Characteristic Radiological Features of Retrospectively Diagnosed Pancreatic Cancers.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the characteristic radiological features of early-stage pancreatic cancer (PC).

Methods: Between 2009 and 2016, 510 PC patients were selected from our hospital cancer registry database based on International Classification of Diseases for Oncology-3 (C25). Among them, 64 patients (42 males and 22 females; median age, 74 [range, 59-91]) had received repeated abdominal radiological examinations before their diagnosis of PC and were retrospectively investigated for specific radiological findings.

Analysis of All 34 Exons of the SPINK5 Gene in Japanese Atopic Dermatitis Patients.

Lympho-epithelial Kazal-type-related inhibitor (LEKTI) is a large multidomain serine protease inhibitor that is expressed in epidermal keratinocytes. Nonsense mutations of the SPINK5 gene, which codes for LEKTI, cause Netherton syndrome, which is characterized by hair abnormality, ichthyosis, and atopy. A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of SPINK5, p.

Development of Tissue-Engineered Ligaments: Elastin Promotes Regeneration of the Rabbit Medial Collateral Ligament.

When ligaments are injured, reconstructive surgery is sometimes required to restore function. Methods of reconstructive surgery include transplantation of an artificial ligament and autotransplantation of a tendon. However, these methods have limitations related to the strength of the bone-ligament insertion and biocompatibility of the transplanted tissue after surgery.

Ewing Sarcoma of the Bone With EWS/FLI1 Translocation After Successful Treatment of Primary Osteosarcoma.

Although prognosis in patients with localized osteosarcoma has been dramatically improved by the introduction of multiple chemotherapy agents known as combination chemotherapy, there is growing concern about the development of secondary malignant neoplasms. We report the case of a 13-year-old girl in whom the diagnosis of Ewing sarcoma of bone localized on the shaft of left femur was made 2 years after successful treatment without radiotherapy for osteosarcoma of right proximal femur. EWS-FLI1 fusion gene was detected by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction.

Validation of a protocol based on Raman and infrared spectroscopies to nondestructively estimate the oxidative degradation of UHMWPE used in total joint arthroplasty.

Unlabelled: As a matter of fact, the in vivo oxidative degradation of highly cross-linked polyethylene (HXLPE) still remains one of the limiting factors that affect the long term survivorship of joint replacements. Recent studies clearly pointed out that also the new generation of highly cross-linked and remelted polyethylene components in total hip and knee replacement underwent unexpected oxidation after 5-10years of implantation. The standard methodology to investigate the oxidation of polyethylene (PE) relies on the use of infrared spectroscopy, which, if from one hand is a reliable technique for the detection of oxidized species containing carbonyl group, on the other hand it is not capable of discriminating the fraction of carboxyl acids that is responsible for chain scission and subsequent deterioration of the mechanical properties of the polymer.

Evidence for the intrinsic nature of band-gap states electrochemically observed on atomically flat TiO2(110) surfaces.

Using an ultra-high vacuum (UHV) electrochemistry approach with pulsed laser deposition (PLD), we investigated the band-gap state for TiO2(110). In the PLD chamber, a TiO2(110) surface was cleaned by annealing in O2 enough for it to exhibit a sharp (1 × 1) reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED) pattern. The cleaned TiO2(110)-(1 × 1) sample then underwent electrochemical measurements without exposure to air, showing the band-gap state at -0.

Novel p53 splicing site mutation in Li-Fraumeni-like syndrome with osteosarcoma.

We describe a 15-year-old girl with a novel germline p53 splice site mutation who developed an osteosarcoma. She received several cycles of chemotherapy with complete resection of the primary tumor without amputation, and has maintained remission for 18 months. Li-Fraumeni-like syndrome was suspected based on familial history.

Merkel cell-poor trichoblastoma with basal cell carcinoma-like foci.

We reexamined 11 cases of trichoblastoma, and two cases of trichoblastoma with basal cell carcinoma (BCC)-like foci were found. In these two trichoblastomas with BCC-like foci, the BCC-like foci were often localized in peripheral or deep areas of lesions extending out of the fibrocytic stroma. Immunohistochemistry was performed in five conventional trichoblastomas and in two trichoblastomas with BCC-like foci, using antibodies against CK20 and CK15.

Development of self-expandable covered stents.

We newly developed self-expandable covered stents by combining two of our original technologies. Of these, the first is the dip-coating covering method that was developed previously for balloon-expandable stents; the other is the newly developed self-expandable Nitinol stents, namely, Sendai stents. The three types of covered stents with the expansion diameter of 4.

Atrophic dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans with diffuse eosinophilic infiltrate.

Atrophic dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (atrophic DFSP) is a variant of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP), and is clinically characterized by depressed lesions. We report a patient with a typical atrophic DFSP lesion with marked eosinophilic infiltration. The patient was a 55-year-old woman with a dark-red, depressed lesion in the epigastric region.

Epithelioid cell histiocytoma with underlying artery damage.

Although epithelioid cell histiocytoma is considered a variant of fibrous histiocytoma (dermatofibroma), the histogenesis of this condition remains controversial. A recent investigation suggested the possibility that epithelioid cell histiocytoma is an angioformative fibrous histiocytoma. We report a case of epithelioid cell histiocytoma underlying a damaged artery.

Giant polypoid basal cell carcinoma with features of fibroepithelioma of Pinkus and extensive cornification.

We report on a case of a 61-year-old woman with a giant polypoid BCC, measuring 7.1 x 5.0 x 2.