Explore the vast range of titles available.

A 69‐year‐old woman, a long‐term survivor of subtotal stomach‐preserving pancreatoduodenectomy with the splenic vein resection for pancreatic cancer, visited our hospital with a chief complaint of bloody stools. Previously, she was diagnosed with varices in the ascending colon due to left‐sided portal hypertension after pancreatoduodenectomy by computed tomography and colonoscopy. After emergency hospitalization, she went into shock, and blood tests showed acute progression of severe anemia. Computed tomography showed a mosaic‐like fluid accumulation from the ascending colon to the rectum. She was diagnosed with ruptured varices in the ascending colon. Emergency colonoscopy was performed, and treatment with endoscopic injection sclerotherapy using N‐butyl‐2‐cyanoacrylate was successful. Ectopic varices occur at any location other than the esophagus and stomach, and colonic varices are rare among them. They are mostly caused by portal hypertension due to liver cirrhosis. However, with the trend of improving the prognosis for patients with pancreatic cancer, we should occasionally pay attention to the development of ectopic varices including colonic varices in patients who have undergone pancreatoduodenectomy with superior mesenteric and splenic veins resection. Treatment methods for colonic varices varied from case to case, including conservative therapy, interventional radiology, and endoscopic procedure. In this case, endoscopic injection sclerotherapy was successfully performed without any complications. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report successful treatment with endoscopic injection sclerotherapy for varices in the ascending colon caused by left‐sided portal hypertension after pancreatoduodenectomy. Colonic varices should be considered in patients with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding after pancreatoduodenectomy.

Several endoscopic findings obtained by magnifying image-enhanced endoscopy (IEE) are reportedly correlated with gastric intestinal metaplasia (IM); however, the differences between magnifying and nonmagnifying IEE for the diagnosis of gastric IM remain unknown. This study included 100 consecutive patients who underwent narrow-band imaging endoscopy. Four areas of the stomach were evaluated using nonmagnifying and magnifying IEE. Light-blue crest (LBC), white opaque substance (WOS), and endoscopic grading of the gastric IM (EGGIM) were assessed. The concordance rates between nonmagnifying and magnifying IEE were 80.5% for LBC and 93.3% for WOS. The strength of agreement between each observation technique showed good reproducibility, with a kappa value of 0.69 and 0.83 for LBC and WOS, respectively. The individual EGGIM score indicated a good correlation between nonmagnifying and magnifying IEE (concordance rate, 75%; kappa value, 0.67). The prevalence of a high EGGIM score in patients with and without gastric cancer (GC) showed a significant difference both with nonmagnifying IEE (odds ratio (OR), 3.3; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.2–9.0), and magnifying IEE (OR, 3.1; 95% CI, 1.1–8.9). Nonmagnifying IEE has the potential to stratify the individual risk of GC, similar to magnifying IEE, warranting further investigation with histological assessment.

Aim Repeated psychostimulant drug treatment, including methamphetamine, in rodents readily produces behavioral sensitization, which reflects altered brain function caused by repeated drug exposure. Dendritic remodeling of medium spiny neurons in the nucleus accumbens is thought to be an essential mechanism underlying behavioral sensitization. We recently showed that chronic methamphetamine treatment did not produce behavioral sensitization in serotonin transporter knockout mice. Methods In this study, we report the spine density of medium spiny neurons in the nucleus accumbens after repeated methamphetamine injection to examine morphological alterations in serotonin transporter knockout mice. Results Golgi‐COX staining clearly showed that the spine density of medium spiny neurons in the nucleus accumbens increased following repeated methamphetamine treatment in both wild‐type and serotonin transporter knockout mice. Conclusions Our results suggested that augmented serotonergic neurotransmission produced by serotonin transporter deletion prevents the development of behavioral sensitization in a manner that is independent of dendritic remodeling in the nucleus accumbens.

