Circulating Pre-microRNA-488 in Blood Is a Potential Prognostic Biomarker in Gastric Cancer.

Background/aim: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been highlighted as non-invasive clinical biomarkers in liquid biopsy. This study aimed to investigate the clinical significance of circulating tumor suppressors, precursor-miR-488 (pre-miR-488) and miR-488-5p, in the blood of patients with gastric cancer (GC).

Materials And Methods: The expression levels of pre-miR-488 and miR-488-5p in tumor tissues and blood were measured using RT-qPCR, and the clinicopathological and prognostic significance of their expression was assessed in patients with GC.

Magicity versus Superfluidity around ^{28}O viewed from the Study of ^{30}F.

The neutron-rich unbound fluorine isotope ^{30}F_{21} has been observed for the first time by measuring its neutron decay at the SAMURAI spectrometer (RIBF, RIKEN) in the quasifree proton knockout reaction of ^{31}Ne nuclei at 235  MeV/nucleon. The mass and thus one-neutron-separation energy of ^{30}F has been determined to be S_{n}=-472±58(stat)±33(sys)  keV from the measurement of its invariant-mass spectrum. The absence of a sharp drop in S_{n}(^{30}F) shows that the "magic" N=20 shell gap is not restored close to ^{28}O, which is in agreement with our shell-model calculations that predict a near degeneracy between the neutron d and fp orbitals, with the 1p_{3/2} and 1p_{1/2} orbitals becoming more bound than the 0f_{7/2} one.

-targeted IcosL controls tumor rejection.

Elevated levels of in solid and liquid malignancies correlate with aggressiveness of the disease. In this manuscript, we show that targets transcripts encoding IcosL, the ligand for Inducible T-cell costimulator (Icos), thus impairing the ability of T cells to recognize and eliminate malignant cells. We specifically found that overexpression of in B cells of Eµ- mice causes loss of IcosL expression as they progress toward malignancy.

Mass, Spectroscopy, and Two-Neutron Decay of ^{16}Be.

The structure and decay of the most neutron-rich beryllium isotope, ^{16}Be, has been investigated following proton knockout from a high-energy ^{17}B beam. Two relatively narrow resonances were observed for the first time, with energies of 0.84(3) and 2.

Observation of the Exotic 0_{2}^{+} Cluster State in ^{8}He.

We report here the first observation of the 0_{2}^{+} state of ^{8}He, which has been predicted to feature the condensatelike α+^{2}n+^{2}n cluster structure. We show that this state is characterized by a spin parity of 0^{+}, a large isoscalar monopole transition strength, and the emission of a strongly correlated neutron pair, in line with theoretical predictions. Our finding is further supported by the state-of-the-art microscopic α+4n model calculations.

Validation of the ^{10}Be Ground-State Molecular Structure Using ^{10}Be(p,pα)^{6}He Triple Differential Reaction Cross-Section Measurements.

The cluster structure of the neutron-rich isotope ^{10}Be has been probed via the (p,pα) reaction at 150  MeV/nucleon in inverse kinematics and in quasifree conditions. The populated states of ^{6}He residues were investigated through missing mass spectroscopy. The triple differential cross section for the ground-state transition was extracted for quasifree angle pairs (θ_{p},θ_{α}) and compared to distorted-wave impulse approximation reaction calculations performed in a microscopic framework using successively the Tohsaki-Horiuchi-Schuck-Röpke product wave function and the wave function deduced from antisymmetrized molecular dynamics calculations.

Hot spring bathing practices have a positive effect on mental health in Japan.

Hot springs have long been used for medical purposes throughout the world. Recently, the positive effects of hot spa-bathing on circulatory diseases have been reported, while there are few reports on the mental effects of hot spa-bathing. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to clarify the relationship between hot spa-bathing habits and mental health throughout Japan.

First observation of O.

Subjecting a physical system to extreme conditions is one of the means often used to obtain a better understanding and deeper insight into its organization and structure. In the case of the atomic nucleus, one such approach is to investigate isotopes that have very different neutron-to-proton (N/Z) ratios than in stable nuclei. Light, neutron-rich isotopes exhibit the most asymmetric N/Z ratios and those lying beyond the limits of binding, which undergo spontaneous neutron emission and exist only as very short-lived resonances (about 10 s), provide the most stringent tests of modern nuclear-structure theories.

