Search

It is widely recognized that organic carbon exported to the ocean aphotic layer is significantly consumed by heterotrophic organisms such as bacteria and zooplankton in the mesopelagic layer. However, very little is known for the trophic link between bacteria and zooplankton or the function of the microbial loop in this layer. In the northwestern Mediterranean, recent studies have shown that viruses, bacteria, heterotrophic nanoflagellates, and ciliates distribute down to 2000 m with group-specific depth-dependent decreases, and that bacterial production decreases with depth down to 1000 m. Here we show that such data can be analyzed using a simple steady-state food chain model to quantify the carbon flow from bacteria to zooplankton over the mesopelagic layer. The model indicates that bacterial mortality by viruses is similar to or 1.5 times greater than that by heterotrophic nanoflagellates, and that heterotrophic nanoflagellates transfer little of bacterial production to higher trophic levels.

The anthropogenic increase of carbon dioxide (CO2) alters the seawater carbonate chemistry, with a decline of pH and an increase in the partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2). Although bacteria play a major role in carbon cycling, little is known about the impact of rising pCO2 on bacterial carbon metabolism, especially for natural bacterial communities. In this study, we investigated the effect of rising pCO2 on bacterial production (BP), bacterial respiration (BR) and bacterial carbon metabolism during a mesocosm experiment performed in Kongsfjorden (Svalbard) in 2010. Nine mesocosms with pCO2 levels ranging from ca. 180 to 1400 μatm were deployed in the fjord and monitored for 30 days. Generally BP gradually decreased in all mesocosms in an initial phase, showed a large (3.6-fold average) but temporary increase on day 10, and increased slightly after inorganic nutrient addition. Over the wide range of pCO2 investigated, the patterns in BP and growth rate of bulk and free-living communities were generally similar over time. However, BP of the bulk community significantly decreased with increasing pCO2 after nutrient addition (day 14). In addition, increasing pCO2 enhanced the leucine to thymidine (Leu : TdR) ratio at the end of experiment, suggesting that pCO2 may alter the growth balance of bacteria. Stepwise multiple regression analysis suggests that multiple factors, including pCO2, explained the changes of BP, growth rate and Leu : TdR ratio at the end of the experiment. In contrast to BP, no clear trend and effect of changes of pCO2 was observed for BR, bacterial carbon demand and bacterial growth efficiency. Overall, the results suggest that changes in pCO2 potentially influence bacterial production, growth rate and growth balance rather than the conversion of dissolved organic matter into CO2.

The effect of ocean acidification on the balance between gross community production (GCP) and community respiration (CR) (i.e., net community production, NCP) of plankton communities was investigated in summer 2010 in Kongsfjorden, west of Svalbard. Surface water, which was characterized by low concentrations of dissolved inorganic nutrients and chlorophyll a (a proxy of phytoplankton biomass), was enclosed in nine mesocosms and subjected to eight pCO2 levels (two replicated controls and seven enhanced pCO2 treatments) for one month. Nutrients were added to all mesocosms on day 13 of the experiment, and thereafter increase of chlorophyll a was provoked in all mesocosms. No clear trend in response to increasing pCO2 was found in the daily values of NCP, CR, and GCP. For further analysis, these parameters were cumulated for the following three periods: phase 1 – end of CO2 manipulation until nutrient addition (t4 to t13); phase 2 – nutrient addition until the second chlorophyll a minimum (t14 to t21); phase 3 – the second chlorophyll a minimum until the end of this study (t22 to t28). A significant response was detected as a decrease of NCP with increasing pCO2 during phase 3. CR was relatively stable throughout the experiment in all mesocosms. As a result, the cumulative GCP significantly decreased with increasing pCO2 during phase 3. After the nutrient addition, the ratios of cumulative NCP to cumulative consumption of NO3 and PO4 showed a significant decrease during phase 3 with increasing pCO2. The results suggest that elevated pCO2 influenced cumulative NCP and stoichiometric C and nutrient coupling of the plankton community in a high-latitude fjord only for a limited period. However provided that there were some differences or weak correlations between NCP data based on different methods in the same experiment, this conclusion should be taken with caution.

This report reveals that diffusion of hydrogen induces gradual degradation in InGaN-based laser diodes (LDs). The increase in nonradiative recombination centers (NRCs) in the LDs has been attributed to diffusion-related phenomena. Factors other than NRCs, such as the threshold carrier density Nth, can increase threshold current Ith. Those factors, however, were not fully investigated. Moreover, the diffusant responsible for the degradation of the LDs has not been univocally identified yet. To separately evaluate the roles of NRCs and Nth in increasing Ith, this report analyzes the stress-induced variation of nonradiative recombination lifetime τnr and lasing wavelength λl. It is revealed that the density of NRCs increases at the first stage of gradual degradation, followed by a rise in Nth. In addition, this report proposes a novel model for the time-variation of 1/τnr to investigate the diffusion-related degradation. By using this model, we extrapolate the value of the diffusion coefficient of diffusants involved in the degradation in InGaN-based LDs. The proposed analysis methods and obtained results are useful for understanding the physics of LD degradation.

