Twisted cystic artery disclosed by 3-dimensional computed tomography angiography for torsion of the gallbladder.

Torsion of the gallbladder is a rare condition that most commonly affects elderly women. The symptoms of torsion mimic acute cholecystitis, but several clinical features and imaging findings can be useful for distinguishing it from typical acute cholecystitis. However, preoperative identification remains difficult.

A multi-institutional phase II study of combination chemotherapy with S-1 plus cisplatin in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

S-1 is an oral anticancer fluoropyrimidine agent designed to elevate anticancer activity with a decrease in gastrointestinal toxicity. We conducted a phase II study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of combination chemotherapy with S-1 plus cisplatin in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Chemotherapy-naïve patients were treated with S-1 administered orally at 40 mg/m(2) twice a day for 21 consecutive days, and cisplatin (60 mg/m(2)) infused intravenously on day 8, repeated every 5 weeks.

Erosion bleeding as a late complication of chest wall reconstruction with a Dacron mesh silicone prosthesis.

A 71-year-old man who had undergone chest wall resection and reconstruction with a Dacron mesh silicone prosthesis for chondrosarcoma 23 years previously presented with a chest wall hematoma. Since the hematoma was found to increase in size over time, we performed an operation to achieve hemostasis. Operative findings showed that the prosthesis had separated into three sheets.

Ag(x)VOPO(4): A Demonstration of the Dependence of Battery-Related Electrochemical Properties of Silver Vanadium Phosphorous Oxides on Ag / V Ratios.

As a part of our on-going study on silver vanadium phosphorous oxides (Ag(x)V(y)O(z)PO(4)), we report here the first study of the electrochemical reduction of a low Ag/V ratio silver vanadium phosphorous oxide, Ag(0.48)VOPO(4)·1.9H(2)O.

Effect of double quaternary ammonium groups on micelle formation of partially fluorinated surfactant.

To investigate the effect of divalency on the micelle properties, we synthesized divalent cationic surfactants composed of fluorocarbons and double quaternary ammonium groups N,N-dimethyl-N-[2-(N'-trimethylammonium)ethyl]-1-(3-perfluoroalkyl-2-hydroxypropyl) ammonium bromide [C(n)(F)C(3)-2Am; where n (=8 or 10) represents the number of carbon atoms in the fluorocarbon chain]. The double quaternary ammonium groups are continuously combined by the ethylene spacer in the surfactant head group, which clearly distinguishes the molecular design of the surfactant from those of the other typical divalent surfactants, bolaform and gemini types. The presence of the divalent head group results in an advantageous increase in their solubility [i.

Cognate interaction plays a key role in the surveillance of autoreactive B cells in induced mixed bone marrow chimerism in BXSB lupus mice.

The effects of bone marrow transplantation (BMT) as a treatment for and/or preventive measure against autoimmune diseases in mice were investigated extensively. The reconstitution of the hematopoietic system with a mixture of autologous and heterologous bone marrow cells was reported to suppress the development of autoimmune diseases. However, the pathological mechanism through which mixed chimerism results in the suppression of disease development is still unknown.

Combined typical carcinoid and acinic cell tumor of the lung.

We report a case of combined typical carcinoid and acinic cell tumor of the lung in a 55-year-old female. A chest radiograph revealed an abnormal shadow. Computed tomography (CT) showed a tumor in the S3 segment of the right lung.

[A case of acute subdural hematoma from dissection of cortico-dural anastomosis].

A case of acute subdural hematoma caused by rupture of a bridging artery between the dura and the cortical surface is reported. A 49-year-old man complained of headache in the left temporal area after he had lifted up a heavy load. His symptom did not improve in spite of taking analgesics, so he was transferred to our hospital.

Massive pneumoperitoneum after esophagectomy.

A 79-year-old man presented for routine follow-up computed tomography after esophagectomy (reconstruction had been done by intrathoracic esophagogastrostomy) had been performed 18 months earlier for thoracic esophageal cancer (pT2, pN1, M0, stage IIB according to International Union Against Cancer classification). Although he had no symptoms, plain abdominal radiography and computed tomography revealed massive pneumoperitoneum and a small right pneumothorax. On the day after admission, upper gastrointestinal endoscopy showed no ulcers or strictures of the remnant esophagus, gastric tube, and duodenum.

A simple and useful coma scale for patients with neurologic emergencies: the Emergency Coma Scale.

Objectives: The Emergency Coma Scale (ECS) was developed in Japan in 2003. We planned a multicenter study to evaluate the utility of the ECS by comparison of the ECS and the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS).

Methods: Ten medical facilities, including 4 university hospitals in Japan, participated in this study.

Electrochemical Reduction of Silver Vanadium Phosphorous Oxide, Ag(2)VO(2)PO(4): Silver Metal Deposition and Associated Increase in Electrical Conductivity.

This report details the chemical and associated electrical resistance changes of silver vanadium phosphorous oxide (Ag(2)VO(2)PO(4), SVPO) incurred during electrochemical reduction in a lithium based electrochemical cell over the range of 0 to 4 electrons per formula unit. Specifically the cathode electrical conductivities and associated cell DC resistance and cell AC impedance values vary with the level of reduction, due the changes of the SVPO cathode. Initially, Ag(+) is reduced to Ag(0) (2 electrons per formula unit, or 50% of the calculated theoretical value of 4 electrons per formula unit), accompanied by significant decreases in the cathode electrical resistance, consistent with the formation of an electrically conductive silver metal matrix within the SVPO cathode.

