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In most cases of sporadic colorectal cancers, tumorigenesis is a multistep process, involving genomic alterations in parallel with morphologic changes. In addition, accumulating evidence suggests that the human gut microbiome is linked to the development of colorectal cancer. Here we performed fecal metagenomic and metabolomic studies on samples from a large cohort of 616 participants who underwent colonoscopy to assess taxonomic and functional characteristics of gut microbiota and metabolites. Microbiome and metabolome shifts were apparent in cases of multiple polypoid adenomas and intramucosal carcinomas, in addition to more advanced lesions. We found two distinct patterns of microbiome elevations. First, the relative abundance of Fusobacterium nucleatum spp. was significantly (P

We study two photon absorption (TPA) induced surface relief formation in an azo-polymer thin film by illumination of picosecond near-infrared optical vortex pulses with the corresponding intensity of >5 GW/cm2 at the focal plane. We discover, for the first time, that the optical vortex creates an unexpected flower-shaped surface relief with 3-8 petals along an azimuthal direction, corresponding to the topological charge of the incident optical vortex. This surface relief manifests the modulational instability associated with nonlinear light-matter interaction in the azo-polymer film.

We discover that a flower-shaped surface relief on azo-polymer film is formed by irradiation of picosecond optical vortex pulses owing to nonlinear spatial modulation instability of optical vortex in azo-polymers.

We demonstrate the formation of chiral surface structure of azo-polymers via optical vortex induced two-photon-absorption (TPA). TPA-induced isomerization allows us to create the threedimensional chiral structures with high longitudinal and transverse spatial resolution beyond the diffraction limit.

Optical vortex, possessing an annular intensity profile and an orbital angular momentum owing to its helical wavefront, has been widely investigated in versatile applications, including a laser scanning microscope, optical telecommunication, and optical manipulation. In particular, optical vortex can twist an irradiated material, such as metal, silicon, polymer, and even liquid resin, to form spiral-shaped structured materials on the micro/nano scale [1–3]. The spiralling direction of such structured materials is controlled by the handedness of the optical vortex, i.e. the twisting direction of a helical wavefront. In recent years, a laser-indeed bacteria-waveguide, in which the optical radiation force collects cyanobacteria into the beam to form an optical waveguide [4], has been discovered.

Study design A retrospective study. Objective The aim of the present study was to identify the clinical and radiological features of low back pain (LBP) that was relieved after decompression alone of lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) associated with grade I lumbar degenerative spondylolisthesis (LDS). Summary of background data Although decompression and fusion are generally the recommended surgical treatments of LDS, several authors have reported that some patients with LDS could obtain good clinical results including relief from LBP by decompression alone. The pathogenesis of relief from LBP after decompression is, however, not known. Methods Forty patients with LSS associated with grade I LDS, who underwent a minimally invasive surgical-decompression were enrolled in the present study. All patients complained preoperatively of predominantly leg-related symptoms and LBP (≥ 4 points on Numeric Rating Scale). Clinical and radiological assessments were performed 1 year after surgery (a relief of LBP: Numeric Rating Scale reduction ≥3 points and valuation ≤3 points) and at the last follow-up. We conducted a comparative study between patient groups with and without the relief from LBP (groups R and N, respectively). Results Twenty-nine patients were distributed to group R and the remaining 11 patients to group N. Preoperatively, there was a significant difference between the two groups for age and radiographic flexibility for lumbar extension. Postoperatively, there was a positive correlation between improvement in both LBP and leg symptoms. The clinical outcomes of group R were significantly better than those of group N throughout follow-up period (mean 37 mo). In group R, sagittal lumbopelvic radiographic parameters improved significantly after surgery. Conclusion Although the causes of LBP are varied in each patients, our results show that concomitant LSS itself might cause LBP in some patients with grade I LDS, because it involves impingement of the neural tissue and discordant sagittal lumbopelvic alignment. Level of evidence 3.