Hypoxia has been shown to promote metastasis of cancer cells through induction of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). It is also known to cause generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). We investigated here the role of ROS in hypoxia-induced EMT and whether attenuation of ROS by antioxidants suppresses hypoxia-induced EMT and metastasis of human pancreatic cancer cells in a xenograft nude mouse model. PANC-1 and MiaPaCa-2 cells exposed to hypoxia (1 % O(2)) showed increased ROS generation and characteristic changes of EMT such as morphological changes, enhanced invasiveness, and upregulation of EMT regulators, SLUG, SNAI1 and TWIST. The antioxidants N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and ebselen significantly suppressed EMT and the expression of EMT regulators during hypoxia. NAC abrogated activation of HIF-1α and NF-κB, both of which were found to play an active role in hypoxia-induced EMT. Administration of NAC to nude mice with orthotopic tumors suppressed the expression of EMT regulators in hypoxic areas and significantly inhibited hepatic metastasis. Together, the present findings demonstrate that attenuation of ROS by antioxidants suppresses hypoxia-induced EMT and metastatic phenotype, suggesting that antioxidants may be of therapeutic value in treating pancreatic cancers.

Background The most significant prognostic factors for pancreatic head carcinoma (PHC) with pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) are the resection margin and lymph node status. The curative surgical margin (R0) and complete clearance of regional lymph nodes contribute to the improvement of survival. To reduce microscopic residual tumor resection (R1) and achieve a complete lymphadenectomy around the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) when performing a PD for PHC, we propose a new concept of a total excision of the “meso-pancreatoduodenum.” which consists of a cluster of the soft connective tissue along the inferior pancreaticoduodenal artery and the first jejunal artery. Methods A total of 39 consecutive patients underwent a PD for PHC between May 2006 and August 2011 at Shimane University Hospital. Twenty-five patients received a standard PD (sPD), while 14 cases underwent a total meso-pancreatoduodenum excision (tMPDe) with PD. Results The tMPDe procedure was performed safely without any intraoperative complications. The total number of lymph nodes dissected was 18 (median, range: 5–40) in the sPD and 26 (median, range: 13–50) in the tMPDe ( p = 0.027). R0 resection was accomplished in 60% and 93% of patients with the sPD and tMPDe, respectively, resulting in a significant decrease in the R1 rate in the tMPDe (7%) compared to that in the sPD (40%) ( p = 0.019). No loco-regional recurrence was found around the SMA in the tMPDe patients. Conclusion Our surgical technique, tMPDe, is safe and more radical when performing a PD and should be adopted when performing pancreatic surgery as a pathological cure for pancreatic head carcinoma.

Innate adjuvant receptors are expressed in immune cells and some types of cancers. If antitumor therapies targeting these receptors are established, it is likely that they will be therapeutically beneficial because antitumor effects and immune-cell activation can be induced simultaneously. In this study, we tested this possibility of using an innate adjuvant receptor ligand, polyinosinic–polycytidylic acid [poly(I:C)], to treat human breast cancer cell lines. Three breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, and BT-549) were used in this study. Poly(I:C) was transfected into these cancer cells to stimulate melanoma differentiation–associated gene (MDA) 5, which is a cytoplasmic adjuvant receptor. Poly(I:C) transfection significantly reduced the viability of all cell lines in a manner partially dependent on MDA5. Flow cytometeric analyses and immunoblot assays revealed that the antitumor effect depended on both caspase-dependent apoptosis and c-Myc- and cyclinD1-dependent growth arrest. Interestingly, poly(I:C) transfection was accompanied by autophagy, which is thought to protect cancer cells from apoptosis after poly(I:C) transfection. In a xenograft mouse model, local transfection of poly(I:C) significantly inhibited the growth of xenografted MDA-MB-231 cells. Our findings indicate that cytoplasmic delivery of poly(I:C) can induce apoptosis and growth arrest of human breast cancer cells, and that therapy-associated autophagy prevents apoptosis. The results of this study suggest that the innate adjuvant receptors are promising targets and that their ligands could serve as antitumor reagents, which have the potential to simultaneously induce antitumor effects and activate immune cells.

