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1. Comprehensive knowledge of innate fear in chickens has important implications for understanding the adaptation of native Japanese chickens in modern production and behavioural changes caused by modern breeding goals. Innate fear behaviour seen in chicks from six native Japanese chicken breeds;, Ingie (IG), Nagoya (NAG), Oh-Shamo (OSM), Tosa-Jidori (TJI), Tosa-Kukin (TKU) and Ukokkei (UK), were compared with those in two lines of White Leghorn (WL-G and WL-T) in tonic immobility (TI) and open field (OF) tests. 2. TI and OF tests were conducted for 267 chicks at 0-1 days of age in the eight breeds. Raw data for four TI traits and 13 OF traits were corrected for environmental factors. Breed differences were analysed by the Kruskal–Wallis test followed by the Steel Dwass post hoc test. Principal component (PC) analyses were conducted. 3. The results showed that OSM was the least sensitive to fear in both the TI and OF tests. The WL-G birds showed higher sensitivity to TI fear but lower sensitivity to OF fear. The PC analysis of OF traits classified the tested breeds into three groups: least (OSM and WL-G), moderate (IG, WL-T, NAG, TJI and TKU) and most sensitive (UK). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the development of a new dissolved air flotation (DAF) separator with a flow streamlining baffle to improve solid separation efficiency. The analysis of the RID (residence time distribution) curves indicated that the parameter θ10 (dimensionless time at which 10% of tracer has discharged) increased from 0.38 for control reactor to 0.54 for the test reactor, suggesting significant reduction in short circuit flow. The RTD curves were also used to develop a compartment model for white water (rich in micro-bubbles and water flow is turbulent) and clear water (little or no air content and water flow is quiescent) zones in the reactor using a series of CSTR (continuous stirred tank reactors) and plug flow regime respectively. The proportion of the volume occupied by the white water zone was different in control and test configurations. In the test reactor, the fraction of the clear water zone was found to increase from 6 to 37%, resulting in improvement of the suspended solid (SS) removal efficiency from 97 to 99%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined intraspecies genetic variation in house mice (Mus musculus molossinus) from the northern third of the Japanese Islands, in order to obtain evidence of the history of mouse colonization that might have shaped the current genetic diversity. We extended the previous sampling of mitochondrial cytochrome b sequence and added information from the Y-linked Sry gene and ribosomal RNA gene surveys. We distinguish mitochondrial haplotypes characteristic of the North Asian musculus subspecies group (involving M. m. musculus and M. m. molossinus) as ‘MUS’, and that of the Southeast Asian castaneus subspecies group as ‘CAS’ (although the mice resemble MUS morphologically). There was a clear geographic partition of MUS and CAS types into southern and northern Hokkaido, respectively. Conversely, on Tohoku, the MUS and CAS types were interspersed without clear geographic subdivision. In contrast to the mtDNA data, all Hokkaido and Tohoku mice examined were found to possess a unique type for the Y-linked Sry gene, specific to Korea and Japan. Restriction site analysis of nuclear rDNA probe showed a consistent distribution of MUS and CAS types, as major and minor components, respectively, in the Hokkaido and Tohoku mice. These data support the previous notion that the Hokkaido and Tohoku mice experienced genetic hybridization between primary residents of CAS origin and MUS newcomers arriving via a southern route. The invasion of the MUS type could correspond with the evidence for arrival of prehistoric peoples. There are, however, alternative interpretations, including genetic admixture between MUS arriving by a southern route and CAS from a northern route.Heredity (2006) 96, 128–138. doi:10.1038/sj.hdy.6800761; published online 4 January 2006 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To seek for a candidate gene that would regulate tumour progression and metastasis in gastric cancer, we investigated gene expression profiles by using DNA microarray. Tumour tissue and adjacent normal tissue were obtained from 21 patients with gastric cancer and then examined for their gene expression profiles by the Gene Chip® Human U95Av2 array, which includes 12?000 human genes and EST sequences. A total of 25 genes were upregulated and two genes were downregulated by at least four-fold in the tumour tissue. In a further analysis according to lymph node metastasis, the expressed levels of maspin, as well as carcinoembryonic antigen and nonspecific crossreacting antigen were significantly higher in tumours with lymph node metastasis than in those without it. Maspin expression in 85 gastric cancer patients was further investigated by using immunohistochemistry. Maspin expression was not observed in normal gastric epithelia without intestinal metaplasia. In contrast, maspin was expressed in 74 of 85 tumour tissues. There was a significant correlation between the incidence of maspin-positive tumour staining and lymph node metastasis. These results suggest that maspin has a potential role for tumour metastasis in gastric cancer.British Journal of Cancer (2005) 92, 1130-1136. doi:10.1038/sj.bjc.6602429 www.bjcancer.com Published online 15 March 2005 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the development of a method for detecting minimal residual disease in the peritoneal cavity by quantifying carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) mRNA using real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RQ-RT-PCR) and its clinical value for predicting peritoneal recurrence in patients with gastric cancer. Positive correlation of the p-CEA mRNA rate with clinicopathological factors; Multivariate logistic regression analysis; Results suggesting that p-CEA mRNA is a reliable prognostic factor and predictor of peritoneal recurrence in gastric cancer.

