Search

Alternating‐rich copolymer of vinylboronic acid pinacol ester (VBpin) and maleic anhydride (MAH) was found to catalyze direct dehydrative esterification of carboxylic acid and alcohol. The key to the catalytic function is the activation of the MAH unit by the neighboring Lewis acidic boron directly connected to the backbone through the formation of five‐membered ring. The effects of the side‐chain cooperation were clarified through comparisons with the polymers having similar structures and a conventional titanium catalyst as well as the analyses of reactions with carboxylic acid or alcohol. The catalytic activity was enhanced as the molecular weight was higher, which is owing to the structural feature that boron is directly attached to the backbone. The cooperative catalysis is of interest because of its conceptual similarity with enzyme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alternating‐rich copolymer of vinylboronic acid pinacol ester (VBpin) and maleic anhydride (MAH) was found to catalyze direct dehydrative esterification of carboxylic acid and alcohol. The key to the catalytic function is the activation of the MAH unit by the neighboring Lewis acidic boron directly connected to the backbone through the formation of five‐membered ring. The effects of the side‐chain cooperation were clarified through comparisons with the polymers having similar structures and a conventional titanium catalyst as well as the analyses of reactions with carboxylic acid or alcohol. The catalytic activity was enhanced as the molecular weight was higher, which is owing to the structural feature that boron is directly attached to the backbone. The cooperative catalysis is of interest because of its conceptual similarity with enzyme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The probiotic strain Lacticaseibacillus paracasei (previously Lactobacillus casei) strain Shirota (LcS) has demonstrated its survivability in the gastrointestinal tract across populations in different countries. The objective of this study was to validate this survivability in the United States, where evidence is lacking. Faecal samples were collected from 26 healthy individuals (age: 32.0 ± 5.9 years) at baseline, after 7 and 14 days of daily consumption of 80 mL fermented milk containing 108 colony forming units (CFU) LcS/mL, and after a subsequent 14-days of no product consumption. Live LcS counts significantly (p < 0.001) increased after 7 and 14 days of product consumption (6.37 ± 1.18 and 5.24 ± 1.81 log10 CFU/g faeces, respectively) and returned to baseline in 87% of participants. These results indicate LcS survives passage through the gastrointestinal tract of generally healthy U.S. adults, providing support for its uniquely accumulated evidence of universal survival capacity in the gastrointestinal tract. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alkenylboronate units were incorporated into poly(methyl methacrylate) as trigger sites for backbone degradation. The complexation of a fluoride anion to the boron pendant and subsequent activation by a manganese salt triggered the degradation through the generation of a main-chain carbon radical and β-scission in an adjacent methacrylate unit. The addition of catechol was required, and presumably the chelate coordination to the Mn center was crucial for the degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of vinylboronic acid pinacol ester (VBpin) as a comonomer and post-polymerization oxidation afforded vinyl alcohol (VA)–styrene copolymers, which were difficult to synthesize using a typical VA precursor monomer, vinyl acetate (VAc). The molar mass was controllable by applying RAFT polymerization and the VA composition ratio could be tuned from 11% to 72%. The solubility and glass-transition temperature were also evaluated with the copolymers of different composition ratios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Recruitment of top-down control is proposed as a unified principle of cortical learning. • Microscopic circuit dissection revealed dynamic recruitment of top-down activity during sensory learning. • Macroscopic activity analysis uncovered top-down-mediated orchestration of cortical activity during motor learning. Abstract Cognitive control of the brain flexibly maps incoming sensory information onto execution of actions appropriate for the current goal. Learning is a process that enables the brain to estimate current states of the world by extracting its spatiotemporal structure and generate goal-directed motor outputs through selective association of events or movement refinement. Accumulating evidence suggests that top-down control from higher-order brain areas modulates downstream neural activity and changes local computations that are critical for the execution of learned behavior. Recent technological advances in multi-site recordings and optogenetic approaches are beginning to reveal more direct evidence of top-down cognitive control by monitoring and perturbing activity of top-down inputs and observing its causal consequences on behavior and downstream neural dynamics. Here I highlight that learning-related changes in neural circuits in distinct domains of learning converge onto a unified principle; namely recruitment of top-down control whether it involves sensory, motor or offline learning. Recruitment of top-down control may reflect experience-dependent adaptation and integration of internal models for refined state estimation and goal-directed optimal behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: A multi‐institutional phase II trial was conducted to determine the efficacy and toxicity of neoadjuvant chemotherapy with irinotecan and nedaplatin followed by radical hysterectomy and adjuvant chemotherapy for locally advanced, bulky stage IB2‐IIB cervical cancer. Methods: Patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage IB2‐II, bulky type (>4 cm in diameter) squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix were enrolled. Irinotecan (60 mg/m2) was administered intravenously on days 1 and 8 and nedaplatin (80 mg/m2) was also administered on day 1 of every 21‐day cycle. After two cycles of chemotherapy, a radical hysterectomy was performed. Until 6 weeks after the surgery, three to five cycles of the regimen were added as adjuvant chemotherapy. The primary endpoint was the 2‐year relapse‐free survival rate. The response rates and toxicities were evaluated as secondary endpoints. Results: Thirty‐two patients from seven institutions were enrolled in this study. The median age was 48 years (range 25–75 years). The average follow‐up period was 37.8 months (15–71 months). Twenty‐three patients completed the regimen as planned. The objective response rate (complete response + partial response) for the neoadjuvant chemotherapy regimen was 81.2%. The 2‐year and 5‐year relapse‐free‐survival rates were 87.5% and 78.8%, respectively. The incidence of grade 3/4 neutropenia was 6.3% and 34.4% during neoadjuvant and adjuvant treatment, respectively. All other toxicities were well tolerated. Conclusion: Our treatment showed efficacy and tolerability for patients with locally advanced, bulky stage IB2‐IIB cervical cancer. This suggests that treatment has the potential to improve the prognosis compared to concurrent chemo‐radiotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new Pt‐Al2O3 multilayer composite system has been developed and validated with an Accelerated Life Test (ALT) to confirm its potential for long‐term