Multiple Mechanisms in Proton-Induced Nucleon Removal at ∼100 MeV/Nucleon.

We report on the first proton-induced single proton- and neutron-removal reactions from the neutron-deficient ^{14}O nucleus with large Fermi-surface asymmetry S_{n}-S_{p}=18.6  MeV at ∼100  MeV/nucleon, a widely used energy regime for rare-isotope studies. The measured inclusive cross sections and parallel momentum distributions of the ^{13}N and ^{13}O residues are compared to the state-of-the-art reaction models, with nuclear structure inputs from many-body shell-model calculations.

Identification of serum microRNAs as potential diagnostic biomarkers for detecting precancerous lesions of gastric cancer.

Aim: Gastric mucosal changes associated with chronic gastritis are known to be precancerous lesions of gastric cancer. We aimed to identify individuals with a high risk of gastric cancer by detection of microRNAs (miRNA) in the blood as biomarkers.

Methods: Of 1206 individuals screened, 144 who were positive for () by the serum antibody test and who underwent endoscopy were the subjects of this study.

Extended p_{3/2} Neutron Orbital and the N=32 Shell Closure in ^{52}Ca.

The one-neutron knockout from ^{52}Ca in inverse kinematics onto a proton target was performed at ∼230  MeV/nucleon combined with prompt γ spectroscopy. Exclusive quasifree scattering cross sections to bound states in ^{51}Ca and the momentum distributions corresponding to the removal of 1f_{7/2} and 2p_{3/2} neutrons were measured. The cross sections, interpreted within the distorted-wave impulse approximation reaction framework, are consistent with a shell closure at the neutron number N=32, found as strong as at N=28 and N=34 in Ca isotopes from the same observables.

Discovery of ^{39}Na.

The new isotope ^{39}Na, the most neutron-rich sodium nucleus observed so far, was discovered at the RIKEN Nishina Center Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory using the projectile fragmentation of an intense ^{48}Ca beam at 345  MeV/nucleon on a beryllium target. Projectile fragments were separated and identified in flight with the large-acceptance two-stage separator BigRIPS. Nine ^{39}Na events have been unambiguously observed in this work and clearly establish the particle stability of ^{39}Na.

Portal Vein Stenting for Jejunal Variceal Bleeding after Recurrence of Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

A 73-year-old woman with portal vein stenosis caused by tumor recurrence after pancreatoduodenectomy was treated with stent placement without embolization of the jejunal varix. Anticoagulation therapy using heparin followed by rivaroxaban was administered after the procedure. She continued to receive systemic chemotherapy as an outpatient.

Observation of a correlated free four-neutron system.

A long-standing question in nuclear physics is whether chargeless nuclear systems can exist. To our knowledge, only neutron stars represent near-pure neutron systems, where neutrons are squeezed together by the gravitational force to very high densities. The experimental search for isolated multi-neutron systems has been an ongoing quest for several decades, with a particular focus on the four-neutron system called the tetraneutron, resulting in only a few indications of its existence so far, leaving the tetraneutron an elusive nuclear system for six decades.

A phase II multicenter trial assessing the efficacy and safety of first-line S-1 + ramucirumab in elderly patients with advanced/recurrent gastric cancer: KSCC1701.

Background: The mainstream first-line chemotherapy for advanced/recurrent gastric cancer (ARGC) is combination therapy including platinum-based agents. With the progressive aging of the society, the incidence of gastric cancer in elderly patients is increasing. However, elderly patients cannot tolerate these agents because of renal dysfunction or low quality of life.

GET4 is a novel driver gene in colorectal cancer that regulates the localization of BAG6, a nucleocytoplasmic shuttling protein.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common types of cancer and a significant cause of cancer mortality worldwide. Further improvements of CRC therapeutic approaches are needed. BCL2-associated athanogene 6 (BAG6), a multifunctional scaffold protein, plays an important role in tumor progression.

Oxysterol binding protein-like 3 (OSBPL3) is a novel driver gene that promotes tumor growth in part through R-Ras/Akt signaling in gastric cancer.