This report introduces a percutaneous transpedicular interbody fusion (PTPIF) technique in posterior stabilization using percutaneous pedicle screws (PPSs). An 81-year-old man presented with pseudoarthrosis following pyogenic spondylitis 15 months before. Although no relapse of infection was found, he complained of obstinate low back pain and mild neurological symptoms. Radiological evaluations showed a pseudoarthrosis following pyogenic spondylitis at T11–12. Posterior stabilization using PPSs from Th9 to L2 and concomitant PTPIF using autologous iliac bone graft at T11–12 were performed. Low back pain and neurological symptoms were immediately improved after surgery. A solid interbody fusion at T11–12 was completed 9 months after surgery. The patient had no restriction of daily activity and could play golf at one year after surgery. PTPIF might be a useful option for perform segmental fusion in posterior stabilization using PPSs.

We report on the first demonstration of picosecond optical vortex-induced chiral surface relief in an azo-polymer film due to two-photon absorption isomerization. The chiral surface relief exhibits an extremely narrow defocusing tolerance without undesired outer rings due to the Airy pattern of highly focused light. Such chiral surface relief reflects a z-polarized electric field with an azimuthal helical phase caused by spin–orbital angular momentum coupling.

Light may carry both orbital angular momentum (AM) and spin AM. The former is a consequence of its helical wavefront, and the latter is a result of its rotating transverse electric field. Intriguingly, the light–matter interaction with such fields shows that the orbital AM of light causes a physical “twist” in a range of materials, including metal, silicon, azopolymer, and even liquid-phase resin. This process may be aided by the light’s spin AM, resulting in the formation of various helical structures. The exchange between the AM of light and matter offers not only unique helical structures at the nanoscale but also entirely novel fundamental phenomena with regard to the light–matter interaction. This will lead to the future development of advanced photonics devices, including metamaterials for highly sensitive detectors as well as reactions for chiral chemical composites. Here, we focus on interactions between the AM of light and azopolymers, which exhibit some of the most diverse structures and phenomena observed. These studies result in helical surface relief structures in azopolymers and will leverage next-generation applications with light fields carrying optical AM.

In most cases of sporadic colorectal cancers, tumorigenesis is a multistep process, involving genomic alterations in parallel with morphologic changes. In addition, accumulating evidence suggests that the human gut microbiome is linked to the development of colorectal cancer. Here we performed fecal metagenomic and metabolomic studies on samples from a large cohort of 616 participants who underwent colonoscopy to assess taxonomic and functional characteristics of gut microbiota and metabolites. Microbiome and metabolome shifts were apparent in cases of multiple polypoid adenomas and intramucosal carcinomas, in addition to more advanced lesions. We found two distinct patterns of microbiome elevations. First, the relative abundance of Fusobacterium nucleatum spp. was significantly (P 0.005) elevated continuously from intramucosal carcinoma to more advanced stages. Second, Atopobium parvulum and Actinomyces odontolyticus, which co-occurred in intramucosal carcinomas, were significantly (P 0.005) increased only in multiple polypoid adenomas and/or intramucosal carcinomas. Metabolome analyses showed that branched-chain amino acids and phenylalanine were significantly (P 0.005) increased in intramucosal carcinomas and bile acids, including deoxycholate, were significantly (P 0.005) elevated in multiple polypoid adenomas and/or intramucosal carcinomas. We identified metagenomic and metabolomic markers to discriminate cases of intramucosal carcinoma from the healthy controls. Our large-cohort multi-omics data indicate that shifts in the microbiome and metabolome occur from the very early stages of the development of colorectal cancer, which is of possible etiological and diagnostic importance.

