Relativistic impulse approximation-based compton component of mass energy absorption coefficients (cm/g) for few materials of medical interest.

Total, whole-atom, individual and integrated Compton scattering cross sections and Compton energy absorption scattering cross sections are evaluated for light elements, such as, H, C, N, O, P, and Ca, with relativistic impulse approximation methods. Most of the phantom materials composed of these elements, which are the basic constituents of biological soft-tissue and attenuation through them, provides potential source of information. Compton scattering cross-sections for few biological materials, such as, HO, CH, CH, CHO, CHNO, CHO, CHO, [Ca(PO)]Ca (OH) of medical interest, have been evaluated with the use of double differential scattering cross-section based on impulse approximation.

Protist dynamics in the eastern Tsugaru Strait, Japan from 2010 to 2018: Implications for the relationship between decadal climatology and aquaculture production.

Environmental changes such as seasonality, decadal oscillation, and anthropogenic forcing may shape the dynamics of lower trophic-level organisms. In this study, 9-years (2010-2018) of monitoring data on microscopic protists such as diatoms and dinoflagellates, and environmental variables were analyzed to clarify the relationships between plankton and local/synoptic environmental changes. We found that time-series temperature increased in May, whereas it decreased in August and November.

Risk factors for lymph node metastasis in patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms.

Background: Although PNENs generally have a better prognosis than pancreatic cancers, some PNENs display malignant behavior including lymph node (LN) metastasis. Complete tumor resection can be the only potentially curative treatment for patients with resectable PNENs. However, the indications for LN dissection are still controversial.

Efficacy of Ring Drape and Unused Sterile Instruments for Incisional SSI After Hepatectomy.

Background/aim: The aim of this study was to verify the efficacy of wound protection with a plastic ring wound protector (ring drape) and using new sterile instruments when closing the abdominal wall (wound closure set), both of which were used to prevent incisional surgical site infection (SSI) after hepatectomy.

Patients And Methods: The incidence of incisional SSIs and the clinical courses of 572 patients who underwent hepatectomy between January 2010 and December 2015 were studied retrospectively. The patients were divided into three period groups according to the period when each infection countermeasure was started.

Metabolic shift to serine biosynthesis through 3-PG accumulation and PHGDH induction promotes tumor growth in pancreatic cancer.

Cancer cells craftily adapt their energy metabolism to their microenvironment. Nutrient deprivation due to hypovascularity and fibrosis is a major characteristic of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC); thus, PDAC cells must produce energy intrinsically. However, the enhancement of energy production via activating Kras mutations is insufficient to explain the metabolic rewiring of PDAC cells.

Membranous HEG1 expression is a useful marker in the differential diagnosis of epithelioid and biphasic malignant mesothelioma versus carcinomas.

Sialylated HEG1 has been reported as a highly specific and sensitive mesothelioma marker but a comprehensive evaluation of its expression in carcinomas in different organs, various sarcomas and reactive mesothelial proliferations has not been reported. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical applicability of HEG1 as a marker in the diagnosis of mesothelioma. HEG1 immunoreactivity was evaluated in whole sections of 122 mesotheliomas, 75 pulmonary carcinomas, 55 other carcinomas, 16 mesenchymal tumors, and 24 reactive mesothelial proliferations and in tissue microarrays containing 70 epithelioid (EM), 36 biphasic (BM), and 2 sarcomatoid mesotheliomas (SM).

A case of primary carcinosarcoma of the liver with combined hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma.

Primary carcinosarcoma of the liver is extremely rare. Here, we report an unusual case of carcinosarcoma of the liver containing combined hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma. A 66-year-old man with a history of viral hepatitis B was admitted for investigation of multiple liver masses.

MicroRNA-25 Exerts an Oncogenic Function by Regulating the Ubiquitin Ligase Fbxw7 in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Background: MicroRNA (miRNA) expression abnormalities are implicated in tumor progression. Previous reports have indicated that microRNA-25 (miR-25) acts as a tumor suppressor or oncogene in diverse cancers. However, its molecular mechanisms in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are still unclear.

Intraoperative bile culture helps choosing antibiotics in pancreaticoduodenectomy: Mechanistic profiling study of complex rink between bacterobilia and postoperative complications.

Background: Postoperative complications after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) is still a major concern. The aim of this study was to propose how to choose antibiotics, based on bacterial sensitivity profiling involved in postoperative complications after PD.

Methods: Two hundred and thirty patients underwent PD between 2008 and 2018 at Kumamoto University Hospital.

High ARHGEF2 (GEF-H1) Expression is Associated with Poor Prognosis Via Cell Cycle Regulation in Patients with Pancreatic Cancer.

