A case of hepatocellular carcinoma arising from the intraductal hepatic bile duct without parenchymal lesion.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) rarely presents as an intraductal tumor with no parenchymal lesions. Here, we present a case of HCC arising from an intrahepatic bile duct. A 74-year-old man who had been treated with direct-acting antiviral therapy for hepatitis C virus infection was referred to our hospital because of elevated serum prothrombin levels induced by vitamin K absence II (PIVKA-II).

AC Electromagnetic Field Controls the Biofilms on the Glass Surface by & Inhibition Effect.

Biofilms, mainly comprised of bacteria, form on materials' surfaces due to bacterial activity. They are generally composed of water, extracellular polymeric substances (polysaccharides, proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids), and bacteria. Some bacteria that form biofilms cause periodontal disease, corrosion of the metal materials that make up drains, and slippage.

A desmoid tumor with fluorodeoxyglucose accumulation arising from the anastomotic site of postoperative gastric cancer: a case report.

Background: Desmoid tumors are extremely rare borderline benign and malignant tumors that do not exhibit accumulation on fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography. In the present study, we report a rare case of a desmoid tumor with fluorodeoxyglucose accumulation at the anastomotic postoperative gastric cancer site.

Case Presentation: A 68-year-old Japanese man underwent robot-assisted laparoscopic distal gastrectomy for early-stage gastric cancer in 2019.

Quantitative Analyses of Biofilm by Using Crystal Violet Staining and Optical Reflection.

Biofilms have caused many problems, not only in the industrial fields, but also in our daily lives. Therefore, it is important for us to control them by evaluating them properly. There are many instrumental analytical methods available for evaluating formed biofilm qualitatively.

Proposal for Some Affordable Laboratory Biofilm Reactors and Their Critical Evaluations from Practical Viewpoints.

Biofilms are a result of bacterial activities and are found everywhere. They often form on metal surfaces and on the surfaces of polymeric compounds. Biofilms are sticky and mostly consist of water.

Morphology Control of Monomer-Polymer Hybrid Electron Acceptor for Bulk-Heterojunction Solar Cell Based on P3HT and Ti-Alkoxide with Ladder Polymer.

We report the morphology control of a nano-phase-separated structure in the photoactive layer (power generation layer) of organic-inorganic hybrid thin-film solar cells to develop highly functional electronic devices for societal applications. Organic and inorganic-organic hybrid bulk heterojunction solar cells offer several advantages, including low manufacturing costs, light weight, mechanical flexibility, and a potential to be recycled because they can be fabricated by coating them on substrates, such as films. In this study, by incorporating the carrier manager ladder polymer BBL as the third component in a conventional two-component power generation layer consisting of P3HT-the conventional polythiophene derivative and titanium alkoxide-we demonstrate that the phase-separated structure of bulk heterojunction solar cells can be controlled.

Research Activities in Materials Science and Engineering with Academic-Industrial Alliances during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

During the COVID 19 pandemic, the importance of global academia-industrial alliances has increased. It is hoped that the alliances will help us to solve the current problems caused by the pandemic. In this paper, we introduce the application of IT tools and communication skills utilized in a special educational project for an academia-industrial collaboration.

Impact of chest subcutaneous fat on the occurrence of central venous port-related infectious complications in cancer patients.

Purpose: There is no concrete evidence to support the association between the amount of subcutaneous fat area (SFA) in the central venous port-insertion site (precordium) and port-related complications. We aimed to investigate the relationship between SFA in the midclavicular line and postoperative infectious complications in patients undergoing port-insertion surgery.

Methods: This was a single-institute and historical cohort study of 174 patients who underwent first central venous port implantation surgery for chemotherapy between January 2014 and December 2018.

Preoperative Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography for Detecting Difficult Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy in Acute Cholecystitis.

Previous studies have shown that signal intensity variations in the gallbladder wall on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are associated with necrosis and fibrosis in the gallbladder of acute cholecystitis (AC). However, the association between MRI findings and operative outcomes remains unclear. We retrospectively identified 321 patients who underwent preoperative magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) and early laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) for AC.

A case of a jejunal gastrointestinal stromal tumor with significantly elevated CA19-9 levels.

Introduction: A gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) with an elevated serum tumor marker level is very rare. We report a case of jejunal GIST associated with extremely elevated levels of serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9).

Presentation Of Case: A 61-year-old woman was referred to our hospital for examination of an abdominal tumor.

Total proctocolectomy with end ileostomy for acute onset of ulcerative colitis during chemoradiotherapy for lung adenocarcinoma (successfully treated by surgery): a case report.

Background: Ulcerative colitis (UC) developing during chemotherapy is very rare. Here, we describe a case of acute onset during chemoradiotherapy for lung adenocarcinoma, requiring a total proctocolectomy.

Case Presentation: A 52-year-old man was admitted to the hospital for chemoradiotherapy of lung cancer.

Primary cardiac angiosarcoma resection and reconstruction with pedicled autologous pericardium: A case report.