To elucidate the mechanism of the enhanced antitumour activity of S-1 (1 M tegafur, 0.4 M 5-chloro-2, 4-dihydroxypyridine, and 1 M potassium oxonate) in terms of the phosphorylation and degradation pathways of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) metabolism, we investigated tumoral thymidylate synthase (TS) content, dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) activity, the TS inhibition rate (TS-IR), and 5-FU incorporated into RNA (F-RNA) in four human gastric cancer xenografts (MKN-28, MKN-74, GCIY and GT3TKB) and compared the results obtained with S-1 with those obtained with 5-FU and UFT (1 M tegafur, 4 M uracil). 5-FU was administered intraperitoneally (i.p.) to mice at a dose of 50 mg/kg, three times, on days 0, 4 and 8. S-1 and UFT were administered orally at doses of 10 and 24 mg/kg, respectively, once a day, for 9 consecutive days. Antitumour activity was evaluated as the maximum inhibition of tumour growth in each animal. S-1 showed a better antitumour activity than 5-FU and UFT in tumours with a high DPD activity (GCIY and GT3TKB). There were inverse correlations between the antitumour activity and both TS content and DPD activity in the 5-FU and UFT groups. However, no such correlations were observed in the S-1 group. In GCIY and GT3TKB xenografts, TS-IR was significantly higher in the S-1 group than in the 5-FU or UFT groups. In GT3TKB xenografts, the F-RNA level was significantly higher in the S-1 group than in the 5-FU or UFT groups. The superior cytotoxicity of S-1 appears to be attributable to both an increased inhibition of DNA synthesis and an enhanced blockade of RNA function against tumours with a high DPD activity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study was designed to investigate the role of thymidine phosphorylase (TP) and dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) on tumour progression and sensitivity to 5′-deoxy-5-fluorouridine (5′-DFUR). Tumour tissue was obtained from surgically resected samples from 93 patients with primary gastric cancer. Tumour TP and DPD expression levels were determined by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) system and compared with several clinicopathological factors and in vitro sensitivity to 5′-DFUR. DPD showed no correlation with any clinicopathological factors. However, the TP level was significantly correlated with the depth of tumour, lymphatic invasion and venous invasion. In comparison with 5′-DFUR sensitivity, there was a weak inverse correlation between the DPD level and the sensitivity to 5′-DFUR (rs=−0.361). Furthermore, the TP/DPD ratio showed a significant correlation with 5′-DFUR sensitivity (rs=0.634). In a subgroup of patients with postoperative 5′-DFUR administration, the survival rate was significantly better in patients with a high TP/DPD ratio (n=8) than in those with low TP/DPD ratio (n=14) (P=0.0140). These results suggest that sensitivity to 5′-DFUR is predictable by measurement of both TP and DPD levels. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We investigated why collaboration has positive effects on performance in detecting errors. Forty–eight undergraduate students worked on a proofreading task individually or in pairs. In the first group, 16 subjects performed the task individually (the individual group). In a second group, 16 pairs of subjects performed the task in dyads, discussing the errors detected (the collaborating group). The results show that the individual group detected significantly more “contextual errors,” which are found by tracking the context of a passage, than “surface errors,” which are based on the meaning of a word. In contrast, the collaborating group detected significantly more surface errors than contextual errors. The surface error detection rate of the dyads was high enough that it could not be explained by a simple interpretation such as two additional eyes found errors missed by the first two eyes. The results indicate that proofreading in dyads is beneficial because it enables the subjects to free themselves from a default style of reading. Moreover, for the collaborating group, the rate of error detection tended to increase in the latter half of the work, suggesting that interaction between the two individuals gave them an opportunity to learn about the task by cognitive restructuring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The EORTC QLQ-STO22 (QLQ-STO22) is a firmly established and validated measure of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) for people with gastric cancer (GC), developed over two decades ago. Since then there have been dramatic changes in treatment options for GC. Also, East Asian patients were not involved in the development of QLQ-STO22, where GC is most prevalent and the QLQ-STO22 is widely used. A review with appropriate updating of the measure was planned. This study aims to capture HRQoL issues associated with new treatments and the perspectives of patients and health care professionals (HCPs) from different cultural backgrounds, including East Asia. Methods: A systematic literature review and open-ended interviews were preformed to identify potential new HRQoL issues relating to GC. This was followed by structured interviews where HCPs and patients reviewed the QLQ-STO22 alongside new issues regarding relevance, importance, and acceptability. Results: The review of 267 publications and interviews with 104 patients and 18 HCPs (48 and 9 from East Asia, respectively) generated a list of 58 new issues. Three of these relating to eating small amounts, flatulence, and neuropathy were recommended for inclusion in an updated version of the QLQ-STO22 and covered by five additional questions. Conclusions: This study supports the content validity of the QLQ-STO22, suggesting its continued relevance to patients with GC, including those from East Asia. The updated version with additional questions and linguistic changes will enhance its specificity, but further testing is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Application of the ecosystem services (ES) concept in urban planning has potential for improving environmental and human health outcomes in cities. We aimed to narrow an identified ES implementation gap by identifying the criteria for the practical fit of the ES concept in urban planning. We found that local relevance and adaptability within current planning approaches were core criteria for practical fit. If not met immediately, these criteria may be met over time through policy entrepreneurship. Further research in different locations and planning systems would increase understanding of the enabling factors for applying ES in urban planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The H2 reactivity with the Cr surface intentionally modified by O2 or H2O preadsorption was quantitatively investigated compared to the clean surface prepared under UHV condition and at 298K by using volumetric method. The O2 preadsorption layers on the Cr surface remarkably decreased the reaction probability of H2 compared with the H2O preadsorption layers. The effect of O2 poisoning on the H2 reactivity was reduced by the presence of H chemisorption layers on the clean surface of Cr. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: The clinical implementation of genomic profiling for lung cancer with high-throughput, multiplex tests is warranted to allow prioritization of appropriate therapies for individual patients. We have now applied such testing to detect actionable mutations that may inform treatment recommendations in lung cancer. Patients and methods: We prospectively applied amplicon sequencing panels that cover both mutational hotspots in 22 genes related to lung and colon tumorigenesis as well as 72 major variants of ALK, RET, ROS1, and NTRK1 fusion transcripts. We then determined the proportion of patients who received genotype-directed therapy and their overall survival (OS). Results: Tumor specimens from 110 patients with lung cancer recruited between July 2013 and March 2015 were analyzed. The most common genetic alterations were TP53 mutations in 42 patients, followed by EGFR mutations in 25, STK11 mutations in 12, and KRAS mutations in 10. Potentially actionable mutations were identified in 44 patients including 50% of those with adenocarcinoma and 14% of those with squamous cell carcinoma. The OS of patients with advanced or recurrent cancer who had an actionable mutation and received targeted therapy (median OS not achieved) was significantly longer than that of those with no mutation (18.1 months, P = 0.041) or of those with a mutation not so treated (6.1 months, P = 0.0027). Conclusions: Multiplex genomic testing was performed on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumor specimens with a success rate of ≥95%. Such testing can assist physicians in matching patients with approved or experimental targeted treatments. Clinical trial registration: The University Medical Hospital Information Network (UMIN) Clinical Trials Registry under the identifier UMIN000014782. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives – We evaluated the expression of chemokine-like factor (CKLF) in biopsied muscle fibers in inflammatory myopathies, non-inflammatory myopathies and neurologically diseased controls. Materials and methods – We studied the expression of CKLF in 15 polymyositis (PM), five dermatomyositis (DM), 15 non-inflammatory myopathies and nine neurologically diseased patients by immunohistochemistry. Results – Chemokine-like factor was mostly expressed in small diameter muscle fibers surrounded by infiltrated lymphocytes of inflammatory myopathies patients. Parts of them were also positive for the staining of the developmental form of myosin heavy chain, a maker of regenerating muscle fibers. Thrombin immunoreactivity was observed in endomysium in PM and perimysium in DM. In vitro differentiation study showed a constitutive expression of CKLF in myoblasts that was abolished in myotubes during differentiation process and was induced again by thrombin. Thrombin regulates CKLF expression through protease-activated receptor-1 in myotubes. Treatment of a protein kinase C inhibitor partially blocked CKLF expression in myoblasts, while it remarkably inhibited that in myotubes. Conclusion – Chemokine-like factor expression is differentially regulated in myoblasts and myotubes. Thrombin could be a strong regulator for its expression. As CKLF is immunohistochemically positive in regenerating muscle fibers, we postulate here that CKLF is a useful marker for regenerating muscle fibers in inflammatory myopathies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives – To study the involvement of cystatin C in the progression of ischemic white matter lesions (WMLs). Materials and methods – Cystatin C levels in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with cerebrovascular disease, and also in primary and established human neural cell cultures were investigated. For pathologic analysis, cystatin C immunoreactivity was investigated in the white matter of patients with severe WMLs, mild WMLs or controls. Results – Cystatin C levels in the CSF of patients with Fazekas WML grade 3 [14 with hypertension; W/HT(+) and nine without hypertension; W/HT(−)] were lower than those in 38 patients with grade 0–1 ( P = 0.0022 and P < 0.0001 respectively). Immunohistochemical study showed that the cystatin C immunoreactivity was found in astrocytes, and the number of astrocytes in the white matter in the severe WML group was decreased when compared with that in controls ( P = 0.0027) and in the mild WML group ( P = 0.0024). In human neural cell cultures, treatments with thrombin, matrix metalloproteinases and interleukin 1β increased the expression of cystatin C mRNA in human astrocytes and hybrid neurons, but an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay revealed that only thrombin significantly increased the production and secretion of cystatin C in astrocytes. Conclusions – These results suggest that low levels of CSF cystatin C in ischemic WMLs might be due to the decreased number of astrocytes that secrete cystatin C in response to the stimuli of proteases and inflammatory cytokines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessment of islet viability before transplantation is mandatory for successful clinical transplantation. ATP content or energy charge (EC) of islets may represent a good parameter to assess viability. We have introduced a novel bioluminescent enzymatic cycling assay using synthetic firefly luciferase, pyruvate kinase) (PK), and pyruvate orthophosphate dikinase (PPDK) to determine adenine nucleotides (AN) in isolated islets. A complete assay requires several minutes. The ATP contents of 1, 3, 10, 30 or 100 islets each with a diameter of 150 μm were 9.95 ± 0.03, 28.3 ± 1.18, 89.5 ± 1.48, 282 ± 10.2, and 673 ± 27.1 pmol, respectively, showing a relatively constant ATP content per 30 islets (9.95, 9.42, 8.95, and 9.41 pmol/IEQ). ECs of each group were 0.74 ± 0.02, 0.74 ± 0.02, 0.75 ± 0.02, 0.74 ± 0.02, and 0.65 ± 0.01, respectively, a value that was quite constant up to 30 islets. The quantity of ATP and EC in a single islet can be measured quickly and reproducibly, offering a new method to determine viability of isolated islets prior to transplantation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging is becoming an increasingly important tool in routine clinical practice. CMR enables visualization of a complete four-chamber view without deficits, and is being applied for right ventricular (RV) volumetric and functional assessment in a routine practice. : We retrospectively analyzed the CMR images of 67 patients (age: 50.8±19.0 years; men: 53.7%; Control: n=20, Overloaded RV (atrial septal defect): n=15, Constricted RV (pericarditis): n=17, Degenerated RV (arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy): n=15) (all enrolled consecutively for each disease) in a single center. We defined RV longitudinal (fractional longitudinal change: FLC) and transverse (fractional