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In this work, the corrosion behavior of the AA4006 alloy made by the twin roll caster process was evaluated using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), anodic potentiodynamic polarization curves, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). This alloy belongs to the Al-Fe-Si system and is present with higher amounts of Fe and Si than AA1050 aluminum. Electrochemical tests were performed in a sulfate solution with or without chloride ions, and two different areas of the AA4006 alloy were tested: at the surface and at the center of the sheet (half thickness). The results obtained were compared to the commercially pure AA1050 aluminum. Electrochemical tests carried out using the solution without chloride ions presented similar results; however, the addition of chloride ions resulted in localized corrosion in all samples. It was possible to compare the corrosion behavior of the studied materials analyzing these electrochemical data and the micrographs obtained by scanning electron microscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) have been considered as potential therapeutic targets in cholangiocarcinoma, but no studies have yet clarified the clinicopathological or prognostic significance of these molecules. Immunohistochemical expression of these molecules was assessed retrospectively in 236 cases of cholangiocarcinoma, as well as associations between the expression of these molecules and clinicopathological factors or clinical outcome. The proportions of positive cases for EGFR, VEGF, and HER2 overexpression were 27.4, 53.8, and 0.9% in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (IHCC), and 19.2, 59.2, and 8.5% in extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (EHCC), respectively. Clinicopathologically, EGFR overexpression was associated with macroscopic type (P=0.0120), lymph node metastasis (P=0.0006), tumour stage (P=0.0424), lymphatic vessel invasion (P=0.0371), and perineural invasion (P=0.0459) in EHCC, and VEGF overexpression with intrahepatic metastasis (P=0.0224) in IHCC. Multivariate analysis showed that EGFR expression was a significant prognostic factor (hazard ratio (HR), 2.67; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.52-4.69; P=0.0006) and also a risk factor for tumour recurrence (HR, 1.89; 95% CI, 1.05-3.39, P=0.0335) in IHCC. These results suggest that EGFR expression is associated with tumour progression and VEGF expression may be involved in haematogenic metastasis in cholangiocarcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study was designed to examine the function of cellular prion protein and prion protein-like protein/Doppel, in transient ischemia-related neuronal death in the hippocampus. Two different lines of mice devoid of cellular prion protein, Zrch I Prnp 0/0 and Ngsk Prnp 0/0 , were used. The former lacks cellular prion protein whereas the latter ectopically expresses prion protein-like protein/Doppel in the brain in the absence of cellular prion protein. Mice were subjected to 10 min-occlusion of the bilateral common carotid arteries with recovery for 14 days. Less than 10% of the pyramidal neurons in the CA1 subfield were degenerated in male and female wild-type mice. In contrast, more than half of the neurons were lost in male Zrch I Prnp 0/0 and Ngsk Prnp 0/0 mice. Such severe neuronal loss was also observed in female Ngsk Prnp 0/0 mice. However, female Zrch I Prnp 0/0 mice showed mild neuronal loss similar to wild-type mice. Flunarizine, a T- and L-type Ca2+-channel antagonist, significantly reduced the neuronal loss in female but not in male Ngsk Prnp 0/0 mice. These results indicate that loss of cellular prion protein renders hippocampal neurons susceptible to ischemic insult specifically in male but not female mice and the ectopic expression of prion protein-like protein/Doppel aggravates the ischemic neuronal death in female prion protein-null mice probably via overloading of Ca2+-dependent signaling. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Although pulmonary metastasectomy is a commonly-performed procedure, data are lacking on the feasibility and oncological efficacy of removal of pulmonary metastases from pancreatic cancer. In this study, we retrospectively compared features of pulmonary metastases from pancreatic cancer versus colorectal cancer (CRC, patients with CRC being common candidates for pulmonary metastasectomy) and outcomes of removing such metastases, with our aim being to identify specific features of the former., Methods: Data on removal of 182 pulmonary metastases (29 from pancreatic and 153 from CRC) performed from January 2013 to April 2024 were included in this analysis. Radio-pathological findings were compared between these groups. The study cohort comprised 139 