Introduction: Primary cardiac angiosarcoma is rare, and its prognosis remains poor. Complete surgical resection is the first choice among the available treatments, to ensure prolonged patient survival.

Presentation Of Case: We report the case of a 72-year-old man with right atrial angiosarcoma who presented with bloody pericardial effusion due to tumor hemorrhaging.

Silicon nanocrystal hybrid photovoltaic devices for indoor light energy harvesting.

Silicon nanocrystals (SiNCs) featuring size-dependent novel optical and electrical properties have been widely employed for various functional devices. We have demonstrated SiNC-based hybrid photovoltaics (SiNC-HPVs) and proposed several approaches for performance promotion. Recently, owing to the superiorities such as low power operation, high portability, and designability, organic photovoltaics (OPVs) have been extensively studied for their potential indoor applications as power sources.

Gastric remnant necrosis secondary to cholesterol crystal embolization after distal gastrectomy in a gastric cancer patient: a case report.

Background: Distal gastrectomy with lymph node dissection, a standard operative technique for gastric cancer treatment, is safely performed because the stomach has a rich vascular supply. Gastric remnant necrosis caused by cholesterol crystal embolization following distal gastrectomy has not been described previously. We report a case of gastric remnant necrosis in a patient with cholesterol crystal embolization.

Pneumococcal infection transmission between family members with congenital asplenia: A case report.

Background: Asplenia, the lack of a spleen, can be congenital and increases susceptibility to severe infections caused by encapsulated bacteria, such as (). We report two cases of severe pneumococcal infection in two asplenic family members living in the same household.

Case Summary: Patient 1, a 38-year-old man with a history of congenital hepatitis B infection and hypospadias, was brought to our emergency department with complaints of cyanosis, cough, and edema of his limbs.

Intraductal dissemination of ampullary carcinoma after pancreatoduodenectomy.

Background: Clinical evidence of intraductal dissemination through the pancreatic duct has been rare. We herein describe a case of ampullary carcinoma that disseminated in the remnant pancreas through the pancreatic duct.

Case Presentation: A 68-year-old woman underwent SSPPD for ampullary carcinoma.

Short-term outcomes of robotic-assisted laparoscopic rectal surgery: A pilot study during the introductory period at a local municipal hospital.

Objectives: The aim of this pilot study was to confirm the safety and feasibility of the induction of robotic-assisted laparoscopic rectal surgery (RRS) at a local municipal hospital. A municipal hospital does not indicate a small hospital. The most significant difference between a municipal hospital and a center or university hospital is that most surgeons in a municipal hospital are general surgeons.

Novel use of the Nathanson liver retractor to prevent postoperative transient liver dysfunction during laparoscopic gastrectomy.

Introduction: The Nathanson liver retractor (N) has been known to cause postoperative transient liver dysfunction (POTLD) in laparoscopic gastrectomy (LG). To reduce the incidence of POTLD, specifically we added to the retractor the use of a disk (N + D) to reduce the localized pressure, and furthermore repositioned the retractor every 30 minutes (N + D TM) to reduce the liver retraction time. Before and after introducing this retractor, we assessed four consecutive retraction procedures.

Laparoscopic surgery of a presacral epidermoid cyst: A case report.

Introduction: The best approach for resecting epidermoid cysts is still controversial. We describe a case of an epidermoid cyst in which laparoscopic resection was performed successfully.

Presentation Of Case: 63 × 55-mm well-defined cystic mass was incidentally detected by computed tomography in the presacral cavity of a 50-year-old woman during evaluation for upper abdominal pain.

Evaluation of Hepatic Resection in Liver Metastasis of Gastric Cancer.

Gastric cancer is the second most common malignancy globally and the third most common cause of cancer-related deaths in Japan. In gastric cancer, benefit of surgical resection of liver metastasis, which was shown in colorectal cancer, is not well established. The present study aimed to examine the feasibility of hepatic resection for liver metastasis of gastric cancer.

Sewing needles in the abdominal cavity assumed to have been ingested and to have penetrated the GI tract 40 years ago: A case report.

A 60-year old woman had been hospitalized in a psychiatric hospital for 40 years for schizophrenia. An X-ray was performed when she fell, which showed needles in the abdominal field. After additional examinations and questioning, the patient was diagnosed with needles in the abdominal cavity, which were assumed to have been ingested and to have perforated the GI tract 40 years ago.

Morphology Control for Fully Printable Organic-Inorganic Bulk-heterojunction Solar Cells Based on a Ti-alkoxide and Semiconducting Polymer.

The photoactive layer of a typical organic thin-film bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) solar cell commonly uses fullerene derivatives as the electron-accepting material. However, fullerene derivatives are air-sensitive; therefore, air-stable material is needed as an alternative. In the present study, we propose and describe the properties of Ti-alkoxide as an alternative electron-accepting material to fullerene derivatives to create highly air-stable BHJ solar cells.