transverse change: FTC) contraction parameters. We assessed the FTC/FLC (T/L) ratio on four-chamber cine CMR views and compared the four groups regarding the fractional parameters. FTC had a stronger correlation (R2=0.650; p<0.001) with RV ejection fraction than that with FLC (R2=0.211; p<0.001) in the linear regression analysis. Both FLC and FTC were significantly lower in the Degenerated RV and Constricted RV groups compared with those in the Control and Overloaded RV groups. The T/L ratio was significantly lower in the Degenerated RV group (p=0.008), while the Overloaded RV (p=0.986) and Constricted RV (p=0.582) groups had preserved T/L ratios, compared with the Control group. Transverse contraction contributes to RV function more significantly compared with longitudinal contraction. Impaired T/L ratios may reflect RV myocardial degeneration. RV fractional parameters may help precisely understand RV dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The outcome for pT1 N+ or pT2-3 N0 gastric cancer is favourable, but some patients suffer from recurrent disease. The aim of this study was to identify prognostic factors in patients with pT1 N+ or pT2-3 N0 gastric cancer. Methods This was a multicentre, retrospective cohort study. All patients with pT1 N+ or pT2-3 N0 gastric cancer who underwent curative gastrectomy at five high-volume, specialized cancer centres in Japan between 2000 and 2008 were included. Demographic, clinical, surgical and pathological data were collected. Independent prognostic factors were identified using a Cox proportional hazards regression model. Results Some 1442 patients were included. The 5-year overall survival rate for patients with pT1 N+ or pT2-3 N0 gastric cancer was 92·0 per cent. Multivariable analysis for overall survival identified age (hazard ratio ( HR) 2·67, 95 per cent c.i. 2·09 to 3·43), sex ( HR 0·57, 0·39 to 0·83) and clinical tumour depth ( cT) ( HR 1·45, 1·06 to 1·98) as independent prognostic factors. Conclusion Survival of patients with pT1 N+ or pT2-3 N0 gastric cancer is good. Age 65 years or above, male sex and cT2-4 category are associated with worse overall survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the case of a 69-year-old man with a metastatic tumor in his left thigh bone. Particular focus is given to the results of his computed tomography (CT) and biopsy. Palliative care was chosen for the patient instead of systemic chemotherapy due to his poor general condition. He was given zoledronic acid to reduce bone pain. His condition improved after six months and a CT scan found that tumors in the adrenal glands had shrunk significantly.

Background: In Japan, S-1 plus cisplatin has been used as first-line therapy for advanced gastric cancer (AGC). Patients with no response to first-line treatment with S-1 often receive a taxane-alone or irinotecan-alone as second-line treatment. However, second-line treatment with S-1 plus irinotecan is widely used in patients with AGC resistant to first-line S-1-based chemotherapy. The goal of this trial was to determine whether the consecutive use of S-1 plus irinotecan improves survival when compared with irinotecan-alone as second-line treatment for AGC. Patients and methods: Patients who had disease progression during first-line S-1-based chemotherapy were randomly assigned to receive S-1 plus irinotecan or irinotecan-alone. The S-1 plus irinotecan group received oral S-1 (40-60 mg/m²) on days 1-14 and intravenous irinotecan (150 mg/m²) on day 1 of a 21-day cycle. The irinotecan-alone group received the same dose of irinotecan intravenously on day 1 of a 14-day cycle. The primary end point was overall survival (OS). Results: From February 2008 to May 2011, a total of 304 patients were enrolled. The median OS was 8.8 months in the S-1 plus irinotecan group and 9.5 months in the irinotecan-alone group. This difference was not significant (hazard ratio for death, 0.99; 95% confidence interval 0.78-1.25; P = 0.92). Grade 3 or higher toxicities were more common in the S-1 plus irinotecan group than in the irinotecan-alone group. Conclusion: The consecutive use of S-1 plus irinotecan is not recommended as second-line treatment in patients who are refractory to S-1-based first-line chemotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Activated Sludge Models (ASMs) assume an unbiodegradable organic particulate fraction in the activated sludge, which is derived from the decay of active microorganisms in the sludge and/or introduced from wastewater. In this study, a seasonal change of such activated sludge constituents in a municipal wastewater treatment plant was monitored for 1.5 years. The chemical oxygen demand ratio of the unbiodegradable particulates to the sludge showed a sinusoidal pattern ranging from 40 to 65% along with the change of water temperature in the plant that affected the decay rate. The biogas production in a laboratory-scale anaerobic digestion (AD) process was also affected by the unbiodegradable fraction in the activated sludge fed. Based on the results a chemical pretreatment using H2O2 was conducted on the digestate to convert the unbiodegradable fraction to a biodegradable one. Once the pre-treated digestate was returned to the digester, the methane conversion increased up to 80% which was about 2.4 times as much as that of the conventional AD process, whilst 96% of volatile solids in the activated sludge was digested. From the experiment, the additional route of the organic conversion processes for the inert fraction at the pre-treatment stage was modelled on the ASM platform with reasonable simulation accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sponge carrier media provide a large surface area for biofilm support; however, little information is known about how to model their dual nature as a moving bed and as porous media. To investigate the interaction of mass transfer and detachment with bio-clogging, a novel biofilm model framework was built based on individual-based modelling, and hydrodynamics were modelled using the lattice Boltzmann method. The combined model structure enabled the simulation of oxygen and biomass distribution inside the porous network aswell as inside the biofilm. In order to apply themodel tomoving bed biofilm reactors (MBBR), biofilm detachment due to abrasion (carrier collisions) wasmodelled to be dependent on intracarrier distance. In the initial growth stage, biofilm grew homogeneously on the internal skeleton after which a more discontinuous growth developed which significantly increased permeability. Low detachment rates caused clogging in the outer pores which limited growth of biofilm to the surface region of the sponge. High detachment rates on the surface enabled deeper oxygen