The Japanese 5-5-500 Rule Predicts Prognosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma After Hepatic Resection.

Background: The 5-5-500 rule has been proposed to increase the candidates of liver transplantation for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma with reasonable recurrence rates. However, the clinical significance of the 5-5-500 rule in patients who underwent hepatic resection for hepatocellular carcinoma has not been fully investigated.

Patients And Methods: The study comprised 206 patients who had undergone primary hepatic resection for hepatocellular carcinoma between 2008 and 2018.

[A Case of DIC Following Mixed Acidosis during Laparoscopic Hepatectomy].

The patient was an 81-year-old man. Laparoscopic sigmoidectomy was performed for a sigmoid colon cancer(S, type 2, pT3[SS], INF a, Ly0, V0, BD1, Pn0, pPM0, pDM0, RM0, pN0, pM0, pStage Ⅲa, R0, Cur A). One year after the surgery, a blood test showed CEA as high as 68.

Purification and biochemical characterization of a novel ecto-apyrase, MP67, from Mimosa pudica.

We have previously reported the presence of an apyrase in Mimosa pudica. However, only limited information is available for this enzyme. Thus, in this study, the apyrase was purified to homogeneity.

Psychological stress-reducing effect of chocolate enriched with gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in humans: assessment of stress using heart rate variability and salivary chromogranin A.

We studied the psychological stress-reducing effect of chocolate enriched with gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), on stress induced by an arithmetic task using changes of heart rate variability (HRV) and salivary chromogranin A (CgA). Subjects ingested 10 g chocolate enriched with 28 mg GABA (GABA chocolate); 15 min after the ingestion, subjects were assigned an arithmetic task for 15 min. After the task, an electrocardiogram was recorded and saliva samples were collected.

Underdiagnosis and undertreatment of COPD in primary care settings.

Objective: The aim of this study was to improve the detection of COPD in a primary care setting and to evaluate the subsequent management of these patients by general practitioners.

Methodology: A two-step protocol was followed: patients were screened for airway obstruction and their subsequent management status reviewed. Screening spirometry was performed in 56 primary care settings (23 hospitals and 33 general practices).

Declining trend in the in-hospital case-fatality rate from acute myocardial infarction in Miyagi Prefecture from 1980 to 1999.

The case-fatality rate from acute myocardial infarction (AMI) appears to have been declining in recent decades, so the present study reviewed the trend in in-hospital case-fatalities from AMI in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, 1980-1999. The causes of death and the effects of gender and age on the trend were also analyzed. From the AMI registration database of the Miyagi Study Group for AMI, 12,961 cases of AMI were analyzed.

Case report: right subclavian artery pseudoaneurysm due to perforation of esophageal cancer.

A 51-year-old man presented with massive hematemesis. Perforation of upper esophageal cancer, which had already occurred at least six days earlier, progressed to upper mediastinitis. The mediastinitis contiguous to the right subclavian artery was considered to have caused a pseudoaneurysm.

Pancreatographic classification of pancreatic ductal injuries caused by blunt injury to the pancreas.

Background: In the treatment of patients with pancreatic injury, the focus of attention is usually on main ductal injuries.

Methods: To develop a classification system for pancreatic ductal injuries, we retrospectively analyzed blunt pancreatic injuries in 40 patients. We assessed the relationships between findings on pancreatography (36 endoscopic retrograde procedures and 4 transduodenal procedures), the treatment modality, and the clinical course.

Influence of sustained hypoxia on the sensation of dyspnea.

We assessed the effect of sustained isocapnic hypoxia (PCO2 = 40 Torr, SaO2 = 80%) on the sensation of dyspnea in 16 normal healthy males. Subjects rated the sensation of dyspnea (c) on 15 cm visual analog scales during 20 min of sustained hypoxia. Following this hypoxic period, 8 subjects undertook mild exercise (10-50 W on a bicycle ergometer for 3 min) under the continuation of hypoxia.

Serum amylase level on admission in the diagnosis of blunt injury to the pancreas: its significance and limitations.

Objective: The objective of this study was to elucidate the significance and limitations of serum amylase levels in the diagnosis of blunt injury to the pancreas.

Summary Background Data: Several recently published reports of analyses of patients with blunt abdominal trauma have indicated that determination of the serum amylase level on admission seemed to be of little value in the diagnosis of acute injury to the pancreas. Few previous reports have described clearly the significance and the limitations of the serum amylase level in diagnosing injury to the pancreas.

Modification of human left ventricular relaxation by small-amplitude, phase-controlled mechanical vibration on the chest wall.

Background: Direct clinical manipulation to improve an impairment of left ventricular (LV) relaxation has not been reported. We investigated whether the LV relaxation rate in humans could be modulated by phase-controlled mechanical vibration applied to the patient's anterior chest wall and whether there are some quantitative differences in the responses of normal (N), hypertrophied (H), and failing (F) ventricle.

