Establishment of educational program for multiorgan procurement from deceased donors.

Introduction: Multiorgan procurement is not an easy procedure and requires special technique and training. Since sufficient donors are not available for on-site training in Japan, establishment of the educational program for multiorgan procurement is mandatory.

Materials And Methods: Development of e-learning and simulation using pigs are our main goals.

An automated sequential injection spectrophotometric method for evaluation of tyramine oxidase inhibitory activity of some flavonoids.

An automated sequential injection (SI) spectrophotometric system has been developed for evaluation of tyramine oxidase (TOD) inhibitory activity. The method is based on the inhibition of TOD that catalyzes the oxidation of tyramine substrate to produce aldehyde and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). The produced H₂O₂ reacts with vanillic acid and 4-aminoantipyrine (4-AA) in the presence of peroxidase (POD) to form a quinoneimine dye, the absorbance of which is measured of absorbance at wavelength of 490 nm.

Successful transarterial embolization for recurrent pseudoaneurysm of the right hepatic artery with acute cholecystitis.

Pseudoaneurysm of the right hepatic artery is an extremely rare complication of acute cholecystitis. We report a patient with a right hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm associated with acute cholecystitis who was treated successfully by transarterial embolization. We also review the literature on right hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm secondary to acute cholecystitis.

Biallelic DICER1 mutations in sporadic pleuropulmonary blastoma.

Pleuropulmonary blastoma (PPB) is a rare pediatric malignancy whose pathogens are poorly understood. Recent reports suggest that germline mutations in the microRNA-processing enzyme DICER1 may contribute to PPB development. To investigate the genetic basis of this cancer, we performed whole-exome sequencing or targeted deep sequencing of multiple cases of PPB.

Allelic imbalance at an 8q24 oncogenic SNP is involved in activating MYC in human colorectal cancer.

Background: The rs6983267 at 8q24.21 has been established as a significant cancer-related single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP). The risk allele showed similarity to the binding site of transcription factor TCF4/LEF1 that activates transcription of MYC.

Morphology of the femoral insertion site of the medial patellofemoral ligament.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the femoral insertion of the medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) and related osseous landmarks.

Methods: A total of 31 unpaired human cadaveric knees were studied. The MPFL was identified, and the site of its femoral insertion was marked.

Systems biology analysis of Drosophila in vivo screen data elucidates core networks for DNA damage repair in SCA1.

DNA damage repair is implicated in neurodegenerative diseases; however, the relative contributions of various DNA repair systems to the pathology of these diseases have not been investigated systematically. In this study, we performed a systematic in vivo screen of all available Drosophila melanogaster homolog DNA repair genes, and we tested the effect of their overexpression on lifespan and developmental viability in Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 1 (SCA1) Drosophila models expressing human mutant Ataxin-1 (Atxn1). We identified genes previously unknown to be involved in CAG-/polyQ-related pathogenesis that function in multiple DNA damage repair systems.

Surgical management of hepatocellular carcinoma with tumor thrombi in the inferior vena cava or right atrium.

Background: The prognosis for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with tumor thrombi in the inferior vena cava (IVC) or right atrium (RA) is poor, and there is no established effective treatment for this condition. Thus study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of surgical resection and prognosis after surgery for such cases.

Methods: Between January 1990 and December 2012, 891 patients underwent hepatectomy for HCC at our institution.

Activation of the PD-1 pathway contributes to immune escape in EGFR-driven lung tumors.

Unlabelled: The success in lung cancer therapy with programmed death (PD)-1 blockade suggests that immune escape mechanisms contribute to lung tumor pathogenesis. We identified a correlation between EGF receptor (EGFR) pathway activation and a signature of immunosuppression manifested by upregulation of PD-1, PD-L1, CTL antigen-4 (CTLA-4), and multiple tumor-promoting inflammatory cytokines. We observed decreased CTLs and increased markers of T-cell exhaustion in mouse models of EGFR-driven lung cancer.

Efficacy of BET bromodomain inhibition in Kras-mutant non-small cell lung cancer.

Purpose: Amplification of MYC is one of the most common genetic alterations in lung cancer, contributing to a myriad of phenotypes associated with growth, invasion, and drug resistance. Murine genetics has established both the centrality of somatic alterations of Kras in lung cancer, as well as the dependency of mutant Kras tumors on MYC function. Unfortunately, drug-like small-molecule inhibitors of KRAS and MYC have yet to be realized.

Recurrent mutations in multiple components of the cohesin complex in myeloid neoplasms.