膵癌診断時に皮膚転移を認め，その後筋転移を来たした稀な一例を経験した．症例は74歳，男性．早期大腸癌にてEMR施行され，2年後の定期受診で，膵尾部腫瘍を指摘され，精査となった．腹部造影CTにて膵尾部に約5cm大の造影効果の乏しい腫瘍を認め，肝に多発する小さな低吸収結節影を認めた．EUS下針生検にて膵管癌と診断した．入院時，左腋窩に圧痛を伴う皮下腫瘤があり，切除生検にて膵癌皮膚転移と診断した．膵癌T4N1M1 Stage IVに対し，gemcitabineとS-1による化学療法を開始した．治療初期より左大腿外側の痛みがあり，画像検査にて膵癌筋転移が強く示唆された．化学療法への反応は悪く，腫瘍は進行し，治療開始200日後に永眠された．皮膚転移・筋転移が膵癌の発見契機となることもあり，皮下腫瘤や持続する原因不明の筋肉痛などは注意すべき所見と考えられた．

With this paper we propose a detailed study of the gradual degradation of InGaN-based laser diodes and Light-Emitting Diodes submitted to electro-thermal stress. The two device structures have been processed from the same epitaxial wafer. Our purpose is to compare the behavior of the two devices by means of electro-optical measurements, electroluminescence characterization, and near field emission measurements. We demonstrate that: (i) stress induces a decrease in the optical power and an increase in threshold current; (ii) the two failure modes are strictly linked each other, and correlated to the increase in defect-related current components, indicating a substantial increase in defect density during degradation; (iii) analysis of characteristic temperature and near-field emission measurements do not indicate any strong variation of injection efficiency nor current confinement of the devices.

目的・方法:POSSUMは1991年にイギリスで開発されたが（以下，original POSSUM），術後合併症の過剰予測で日本の実情に合わないとされ，2007年にHiroshima-POSSUM（以下，H-POSSUM）が開発された．島根県の多施設消化器手術データベースに集積された1,246例（2002年から2010年）の前半622症例からロジスティク回帰分析にてShimane-POSSUM（以下，S-POSSUM）を導き，後半624症例における有用性を観察された発生率の予測されたそれに対する比（以下，O/E比）の比較とROC解析を用いて，original POSSUM，H-POSSUMと比較した．結果:術後合併症率ではO/E比はoriginal POSSUM 0.52，H-POSSUM 0.70，S-POSSUM 0.86であり，手術直接死亡率でも各々0.09，0.25，0.46と，S-POSSUMが最も1に近かった．ROC解析では，術後合併症率ではAUCは各々0.666，0.672，0.672，手術直接死亡率では，0.817，0.829，0.836と3者同等であった．結論:当地域の消化器手術の合併症予測にはS-POSSUMが最も有用であった．

症例は84歳，女性．1年以上に渡って発熱・嘔吐による入院を繰り返していた．前医にて十二指腸傍乳頭憩室による再発性胆管炎（Lemmel症候群）と診断され，内視鏡的治療も試みられたが施行不能であった．8回の入院後も症状の改善なく，加療目的にて紹介となった．精査後，腹腔鏡下に総胆管十二指腸吻合を行った．術後は症状も軽快し，合併症無く退院となった．良性疾患であるLemmel症候群に対しては保存的加療が主となることが多く，再発を繰り返す症例は多い．難治例・重症例においては手術的加療が選択されるが，そのほとんどが開腹下による手術となり，高齢者においては侵襲も強く困難を伴う．現在までに本邦で当疾患に対して腹腔鏡下での総胆管十二指腸吻合を施行したという報告はない．若干の文献的考察を加えて報告する．

International audience; The mesopelagic zone is the oceanic region through which carbon and other elements must pass in order to reach deeper waters or the sea floor. However, the food web interactions that occur in the mesopelagic zone are difficult to measure and so, despite their crucial importance to global elemental cycles, are not very well known. Recent developments in technology and new approaches have advanced the study of the variability in and controls upon the distribution and diversity of organisms in the mesopelagic zone, including the roles of respiration, recycling, and repackaging of particulate and dissolved organic material. However, there are remarkably few syntheses of the ecology and biogeochemistry of the microbes and metazoa that permanently reside or habitually visit this 'twilight zone'. Without this synthesis, it is difficult to assess the impact of ongoing changes in ocean hydrography and chemistry, due to increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, on the biological carbon pump. This paper reviews what is known about the distribution of microbes and metazoa in the mesopelagic zone in relation to their activity and impact on global biogeochemical cycles. Thus, gaps in our knowledge are identified and suggestions made for priority research programmes that will improve our ability to predict the effects of climate change on carbon sequestration. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Objective. High-mobility group box 1, a ubiquitous nonhistone chromosomal protein, is passively released from necrotic cells and actively secreted by inflammatory cells. Extracellular high-mobility group box 1 has recently been recognized to be a mediator of hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury; however, the kinetics of high-mobility group box 1 during hepatic ischemia-reperfusion and the role of high-mobility group box 1 in ischemia-reperfusion injury still remain poorly understood. This study was designed to assess the localization and the kinetics of high-mobility group box 1 during hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury and the effects of high-mobility group box 1 adsorption column in hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury. Design: A prospective, randomized animal study. Setting. University medical center research laboratory. Subjects: Male Sprague-Dawley rats. Investigation: The animals underwent 70% partial hepatic ischemia for 60 or 90 mins and were then reperfused. To investigate the high-mobility group box 1 levels in the serum and in the liver, the animals were killed at predetermined periods. As a lethal model, global hepatic ischemia-reperfusion was induced by portal triad cross-clamping for 30 mins. Hemoperfusion therapy using a cellulofine sulfate bead column (high-mobility group box 1 adsorption column) was performed during global hepatic ischemia. Measurements and Main Results; During 60 mins of 70% hepatic ischemia, nuclear high-mobility group box 1 was translocated to the cytoplasm in hepatocytes; however, serum high-mobility group box lwas not increased. Immediately after reperfusion, the serum high-mobility group box 1 was significantly increased (p < .05). High-mobility group box 1 mediated ischemia-reperfusion injury in not only liver but also the remote organ, lung. Removal of excess high-mobility group box 1 in blood using an adsorption column significantly improved animal survival (p < .03) and liver and lung injuries. Conclusions: High-mobility group box 1 plays an important role in the systemic as well as local pathogenesis of hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury. The removal of excessive high-mobility group box 1 with adsorption column was beneficial and promising option in ischemia-related liver injuries.