use in implantable medical devices (IMD). Panels containing over 100 Pt vias were subjected to highly accelerated immersion testing in deionized water at temperatures ranging from 90 to 175°C. Deionized water was employed as it best represents the IMD use environment. Degradation of individual Pt vias was evaluated using fluorescent dye infiltration into the subsurface of the panels. ALT guided refinement of materials and processing to produce a Pt‐Al2O3 multilayer composite system with promising performance for possible use in implantable devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Iron accumulation in vessel walls induces oxidative stress and inflammation, which can cause cerebrovascular damage, vascular wall degeneration, and intracranial aneurysmal formation, growth, and rupture. Subarachnoid hemorrhage from intracranial aneurysm rupture results in significant morbidity and mortality. This study used a mouse model of intracranial aneurysm to evaluate the effect of dietary iron restriction on aneurysm formation and rupture. Methods: Intracranial aneurysms were induced using deoxycorticosterone acetate-salt-induced hypertension and a single injection of elastase into the cerebrospinal fluid of the basal cistern. Mice were fed an iron-restricted diet (n = 23) or a normal diet (n = 25). Aneurysm rupture was detected by neurological symptoms, while the presence of intracranial aneurysm with subarachnoid hemorrhage was confirmed by post-mortem examination. Results: The aneurysmal rupture rate was significantly lower in iron-restricted diet mice (37%) compared with normal diet mice (76%; p < 0.05). Serum oxidative stress, iron accumulation, macrophage infiltration, and 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine in the vascular wall were lower in iron-restricted diet mice (p < 0.01). The areas of iron positivity were similar to the areas of CD68 positivity and 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine in both normal diet and iron-restricted diet mouse aneurysms. Conclusions: These findings suggest that iron is involved in intracranial aneurysm rupture via vascular inflammation and oxidative stress. Dietary iron restriction may have a promising role in preventing intracranial aneurysm rupture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are few reports on abdominal compartment syndrome that are caused by ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). Here, a case of a 29 year old woman is reported in which intravesical pressure measurement was useful in the management of severe OHSS that had been complicated by abdominal compartment syndrome. The patient's urinary output and general condition did not improve after the initial treatment. The woman's intra-abdominal pressure was evaluated indirectly, based on her intravesical pressure, and was found to be significantly elevated. The patient's urinary volume increased after a 14 mm Hg decrease in the intravesical pressure was achieved by the drainage of ascitic fluid. Intravesical pressure measurement was useful in the management of the general condition of this patient with OHSS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between the brain and the environment is flexible, forming the foundation for our ability to learn. Here we review the current state of our understanding of the modifications in the sensorimotor pathway related to sensorimotor learning. We divide the process into three hierarchical levels with distinct goals: (1) sensory perceptual learning, (2) sensorimotor associative learning, and (3) motor skill learning. Perceptual learning optimizes the representations of important sensory stimuli. Associative learning and the initial phase of motor skill learning are ensured by feedback-based mechanisms that permit trial-and-error learning. The later phase of motor skill learning may primarily involve feedback-independent mechanisms operating under the classic Hebbian rule. With these changes under distinct constraints and mechanisms, sensorimotor learning establishes dedicated circuitry for the reproduction of stereotyped neural activity patterns and behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colonization of the infant gut is believed to be critically important for a healthy growth as it influences gut maturation, metabolic, immune and brain development in early life. Understanding factors that influence this process is important, since an altered colonization has been associated with a higher risk of diseases later in life. Fecal samples were collected from 108 healthy neonates in the first half year of life. The composition and functionality of the microbiota was characterized by measuring 33 different bacterial taxa by qPCR/RT qPCR, and 8 bacterial metabolites. Information regarding gender, place and mode of birth, presence of siblings or pets; feeding pattern and antibiotic use was collected by using questionnaires. Regression analysis techniques were used to study associations between microbiota parameters and confounding factors over time. Bacterial DNA was detected in most meconium samples, suggesting bacterial exposure occurs in utero. After birth, colonization by species of Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus and Bacteroides was influenced by mode of delivery, type of feeding and presence of siblings, with differences found at species level and over time. Interestingly, infant-type bifidobacterial species such as B. breve or B. longum subsp infantis were confirmed as early colonizers apparently independent of the factors studied here, while B. animalis subsp. lactis presence was found to be dependent solely on the type of feeding, indicating that it might not be a common infant gut inhabitant. One interesting and rather unexpected confounding factor was gender. This study contributes to our understanding of the composition of the microbiota in early life and the succession process and the evolution of the microbial community as a function of time and events occurring during the first 6 months of life. Our results provide new insights that could be taken into consideration when selecting nutritional supplementation strategies to support the developing infant gut microbiome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim The early and precise diagnosis and proper palliative treatment of bone metastasis is important for improving the quality of life of cervical cancer patients. The aim of this study was to clarify the clinical features, treatment modalities and prognosis of bone metastasis in cervical cancer patients in Japan. Methods The medical records of 75 cervical cancer patients with bone metastasis who were treated between January 2000 and December 2010 were retrospectively analyzed in a multi-institutional study. Results Fifty-four patients (72.0%) had a single bone metastasis. Bone metastases were found in the spine (46.7%) and pelvis (42.7%). Forty-three patients (57.3%) also had extra-osseous metastases. Most of the patients received radiotherapy, chemotherapy or both, but 25 patients (33.3%) received palliative care only. Bisphosphonates were given as palliative therapy to 25 patients (33.3%). The median overall survival after the diagnosis of bone metastasis was significantly shorter in patients with extra-osseous metastases than in those without extra-osseous metastases (14 vs 5 months; P < 0.05). The survival of patients who received chemotherapy following radiotherapy or concurrent chemoradiotherapy was significantly longer than