Methods And Results: In 46 patients (N, 10; H, 18 [hypertrophic cardiomyopathy]; F, 18 [heart failure]), the vibrator was attached to the precordium and a 50-Hz, 2-mm sinusoidal mechanical vibration was applied, with the timing restricted from the onset of isovolumic relaxation to end-diastole during cardiac catheterization.

A new method for evaluating right ventricular dimensions and volume by cineangiography.

The aim of the present study was to establish a new method to evaluate the right ventricular dimensions and volume. Biplane right ventriculography of steep left anterior oblique view (LAO) and right anterior oblique view perpendicular to LAO were performed in 32 patients. The right ventricular volume and ejection fraction calculated from the three axial dimensions of the right ventricular cavity (the septum-free wall dimension, the anterior-posterior dimension, and either the long axis dimension or the tricuspid valve-apex dimension at end-diastole and end-systole) were well correlated to those from Simpson's method.

Surfactant apoprotein-A concentration in airway secretions for the detection of pulmonary oedema.

Patients with cardiogenic pulmonary oedema expectorate foamy sputum containing surfactant, which might be expected to include surfactant apoprotein A (SP-A). SP-A is specific for lung surfactant. We have measured the SP-A concentration in airway secretions to determine whether it is useful in distinguishing pulmonary oedema from other disorders.

[Effectiveness of PEF monitoring in chronic management of asthma patients].

Whether PEF monitoring introduced by the guidelines (NIH/WHO, International Consensus Report and Japanese Allagology Society Report) is effective or not was discussed in chronic management of patients with asthma. It was stressed to improve usefullness of PEF monitoring in the management of asthma patients that the full understanding of physiological basis of PEF as a lung function test and an augmentation of sensitivity and compliance of the PEF monitoring which includes an improvement of accuracy of devices, and automatic registration of recordings and systems to check the maneuvers of patients to perform PEF is necessary and important.

Characteristics of pancreatic injury in children: a comparison with such injury in adults.

A retrospective study of eight pediatric patients (under 15 years of age) who had pancreatic injuries was undertaken. Comparisons were made with 59 adult patients who sustained pancreatic injuries over the same 15-year period. All the pediatric injuries and 96.

[Standard range of peak expiratory flow in normal, healthy Japanese subjects].

The measurement and analysis of the standard range of peak expiratory flow (PEF) in normal, healthy Japanese is necessary at any cost to facilitate bringing the Japanese Guidelines for Bronchial Asthma smoothly into effect. In a study as part of The Bronchial Asthma Group of the Comprehensive Research Project (Terumasa Miyamoto, Chairman of the Planning and Evaluation Committee) under the auspices of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, we measured PEF in 2,785 healthy Japanese volunteers (1,407 males aged 15-84 years and 1,738 females aged 15-80 years) who had no history of smoking, respiratory and/or thoracic diseases, or wheezing with four different peak flow meters (e.g.

Role of repeat computed tomography after emergency endoscopic retrograde pancreatography in the diagnosis of traumatic injury to pancreatic ducts.

Endoscopic retrograde pancreatography (ERP) is performed on patients with pancreatic injury after abdominal trauma. To delineate pancreatic ductal injuries more accurately, we performed repeat computed tomography (CT) shortly after completion of ERP. We describe our experiences with six patients to demonstrate the feasibility and utility of this method.

Role of macrophages in pulmonary late-phase reaction in guinea pigs.

To examine the role of macrophages in pulmonary late-phase reaction (LPR), macrophages were reduced in sensitized guinea pigs by an intravenous injection of liposome-encapsulated dichloromethylene diphosphonate (Cl2MDP). Macrophage reduction was evaluated by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid analysis. In Cl2MDP liposome-treated animals, the number of macrophages in BAL fluid significantly decreased by 56% compared with PBS liposome-treated animals (1.

[Portable home monitoring system in screening for sleep-disordered breathing].

Screening for sleep-disordered breathing is often done in an interview and with a questionnaire. This method is indirect and it appears to underestimate the prevalence of sleep apnea syndrome. Recently, several devices such as the Medilog and Vitalog portable monitoring systems were developed.

TNF-alpha mRNA expression in diaphragm muscle after endotoxin administration.

We studied gene expression and production of TNF-alpha in the diaphragm tissue and changes of muscle contractile properties after endotoxin injection (Escherichia coli, 20 mg/kg) in 88 rats. We assessed the muscle contractile properties by force-frequency curves and twitch kinetics using dissected diaphragm muscle strips. The peak tensions of force-frequency curves decreased from control values (2.

Significance of the right ventricular free wall in dogs with and without pulmonary constriction.

To evaluate the role of the right ventricular (RV) free wall in cardiac function, RV and left ventricular (LV) wall segment lengths were measured by ultrasonic crystals in 10 open chest dogs with the pericardium preserved. Right coronary artery (RCA) was perfused separately by own blood and the flow was reduced stepwise until active shortening (delta L) of the RV segment disappeared or RCA flow became zero (Ischemia). The experiment was repeated with and without pulmonary stenosis (PS).