Background: Pancreatic cancer has an extremely poor prognosis, even after curative resection. Treatment options for pancreatic cancer remain limited, therefore new therapeutic targets are urgently needed. We searched for genes predictive of poor prognosis in pancreatic cancer using a public database and validated the survival impact of the selected gene in a patient cohort.

Diffuse pleural thickening and thoracic contraction: An indistinguishable case from malignant pleural mesothelioma.

The differential diagnosis of reactive mesothelial hyperplasia and mesothelioma is difficult. We present a rare case of diffuse pleural thickening with thoracic contraction that was indistinguishable from mesothelioma. A 66-year-old woman with no history of asbestos exposure visited our hospital with a complaint of dyspnea.

Prognostic Impact of Coagulation Activity in Patients Undergoing Curative Resection for Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma.

Background/aim: The aim of this study was to elucidate the clinical impact of coagulation disorders on outcomes after curative resection of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Patients And Methods: Preoperative coagulation activity in 135 patients, who had undergone curative resections for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma was retrospectively evaluated and the impact on survival outcomes analyzed.

Results: A prolonged prothrombin time-international normalized ratio (PT-INR) (≥1.

Is Portal Vein Embolization Followed by Hepatectomy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Justified in Patients with Impaired Liver Function?

Background: Portal vein embolization (PVE) was developed for patients with insufficient future liver remnant volume and function and has gained relevant support worldwide before major hepatectomy. However, the efficacy of preoperative PVE for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with impaired liver function remains uncertain.

Patients And Methods: Ninety-seven HCC patients who were scheduled for PVE followed by hepatectomy were enrolled in this study.

The pivotal predictor of severe postoperative complications of pancreatoduodenectomy: complex links of bacterial contamination from preoperative biliary drainage.

Purpose: Preoperative biliary drainage (PBD) prior to pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) is controversial. The aim of this study was to clarify how PBD leads to postoperative complications of PD.

Methods: The subjects of this retrospective study were 230 patients who underwent PD between January, 2008 and January, 2018.

Ectopic hepatocellular carcinoma mimicking a retroperitoneal tumor: A case report.

Background: An ectopic hepatocellular carcinoma (EHCC) arises from the ectopic liver which is defined as a hepatic organ or tissue not connected to surrounding tissues. EHCC is a rare disease and it is difficult to diagnose preoperatively. Furthermore, the clinical features are not fully elucidated.

Renal metastasis from intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

Metastases to the kidney are extremely rare and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is difficult to treat. In this study, we report a case of renal metastasis from ICC. A 72-year-old man who had been followed-up for chronic hepatitis C was diagnosed with ICC in the segment 8 and underwent S8 segmentectomy in 2014.

Clinical role of serum programmed death ligand 1 in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: Where does it come from?

Purposes: Programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) is a key target for the treatment of several malignancies. The present study was conducted to clarify the role of serum PD-L1 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: Serum PD-L1 (sPD-L1) was examined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 153 patients with HCC who underwent curative hepatectomy at Kumamoto University in 2011-2016.

Postoperative nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is correlated with malnutrition leading to an unpreferable clinical course for pancreatic cancer patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy.

Purposes: This study aimed to clarify the impact of postoperative nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) on the clinical course of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).

Methods: One hundred and eight patients with pancreatic cancer undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) with curative intent in between 2005 and 2016 were enrolled in this study. Post-PD NAFLD was assessed by computed tomography (CT), which was routinely performed at 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year after surgery.

Clinical Significance of PD-L1 Expression in Both Cancer and Stroma Cells of Cholangiocarcinoma Patients.

Background: The clinical significance of programmed death 1 and its ligand (PD-L1) as therapeutic targets has been reported previously. This study aimed to investigate the clinical impact of PD-L1 expression in cancer and stroma cells in cholangiocarcinoma (CCA).

Methods: The study enrolled 177 consecutive CCA patients who underwent curative resection between 2005 and 2014.

Perioperative Allogeneic Blood Transfusion Does not Influence Patient Survival After Hepatectomy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis.

Background: Whether perioperative allogeneic blood transfusion (PABT) negatively influences patient survival after hepatectomy (HR) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains controversial.

Methods: Five hundred two patients who underwent HR for initial HCC between 1994 and 2015 were enrolled in this study. All patients were divided into two groups: the PABT group and the non-PABT group.

A case of acute perforated cholecystitis with intracystic tumor thrombus of hepatocellular carcinoma.

A 72-year-old man with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was diagnosed with acute perforated cholecystitis requiring emergency surgery. Unexpectedly, a bile duct tumor thrombus was found to have spread into the intracystic space, mimicking a gall stone and presumably causing the severe acute cholecystitis. We herein report an extremely rare subtype of bile duct tumor thrombus of HCC.