that of the patients who received palliative care. On multivariate analysis, the presence of extra-osseous metastasis was an independent predictor of survival in patients with bone metastasis from cervical cancer. Conclusions Multidisciplinary treatment might improve the prognosis of patients with bone metastasis who do not have extra-osseous lesions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess uterine enhancement rate after abdominal radical trachelectomy (ART) using dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging.Methods: Ten patients with early uterine cervical cancer, who were treated by ART, were included in this study. Each patient underwent DCE MR imaging using a 3 T unit to assess uterine enhancement rate at three times (before surgery and 1 and 3 months after surgery). The radiologist calculated mean signal intensities of the anterior and posterior myometrium and also measured the signal intensities of the urine in the bladder on the same image, which was expressed as the myometrium-to-urine signal intensity ratio. In the time-intensity ratio curve, enhancement parameters (peak signal intensity ratio and peak time) of the uterine body were compared across the three MR examinations.Results: The peak signal intensity ratio was 6.96 ± 0.98 on MR examinations before surgery, 6.14 ± 0.81 1 month after surgery, and 6.26 ± 0.63 3 months after surgery (p = 0.069). The peak time was 57.6 ± 3.4 s on MR examinations before surgery, 56.4 ± 4.4 s 1 month after surgery, and 53.2 ± 8.0 s 3 months after surgery (p = 0.304). No significant differences were found in either the peak signal intensity ratio or peak time across the three MR examinations.Conclusions: That no significant decrease of uterine enhancement rate was found after surgery suggests the uterine function and fertility may be preserved after ART. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Serial imaging studies can be useful in characterizing the pathologic and physiologic remodeling of cerebral arteries in various mouse models. We tested the feasibility of using a readily available, conventional 3-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to serially image cerebrovascular remodeling in mice. We utilized a mouse model of intracranial aneurysm as a mouse model of the dynamic, pathologic remodeling of cerebral arteries. Aneurysms were induced by hypertension and a single elastase injection into the cerebrospinal fluid. For the mouse cerebrovascular imaging, we used a conventional 3-T MRI system and a 40-mm saddle coil. We used non-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) to detect intracranial aneurysm formation and T2-weighted imaging to detect aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. A serial MRI was conducted every 2 to 3 days. MRI detection of aneurysm formation and subarachnoid hemorrhage was compared against the postmortem inspection of the brain that was perfused with dye. The imaging times for the MRA and T2-weighted imaging were 3.7±0.5 minutes and 4.8±0.0 minutes, respectively. All aneurysms and subarachnoid hemorrhages were correctly identified by two masked observers on MRI. This MRI-based serial imaging technique was useful in detecting intracranial aneurysm formation and subarachnoid hemorrhage in mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theories have proposed that, in sensory cortices, learning can enhance top-down modulation by higher brain areas while reducing bottom-up sensory drives. To address circuit mechanisms underlying this process, we examined the activity of layer 2/3 (L2/3) excitatory neurons in the mouse primary visual cortex (V1) as well as L4 excitatory neurons, the main bottom-up source, and long-range top-down projections from the retrosplenial cortex (RSC) during associative learning over days using chronic two-photon calcium imaging. During learning, L4 responses gradually weakened, whereas RSC inputs became stronger. Furthermore, L2/3 acquired a ramp-up response temporal profile, potentially encoding the timing of the associated event, which coincided with a similar change in RSC inputs. Learning also reduced the activity of somatostatin-expressing inhibitory neurons (SOM-INs) in V1 that could potentially gate top-down inputs. Finally, RSC inactivation or SOM-IN activation was sufficient to partially reverse the learning-induced changes in L2/3. Together, these results reveal a learning-dependent dynamic shift in the balance between bottom-up and top-down information streams and uncover a role of SOM-INs in controlling this process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of diffusion-weighted ( DW) magnetic resonance ( MR) imaging to predict the tumor response to chemoradiotherapy ( CRT) of uterine cervical cancer. Methods Twenty-five consecutive patients with pathologically confirmed uterine cervical cancer underwent 1.5- T MR imaging including DW imaging before and during CRT. MR images were reviewed for the size and apparent diffusion coefficient ( ADC). Pathological evaluation of the therapeutic effect was performed 3 months after finishing CRT, and we divided the subjects into two groups: complete remission ( CR) ( n = 16) and residual tumor ( n = 9). Results ADC was lower before CRT than during CRT (0.89 ± 0.12 and 1.25 ± 0.22 × 10−3 mm2/s, respectively) ( P < 0.01). ADC change between before and during CRT (Δ ADC) showed a moderate positive correlation ( r = 0.435, P < 0.05) with the tumor regression rates. Δ ADC was higher in the CR group than in the residual tumor group (0.43 ± 0.23 and 0.25 ± 0.15 × 10−3 mm2/s, respectively) ( P < 0.05). The CR rates were higher in the high Δ ADC group (Δ ADC ≥ 0.50) than in the low Δ ADC group (Δ ADC < 0.49) (100% and 53%, respectively) but marginally significant ( P = 0.057). The local control rates were not statistically different between high and low Δ ADC groups (83.3% and 73.7%, respectively) ( P = 0.602). Conclusion DW imaging including ADC measurement may be useful for prediction and early assessment of pathological response to CRT for uterine cervical cancer, but its impact on local disease-free survival was limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes characteristics of stepwise adiabatic charging with an inductor current by controlling switching transistors. An exact analytical resolution is obtained by using a vector comprising a voltage and a current. From a matrix calculation, the voltage and current can be written with solutions of the characteristic equation, power supply voltage, the switching ratio in the switching transistor circuit, and the number of switchings. Using the expression, the voltage and current in the stepwise adiabatic charging method can be derived clearly. As a result, it is clarified analytically that, in N-step charging, the current is reduced to 1/N so that the energy dissipation is reduced to 1/N. Next, the experimental switching transistor circuit with the controller is described, which is composed of discrete ICs. The experimental inductor current in the circuit is investigated. The measured current is reduced to 1/N in N-step charging, which is consistent with the simulated one from the theory. It is also confirmed experimentally from the average power supply current that power consumption is reduced to 1/N. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Bifidobacterium species are one of the major components of the infant's intestine microbiota. Colonization with bifidobacteria in early infancy is suggested to be important for health in later life. However, information remains limited regarding the source of these microbes. Here, we investigated whether specific strains of bifidobacteria in the maternal intestinal flora are transmitted to their infant's intestine. Materials and Methods: Fecal samples were collected from healthy 17 mother and infant pairs (Vaginal delivery: 12; Cesarean section delivery: 5). Mother's feces were collected twice before delivery. Infant's feces were collected at 0 (meconium), 3, 7, 30, 90 days after birth. Bifidobacteria isolated from feces were genotyped by multilocus sequencing typing, and the transitions of bifidobacteria counts in infant's feces were analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR. Results: Stains belonging to Bifidobacterium adolescentis, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium catenulatum, Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum, and Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum, were identified to be monophyletic between mother's and infant's intestine. Eleven out of 12 vaginal delivered infants carried at least one monophyletic strain. The bifidobacterial counts of the species to which the monophyletic strains belong, increased predominantly in the infant's intestine within 3 days after birth. Among infants delivered by C-section, monophyletic strains were not observed. Moreover, the bifidobacterial counts were significantly lower than the vaginal delivered infants until 7 days of age. Conclusions: Among infants born vaginally, several Bifidobacterium strains transmit from the mother and colonize the infant's intestine shortly after birth. Our data suggest that the mother's intestine is an important source for the vaginal delivered infant's intestinal microbiota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Synapses in the brain are continuously modified by experience, but the mechanisms are poorly understood. In vitro and theoretical studies suggest threshold-lowering interactions between nearby synapses that favor clustering of synaptic plasticity within a dendritic branch. Here, a fluorescently tagged AMPA receptor-based optical approach was developed permitting detection of single-synapse plasticity in mouse cortex. Sensory experience preferentially produced synaptic potentiation onto nearby dendritic synapses. Such clustering was significantly reduced by expression of a phospho-mutant AMPA receptor that is insensitive to threshold-lowering modulation for plasticity-driven synaptic incorporation. In contrast to experience, sensory deprivation caused homeostatic synaptic enhancement globally on dendrites. Clustered synaptic potentiation produced by experience could bind behaviorally relevant information onto dendritic subcompartments; global synaptic upscaling by deprivation could equally sensitize all dendritic regions for future synaptic input. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gastrointestinal tracts of neonates are colonized by bacteria immediately after birth. It has been discussed that the intestinal microbiota of neonates includes strains transferred from the mothers. Although some studies have indicated possible bacterial transfer from the mother to the newborn, this is the first report confirming the transfer of bifidobacteria at the strain level. Here, we investigated the mother-to-infant transmission of Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum by genotyping bacterial isolates from the feces of mothers before delivery and of their infants after delivery. Two hundred seven isolates from 8 pairs of mothers and infants were discriminated by multilocus sequencing typing (MLST) and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis. By both methods, 11 strains of B. longum subsp. longum were found to be monophyletic for the feces of the mother and her infant. This finding confirms that these strains were transferred from the intestine of the mother to that of the infant. These strains were found in the first feces (meconium) of the infant and in the feces at days 3, 7, 30, and 90 after birth, indicating that they stably colonize the infant's intestine immediately after birth. The strains isolated from each family did not belong to clusters derived from any of the other families, suggesting that each mother-infant pair might have unique family-specific strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the present study was to investigate the efficacy of fermented milk containing Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota (LcS) in a healthy population. Healthy subjects with Bristol Stool Form Scale (BS) score <  3.0 were randomized to fermented milk treatment for 3 weeks or non-intervention control. The primary endpoint was the proportion of subjects that produced hard or lumpy stools (HLS) ≥≥  25% of bowel movements (H-HLS). Secondary endpoints included changes in BS score, constipation-related symptom scores and stool parameters. Efficacy was analyzed in 39 subjects. After 3 weeks of treatment the proportion of H-HLS subjects had significantly decreased from 73.7% to 36.8%, whereas in the control group the proportion had increased from 75.0% to 85.0% during the same period ( P  ==  0.002). The BS score was significantly improved after the treatment compared with the control ( P  <  0.001). In conclusion, daily consumption of fermented milk containing LcS reduced the incidence of HLS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe a 54-year-old man in whom esophageal carcinoma was diagnosed and who underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery of the esophagus (VATS-E) in the prone position. Initially, the patient was fixed in a semiprone position, from which he could be rotated prone or left lateral position. Four ports were inserted, and then the patient was rotated the prone position. Once the patient was prone, gravity caused the lung to move downwards. Next, the chest cavity was inflated with a CO2 insufflation pressure of 6 mm Hg. Esophagectomy was then performed, and the lymph nodes in the middle and lower mediastinum and along the right recurrent laryngeal nerve were dissected. In the left upper mediastinum, lymph node dissection was performed after the residual esophagus was stripped. Stripping of the residual esophagus created sufficient working space and a clear operative field lymph node dissection. VATS-E in the prone position has achieved remarkable results in Japan. It allows a clear operative view of the middle and lower mediastinum, but the working in the upper mediastinum is limited. Our results indicate that esophageal stripping in prone VATS-E allows for safe and straightforward lymph node dissection along the left recurrent laryngeal nerve. Our technique overcame the difficulties usually encountered with type of lymph node dissection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Yeast contamination is a problem in the food industry as a cause of spoilage. Moreover, various species of yeasts are known to be capable of causing opportunistic infections in humans. We have developed a real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay to directly detect and quantify nine emerging opportunistic yeast species (Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, Candida parapsilosis, Candida tropicalis, Clavispora lusitaniae, Filobasidiella neoformans, Issatchenkia orientalis, Trichosporon asahii, and Trichosporon jirovecii) in dairy product samples. We designed six primer pairs, conserved sequences of the variable D1/D2 domains of the 26S rRNA gene, to detect the yeasts and demonstrated their specificity. The qPCR assay could accurately quantify emerging opportunistic yeasts in an artificially contaminated dairy product. qPCR with the primer pairs we designed, was very sensitive and will allow producers to enumerate contaminating yeasts and identify whether they are opportunistic pathogens, in only 4 to 5h. This assay can easily be extended to other food items and to a variety of food-monitoring initiatives. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: The regulated trafficking of AMPA receptors (AMPARs) to synapses is thought to underlie the enhanced transmission in long-term potentiation (LTP), a cellular model of memory. However, there is controversy regarding the nonsynaptic site, either on the surface or intracellularly, from which AMPARs move into synapses during LTP. Using recombinant surface-fluorescent receptors in organotypic rat hippocampal slices, we show that the majority of AMPARs incorporated into synapses during LTP is from lateral diffusion of spine surface receptors containing GluR1, an AMPAR subunit. Following synaptic potentiation, AMPARs in intracellular pools containing GluR1 are driven to the surface primarily on dendrites. These exocytosed receptors likely serve to replenish the local extrasynaptic pool available for subsequent bouts of plasticity. These results clarify the role of intracellular and surface AMPARs during synaptic plasticity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Thymidylate synthase, dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase, thymidine phosphorylase, and orotate phosphoribosyltransferase gene expressions are reported to be valid predictive markers for 5-fluorouracil sensitivity to gastrointestinal cancer. For more reliable predictability, their expressions in cancer cells and stromal cells in the cancerous tissue (cancerous stroma) have been separately investigated using laser capture microdissection. Methods: Thymidylate synthase, dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase, thymidine phosphorylase, and orotate phosphoribosyltransferase mRNA in cancer cells and cancerous stroma from samples of 47 gastric and 43 colon cancers were separately quantified by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction after laser capture microdissection. Results: In both gastric and colon cancers, thymidylate synthase and orotate phosphoribosyl transferase mRNA expressions were higher (p < 0.0001, p <0.0001 respectively in gastric cancer and P = 0.0002, p < 0.0001 respectively in colon cancer) and dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase mRNA expressions were lower in cancer cells than in cancerous stroma (P = 0.0136 in gastric cancer and p < 0.0001 in colon cancer). In contrast, thymidine phosphorylase mRNA was higher in cancer cells than in cancerous stroma in gastric cancer (p < 0.0001) and lower in cancer cells than in cancerous stroma in colon cancer (P = 0.0055). Conclusion: By using this method, we could estimate gene expressions separately in cancer cells and stromal cells from colon and gastric cancers, in spite of the amount of stromal tissue. Our method is thought to be useful for accurately evaluating intratumoral gene expressions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neural circuits in the dentate gyrus are continuously modified by adult neurogenesis, whose level is affected by the animal's experience. However, it is not known whether this experience-dependent anatomical modification alters the functional properties of the dentate gyrus. Here, using the expression of immediate early gene products, c-fos and Zif268, as indicators of recently activated neurons, we show that previous exposure to an enriched environment increases the total number of new neurons and the number of new neurons responding to reexposure to the same environment. The increase in the density of activated new neurons occurred specifically in response to exposure to the same environment but not to a different experience. Furthermore, we found that these experience-specific modifications are affected exclusively by previous exposure around the second week after neuronal birth but not later than 3 weeks. Thus, the animal's experience within a critical period during an immature stage of new neurons determines the survival and population response of the new neurons and may affect later neural representation of the experience in the dentate gyrus. This experience-specific functional modification through adult neurogenesis could be a mechanism by which new neurons exert a long-term influence on the function of the dentate gyrus related to learning and memory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A denitrification system for saline wastewater utilizing halophilic denitrifying bacteria has not been developed so far. In this study, denitrification performance and microbial community under various saline conditions were investigated using denitrifying sludge acclimated under low-salinity condition for a few years as seed sludge. A continuous denitrification experiment showed that denitrification performance and microbial community at 10% salinity was higher than that at 1% salinity. The microbial community in the denitrification sludge that was acclimated under low salinity was monitored by terminal-restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis during acclimation to high-salinity condition. T-RFLP profiles and clone analysis based on 16S rRNA-encoding genes in the sludge of the denitrification system with 10% salinity indicated that the γ-Proteobacteria, particularly Halomonas spp., were predominant species, suggesting that these bacterial members were possibly responsible for a high denitrification activity under high-salinity conditions. Furthermore, the investigation of denitrification performance under various saline conditions revealed that 4–10% salinity results in the highest denitrification rate, indicating that this salinity was optimal for predominant bacterial species to exhibit denitrification activity. These results indicate the possibility that an appropriate denitrification system for saline wastewater can be designed using acclimated sludge with a halophilic community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Murine embryonic stem (ES) cells were cultured on a material containing immobilized leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF). To immobilize LIF, we synthesized photoreactive gelatin mixed with LIF and cast the mixture on a polystyrene plate, which was then dried. LIF was immobilized by photoirradiation in the presence or absence of a photo mask. The plate was washed until LIF was no longer released. Murine ES cells were cultured on the immobilized LIF. Activation of STAT3 was maintained on the immobilized LIF for 6 d even after removing soluble LIF. Oct-3/4 was also expressed in the cells cultured on the immobilized LIF. As a result, the mouse ES cells were cultured without differentiating on the immobilized LIF for 6 d. It was possible to culture murine ES cells without adding soluble LIF at each medium change. We conclude that our material containing immobilized LIF might be useful in the culture of murine ES cells. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In three experiments, we examined pigeons' recognition of video images of human faces. In Experiment 1, pigeons were trained to discriminate between frontal views of human faces in a go/no-go discrimination procedure. They then showed substantial generalization to novel views, even though human faces change radically as viewpoint changes. In Experiment 2, the pigeons tested in Experiment 1 failed to transfer to the faces dynamically rotating in depth. In Experiment 3, the pigeons trained to discriminate the dynamic stimuli showed excellent transfer to the corresponding static views, but responses to the positive faces decreased at novel viewpoints outside the range spanned by the dynamic stimuli. These results suggest that pigeons are insensitive to the three-dimensional properties of video images. Consideration is given to the nature of the task, relating to the identification of three- dimensional objects and to perceptual classifications based on similarity judgments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Correction for 'Vinylboronic acid pinacol ester as a vinyl alcohol-precursor monomer in radical copolymerization with styrene' by Hiroshi Makino et al., Chem. Commun., 2021, DOI: 10.1039/D1CC02603H. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Desflurane is one of the most frequently used inhalational anesthetics in clinical practice. A circadian rhythm phase-shift after general anesthesia with sevoflurane or isoflurane has been reported in mice, but few studies have reported this effect with desflurane. In the present study, we examined the rest/activity rhythm of mice by counting the number of running wheel rotations, and we found that desflurane anesthesia caused a phase shift in the circadian rhythm that was dependent on the time of day of anesthesia. We also found that desflurane anesthesia altered the relative mRNA expression of four major clock genes (Per2, Bmal, Clock, and Cry1) in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). These results are important for elucidating the effects of desflurane on the SCN, which is the master clock for the mammalian circadian rhythm. Further studies on the relationship between anesthesia and circadian rhythm may lead to the prevention and treatment of postoperative complications related to circadian rhythms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Volatile anesthetics affect the circadian rhythm of mammals, although the effects of different types of anesthetics are unclear. Here, we anesthetized mice using several volatile anesthetics at two different times during the day. Our objective was to compare the effects of these anesthetics on circadian rhythm. Methods: Male adult C57BL/6 J mice were divided into eight groups (n = 8 each) based on the anesthetic (sevoflurane, desflurane, isoflurane, or no anesthesia) and anesthesia time (Zeitgeber time [ZT] 6–12 or ZT18–24). Mice were anesthetized for 6 h using a 0.5 minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) dose under constant dark conditions. The difference between the start of the active phase before and after anesthesia was measured as a phase shift. Clock genes were measured by polymerase chain reaction in suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) samples removed from mouse brain after anesthesia (n = 8–9 each). Results: Phase shift after anesthesia at ZT6–12 using sevoflurane (− 0.49 h) was smaller compared with desflurane (− 1.1 h) and isoflurane (− 1.4 h) (p < 0.05). Clock mRNA (ZT6–12, p < 0.05) and Per2 mRNA (ZT18–24, p < 0.05) expression were different between the groups after anesthesia. Conclusion: 0.5 MAC sevoflurane anesthesia administered during the late inactive to early active phase has less impact on the phase shift of circadian rhythm than desflurane and isoflurane. This may be due to differences in the effects of volatile anesthetics on the expression of clock genes in the SCN, the master clock of the circadian rhythm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Learning involves a transformation of brain-wide operation dynamics. However, our understanding of learning-related changes in macroscopic dynamics is limited. Here, we monitored cortex-wide activity of the mouse brain using wide-field calcium imaging while the mouse learned a motor task over weeks. Over learning, the sequential activity across cortical modules became temporally more compressed, and its trial-by-trial variability decreased. Moreover, a new flow of activity emerged during learning, originating from premotor cortex (M2), and M2 became predictive of the activity of many other modules. Inactivation experiments showed that M2 is critical for the post-learning dynamics in the cortex-wide activity. Furthermore, two-photon calcium imaging revealed that M2 ensemble activity also showed earlier activity onset and reduced variability with learning, which was accompanied by changes in the activity-movement relationship. These results reveal newly emergent properties of macroscopic cortical dynamics during motor learning and highlight the importance of M2 in controlling learned movements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adult humans (Homo sapiens) and pigeons (Columba livia) were trained to discriminate artificial categories that the authors created by mimicking 2 properties of natural categories. One was a family resemblance relationship: The highly variable exemplars, including those that did not have features in common, were structured by a similarity network with the features correlating to one another in each category. The other was a polymorphous rule: No single feature was essential for distinguishing the categories, and all the features overlapped between the categories. Pigeons learned the categories with ease and then showed a prototype effect in accord with the degrees of family resemblance for novel stimuli. Some evidence was also observed for interactive effects of learning of individual exemplars and feature frequencies. Humans had difficulty in learning the categories. The participants who learned the categories generally responded to novel stimuli in an all-or-none fashion on the basis of their acquired classification decision rules. The processes that underlie the classification performances of the 2 species are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) from intracranial aneurysm rupture results in significant morbidity and mortality. In the present study, we examined the effect of most widely used antiplatelet drugs, aspirin and cilostazol, on aneurysm rupture prevention using a mouse intracranial aneurysm model. Materials and Methods: Intracranial aneurysms were induced by a combination of deoxycorticosterone acetate-salt and a single injection of elastase into the cerebrospinal fluid in mice. Treatment with aspirin or cilostazol was started 1 day after aneurysm induction. Aneurysm rupture was detected by neurological symptoms and the presence of intracranial aneurysm with SAH was confirmed by post-mortem examination. Results: Aspirin (10 mg/kg) significantly reduced aneurysm rupture (control:aspirin = 80%:31%, p < 0.05) without affecting the overall incidence of aneurysm formation (60%:62%). Cilostazol (3 mg/kg, 30 mg/kg) did not reduce both rupture rate (control:3 mg/kg:30 mg/kg = 81%:67%:77%) and the overall incidence of aneurysm formation (control:3 mg/kg:30 mg/kg = 72%:71%:76%). Tail vein bleeding time prolonged significantly in both aspirin and cilostazol groups (p < 0.01). Conclusion: Aspirin prevented aneurysm rupture in a mouse intracranial aneurysm model, while cilostazol did not. Aspirin, the most frequently used drug for patients with ischemic myocardial and cerebral diseases, is