Survival analysis of a prospective multicenter observational study on surgical palliation among patients with malignant bowel obstruction caused by peritoneal dissemination of gastric cancer.

Background: Our previous report showed that surgical palliation maintained quality of life (QOL), improved solid food intake, and had an acceptable surgical safety among patients with malignant bowel obstruction (MBO) caused by advanced gastric cancer. This study performed a survival analysis stratified by the patients' QOL to elucidate its impact on survival.

Methods: Patients who underwent resection or bypass of the small intestine/colon or ileostomy/colostomy for bowel obstruction caused by peritoneal dissemination of gastric cancer were included.

Improving Acute In-Hospital Stroke Care by Reorganization of an In-Hospital Stroke Code Protocol.

Background And Purpose: Delays in recognition and assessment of in-hospital strokes (IHS) can lead to poor outcomes. The aim was to examine whether reorganized IHS code protocol can reduce treatment time.

Methods: IHS code protocol was developed, educational workshops were held for medical personnel.

Gossypiboma penetrating into the small intestine similar to Meckel's diverticulum: a report and literature review.

Foreign body granuloma due to retained surgical sponge (gossypiboma) with penetration into the small intestine is very rare. Cases of gossypiboma in the abdominal cavity have sometimes been reported, yet the correct incidence has not been determined, only estimated to occur in one of every 1,000 to 1,500 intra-abdominal operations. Acute abdomen may be observed in some cases, requiring treatment.

Interleukin-6 plays a crucial role in the development of subretinal fibrosis in a mouse model.

Subretinal fibrosis has been recognized as a feature of an advanced stage of exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) that leads to irreversible loss of vision. This study was aimed at elucidating roles of interlukin-6 (IL-6) in the development of subretinal fibrosis. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed with anti-human IL-6 antibody in surgically excised choroidal neovascular tissues from patients with exudative AMD.

Lower limb ischemia caused by resuscitative balloon occlusion of aorta.

Background: Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) is an emergency procedure to manage severe hemorrhagic shock from torso injury but can cause severe ischemia of the lower extremities. However, lower extremity ischemia occurring as a complication of REBOA has been rarely reported. We describe the severe lower extremity ischemia caused by REBOA with a 12-Fr sheath in a small-built patient.

Damage control management of innominate artery injury with tracheostomy.

Innominate artery injury is a rare, but catastrophic complication of tracheostomy. We present a case of severe hemorrhagic shock in a 79-year-old male with innominate artery injury that occurred during tracheostomy. Despite temporary innominate artery isolation, the regional forehead saturation was 60 % without laterality.

Anterior urethra sparing cystoprostatectomy for bladder cancer: a 10-year, single center experience.

Purpose: Decision making regarding the urethra before and after radical cystectomy due to urothelial carcinoma has always been controversial. To determine whether anterior urethra sparing cystoprostatectomy for bladder cancer is an oncologically-safe procedure, we evaluated the long-term oncologic clinical outcome.

Patients And Methods: A total of 51 male patients with cTa-4N0-2M0 bladder cancer were treated with anterior urethra sparing cystoprostatectomy and simultaneous urinary diversion between 2000 and 2013, and underwent follow up for 4 months or more.

Foot-and-mouth disease in Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus).

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagious, debilitating, and globally significant viral disease typically affecting cloven-hoofed hosts. The diagnosis of FMD in bears in Vietnam is described. The current study describes a confirmed case of FMD in a bear species, and the clinical signs compatible with FMD in a Malayan sun bear.

Efficacy of the S.M.A.R.T. Control vs. other stents for aortoiliac occlusive disease in contemporary clinical practice.

Purpose: To compare the safety and efficacy of the S.M.A.

Brain metastasis in a patient with a sarcomatoid variant RCC with well-controlled extracerebral metastases by temsirolimus.

Background: The sarcomatoid variant of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has often an aggressive course and a poor prognosis, particularly when accompanied with brain metastasis.

Case Report: We describe the case of a patient with sarcomatoid variant RCC in whom brain metastasis was observed as a new lesion during treatment with temsirolimus, despite other extracerebral metastatic lesions being well-controlled and progression-free.

Results: This discrepancy between the effectiveness of temsirolimus for extracerebral metastases and the simultaneous progression of brain metastases of RCC raises a concern that while vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-targeted therapy may have clinical efficacy, it may also carry a risk for new brain metastases due to weakening of the structure of the blood brain barrier.

Induction of (6-4) photolyase gene transcription by blue light in Xenopus A6 cells.

(6-4) photolyase repairs pyrimidine-pyrimidone (6-4) photoproducts generated in DNA upon UV light exposure. We studied the effects of blue light on the expression of this gene in Xenopus A6 cells. Exposure of the cells to blue light, but not red light, for 12h resulted in more than 20-fold increase of the (6-4) photolyase mRNA.