症例は64歳の男性で，貧血精査の内視鏡検査で胸部下部食道に0-IIc病変を指摘され生検にて高分化扁平上皮癌と診断された．左声帯膜様部にも白板病変を認め，高分化扁平上皮癌と診断された．食道癌の深達度は超音波内視鏡検査にてsm1，CTにて気管分岐部のリンパ節腫大を認めるも生理的な腫大と判断した．胸腔鏡補助下食道亜全摘術（D3）および腹腔鏡補助下胃管による再建術を施行した．喉頭癌（T1N0M0，Stage I）には同時にレーザー切除が施行された．術中No. 109左リンパ節が食道外膜に浸潤する所見を認めた．術後の病理組織学的診断では，食道癌は高分化扁平上皮癌pT1aN0M0，Stage 0で郭清リンパ節59個中扁平上皮癌の転移はなかったが，No. 109左と107リンパ節はCD79aとL26が陽性でdiffuse large B cell lymphomaと診断された．術後R-CHOP療法3クール，放射線照射後外来通院となった．

With this paper we analyze the correlation between the degradation of InGaN-based laser diodes (LDs) and the increase in the non-radiative recombination rate in the active region. Several 405 nm MOCVD LDs have been submitted to CW stress, for 2000 h (stress current in the range 40-100 mA, case temperature = 75 °C). During stress, we extensively evaluated the optical characteristics of the LDs: a technique for the evaluation of the non-radiative recombination lifetime (τ nr ) in the active material was developed and used for the analysis of the stress effects. We demonstrate the following: (1) degradation determines the increase in LDs threshold current (I th ) and the decrease in the τ nr ; (2) degradation of I th and τ nr have similar kinetics; and (3) the degradation rate of the LDs is almost linearly related to the stress current level. The degradation process is therefore ascribed to the decrease of internal quantum efficiency caused by the increase of the non-radiative recombination rate in the active region.

A 73-year-old man was diagnosed with superficial esophageal cancer, and endoscopic mucosal resection was performed. Histologically, the lesion was found to be a squamous cell carcinoma invading the muscularis mucosae without vascular invasion. The patient was followed without being given adjuvant therapy, and lymph node recurrence along the lesser curvature of the stomach was found after 2.5 years. He underwent laparoscopic removal of the metastatic lymph node and cholecystectomy for cholecystolithiasis. He had two courses of adjuvant chemotherapy and showed no recurrence during 3 years of observation. Although the effectiveness of surgical resection for nodal recurrence of esophageal cancer remains controversial, this case highlights the possibility of salvage resection using minimally invasive surgery.

The mesopelagic layer is where the majority of the particulate organic carbon exported from the epipelagic layer is remineralized to CO 2 . Recent studies at the DYFAMED time-series station in the NW Mediterranean Sea have shown that dominance of prokaryotes (Bacteria and Archaea) within the microbial community represented by biomass data increases with depth. The studies have also shown that the depth-integrated biomass of protists (heterotrophic flagellates and ciliates) in the mesopelagic layer is as great as that in the epipelagic layer, and that biomass of mesopelagic prokaryotes is controlled by both substrate availability (bottom-up control) and predation and viral infection (top-down control). Data on prokaryotic growth efficiency (derived from the prokaryotic heterotrophic production and the loss of organic carbon flux in the mesopelagic layer on an annual scale) suggest that mesopelagic prokaryotes are not simply remineralizers of organic carbon, but also play an important role in supporting the production of organisms belonging to higher trophic levels. Analysis using a simple food chain model suggests that heterotrophic nanoflagellates may be important remineralizers of organic carbon produced by prokaryotes, and that the viral loop may enhance remineralization of organic carbon in the mesopelagic layer. There are, however, uncertain elements in measuring organic carbon flux and biomass and activity of the microbial components in the mesopelagic layer. By comparing the results obtained at the DYFAMED station with those obtained from other environments, this study summarizes our current knowledge on the structure and function of the mesopelagic microbial loop in the NW Mediterranean Sea as well as in other oceanic regions.

