Surgical Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Arising from Fontan-associated Liver Disease: A Report of Three Cases.

We herein report three patients with Fontan-associated liver disease (FALD) who developed hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). All three patients had very high serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) concentrations, and their HCCs were located in the peripheral areas of the liver. To identify the characteristics of FALD-HCC, we reviewed previously published case reports that included descriptions of imaging.

Discovery of CYR715: A novel carboxylic acid-containing soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator.

Soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) is a clinically validated therapeutic target in the treatment of pulmonary hypertension. Modulators of sGC have the potential to treat diseases that are affected by dysregulation of the NO-sGC-cGMP signal transduction pathway. This letter describes the SAR efforts that led to the discovery of CYR715, a novel carboxylic acid-containing sGC stimulator, with an improved metabolic profile relative to our previously described stimulator, IWP-051.

Photo-triggered large mass transport driven only by a photoresponsive surface skin layer.

Since the discovery 25 years ago, many investigations have reported light-induced macroscopic mass migration of azobenzene-containing polymer films. Various mechanisms have been proposed to account for these motions. This study explores light-inert side chain liquid crystalline polymer (SCLCP) films with a photoresponsive polymer only at the free surface and reports the key effects of the topmost surface to generate surface relief gratings (SRGs) for SCLCP films.

The Administration of Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate for Pregnant Japanese Women with Chronic Hepatitis B.

The appropriate management of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection during pregnancy has not been established in Japan. We herein report five HBV-infected pregnant Japanese women who received tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF). Two of them had been born after the introduction of nationwide immunoprophylaxis and were vertically infected with HBV, highlighting the need to address mother-to-child transmission further.

Discovery of stimulator binding to a conserved pocket in the heme domain of soluble guanylyl cyclase.

Soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) is the receptor for nitric oxide and a highly sought-after therapeutic target for the management of cardiovascular diseases. New compounds that stimulate sGC show clinical promise, but where these stimulator compounds bind and how they function remains unknown. Here, using a photolyzable diazirine derivative of a novel stimulator compound, IWP-051, and MS analysis, we localized drug binding to the β1 heme domain of sGC proteins from the hawkmoth and from human.

Rapid profiling method for mammalian feces short chain fatty acids by GC-MS.

Short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are key feces metabolites generated by gut bacteria fermentation. Despite the importance of profiling feces SCFAs, technical difficulties in analysis remain due to their volatility and hydrophilicity. We improve previous protocols to profile SCFAs and optimize the metabolite profiling platform for mammalian feces samples.

Discovery of IWP-051, a Novel Orally Bioavailable sGC Stimulator with Once-Daily Dosing Potential in Humans.

In recent years, soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC, EC 4.6.1.

[Combination Chemotherapy Using Sorafenib and Hepatic Arterial Infusion with a Fine-Powder Formulation of Cisplatin for Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Portal Vein Tumor Thrombosis--A Case Report].

Sorafenib has been a standard therapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with portal vein thrombosis. Hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) is still preferably performed in Japan because of its relatively good tumor-shrinking effect. We report a case of advanced multiple HCC with portal thrombus that responded to combination chemotherapy with sorafenib and repeat hepatic arterial infusion with a fine-powder formulation of cisplatin (IA-call®).

Free Surface Command Layer for Photoswitchable Out-of-Plane Alignment Control in Liquid Crystalline Polymer Films.

To date, reversible alignment controls of liquid crystalline materials have widely been achieved by photoreactive layers on solid substrates. In contrast, this work demonstrates the reversible out-of-plane photocontrols of liquid crystalline polymer films by using a photoresponsive skin layer existing at the free surface. A polymethacrylate containing a cyanobiphenyl side-chain mesogen adopts the planar orientation.

[A case of paralytic ileus associated with varicella zoster virus infection].

A 79-year-old woman with a history of pyothorax was admitted with a 4-day history of abdominal distension. Physical examination revealed marked abdominal distention, absent bowel sounds, and a vesicular rash over the left Th8-10 dermatome. Abdominal radiography showed gaseous distension of the colon and ileum.

[A case of primary biliary cirrhosis with systemic lymph node enlargement].

A 40's woman was hospitalized with cervical lymph node enlargement. Laboratory examinations showed elevated serum bile duct enzymes and the presence of anti-mitochondrial antibody. Abdominal ultrasonography and computed tomography showed enlargement of not only perihepatic lymph nodes, but also axillary and cervical lymph nodes.

Injectable hydrogel for sustained protein release by salt-induced association of hyaluronic acid nanogel.

A hyaluronic acid-based anionic nanogel formed by self-assembly of cholesteryl-group-bearing HA is designed for protein delivery. The HA nanogel spontaneously binds various types of proteins without denaturation, such as recombinant human growth hormone, erythropoietin, exendin-4, and lysozyme. The HA nanogel shows unique colloidal properties, in particular that an injectable hydrogel is formed by salt-induced association of the HA nanogel.

[Effectiveness of preoperative panretinal photocoagulation in severe proliferative diabetic retinopathy].

Purpose: To evaluate correlations between the surgical outcomes, either presence or absence of preoperative panretinal photocoagulation and types of retinal detachment in patients undergoing vitrectomy for severe proliferative diabetic retinopathy.

Materials And Methods: We reviewed 67 eyes that underwent vitrectomy for severe proliferative diabetic retinopathy accompanied by either macular tractinal retinal detachment or combined tractinal and rhegmatogenous retinal detachment.

