Decrease in ciprofloxacin absorption by polyvalent metal cations is not fully attributable to chelation or adsorption.

The drug interaction between new quinolone antibiotics (NQs) and polyvalent metal cation products, leading to a significant decrease in the absorption of NQ, is considered to be attributable to the formation of poorly absorbable chelate and physicochemical adsorption of NQs to cation products. To clarify the mechanisms of this drug interaction in detail, we investigated the effects of Al(3+) or Mg(2+) on the membrane permeation profile of ciprofloxacin (CPFX) across human colon carcinoma cell lines (Caco-2) in monolayer culture, and characterized the adsorption nature of CPFX to polyvalent metal cation products under physiological conditions. As a result, Al(3+) or Mg(2+) partially but not fully impaired the permeation of CPFX across Caco-2 monolayer up to 30% or 60% of control, respectively.

The impact of combined thoracoscopic and laparoscopic surgery on pulmonary complications after radical esophagectomy in patients with resectable esophageal cancer.

Background: Pulmonary complications (PCs) after esophagectomy for patients with esophageal cancer have been correlated with prolonged hospital stays and in-hospital mortality. Previous studies have shown that minimally-invasive esophagectomy (MIE) is associated with a lower rate of PCs compared to conventional open surgery. Although PCs were reportedly associated with many factors, including surgical approaches, patients' demographics, and perioperative variables, the predictive factors for PCs including MIE, have not been fully evaluated.

Thoracoscopic esophagectomy in the prone position versus in the lateral position for patients with esophageal cancer: a comparison of short-term surgical results.

Aim: Thoracoscopic esophagectomy (TE) in the prone position for patients with esophageal cancer has received a great deal of attention. We retrospectively compared clinical outcomes and surgical stress of TE in the prone position (TE-P) and in the lateral position (TE-L) at our institution.

Methods: A total of 58 consecutive patients (28 in the TE-L group and 30 in the TE-P group) were studied.

[Influence of physicians' subspecialty and training history on CKD management and medical cooperation: from the results of a nationwide questionnaire survey for primary care physicians].

Objective: The goal of this study was to elucidate how the subspecialty and training history of primary care physicians(PCPs) influence CKD management and medical cooperation in Japan.

Methods: We conducted a nationwide questionnaire survey on CKD management for PCPs from December 2012 to March 2013. The questionnaire included 32 items about CKD management and medical cooperation.

[Current status of and regional differences in CKD management and medical cooperation in Japan: from the results of a nationwide questionnaire survey for primary care physicians].

Objective: The goal of this study was to figure out the current status of and regional differences in CKD management and medical cooperation in Japan.

Methods: We conducted a nationwide questionnaire survey on CKD management for primary care physicians (PCPs) from December 2012 to March 2013. The questionnaire included 36 items about CKD management and medical cooperation.

Successful resection of esophageal carcinoma with aberrant right subclavian artery using video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery: report of two cases.

The right non-recurrent inferior laryngeal nerve (NRILN) is a rare nerve anomaly that communicates the laryngeal nerve to the right vagal nerve trunk directly in the neck, which is usually accompanied by aberrant right subclavian artery (ARSA). We report on two cases of thoracic esophageal carcinoma undertaken in patients with these abnormalities: a 73-year-old woman with progressive dysphagia and a 63-year-old asymptomatic man. Although there have been 10 cases of thoracic esophageal carcinomas associated with ARSA and NRILN in literature, as far as we are aware of, this is the first report to describe successful resection using video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS).

Transcatheter closure of right-to-left atrial shunt in patients with platypnea-orthodeoxia syndrome associated with aortic elongation.

Platypnea-orthodeoxia is a rare condition characterized by dyspnea and oxygen desaturation induced by the upright position and relieved by recumbency. The most common cause of this syndrome is right-to-left shunt through interatrial communications such as patent foramen ovale (PFO) or atrial septal defect (ASD). In addition, this syndrome can be caused by other extracardiac components, including pulmonary emphysema, pericardial disease, and prominent Eustachian valve.

Epidermal growth factor receptor mutations: effect on volume doubling time of non-small-cell lung cancer patients.

Background: The purpose of this study was to retrospectively compare the volume doubling time (VDT) on serial computed tomography (CT) of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation with that of NSCLC without the mutation.