水溶液系におけるイオン種の分離において，多孔質材を電極として用いる電気泳動装置の適用を提案し，その可能性および操作因子等について検討した．電極として，炭素多孔質材，ステンレス板，チタン板，チタン粉末充填体，および白金めっき炭素多孔質材を選択し，通電条件を種々変化させて回分実験を行った．被検水として硫酸アンモニウム溶液を使用し，通電時の電極セルにおけるイオン種（NH4+とSO42-）濃度の変化を観察した．電極として炭素多孔質材を用いることによりイオン濃度は減少し，その速度は電圧と電流に依存して変化した．また，白金めっき炭素多孔質電極を用いたところイオン濃度の減少速度は上昇した．電極を炭素多孔質体からチタン粉末充填体へ変更した結果，イオン濃度の減少速度は低下した．電極に板材を用いた実験では，イオン濃度の減少は認められなかった．本実験より，白金めっき炭素多孔質電極を使用することにより電気泳動装置の分離性能は安定すると考えられた

An electrolytic crystallization process for recovering and removing phosphate from a high-strength wastewaters such as livestock and industrial wastewaters was developed. In the process, phosphate crystallizes with calcium, magnesium and ammonium on the cathode surface because of a rapid increase in cathodic pH by electrolysis. The crystalline substance formed on the cathode surface was considered to be a mixture of hydroxyapatite (HAp) and magnesium ammonium phosphate (MAP). However, the MAP content of the crystalline substance was not very high. From the mass balance in the, electrolytic cell, magnesium phosphate could be simultaneously formed by electrolysis. In addition, a large amount of potassium was also included in the crystalline substance. The efficiency of the formation of the crystalline substance markedly depended on the kind of electrode material, electrode surface roughness and electrode arrangement.

To elucidate the role that the marine microbes play in global nutrient cycling, it is necessary to recognize how various phyto- and bacterioplankton groups compete for limiting nutrients. Specific phosphate affinity describes an organism’s ability to harvest phosphate at low concentrations from the surrounding water. For the first time, we have taken advantage of cell-sorting flow cytometry in combination with radio-labeled phosphorus to measure this feature of specific osmotrophic groups in natural communities. Specific phosphate affinities for Synechococcus spp. and picoeukaryotes were measured using live, unstained cells. The results were always lower than theoretical calculated maximum values, corresponding well with observations of P-deficiency, or sub-optimal P supply for the osmotroph community, at the time of investigation. Fixing and staining cells before flow sorting offers the advantage of better separation of phytoplankton and showed high sorting reproducibility when applied to nonaxenic Synechococcuscultures. A subsequent investigation of P-leakage from isotopically labeled, fixed, stained cells in nonaxenic cultures of Synechococcusshowed that it was only slightly larger than the loss of 17% found when uptake of new label was stopped with adding “cold” phosphate. Possible applications of the currently developed methodology for population specific P affinity measurements by flow sorting are discussed.

BACKGROUND AND AIM Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARgamma), a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily, is widely expressed in adipocytes and other tissues, including the liver. Several reports have shown that PPARgamma activation induced cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis in tumor cells. We investigated the role of the PPARgamma/ligand system and the effect of the PPARgamma agonist during liver regeneration. METHODS Expression of PPARgamma and serum levels of 15-deoxy-Delta12,14-prostaglandin J2 (15d-PGJ2) by enzyme immunoassay were evaluated in rats following partial hepatectomy (PH group). Further, the effect of the PPARgamma agonist, pioglitazone, on liver regeneration (PH + PGZ group) was evaluated by proliferating cell nuclear antigen labeling index, relative liver weight, and expression of cell-cycle regulators. RESULTS The number of PPARgamma-stained hepatocytes decreased at 24 h (PH, 15.8 +/- 2.2%; sham, 35.5 +/- 2.4%; P < 0.001) and increased in the late phase of liver regeneration compared to the sham-operated group (P < 0.001 at 48-120 h). The peaks of serum 15d-PGJ2 (627.0 +/- 91.1 pg/ml) and PPARgamma expression (90.6 +/- 3.1%) coincided in the late phase of liver regeneration. Also, oral administration of pioglitazone inhibited hepatocyte proliferation, in terms of the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) labeling index and p27 expression during the late phase of liver regeneration, and caused a transient reduction in liver mass when compared to the PH group. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that the PPARgamma/ligand system may be one of the key negative regulators of hepatocyte proliferation and may be responsible for the inhibition of liver growth in the late phase of liver regeneration.