An optical vortex with orbital angular momentum (OAM) can be used to induce microscale chiral structures in various materials. Such chiral structures enable the generation of a nearfield vortex, i.e. nearfield OAM light on a sub-wavelength scale, thereby leading to further nanoscale mass-transport. We report on the formation of a nanoscale chiral surface relief in azo-polymers due to nearfield OAM light. The resulting nanoscale chiral relief exhibits a diameter of ca. 400 nm, which corresponds to less than 1/5–1/6th of the original chiral structure (ca. 2.1 µm). Such a nanoscale chiral surface relief is established by the simple irradiation of uniform visible plane-wave light with an intensity of

We discover that 1.06 μm picosecond vortex pulses induce chiral mass-transport to form a single-armed chiral surface relief in azo-polymer through two photon absorption process. The surface relief exhibits a diameter of a 2.5μm, i.e. 0.7 times of diffraction limit.

Optical beams with Orbital Angular Momentum (OAM) can potentially be used to probe forbidden transitions. However, the size of the vortex beam has to be comparable to that of an atom, molecule or an artificial atom. We propose and demonstrate a de-magnifying hyperlens allowing reducing the size of the vortex beam to the nanometer scale.

Study design A retrospective study. Purpose To evaluate the clinical and radiological outcomes of ankylosing spinal disorder (ASD) patients with spinal fractures treated by minimally invasive stabilization (MISt) using percutaneous pedicle screws (PPSs). Overview of literature ASDs, such as ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH), increase susceptibility to spinal fractures because of extremely decreased spinal flexibility. Such fractures tend to be unstable and, consequently, should be treated with multiple-segmental internal fixation. However, conventional internal fixation procedures can severely damage the soft tissue, resulting in severe hemorrhage. Therefore, MISt is the preferred approach to treat spinal fractures in ASD patients. Methods Nine ASD patients (four males and five females; three AS and six DISH patients) with spinal fractures who were treated by MISt using PPSs, were reviewed from April 2009 to August 2016. One patient died of aspiration pneumonia during follow-up (FU), and the remaining eight patients underwent clinical and radiological evaluation. Results The mean age at surgery was 79.6 years (range, 68-95 years). The mean duration of postoperative FU was 14.2 months (range, 3-30 months). All treated fractures were anterior and posterior element injuries with distraction. Three patients presented delayed onset preoperative neurological deficit following trauma. The mean operation time was 179.6 minutes (range, 92-340 minutes). The mean hemorrhage was 103.6 mL (range, unquantifiable to 480 mL). Radiological evaluations at FU showed preservation of the acceptable postoperative correction of the fractured vertebra, as there were no re-collapses of the fractured vertebrae during FU. Conclusions ASD patients must be acknowledged as highly susceptible to unstable spinal fractures, even after relatively mild trauma. MISt using PPSs may be an effective treatment for spinal fractures in such patients.

We discovered that a helical surface relief can be created in azo-polymer film merely by the irradiation of circularly-polarized light without any orbital angular momentum. The chirality of the surface relief was also determined by the handedness of the circular polarized light.

A honeycomb-type nickel-based catalyst was prepared by a combination technique consisting of a sol–gel method and an electroless plating method on a stainless steel substrate. The catalyst layer formed onto the fin substrate consisted of an alumina layer and a nickel component. The alumina layer was porous and was about 7 μm in thickness, and the nickel component was deposited not only on the alumina surface but also inside the pores. The nickel particles formed on the surface were 70–150 nm in diameter. The prepared nickel-based honeycomb catalyst demonstrated a high performance for methane dry reforming, indicating that the catalyst degradation was quite small even under severe CO 2 /CH 4 conditions. The amount of the deposited carbon onto the nickel-based catalyst was much smaller than that on the commercial catalyst, which was thought to be one of the factors in the reduced deterioration of this honeycomb catalyst. Furthermore, the H 2 /CO ratio as a synthesis gas over this nickel-based catalyst was a smaller value than that of the commercial catalyst, which is a convenient reforming property for alkane manufacturing. The deposited carbon on the nickel-based honeycomb catalyst was a whisker carbon with non-condensed state.

We demonstrated plasmon-enhanced nearfield induced chiral mass transport, in which a superimposed azo-polymer thin film was twisted around the chiral surface relief formed by optical vortex illumination in combination with nano-imprinting technology.