Despite improvements in systemic therapy options for renal cancer, it remains one of the most drug-resistant malignancies. Interestingly, reports have shown that kahweol and cafestol, natural diterpenes extracted from coffee beans, exhibit anti-cancer activity. However, the multiple potential pharmacological actions of both have yet to be fully understood. This study therefore investigated the effects of kahweol acetate and cafestol on human renal cancer ACHN and Caki-1 cells. Accordingly, the combination of kahweol acetate and cafestol administration synergistically inhibited cell proliferation and migration by inducing apoptosis and inhibiting epithelial–mesenchymal transition. Mechanistic dissection revealed that kahweol acetate and cafestol inhibited Akt and ERK phosphorylation. Moreover, kahweol acetate and cafestol downregulated the expression of not only C–C chemokine receptors 2, 5, and 6 but also programmed death-ligand 1, indicating their effects on the tumor microenvironment. Thus, kahweol acetate and cafestol may be novel therapeutic candidates for renal cancer considering that they exert multiple pharmacological effects.

BackgroundPerineural catheters placed parallel to the nerve course are reported to have lower migration rates than those placed perpendicular to it. However, catheter migration rates for a continuous adductor canal block (ACB) remain unknown. This study compared postoperative migration rates of proximal ACB catheters placed parallel and perpendicular to the saphenous nerve.MethodsSeventy participants scheduled for unilateral primary total knee arthroplasty were randomly assigned for parallel or perpendicular placement of the ACB catheter. The primary outcome was the migration rate of the ACB catheter on postoperative day (POD) 2. Catheter migration was defined as being unable to confirm saline administration via the catheter around the saphenous nerve at the mid-thigh level under ultrasound guidance. Secondary outcomes included active and passive range of motion (ROM) of the knee on postoperative rehabilitation.ResultsSixty-seven participants were included in the final analyses. The catheter migrated significantly less often in the parallel group (5 of 34 (14.7%)) than in the perpendicular group (24 of 33 (72.7%)) (p<0.001). The mean (SD) active and passive knee flexion ROM (degrees) improved significantly in the parallel than in the perpendicular group (POD 1: active, 88.4 (13.2) vs 80.0 (12.4), p=0.011; passive, 95.6 (12.8) vs 85.7 (13.6), p=0.004; POD 2: active, 88.7 (13.4) vs 82.2 (11.5), p=0.036; passive, 97.2 (12.8) vs 91.0 (12.0), p=0.045).ConclusionParallel placement of the ACB catheter provided a lower postoperative catheter migration rate than perpendicular placement of the ACB catheter along with corresponding improvements in ROM and secondary analgesic outcomes.Trial registration numberUMIN000045374.

RNA in extracellular vesicles (EVs) are uptaken by cells, where they regulate fundamental cellular functions. EV-derived mRNA in recipient cells can be translated. However, it is still elusive whether “naked nonvesicular extracellular mRNA” (nex-mRNA) that are not packed in EVs can be uptaken by cells and, if so, whether they have any functions in recipient cells. Here, we show the entrance of nex-mRNA in the nucleus, where they exert a translation-independent function. Human nex- interleukin-1β ( IL1β )-mRNA outside cells proved to be captured by RNA-binding zinc finger CCCH domain containing protein 12D (ZC3H12D)-expressing human natural killer (NK) cells. ZC3H12D recruited to the cell membrane binds to the 3′-untranslated region of nex- IL1β -mRNA and transports it to the nucleus. The nex- IL1β -mRNA in the NK cell nucleus upregulates antiapoptotic gene expression, migration activity, and interferon-γ production, leading to the killing of cancer cells and antimetastasis in mice. These results implicate the diverse actions of mRNA. Nonvesicular extracellular RNA (nex-RNA) that are not packed in extracellular vesicles is detected outside the cell, but it is poorly understood. Here the authors report that nex-RNA is captured by a zinc finger protein and transported to the nucleus to enhance antimetastatic characters of the cell.

ObjectivesTo assess whether systemic inflammation and nutritional status contribute to a relationship between tooth loss and mortality in community-dwelling older Japanese individuals using mediation analyses.Materials and methodsThis longitudinal study targeted community-dwelling older Japanese individuals (N = 891). The exposure variable was the number of teeth (edentulous, 1–9, 10–19, ≥ 20), while the outcome was all-cause mortality from 2003 to 2016. Nutritional status and systemic inflammation were evaluated as mediators and based on serum albumin and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels, respectively. Covariates included age, sex, smoking, alcohol consumption, medical history, educational level, depressive symptoms, cognitive impairment, and physical function. The Cox proportional hazards model was applied to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) for the association between tooth loss and mortality and the contributions of systemic inflammation and nutritional status to this association.ResultsEdentulous participants (HR, 1.84; 95 % confidence interval [CI], 1.30–2.59) and those with 1–9 teeth (HR, 1.75; 95% CI, 1.28–2.40) groups exhibited a significantly higher risk of mortality than did those with ≥ 20 teeth. Mediation analyses showed that nutritional status contributed to the association between tooth loss and mortality in participants with 1–9 teeth, whereas systemic inflammation played no role in this association.ConclusionsNutritional status may contribute to the association between tooth loss and mortality in community-dwelling older Japanese individuals with fewer remaining teeth.Clinical relevanceThe data from this prospective cohort study help in elucidating parts of the biological mechanism underlying tooth loss and all-cause mortality in older individuals.