pulmonary metastasectomies in 119 patients (24 with pancreatic cancer and 95 with CRC) in whom R0 resection was achieved and follow-up data were available., Results: Atypical radiological findings of pulmonary metastases, including polygonal-shape (P < 0.001), spiculae (P < 0.001), air bronchogram (P = 0.012), peripheral ground-glass opacities (P < 0.001), and pleural tags (P < 0.001) were present more frequently in metastases from pancreatic cancer than from CRC. Furthermore, pleural lavage cytology was more frequently positive in pulmonary metastases from pancreatic cancer than in those from CRC (P < 0.001). Disease-free survival was significantly shorter after the removal of metastases from pancreatic than from CRC (P < 0.001)., Conclusions: Some pulmonary metastases from pancreatic cancer have atypical radiological features. Surgical interventions for these may enable diagnosis. The prognosis is significantly poorer after removing metastases from pancreatic cancer than from CRC. The therapeutic significance of our findings requires further investigation., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Surrogate markers of minimal residual disease primarily include cell-free tumor DNA and circulating tumor cells. Cell-free tumor DNA might aid precise decision-making regarding who should receive adjuvant chemotherapy. However, there are no relevant reports on circulating tumor cells. Therefore, we aimed to verify whether perioperative clustered circulating tumour cells identification is a predictor of therapeutic efficacy in non-small cell lung cancer adjuvant chemotherapy., Methods: Circulating tumor cells were diagnosed under light microscopy using a size selection method in 128 patients with clinical stage I/II non-small cell lung cancer around surgery. The main endpoint was recurrence-free survival, and the effect of adjuvant chemotherapy was verified in both groups based on perioperative clustered circulating tumor cell identification., Results: In total, 49 and 79 patients were included in the clustered circulating tumor cell-positive and clustered circulating tumor cell-negative patient groups, respectively. In the clustered circulating tumor cell-positive patient group, adjuvant chemotherapy was performed in 18 patients (2-year recurrence-free survival rate, 71.8%). However, the 2-year recurrence-free survival rate was 36.3% in 31 patients who did not receive adjuvant chemotherapy (P < .01). In the clustered circulating tumor cell-negative patient group, adjuvant chemotherapy was provided in 11 patients (2-year recurrence-free survival rate, 90.9%). However, 68 patients did not receive adjuvant chemotherapy (2-year recurrence-free survival rate, 94.9%) (not significant)., Conclusions: In surgical cases of clinical stage I/II non-small cell lung cancer, patients with perioperative clustered circulating tumor cells had a poor prognosis, but adjuvant chemotherapy improved their prognosis., Competing Interests: Disclosures The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Reactive postural control is an important component of the balance function for fall prevention. Perturbation-based balance exercises improve reactive postural control; however, these exercises require large, complex instruments and expert medical guidance. This study investigates the effects of unexpected perturbation-based balance exercises using a wearable balance exercise device (WBED) on reactive postural control. Eighteen healthy adult males participated in this study. Participants were assigned to the WBED and Sham groups. In the intervention session, participants in the WBED group randomly underwent unexpected perturbation in the mediolateral direction, while the Sham group performed the same exercises without perturbation. Before and after the intervention session, all participants underwent evaluation of reactive balance function using air cylinders. Peak displacement (D), time at peak displacement (T), peak velocity (V), and root mean square (RMS) of center of pressure (COP) data were measured. For mediolateral and anteroposterior COP (COPML and COP[Formula: see text]), the main effects of group and time factors (pre/post) were investigated through the analysis of variance for split-plot factorial design. In the WBED group, the D-COPML and V-COPML of the post-test significantly decreased compared to those of the pre-test (p = 0.017 and p = 0.003, respectively). Furthermore, the D-COPAP and RMSAP of the post-test significantly decreased compared to those of the pre-test (p = 0.036 and p = 0.015, respectively). This study proved that the perturbation-based balance exercise using WBED immediately improved reactive postural control. Therefore, wearable exercise devices, such as WBED, may contribute to the prevention of falls and fall-related injuries., (© 2023 The Authors.)