Synthesis, spectroscopic characterization, and observation of massive metal-insulator transitions in nanowires of a nonstoichiometric vanadium oxide bronze.

Metal-insulator transitions in strongly correlated materials, induced by varying either temperature or dopant concentration, remain a topic of enduring interest in solid-state chemistry and physics owing to their fundamental importance in answering longstanding questions regarding correlation effects. We note here the unprecedented observation of a four-orders-of-magnitude metal-insulator transition in single nanowires of delta-K(x)V(2)O(5), when temperature is varied, which thus represents a rare new addition to the pantheon of materials exhibiting pronounced metal-insulator transitions in proximity to room temperature.

Pneumopericardial tamponade in a patient with partial sternal dehiscence.

We present a rare case of sudden pneumopericardial tamponade in a patient with partial sternal dehiscence after cardiac surgery. Urgent decompression was needed in the management of the condition. Vacuum-assisted closure therapy was also used to prevent the problem from recurring.

Electrochemical reduction of silver vanadium phosphorous oxide, Ag(2)VO(2)PO(4): the formation of electrically conductive metallic silver nanoparticles.

As a cathode material, silver vanadium phosphorous oxide (Ag(2)VO(2)PO(4)) displays several notable electrochemical properties: large capacity, high current capability, and an effective delivery of high current pulses. These cell performance characteristics can be attributed to the presence of silver nanoparticles formed in-situ during the electrochemical reduction of Ag(2)VO(2)PO(4). Specifically, changes in the composition and structure of Ag(2)VO(2)PO(4) with reduction, especially the formation of silver nanoparticles, are detailed to rationalize a 15,000 fold increase in conductivity with initial discharge, which can be related to the power characteristics associated with Ag(2)VO(2)PO(4) cathodes in primary lithium batteries.

Early carcinoma of the appendix vermiformis.

It is difficult to preoperatively diagnose early carcinoma of the vermiform appendix because of its rarity and few specific clinical features. In the present study, we report a preoperatively diagnosed mucosal carcinoma of the vermiform appendix.

Synthesis, structural characterization, and electronic structure of single-crystalline Cu(x)V2O5 nanowires.

Single-crystalline copper vanadium oxide nanowires beta'-Cu(x)V(2)O(5) (x approximately 0.60) have been synthesized by the hydrothermal reduction of bulk CuV(2)O(6) using small-molecule aliphatic alcohols as reducing agents. The prepared copper vanadium bronze nanowires are metallic in nature and exhibit aspect ratios as high as 300.

Solubilization of n-alkylbenzene and n-perfluoroalkylbenzene in hydrogenated and fluorinated surfactants micelles.

The maximum solubilities of homologous series of n-alkylbenzene and n-perfluoroalkylbenzene in aqueous solutions of surfactants n-tetradecyltrimethylammonium chloride (TTAC) and N-(1,1-dihydroperfluorodecyl)-N,N,N-trimethylammonium chloride (C10F-TAC) were measured as a function of the surfactant concentration at 298.2 K. There are four solubilization systems in viewpoints of hydrocarbons and fluorocarbons.

Endoscopic neck surgery for thyroid carcinoma.

In the past 5 years, endoscopic neck surgery has been performed by various surgeons in Japan. However, many problems remain to be solved, including indications for this related in malignant thyroid tumors. For small thyroid cancers and legions suspected of malignancy, we found that we could obtain radicality in endoscopic neck surgery that was comparable to that attainable by conventional methods.

Allogenic mixed chimerism induced by nonlymphoablative regimen including donor BMT with low-dose TBI and anti-CD40L cured proliferative glomerulonephritis in lupus mice.

Allogeneic mixed chimerism achieved by low-dose total body irradiation (TBI) and anti-CD40L monoclonal antibody (mAb) with donor bone marrow transplantation (BMT) and host T cell depletion overcomes both allo- and autoimmunity. We investigated whether a similar regimen without T cell depletion cured diffuse proliferative glomerulonephritis. Male BXSB mice (H-2b) were injected with 20 x 10(6) BALB/c (H-2d) BM cells.

A case of ductal carcinoma with squamous differentiation in malignant phyllodes tumor.

Carcinoma derived from the lining epithelial cells in malignant phyllodes tumor is a rare neoplasm of the breast and belongs to the category of carcinosarcoma. We report a case of ductal carcinoma with squamous differentiation arising in malignant phyllodes tumor. A 54-year-old woman was admitted with a rapidly enlarging left breast mass.

Thoracoscopic surgery for pulmonary arteriovenous malformation.

We report 6 consecutive cases of pulmonary arteriovenous malformation in the periphery of the lung, which were treated successfully by thoracoscopy. Pulmonary wedge resection was performed with a linear cutting stapler to divide the feeding artery, drainage vein, and aneurysmal lesion of the arteriovenous malformation. Operative time ranged from 30 to 95 min (mean, 50 min).

Histopathological findings of new in-stent lesions developed beyond five years.

We analyzed 14 cases of new lesions inside implanted bare-metal stents. In every case, there was no angiographic restenosis within 3 years, but a new lesion was observed inside a stented segment at long-term follow-up (>5 years). Fourteen cases were evaluated: 9 with Wiktor stents, 2 with Palmaz-Schatz stents, and 3 with ACS Multilink stents.