Human homogamy in facial characteristics: does a sexual-imprinting-like mechanism play a role?

Human homogamy may be caused in part by individuals' preference for phenotypic similarities. Two types of preference can result in homogamy: individuals may prefer someone who is similar to themselves (self-referent phenotype matching) or to their parents (a sexual-imprinting-like mechanism). In order to examine these possibilities, we compare faces of couples and their family members in two ways.

Impact of posttransplant portosystemic shunts on liver transplantation.

Background: Posttransplant portosystemic shunts may result in severe fatty changes, portal vein complications, or graft liver failure because they reduce the effectiveness of portal perfusion through a portal steal phenomenon. However, the indications and timing of surgical and interventional treatments for posttransplant portosystemic shunts are still a matter of debate. We performed a retrospective investigation of the present state of long-term outpatients with posttransplant portosystemic shunts.

Impact of endotoxin measured by an endotoxin activity assay during liver transplantation.

Background: Endotoxin (Et) in the portal vein blood is processed by the hepatic reticuloendothelial system. Thus, it is possible that the Et kinetics of the peripheral venous blood may be useful as a biological index that can be used to evaluate liver function. In this study, we measured Et using the endotoxin activity assay in peripheral venous blood during living donor liver transplantation (LDLT), to study its clinical significance.

Prediction of acute cellular rejection by peripheral blood eosinophilia in pediatric living donor liver transplantation.

Background: Acute cellular rejection (ACR) is a common cause of morbidity following liver transplantation. Several reports have evaluated the predictive value of peripheral blood eosinophilia as a simple noninvasive diagnostic marker for ACR. This study examined whether the relative eosinophil counts (REC) predicted ACR in pediatric living donor liver transplantation (LDLT).

Living donor liver transplantation from an asymptomatic mother who was a carrier for ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency.

Liver transplantation (LT) has been adopted as a radical treatment for ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency (OTCD), yielding favorable outcomes. Despite the fact that it is an inheritable disease, a blood relative who is heterozygous for the disorder must sometimes be used as a liver donor for living donor LT. There is ongoing discussion regarding the use of heterozygous donors, however, to our knowledge, no cases where donation was determined based on the Ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) activity before LT have been reported.

Growth stimulating antibody, as another predisposing factor of Graves' disease (GD): analysis using monoclonal TSH receptor antibodies derived from patients with GD.

TSH receptor antibody (TRAb) is clinically classified into thyroid stimulating antibody (TSAb) and thyroid-stimulation blocking antibody (TSBAb). Although the former is considered to cause Graves' disease (GD), its activity does not necessarily reflect hormone production and goiter size. Moreover, uptake of 99mTcO4(-), the best indicator for GD, is correlated with activity of TSH binding inhibitor immunoglobulin better than activity of TSAb.

Veno-occlusive disease/sinusoidal obstruction syndrome associated with potential antibody-mediated rejection after pediatric living donor liver transplantation: a case report.

A 9-month-old girl with biliary atresia underwent successful living donor liver transplantation from her 42-year-old ABO blood-type incompatible mother. The postoperative course was uneventful until postoperative day (POD) 13 when the recipient displayed an increased volume of drained ascites and decreased her platelet count showing low-velocity portal venous inflow without hepatic venous outflow obstruction. We suspected potential veno-occlusive disease/sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (vod/sos) due to an acute cellular rejection (ACR) episode and performed a liver biopsy (LB).

Varicella zoster virus disease after pediatric living donor liver transplantation: is it serious?

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate patients who developed varicella zoster virus (VZV) disease after pediatric living donor liver transplantation (PLDLT).

Methods: Two hundred fifty-five patients who underwent PLDLT between 1995 and 2010 were included in this study. Pretransplantation vaccination of VZV was performed for all recipients except emergency PLDLTs.

Liver transplantation for a pediatric patient with hemophilia B.

Hemophilia exposes patients to greater risks of bleeding complications during the perioperative period. However, there are no current protocols for factor replacement during LT. We herein describe a case of pediatric living donor LDLT performed for a patient with hemophilia B using perioperative short-term factor replacement.

Co-occurrence of nonanastomotic biliary stricture and acute cellular rejection in liver transplant.

Background: Nonanastomotic biliary stricture is generally considered the most troublesome biliary complication after liver transplant. Nonanastomotic biliary stricture owing to immunologic cholangiopathy (such as acute cellular rejection) has not been reported. We describe 2 patients with the co-occurrence of nonanastomotic biliary stricture and acute cellular rejection after pediatric live-donor liver transplant.

Living donor liver transplantation in children with cholestatic liver disease: a single-center experience.

Objectives: Cholestatic liver disease (CLD) is the main indication for liver transplantation in children. This retrospective study evaluated the outcomes of living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) in children with CLD.

Methods: One hundred fifty-nine children with CLD who underwent 164 LDLT between May 2001 and May 2011 were evaluated.

Superconductivity induced by longitudinal ferromagnetic fluctuations in UCoGe.

From detailed angle-resolved NMR and Meissner measurements on a ferromagnetic (FM) superconductor UCoGe (T(Curie)∼2.5  K and T(SC)∼0.6  K), we show that superconductivity in UCoGe is tightly coupled with longitudinal FM spin fluctuations along the c axis.

Altered γ-secretase activity in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease.