Availability of phosphate for phytoplankton and bacteria and of glucose for bacteria at different pCO2 levels were studied in a mesocosm experiment (PeECE III). Using nutrient-depleted SW Norwegian fjord waters, three different levels of pCO2 (350 μatm: 1×CO2; 700 μatm: 2×CO2; 1050 μatm: 3×CO2) were set up, and nitrate and phosphate were added at the start of the experiment in order to induce a phytoplankton bloom. Despite similar responses of total particulate P concentration and phosphate turnover time at the three different pCO2 levels, the size distribution of particulate P and 33PO4 uptake suggested that phosphate transferred to the >10 μm fraction was greater in the 3×CO2 mesocosm during the first 6–10 days when phosphate concentration was high. During the period of phosphate depletion (after Day 12), specific phosphate affinity and specific alkaline phosphatase activity (APA) suggested a P-deficiency (i.e. suboptimal phosphate supply) rather than a P-limitation for the phytoplankton and bacterial community at the three different pCO2 levels. Specific phosphate affinity and specific APA tended to be higher in the 3×CO2 than in the 2×CO2 and 1×CO2 mesocosms during the phosphate depletion period, although no statistical differences were found. Glucose turnover time was correlated significantly and negatively with bacterial abundance and production but not with the bulk DOC concentration. This suggests that even though constituting a small fraction of the bulk DOC, glucose was an important component of labile DOC for bacteria. Specific glucose affinity of bacteria behaved similarly at the three different pCO2 levels with measured specific glucose affinities being consistently much lower than the theoretical maximum predicted from the diffusion-limited model. This suggests that bacterial growth was not severely limited by the glucose availability. Hence, it seems that the lower availability of inorganic nutrients after the phytoplankton bloom reduced the bacterial capacity to consume labile DOC in the upper mixed layer of the stratified mesocosms.

According to statistical documents regarding building construction floor space from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the construction floor space of all buildings was 115,490,000 m2, which was 26.6% less than the previous year and was the third year in a row for decline. Even for office space, there was a 20.0% decrease versus the previous year. In 2009, the rebuilding of historical buildings in major metropolitan areas continued, and efforts to reduce greenhouse gases also accelerated. The efficient use of office lighting was established through initial illuminance correction control using sensors, control for using daytime light, and control through motion sensors. Furthermore, in line with JIS standards revisions, lighting facilities that control discomfort glare have started to be implemented. Light emitting diode (LED) lighting is now being used in various types of facilities, including exhibition halls, multipurpose halls, conference rooms, and religious buildings. Even in art galleries, which demand high color rendering, LED lighting has started to be used for exhibits. In hospitals and retirement homes, there continues to be a strong consciousness of energy efficiency. The use of LEDs is increasing even for environmental lighting applications, and chandeliers and LED lightbulb downlights controlled by motion sensors have started to be employed. In 2009, the number of new theaters and halls constructed was very small. With a total number of six plus some small halls, it was the lowest number of new buildings in recent years. On the other hand, there is a feeling that all existing theaters and halls have gone ahead and performed renovations. Countrywide, forty-five facilities performed renovation work, which was a 50% increase over the previous year and was the highest number of renovations in recent years. In shops and business facilities, LED lighting has traditionally been often used as store fixture lighting and wall accent lighting. However, improvements in output and color rendering and the diversification of product types have progressed and full scale introduction into product presentation is now possible. In the accommodation, food and drink, and service industries, the use of LEDs as light sources is increasing in positions that require high color rendering, and renovations that emphasize energy efficiency are being introduced. Furthermore, LEDs are being employed for room lighting to provide modulated lighting that is suitable for when guests awaken. In the residential building industry, LED lighting fixtures are increasingly employed for high ceiling areas and underwater applications in order to utilize their greater control of the distribution of luminous intensity.

We measured the turnover of phosphorus (P) from radioactive-labeled dissolved deoxyribonucleic acid (dDNA), adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and orthophosphate, and the partitioning of P from these sources into different size fractions of algae and bacteria in nutrient-manipulated mesocosms. There was a transition from uptake dominated by larger organisms during balanced enrichment toward uptake dominated by smaller organisms during nitrogen (N) enrichment (P starvation). Contrary to expectation, this effect was counteracted by glucose enrichment, probably because bacterial cells increased in size in a glucose-amended mesocosm. During P starvation, estimates of biomass-specific affinity for all substrates were consistent with uptake becoming limited by molecular diffusion transport toward the cells. Dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP) turnover times (T) fell to ~5 min for ATP and ~1.5 h for dDNA (compared to 1.1 and 15.6 h, respectively, during balanced enrichment), coincided with little inorganic P liberated from DOP in the water, and reflected a tight coupling between hydrolysis and uptake in this situation. At one time during the experiment, the ability of algae and bacteria to compete for P was also assessed by the combination of isotope dilution experiments and affinity estimates. High affinity and low values of the term K + Sn (the half saturation constant + the natural concentration of bioavailable substrate) when the 1-0.2-µm size fraction was compared to the >1-µm size fraction for all substrates indicated bacterial supremacy while in competition for both inorganic and organic P. No significant shift in algal-bacterial competition for DOP relative to dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP) was found.