Cohesin is a multimeric protein complex that is involved in the cohesion of sister chromatids, post-replicative DNA repair and transcriptional regulation. Here we report recurrent mutations and deletions involving multiple components of the cohesin complex, including STAG2, RAD21, SMC1A and SMC3, in different myeloid neoplasms. These mutations and deletions were mostly mutually exclusive and occurred in 12.

Limb function after excision of a deltoid muscle sarcoma.

Background: Limb function after excision of deltoid muscle sarcomas has not been thoroughly investigated, although a large defect of soft tissue often causes some degree of dysfunction after wide excision. We formulated a hypothesis that the limb functional results depend on the volume of the excised deltoid muscle and examined the clinical outcomes in patients with a sarcoma in the deltoid muscle treated by surgical resection.

Methods: The clinical outcomes of 8 patients with a malignant soft tissue tumor in the deltoid muscle were retrospectively reviewed.

ASKP1240, a fully human anti-CD40 monoclonal antibody, prolongs pancreatic islet allograft survival in nonhuman primates.

A strategy for inhibiting CD40 has been considered as an alternative approach for immunosuppression because of undesirable effects of anti-CD154 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Previously, we demonstrated that ASKP1240, which is a fully human anti-CD40 mAb, significantly prolonged kidney and liver allograft survival in cynomolgus monkeys without causing thromboembolic complications. Herein, we evaluated the effect of ASKP1240 on pancreatic islet transplantation (PITx) in cynomolgus monkeys.

Core Needle Percutaneous Transpedicular Vertebral Body Biopsy: A Study of 128 Cases.

Study Design: We report an accurate technique for percutaneous transpedicular core needle biopsy of vertebral body lesions, and evaluate its effectiveness for histologic diagnosis retrospectively.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness and accuracy of this method retrospectively.

Summary Of Background Data: Better knowledge of vertebral pedicle morphometry has led to the development of transpedicular fixation techniques in spinal surgery.

The strategies of Japanese public health nurses in medication support for high-risk tuberculosis patients.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe the support provided by Japanese public health nurses (PHNs) to high-risk tuberculosis (TB) patients, focusing specifically on the support aimed at preventing interruptions in treatment.

Design And Sample: A qualitative descriptive approach was used with a convenience sample of 11 PHNs in Japan who cared for TB patients at highest risk for medication adherence problems.

Measures: Semi-structured interviews were conducted to learn the scope and practice of PHNs with high-risk TB patients.

Integrated molecular analysis of clear-cell renal cell carcinoma.

Clear-cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most prevalent kidney cancer and its molecular pathogenesis is incompletely understood. Here we report an integrated molecular study of ccRCC in which ≥100 ccRCC cases were fully analyzed by whole-genome and/or whole-exome and RNA sequencing as well as by array-based gene expression, copy number and/or methylation analyses. We identified a full spectrum of genetic lesions and analyzed gene expression and DNA methylation signatures and determined their impact on tumor behavior.

A patient who showed a pathologically complete response after undergoing treatment with XELOX plus bevacizumab for synchronous liver metastasis of grade H2 from sigmoid colon cancer.

We herein report the case of a patient who showed a pathological complete response after undergoing chemotherapy with capecitabine, oxaliplatin and bevacizumab. The patient presented with synchronous solitary liver metastasis from sigmoid colon cancer. The maximum diameter of the liver deposit was 5.

Age-related effects of major and trace element concentrations in rat liver and their mutual relationships.

The concentrations of 22 major and trace elements in livers from rats aging from 5 to 113 weeks old were determined. The rats investigated were the same rats previously reported with respect to 29 elements in bones (femur) and 26 elements in kidneys. The samples were decomposed with high-purity nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide.

HIF1α and HIF2α independently activate SRC to promote melanoma metastases.

Malignant melanoma is characterized by a propensity for early lymphatic and hematogenous spread. The hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) family of transcription factors is upregulated in melanoma by key oncogenic drivers. HIFs promote the activation of genes involved in cancer initiation, progression, and metastases.

A novel scoring system for arterial invasion of pancreatic body and tail cancer based on multidetector row computed tomography and biomarkers.

Background/objectives: The absence of major-vessel involvement is a crucial factor in the resectability and prognosis of pancreatic cancer. However, arterial invasion cannot be evaluated adequately using imaging findings alone. We therefore developed a scoring system to assess arterial invasion by pancreatic adenocarcinoma using multidetector row computed tomography (MDCT) and serum tumor markers.