penetration with higher internal biomass activity. The degree of clogging was also sensitive to the presence of extracellular polymeric substances because of its large spatial occupancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Laparoscopy-assisted gastrectomy (LAG) has been increasingly used for the treatment of early gastric cancer, and many advantages over open gastrectomy (OG) have been reported. However, only a few reports have assessed postoperative complications following LAG using the Clavien-Dindo classification.Methods: A total of 265 patients who underwent distal gastrectomy or pylorus-preserving gastrectomy with D1+ lymph node dissection for clinical stage IA early gastric cancer at the Shizuoka Cancer Center between June 2009 and December 2011 were included in this study. Clinicopathological characteristics and early surgical outcomes were compared between patients who underwent LAG (LAG group, n = 129) and those who underwent OG (OG group, n = 136). The severity of postoperative morbidities was assessed according to the Clavien-Dindo classification.Results: There were no differences in sex or age between the two groups. Body mass index (21.97 vs. 23.19, P < 0.001) was lower in the LAG group than the OG group. The duration of the postoperative hospital stay was similar between the two groups (9 days each, P = 0.511). There was no difference in the overall morbidity rate (grade II or higher) between the two groups (LAG group, 7.0%; OG group, 8.1%; P = 0.818). The incidence of grade IIIa or more severe morbidities was also not significantly different between the LAG group (4.7%) and OG group (2.9%, P = 0.532).Conclusions: There was no significant difference in postoperative complication rates between the LAG and the OG groups. The more severe Clavien-Dindo grade III complications, which required surgical interventions, were observed at similar rates between the two groups. Laparoscopic gastrectomy for early gastric cancer is therefore feasible in terms of the incidence and severity of intra-abdominal complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility of S-1 plus cisplatin as adjuvant chemotherapy for stage III gastric cancer after curative resection. Methods: Japanese patients with stage III gastric cancer who underwent gastrectomy with D2 lymph node resection were enrolled. Treatment consisted of 3 cycles of S-1 (80 mg/m/day, b.i.d.) for 21 days followed by a 14-day rest, and cisplatin (60 mg/m iv) on day 8. After that, S-1 monotherapy was given on days 1-28 every 6 weeks until 1-year postsurgery. After protocol amendment, the first chemotherapy cycle consisted of S-1 monotherapy; cisplatin was added to cycles 2, 3, and 4, followed by S-1 monotherapy up to 1-year postsurgery. The primary endpoint was the completion rate of three cycles of S-1 plus cisplatin. Results: A total of 63 enrolled patients have been evaluated. Grade 3/4 toxicities included neutropenia (40%), anorexia (28%), and febrile neutropenia (4%) before protocol amendment ( n = 25), and neutropenia (37%), anorexia (8%), and febrile neutropenia (3%) after amendment implementation ( n = 38). Excluding ineligible cases, treatment completion rates were 57% (12/21) before and 81% (30/37) after the protocol amendment. Conclusions: The amended S-1 plus cisplatin is more feasible than the original protocol because of early dose reduction of S-1 prior to cisplatin addition and greater recovery time from surgery prior to cisplatin. This treatment should be considered as a feasible experimental arm for the next postoperative adjuvant phase III trial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A bioartificial kidney, which consists of a continuous hemofilter and a bioartificial tubule device using proximal tubular epithelial cells (LLC-PK1), is desired to develop for preventing long-term complications in hemodialysis patients. A bioartificial tubule device should function for a long duration in terms of the simplicity and the economy. Continuous hemofiltration with 10 L/day of filtrate could maintain plasma urea, creatinine and β2-microglobulin in patients at low levels compared to those in standard hemodialysis patients. 6 bioartificial tubule devices, in which LLC-PK1 cells were grown on the inner surfaces of hollow fiber capillaries (membrane area: 0.4 m2, 1600 fibers), were used to evaluate the transport ability of H2O, glucose and Na+, and leak rates of urea and creatinine for 2 weeks when the medium containing 50 mg/dL of urea and 5.0 mg/dL of creatinine was perfused inside of the cell-attached membranes and another medium containing 2.5 g/dL of albumin was perfused outside of the membranes. Scanning electron micrograph of cross-sectional findings of the hollow fibers was taken at 6, 10, and 14 days after formation of confluence. By conversion into 1 m2 of membrane area, transport of H2O, glucose, and Na+ was 6266 ± 995 mL/day, 22832 ± 7240 mg/day, and 941.3 ± 180 mEq/day, respectively at 6 days after confluence. Leak rates of urea and creatinine across the cell-attached membranes were 22 ± 6.1% and 19.2 ± 4.9 with albumin addition, whereas 13.1 ± 1.9% and 12.2 ± 1.6 without albumin addition. Transport capacity of these components and the leak rates had continued for 10–13 days, and decreased thereafter because of the formation of the multilayers. Bioartificial tubule devices with membrane area 1.0 m2 can reach the targeted amounts of H2O, glucose, and Na+ transports when 6 L of 10 L/day of hemofiltrate has to be regenerated, substituting 4 L with meal and drinks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immunosuppressive acidic protein (IAP) suppresses several immune responses in vivo and in vitro , and high preoperative IAP levels could predict the impairment of the host's immunity. In this study prognostic significance of preoperative IAP levels was investigated in 68 esophageal cancer patients with curative resection and eight with non-curative resection. The curative group had significantly lower levels than the non-curative group (432 ± 183 mg/mL vs. 739 ± 235 mg/mL, P < 0.0001). The IAP levels were associated with T-status ( P < 0.0001), lymphatic invasion ( P < 0.05), and p-stages ( P < 0.0001). When 5-year survival rate of patients with curative resection was compared by setting various cutoff values of IAP between high and low IAP groups, several cutoff points (400-580 mg/mL) were revealed to be significantly associated with survival. Setting cutoff value of IAP to 560 mg/mL resulted in a most significant difference of 5-year survival rate of patients between the high and low IAP groups (13.9% and 61.5%, P < 0.0001). These data indicate that pre-operative IAP level is a useful parameter to predict the prognosis of esophageal cancer patients