Role of distal upstream sequence in vitamin D-induced expression of human CYP24 gene.

The level of CYP24 mRNA in cultured human fibroblasts increases up to 20,000-fold in response to 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3). Two vitamin D-responsive elements (VDREs) located immediately upstream of the CYP24 gene are primarily responsible for the induction. We studied roles of other regions in the 5'-flanking sequence of this gene.

Purification, cDNA cloning, and expression profiles of the cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer photolyase of Xenopus laevis.

Photolyase is a light-dependent enzyme that repairs pyrimidine dimers in DNA. Two types of photolyases have been found in frog Xenopus laevis, one for repairing cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPD photolyase) and the other for pyrimidine-pyrimidone (6-4)photoproduct [(6-4)photolyase]. However, little is known about the former type of the Xenopus photolyases.

Characterization of vitamin D-mediated induction of the CYP 24 transcription.

Transcription of the CYP24 (25-hydroxyvitamin D(3)-24-hydroxylase) gene is known to be induced by 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3). We studied the induction kinetics in detail in human skin-derived fibroblasts. While the basal transcription of this gene was very low, addition of 1,25(OH)2D3 increased the mRNA level by 50-fold within 1h.

Rapid and preferential induction of ATF3 transcription in response to low doses of UVA light.

Long-wavelength UV light (UVA) is known to induce transcription of various genes in the cell and to cause a variety of pathological or protective responses in the skin. To find additional UVA-responsive genes, human skin-derived fibroblasts were exposed to UVA under non- or partially lethal conditions, and the effects of UVA on the transcriptional profile were examined by using DNA microarray and RT-PCR. Transcription of several genes including those already known to be UVA-responsive was induced to a significant extent under 50% lethal conditions of exposure.

[A case of focal xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis difficult to differentiate from renal cell carcinoma].

A 34-year-old female with left flank pain persisting for 3 months consulted us on 19 Feb, 2001. Ultrasonography (US), computerized tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and renal angiography revealed a cystic renal tumor in the upper pole of the left kidney invading the spleen, and paraaortic lymph node swelling. Left radical nephrectomy combined with splenectomy and partial diaphragmectomy was performed under a tentative diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma.

Impact of arterial occlusion during partial nephrectomy on residual renal function: an evaluation with (99m)technetium-dimercaptosuccinic acid scintigraphy.

Background: Partial nephrectomy (PNx) has been performed with temporary renal arterial occlusion and in situ renal hypothermia (conventional PNx). However, the impact of temporary renal arterial occlusion on residual renal function has not been well assessed. To address this question, we performed renal scintigraphy with (99m)technetium-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) for the quantitative measurement of postoperative residual renal function after conventional PNx and partial nephrectomy without arterial occlusion (non-clamping PNx).

Nephron-sparing tumorectomy for a large benign renal mass: a case of massive bilateral renal angiomyolipomas associated with tuberous sclerosis.

A case of massive bilateral angiomyolipomas (AML) associated with tuberous sclerosis in a 33-year-old woman is reported. She was hospitalized because she had been experiencing abdominal fullness and epigastralgia. Several imaging studies revealed massive bilateral renal tumors and she was diagnosed as having renal AML associated with tuberous sclerosis.

Electrovaporization using a rollerball electrode for flat or small papillary tumors of the bladder: basic study in dogs.

Purpose: We investigated electrovaporization of flat bladder tumors with a rollerball electrode 3 mm in diameter as a substitute for conventional transurethral resection with a cutting loop.

Materials And Methods: A basic study of the action of electrovaporization was performed in dogs. The bladder was exposed under general anesthesia in three mongrel dogs.

Excision repair of uracil-containing DNA in a mitochondrial extract of Xenopus oocytes.

A mitochondrial extract of Xenopus oocytes was prepared to characterize DNA repair reactions operating in mitochondria. We asked whether and how uracils, spontaneously formed in DNA as a result of cytosine deamination, would be repaired in the extract. When a 40-mer oligonucleotide duplex with a single deoxyuridine at position 21 was incubated in the extract, incision took place at the 5' side of the lesion, and the uracil-containing strand was mostly cleaved within 15 min.

Cytokines accumulated in acquired renal cysts in long-term hemodialysis patients.

Background: Cytokines play a pivotal role in growth, differentiation, and apoptosis. In this study, we measured cytokine content in the renal cyst fluid of patients with acquired cystic disease of the kidney (ACDK) in order to elucidate the possibility that cytokines are related to the development of ACDK.

Patients And Methods: All or some of 15 cytokines, IL-1a, -1b, -2, -4, -5, -6, -8, -10, IFN-alpha, -gamma, G-, M-, GM-CSF, TNF-alpha, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were analyzed in cyst fluid and serum of 12 patients on hemodialysis (HD) including 8 with ACDK and 8 with normally functioning kidneys by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.