructose (G+F) on blood glucose, insulin, glucagon-like peptide-1(GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP). In a three-group, three-period, double-blind crossover study of 21 healthy males (age 19-24 years, mean 21.7+_1.4) with fasting blood glucose levels below 100 mg/dl, blood samples were collected before (0 min) and at 30,60,90 and 120 min after the consumption of three test beverages of 1)palatinose IC, 2) palatinose SD and 3) G+F. Palatinose IC and SD did not significantly inhibit the elevation of blood glucose but significantly inhibited the secretion of insulin compared to G+F. The elevation of GLP-1 was significantly higher, and the elevation GIP was significantly lower after palatinose IC and SD than after G+F. In conclusion, palatinose significantly attenuated postprandial insulin and GIP secretion, but significantly increased GLP-1 secretion with appetite suppressive effect. Since insulin and GIP are involved in adipogenesis related to insulin resistance, replacing G+F used in commercial beverages with palatinose could be expected to prevent obesity and diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proton pump inhibitors are commonly utilized for the treatment of gastric acid-related diseases, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease, peptic ulcer disease, and Helicobacter pylori infection, and for the prevention of low-dose aspirin or nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug-induced peptic ulcers. Vonoprazan is a first-in-class potassium-competitive acid blocker, which has distinct advantages compared to other conventional proton pump inhibitors in terms of the efficacy for acid suppression. Due to its strong gastric acid suppression capabilities, vonoprazan serves as an effective drug for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease and H. pylori infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fermented brown rice and rice bran with Aspergillus oryzae (FBRA) is considered to have the potential to prevent chemically-induced carcinogenesis in multiple organs of rodents. In the present study, we evaluated the possible chemopreventive effects of FBRA against prostate tumorigenesis. Six-week-old male rats of the transgenic rat for adenocarcinoma of prostate (TRAP) strain were fed diets containing 5% or 10% FBRA for 15 weeks. Animals were sacrificed at 21 weeks of age, and the ventral and lateral prostate were removed for histopathological evaluation and immunoblot analyses. FBRA decreased the incidence of adenocarcinoma in the lateral prostate and suppressed the progression of prostate carcinogenesis. Treatment with FBRA induced apoptosis and inhibited cell proliferation in histologically high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasias. Phospho-AMP-activated kinase α (Thr172) was up-regulated in the prostate of rats fed the diet supplemented with FBRA. These results indicate that FBRA controls tumor growth by activating pathways responsive to energy deprivation and suggest that FBRA has translational potential for the prevention of human prostate cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fermented brown rice by Aspergillus oryzae (FBRA) is known to have the potential to prevent chemical carcinogenesis of the colon, liver, esophagus, urinary bladder, stomach and lungs in rodents. The present study examined the possible chemopreventive effects of FBRA on N-nitrosobis(2-oxopropyl) amine (BOP)-induced pancreatic tumorigenesis in hamsters. Five-week-old male Syrian golden hamsters were divided into seven groups. Groups 1-5 were subcutaneously injected with BOP (10 mg/kg body weight) four times during week 6 to induce pancreatic tumors, while groups 6 and 7 were injected with saline. Groups 2 and 3 were fed diets containing 5 and 10% FBRA, respectively, during the initiation phase. By contrast, groups 4 and 5 were fed diets containing 5 and 10% FBRA, respectively, during the post-initiation phase. Group 6 received a diet containing 10% FBRA throughout the experiment, and group 7 was kept on the basal diet alone and served as the untreated control. At the termination of the study (week 22), oral intake of 10% FBRA (group 5) during the post-initiation phase was identified to have significantly reduced the multiplicity (number of lesions/animal) of ductal adenocarcinoma [pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia 3 (PanIN3); carcinoma in situ and invasive carcinoma] in comparison with group 1 control hamsters (0.24±0.44 vs. 0.71±0.72; P<0.05). Treatment with 10% FBRA in the post-initiation phase inhibited the progression of normal/precancerous lesions (PanIN1, mild hyperplastic lesions; and PanIN2, papillary hyperplasia) to ductal adenocarcinomas. Furthermore, dietary exposure to 10% FBRA during the initiation (group 3) and post-initiation phases (group 5) significantly reduced the multiplicity of PanIN2 (group 3, 0.55±0.69; group 5, 0.45±0.69; versus group 1, 1.26±1.24; P<0.05 and P<0.01, respectively). A significant reduction of Ki-67 positivity of PanIN2 in group 5 was also confirmed (group 5, 0.05±0.03; group 1, 0.22±0.12; P<0.01). Using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling, augmentation of apoptosis by FBRA exposure in the non-lesional ductal epithelium and proliferative lesions was not evident. These findings indicate that FBRA exhibits inhibitory effects on BOP-induced pancreatic tumorigenesis in hamsters due to the reduced proliferation rate of tumor cells. Thus, FBRA may be a promising chemopreventive agent in human pancreatic cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the spatial distributions and 14C ages of sessile marine organisms in the submarine cave Ginama at Okinawa, Japan. The cave is the northernmost and only known submarine cave with an air chamber in the northwestern Pacific region. The upper limit of living individuals of the coralline sponges Acanthocaetetes wellsi and the bivalve Pycnodonte taniguchii in the cave is located at a depth of approximately 10 m relative to the