Methods: One hundred and two pathologically proven NSCLCs, including 69 patients with lung adenocarcinoma, were reviewed with helical CT. Each tumor underwent at least two CT scans.

[Five cases of severe radiation pneumonitis after chemoradiotherapy for esophageal cancer].

Chemoradiotherapy( CRT) for esophageal cancer is a useful modality for both locally advanced and resectable cases. Among adverse events related to CRT, radiation pneumonitis( RP) requires special attention because it has been shown to be occasionally associated with a worse acute prognosis. We report 5 cases of severe RP after CRT.

[Successful treatment of locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus by combination chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil plus nedaplatin following tracheal stent tube placement-a case report].

The patient was a 68-year-old man who complained of hoarseness and dyspnea. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed a type 3 tumor located in the middle thoracic esophagus at 30 cm from the incisor tooth that involved one-fourth of the circumference of the esophagus. Histopathological examination revealed moderately differentiated squamous cell carcinoma.

[A case of familial adenomatous polyposis presenting with thyroid cancer].

We report a case of familial adenomatous polyposis( FAP) presenting with thyroid cancer. A 24-year-old woman, on histological examination, was diagnosed as having the cribriform-morular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma, which is known to be associated with FAP. Therefore, she underwent colonoscopy, and FAP was diagnosed.

[Significance of preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio as a predictor of prognosis in patients with stage IV colorectal cancer].

This study aimed to investigate the clinical significance of preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio(NLR)as a predictor of prognosis in patients with Stage IV colorectal cancer. A total of 130 patients who underwent operation for Stage IV colorectal cancer were enrolled in the study. Of the patients, 69 had an NLR of ≥ 3.

Complementary Characterization of End Groups in Radically Polymerized Poly(methyl methacrylate) by Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry and Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry.

The end groups in radically polymerized poly(methyl methacrylate) samples with tert-butyl peroxy-2-ethylhexanoate as an aliphatic peroxide initiator and 1-octanethiol as a chain transfer reagent were complementarily characterized by high-resolution matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) spiral time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MS) and pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS). The end groups comprised of three types of the initiator fragments and octylthio group originating from the chain transfer agent were confirmed by MALDI-MS measurements. In addition, their quantitative information was obtained by Py-GC-MS.

Rapid and direct compositional analysis of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) in whole bacterial cells by thermally assisted hydrolysis and methylation-gas chromatography.

Thermally assisted hydrolysis and methylation-gas chromatography (THM-GC) in the presence of an organic alkali was applied to the direct analysis of copolymer composition for poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) [P(3HB-co-3HV)] accumulated in whole bacterial cells. Cupriavidus necator was grown on a liquid medium with different molar ratios of valeric acid (V) to glucose (G) in order to control the compositions of P(3HB-co-3HV) produced in the cells. Trace amounts (0.

Effects of densities of brominated flame retardants on the detection response for HPLC analysis with a corona-charged aerosol detector.

Dependence of the response of a corona-charged aerosol detector (corona CAD) on the concentration and densities of brominated flame retardants and some related substrates was studied. The calibration curves of the substrates did not show linearity and the substrate with a lower density exhibited the stronger response. Regardless of the solvents (chloroform or toluene), and the injected volume of the substrate solution, the signal intensity of the substrate observed by a corona CAD was substantially proportional to 2/3 power law of concentration and proportional to (-2/3) power law of the density of the substrates.

Distribution of late gadolinium enhancement in end-stage hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and dilated cardiomyopathy: differential diagnosis and prediction of cardiac outcome.

Background: The prognostic implications of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) have been evaluated in ischemic and non-ischemic cardiomyopathies. The present study analyzed LGE distribution in patients with end-stage hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (ES-HCM) and with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), and tried to identify high risk patients in DCM.

Methods: Eleven patients with ES-HCM and 72 with DCM underwent cine- and LGE-cardiac magnetic resonance and ultrasound cardiography.

Meta-analysis of laparoscopic and open surgery for gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumor.

Aim: A meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate and compare the short- and long-term outcomes of laparoscopic and conventional open surgery for gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs).

Materials And Methods: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Science Citation Index, and the Cochrane Controlled Trial Register for relevant articles published between 2000 and July 2013 by using the search terms "laparoscopic", "laparoscopy-assisted", "surgery", "gastrointestinal tumor", "GIST" and "gastric".