also effective in preventing cerebral aneurysmal rupture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bile acid resistance is crucial to allow probiotic strains to survive in the gastrointestinal tract and exert health-promoting effects on their hosts. Our aim here was to determine the mechanism of this resistance via a genetic approach by identifying the genes essential for bile acid resistance in Lacticaseibacillus paracasei strain Shirota (LcS). We generated 4649 transposon-inserted lines of L. paracasei YIT 0291, which has the same genome sequence as LcS but lacks the pLY101 plasmid, and we screened them for bile-acid-sensitive mutants. The growth of 14 mutated strains was strongly inhibited by bile acid, and we identified 10 genes that could be involved in bile acid resistance. Expression of these genes was not markedly induced by bile acid, suggesting that their homeostatic expression is important for exerting bile acid resistance. Two mutants in which the transposon was independently inserted into cardiolipin synthase (cls) genes, showed strong growth inhibition. Disruption of the cls genes in LcS caused decreased cardiolipin (CL) production and the accumulation of the precursor phosphatidylglycerol in bacterial cells. These data suggest that LcS possesses several mechanisms for exerting bile acid resistance, and that homeostatic CL production is among the factors most essential for this resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Postoperative delirium is one of the most common complications after cardiovascular surgery in older adults. Benzodiazepines are a reported risk factor for delirium; however, there are no studies investigating remimazolam, a novel anesthetic agent. Therefore, we prospectively investigated the effect of remimazolam on postoperative delirium. Methods: We included elective cardiovascular surgery patients aged ≥ 65 years at Hamamatsu University Hospital between August 2020 and February 2022. Patients who received general anesthesia with remimazolam were compared with those who received other anesthetics (control group). The primary outcome was delirium within 5 days after surgery. Secondary outcomes were delirium during intensive care unit stay and hospitalization, total duration of delirium, subsyndromal delirium, and differences in the Mini-Mental State Examination scores from preoperative to postoperative days 2 and 5. To adjust for differences in the groups' baseline covariates, we used stabilized inverse probability weighting as the primary analysis and propensity score matching as the sensitivity analysis. Results: We enrolled 200 patients; 78 in the remimazolam group and 122 in the control group. After stabilized inverse probability weighting, 30.3% of the remimazolam group patients and 26.6% of the control group patients developed delirium within 5 days (risk difference, 3.8%; 95% confidence interval −11.5% to 19.1%; p = 0.63). The secondary outcomes did not differ significantly between the groups, and the sensitivity analysis results were similar to those for the primary analysis. Conclusion: Remimazolam was not significantly associated with postoperative delirium when compared with other anesthetic agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented concerning the use of visual stethoscope for pediatric patient.

Purpose: We evaluated our 2-year experience of the regional oncofertility network in Gifu Prefecture (GPOFS) in order to establish a more sophisticated regional oncofertility networking model in Japan. Methods: Questionnaires were distributed twice in January 2013 to 57 departments in 35 hospitals that provide cancer treatment in Gifu Prefecture, before the establishment of the regional oncofertility network. The number and type of disease of the referred adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer patients who visited the oncofertility clinic in Gifu University Hospital via the GPOFS were analyzed. Results: The majority of regional oncologists are aware of the need to provide information about oncofertility to their patients, but they cannot provide sufficient information due to their lack of knowledge about reproductive medicine. Eighty-one AYA patients were referred to our clinic for oncofertility counseling in the first 2 years after the establishment of the GPOFS. Conclusions: The GPOFS as the first regional oncofertility network in Japan has just started and may be working to help both AYA cancer patients and their oncologists. The nationwide establishment of the regional oncofertility network model could help both AYA cancer patients and oncologists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gut microbiomics is based on analysis of both live and dead cells in the stool. However, to understand the ecology of gut microbiota and their symbiotic relationships with hosts, spatial distribution of live bacteria must be examined. Here, we analyzed the live composition of luminal microbiota (LM) and mucosa-associated microbiota (MAM) in the ascending and descending colons and the rectums of 10 healthy adults and compared it with the total composition. The abundance of Lachnospiraceae in live LM decreased along the gut length and was significantly lower than that in total LM. Contrastingly, the abundance of Bacteroidaceae and Bifidobacteriaceae in live LM was higher than that in total LM, suggesting differences in death rate during gut migration. Live Enterobacteriaceae levels in MAM were significantly higher in rectum than in the ascending and descending colons and in LM. High-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of luminal bile acids revealed that 7α-dehydroxylation occurred towards the rectum. In live LM where a bile acid-inducible gene could be detected, 7α-dehydroxylation rates were higher than those in the group without the gene. Overall, we showed differences in live bacteria composition among three gut sites and between LM and MAM, highlighting the importance of understanding their spatial distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Prediction of tissue origin of esophagogastric junction (EGJ) adenocarcinomas can be important for therapeutic decision, but no molecular marker is available. Here, we aimed to develop such a marker taking advantage of tissue-specific profiles of DNA methylation. Methods: DNA methylation profiles of gastric adenocarcinomas (GACs) were obtained by an Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip array, and those of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EACs) were obtained from the TCGA database. DNA from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples was analyzed by bisulfite pyrosequencing. Results: In the screening set, 51 of 145,841 CpG sites in CpG islands were methylated at significantly higher levels in 30 GACs compared to those in 30 EACs. Among them, SLC46A3 and cg09177106 were unmethylated in all the 30 EACs. Predictive powers of these two markers were successfully confirmed in an independent validation set (18 GACs and 18 EACs) (SLC46A3, sensitivity = 77.8%, specificity = 100%; cg09177106, sensitivity = 83.3%, specificity = 94.4%), and could be applied to FFPE samples (37 GACs and 18 EACs) (SLC46A3, P = 0.0001; cg09177106, P = 0.0028). On the other hand, EAC-specific markers informative in the FFPE samples could not be isolated. Using these GAC-specific markers, nine of 46 (19.6%) TCGA EGJ adenocarcinomas were predicted to be GACs. Conclusions: Two GAC-specific markers, SLC46A3 and cg09177106, had a high specificity