after curative resection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To evaluate the in-vivo plaque composition and characteristics in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) using Virtual Histology intravascular ultrasound (VH IVUS). Methods: In 90 patients with stable angina pectoris, de novo target vessels were studied and plaque components were analysed. Patients were divided into two groups: a diabetic group (36 vessels) and a non-diabetic group (54 vessels). Results: The percentage area of necrotic core and dense calcium were significantly larger in the DM group than the non-DM group (necrotic core: 11.0% (interquartile range (IQR): 7.2-15.2%) vs 7.6% (IQR 5.6-13.2%), p = 0.03; dense calcium: 5.6% (IQR: 2.3-7.3%) vs 2.9% (IQR: 1.7- 4.9%), p = 0.01). The DM group presented with a significantly higher presence of at least one VH IVUS-derived thin-cap fibroatheroma (VHD-TCFA) (75% vs 41%, p = 0.001) and VH IVUS-derived fibrocalcific atheroma (VHD-FCA) (75% vs 40%, p = 0.001). In the DM group, 53% of the vessels had both VHD-TCFA and VHD-FCA, which was significantly higher than non-DM group (17%, p = 0.0004). Conclusions: Coronary plaque characteristics in DM patients showed an increased amount of dense calcium and necrotic core, as well as a higher frequency of VHD-TCFA and VHD-FCA. Atherosclerosis of the target vessel was more advanced in diabetic patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RASSF2, a member of the RASSF1 family, has recently been identified as a potential tumour suppressor. We examined methylation status in multiple regions which included the CpG island and spanned the transcription start site of RASSF2 in 10 gastric cancer cell lines, as well as 78 primary gastric cancers and corresponding non-neoplastic gastric epithelia. Hypermethylation of RASSF2 in at least one of the regions examined was detected in seven (70%) of the 10 cell lines; two (20%) exhibited hypermethylation in all the regions examined including the transcription start site and lost expression of RASSF2 mRNA, which could, however, be restored by 5-aza-2' deoxycytidine treatment, while the other five (50%) cell lines exhibited hypermethylation at the 5'- and/or 3'- edge, with four of them expressing RASSF2 mRNA. In primary gastric cancers and corresponding non-neoplastic gastric epithelia, frequencies of RASSF2 methylation ranged from 29% (23 out of 78) to 79% (62 out of 78) and 3% (two out of 78) to 60% (47 out of 78), respectively, at different CpG sites examined. Methylation was frequently observed at the 5'- and 3'- edges, and became less frequent near the transcription start site in both the primary gastric cancers and corresponding non-neoplastic gastric epithelia. Hypermethylation near the transcription start site was mostly cancer-specific. We thus showed that RASSF2 is silenced by hypermethylation near the transcription start site in gastric cancer. Hypermethylation was found initially to occur at the 5'- and 3'- furthest regions of the CpG island in non-neoplastic gastric epithelia, to gradually spreads near the transcription start site to shut down RASSF2 expression, and ultimately to constitute a field-defect placing tissue increased risk for development of gastric cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A microwave synthetic method has been developed for novel electroluminescent Ir(III)-polypyridine complexes. The novel Ir(III)-polypyridine complexes give intensively multi-colored luminescence whose emission peaks are occurred ranging from 450 to 630 nm. The chemical properties and electroluminescence character of these Ir(III) complexes are studied. These Ir complexes exhibit red electrophosphorescence and they might be promising red emitting materials for EL devices. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Melanoma antigen (MAGE)-encoding genes are expressed in various tumour types via demethylation of their promoter CpG islands, which are silent in all non-neoplastic tissues except for the testis and placenta. The clinicopathological significance of demethylation of MAGE genes in gastric carcinoma is not known. We investigated the promoter methylation status of MAGE-A1 and -A3 in 10 gastric cancer cell lines and in surgical specimens from 84 gastric cancer patients by methylation-specific PCR (MSP). Expression of MAGE-A1 and -A3 in the 10 gastric cancer cell lines was also investigated by RT-PCR. Any correlation between the methylation status of the MAGE promoters and clinicopathological characteristics of the gastric cancer patients was then assessed. Eight of the 10 gastric cancer cell lines showed demethylation of both MAGE-A1 and -A3, and the remaining two cell lines did either of MAGE-A1 or -A3. Expression of MAGE-A1 and -A3 was confirmed in seven and nine of the 10 gastric cancer cell lines, respectively. The MAGE-A1 and -A3 promoters were demethylated in 29% (25 out of 84) and 66% (56 out of 84) of the gastric tumour specimens, respectively. Demethylation of both MAGE-A1 and -A3 promoters (n=22) was found more frequently in gastric cancer patients in advanced clinical stages (P=0.0035), and these patients also exhibited a higher incidence of lymph node metastasis (P=0.0007) compared to those patients without demethylation (n=25). Furthermore, demethylation patients tended to have a worse prognosis, although this difference was not statistically significant (P=0.183). Demethylation of MAGE-A1 and -A3 occurs during progressive stages of gastric cancer, and may be associated with aggressive biological behaviour of gastric cancer.British Journal of Cancer (2004) 90, 838-843. doi:10.1038/sj.bjc.6601600 www.bjcancer.com [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To examine the relationships between the form of cell death (apoptosis or necrosis), reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and the level of heat-shock protein 70 (hsp 70) expression after thermotherapy of PC-3 prostate cancer cells; also assessed were the tumoricidal effects of combined treatment with both heat and the antioxidant inhibitor diethyldithiocarbamate (DDC). Materials and methods PC-3 cells were treated with thermotherapy at 42, 43 or 44°C for 30, 60, 90 or 120 min. Cell proliferation, ROS generation, SOD activity and cellular hsp 70 level were determined using tetrazolium-based cytotoxicity, fluorescent dichlorofluorescein (DCF) and nitroblue tetrazolium assays, Western blot analysis and flow cytometry, respectively. The apoptotic and necrotic cells were determined by staining with propidium iodide and fluorescein isothiocyanate-labelled annexin V. These variable were also measured after combined treatment of PC-3 cells with 1 mmol/L DDC and thermotherapy at 43 or 44°C for 60 min. Results Cell survival was significantly lower after heating cells at 43°C for 60, 90 and 120 min and at 44°C for all periods tested (P <0.05). At 43°C apoptosis increased with the duration of heating and was similarly enhanced after heating at 44°C for 30 min. Necrosis was not increased by heating at 42 or 43°C, but was markedly enhanced after heating at 44°C with both the duration of heating and with time after heating. Significant increases in DCF production were induced by heating at 43°C for 60, 90 and 120 min (P <0.05) and at 44°C at all times (P <0.010–0.005). There was a significant correlation between the level of ROS generation and necrosis (P <0.001) but no correlation between the ROS level and apoptosis. SOD activity increased in cells after heating at 43°C, with significant differences among cells heated for 60, 90 and 120 min (P <0.05). After heating... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: E (epithelial)-cadherin, the cell adhesion molecule also considered a potential invasion/metastasis suppressor, is mutationally inactivated in nearly half of all undifferentiated-scattered (diffuse-type) gastric carcinomas. In addition, silencing of E-cadherin by CpG methylation within its promoter region has been reported in several gastric carcinoma cell lines. We investigated the methylation status of the E-cadherin promoter region in 53 primary human gastric carcinomas.Methods: Hypermethylation of the E-cadherin promoter was determined by utilizing methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-single-strand conformation polymorphism (MSP-SSCP) analysis followed by direct sequencing of PCR products. Expression of E-cadherin was studied by western blot analysis. All statistical tests were two-sided.Results: Hypermethylation of the E-cadherin promoter was evident in 27 (51%) of 53 primary gastric carcinomas examined by MSP-SSCP. It occurred more frequently in carcinomas of the undifferentiated-scattered type (in 15 [83%] of 18) than in other histologic subtypes (in 12 [34%] of 35) (P =.0011, Fisher's exact test), and it was present at similar rates in early (in six [60%] of 10) versus advanced (in 21 [49%] of 43) carcinomas (P =.73, Fisher's exact test). Methylation occurring at all cytosine-guanosine sequences (CpGs) near the transcriptional start site was confirmed in six of six tumors examined by bisulfite-DNA sequencing, including two early gastric carcinomas. In addition, loss or diminished expression of E-cadherin was confirmed by western blotting in four of the six tumor tissues demonstrating hypermethylation.Conclusions: The E-cadherin promoter frequently undergoes hypermethylation in human gastric cancers, particularly those of the undifferentiated-scattered histologic subtype. E-cadherin promoter hypermethylation is associated with decreased expression and may occur early in gastric carcinogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Right ventricular (RV) function has been recognized as an important prognostic factor in patients with heart failure. However, previous studies have focused on the global RV function such as RV ejection fraction (RVEF), not on RV contractile pattern. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) is a powerful imaging modality to assess RV morphological change together with its global systolic function.The purpose of this study is to elucidate the difference of RV contractile patterns in various heart diseases with RV dysfunction using CMR. The CMR data obtained from 50 patients with RV dysfunction and 23 control subjects were analyzed.The patients with RV dysfunction were classified into 3 groups according to the etiology of RV dysfunction; RV volume-overload group (Group V, n=16, consisting of those with atrial septal defect), RV-dominant myocyte degeneration (Group M, n=17, consisting of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy), and pericarditis group (Group P, n=17). The RV longitudinal contractile pattern (FLC: fractional longitudinal change) and the radial contractile pattern (FTC: fractional transverse change) were measured using a 4-chamber view of Cine-CMR. The ratio of transverse to longitudinal contraction (T/L ratio=FTC/FLC) was calculated. Both FLC and FTC significantly decreased in Groups M and P, while Group V showed relatively preserved FTC compared to control subjects. The T/L ratio was significantly lower in Group M than the other groups, while the value tended to be higher in Group V and P than the control (Figure). Impaired transverse contractile pattern as reflected by the reduced T/L ratio may indicate the degeneration of RV myocardium itself, whereas this value tends to be preserved in patients with RV dysfunction due to volume overload. RV contractile pattern may help to understand the disease progression and the underlying cause of RV dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An optical and electrical hybrid recognition system for detecting abnormal masses on a mammogram image using a Gabor feature extractor and a neural network is presented. This prototype system detected all abnormal masses on 20 tested mammogram images without missing any. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To test the hypothesis that coronary spasm could be a coronary manifestation of systemic endothelial dysfunction and that the activity of coronary spasm could influence systemic endothelial function, we examined brachial flow-mediated, endothelium-dependent vasodilation and nitroglycerin-induced endothelium-independent vasodilation with high-resolution ultrasound in 11 men with variant angina pectoris (6 active and 5 inactive) without established coronary atherosclerosis. Endothelium-dependent vasodilation in peripheral circulation was preserved in men with active and inactive variant angina pectoris, suggesting that systemic endothelial dysfunction is not involved in either the pathogenesis or the activity of coronary spasm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Impaired endothelium-dependent vasodilation has been reported to play an important role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases such as coronary artery disease (CAD) and congestive heart failure (CHF). However, the precise mechanism of endothelial dysfunction has not been elucidated in these conditions. To evaluate the role of oxidative stress in endothelial dysfunction, the effect of antioxidant ascorbic acid on brachial flow-mediated, endothelium-dependent vasodilation during reactive hyperemia and nitroglycerin-induced endothelium-independent vasodilation was examined with high resolution ultrasound in 12 patients with CHF caused by idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy without established coronary atherosclerosis and in 10 patients