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PDF file - 2.9MB, Supplementary Figure 2A. Immunostaining for CD34 in the case of pTa, low grade, and LVI negative UTUC with low VASH1 density: CD34 staining was observed in endothelial cells of microvascular vessels in the tumor lesion. Supplementary Figure 2B. Immunostaining for VASH1: the same case with 2A. VASH1 staining of vascular endothelial cells was negative or negligible. We observed low VASH1 density. Supplementary Figure 2C. Negative control slide: the same case with 2A-2B. The appropriate negative control slide was prepared. Supplementary Figure 2D. Immunostaining for CD34 in the case of pTa, low grade, and LVI negative UTUC with high VASH1 density: CD34 staining was observed in endothelial cells of microvascular vessels in the tumor lesion. Supplementary Figure 2E. Immunostaining for VASH1: the same case with 2D. VASH1 staining of vascular endothelial cells was strong. We observed high VASH1 density. Supplementary Figure 2F. Negative control slide: the same case with 2D-2E. The appropriate negative control slide was prepared. Supplementary Figure 2G. Immunostaining for CD34 in the case of pT3b, high grade, and LVI positive UTUC with low VASH1 density: CD34 staining was observed in endothelial cells of microvascular vessels in the tumor lesion. Supplementary Figure 2H. Immunostaining for VASH1: the same case with 2G. VASH1 staining of vascular endothelial cells was negative or negligible. We observed low VASH1 density. Supplementary Figure 2I. Negative control slide: the same case with 2G-2H. The appropriate negative control slide was prepared. Supplementary Figure 2J. Immunostaining for CD34 in the case of pT3b, high grade, and LVI positive UTUC with high VASH1 density: CD34 staining was observed in endothelial cells of microvascular vessels in the tumor lesion. Supplementary Figure 2K. Immunostaining for VASH1: the same case with 2J. VASH1 staining of vascular endothelial cells was strong. We observed high VASH1 density. Supplementary Figure 2L. Negative control slide: the same case with 2J-2K.

Impatiens yinyinkyii M.M.Latt, B.B.Park & Nob.Tanaka and I. horizontalis M.M.Latt, B.B.Park & Nob.Tanaka (Balsaminaceae) are described and illustrated. Those new species were discovered in Htamanthi Wildlife Sanctuary, northwestern Myanmar. Description, photographic data as well as the comparative characters with their similar species are provided. Impatiens yinyinkyii is similar to I. masonii Hook.f., but differs in having three dark purple blotches in center of flower, specifically at base of dorsal and upper petals of united petals. Impatiens horizontalis resembles I. stenantha Hook.f., I. prostrata Hook. f., I. repens Moon, I. procumbens Franch and I. reptans Hook. f. in having larger, glabrous and elliptic to lanceolate leaves, serrate margin with antrorse bristles, deeply bucciniform lower sepal, twisted spur with abruptly capitate tip, linear ovary, spheroid seed and finally uncommon conspicuous stout stem which is horizontally creeping.