We investigated why the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentrations of Aβ42 are lower in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. Because Aβ38/42 and Aβ40/43 are distinct product/precursor pairs, these four species in the CSF together should faithfully reflect the status of brain γ-secretase activity, and were quantified by specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays in the CSF from controls and MCI/AD patients. Decreases in the levels of the precursors, Aβ42 and 43, in MCI/AD CSF tended to accompany increases in the levels of the products, Aβ38 and 40, respectively.

Hepatocellular telomere length in biliary atresia measured by Q-FISH.

Background: Liver transplantation for biliary atresia is indicated whenever a Kasai portoenterostomy is considered unfeasible. However, the timing of liver transplantation in biliary atresia has not been precisely defined. Excessive shortening of hepatocellular telomeres may occur in patients with biliary atresia, and therefore, telomere length could be a predictor of hepatocellular reserve capacity.

Impact of enzyme activity assay on indication in liver transplantation for ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency.

There are no objective and concrete guidelines for the management of Ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency (OTCD). Based on previous findings, we hypothesized that patients with OTCD have a low Ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) activity in the liver, and therefore it would be better to determine the appropriate indications and optimal timing for liver transplantation (LT) based on the OTC activity. However, few data have so far been accumulated on the OTC activity in cases that are indicated for LT.

Indication of liver transplantation for jaundice-free biliary atresia with portal hypertension.

Background: At the present time, indications of liver transplantation (LT) for jaundice-free biliary atresia (BA) patients include intractable cholangitis, portal hypertension and pulmonary vascular disorders. However, the timing of LT remains unclear. In the current study, we describe the therapeutic strategies for jaundice-free BA patients.

Hepatic arterial buffer response after pediatric living donor liver transplantation: report of a case.

Background: Excessive portal pressure at an early stage after living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT) can damage sinusoidal endothelial cells and hepatocytes through shear stress leading to graft failure, or hepatic arterial complications due to low hepatic artery flow from a hepatic arterial buffer response. We encountered a case in which excessive portal vein flow was observed from an early stage after pediatric LDLT. The hepatic artery flow decreased due to a hepatic arterial buffer response.

Homogamy and imprinting-like effect on mate choice preference for body height in the current Japanese population.

Background: Homogamy for body height has been repeatedly documented in Western societies. Nevertheless, the underlying mechanism is unclear and the reasons for its apparent absence in non-Western societies remain unexplained.

Aim: This study investigates spousal correlation and mate preference for height in the Japanese population.

Enhanced NMR relaxation of Tomonaga-Luttinger liquids and the magnitude of the carbon hyperfine coupling in single-wall carbon nanotubes.

Recent transport measurements [Churchill et al. Nature Phys. 5, 321 (2009)] found a surprisingly large, 2-3 orders of magnitude larger than usual (13)C hyperfine coupling (HFC) in (13)C enriched single-wall carbon nanotubes.

Single-site laparoscopic herniorrhaphy using needle instruments for inguinal hernias in children: a novel technique.

We describe our new technique for laparoscopic herniorrhaphy with subumbilical single-site access to treat inguinal hernias in children. First, we inserted a transparent 3-mm trocar and a 2-mm minitrocar at the umbilicus. We then inserted a 3-mm 45° camera through the 3-mm trocar and needle-grasping forceps through the 2-mm trocar.

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease with the M232R mutation in the prion protein gene in two cases showing different disease courses: a clinicopathological study.

We report two autopsy cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) with the M232R mutation of the prion protein (PrP) gene that exhibited different clinicopathological features (age at death, 64/54 years; disease duration, 13/26 months). Both cases showed myoclonus, hyperintensity on diffusion-weighted MRI, and increased 14-3-3 protein in the cerebrospinal fluid. The initial sign in each case was memory disturbance and abnormal pharyngeal sensation, respectively.

The role of operative intervention in management of congenital extrahepatic portosystemic shunt.

Background And Aims: Congenital extrahepatic portosystemic shunt (CEPS) is a rare venous malformation in which mesenteric venous blood drains directly into the systemic circulation. It is still a matter of debate whether conservative or operative strategies should be used to treat symptomatic CEPS. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of operative intervention in the management of CEPS.

[A case of sigmoid colon cancer with liver and ovarian metastases effectively treated by panitumumab after acquiring resistance to prior chemotherapy regimens].

A 44-year-old female was referred to our hospital with a complaint of abdominal fullness. Computed tomography(CT) showed multiple liver masses and a huge ovarian tumor. Colonoscopy revealed a type 4 advanced cancer in the sigmoid colon.

Calreticulin inhibits prion protein PrP-(23-98) aggregation in vitro.

Because prion protein PrP-(23-98) was recently found to polymerize into amyloid-like and proteinase K-resistant spherical aggregates in the presence of NADPH plus copper ions, we tested to determine whether calreticulin (CRT) inhibits PrP-(23-98) aggregation in vitro. The results indicated that CRT suppressed PrP-(23-98) aggregation, and that CRT-mediated solubilization occurred in the aggregates.

Graft fibrosis in patients with biliary atresia after pediatric living-related liver transplantation.

Although an LDLT can successfully treat biliary atresia (BA), some patients develop liver fibrosis or inflammation. To study the incidence and risk factors associated with these complications, we performed serial protocol biopsies. Twenty-four patients with BA who received a pediatric LDLT underwent protocol biopsies.