Data on the water quality of about 500 effluent samples collected from septic tank (johkasou) systems being used at individual residences in Gunma prefecture were examined to determine the treatment performance of each system. The pollutant loads discharged from the johkasou systems were calculated using the water quality data. In addition, more effective means of wastewater management in an unsewered area where most of town's wastewater was mainly treated by tandoku-shori johkasou systems were discussed on the basis of the calculated pollutant load factor. The results of the water quality analysis showed that the treatment performance of the advanced gappei-shori johkasou (type 1-3) system was the highest of all the johkasou systems. Changing the tandoku-shori johkasou system to the type 1-3 system is recommended to prevent the eutrophication of a lake in the unsewered area.

症例は64歳，男性．20歳代で肝機能異常・非A非B型慢性肝炎と診断された．胃穹窿部静脈瘤を指摘され，未出血例であるが，本人は積極的治療を希望した．血小板6.2万と低下しており，血小板増加が期待される胃上部血行郭清および脾摘（Hassab's手術）を施行した．術後，胃静脈瘤は消失，血小板は10万以上に増加し，HCVgenotype1b/高ウイルス量のC型慢性肝炎に対してコンセンサスIFNを開始した．7カ月目に全身倦怠感等のためnatural α IFNへ変更し，IFN開始から1年間継続して中止した．IFN中止後6カ月時もHCV-RNAの陰性を持続しており，著効と判定された．血小板減少を伴うC型慢性肝炎のIFN治療には，いくつかの方法が考えられるが，本例では胃静脈瘤を合併しており，一期的に胃静脈瘤の治療と血小板増多が期待できるHassab's手術を施行後にIFN導入し，ウイルス排除を達成した．その後2年間，静脈瘤，肝癌を認めず，良好に経過している．

胃癌の診断にて腹腔鏡補助下幽門側胃切除術を施行し, 切除標本から胃結核の合併を認めた1例を経験した. 症例は62歳の男性で, 主訴は食思不振. 来院1週間前から食思不振が出現し, 徐々に顔面蒼白となりタール便も見られるようになる. 来院時貧血を認め, 緊急内視鏡検査を施行したところ胃角部全体を覆う巨大潰瘍を認めた. 内科的治療を行ったが難治性であり, 経過観察中の生検にて胃癌の診断を得たため腹腔鏡補助下幽門側胃切除術を施行した. 術後は発熱が続き, 切除標本の病理組織学的検査結果より胃結核症の合併を認めた. 抗結核薬にて治療を行ったが, 全身状態は悪化し死亡退院となる. 原因は手術侵襲による免疫力低下による結核症の増悪と考えられた. 結核症は現在も散見され, 多彩な病像を呈することがあるため, 診断や治療に際しては慎重な対処が必要である.

目的: 手術のリスク評価の一つであるPhysiological and Operative Severity Score for the enUmeration of Mortality and morbidity(以下, POSSUM)の術後合併症発生率や死亡率は高く予測されるため, 多くの改良型が報告されてきた. 今回, 消化器外科全般で用いることのできるPOSSUMスコアを開発し, その精度を検証した. 対象・方法: 2002年1月から2005年12月までの4年間に施行した消化器手術1,573例を対象とした. 前半2年間(n=709)の成績より, 予測合併症発生率と予測死亡率の計算式の係数を変更しHiroshima POSSUM(以下, H-POSSUM)とした. 後半2年間の症例(n=864)において, 3種類のPOSSUMの精度を比較した. 精度は実際に観察された発生数を予測された発生数で除した比率 (以下, O/E ratio)で検討した. さらに, 6種類の症例構成を設定し, その有用性をO/E ratioで検討した.成績: 術後合併症発生率のO/E ratio はoriginal POSSUMでは0.78であり, H-POSSUMでは1.04であった. また, 死亡率のO/E ratio はoriginal POSSUMでは0.12, Portsmouth-POSSUMでは0.56, H-POSSUMでは0.94であり, H-POSSUMのO/E ratioが最も1.00に近似していた. 六つのシミュレーションにおいても, H-POSSUMの精度は他のPOSSUMより優れていた.考察: 新しく開発したH-POSSUMは消化器手術のリスク評価として有用である.