Results: We identified 12 articles reporting results that compared laparoscopic surgery with open surgery for gastric GISTs.

Tumor budding and E-cadherin expression are useful predictors of nodal involvement in T1 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: Endoscopic treatment has been increasingly used for T1 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). However, this therapy is sometimes incomplete if the depth of the T1 primary tumor reaches the muscularis mucosae or submucosal layer because these tumors have a relatively high incidence of lymph node metastasis. However, to our knowledge, no previous reports on the prediction of nodal metastasis determined by evaluating primary tumor specimens of patients with ESCC are available.

A case of intracystic apocrine papillary tumor: diagnostic pitfalls for malignancy.

Intraductal/intracystic papillary carcinoma (IPC) of the breast is defined as a malignant non-invasive papillary tumor arising from the ductal-lobular system. Based on the presence of myoepithelial cells in the cystic wall, IPC is distinguished from encapsulated papillary carcinoma (EPC). Here, we report a case of an intracystic apocrine papillary tumor in the breast of a 49-year-old woman.

Characterization of transplacental transfer of paroxetine in perfused human placenta: development of a pharmacokinetic model to evaluate tapered dosing.

The aim of this study was to determine whether a tapered dosage regimen of paroxetine in pregnant women might be useful to avoid withdrawal syndromes in neonates after delivery. We characterized the transplacental transfer of paroxetine in perfused human placenta, fitting a pharmacokinetic model to the results and applying the model and parameters to evaluate a tapered dosage regimen. Paroxetine was perfused from the maternal or fetal side of an isolated human placental preparation with various perfusion protocols, and paroxetine concentrations in the effluent and placental tissue were determined.

DmGTSF1 is necessary for Piwi-piRISC-mediated transcriptional transposon silencing in the Drosophila ovary.

The Piwi-piRNA (PIWI-interacting RNA) complex (Piwi-piRISC) in Drosophila ovarian somatic cells represses transposons transcriptionally to maintain genome integrity; however, the underlying mechanisms remain obscure. Here, we reveal that DmGTSF1, a Drosophila homolog of gametocyte-specific factor 1 (GTSF1) (which is required for transposon silencing in mouse testes), is necessary for Piwi-piRISC to repress target transposons and neighboring genes. DmGTSF1 depletion affected neither piRNA biogenesis nor nuclear import of Piwi-piRISC.

Low expression of claudin-1 and presence of poorly-differentiated tumor clusters correlate with poor prognosis in colorectal cancer.

Background: Claudins are integral membrane proteins that constitute tight junctions. The aim of this study was to determine the clinical significance of claudin-1 in terms of the cell-cell adhesion, considering the poorly-differentiated tumor component.

Patients And Methods: A total of 344 cases of stage II and III colorectal cancer were enrolled.

A high preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio is associated with poor survival in patients with colorectal cancer.

Background: Previous studies have reported that an elevated preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is associated with a poor prognosis in patients with various types of cancers. The aim of this study was to determine the prognostic significance of preoperative NLR in patients with colorectal cancer and to determine an appropriate cut-off value of the NLR.

Patients And Methods: We enrolled 674 patients who underwent surgery for stage I-IV colorectal cancer.

Evaluation of interactions between metal ions and nonionic surfactants in high-concentration HCl using low-pressure high-performance liquid chromatography with low-flow-resistance polystyrene-based monolithic column.

A method for evaluating the interactions between metal ions and nonionic surfactants in aqueous solutions containing high-concentration HCl, using gas pressure-driven low-pressure high-performance liquid chromatography (LP-HPLC) as a highly acid-resistant HPLC system, was developed. To construct the LP-HPLC for this purpose, poly(styrene-co-divinylbenzene)-based low-flow-resistance monolithic columns tolerant to highly acidic conditions were prepared using low-conversion thermal polymerization. Thermal polymerization at 65 °C for 1.

Oncocytic carcinoid tumor of the lung with intense F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake in positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET/CT).

The present report describes a case of typical carcinoid tumor with intense fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake. The most of tumor cells were characterized by eosinophilic cytoplasm resulting from accumulation of mitochondria, which was called an oncocytic carcinoid tumor. Glucose transporter type 1 (GLUT-1) was expressed in a membranous pattern in the oncocytic component.