with CAD. Flow-mediated vasodilation in CHF (4.4+/-0.5%) and CAD (4.0 - 0.8%) was significantly (p <0.05) attenuated compared with that in 10 control subjects (9.6+/-0.9%). However, nitroglycerin-induced vasodilation was similar in 3 groups (13.7+/-1.3% in control, 13.9+/-1.1% in CHF, 12.7+/-1.4% in CAD). Ascorbic acid could significantly improve flow-mediated vasodilation only in patients with CAD (9.1+/-0.9%) but not with CHF (5.6+/-0.6%), and had no influence on nitroglycerin-induced vasodilation (13.6+/-1.1% in CHF, 14.0+/-1.3% in CAD). These results suggest that, in brachial circulation, augmented oxidative stress mainly leads to endothelial dysfunction in CAD but not in CHF caused by idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a healthy subject, the left ventricle (LV) generates pressure by twisting, whereas the right ventricle (RV) dose so mainly by longitudinal shortening. Right ventricular (RV) function is recognized as a prognostic predictor in patients with left-sided heart failure. However, previous studies have focused on the global RV function such as RV ejection fraction (RVEF), not on RV morphological change.Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) is a powerful imaging modality to assess RV morphological change which enables quantitative analysis of RV longitudinal and transverse shortening together with its global function. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether RV morphology alter even in left-sided heart failure patients with preserved RV global function. We consecutively analyzed CMR findings obtained from 143 patients with left-sided heart failure. Among those, 46 patients who were considered to have a solitary left ventricle dysfunction defined as RVEF>50% were included in the RV morphological analysis. RV-related Fractional longitudinal change (RV-FLC) and transverse change (RV-FTC) were measured. We dichotomized the patients according to the median value of RV-FLC and RV-FTC, and assessed the relationship between the RV and morphology and their LV function. Left ventricular (LV) mass was higher and the age was older in patients with low RV-FLC than in those with high RV-FLC (62.6+/-17.0 vs. 52.7+/-7.5 g/m2, p=0.018, 52.8+/-17.7 vs. 41.4+/-17.8 year-old, p=0.018, respectively). In patients with low RV-FTC, LV end-systolic volume (34.8+/-12.2 vs. 26.9+/-12.7 mL/m2 p=0.019) and RV end-systolic volume (35.8+/-8.0 vs. 28.8+/-10.1 mL/m2, p=0.006) were higher than those with high RV-FTC. In the analysis of patients showing reduced RV function (RVEF<50%), RV contractility was even more dependent on RV transverse shortening. Even in patients with left-sided heart failure and preserved RV global function, RV global function is dependent on RV transverse shortening rather than longitudinal shortening. Detailed investigation of RV contractile pattern using CMR in patients with left-sided heart failure can unveil their underlying RV dysfunction leading prognostic risk-stratification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to assess the cost-impact of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) and its advantages over conventional cardiac catheterization to detect cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) and myocardial inflammation derived from possible rejection in heart transplant (HTx) recipients. A sizable institutions still perform an endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) and coronary artery angiogram (CAG) in routine practice. Non-invasive diagnostic tools such as echocardiography and gene expression profiling have been reported as a possible alternative to EMBs, but its application is limited. Stress echo is a powerful tool for sorting those who require invasive assessment, but it cannot detect ongoing CAV. CMR is free from radiation exposure and allows the visualization of coronary artery narrowing without using contrast agents. We estimated medical care expense needed for rejection and CAV surveillance for HTx recipients at 3 years to 15 year-posttransplant in Japan (n=320), consisting of those with 10 % rejection rate up to 5 years and 20% CAV occurrence thereafter, as a hypothetical cohort. Three models were created. Model-1: Annual investigation using CMR-angiography to assess CAV, and T2W imaging to detect myocardial inflammation. For patients with a suspicion of the development of rejection or CAV, EMBs and CAG are performed. Model-2: Annual evaluation using CAG and EMBs up to 10 years posttransplant. After 10 year-posttransplant, the invasive procedure is done as needed. Model-3: Using echocardiography as a primary modality to detect rejection. CAG biennial and EMBs if any change in echo. If patients never developed rejection or CAV, Model-1 is the least costly with ¥228,800 to 324,860 per patient, whereas Model-2 costs ¥1,064,000 to 2,190,000 and Model-3, ¥445,200 to 689,000, respectively. When we include patients with rejection or CAV according to a hypothetical cohort, Model-1 and Model-3 were equally cost-effective. When we set sensitivity and specificity of CMR and echo as 70%, 80% and 70%, 90%, respectively, Model-1 is most cost-effective with sufficient diagnostic accuracy. Utilization of CMR as an annual follow-up tool in HTx recipients would be beneficial from a viewpoint of medical economics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: ATP content or energy charge (EC) of islets may be a good parameter to assess viability. In this study, we examined adenine nucleotides and EC of freshly isolated or 24-hour cultured rat islets of various diameters using a novel bioluminescent enzymatic cycling assay system. For freshly isolated islets, ATP content and islet diameter showed a high correlation (r = 0.842, P < .001), but a significant correlation was not observed for cultured islets (r = 0.284) when all islets were included for the analysis. When only the cultured islets with a diameter <350 μm were included for analysis, a significant correlation was observed (r = 0.719). EC of freshly isolated islets fluctuated widely irrespective of diameter, in contrast with results of 24-hour cultured islets, which showed a stable, high EC, regardless of diameter. These data suggest that the ATP content of islets correlates with the islet size and that EC of islets widely fluctuates following isolation, indicating a significant role of monitoring ATP and EC of islets before transplantation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Reports on the effect of aldosterone on the genesis and progression of cardiac remodelling. Regulation of aldosterone biosynthesis by a key enzyme; Description of polymorphisms in the promoter of the CYP11B2 gene; Substitution in a putative binding site foe steroidogenic transcription factor.