Purpose: Laparoscopic adrenalectomy is widely performed for a number of hormone-producing tumors and postoperative management depends on the hormones produced. In the present study, we conducted a retrospective analysis to clarify the risk factors for postoperative complications, particularly postoperative fever after laparoscopic adrenalectomy. Methods: We analyzed 406 patients who underwent laparoscopic adrenalectomy at our hospital between 2003 and 2019. Postoperative fever was defined as a fever of 38°C or higher within 72 hours after surgery. We investigated the risk factors for postoperative fever after laparoscopic adrenalectomy. Results: There were 188 males (46%) and 218 females (54%) with a median age of 52 years. Among these patients, tumor pathologies included 188 primary aldosteronism (46%), 75 Cushing syndrome (18%), and 80 pheochromocytoma (20%). Postoperative fever developed in 124 of all patients (31%), 30% of those with primary aldosteronism, 53% of those with pheochromocytoma, and 8% of those with Cushing syndrome. A multivariate logistic regression analysis identified pheochromocytoma and non-Cushing syndrome as independent predictors of postoperative fever. Postoperative fever was observed in 42 out of 80 cases of pheochromocytoma (53%), which was significantly higher than in cases of non-pheochromocytoma (82/326, 25%, pConclusion: Since postoperative fever after laparoscopic adrenalectomy is markedly affected by the hormone produced by pheochromocytoma and Cushing syndrome, it is important to carefully consider the need for treatment.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), CO2, temperature, and humidity in a private room in a care facility for the elderly were measured and the behavior of a resident and staff were recorded in order to clarify the effects of the resident’s behavior, especially defecation, on indoor air quality. Average indoor concentrations of total VOCs (in μg m-3) in summer, autumn, and winter were 40.9, 16.7, and 18.8, respectively. Average indoor concentrations of CO2 in summer, autumn, and winter were 813, 761, and 1144 ppm, respectively, revealing a tendency for the concentrations of CO2 to be higher in winter, in contrast to the VOC concentration. The concentrations of VOCs and CO2 were 1.1 to 1.5 times higher when the resident was present in the room than when the resident was absent. This result suggests that one of the main sources of VOC and CO2 emissions in indoor air was the resident. Acetic acid, 1-butanol, propanoic acid, hexanoic acid, and phenol, which are contained in human sweat, exhaled air, and excrement, were the predominant VOCs in the air of the room regardless of the season, and these five components accounted for more than 90% of the total VOCs. The concentrations of these components were higher when the resident was present in the room, suggesting that the resident was the main source of these components. Based on the changes in the VOC and CO2 concentrations over time and the records of the resident and the staff, it was noted that VOC concentrations decreased, in some cases, before and after diaper changes. Our research suggests that certain aspects of the behavior of residents can be inferred by monitoring changes in indoor air quality.

Several clinical studies have been conducted into the practicality and safety of regenerative therapy using hESC/iPSC-retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) as a treatment for the diseases including age-related macular degeneration. These studies used either suspensions of RPE cells or an RPE cell sheet. The cells can be injected using a minimally invasive procedure but the delivery of an intended number of cells at an exact target location is difficult; cell sheets take a longer time to prepare, and the surgical procedure is invasive but can be placed at the target area. In the research reported here, we combined the advantages of the two approaches by producing a quickly formed hiPSC-RPE strip in as short as 2 days. The strip readily expanded into a monolayer sheet on the plate, and after transplantation in nude rats, it showed a potency to partly expand with the correct apical/basal polarity in vivo, although limited in expansion area in the presence of healthy host RPE. The strip could be injected into a target area in animal eyes using a 24G canula tip.

IL‐2 is a pleiotropic cytokine that regulates immune cell homeostasis. Its immunomodulatory function has been used clinically as an active immunotherapy agent for metastatic cancers. However, severe adverse effects, including the vascular leak syndrome and the preferential stimulation of anti‐immunogenic Treg rather than effector T cells, have been obstacles. We newly designed a mutein IL‐2, Mutakine‐6 (MK‐6), with reduced IL‐2Rα–binding capability. MK‐6 induced comparable cell growth potential toward IL‐2Rβγ–positive T cells but was far less efficient in in vitro Treg proliferation and STAT5 activation. Unlike IL‐2, in vivo administration of MK‐6 produced minimal adverse effects. Using CT26 and B16F10‐syngeneic tumor models, we found MK‐6 was highly efficacious on tumor regression. Serum albumin conjugation to MK‐6 prolonged in vivo half‐life and accumulated in CT26 tumors, showing enhanced antitumor effect. Tumor‐infiltrating leukocytes analysis revealed that albumin‐fused MK‐6 increased the ratio of effector CD8+ T cells to CD4+ Treg cells. These results demonstrated that MK‐6 is an efficient immunomodulator potentially used for improved immunotherapy with decreased adverse effects and attenuated Treg stimulation., Albumin‐conjugated IL‐2 mutein, MK‐6, exerts a potent antitumor effect in the CT26 tumor model.