Results: The postoperative visual acuity (p < 0.

The 2b protein of cucumber mosaic virus is essential for viral infection of the shoot apical meristem and for efficient invasion of leaf primordia in infected tobacco plants.

It has been reported previously that a 2b protein-defective mutant of the cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) Pepo strain (Delta 2b) induces only mild symptoms in systemically infected tobacco plants. To clarify further the role of the 2b protein as an RNA silencing suppressor in mosaic symptom expression during CMV infection, this study monitored the sequential distribution of Delta 2b in the shoot meristem and leaf primordia (LP) of inoculated tobacco. Time-course histochemical observations revealed that Delta 2b was distributed in the shoot meristem at 7 days post-inoculation (p.

A case of mesenteric lymphadenitis with long-acting symptom, showing marked response to corticosteroid.

A 17-year-old girl who had right lower abdominal pain with multiple swelling of lymph nodes in the ileocecal region and she was admitted to a neighboring hospital. Since there was no improvement of condition with antibiotic resistance, we were consulted. Lymph node biopsy under laparoscopy demonstrated nonspecific findings.

Effective killing of the human pathogen Candida albicans by a specific inhibitor of non-essential mitotic kinesin Kip1p.

Kinesins from the bipolar (Kinesin-5) family are conserved in eukaryotic organisms and play critical roles during the earliest stages of mitosis to mediate spindle pole body separation and formation of a bipolar mitotic spindle. To date, genes encoding bipolar kinesins have been reported to be essential in all organisms studied. We report the characterization of CaKip1p, the sole member of this family in the human pathogenic yeast Candida albicans.

A strategy to profile prime and non-prime proteolytic substrate specificity.

A strategy was developed to determine the prime and non-prime substrate specificity of serine, threonine and cysteine proteases. ACC positional scanning technology was employed to determine the P4-P1 non-prime site substrate specificity. The data was used to synthesize biased donor-quencher positional scanning libraries to profile the P1'-P4' prime site substrate specificity.

Thermodynamic analysis of hybridization between POPNA and DNA.

We have developed a new series of oxy-peptide nucleic acids with pyrrolidine rings of four different types of structural isomers (cis L, cis D, trans L, trans D configurations; POPNAs). Melting curves of adenine nanomers of POPNAs in the presence of the complementary DNA showed the highest Tm value for cis L-POPNA, but in the case of RNA, the highest Tm value was observed for trans L-POPNA. Thermodynamic parameters (delta H and delta S) of POPNA/DNA and POPNA/RNA hybridizations were evaluated from concentration dependence of Tm values.

Remarkably size-regulated cell invasion by artificial viruses. Saccharide-dependent self-aggregation of glycoviruses and its consequences in glycoviral gene delivery.

We here report a novel example of artificial glycoviral vectors constructed via number- and size-controlled gene (pCMVluc, 7040 bp) coating with micellar glycocluster nanoparticles (GNPs) of calix[4]resorcarene-based macrocyclic glycocluster amphiphiles having eight or five saccharide moieties with terminal alpha-glucose (alpha-Glc), beta-glucose (beta-Glc), or beta-galactose (beta-Gal) residues. The resulting glycoviruses are compactly packed (approximately 50 nm) and well charge-shielded (zeta approximately equal 0 mV), undergo saccharide-dependent (alpha-Glc > beta-Gal >> beta-Glc) self-aggregation, and transfect cell (Hela and HepG2) cultures as triggered by the pinocytic form of endocytosis. The semilogarithmic linear size-activity correlation suggests that size-restricted pinocytosis (<100 nm) is effective only for monomeric viruses.

Artificial viruses and their application to gene delivery. Size-controlled gene coating with glycocluster nanoparticles.

Number- and size-controlled macromolecular associations are common in biology with viruses as a typical example. We report here a novel example of artificial viruses, in which the double-helical DNA is coated with 4-nm sized neutral glycocluster nanoparticles (GNPs) with a coating stoichiometry of approximately 2 GNPs per helical pitch (10 base pairs), where GNP arises from micellization of a cone-shaped, quadruple-chain glycocluster amphiphile having eight saccharide moieties with beta-glucoside termini on the calix[4]resorcarene macrocycle. The resulting "glycoviruses" are compactly packed (54 nm in the case of 7040 base-pair plasmid pCMVluc), are well charge-shielded (zeta congruent with approximately 0 mV), and effectively transfect cell cultures without notable cytotoxicity.

Macrocyclic glycoclusters. Self-aggregation and phosphate-induced agglutination behaviors of calix[4]resorcarene-based quadruple-chain amphiphiles with a huge oligosaccharide pool.

Macrocyclic glycocluster compounds 2n (n = 2-7) with four alkyl (undecyl) chains and eight oligosaccharide moieties on the opposite sides of the calix[4]resorcarene macrocycle are prepared from the reactions of the corresponding octaamine derivative with maltooligosaccharide lactones. Combined evidence from dynamic light scattering (DLS), gel permeation chromatography (GPC), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) indicates that they form small micelle-like nanoparticles (d congruent with 3 nm) in water. In the presence of Na2HPO4/NaH2PO4, nanoparticles are agglutinated with phosphate ions as a glue to grow in size up to 60-100 nm, as revealed by DLS as well as microscopy (TEM and AFM).