Aims: Although it is necessary to measure the invasive size of lung adenocarcinoma with a lepidic component, it is not uncommon to have trouble in measuring the invasive size of lung adenocarcinoma. This study examined whether there were other stronger prognostic factors than invasive size., Methods: We characterised the clinicopathological features associated with recurrence-free survival (RFS) of 686 patients with the pathological stage (p-Stage) I lung adenocarcinoma. Moreover, we compared the area under the curve (AUC) values for recurrence between various combinations of pathological-baseline (age & sex & p-Stage based on invasive size) (B(i)) and several prognostic factors, and various combinations of p-baseline based on total tumour size (B(t)) and several prognostic factors., Results: AUC showed no significant differences between B(i) & new International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer grade (G) or vascular invasion (V), and B(t) & G or V. AUC was the highest in B & G & lymphatic invasion (L) & V. RFS was significantly shorter in patients with G3 OR L(+) OR V(+) than in those with G≤2 AND L(-) AND V(-) in each p-Stage based on invasive size (p-Stage(i)) and p-Stage based on total tumour size (p-Stage(t)) (p<0.05), and there were no significant differences in RFS between each p-Stage(i) and p-Stage(t)., Conclusions: In any invasive size or total tumour size of p-Stage I lung adenocarcinoma, G, L and V are more powerful prognostic factors than the size criteria of p-Stage. Therefore, pathologists should focus on these pathological findings., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: Although the opportunity to treat subcentimeter lung cancers has increased, the optimal surgical methods remain unclear. We performed a retrospective study to examine the clinical outcome of subcentimeter lung cancers., Patients and Methods: In total, 118 patients who underwent curative resection for subcentimeter lung cancer from January 2005 to December 2013 were analyzed. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate the hazard ratio to identify independent predictors of recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS)., Results: Anatomical resections were performed for 64 patients (59 lobectomies and 5 segmentectomies) and wedge resections for 54 patients. Recurrence developed in six patients who had consolidation-predominant tumors (consolidation/tumor [C/T] ratio of >0.5) and underwent wedge resections. The first recurrence patterns were regional recurrences in three patients, both regional and distant in one, and distant in two. Seventeen patients died of other causes. The multivariate analysis revealed that the C/T ratio was the independent predictor of RFS ( p  = 0.008) and OS ( p  = 0.011)., Conclusion: Patients with subcentimeter lung cancer rarely developed recurrence. The C/T ratio was the independent prognostic factor, and all relapsed patients received wedge resections. Even for subcentimeter lung cancers, we should select the extent of pulmonary resection after thoroughly considering whether wedge resection (less invasiveness) is a reasonable alternative to anatomical resection (superior oncologic efficacy) considering the C/T ratio of the lesion., Competing Interests: None declared., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

Saccharomyces cerevisiae LIP1 encodes a regulatory subunit that forms a complex with the ceramide synthase catalytic subunits, Lag1/Lac1, which is localized on the membrane of endoplasmic reticulum. To understand the underlying regulatory mechanism of sphingolipid biosynthesis, we generated strains upon replacing the chromosomal LIP1 promoter with a Tet-off promoter, which enables the expression in Dox-dependent manner. The lip1-1 strain, obtained through the promoter substitution, exhibits severe growth inhibition and remarkable decrease in sphingolipid synthesis in the presence of Dox. Using this strain, we investigated the effect of a decrease in ceramide synthesis on TOR complex 2 (TORC2)-Ypk1 signaling, which senses the complex sphingolipid level at the plasma membrane and promotes sphingolipid biosynthesis. In lip1-1 cells, Ypk1 was activated via both upstream kinases, TORC2 and yeast PDK1 homologues, Pkh1/2, thereby inducing hyperphosphorylation of Lag1, but not of another Ypk1-substrate, Orm1, which is a known negative regulator of the first step of sphingolipid metabolism, in the presence of Dox. Therefore, our data suggest that the metabolic enzyme activities at each step of the sphingolipid biosynthetic pathway are controlled through a fine regulatory mechanism., (© 2021 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.)

Background/aim: Vein-first lobectomy (VFL) in lung cancer might reduce shedding of circulating tumour cells (CTCs). This study assessed the clinical significance of VFL., Patients and Methods: Lung cancer patients undergoing lobectomy and CTC testing were evaluated. The primary evaluation item was postoperative clustered CTC detection, and the secondary outcome measures were the 2-year overall survival and recurrence-free survival rates according to the status of VFL and postoperative clustered CTC., Results: Eighty-six patients with similar backgrounds, except for lobe resection and pulmonary vein dissection time, showed postoperative clustered CTC identification rates of 43.8% and 37.9% in the VFL group (n=57) and no-VFL group (n=29), respectively. However, prognosis was not significantly different, although the presence of clustered CTC after surgery was a predictor of recurrence., Conclusion: The status of postoperative clustered CTC was similar regardless of VFL or not, although the detection of clustered CTC was a predictor of recurrence., Competing Interests: The Authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest in relation to this study., (Copyright 2021, International Institute of Anticancer Research.)