In this study, a corrosion-stable silica membrane was developed to be used in H2 purification during the hydrogen iodide decomposition (2HI → H2 + I2), which is a new application of the silica membranes. From a practical perspective, the membrane separation length was enlarged up to 400 mm and one end of the membrane tubes was closed to avoid any thermal variation along the membrane length and sealing issues. The silica membranes consisted of a three-layer structure comprising a porous α-Al2O3 ceramic support, an intermediate layer, and a top silica layer. The intermediate layer was composed of γ-Al2O3 or silica, and the top silica layer that is H2 selective was prepared via counter-diffusion chemical vapor deposition of a hexyltrimethoxysilane. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of 400-mm-long closed-end silica membranes supported on Si-formed α-Al2O3 tubes produced via chemical vapor deposition method. A 400-mm-long closed-end membrane using a Si-formed α-Al2O3 tube exhibited a higher H2/SF6 selectivity of 1240 but lower H2 permeance of 1.4 × 10−7 mol Pa−1 m−2 s−1 with compared with the membrane using a γ-Al2O3-formed α-Al2O3 tube (907 and 5.6 × 10−7 mol Pa−1 m−2 s−1, respectively). The membrane using the Si-formed α-Al2O3 tube was more stable in corrosive HI gas than a membrane with a γ-Al2O3-formed α-Al2O3 tube after 300 h of stability tests. In conclusion, the developed silica membranes using the Si-formed α-Al2O3 tubes seem suitable for membrane reactors that produce H2 on large scale using HI decomposition in the thermochemical iodine–sulfur process.

The thermochemical water-splitting iodine–sulfur process facilitates hydrogen production. This study proposes a new loop operation by subdividing the process configuration into four sections before transferring the continuous operation. The loop operation should define the section affecting the fluctuations to easily stabilize the system. The proposed loop operation was validated by analyzing the material and heat balances using a process simulator. The calculated results showed that the material balances of the respective loop sections were closed without component discharge to outside sections. The loop operation would transfer to the continuous operation by connecting all sections. Considering the switching of operation modes, the material and heat balance showed no or little difference, indicating that two operation modes can only be changed by switching the pipelines. Thus, the loop sections can be operated individually to stabilize the IS process system, and the loop operation can be transferred smoothly to the continuous operation.

OBJECTIVE Pheochromocytoma is a rare neuroendocrine tumour that secretes catecholamines and originates in the adrenal gland. Although surgical resection is the only curative therapy for pheochromocytoma, it is associated with a risk of haemodynamic instability (HDI), such as extremely high blood pressure and/or post tumour removal hypotension and shock. We investigated the risk factors for HDI during pheochromocytoma surgery. DESIGN AND PATIENTS Eighty-two patients who underwent laparoscopic adrenalectomy for pheochromocytoma between July 2002 and February 2020 were examined. We excluded 3 patients with bilateral disease and 11 without detailed 24 h urinary data. We defined HDI as systolic blood pressure ≥ 200 or

Despite the high sensitivity of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) to immunotherapy, RCC has been recognized as an unusual disease in which CD8+ T-cell infiltration into the tumor beds is related to a poor prognosis. To approach the inner landscape of immunobiology of RCC, we performed multiplexed seven-color immunohistochemistry (CD8, CD39, PD-1, Foxp3, PD-L1, and pan-cytokeratin AE1/AE3 with DAPI), which revealed the automated single-cell counts and calculations of individual cell-to-cell distances. In total, 186 subjects were included, in which CD39 was used as a marker for distinguishing tumor-specific (CD39+) and bystander (CD39-) T-cells. Our clear cell RCC cohort also revealed a poor prognosis if the tumor showed increased CD8+ T-cell infiltration. Intratumoral CD8+CD39+ T-cells as well as their exhausted CD8+CD39+PD-1+ T-cells in the central tumor areas enabled the subgrouping of patients according to malignancy. Analysis using specimens post-antiangiogenic treatment revealed a dramatic increase in proliferative Treg fraction Foxp3+PD-1+ cells, suggesting a potential mechanism of hyperprogressive disease after uses of anti-PD-1 antibody. Our cell-by-cell study platform provided spatial information on tumors, where bystander CD8+CD39- T-cells were dominant in the invasive margin areas. We uncovered a potential interaction between CD8+CD39+PD-1+ T-cells and Foxp3+PD-1+ Treg cells due to cell-to-cell proximity, forming a spatial niche more specialized in immunosuppression under PD-1 blockade. A paradigm shift to the immunosuppressive environment was more obvious in metastatic lesions; rather the infiltration of Foxp3+ and Foxp3+PD-1+ Treg cells was more pronounced. With this multiplexed single-cell pathology technique, we revealed further insight into the immunobiological standing of RCC.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical significance of the on-treatment C-reactive protein (CRP) status during systemic treatment as the predictive marker for the response of subsequent nivolumab monotherapy in patients with refractory metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). A total of 73 mRCC patients treated with nivolumab were retrospectively reviewed. We evaluated the serum CRP levels before and after molecular-targeted treatments. Patients whose CRP did not exceed baseline value were defined as the CRP-control group and the others were defined as the CRP-progression group. The clinical impact of CRP-control on the efficacy of nivolumab was assessed. Twenty-four patients (33%) were categorized into the CRP-control group. The CRP-control group patients (median PFS not reached) had significantly longer PFS than the CRP-progression group (median PFS 11.9 months, 95% confidence interval, CI 4.1–19.8, p = 0.038). The CRP-control group had a tendency of longer OS from nivolumab initiation than the CRP-progression group (p = 0.071). By multivariate analysis, the on-treatment CRP-control was the independent predictive factor for PFS (hazard ratio HR 0.37, 95% CI 0.14–0.99, p = 0.047). The on-treatment CRP-control could be the predictive factor for the efficacy of nivolumab in refractory mRCC patients.

