Pipeline esophageal varices: Insights from clinical cases and models.

Objectives: While esophageal varices (EVs) are typically treated endoscopically, other options such as interventional radiology or surgical treatment are considered when endoscopic treatment is challenging. Pipeline EVs are difficult to treat endoscopically due to their large diameter, and currently, no specific treatment guidelines have been established.

Methods: We reviewed cases of pipeline EVs treated at our hospital and analyzed previously reported cases to collect evidence for the formulation of treatment guidelines.

Reevaluating hybrid neurofibroma/schwannoma: Predominance of schwannoma features despite CD34 positivity and initial neurofibroma diagnosis.

Schwannomas consist of both high-cellularity regions (Antoni A area) and hypocellular regions (Antoni B area) in histopathological findings. Neurofibromas characteristically consist of CD34 positive spindle cells with thin, wavy, nuclei and wavy collagen bands. Previous reports have described segments of schwannomas with neurofibroma features as hybrid tumors, although hybrid tumors were diagnosed based on partial CD34 positivity in many previous reports.

Identification of microbial antigens in liver tissues involved in the pathogenesis of primary biliary cholangitis using 16S rRNA metagenome analysis.

Background: Multiple factors are involved in the pathogenesis of primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), a chronic cholestatic liver disease, characterized by intrahepatic cholangiopathy. In particular, studies have suggested that environmental factors such as the presence of granulomas in the portal vein region are important for the development of PBC. This study aimed to comprehensively analyze and identify foreign-derived antigens in PBC liver tissue to confirm their involvement in PBC pathogenesis.

Leaching behavior of inert waste landfills.

Inert waste landfills are strictly limited to inert or non-reactive waste materials, nevertheless, due to human negligence or unavoidable circumstances, sometimes, small amounts of biodegradable or chemically reactive waste are mixed and disposed together with the inert waste. Over time, leachate generated from these biodegradable wastes may come into contact with rainfall water and percolate into groundwater and surrounding ground, degrading water quality. Additionally, the large sized industrial plastics present inside the inert waste landfill may trap and store the leachate thus enhancing the risk of contamination due to increased contact time and reducing the mechanical stability of the landfill.