Background and Study Aims Microendoscopic diskectomy (MED) has become an established minimally invasive procedure in surgical treatment for lumbar disk herniation (LDH). LDH recurrence following surgery is also an important problem in MED because the risk of LDH recurrence may surpass the advantages of MED. The purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics of recurrence following MED for LDH and identify the risk factors for a recurrence. Materials and Methods A total of 163 patients who underwent MED for LDH and could be followed for a minimum of 1 year after surgery were enrolled in this study (follow-up [FU] rate: 79.9%). We investigated the characteristics of LDH recurrence and conducted a comparative study between the patient groups with and without recurrence to identify the risk factors for the recurrence. Results The recurrence of LDH was observed in 19 patients (11.7%) during a mean of 38 months FU. Although the mean length of time from MED to recurrence was 19.2 months, 36.8% of the LDH recurrence occurred in the first 3 months following MED. Eleven patients were treated successfully by conservative treatments, and the remaining eight patients had to undergo revision surgery (MED in five patients, microdiskectomy in one, and instrumented fusion in two). In the analysis of risk factors for the recurrence, the presence of diabetes mellitus (DM) was significantly correlated with the recurrence (p = 0.0027). Conclusions The recurrence rate following MED for LDH was equivalent to those of previous reports of conventional and microscopic diskectomy. However, a third of the LDH recurrences occurred in the first 3 months after MED. We should pay attention to LDH recurrence at an early phase following MED and recognize the presence of DM as a risk factor for LDH recurrence.

A helical surface relief can be created in an azo-polymer film simply by illuminating circularly polarized light with spin angular momentum and without any orbital angular momentum. The helicity of the surface relief is determined by the sign of the spin angular momentum. The illumination of circularly polarized light induces orbital motion of the azo-polymer to shape the helical surface relief as an intermediate form; a subsequent transformation to a non-helical bump-shaped relief with a central peak creates a final form with additional exposure time. The mechanism for the formation of such a helical surface relief was also theoretically analyzed using the formula for the optical radiation force in a homogeneous and isotropic material.

Background Trunk asymmetry and vertebral rotation, at times observed in the normal spine, resemble the characteristics of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). Right thoracic curvature has also been reported in the normal spine. If it is determined that the features of right thoracic side curvature in the normal spine are the same as those observed in AIS, these findings might provide a basis for elucidating the etiology of this condition. For this reason, we investigated right thoracic curvature in the normal spine. Methods For normal spinal measurements, 1,200 patients who underwent a posteroanterior chest radiographs were evaluated. These consisted of 400 children (ages 4-9), 400 adolescents (ages 10-19) and 400 adults (ages 20-29), with each group comprised of both genders. The exclusion criteria were obvious chest and spinal diseases. As side curvature is minimal in normal spines and the range at which curvature is measured is difficult to ascertain, first the typical curvature range in scoliosis patients was determined and then the Cobb angle in normal spines was measured using the same range as the scoliosis curve, from T5 to T12. Right thoracic curvature was given a positive value. The curve pattern was organized in each collective three groups: neutral (from -1 degree to 1 degree), right (> +1 degree), and left (< -1 degree). Results In child group, Cobb angle in left was 120, in neutral was 125 and in right was 155. In adolescent group, Cobb angle in left was 70, in neutral was 114 and in right was 216. In adult group, Cobb angle in left was 46, in neutral was 102 and in right was 252. The curvature pattern shifts to the right side in the adolescent group (p < 0.01) and in adult group (p < 0.001) compared to the child group. There was no significant difference in curvature pattern between adolescent and adult group. Conclusions Based on standing chest radiographic measurements, a right thoracic curvature was observed in normal spines after adolescence.

We present the formation of a ‘super-resolution’ single-armed chiral relief in an azo-polymer film through a two-photon absorption process by the illumination of circularly polarized picosecond optical vortex pulses.