Clarifying the influences of paleoclimate changes on the disjunct distribution formation of plants allows a historical and mechanical understanding of current vegetation and biodiversity. This study investigated the influences of paleoclimate changes on the present disjunct distribution formation of Pinus koraiensis (Korean pine) using species distribution modeling. A species distribution model (SDM) was built using maximum entropy principle algorithms (MaxEnt), data from 152 occurrences of the species, and four bioclimatic variables at 2.5 arcminute (approximately 5 km) spatial resolution. The simulation revealed the excellent fit of the MaxEnt model performance, with an area under the curve (AUC) value of 0.922 and continuous Boyce index (BCI) value of 0.925 with fivefold cross-validation. The most important climatic factor was the minimum temperature of the coldest month. Suitable habitats for the species ranged between − 30.1 and − 4.1 °C. Projected suitable habitats under the Last Glacial Maximum (approximately 22,000 years ago [ka BP]: LGM) period showed wide distributions in eastern China, the southern part of the Korean Peninsula, and the Japanese Archipelago. After the mid-Holocene (approximately 6 ka BP), the suitable habitats expanded northwards in continental regions and retreated from both north and southwest of Japan. This eventually formed disjunct suitable habitats in central Japan. An increase in temperature after the LGM period caused the migration of P. koraiensis toward new, suitable habitats in continental Northeast Asia, while species in the Japanese Archipelago retreated, forming the present disjunct distributions.

To evaluate the association between a sign and visceral pleural invasion (VPI) of peripheral non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that does not appear touching the pleural surface. A total of 221 consecutive patients with NSCLC that did not appear touching the pleural surface, ≤ 3 cm in solid tumor diameter, and was surgically resected between January 2009 and December 2015 were included. We focused on the flat distortion of the tumor caused by an arch-shaped linear tag between the tumor and the pleura on CT and named it a bridge tag sign. We evaluated the associations between the clinicopathological features of the tumor, including the bridge tag sign, and VPI. We also evaluated the associations between histopathological findings and the bridge tag sign. The utility of the bridge tag sign in the diagnosis of VPI was statistically assessed. The bridge tag sign was observed in 48 (20.8%) patients. VPI was positive in 9 (4.1%) patients; among these, the bridge tag sign was positive in 8 patients. In multivariate analysis, a bridge tag sign was significantly associated with VPI. The bridge tag sign was associated with longer contact length of the pleura with the tumor and trapezoid type pleural retraction. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of the bridge tag sign in the diagnosis of VPI were 88.9%, 83.5%, 83.7%, 18.6%, and 99.4%, respectively. A bridge tag sign on CT might improve the accuracy of the prediction of VPI. • We present the bridge tag sign which is defined as a flat distortion of an NSCLC tumor by an arch-shaped linear tag between the tumor and chest wall or interlobar fissure. • The bridge tag sign was an independent predictive factor for visceral pleural invasion. • The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of the bridge tag sign in the diagnosis of visceral pleural invasion were 88.9%, 83.5%, 83.7%, 18.6%, and 99.4%, respectively.