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most lethal malignant tumors. To improve the prognosis of GC, the identification of novel driver genes as therapeutic targets is in urgent need. Here, we aimed to identify novel driver genes and clarify their roles in gastric cancer.

The SπRIT time projection chamber.

The Superconducting Analyzer for MUlti-particles from RAdioIsotope (SAMURAI) Pion-Reconstruction and Ion-Tracker Time Projection Chamber (SπRIT TPC) was designed to enable measurements of heavy ion collisions with the SAMURAI spectrometer at the RIKEN radioactive isotope beam factory and provides constraints on the equation of state of neutron-rich nuclear matter. The SπRIT TPC has a 50.5 cm drift length and an 86.

Pairing Forces Govern Population of Doubly Magic ^{54}Ca from Direct Reactions.

Direct proton-knockout reactions of ^{55}Sc at ∼220  MeV/nucleon were studied at the RIKEN Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory. Populated states of ^{54}Ca were investigated through γ-ray and invariant-mass spectroscopy. Level energies were calculated from the nuclear shell model employing a phenomenological internucleon interaction.

Cancer-associated Fibroblast-derived Spondin-2 Promotes Motility of Gastric Cancer Cells.

Background/aim: Peritoneal dissemination (PD) occurs frequently in gastric cancer (GC) and is fatal. The interactions between tumor cells and stromal cells are critical for cancer progression. Our aim was to identify a novel PD-associated gene derived from stromal cells in GC.

Mitotic checkpoint regulator RAE1 promotes tumor growth in colorectal cancer.

Microtubules are among the most successful targets for anticancer therapy because they play important roles in cell proliferation as they constitute the mitotic spindle, which is critical for chromosome segregation during mitosis. Hence, identifying new therapeutic targets encoding proteins that regulate microtubule assembly and function specifically in cancer cells is critical. In the present study, we identified a candidate gene that promotes tumor progression, ribonucleic acid export 1 (RAE1), a mitotic checkpoint regulator, on chromosome 20q through a bioinformatics approach using datasets of colorectal cancer (CRC), including The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA).

Probing the Symmetry Energy with the Spectral Pion Ratio.

Many neutron star properties, such as the proton fraction, reflect the symmetry energy contributions to the equation of state that dominate when neutron and proton densities differ strongly. To constrain these contributions at suprasaturation densities, we measure the spectra of charged pions produced by colliding rare isotope tin (Sn) beams with isotopically enriched Sn targets. Using ratios of the charged pion spectra measured at high transverse momenta, we deduce the slope of the symmetry energy to be 42 View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Quasifree Neutron Knockout Reaction Reveals a Small s-Orbital Component in the Borromean Nucleus ^{17}B.

A kinematically complete quasifree (p,pn) experiment in inverse kinematics was performed to study the structure of the Borromean nucleus ^{17}B, which had long been considered to have a neutron halo. By analyzing the momentum distributions and exclusive cross sections, we obtained the spectroscopic factors for 1s_{1/2} and 0d_{5/2} orbitals, and a surprisingly small percentage of 9(2)% was determined for 1s_{1/2}. Our finding of such a small 1s_{1/2} component and the halo features reported in prior experiments can be explained by the deformed relativistic Hartree-Bogoliubov theory in continuum, revealing a definite but not dominant neutron halo in ^{17}B.

Depressed Colorectal Cancer: A New Paradigm in Early Colorectal Cancer.

Introduction: In contrast to most colorectal carcinomas arising from pedunculated or sessile protruded adenomas, submucosal-invasive (pT1) colorectal carcinoma exhibiting a depressed surface (hereinafter, "depressed colorectal carcinoma," identified by means of high-definition endoscopy) is considered to be derived from depressed precursors. We hypothesized that depressed colorectal neoplasms have unique clinicopathological features different that are different from those of protruded and flat colorectal neoplasms.

Methods: We classified 27,129 colorectal neoplasms (909 pT1 carcinomas and 26,220 adenomas) resected between 2001 and 2017 into depressed (211 carcinomas and 109 adenomas), flat (304 carcinomas and 11,246 adenomas), and protruded subtypes (394 carcinomas and 14,865 adenomas) and compared their clinicopathological features.