症例は55歳の男性で, 発熱, 右側腹部の発赤, 疼痛を訴え来院した. 来院時, WBC 13,900/μl, CRP 27.7mg/dlと炎症反応が上昇し, CTにて右側腹部に10×6×5cmの内部が不均一な嚢胞性病変を認め, 周囲脂肪織への炎症の波及が疑われ入院となった. 入院翌日には自潰し多量に排膿があったが, 抗生剤にて炎症反応は改善し, 8日後に排膿は消失し退院となった. しかし, 13日後再度自潰し, 瘻孔造影にて小腸が造影されたため手術を施行した. 腹腔内にφ2-3mmの白色小結節とムチン状腹水, 右側腹部に癒着を認めた. 診断不能のためムチン状粘液と小結節を採取したのみで閉腹した. 病理組織学的検査にて結核菌は認めないが, 一部壊死を伴った類上皮細胞からなる結節性病変を認め, 腸結核を疑い大腸内視鏡を施行した. 回盲部から類上皮細胞肉芽腫, ラングハンス型巨細胞を認めたため腸結核の診断にて治療開始し, 約2週間後に瘻孔は閉鎖した. 腸結核は多彩な病像を呈することがあり注意を要する.

Background: The RUNX proteins are a family of transcriptional factors that have essential functions during embryogenesis and development, whereas deregulation in expression of RUNXs is often linked to tumor formation. To date, there has been no study describing the precise expression, prognostic impact and methylation status of RUNXs in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Methods: Resected specimens from 61 patients with esophageal SCC were used to identify the expression of RUNX1, RUNX2 and RUNX3 by real-time RT-PCR. Localization of mRNA was done by in situ hybridization, expression of Smad4 was evaluated by immunohistochemistry, and the methylation status of RUNX3 was analyzed by methylation-specific PCR. Results: RUNX3 had a significant impact on patient prognosis with worse survival in the RUNX3-negative group. In early tumors (T1/T2), the prevalence of lymph vessel invasion and the number of metastatic lymph nodes were significantly higher in RUNX3-negative tumors. Furthermore, RUNX3 became a strong prognostic factor only in Smad4-positive tumors. Also, the methylation status of the RUNX3 promoter had a significant correlation with the loss of RUNX3 expression. Conclusion: Downregulation of RUNX3 may play a role in disease progression of esophageal SCC, and hypermethylation of the promoter region might be one of the crucial pathways to silence RUNX3 gene.

42歳，男性の膵未分化癌の1例を経験した．主訴は左腰背部痛，腹部膨満感であった．血液学的検査ではDupan II, Span I, エラスターゼIが上昇していた．上腹部Computed Tomography（CT）像にて膵尾部に低吸収域な腫瘍を，上腹部エコーにて低エコー性腫瘍を認め，また内視鏡的逆行性胆道膵管造影（endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography；ERCP）では膵管の狭窄，不整は認めず，腹部血管造影では腫瘍は脾動脈，中結腸動脈，下結腸動脈から栄養されていた．以上の画像診断，血液検査から通常の浸潤性膵管癌とは異なる疾患と推測された．手術時所見では胃背側部，横行結腸に浸潤する巨大腫瘍を認め，血性腹水を伴った腹膜播種が存在し切除不能であった． 術中に摘出した転移リンパ節の病理組織学的検査により膵由来の低分化型腺癌と診断し，また免疫組織化学的検索ではcytokeratin 7，20，epithelial membrane antigen（EMA），vimentin，M-actin，S-100は陽性であった．以上の所見より本腫瘍は膵原発未分化癌と診断した．なお自験例は術後化学療法を施行したが術後23日目に肝不全にて死亡した．本疾患は膵腫瘍の中では比較的稀であるが，腫瘍径が小さければ外科的切除を施行し，放射線療法，化学療法を積極的に行うべきである．今回のように巨大な腫瘍では切除不能例が多く，放射線治療，化学療法を含めた治療が必要と考えられた．

症例は67歳の男性で, 突然の上腹部痛にて来院した. 緊急腹部CTでは, 肝尾状葉に原発した肝細胞癌とその破裂による腹腔内出血が疑われた. Vital signは安定していたため, 保存的治療を選択した. 他の画像検査で, 腫瘤はSpiegel's lobeと連続, 肝外性に発育し, 総肝動脈から固有肝動脈を巻き込み, 門脈を右方に圧排していた. Spiegel's lobe原発肝細胞癌の破裂と診断し待機手術を施行した. 開腹検査所見は術前診断と同様であり, 巻き込まれていた総肝動脈, 固有肝動脈を剥離し腫瘍を茎基部で切離して摘出した. 病理組織学的診断は, 8×5.5×4cm, 64g, 中分化型肝細胞癌で, 茎基部に出血巣を認めた. 肝尾状葉に原発した肝細胞癌破裂の本邦報告は12例と少なく, いずれもSpiegel's lobeであった. また, 肝外発育型肝細胞癌の茎基部が破綻し出血を来した報告もまれであった.