In the activation of cell-mediated adaptive immune responses that play major roles in the elimination of virus-infected or tumor cells, it is important that dendritic cells present antigen peptides on major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules and activate pathogen-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL). As exogenous peptide antigens are generally presented on MHC class II but not class I, the development of a method for exogenous antigen delivery that facilitates MHC class I presentation is necessary for a potentially effective vaccine that is expected to provoke cell-mediated adaptive immune responses. Here, we developed extracellular vesicles that incorporate antigenic proteins by utilizing endosomal sorting complexes required for transport (ESCRT)-mediated vesicle formation pathway. Furthermore, we proved that these vesicles could deliver their contents to the cytoplasm of dendritic cells and activate antigen-specific CTLs. These technologies could be applied to the development of novel CTL-inducing peptide vaccines.

Background Quantitative analyses of computed tomography (CT) images using computer-aided detection (CAD) are correlated with visual assessments and pulmonary function test findings and might be useful for predicting the prognosis of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Purpose To evaluate the association between the quantitative analysis of long-term follow-up CT of IPF and the progression and prognosis. Material and Methods A total of 48 patients with IPF who received over one year of follow-up CT were included in this study. The results of quantitative analyses (emphysema, ground-glass attenuation [GGA], consolidation, reticulation, and honeycombing) using a CAD software program of initial and follow-up CT findings were evaluated, and the association with the progression of the total lesion of IPF and prognosis using Spearman's rank correlation and Cox regression analyses was considered. Results Results of quantitative analyses of consolidation, reticulation, honeycombing, and the total lesion on initial CT were correlated with progressive changes in the total lesion of IPF per year (r = 0.4375, 0.4128, 0.4649, and 0.4095, respectively). The results of quantitative analyses of honeycombing (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.40, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.03−1.89, P = 0.0314) and GGA (HR = 0.85, 95% CI = 0.72−0.99, P = 0.0384) at initial CT were prognostic factors according to a multivariate Cox regression analysis. Conclusion The quantitative analysis of honeycombing using a CAD software program of CT findings may be useful for predicting the progression and prognosis of patients with IPF.

We characterize here the airborne lipids (β/ω-hydroxy fatty acids: FAs) specific to soil microbes and plant waxes over suburban Tokyo in simultaneously collected aerosols and rainwater from spring ...

The salvage treatments for biochemical recurrence (BCR) include local external beam radiation therapy (RT) and systemic androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT). We reviewed patients who underwent radical prostatectomy (RP) and developed BCR at three institutions. After excluding patients whose nadir prostate-specific antigen (PSA) was higher than 0.2 ng/mL, those who received neoadjuvant/adjuvant therapy, and those whose BCR was not treated until their PSA exceeded 4.0 ng/mL, the remaining 335 patients comprised the cohort of this study. Salvage RT and ADT were performed for 154 and 181 patients, respectively. After the failure of salvage RT, all patients received subsequent ADT. The starting point of this study was the timing of BCR and the endpoint was the development of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). During the mean follow-up period of 8.5 years after BCR, CRPC was observed in 13 patients administered RT and 24 patients administered ADT. Kaplan–Meier curves demonstrated no significant difference in CRPC-free survival between the RT and ADT groups (10-year CRPC-free survival 89.9 vs. 86.3%, p = 0.199). On the other hand, we found a significant difference in CRPC-free survival between the RT and ADT groups in 50 high-risk patients with two risk factors of Grade Group ≥ 4 and PSA-doubling time

To differentiate between infectious and non-infectious diseases occurring in immunocompromised patients without acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) using high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT).HRCT images of 555 patients with chest complications were reviewed retrospectively. Infectious diseases (n=341) included bacterial pneumonia (n=123), fungal infection (n=80), septic emboli (n=11), tuberculosis (n=15), pneumocystis pneumonia (n=101), and cytomegalovirus pneumonia (n=11), while non-infectious diseases (n=214) included drug toxicity (n=84), infiltration of underlying diseases (n=83), idiopathic pneumonia syndrome (n=34), diffuse alveolar haemorrhage (n=8), and pulmonary oedema (n=5). Lung parenchymal abnormalities were compared between the two groups using the χThe χ2 test results showed significant differences in many HRCT findings between the two groups. Multiple logistic regression analysis results indicated the presence of nodules with a halo and the absence of interlobular septal (ILS) thickening were the significant indicators that could differentiate infectious from non-infectious diseases. ILS thickening was generally less frequent among most infectious diseases and more frequent among most non-infectious diseases, with a good odds ratio (7.887, p0.001). The sensitivity and accuracy for infectious diseases in the absence of ILS thickening were better (70% and 73%, respectively) than those of nodules with a halo (19% and 48%, respectively), while the specificity in the nodules with a halo was better (93%) than that of ILS thickening (78%).The presence of nodules with a halo or the absence of ILS thickening tends to suggest infectious disease. Specifically, ILS thickening seems to be a more reliable indicator.