for identifying the tissue origin of EGJ adenocarcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze the efficacy and feasibility of gemcitabine monotherapy in patients with unresectable advanced or recurrent biliary tract cancer (BTC). Methods: Six patients with unresectable advanced BTC and 12 patients with recurrent BTC received gemcitabine monotherapy. Gemcitabine (800?1,000 mgm2) was administered intravenously over 30 minutes on days 1, 8, and 15 every 28 days. Disease and toxicity were assessed once a week in all patients until the completion of gemcitabine treatment. Computed tomographic magnetic resonance imaging studies were done every 8 weeks during chemotherapy, and every 4 weeks if progressive disease was suspected. Tumor response was determined according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors. Toxicity was assessed using the National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria version 2.0. The time to progression and survival time were also calculated. Results: In patients with unresectable BTC, the overall response rate and the median time to progression for patients with partial response or stable disease was 66.7% and 5.68 months, respectively. Clinical benefit was observed in 3 patients with stable disease (50%). The median survival time was 5.2 months. In patients with recurrent BTC, 4 patients (33%) obtained partial responses and 2 patients (17%) had stable disease. The median time to progression was 8.2 months. Six of 12 patients (50%) obtained clinical benefit. The median survival time for cancer of the intrahepatic bile duct, the extrahepatic bile duct, and the ampulla of Vater were 2.8 months, 8.5 months, and 10.7 months, respectively. No significant correlation between the survival time and the resectability of the initial procedure (R number) was detected. The survival time for patients with a performance status of 0 or 1 was significantly longer than that for patients with a performance status of 2 (P=0.0051). Neither grade 304 hematologic toxicity nor grade 304 nonhematologic toxicity was observed. No treatment-related deaths were observed. Conclusion: Gemcitabine monotherapy may provide a more favorable prognosis in patients with advanced BTC than does best supportive care alone. Moreover, this regimen may represent a therapeutic option for the adjuvant setting in patients with BTC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a case of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) directly invading the liver and causing a pyogenic liver abscess. The patient was a 66-year-old man who presented with dysphagia. Esophagography, endoscopic study, and computed tomography (CT) showed a mass lesion in the lower third of the esophagus. A high fever developed on hospital day 17 and another CT scan revealed a liver abscess, 50 × 45 mm, in the left lateral lobe of the liver. Although imaging demonstrated a liver abscess continuous with the tumor, we performed percutaneous transhepatic drainage, followed thereafter by distal esophagectomy and total gastrectomy with a left lateral segmental resection of the liver. The pathological findings confirmed a diagnosis of ESCC with direct invasion (T4N1M0, stage IVa in the TNM classification). The patient had an uneventful postoperative recovery. Microscopic examination of the resected specimen revealed the expansive growth of tumor cells into the hepatocellular tissues. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the direct invasion of esophageal cancer to the liver causing a pyogenic liver abscess; however, it should be borne in mind when a patient with esophageal cancer becomes febrile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To observe the effect of age on the changes in heart rate variability (HRV) of adult amateur athletes after playing a soccer game, 20 male were divided into two groups: middle-aged (n = 10, 35-55 years) and aged (n = 10, 56-75 years). Before and after 2-hour soccer games, HRV and blood pressure were recorded. In both groups heart rate increased greatly after exercise (73.1 ± 14.8 bpm vs 102.6 ± 16.2 bpm, p < 0.01 and 71.1 ± 8.6 bpm vs 89.9 ± 15.5 bpm, p < 0.01). In the middle-aged group, systolic blood pressure (SBP) did not change (124.0 ± 12.0 mmHg vs 118.9 ± 11.7 mmHg), while the mean standard deviation of the N-N intervals (SDNN), square root of the mean squared differences of successive N-N intervals (RMSSD), total power (TP), low frequency (LF) power, and high frequency (HF) power changed significantly (p < 0.05); in the aged group SBP decreased from 147.2 ± 23.7 mmHg to 127.7 ± 24.7 mmHg (p < 0.01), but SDNN, RMSSD, TP, LF, and HF did not change. It seems that in aged people the accommodation capability of the autonomic nervous system is different from that in middle-aged people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Akt–Mdm2 pathway plays an important role in carcinogenesis in a variety of malignant tumors. However, the Akt–Mdm2 pathway in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) has not been fully studied. We investigated the proteins and mRNA expression of Akt and Mdm2 to elucidate the roles of these proteins in ESCC. We also examined the effect of Akt knockdown on Mdm2 expression in ESCC cells. ESCC tissue samples were obtained from 23 individuals who underwent surgical resection with no preoperative treatment. Akt1–3 and Mdm2 gene and protein expression were analyzed. The effect of siRNA-mediated Akt knockdown on Mdm2 expression was also studied, using ESCC cell lines. Akt1 and Mdm2 immunoreactivity was detected in 77.8 and 66.7% of tumor specimen from ESCC patients, respectively. Akt1 and Mdm2 mRNA expressions were correlated and significantly elevated in tumor tissue (p <0.0001 and p <0.05, respectively). The siRNA-targeted reduction of each Akt isoform reduced Mdm2 protein expression. The overexpression of Akt1 and Mdm2 may be related to esophageal carcinogenesis. Furthermore, Akt expression regulates Mdm2 expression, which may in turn regulate the function of wild-type p53. These results may provide the basis for future preventative or clinical therapies for esophageal cancer. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abdominal hernias are not rare in women, but incisional bladder hernias are rare. The incisional hernia is a condition caused by protrusion of the abdominal viscera through the abdominal fascia. The presenting symptoms in the cases reported included suprapubic discomfort, irritative voiding symptoms, and urinary incontinence. We present a case of bladder herniation with temporary bowel incarceration through a lower midline incision, which followed operative intervention. The temporary bowel herniation was managed conservatively because the impairment of the blood supply was not severe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma is an uncommon malignancy of the esophagus. We present two cases of basaloid squamous carcinoma of the esophagus. Both tumors histologically consisted of solid cell nests and displayed focal immunoreactivity for type IV collagen. The nests comprised pseudoglandular structures containing myxoid matrix. Transthoracic esophagectomy with lymph node dissection was performed in both patients. The patients had uneventful postoperative courser One patient showed no evidence of recurrence or metastasis in the 6-month postoperative period, and the other patient died of lung metastasis 28 months after the primary treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]