Globally, the cancer burden is expected to increase as populations are ageing. Therefore, cancer prevention among older age groups is important. This prospective cohort study examined the relationship between the number of remaining teeth, maximum occlusal force, and incidence of gastrointestinal cancer in community-dwelling older Japanese individuals using data from the Tsurugaya project; 847 participants were included. The exposure variables were the number of remaining teeth and the maximum occlusal force, with the outcome being the incidence of gastrointestinal cancer. Covariates were age, sex, medical history, smoking, alcohol consumption, educational attainment, and physical function. The Cox proportional hazard model was used to examine the relationship between the number of remaining teeth, maximum occlusal force, and incidence of gastrointestinal cancer. With a median follow-up of 7.6 years, 63 participants were confirmed to have gastrointestinal cancer. The risk of gastrointestinal cancer was significantly higher in those with an occlusal force lower than the median (hazard ratio, 2.80; 95% confidence interval, 1.54–5.10). No significant risk difference was found according to the number of remaining teeth. Low maximum occlusal force was associated with the incidence of gastrointestinal cancer in community-dwelling older Japanese adults.

The three-body nuclear and molecular resonances for 55135Cs+12H+12H, and 55133Cs+13H+13H systems are calculated in “cuboctahedron 55135Cs12H246APd12 and 55133Cs13H246APd12 clusters” in a very wide range from 0.01[fm] to several hundreds of nm in “one stretch” with more than “100 significant figures”, where the mass number A of Pd could be 102, 104, 105, 106, 108, 110 but neglected hereafter, because Pd isn’t concerned directly with the nuclear reaction. We obtained several new “three-ion resonance states” between the expected molecular CsH2 ground state and the first excited state in cuboctahedron CsH2Pd12 cluster, where H represents either a 11H, a 12H, or a 13H, respectively. The molecular “ground and the first excited states” in the cluster are derived by the Kohn-Sham equation or the ADF package which could mainly describe many electrons rather than cores of ions. We found that the E2 transition times from some CsH2(7/2+) resonance states (or the IOS states) to the nuclear 57139La (7/2+) ground state are about τ=10-1∼10-6sec for five traditional potentials, and τ=10-2∼10-8sec for six potentials with our long range three-body force (3BLF) where the “molecular resonances” can strongly interfere with the “nuclear resonances”. The thermal nuclear “critical reaction value” (or fusion constant) and/or ultra low energy corresponding value: Chigh/low=(duration time)×(density)×(energy or temperature) are compared. It was found that Clow is almost the same order as Chigh or more. Finally, an ignition method for the synthesis will be discussed.

Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes include tumor-reactive lymphocytes and regulatory T-cells. However, the prognostic value of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remains unclear. We used immunohistochemistry to evaluate the presence of tumor-infiltrating FoxP3⺠T-cells and CTLA-4⺠cells in four distinct histological compartments (tumor parenchyma and stroma at the tumor center, and parenchyma and stroma at the invasive front) and assessed the association between the prevalence of these cells and the histopathological status of 137 patients with OSCC. Five-year overall survival, disease-specific survival, and recurrence-free survival were favorable in patients with high numbers of FoxP3⺠T-cells in the parenchyma of the invasive front. Recurrence-free survival and metastasis-free survival were decreased in patients with high numbers of CTLA-4⺠cells in the parenchyma of the invasive front. The presence of FoxP3⺠T-cells in the parenchyma of the invasive front may be a useful prognostic factor. Our results indicate that FoxP3⺠T-cells may exert site-specific anti-tumor effects but may not play an immunosuppressive role in OSCC. In addition, our results suggest that CTLA-4.sup.+ cells suppress the function of FoxP3.sup.+ T-cells and promote anti-tumor immunity in OSCC.