We examined the antimicrobial susceptibility of 848 Escherichia coli isolates from 237 feces samples of wild sika deer (Cervus nippon) captured between 2016 and 2019 in 39 of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Five of the 237 wild sika deer (2.1%) carried E. coli with resistance to at least one antimicrobial, and all the resistant isolates showed resistance to tetracycline. The resistant isolates contained antimicrobial resistance genes that were similar to those in E. coli derived from humans and farm animals. Although wild sika deer are not currently likely to be a source for the transmission of antimicrobial resistance in Japan, they can potentially mediate antimicrobial resistance spread by coming into contact with humans, animals, and their surroundings.

BACKGROUND: Analysis of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) localisation at both the tissue and subcellular levels can provide important insights into the cell types that are important for their function. METHODS: By applying new fluorescent in situ hybridisation technique called hybridisation chain reaction (HCR), we achieved a high-throughput lncRNA visualisation and evaluation of clinical samples. RESULTS: Assessing 1728 pairs of 16 lncRNAs and clear-cell renal-cell carcinoma (ccRCC) specimens, three lncRNAs (TUG1, HOTAIR and CDKN2B-AS1) were associated with ccRCC prognosis. Furthermore, we derived a new lncRNA risk group of ccRCC prognosis by combining the expression levels of these three lncRNAs. Examining genomic alterations underlying this classification revealed prominent features of tumours that could serve as potential biomarkers for targeting lncRNAs. We then derived combination of HCR with expansion microscopy and visualised nanoscale-resolution HCR signals in cell nuclei, uncovering intracellular colocalization of three lncRNA (TUG1, HOTAIR and CDKN2B-AS1) signals such as those located intra- or out of the nucleus or nucleolus in cancer cells. CONCLUSION: LncRNAs are expected to be desirable noncoding targets for cancer diagnosis or treatments. HCR involves plural probes consisting of small DNA oligonucleotides, clinically enabling us to detect cancerous lncRNA signals simply and rapidly at a lower cost.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors have been approved as second-line therapy for patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma (UC). However, which patients will obtain clinical benefit remains to be determined. To identify predictive biomarkers for the pembrolizumab (PEM) response early during treatment, the present study investigated 31 patients with chemotherapy-resistant recurrent or metastatic UC who received 200 mg PEM intravenously every 3 weeks. Blood was taken just before the first dose and again before the second dose, and the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of all 31 pairs of blood samples were immune phenotyped by flow cytometry. Data were assessed by principal component analysis (PCA), correlation analysis and Cox proportional hazards modeling in order to comprehensively determine the effects of PEM on peripheral mononuclear immune cells. Absolute counts of CD45RA+CD27-CCR7- terminally differentiated CD8+ T cells and KLRG1+CD57+ senescent CD8+ T cells were significantly increased after PEM administration (P=0.042 and P=0.043, respectively). Senescent and exhausted CD4