surface of the pool in the cave. Low temperatures and low salinities prevent these organisms fromcolonizing water depths shallower than 10 m. On the other hand, the upper limit of fossil individuals, dated between 5117 and 387 cal yr BP, is at a depth of 2.5 m, implying that at present the influence of fresh water on the cave pool is stronger than it has been at other times in the past 5000 years. This increase in the flux of fresh water may be explained by continuous cavern-forming activities such as dissolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The elderly are known to have an inadequate immune response to influenza vaccine. Mekabu fucoidan (MF), a sulfated polysaccharide extracted from seaweed, was previously shown to have an immunomodulatory effect. We therefore investigated antibody production after influenza vaccination in elderly Japanese men and women with and without oral MF intake. A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study was conducted with 70 volunteers >60 y of age. They were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 groups, consuming either MF (300 mg/d) or placebo for 4 wk, and then given a trivalent seasonal influenza vaccine. Serum was sampled at 5 and 20 wk after vaccination to measure the hemagglutination inhibition titer and natural killer cell activity. The MF group had higher antibody titers against all 3 strains contained in the seasonal influenza virus vaccine than the placebo group. Titers against the B/Brisbane/60/2008 (B) strain increased substantially more in the MF group than in the placebo group over the product consumption period. The immune response against B antigen met the European Union Licensure criteria regarding the geometric mean titer ratio in the MF group (2.4), but not in the placebo group (1.7). In the MF group, natural killer cell activity tended to increase from baseline 9 wk after MF intake (P = 0.08). However, in the placebo group no substantial increase was noted at 9 wk, and the activity decreased substantially from 9 to 24 wk. In the immunocompromised elderly, MF intake increased antibody production after vaccination, possibly preventing influenza epidemics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a study related to the purification and immobilization of subunit of porcine hair keratin. The study mentions that immobilization of keratin for its use as cell culture was done by using scanning electron microscope (SEM). The study further informs about the culturing of PC12 cells on crude keratin.

To elucidate the mechanism underlying suppression by a-naphthyl isothiocyanate (ANIT) of mammary carcinogenesis induced by 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP), we evaluated hepatic levels of cytochrome P-450 (CYP) enzymes, mutagenic activation of environmental carcinogens and UDP-glucuronyltransferase (UDPGT) activities in female SpragueDawley rats fed a high fat diet. Immunoblot analyses revealed induction of CYP1A1, newly found 51 and 53 kDa proteins and constitutive CYP1A2 and 2B2 by intragastric treatment with 85 mg/kg PhIP eight times for 11 days. Although the extents of induction were not as high as in the case of PhIP, 3 weeks feeding of 400 p.p.m. ANIT induced CYP1A1 and the 51 and 53 kDa proteins. CP1A2 level was decreased by the feeding of ANIT. The mutagenicity in strain TA98 of PhIP, four other heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and benzo[a]pyrene was greatly enhanced in the presence of liver S9 mix prepared from rats pretreated with PhIP but not with ANIT. The mutagenicities of these five HCAs were significantly decreased in the presence of liver S9 from rats pretreated with a combination of PhIP and ANIT as compared with that pretreated with PhIP alone. The level of hepatic CYP1A2, which is known to be involved in the metabolic activation of PhIP, was consistently decreased in liver microsomes from rats administered PhIP plus ANIT as compared with that from rats administered PhIP alone. On the other hand, UDPGT activity towards 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) was enhanced using liver microsomes prepared from rats pretreated with a combination of PhIP and ANIT as compared with those pretreated with PhIP or ANIT alone. These results show that chemoprevention by ANIT against PhIP-induced rat mammary carcinogenesis can be explained by a dual action mechanism, i.e. a reduction in metabolic activation by hepatic CYP1A2 and an enhancement of detoxification by 4-NP UDPGT. The role of the newly found 51 and 53 kDa proteins in activation of HCAs is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers instructions for endoscopic mucosa–submucosal clip closure method for patients who with high risk of delayed bleeding orperforation after endoscopic resection.

ApcMin/ mouse, a mouse model for human familial adenomatosis polyposis, contains a truncating mutation in the Apc gene and spontaneously develops intestinal tumors. Our previous study revealed two distinct stages of tumorigenesis in the colon of ApcMin/ mouse: microadenomas and macroscopic tumors. Microadenomas already have lost their remaining allele of the Apc and all microadenomas show accumulation of β-catenin, indicating that activation of the canonical Wnt pathway is an initiating event in the tumorigenesis. This study shows that expression of nuclear β-catenin in macroscopic tumors is further upregulated in comparison with that in microadenomas. Furthermore, transcriptional activity of β-catenin/T-cell factor (Tcf) signaling, assessed using β-catenin/Tcf reporter transgenic mice, is higher in the macroscopic tumors than that in microadenomas. In addition, the expression level of Dickkopf-1, which is known to be a negative modifier of the canonical Wnt pathway, was reduced only in colon tumors. These results suggest that activation of β-catenin/Tcf transcription plays a role not only in the initiation stage but also in the promotion stage of colon carcinogenesis in ApcMin/ mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]