Purpose To differentiate among infectious diseases, drug-induced lung injury (DILI) and pulmonary infiltration due to underlying malignancy (PIUM) based on high-resolution computed tomographic (HRCT) findings from patients with hematological malignancies who underwent chemotherapy or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Materials and methods A total of 221 immunocompromised patients with hematological malignancies who had proven chest complications (141 patients with infectious diseases, 24 with DILI and 56 with PIUM) were included. Two chest radiologists evaluated the HRCT findings, including ground-glass opacity, consolidation, nodules, and thickening of bronchovascular bundles (BVBs) and interlobular septa (ILS). After comparing these CT findings among the three groups using the χ2test, multiple logistic regression analyses (infectious vs noninfectious diseases, DILI vs non-DILI, and PIUM vs non-PIUM) were performed to detect useful indicators for differentiation. Results Significant differences were detected in many HRCT findings by the χ2 test. The results from the multiple logistic regression analyses identified several indicators: nodules without a perilymphatic distribution [p = 0.012, odds ratio (95% confidence interval): 4.464 (1.355–11.904)], nodules with a tree-in-bud pattern [p = 0.011, 8.364 (1.637–42.741)], and the absence of ILS thickening[p = 0.003, 3.621 (1.565–8.381)] for infectious diseases, the presence of ILS thickening [p = 0.001, 7.166 (2.343–21.915)] for DILI, and nodules with a perilymphatic distribution [p = 0.011, 4.256 (1.397–12.961)] and lymph node enlargement (p = 0.008, 3.420 (1.385–8.441)] for PIUM. Conclusion ILS thickening, nodules with a perilymphatic distribution, tree-in-bud pattern, and lymph node enlargement could be useful indicators for differentiating among infectious diseases, DILI, and PIUM in patients with hematological malignancies.

Purpose: Even in the era of laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP) and robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALP), we sometimes experience patients with severe urinary incontinence after surgery. The aim of this study was to identify the predictors of urinary continence recovery among patients with urinary incontinence immediately after surgery (UIIAS).Methods: We identified 274 patients with clinically localized prostate cancer who underwent LRP and RALP between 2011 and 2018. UIIAS was defined as a urine loss ratio > 0.15 on the first day of urethral catheter removal. Urinary continence recovery was defined as using ≤ 1 pad/day one year after surgery. In the present study, we evaluated the factors affecting urinary function recovery one year after surgery among patients with urinary incontinence immediately after LRP and RALP.Results: UIIAS was observed in 191 of 274 patients (69.7%). A multivariate analysis identified age (< 65 years, p = 0.015) as an independent predictor affecting immediate urinary continence. Among the 191 incontinent patients, 153 patients (80.1%) showed improved urinary continence one year after surgery. A multivariate analysis identified age (< 65 years, p = 0.003) and estimated blood loss (≥ 100 ml, p = 0.044) as independent predictors affecting urinary continence recovery one year after surgery. Conclusions: The present results suggest that younger patients and patients with higher intraoperative blood loss might recover urinary continence one year after surgery even if they are incontinent immediately after surgery.

To evaluate biological characteristics and transitions of upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) through metachronous bladder tumors after radical nephroureterectomy (RNU), we conducted immunohistochemical (IHC) staining of tumor specimens of UTUC tumor origin, non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) and MIBC progressed after intravesical recurrence (IVR), and bladder primary MIBC. Fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3), p53, cytokeratin 5/6 (CK5/6), and CK20 were stained to examine expression rates. After expression assessment with heatmap clustering, the overexpression of four biomarkers from UTUC origin to metachronous MIBC progression was analyzed with clinicopathological variables. We found that high CK20 and low CK5/6 expression were both observed in UTUC tumor origin and subsequent NMIBC after RNU. By investigating molecular expression in the IVR specimen, we observed that low pT stage bladder recurrence occupied the majority of CK20 high CK5/6 low expression, but would change to CK20 low CK5/6 high expression as it progressed to MIBC. UTUC metachronous MIBC has different characteristics compared with bladder primary MIBC, which comprises favorable biological features such as high FGFR3 expression, and follows favorable prognosis compared to those without FGFR3 expression. The present study demonstrated that the biological characteristics of UTUC tumor origin shifts from luminal to basal-like features with progression to MIBC, but FGFR3 expression taken over from UTUC origin may comprise a favorable entity compared to primary MIBC.

We explored the dynamics of dwarf bamboo populations in a beech forest 11 years before and 30 years after clear-cutting. Repeated weeding or herbicide application (sodium chlorate) was used experim...

Begonia togashii Nob. Tanaka & C.I Peng is illustrated. Though Begonia togashii was described only in 2016, it had been unnamed for nearly 40 years after its discovery from Myanmar by an outstanding Japanese plant hunter, Makoto Togashi. The interesting history of naming this species is given.